Day Three of the Odinsleep (The Plains of Vígríðr - Ride of the Dark Elf Cavalry Part 3)

Day Three of the Odinsleep – 9:40 am 

In the aftershocks of Ra’ziir’s earthquake, Raven’s magical boots automatically adjust to compensate for the tremors.  The oncoming Svartálfar are not so lucky and tumble to the ground.  The front skirmishes make short work of three of the dark cavalry riders while the remainder struggle to their feet and switch to weapons more suited for hand-fighting.  Raven plants Nightwatcher point first in the ground, its adamantite blade easily piercing the rocky tor on which he stands and takes up his bow once more.  He knocks and fires four arrows in rapid succession, moving from left to right.  Each arrow strikes home, burying itself in a shoulder here or a leg there and distracting his targets so his allies on the field can press their advantage. 

Arthur races left, raising Lawbringer.  The paladin glows almost as brightly as his holy blade as he slashes across at the dark rider.  He shouts “BY THE POWER OF MALAZZARR I SEND THEE TO THE NINE HELLS!”  The sword comes crashing down on the cavalryman.  A brilliant light explodes as the enchanted blade makes contact with the fell being.  The impact is enough to send the rider sprawling once more but the Svartálfar starts to rise once more, a wickedly serrated axe held in one hand.

Ra’ziir races into the melee, Deathblossom trailing fire as the bladesinger charges into the rapidly developing chaos of battle.

Drax moves silently, using both the shadows and confusion to his advantage.  He slips past one rider, his focus on one near the very rear of the Svartálfar line.  The assassin appears almost out of nowhere, his blade plunging into his chosen foe before the rider can even react.  Both swords slice through ribcage, organs and spine and the Svartálfar falls.  Drax allows the body to drag him down with it and begins whispering the words to a spell.  His appearance changes and takes on the pale-white visage of the enemy and altering his clothes so they match the riders’ uniforms except for a single blue band that appears high up on his right arm, marking him as an ally to his companions. 

Kysek twists his ring, activating its magic and vanishes from sight.  He moves swiftly across the open ground between one of the nearest riders and his hiding place.  As the Svartálfar struggles to pull one of Raven’s arrows out of his shoulder, the thief strikes, stabbing the dark rider through the back of the head. 

Korbin takes flight, carrying his deadly payload in his small talons.  He climbs quickly and then folds his wings, tucking them in close to his body and plummets from the sky, gaining momentum for his attack.  He spreads his wings wide at the last second and swings his legs forward, releasing the stone with deadly accuracy.  The rock crashes into the temple of one of the riders, crushing bone and caving in the skull with the force of a well-placed sling stone and the Svartálfar falls, killed by the impact. 

Grotto breaks into a run.  His short stumpy legs pump madly, carrying him up and over the rocky berm as he charges toward his chosen foe but the scarred dwarf can only move so fast.  He momentarily considers throwing his axe but then recalls that this axe won’t return to him when thrown so he grits his teeth and runs even harder, hoping to reach the enemy before it can be killed by one of his allies. 

Niklas pops up from his hiding place, bow in hand and begins firing arrows at one of the riders Raven targeted.  Three shafts hit the Svartálfar in the back and it topples forward, dead from its wounds. 

Hansuke steps in, screaming “Hyaku Retsu Hariate!”  His fists and elbows move faster than the Svartálfar can follow.  The dark rider is punched in the throat and his trachea collapses.  A knee to the groin drives him to his knees, leaving his head exposed for a series of lightning-fast punches to the face.  The skull is shattered by repeated blows from the tattooed monk and the horseman drops collapses in a heap. 

The rider Arthur attacked finally reaches his feet and comes back swinging with his axe.  The paladin catches the weapon on his shield and knocks it aside but is soon hard pressed by two more riders who have come to reinforce their fellow warrior.  One rushes to attack Niklas and the woodsman is forced to fall back or risk parrying blows with his bow instead of his sword.  The rider closest to where Drax and his victim fell turns and approaches the tangled duo, trying to determine what happened.  He grabs Drax by the shoulder and rolls him over to check for wounds and is surprised to discover that both bodies on the ground look identical to each other.  One Svartálfar rushes to engage Hansuke in battle while another joins the one locked in a duel with Shadow.  Those two Svartálfar swipe at the agile with sword and spear but the dark elf from Faerûn is able to dodge or parry their blows with his enchanted rapier.  The final three attempt to skirt the area between the fight between Shadow and the looming elementals. 

Cedron prays, summoning a mystic, flying staff shaped like the preferred weapon of Malazzarr and sends it into battle.  The glowing staff begins battering one of the pale-skinned riders but the rider raises his shield and tries to ward off the blows as best he can.

Shadow goes on the offensive, driving at his first foe with Swiftwind while pulling his dagger, the Nasty Surprise from the sheath at his belt.  He spins left and feints back to the right, trying to draw his foe out-of-position.  He stops, twisting back in the other direction and stab his other foe through with his blades.  That Svartálfar staggers back, giving Shadow time to concentrate on his first opponent.  His rapier works up and down, stabbing and poking at holes in the defense of the other duelist and strikes twice, piercing the left leg and forearm of the dark rider.

Grog finally understanding what Shadow meant when he said “dark elf”.  “Unseelie” slips lips his lips in a tone that expresses his deep level of concern regarding these attackers.  The shaggy-haired man raises his club and begins to dance and chant.  While his words reach out in to the astral plane, Grog wonders what sort of ally will appear to him.  If Ahz was right and this IS the Beastlands, then he suspects he will receive some sort of boar or wolf.  A glowing cloud appears before him, swirling just above the ground until a glowing blue boar steps out to answer Grog’s call.

Desmond rises and fires at one of the riders rushing Arthur from his hiding place.  The long arrow whooshes through the air and hits the back of the rider’s leg and penetrates completely, emerging from the Svartálfar’s thigh.  A second arrow joins the first but the third falls short of its target and sinks deeply into the ground.

The largest of the elementals steps toward Arthur and brings a pair of massive fists down on the closest Svartálfar.  The blows crush the rider into paste, smearing him across the ground like an insect stomped by a heavy boot.  The three elementals on the party’s right flank move in as well, cutting off the trio of Svartálfar who tried to skirt the edge of the field.  Their arrival halts the advance and the three find themselves blocked off from the south and east.

= = = = = =

• Everyone: Prayer from Cedron: (9 rounds remaining, +1hit/dmg/skill/save, enemies -1 hit/dmg/skill/save)
• Arthur: 94% health;
• Bubo: 100% health;
• Cedron: 93% health; Spiritual Weapon (10 rounds remaining)
• Desmond: 100% health;
• Drax: 100% health; Alter Self (100 minutes, 0 rounds remaining)
• Grog: 100% health; Summon Monster III (11 rounds remaining, Celestial Boar 100% health)
• Grotto: 100% health; Divine Favor (8 rounds remaining, +2 hit/dmg)
• Hansuke: 94% health;
• Korbin: 100% health;
• Kysek: 100% health; Stoneskin (77 minutes, 6 rounds remaining)
• Morn: 100% health;
• Niklas: 100% health;
• Raven: 86% health;
• Ra’ziir: 100% health; Stoneskin (157 minutes, 6 rounds remaining); Elemental Swarm (8 Large Earth Elementals, 1 Huge Earth Elemental, 1 Elder Earth Elemental – by the time the Elder arrives, 139 minutes, 5 rounds remaining)
• Shadow: 100% health; Overland Flight (14 hours, 38 minutes, 7 rounds remaining); Iron Body (DR15/adam, immune to blindness/critical hit/deafness/disease/drowning/electricity/poison/stunning and effects that affect physiology or respiration, Str 21 (+5)/Dex 16 (+3) attack bonus/penalty cancel out, gains +3 damage, ASF 50%, -8ACP, 12 minutes, 6 rounds remaining);
• Spewer: 100% health;