The Derailed Caravan

[lilyparis]

Susan knew this was bad she knew her duty and she deserved what she was going to get but if only he knew she was defending the City people she loved and more then mabe just mabe he would understand she drew her weapon as soon as she was dead he was going to go on a rampage she would have no way of defence he was 10 times quicker than her so was now the End?

[Gnoll Marauder]

Why didn't this girl move to fight him; was she not the leader of these men, and didn't the honor of killing him fall to her if she was capable of doing so? However her exclamation and the way her eyes flitted to something behind him made the Gnoll do a double take before his eyes widened in surprise. The Guard behind him had gotten very lucky and the blade pierced through Ravok's breastplate of copper and bronze, only to have the sword break off at the hilt; leaving the blade stuck in the Gnoll's body.

But even if this Gnoll was dying; he wouldn't die without taking as many as he could with him to pave the way for his coming.

Roaring out in agony, Ravok whirled about and slashed the guard's stomach where the armor was the weakest, and watched as the man toppled off the wall; his intestines spilling out of his corpse as he fell. Painfully turning himself so that he could face the girl again, the Gnoll started hacking furiously; blood coming up with each cough. That wound would be the end of him and Ravok knew it, but Gromesh's killers were still alive; his bond with any pack brother demanded him to finish off those killers.

"You kill Gromesh....Ravok want you dead...you no fight Ravok", sputtered the Gnoll in very sloopy english, "Ravok soon worm meat; but Ravok....Ravok kill you for Gromesh." And with that said, the dying Gnoll hurled himself forward at Susan; the cutlass aimed as a thrust at her chest.

[lilyparis]

Susan was ready to die but a gaurd wouldnot let her she was still needed to protect the citizens and pushed Susan back as the cutlass plunged into his chest

[Gnoll Marauder]

He had done it....he had killed her; Gromesh would've been proud of Ravok for that moment. However as Ravok's eyes closed, they were bound to never open again and it was because of that Ravok only felt the blade impacting on something. That something was a guard that had been unaccounted for at first, who had leapt in front of Susan to take the blow, but the Gnoll thought that he had managed to avenge his pack brother. Well even if that was not the case, Ravok went down fighting to the end and he had gotten the cart close enough to the Forest so that the pack would be able to benefit from Gromesh's and his labor.

A smile crossed Ravok's lips as his body began to slowly slide off the rampart of the Wall, and in a few minutes his furry form was plummeting to Earth.

At least he'd get to see Gromesh again.

[lilyparis]

Susan felt faintshe had to declare the war over she gave a triumphant toot on her horn as gaurds raised up there right arm and shouted "Hasa"and"Long live Susan,Long live the king"the gaurd that had sacrificed himself was still alive Susan heard his breathing the Sword had got stuck in his chest Susan ran over to him and took his hand he said "I have saved you my queen and it was an honour to serve you and to die for you"with that he closed his eyes and sliped away.

[Gnoll Cutthroat]

Night time...


"Ravok!" The cry was deafeningly loud.

"Gromesh!!" This one pierced right into a human's skull.

The two Gnolls, champions of their respective groups, had been slain mercilessly at the hands of the Avaren wall guards; by their arrows, at least. Minutes before, Gnoll Shadowwalkers had retrieved the bodies of the two heroes, and the food they had brought back was eaten with determination. "We have revenge on da humans who done this," cried Drathzor, one of the clan's leaders. "We slays dem all!!" Another deafening cheer was released, scaring slumbering birds off the trees and no doubt waking Avaren's citizens and guards. "Slay them's all!!!!!!!"

At once, the tree like seemed to shift and moved forward; a few small groups of Gnolls, armed to the teeth and vengeful, skittered across the mile-long No-Man's Land between the forest and Avaren's walls. Drathzor, at their head, was the first one to the wall; immediately, he began climbing up the chipped stones, his broadsword clamped firmly in his strong jaws. Arriving at the top, he whipped it around, slicing the heads off two guards who had been looking at the forest; the numbers grew from thirty to a few hundred - all of them angry Gnolls. In no time, the walls were taken; every guard who had manned them lay slain on the ground at the base.

[Gnoll Marauder]

It was a crushing loss to the clan that both Gromesh and Ravok had perished, but their deaths were not in vain. For as Elder Drathzor said; no humans would live the night. That the Gnolls would avenge the two heros by killing every human that they laid eyes upon. So the warriors feasted on the corpses that Gromesh and Ravok had secured in their deaths; savouring the fresh meat and also driving these hardened warriors into a blood frenzy. And as the hours of Night darkened on the Kingdom's seat of power; the pack launched their attack on the unsuspecting enemy.

Drathzor lead the first parties that would take over the Wall tops, Wall that had never before been scaled by a Gnoll until Ravok had done so earlier this day in vengence of Gromesh. The Pack would howl the twos name's up into the Sky, for now everyone knew of the comradry of Gromesh and Ravok. Glory would be given to those in that scaled the Walls, but also those on the ground had an equal chance at such glory. One of the Gnolls on the ground was named Valdgaar. Valdgaar was a hulking speicimen and because of his immense strength, which was quite valued in a Gnoll pack, his weapon of choice was a war hammer with a blunt end meant for bashing in skulls and the other end tapered into a sharp point meant for sticking.

The Marauder wore no armor, but his skill with that weapon allowed him that luxury; so now it would be put to the test against those who slayed the great Champions. Running toward the side gate that was in the Wall, Valdgaar howled out a warning that sent other Marauders in his path scrambling to get out of the way. And just before he reached the door, the Gnoll slammed his war hammer against the wooden door; sending splinters flying every which way.

Roaring again as he pulled his weapon back for a second blow, Valdgaar barked out, "Remember the Great Gromesh and the Raging Ravok! De your brothers and we kill dose that kill'em. Death to da Pinkies!" and let his hammer slam against the door. This time the door was on it's last legs and splintered in half with the brute force behind the blow. Shouldering his way through the wreckage of the door, Valdgaar howled out his triumph and pounded off into the City as the other Gnolls poured in through the gap that he had made.

[David Augustine]

As the sounds of battle were being heard, or at least that's what he thought he heard, a single warrior was inside of his abode sitting near a fire. He heard the marching of soldiers as they were calling an alert of some kind. Something about creatures storming the gate. He shrugged it off at first seeing that it was nothing of his concern at the moment. It was a few moments after that, he heard the cry of victory from the soldiers. He shrugged that off too seeing as they didn't need his help for anything. Though that yelling of celebration didn't last too long. It was soon overcame by roars and snarls and other vicious sounds and with yells of terror and pain echoing through the air.

David's eyes narrowed as he suddenly heard a group of some type of creatures approaching his own home. They were approaching the door the house first and with great speed, David rose up with his swords already at his hips and he grabbed for his spear. He ran towards the door to find it burst open and a gnoll with David's spear through his body dead. David knocked it off and took out the rest of the hideous creatures that were there. A small group only like some kind of advancing party that didn't have their leader there. David walked out of his house ordering his servants to get the carcasses out of his house as he left and walked into the street.

He turned his gaze towards where the gate was at and saw gnolls breaking through and fighting off the soldiers that had assembled. David charged forward assisting those soldiers that were nearest to him with the use of his spear. His white cape following his movements as he took them out one at a time with several good thrusts and slashes. Eventually, he had a small party of five other soldiers with him that were still able to fight. "All right, come with me. We need to thwart the enemy and protect this city now. Your strength is needed so let us fight these monsters and send them back to the hell that they spawned from!" he shouted at them, motivating them and giving them the courage and strength to push on.

So David charged into the fray with those soldiers behind him. He thrusted his spear into another gnoll killing it and then swung his spear using the momentum to cast it off and slam the body into another one of the creatures. The five soldiers that followed him where fighting as if they were totally different people and each were like their own army. As the wounded soldiers were moved out of the way, the ones that were able to fight continued and joined in with those that were following David. Though David wasn't involved with Avaren's army or their guard, he still had the ability to influence those around him greatly.

[lilyparis]

Susan was asleep safe in the tower after defending the city when she heard screams ahe lept up and looked down the tower seeing gnolls attacking the city she blew her horn and soldiers were no aware of the problem she grabed her bow and started fireing down from the tower

[Gnoll Cutthroat]

Thus far, the momentous attack had proven immensely successful; every guard and soldier that the enraged Gnolls had run into was either killed on the spot or left to die, drowning in the rising pools of blood. As Cutthroats lept from the walls into the streets below, others entered through Valdgaar's passage; this would be a story told for generations be the clans' shaman, the Fall of the Humans, all before the dangerous wrath of the Gnolls.

Drathzor was still in the front of the advance, the heavy broadsword flailing around on his arm like a dangerous toy. As he swept - and sliced - men from under their feet, he could see a leader-like man with a spear across a street from him. Growling for his guard - a group of ten Gnolls - to follow, he waded through the groups of men becoming corpses as they got closer and closer to David. To his amusement, Drathzor was just in time to perfectly flank David; on one side were the entering Gnolls, to on the other was Drathzor and his group, and pinching the spearman were a building and a wall of corpses. As his group of Gnolls began assaulting David's soldiers from behind, Drathzor climbed nimbly up the pile of bodies and flung himself into combat, immediately facing David. The Gnoll smiled, and the smile came out a deathly scowl.

As this was going on, a fresh wave of Cutthroats and their deadly blades swung through the city; an entire section of the wall, including its gate, had been taken with supreme ease, and now defenses would have to be constructed if they hoped to cut the throats of every soldier, mother, and child within the walls. Razdor, the leader if this new group, ordered twenty massive, powerful Marauders to climb the walls and, with the help of a few more Gnolls, take the entire length of the walls. His command given, he then entered a building - a two-story tavern, to find a couple of drunks and a barmaid cowering behind the counter; in their hands were chair legs, knives, and broken bottles. Razdor laughed; he simply walked around the counter and impaled the three of them with one stab of his longsword into the stomach of the maid.

Then, with the help of five other Gnolls, the they smashed down an entire wall of the tavern, the one that faced into the untaken parts of the city. Using the scraps of wood and debris, along with upturned tables and the like, they constructed a crude defense through which to lob arrows and stones, and behind which to hide. The back wall was taken down as well, allowing Gnolls to enter with ease; they didn't bother going upstairs, for they assumed the pathetic human construction couldn't take their weight.

[David Augustine]

Upon taking down another Gnoll with a poweful thrust through it's head, David twirled his spear to face another creature. However, this one seemed to be slightly more powerful than the previous ones that he had been fighting. His blue eyes remained calm as he gripped the metal spear seeing as this creature was weilding a broadsword, but with seemingly little skill. However, he would not let the simple appearances of a being fool him. No, that would never happen to him again. There were always those that were more intellegent than others, but then again there was always those that were simply more powerful.

His eyes shifted to look around him. The soldiers that had followed him were being overran by the pure numbers of gnolls. They were hanging by a thread as the continued to fight for their lives, but that wouldn't last long enough as he saw the first one fall. He turned his gaze back towards Drathzor and slightly bent his legs to brace himself. His spear at the ready as he took his stance. His cape following the slight gaze. He figured by the creature before him that he was some type of leader. Without him, the gnolls would be a bit less organized. It was these figure heads that needed to be taken out first.

However, there was one thing that was nagging at the back of David's mind. Where were all the other warriors. The normal guard and soldiers weren't that talented in the fields of combat. However, the warriors in the barracks were more skilled than these. He had seen them train before and how restless they always were to perfecting their skills. In fact, he used to be one of them until he decided to leave the barracks. As David brought himself back to the current event he waited for the gnoll's move first. His spear ready to pludge itself through the creature's body if it was to charge at him.

[Rotiart]

Rotiart had been away during the initial "assault", if that is what it could be called, as a pair of gnolls was barely more than a meager raiding party at best. Still, it had lost good men with potentially grand futures ahead of him, while the older, less useful were off having drinks at taverns as opposed to at their posts.

Once again it seemed Rotiart was away when hostilities renewed themselves, as he had been within the barracks when a breathless messenger came bursting in relaying details of "all out war" at the gates. While this report was much likely greatly exaggerated by fear, even here the distant sounds of battle could be heard.

While the warriors scrambled around for their armor and weapons, Rotiart needed only grasp his two-handed-sword and run. After all, if he had been there he might have been able to prevent this from happening.

Upon reaching the fray he was almost immediately set upon by a pair of the beastly creatures that seemed to be swarming all over. Both hands on his sword, he swung it in an arc in front of him, hewing both gnolls in half yet almost throwing himself off-balance and tumbling to the ground in the process. His was an unwieldy weapon to say the least, yet at least it could easily cleave through opponents and some types of armor.

There was one man who it seemed stood apart from the fray, wielding his spear with clear expertise. It was thus that Rotiart bent down, plucking a dagger from a belt that happened to be in plain sight on one of the downed gnolls. Weaving between various smaller combats, dragging his sword along behind him, he flung the dagger with inexperienced skill at the gnoll facing the spear-wielding man, grasping his sword once again with his other hand and waiting to see how David would react to the new help.

[Thurel Derufin]

Even though he had not been alerted by any of his men about the first attack on the Wall, it would be a cold day in Hell indeed if Thurel Derufin would let his city fall into the hands of an enemy. The Captain of the Guard happened to be checking his sword in the Barracks when a breathless messanger burst in, and told those inside the Barracks of an "All out war" taking place on their doorstep. Cursing colorfully, Thurel hurried to put on his heavier armor over what he usually wore (which was a vest of chainmail beneath a leather jerkin, normally covered by a black surcoat with the colors of Elyan Herculides) and put his helm over his head before heading out into the streets. It was a good thing too, cause the moment he entered the streets; a Gnoll jumped out of nowhere and landed a blow to the side of his head with a wooden cudgel.

With his head ringing for a moment, Thurel dodged to the left as another blow was sent at him and then skillfully he cleaved off the Gnoll's forearm. As the hyena-like beast roared out in agony, Thurel kicked it in the chest and as the creature fell to the ground with it's limbs jerking about in spasms; Captain Derufin drove his blade through the beast's chest cavity. A stream of blood sprung forth and coated Thurel's armor, giving him the look of some primative War God, and turning back to see a group of spearmen and archers staring blankly at their commander, Thurel shouted at them, "What are you standing around for! Form a double line, double time! Spears in front; archers behind! Slowly advance down the street to the Wall and kill anything that isn't human; and stay in the blasted formation!" Scattering like roaches under a light, the Guards formed the formation and slowly began their advance toward the Wall.

Staying back to make sure that everyone was out of the Barracks, Thurel stopped four strong lads and told them, "You're with me for the moment men; lets get back into the Armory of the Barracks and give these dogs something that they'll remember!". Leading those men into the back of the Barracks, Thurel whipped out a key and opened up a door marked "Restricted Weaponry" and went inside while the men waited outside of the door for him. When he returned, the Captain of the Guards was pulling a small cart filled with various gears, gizmos, and contraptions; that when put together would form a deadly weapon. Nodding to the guards, they pulled the weapon out into the street when a volley of projectiles filled the air around them and cut down one of the guards; the shot took him through the left eye.

It took the humans a total of five minutes to unpack the weapon and another 5 to get it set up, but once it was ready; a mighty scorpion was ready for use. Loading in one of the bolts for the first time to show the men how to use it, Thurel aligned the sights so it targeted the makeshift barricade that the Gnolls were hiding behind and heaving the lever, the bolt shot forward and shattered on the barricade; taking out four Gnolls in one shoot. Grinning back at Thurel, the Guards took over firing the scorpion as more men surged from the direction of the Castle to join the main fighting. Takin his shield off of his back, Thurel joined these men heading for the thick of things and his target was one of the Wall towers that had access to the Wall. Getting there was easy, as was climbing it, but on the Wall top were too many Gnolls to count and the minute they saw Thurel they headed his way.

Ducking beneath the first blow with practiced ease, Captain Derufin stabbed that Gnoll in the stomach while blocking an axe blow meant of his head with the shield that he held in his left hand. A slash from left shoulder to mid stomach, Thurel ended the life of that axe-wielding Gnoll and kicked it's dying body off the Wall. In the brief interlude, Thurel roared out to any that could hear him, "Make free the City! Drive these vermin back!" before blocking another blow with his blade. The Gnolls still seemed to outnumber them, but they lacked Human ingenuity and that would be what saved the day.

[Gnoll Marauder]

Valdgaar had gone further into the city with 20 other Gnoll marauders by this point. His group had skirted around most of the actual fighting and had entered a sleepy district of the City that had yet to be disturbed by the sounds of War and screams of the Dying. Grinning madly to his fellow Marauders, Valdgaar muttered as quietly as he could, "Take them; kill da men, take der women and eat der pinkie kiddies. Any loot you find; bring it back to da it back here and we put it in carts and get it back to da Forest." Smiling wolfish, the Gnolls ran off to individual house and battered down the doors to get at the sleeping humans. Valdgaar didn't stay behind at the drop off location, but charged toward the nearest house.

Battering in the flimsy door with one swing of his war hammer, Valdgaar entered the house with reckless abandon and quickly sniffed out where the sleeping inhabitants were. A man and women were in the middle of some rather odd thing...Valdgaar believed the term was called "intercourse"; the human form of mating. Disgusted with the moaning that was fouling his ears, Valdgaar ripped the man off the woman with brute force and smashed the man's skull in with the blunt end of his war hammer. The woman, just realizing that there was a slavering creature in front of her when she was naked, shrieked and pulled up the covers; but that wouldn't save her. Like an expert fisherman, Valdgaar used the covers as a net and scooped the struggling woman up in them, and then left the house to find a cart with his struggling cargo slung over his shoulder.

Which wasn't all that hard to find; for the couple had a nice sized cart outside. It was four-wheeled, so it would be easy enough to move and the way it's sides curved upward provided natural cover for archers. The other were beginning to return with shinies, woman and family heirlooms by the time that Valdgaar had thrown his prize into the cart. Smiling at his comrade, the Gnoll marauder stuck his hand into the still-struggling sack and gave the woman a good squeeze. It was enough to make the woman gasp and sent his fellows into a barking fit of laughter. "Oh...she soft", leered Valdgaar at the bag as it squirmed about, "Put da loot in da cart; Borfang, you and 10 others take dis cart back to da Forest. But don't touch dat woman; she mine!". Nodding in acknowledgement, Borfang and the others quickly loaded up the cart and pushed it out of the nearest gate in the direction of the Forest.

Turning to his remaining 9 comrades, Valdgaar snarled, "Now dat we got da loot for da Elders; we go and hunt ya." And so Valdgaar and his small pack went off in the direction of more houses, slaying any guards that they came across and killing all that opposed them.

[Rianne Herculides]

OOC: w00t for Queenie coming to join!

Just as the gnoll finished those words, there was a twanging of bows and arrows were flying through the air, most hitting their marks with simple perfection, the grating of arrowheads against flesh. “Halt in the name of Avaren.” A clear and crisp voice announced the fact that Queen Rianne had arrived. It was hard to keep something like this from her, because as soon as an invasion would start, someone had to come up to the castle and tell them. She just happened to get word of it. Rianne was no ordinary Queen. She was not one who would sit around and manage her husband’s affairs and their castle. She wasn’t just one to get pregnant and breed to get children for her line. She was born in a Warrior land, and trained, even though she was a noble as a child, in the ways of weapons. It so happened that Rianne had a very good hand with bows both short and long and some minor skills with a sword as long as it was a light sword. As soon as Rianne had heard of what was going on she had told her guards to grab armor and went herself to be ready to fight. She would help protect her town.

Now she was here, clothed not in formal attire. A leather jerkin covered her front, dyed black with Avaren’s crest on it. The only thing that made her distinct versus the rest of the soldiers of Avaren was the fact that her crest bore a crown, marking her as a noble and as the Queen. Long black locks were in a braid behind her head, and grey eyes were hard. The guards that were with her bore the crest of Avaren, and were her guard that usually accompanied her when need be, and then of course the few she had gathered as she had rushed to the afflicted area of the land. Rianne had been in such a rush, she hadn't grabbed anymore then her short bow, quiver, and rapier. No horse or armor or anything she may usually use when going into a real battle. She had to be there to defend her land.

One hand dipped into the quiver hanging at her waist and drew out an arrow, knocking it on her bow and raising it, the guards doing the same. Hers was pointed directly at Drathzor himself, the despicable gnoll, behind his barrier in the tavern which happened to be the first place she had arrived. “I repeat, in the name of Avaren and in the name of the crown, halt! Drop your weapons and submit to the mercy of the crown.” She shouted again in an authoritative manner, eyes narrowed and ready to release her arrow if need be. In a much quieter voice so that her guards could hear her, but still with the authority of a monarch, she spoke to those around her. “Kill any who resist, save the city.” They didn’t nod, but they knew to listen to her word.

Now it was just time to wait.