Valaith snarls as a lone arrow plinks off her breastplate. She feels it the icy rage that always threatens to rise up within her, but she also feels Larkin there... 'Unleash me.' With a loud roar of challenge, Valaith screams loudly as she begins charging up the steep incline towards the ambushers, digging deep into her resilience and taxing herself to close the distance... just as a ghostly glow begins to gather around her and she suddenly becomes aware of Larkin right next to her also rushing up the hillside carrying a spiritual version of Rook in his hands! Valaith suddenly laughs at the sight of her dead brother just as she stops next to ogre. "Let us bring him down, brother!" She whips Rook around in a brutal arc over head her before slamming the head of the hammer excessively hard into the ribs of the ogre, who grunts with the impact and is nearly driven back a step! Bones crunch from the impact and Valaith finds herself energized from the taxing rush up the hill as the black sparks spun down the haft of Rook and into her body. "Come beast, show me what you can do!" She screams in its face, hoping to draw some of the attention away from Thurston, who was already wounded.'I protect, you kill.' She heard Larkin's voice in her head as the spiritual form of her brother imposed himself between the ogre and Thurston.

It all happened so fast. One minute, Brundir was keeping watch to the south and southwest of their position, the next, it seemed like another goblin army was marching up the far side of the ruined road. Rather than choosing to rush as always, he hung back and assessed. A team of goblin archers to the right, and a menagerie to the right. In the past, he found archers were the trickiest and needed to be rooted out fast. However it seemed like there was chaos in the midst as Vark let...something loose. Damnit that kid's terrifying when he wants to be. Hurrig was also nearby, so there was confidence in his defense of the flank. It was Thurston being overwhelmed and Vark being shot that finally tipped the scales of his decision: Bring down the big pile of fat and shit, kill their leader, then scatter the archers.

"Jex! I know ye're there, shoot the big ******* in th' head! I'm goin' fer the lil' ones there."

Val had a head start, and the dwarf wondered if she and Vark were cut from the same cloth. The two seemed to just breathe cold death. They were all extraordinary, even Hurrig who he'd known from the mines seemed to walk like he was gifted the damn stones he walked on, even if he didn't know it. It was times like these he felt out of place. So many strong souls, and all Brundir could manage was swinging a sword and barking orders. A familiar pull at his hip made him remember Dumdrengi. It sat there motionless, but it felt as though it had just pulled against its scabbard. Resolution finally came. In the final steps, before engaging a bugbear and goblin at Thurston's rear, a voice pressed his mind

What are you waiting for? Tell me, what are you waiting for? Don't stand by and deny this. You are bearer of Dumdrengi, don't let the world leave you cornered and alone! Let them all be reminded!

Brundir found a new hope swell, and clarity finally took hold. His mother's lessons came flashing back: Magic is as much about imagining what you want and willing it to happen; that's what we do. "Val, Thurston, Vark! Bring these ******** down! Oi!" The bugbear and goblin were surprised at a sudden voice behind them, "Get off my mountain!"

Observing the road ahead for the preparations to shore and support the road, Hurrig is slow to react. Busy doing math and determining the proper angles and how many logs they will need, Hurrig doesn't see the impending force of goblinoids that march down upon the Archarnost. Finally hearing the calls of his friends, Hurrig looks up from the road, to see an ogre barreling down the slopes. "Woulda been good to stop me from my work." Looking across the chasm and seeing the rest of the goblins. "Moradin be with us today! Unleash your might upon these foes." The spiritual hammer appears in front of the Hobglobin in a blaze, swings down into its chest.

Seeing his friends prepare to take on the ogre, and Vark already sustaining quite some damage from the goblins, he says a quick prayer in dwarvish. Hurrig's holy symbol lights up in a heavenly glow. Glancing back at Brundir, Hurrig notices that the broach he had made also starts to glow slightly before fizzling out. Hurrig bolsters his friends resolves with Moradins might.

Thurston staggers as the bugbears and the ogre unleash their attacks on him. The uneven terrain doesn't help but he endures. He knows that he must hold his ground until his friends could reach that position and counterattack. 

He hasn't had to wait long. Val came running and charged against the ogre, making the huge beast retreat. While the rest of the Archanost move and take care of the archers, Brundir joined their side of the fight, wielding Drumdengi. 

He remembered what his grandfather told him about how to treat the bullies. " Go for the bigger one and make him eat dirt..." 

With a smirk he hold Rikkazarik tight and he felt the power of the the weapon through his muscles. He could felt a rumble inside him, a thunder asking to be released.

"You think you can ambush us. You have met your end!" He jumped, and attacked with the hammer with an upward movement. He got the ogre in the lower jaw, and a thunder exploded on the impact. Lighting sparks jumping from the weapon, burning the ogre's skin. The great beast moved a little bit backwards, but dind't fall. Not yet. 

"I see that you are so stupid that you don't know when to fall. Val... it's all yours..." he said. 

Jex hears Brundir's call and smile curls his lips. "Oh don't worry, we're on the same page my friend." He mumbles to himself. He feels the bowstring cutting into his face a little as he draws it back to its fullest. His eye stares down the shaft of his arrow, watching as Thurston swings powerfully upwards, jaring the head of the ogre back. "Perfect." He releases instantly, sending the arrow true at the thick neck of the beast. Anything smaller would have been felled by the blow in an instant, and even now the wound would likely be fatal, if not instantly. Jex doesn't stop to see the results though, the bow is on his back again as he leaps from behind the tree, striding nimbly from foot to foot over the rough ground. "Look out Val, he's got another strike in him." 

He knows he will be too late for the next blow but his hand curls around one of his new scimitars, ready to follow up.

The ogre bellows in pain, but the sound catches in its throat and the monster clutches at its gullet even as it swings the uprooted tree at Thurston once more. However, Larkin's spectral form steps in at the last moment to cast the blow aside.

The bugbear behind Thurston takes full of advantage of the distraction, slamming its morning star into the Norscan's armour once more. Meanwhile the little goblin ducks out of the melee and hurries behind a tree to bind its wound.

Thurston takes 10 bludgeoning damage, reduced to 3 by DR -> 20/50 Vigour.

Near the damaged portion of road a bugbear and goblin leap across the gap, making a beeline for Vark. A crushing blow from the larger warrior's morningstar winds the poor half-orc, while the smaller goblin's blade bites deeply into his leg, drawing blood.

Vark takes 14 points of piercing damage and 12 points of slashing, reduced to 10 and 9 by DR and soak -> 0/43 Vigour, 12/17 Wounds.

The remaining goblins converge on Hurrig, peppering him with arrows, but the three that hit all merely bounce off of Karakaklad's adamantine plates.

Vark's action.

PathMaker would have to wait for its first taste of blood. While Vark’s flight had helped in drawing out the ambushers, it had attracted far more attention than the new warrior could handle. He staggers backwards from the melee assault, his already wounded body barely standing up to this fresh beating. With a weak rumble of thunder, Vark vanishes and reappears in a burst of cloud, crouching down behind Jex’s mule. He puts a hand to the wound bleeding out from beneath his armor and winces. As quickly as possible he removes his shawl and rips off a strip of fabric to tie around his torso for pressure. It does the job -just barely- and Vark remains crouched there, confident that his friends could keep the cretins at bay.

Hurrig seeing Brundir push the bugbear off the edge, has a thought and follows suit to push the Goblin in front of him off as well. With the might of Moradin with him, Hurrig takes his axe in both hands and checks into the goblin, sending the small creature skirting off the edge. After finishing with his small companion on the road, Hurrig turns his attention back to the Hobgoblin on the road ahead of him. Another small of the fiery hammer blows into the side of the captain of the war party.

Seeing their bigger enemy about to fall Thurston decides to finish him off. He uses his hammer to smash the ogre’s knee and with a snap the hulk falls down to one knee. Then Thurston hits it on the lateral of the head, sending the ogre to the ground at last. 

“Well done my friends!” He says to the others near to him. 
“Let’s finish this...” he looks around to see how many enemies are still standing. 

The left flank was secure, between the combined efforts of Jex, Valaith, and Thurston, nearly every foe was killed or scattered. With that concern out of the way, Brundir turned to the conflict behind. The dwarf turned just in time to see Vark vanish in a plume of smoke, but he could've sworn the half-orc had sprouted several arrows before disappearing. What was left was a small team of goblinkind that threatened to overrun Hurrig. The other dwarf's position was defensible with the unstable road in front and a sheer drop to his right, but he could easily be overrun by number.

The opening came when a bugbear moved to Hurrig's right in an attempt to encircle him. Brundir rushed the hairy brute, unslinging his shield mid-stride. The metal disk slammed the heavy form, but it refused to yield at first. The bard thrust Dumdrengi forward, letting the grip slide until the pommel fell into his hand. He swung it low, catching the back of the bugbear's knee with the crossguard, and pulled. It was enough of a surprise to give ground and the savage goblinkin went toppling for the drop-off. In a heartbeat, all that was left were hairy fingers clutching desperately to the edge. Brundir swung his blade amount, hanging it above his raised guard, ready to intercept any who threatened his foothold. "Hurrig, we hold this line, yeah? Don' let any past ye."

Jex winces a little as he watches Val make a mess of the goblinoid behind Thurston, suddenly some of the games he played with her seem a little less sensible. The ogre is finally about to topple as it bleeds from his arrow wound but Jex watches as Thurston helps it on its way. He looks around the battlefield for his next target, most of the goblins seem to be on the other side of the damaged path though. He sees Vark crouching behind his mule, and a goblin that has run to hide in the trees just above him. A glint crosses Jex's eye as he strides down towards them. "Vark look out, he's coming up behind you." The sudden noise causes the goblin to turn towards Jex who has silently come to stand right behind him. There is a sing of metal on metal as the wrist mechanism slides into place, unleashing the pointed blade into the goblin's temple as it turns. He gives a satisfied grin at how well Hurrig and Thurston's work had performed, before giving a wink to Vark.

"Don't worry, I have your back Vark."He leaps on down the side of the mountain back towards the path to join the others against the oncoming final wave.

Valaith glances over as she hears the clash of weapon upon weapon to see Larkin standing there proudly before Thruston, looking as regal as ever as rune flashed and burned along his arms after knocking aside the blow meant for her friend. In that moment she missed him more dearly than she ever thought possible, but at least this was something... She hears another blow striking Thurston's armor to see the bugbear's morningstar pound into his armor. "No! Begone, pest!" With a grunt of effort and runs forward a few steps, leaps into the air with Rook high above her head! Using the downward momentum of her weight and the rush of the massive maul, she slams Rook down into the head of the bugbear, crushing it into a terrible mess with an awful crunching popping sound as the remainder of the bugbear's head and neck are shoved down into its torso... The creature doesn't even scream as it collapses to the ground as the blackened sparks pop and twirl up the haft of Rook. Valaith surveys the battlefield for further enemies as Larkin strides over to her. 'Rimehand is a fearsome warrior.'

Winded by the blows from Moradin's hammer and seeing the ogre and the rest of the flanking force fall to Jex, Thurston and Valaith, the hobgoblin bellows an order to its men in their foul tongue. The goblins immediately turn tail, scarpering back up the mountainside with their commander. On the precipice by Bründir and Hurrig the bugbear tries clumsily to pull itself back up onto the ledge, but Hurrig's axe drives it back in a devastating blow to the chest that sends the raider tumbling back into the abyss. The dangling goblin, on the other hand, nimbly pulls itself back up beating a hasty retreat after its comrades.

Vark's action.

Vark watches as his friends dispatch one foe after another. The goblinoids make a break for it, but a thirst for vengeance drives Vark to attempt to take out as many as he can before they get away. With a yanking motion he sends the dust devil ripping down the mountain towards the hobgoblin and archer, but they are too fast to be hit. Vark levels Path Maker almost like a crossbow in his arms and with a shout two more crackling red bolts fly from the spearhead towards the leader, but both smash into the stones around him.  Exhausted and dissatisfied, he leans against the cart and tries to catch his breath. 

As the skirmish comes to a close around them, Val finds her rage dwindling as Larkin's spiritual form begins to shimmer and falter. 'Proud of Rimehand, father would be...' With those words Larkin disappears with a large smile upon his lips. As the anger subsides, Val glances at the gory fallen forms around her and begins taking a stock of what valuables they carry, taking what she could that holds value and leaving that which does not. "Thurston, you still stand. Are you injured?"

Watching as the hobgoblin begins to run off with the rest of the stranglers, Hurrig steadies his stance and braces himself. Saying a few divine dwarvish words, followed by "Don't you run from the Archanost!" a beam of light shoots out of the chest plate of Karakaklad. Unfortunately the bolt goes a little wide, as the dwarf is overwhelmed by the force of the blast. "Ahh ya damn bastards, I'll get ya next time."

“I am fine Val and thanks to your.. ally?” Says Thurston to the barbarian but his attention is divided as he sees his friends trying to get down the leader of the raiding party. “We will talk in a minute..” 

He takes his great bow and put an arrow on it. He pulled the string and felt the tension on the wooden shaft of the bow. That weapon was powerful. He then remembered how Jex used to aim a little higher of the real position of his targets and he lifted the point of the arrow a little bit. He loosen the arrow and it flew true across the ravine and pierced the chest of the hobgoblin leader, leaving a gracious wound that bleed profusely. 
The Norscan knew that it was very difficult that the hobgoblin make it after that kind of wound. 
“See that Jex? I can do it too!” 

He turns to Val.

”Now... did I see a ghost helping us??!!” 

Jex grins at Thurston, not letting how impressed he was come across.

"But can you do this?" He takes his bow, and barely looking takes aim at one of the goblins running on the other side of the ravine. The words of Brundir echo in his head. "Shoot him in the head"

"Not a bad idea" He lets the arrow go, taking the goblin straight in the temple. and sending him to the ground in front of his running companion.

So confident in his shot, he doesn't even wait for the fall. Just winks at Thurston and leaps the weakened road. Just about making the other side in his overconfidence, he regains his footing and continues his run up the slope.

The hobgoblin staggers on up the mountain slope, grasping hopelessly at the huge arrow protruding from his chest, before collapsing in a puddle of his own blood. The remaining goblins scarper up a mountain trail and behind a ridge.

As the enemies retreated, the bard called after the hobgoblin leader, "If I see ye here again, I'll open the whole damn mountain, root yer kind out, an' spike'em fer miles!" sadly, his threat fell on deaf ears as they fled. Bründir surveys the scene, the first note being the several bodies strewn about while their numbers were largely unscathed. For all the ferocity, no one was even....oh shit! 

The dwarf rushed to the wagon where he saw a pair of telltale red bolts shoot forth. Vark had staunched much of the bleeding, but he still looked in rough shape with arrows protruding and blood soaking large parts of his underclothes. "Ye did well lad, lemme help ye get patched up. Don' mind Jex, th' wagon's yers for th' day."