Enter the OCTAGON II (always open)

[Morgan_Corbesant]

wow, dead thread. whats going on? did i miss something? am i annoying yet?

[Beaumanoir]

Nah, Not Quite... [img]tongue.gif[/img] But I Just Really Want To See Our Fight... NOW.. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Many, many apologies again.

The boys have been sick for over a week now and I've had practically no time to work on the PC. I have managed to write up the first 3 fights.

The only one left is the tag-team between Grindall/Knuckles and Kharn/Oorgh. I will TRY to do that one tonight. I had hoped to last night, but the baby was up till 1am.....and I get up at 5am to get ready for work.

I know several of you offered to help out with the DM duties. I may still do that, but I also have a couple of other DM's that aren't involved in the thread at all that I would like to check with first.

Like I've said before, running the games is easy.....it's writing them up that takes me so long.

With trying to re-load (or re-download in some cases) lots of programs that did NOT get copied from my old system to the new one stacked on top of sick kids, I just haven't had much time for the games recently.

I'll try to be quicker in the future.

[Beaumanoir]

It's Fine. Being Honest I Feel Alot Better Now That You've posted, Even Without The Fights, Because It Just Assures Me That You're Still There And Working on Them [img]tongue.gif[/img] And Not In Some Bar Or Something Our Fights Are More Important Than Your Social Life Y'know [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Cerek the Barbaric]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

I lost my "social life" when our FIRST son was born!

Now I've got THREE! I don't even have a personal life anymore. It's all centered around my wife and boys. [img]smile.gif[/img]

And since I bought them a new Tonka game for the PC this past weekend, I've had even less computer access than normal.

[Beaumanoir]

Go Buy Them A Playstaition Or Something... No, I've Got A Better Idea. A Gamecube, And Three Controllers... And Treat Your Wife With A Roll Of Gaffer Tape If They Get Too Noisy Or If One Of Them Cheated [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Fight# 30

Bacardi vs Dravin Kyoto

Welcome Back to the Octagon!!! It is our first round of fights since the epic Battle Royal and we have a very entertaining line-up for you tonight.

Our first fight features two brand new warriors to the Octagon. Bacardi, a fighter/cleric who also happens to be a half-ogre and Dravin Kyoto, a kensai warrior from the Eastern lands of Kara-Tur.

I know everyone is excited, so let’s get straight to the fights. Entering the arena first (from parts unknown) is Bacardi, the half-ogre. The crowd fell silent as the massive fighter walked into the arena. He wore a suit of plate mail that seemed to be stretched almost to the breaking point to accommodate his huge frame. He carried a halberd, easily swinging the long pole-arm with one hand. He raised his hands to acknowledge the roar of approval from the crowd, then continued on to his mark.

Next came the kensai, Dravin Kyoto. The crowd gasped at the huge differences between the two fighters. Dravin wore no armor whatsoever. Instead, he was dressed in black from head to foot. A deep hood covered his head and a long slender sword called a katana. Two straps full of daggers criss-crossed his chest and back, and another belt full of daggers circled his waist. The crowd gasped in shock. The half-ogre was fully twice the size of the kensai, a fact reflected by the wide grin on Bacardi’s face, but Kyoto showed no fear. He simply walked to his mark and awaited the signal. As soon as both men were ready, Cerek gave the signal, and a huge gong sounded….starting the battle.

Dravin drew his sword and sprinted towards his huge opponent with no hesitation. Bacardi simply stood where he was and began casting a spell. A surge of magical energy flowed through his body as the kensai approached, increasing his battle skill and physical endurance. It proved to be a wise choice. Dravin arrived a moment later and struck a glancing blow to his side. Bacardi swung his halberd in return, but the human was too quick and he struck nothing but air. Kyoto now drew upon his training. He lined up his next attacks and concentrated on tapping his inner strength. He visualized it as a red ball of energy, rising from his toes, collecting in his hands, and exploding through his blade. He struck swiftly, stabbing deep into the half-ogres flesh with two lightning quick strikes. Bacardi roared in pain. Not only had the sword sank to the hilt with each strike, but both attacks had been aimed at critical pressure points. His legs felt numb and threatened to give way under his enormous weight. Still, he managed to launch two attacks of his own, and smiled when he felt the gratifying resistance of cartilage and bone against his blade. Dravin had been so intent on his attacks, that he had no time to block the incoming blows and the weight of the halberd, propelled by the strength of a half-ogre, left two deep gashes in his back and right shoulder. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain.

The two fighters circled each other again. Kyoto had backed off to avoid the extra reach of his opponent. Bacardi used that to his advantage and cast another spell, hoping to Hold his opponent in place. Dravin realized his error and tried to lunge in for an attack to disrupt the spell, but he was too slow. He winced as he felt the magical energy surge across his body. But his body fought off the magical attack and he continued forward with his attack, landing another stab in Bacardi’s side.

Bacardi answered swinging the handle of his weapon around to smash into the kensai’s face. The force of the blow sent Kyoto reeling, but he quickly regained his senses. The two continued to circle each other and exchange attacks, with neither gaining a definite edge. Finally, Kyoto saw an opening in the half-ogre’s defenses and moved in, slicing up under his arm and into the ribcage of the huge fighter. Pain flooded through Bacardi’s body and his left arm went completely numb from the blow. Holding his halberd firmly in his right hand, he swung it with all his might in a low arcing swing. The weapon came in under Dravin’s defenses as he tried to remove his sword from the half-ogre’s chest. It swung up and into his abdomen, lifting him completely off the ground. The force of the blow was so great that the tip of the halberd actually went all the way through the kensai and was sticking out of his back.

Bacardi managed to hold his opponent up in the air for a moment before his strength gave out and Kyoto crashed to the ground, still impaled on the halberd. He turned to head for the healers, not having enough strength to cast another spell himself, but the katana was still draining his blood at an alarming rate, and he fell after only a few steps.

Cerek shook his head in amazement at the skill and strength of both warriors, then raised his hand to silence the crowd. “Bacardi Wins!”

Bacardi – 3000xp 1 Reputation point
Dravin Kyoto – 1500xp

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Fight #31

Caleb, the Biscuit King vs Lorath, the Deadly
Warehouse District

As the healers tended to Bacardi and Dravin, Cerek spoke to the crowd, using the Enlarged Magic Mouths to amplify his voice. “I know you’ve all been waiting patiently for this round of fights. Thanks to some more improvements made to the Octagon, it is not necessary for you to wait any longer to view the next fight.”

The crowd looked from one to another in bewilderment. How could they have another fight begin before the combatants from the previous fight were taken from the arena? Cerek answered their questions immediately. “If you will direct your attention to the two large screens at each end of the Octagon, you will see the stage for our next battle. The crowd looked up in surprise and two large white screens that rose several rows high at the top of the Octagon above each entrance gate. As they watched, a building appeared on the screen. It was a large warehouse located near Miramar’s shipping docks. The images were provided by several Wizard Eyes that circled around the building, giving the audience a bird’s eye view. As they watched, several of the Eyes moved towards the building and entered through open windows. Inside, the warehouse was two stories tall. Crates, boxes, and packages of every sort filled the floors on both levels, with trails laid out between the stacks. As the image followed the trails, they eventually led to the center of the building – which was clear of any boxes. There was also a large opening in the second floor to equal in size to the cleared space on the first floor. A set of stairs at each end provided access to the upper floor, and ropes hung from the ceiling down to the floor. These were obviously used to lift and/or lower the crates from one level to the next.

As the crowd watched, the “eyes” focused on the two opponents for this match. Cerek introduced them as they entered the building. “Our two warriors tonight feature yet another newcomer to the Octagon. Lorath, the Deadly…..a ranger and stalker….will be facing he veteran monk, Caleb, the Biscuit King.

Caleb entered the building and looked around cautiously. He turned to his right and went up a staircase against the wall that hadn’t been seen previously. As he climbed the stairs, Lorath entered from the other side. He wore leather armor and carried twin swords with beautifully jeweled hilts. It was a classic long sword/short sword set and the swords matched each other so perfectly, that one would look “incomplete” without the other.

Lorath took a few steps towards the center of the building, then seemed to vanish as he faded into the shadows provided by the boxes. Even with a wizard eye trained directly on him, it was almost impossible to see him. He moved slowly and cautiously, turning his head to listen to every creak and groan throughout the building.


Caleb had ascended to the second floor and made his way towards the center opening. When he got there, he took some caltrops out of a pouch and scattered down the steps and around the top of the stairs. He then backed in between two stacks of crates to watch for his adversary. Lorath heard the noise made by the caltrops as they fell on the stairs and quickened his pace. He stopped short of the clearing in the center and scouted the building, still well hidden. He spotted the little spiked surprises on the stairway across from him. He looked to the nearer staircase, then spotted a better alternative. Moving silently, he slipped between the boxes towards the outer wall of the building. Another rope hung through a smaller opening over here. Lorath silently sheathed his swords and climbed the rope to the second floor. As he reached the second level, he listened carefully, trying to detect Caleb’s presence. He couldn’t hear anything, which probably meant the monk was concealed and waiting for him as well.

Lorath looked around and decided to go over the boxes next to him rather than around them. This would give him the advantage of “high ground” and maybe help him spot his opponent better. Moving as quietly as a large cat stalking its’ prey, Lorath worked his way to the top of the crates. The stacks were somewhat uneven, but still provided enough of a “floor” for him to travel across. He worked his way towards the staircase. As he came to the edge of the boxes, he peered cautiously over the edge. Sure enough, there was the monk, well concealed from his point of view, but completely vulnerable from the ranger’s vantage point. Lorath slid his twin swords out of their scabbards. He had fashioned these scabbards himself. The inside was lined with a porous, spongy material which he kept saturated with oil. That way, not only did his swords never “glint in the sun” as he pulled them out, they also made no sound as they were always covered with a thin layer of oil. The ranger reversed his grip on the hilts of both swords, so that the blades were pointed straight down -–then he leaped off the boxes and onto the monk.

Caleb had no idea the ranger was there. He had been watching for him to enter from the floor below, but could not see him in the shadows. The first moment he became aware of the ranger’s presence was when the two swords stabbed down through his back and shoulders, paralyzing him with pain. The impact of the weapons was so great, that the swords went completely through the monk’s body and down into the wooden floor. This was an unexpected problem for Lorath. He had planned to dart back into the shadows before the monk could retaliate, but he had to spend precious seconds dislodging the sword tips from the floor. Caleb struggle to focus his mental discipline enough to block out the mind-numbing pain, but each jerk of the sword from the ranger sent new waves of pain searing through his body. Finally, the swords came free and Caleb felt his blood flowing heavily out both openings of each wound.

Few men could have recovered from such an attack, but the monk’s training had honed his physical abilities to near perfection. Not only was Caleb able to rise from the ground after the attack, he launched a counter-attack of his own. A front kick followed by two punches were aimed at the ranger’s midsection, but only one punch actually hit, and there was no way to put any significant force behind it. Realizing he could not jump back to the shadows, Lorath turned and fought. A thrust with each sword left two more wounds in the Biscuit King’s exposed midsection. However, it also brought the stalker in closer to Caleb’s attack range. Instead of his normal “flurry” of attacks, Caleb concentrated on putting all of his energy behind one tremendously powerful attack. The punch caught Lorath square on the end of his chin and sent him flying backwards through the boxes he had just climbed over. His swords were knocked from his hands by the force of the blow and several splinters were embedded in his back from crashing through the crate.

Caleb kicked at the side of the crate to enlarge the hole made by the ranger, then stepped through to stand over his stunned opponent. Lorath tried to reach for his swords, but his body would not obey his minds’ commands. Try as he might, he could not move at all. Caleb stood over him and tried to kick him in the face to knock him out, but the confined area within the crates made it impossible for the monk to effectively attack. He finally reached down and grabbed the ranger’s cloak, then threw him back threw the opening in frustration. Lorath suffered a minor blow to the head it enlarged the hole in the crate even farther. The pain from the blow seemed to “snap” him back to his senses, though, and he landed near his swords. This time, his arms obeyed his mental commands to reach for the weapons. He grabbed them and stood up as quickly as he could, only to catch the bottom of Caleb’s foot against his chest. The blow knocked the air out of his lungs and sent him falling backwards. As he fell, he landed on some of the caltrops dropped by the monk. Their long spikes dug into his back and legs. He managed to get back to his knees before Caleb got to him, and lunged forward with an attack born of desperation. The move took the monk by surprise, and the swords sank deep into each thigh. Caleb brought both fists crashing down on the ranger’s back, knocking him to the ground again.

Both men were getting tired. Their arms and legs felt as if they were made of stone, but they both ignored the pain and fatigue and attacked again. Lorath managed to cut Caleb’s arm with the long sword, but the monk blocked the short sword’s attack. The two men engaged in a short series of attacks and parries, both taking minor damage from parries while blocking the more serious attacks. Finally, Caleb penetrated the ranger’s defenses with two powerful punches to his chest and shoulders. The blows made the rangers arms go numb, and his swords became incredibly heavy. Before he could recover, Caleb had pivoted on his lead foot and brought his other foot spinning around towards Loraths head. The monk’s heel landed solidly on the ranger’s temple, sending him reeling right over the edge of the opening to the first level. Lorath crashed to floor on the ground level of the building and didn’t move.

As Cerek pronounced Caleb the winner to the crowd at the Octagon, Caleb heard the same announcement through a Magic Mouth located in the warehouse. He smiled to himself, then gathered his caltrops and headed back to the Octagon for some healing.

Caleb, the Biscuit King – 3000xp 1 Reputation point
Lorath, the Deadly – 1500xp

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Fight# 32

Knuckles Akirason vs Oorgh Uggh
Warehouse District

Cerek watched the Octagon audience closely, trying to gauge their reaction to the new setting in the Warehouse District. The screens had been positioned so that they were easily seen from any seat in the arena. After a few grumbles, the crowd had become just as engrossed in the fight as if it had been fought right in front of them. While he didn’t particularly like mages in general, Cerek had to admit that the ones he had hired to work for the Octagon were doing a masterful job.

“I hope you enjoyed the new setting for our battles”. The response – while not overwhelming – was positive. “Good”, Cerek replied, “then you should really enjoy this next battle. Two of your favorite beserkers will be facing each other without their normal weapons. They will enter the warehouse with nothing more than their standard armor. Several weapons have been place in various spots within the warehouse…. However, we took great pains to ensure that we only used weapons that neither fighter is familiar with. Tonight, we will see a true test of the battleskills possessed by Knuckles Akirason and Oorgh Uggh.” When the crowd heard the introduction of the two warriors and the conditions for the battle, Cerek finally got the response he had hoped for.

The two warriors entered from opposite ends of the warehouse and began searching for weapons. They both found storage closet near the entrance with some pole-arms and large, 2-handed swords. Oorgh considered the swords, but decided to look for something smaller and lighter. Knuckles didn’t have much choice. Despite his impressive strength, he simply wasn’t tall enough to wield such large weapons effectively. He looked around and soon found a crate with a loose lid. Opening it, he found several swords of a more normal size. “Aye, that’s a bit more like it”, he thought. He rummaged through the crate and found a broad sword. Its larger, heavier blade made it rather unpopular among most fighters, but it was exactly the type of weapon that Knuckles was looking for. Meanwhile, Oorgh had found a similar crate on his side and taken a regular long sword. His size and strength made it much easier for him to swing. He was hoping to just land as many hits as fast as he could. Suddenly, he heard his opponent shout out “I’m comin’ fer ye, ye stinkin’ son of a goblin”. The insult was all that was needed to push Oorgh into his beserker fury and both men ran for the center of the warehouse as quick as they could.

As they entered the open area in the middle, there was no hesitation on either side. Both warriors charged straight at each other, swinging their weapons and yelling insults at each other. They met with a loud crash of blades and armor and began hacking at each other furiously. They stood toe-to-toe with each other. No quarter was asked and none was given. Each gave as good as they got. Their skill and savagery overcame their inexperience with the weapons. Both landed solid blows to the other, but Knuckles was feeling the effect of his wounds more. He had decided not to enter the BattleRage, unless absolutely necessary. Oorgh had entered his beserker fury from the very start. This added an extra ferocity to his attacks, and he didn’t even seem to be taken a breath in between swings. In addition, the beserker fury prevented him from feeling the effects of his wounds, so he was still fighting as if he had yet to be injured.

As Knuckles recognized this advantage, and considered entering his BattleRage as well, Oorgh landed a particularly nasty blow. It was an overhand cut that sliced into the dwarf’s neck, opening a huge gash that started spurting blood in large quantities. Akirason could literally feel his strength draining away and knew he had to do something quickly to end the battle. He backed away from the half-orc and adjusted his grip on the broad sword. Instead of hacking blindly, he watched his opponent, looking for an opening to land a blow in a critical spot. As Oorgh charged in to renew the attack, Knuckles saw the opening he needed and dove forward in a somersault. This was an unusual attack that dwarven fighters would often use against larger opponents. As he rolled out of the somersault, Knuckles drove the blade of his sword completely through the right knee of Oorgh. Despite the beserker fury, the half-orc crashed to the ground, as his leg was suddenly unable to support him. Knuckles got up and tried to end the fight with another measured shot, but the half-orc – though on his knees – still managed to slice him in the side with a wild sweep of his sword. Knuckles backed off and looked around the warehouse. Oorgh wasn’t able to follow immediately and the dwarf frantically searched for some way to do some heavy damage quickly. His own legs were beginning to feel very heavy also. Looking up through the opening to the second floor, Knuckles saw what he was looking for. He ran by the struggling half-orc, who tried to trip him as he went by, and climbed the staircase behind him. As he went, he began to sing his BattleSong. The heavy loss of blood was wearing him down, and he needed the adrenaline surge of the BattleRage if he hoped to stay on his feet long enough to win.

Reaching the second level, he had to pause and catch his breath. He still managed to chant his BattleSong, although his voice was becoming very rough and cracked. He took a deep breath to gather his strength and headed to the side of the opening. Once he got there, he grabbed a length of rope that was strung to the ceiling, presumably to lift or lower the boxes from one level to the other. As he sheathed his sword and pulled part of the rope up to him, he began to feel the first stirrings of his BattleRage. Strength returned to his limbs and his voice grew louder. Down on the first floor, Oorgh had tried to climb the stairs after Akirason, but his damaged knee made it impossible. Now, as he heard the dwarf’s voice rising in song, he turned to see exactly what the smelly dwarf was up to. That was exactly what Knuckles had been waiting for. Grabbing the rope with both hands, the dwarf leaped off the edge of the opening. Fortunately, there was no railing to worry with. Instead it was designed much like the loft of a barn. Akirason was thankful for that, because he doubted he could have made it over any railing.

Singing at the top of his lungs now, he swung down hard and fast – straight for his crippled opponent. Oorgh tried to fend off the impact with his sword, but it was useless. He was catapulted backwards, smashing some crates along the way, as almost 300lbs of armored dwarf slammed into his chest with both feet. His body was wracked with waves of pain from one end to the other. He struggle to regain his feet as he heard the dwarf knocking the broken crates aside. Knuckles was on top him before he could get up though. The dwarf was now fully into his BattleRage, his eyes bugged out of his head and spittle flew from his mouth in every direction. Oorgh had lost his sword, so all he could do was grab a plank from one of the crates and use it as a makeshift weapon to parry the dwarf’s attack. The broadsword splintered the plank and drove straight through the half-orc’s plate armor in one vicious swing. Knuckles raised his sword for another attack, but then he realized that the half-orc wasn’t moving. He was lying limply in a growing pool of blood.

Cerek ordered the mages to Teleport the healers straight to the warehouse as he made his announcement; “The winner is Knuckles Akirason, Champion of the Octagon!”

Knuckles – 3000xp 1 Reputation point
Oorgh – 1500 xp

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Fight# 33

Grindall & Knuckles vs Oorgh & Kharn

Cerek explained that there would be a short delay before the final fight of the evening, since Knuckles and Oorgh would both be fighting again. They needed time to rest after having their wounds healed. The crowd was encouraged to “stretch their legs” and maybe even visit the common room at The DragonSlayer Inn, which was just across the way. Several decided to do so. After a sufficient time had passed, messengers were sent to the Inn to tell the patrons that the final fight was about to begin.

Once the majority of the crowd had returned and settled into their seats, Cerek began the announcement for the upcoming battle. “I hope you have enjoyed the festivities thus far tonight”, he said. The crowd gave a roar of approval. “Great, then let’s get to our next fight, shall we?”

This battle will feature 4 combatants working together in two teams. First up tonight is the team of Oorgh Ugggh and Kharn, the Blood Beserker. The crowd roared with excitement at the thought of the two furious beserkers fighting side-by-side. They watched the entranceway and saw the human and half-orc discussing something – battle strategy most likely. As they talked, Oorgh pulled a ring out of a pouch and slipped it on his finger – disappearing instantly. Kharn continued to talk to Oorgh as they walked across the stadium to their appointed spot. The crowd could see him turn his head to listen when his partner had something to say. They reached their mark and Kharn signaled Cerek they were ready.

Facing these two Masters of Mayhem will be the unlikely team of Knuckles Akirason and Grindall, the half-elven cleric. The two demi-humans entered the arena and waved to the crowd. Grindall wore a suit of plate mail while Knuckles had his customary spiked plate mail (complete with helmet) on. While the half-elf put on a good show, it was obvious that he was not accustomed to Knuckles ever-present odor. The cleric looked as if he would “spill his insides” before the fight even started. Still, he managed to keep his composure and stay with Knuckles as they took up their appointed spots. As they approached their mark, Kharn turned towards where Oorgh must be standing and pointed towards the side of the arena while keeping his eye on his opponents. Apparently, he was suggesting a “flanking maneuver” to keep the cleric from targeting them both with one spell. As soon as everyone settled down, Cerek raised his hand and held it for a moment. A loud gong sounded as he dropped his hand, signaling the fight to begin.

Kharn charged at Knuckles, who just waited patiently while his partner began casting a spell. Just before the beserker reached him, Knuckles felt a wave of magical energy wash through him, energizing him. He exploded into the onrushing Kharn. Knuckles drew first blood as his new axe cut into Kharn’s left side, but worshiper of the Blood God paid no heed to the wound whatsoever. He brought his own, huge axe crashing down towards the dwarfs’ head, but Akirason managed to block the blow. Grindall immediately began his next spell; one that he hoped would take the fight right out of their opponents. Before he finished the spell, though, Oorgh suddenly appeared directly behind Knuckles with his axe slicing through the air and into the dwarf’s exposed back. Knuckles felt his knees almost buckle from the pain but managed to stay on his feet. He turned in time to see a yellowish-glowing light descend upon his two opponents. Grindall was trying to “calm” the two beserkers down and make them lose their will to fight. He was hopeful as he watched the golden light settle on the two beefy fighters, but his hope turned to dismay as the light seemed to continued sliding on down to the ground and dissipate into a puff of white smoke.

Knuckles kept his attacks focused on Kharn, even though that meant leaving himself open for another shot from Oorgh. He felt his axe dig into the human’s flesh again. At the same time, Oorgh’s axe just missed slicing the dwarf’s neck open. Had Knuckles not lunged forward on his attack, the fight may well have been over right then. As the beserkers fought the battlerager, Grindall cast another quick spell, hoping for more success this time. He wasn’t disappointed. He had cast Frisky Armor on Oorgh Ugggh’s plate mail, causing it to suddenly sprout wings and take flight, bringing the half-orc along for the ride. As the animated plate rose in the air, Grindall watched for it to reach a certain height, then Dispelled his Magic, leaving Oorgh Ugggh scrambling helplessly as he fell to the ground. The impact hurt Oorgh – or would have, had he not been berserk already. As he got back to his feet, all he wanted was to smash that stupid spellcaster into the ground. He was about to do that when he heard Kharn call out to the Blood God for strength. He realized that Knuckles was very close to defeating his teammate, and rushed forward to help.

As Akirason kept Kharn occupied, Grindall snuck up behind him and slammed his warhammer into the beserkers temple. Kharn never saw the blow coming. He also never saw the ground as it rushed up to meet him. Oorgh was on top of Knuckles by then, hacking away with his battleaxe and the dwarf was suffering from numerous wounds. Grindall was going to cast a spell to heal the worst of these wounds, when the half-orc reversed the grip on his axe and swung it in an underhand attack. The blade split the bottom of Knuckles plate mail chestplate and sank deep into his stomach. As he wrenched the axe free, Knuckles crumpled to the ground right beside Kharn. Now the half-orc beserker turned his attention to the cleric. Before Grindall could back away, the large axe and cleaved through a portion of his armor as well, leaving a bloody trail behind it. Grindall only had one hope of surviving this unfortunate turn of events. He managed to cast yet another Frisky Armor spell on Oorgh with much the same results as before. The armor bore him high into the air, where the cleric would then Dispel Magic, and send Oorgh plunging to the ground.

As the half-orc fell, Grindall cast a healing spell on himself. The warm comfort of the magic flowed through him, sealing off the lacerations in his skin and repairing the internal damage as well. Before he could start another spell, though, he noticed Oorgh rising to his feet and moving in for another attack. Grindall decided to concentrate on defense and parry the blows. He was somewhat successful, but the sheer strength of Oorgh sent a resounding shiver threw his spine even when he blocked the blows. As soon as the half-orc finished his attack sequence, Grindall cast yet another healing spell. This one wasn’t as powerful as the one before…still, every little bit helped. He managed to dodge the next series of blows from Oorgh and cast his final healing spell. He felt almost as good as new again and decided to take the battle to Oorgh, rather than waiting on him to move in again. That proved to be a tactical error as two huge gashes were ripped into his chest by the beserker’s axe. Grindall managed to land a blow of his own, but his fading strength didn’t seem to have much of an impact on his ferocious opponent. He did manage to land one more solid blow straight in Oorgh’s face, but it was too little too late. The half-orc moved in with his battleaxe leading the way. Grindall had almost no strength to fight off the attacks anymore and a few hard hits were all it took to send him down.

Oorgh Ugggh and Kharn win!

Oorgh Ugggh & Kharn – 3500xp 1 Reputation point (each)
Knuckles & Grindall – 2000xp