1223.4 Don't Forget the Blacksmith of Brandywine

"Well, I certainly can. Fiona hasn't wanted to kill... Marcus says quietly.

Oh, and since everyone is giant sized except Marcus, I'm just giving him an effective +3 Quickness.
His initiative is 14.

Fiona motions for Marcus to slide up past her. [color=blue]"Be my guest. The more we...incapacitate now, the fewer we have to fight past on the return trip, right?"

"Very well, I am unleashed." Marcus jaunts down the steps without an escort or nary a care and unleashes 6 Balls of Abysmal Fire at each guard. Both are effectively incapacitated, but moaning loudly in pain. Two of the other doors open and out come five more giants. "Ahh, more babes for the party."
Round 2 actions (Marcus is pausing pending all other actions.)

Round 2 Declarations

Wilhelm will put an arrow into one of the giants. Preferably one of the new ones, if he has a good shot, or one of the wounded ones to put them out of their misery and shut them up.

Fiona will spont a CrAq spell to put a layer of oil under the giants' feet. Looks like Base 3 to create a natural liquid that isn't contained, R: Voice (+2), D: Concentration (+1), T: Individual, for a final target level of 10. Her CT is Sta 3 + Cr 6 + Aq 6 + Aura 10 + die roll of 2 = 27, halved is 14. I'm guessing she'll need a Finesse roll to place it properly? Int 1 + Finesse (Precision) 4 + die roll of 3 = 8.

Jehanne will take seriously his responsibility to protect Fiona: he won't run out to the giants, but will certainly engage any who come their way (trying to avoid the oil on the ground).
Defense roll: 9 + stress die 0 (uh oh), but no botch unless there are more than three botch dice = 9
Attack roll (if necessary): 11 + stress die 5 = 16

Falko remains as rear guard for the moment, looking back up the stairs, but he hears the sounds of Marcus's handiwork and sings: "Oh, no, fire's on the go, missing the show!"
Defense roll (if necessary): 12 + stress die 6 = 18
Attack roll (if necessary): 12 + stress die 9 = 21

((I don't think any of these combat stats are modified due to their being giant-sized....))

Wilhelm can target a new giant, they are not so dangerous to anyone except Marcus if they can engage him, which will be difficult unless Falko is taken out.
Marcus targets 3 giants with 2 Balls of Abysmal Fire, each.
I need another defense roll from Falko, because two giants can engage Falko/Marcus. I am assuming Falko is defending Marcus, so that he can't be engaged in combat and is free to Flame On.

Falko will defend Marcus, absolutely. Are these giants behind us, or has Falko moved forward eagerly from rear guard position?
Either way, Falko's second defense roll: 12 + stress die 7 = 19.

Wilhelm's attack roll is 15 + die roll of 1 (followed by a die roll of 9, for an 18 on the dice) = 33.

Damn, he's good.

Alright...
Falko probably moved up with or shortly after Marcus moved. Marcus didn't order him, free will and all.

Falko and Wilhelm both target two different giants and deal medium and heavy wound, respectively. Falko receives a light wound and soaks the damage from the other attack. The three giants receive the following. Target #1 gets two heavy wounds. Target #2 gets a heavy and a medium. Target #3 gets a medium and a light. Fiona drops the oil, and Marcus screams "Get back, I'll ignite it!" The giant's can't tell if he's yelling at them or everyone else. One of them takes a turn to run back and knocks the whole pile down.

Round 3 actions.

((Not sure what "knocks the whole pile down" means, unless it's a Looney Toons-esque "he slips and slides into the other giants, knocking them to the ground like bowling pins."))

Regardless, Fiona and Wilhelm both back the heck up and let the man do his thang, Wilhelm shooting a glance over his shoulder up the stairs as he does so.

Yes, that's what I meant.

((That's what I thought. Can you tell it's bedtime? :smiley: ))

Eep! :blush: Sorry Peregrine, hands off :slight_smile:

Jehanne's no dummy: Marcus has just produced a whole winter's worth of fires in a few minutes, and he's screaming that he's going to do it again. Jehanne backs off as much as he can while still keeping Fiona behind him.

Falko winces at the cut he received - careful, dummy, being a giant doesn't make you invincible, he thinks - but is satisfied with the deep gouge he made in the giant's shoulder, as well as relieved that the other one's weapon[sup]*[/sup] glanced off his hauberk. He too backs away, just enough to one side of Marcus that the magus can see what he's doing. Also, Falko wants to have a good view of what's next. :smiling_imp:

[sup]*[/sup] What are the giants attacking with?

Sorry, the giants are attacking with small trees, large clubs, whatever it takes. :smiley:

Marcus casts another 6 Balls of Abysmal Fire which hits three giants and ignites the oil creating a raging inferno. Falko needs to backup or he's going to start having to soak heat damage.

"Whoa, there's good views, and there's too-good views!" Falko sings as he retreats even further. He'd love to stay in front of Marcus at all times, but damned if the guy doesn't even seem to feel the heat.

Marcus let's the flames go for a minute or more, and on figures he sees moving within the flames he peppers with Balls of Abysmal Fire. After he's sure everything is unable to put up resistance he shouts out a few words in Latin which bystanders who understand latin catch Perdo and Ignem among the phrase and the flames are killed.

7 giants lie roasted before Marcus, and the stench is unbearable. From above one can hear the sound that sounds most similar to chopping wood.

Fiona retches, but manages to not throw up at the stench, then looks around at the others, feeling a bit embarrassed.

She then looks up the stairs where the chopping sound is coming from. [color=blue]"If they're working on the block I made, they're probably going to be at it for a while."

"Sorry, Fiona. I tend to get a bit carried away at times. It didn't help I lost control once when I was keeping the flames going."

[color=blue]"It gulp happens. I'm not used to...this," she says as she fans the air in front of her nose trying to clear the stench.

She casts a spontaneous, non-fatiguing Chamber of Spring Breezes, reducing the duration from Sun to Diameter (which should reduce the level from 5 to 4). Her CT is Sta 3 + Cr 6 + Au 5 + Aura 10 = 24 ÷ 5 = 4.8, which rounds to 5. Not sure how her sigil would manifest...maybe the air washes the colours slightly, so everything is a lighter shade of whatever?))