Thrax Death Save: 8

The half-dragon's lips still curled back in a sneer, he beckons Yevele forward, then raises his spear high. The spectators can only watch helplessly as he turns its tip down and plunges it into the unconscious Thrax's shoulder (inflicting one death save failure).

The half-dragon turns and leaves, walking toward the raiders' circle, hands held high in victory. Haunting jeers and laughter, cheering and taunting greet him in return.

Yevele and Rogram are suddenly paced by Governor Nighthill's team of medics that sprint out of the Keep's gate in an attempt to reach Thrax. The sobs of the freed woman, reunited now with her brother and children, fill the air nearby.

OOC: Yevele and Rogram are each within a turn's movement of Thrax.

Seeing Thrax fall Smoke will rush down the stairs from the parapet I warned them.. a halfdragon in single combat.. he mumbles to himself as he strides down towards the gate.

While moving down he wont see the halfdragon plunge the spear into Thrax again.

When at the gate Smoke will move out as well but not as far as the others since they would already reach Thrax by that time. Instead Smoke will keep watch of the kobolds to see if they plan to attack. Is Thrax alright? He will be alright wont he? 

Seeing Thrax get stabbed again, Yevele begins to move forward more rapidly to get to him and see what she can do to aid him.

OOC can she use step of the wind to get to him and use her medical skills on him this turn? If so, she will do that, trying to keep an eye out for the half-dragon or kobolds coming at her.

Rogram stops in his tracks, anger suffusing his face. He balls his hands into fists and yells, "What do you want?! Why have you attacked us?!"

Yevele Medicine: 23

The half-dragon does not turn while continuing to move toward the rest of the raiders with his gaggle of kobolds, or even flinch, but it surely bears its wicked grin while it ignores Rogram. Yevele beats Greenest's medics to Thrax, quickly working to stem the bleeding while Maria and her team apply bandages with her. The lizardfolk has taken quite the beating, and will bear wicked scars from the encounter, but it looks for the moment as if he will survive.

OOC: Thrax has been stabilized.

Rogram draws his sword, holding it in one hand, bends his knees and leans forward in a threatening manner. "Answer me you ... half breed!"

Once Thrax is stabilized and healed as much as is possible on the battlefield, Yevele will stand up and look out toward the raiders to make sure none of them are going to come out and attack the medics. When the monk hears Rogram yell out "Answer me you . . . half breed!" she will turn around and face him, shaking her head no, and putting her finger to her mouth. 

Yevele will look around and see if anyone else is outside of the keep. If there is anyone looking at her, the young woman will motion for them to get Rogram out of there. If the medics are able to carry Thrax back to the keep, Yevele will keep a watch out for any of the raiders coming after them.

The half-dragon never turns, or gives any reaction to Rogram.

Everyone sees what Yevele does as she stands and takes stock of the surrounding forces. None of them make a move toward the medics, or toward Yevele or Thrax. In fact, they are moving in the opposite direction. When the half-dragon reaches the enemy line they begin to retreat en masse. The various campfires continue to smolder as the army packs up and begins to march away to the southeast.

The medics, once Thrax has been stabilized, carry the lizardfolk up the hill toward the Keep, moving slowly to keep him as still as possible. Sergeant Markguth bustles his sister and her children in past them. Looking back, he walks toward Rogram and Yevele, placing a hand on the half-dwarf's shoulder. "We should get back through the gate," he says.

Yevele will follow the medics back toward the keep, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to make sure that none of the troops are turning back to come after them. When she reaches Rogram , she will join Markguth in getting the dwarf to move back toward the keep, whispering to him "We'll have our chance for revenge. We just need to make sure that we are ready for that moment. Right now, we are all tired, but, we can get stronger and get stronger allies."

Once inside the keep, Yevele will head downstairs to the storeroom, where she will spend an hour in meditation (i.e., a short rest) before laying down and going to sleep.

OOC sorry, I meant to include this with my previous post, but, hit send before I'd added it.

Smoke watches as they carry Thrax back inside the keep then turns to watch the halfdragon depart. Once the keep is closed again Smoke will go back up the parapet to watch and rest. Gazing out to see the raiders seeminly pack. Are they finally leaving? Perhaps they have looted all that can be looted besides the keep. 

Smoke will try to get some rest but on occasion will watch the skies for dragons and check if the raiders are really going or if this is another trap.

Nothing. Why are they here? Nothing. What is their purpose? Nothing. For what reason do they attack? Nothing.

Rogram's shoulders slump and the arm holding his sword begins to dip as his demand goes unanswered. By the time the mass of their attackers is moving away and he is being urged to return to the safety of the keep, the tip of Rogram's sword is resting on the ground, and his face has dropped into a look of exhaustion. As Yevele whispers to him, he slowly turns his head and blinks in her direction. After a deep breath, he nods and sheathes his sword. It takes a great effort. He follows everyone inside, silent, hunched, lost in thought. Or maybe lost in no thought. Before anyone can ask anything of him, or ignoring those who do, the half-dwarf returns to his sleeping spot and drops in stages — knees, hands, stomach, chest — to the ground, self-preservation turning his head at the last second to avoid smashing his nose. Eyes closed and lips slightly parted, he begins the deep breathing of the unconscious almost immediately.

Words of disbelief spread through the rank and file as the siege apparently breaks itself. Nearly eight hours have passed since the initial attack. Greenest's defenders are beaten and exhausted, but the sight of the raiders marching away causes enough celebration that Governor Tarbaw Nighthill himself has to remind his guards personally not to cheer prematurely. The Keep remains shuttered overnight as hope is held out that there may finally be a chance for rest. The sun rises at six in the morning, but the last of the raiders are gone from sight two hours before that. By that time, sleep has overtaken the party.

Thrax awakes with a start shortly before sunrise, feeling no small amount of pain in his shoulder and chest as he begins to move. A tired-looking human woman in her middle years is quickly at his side, saying, "Whoa now, keep still. I'm surprised you're awake this soon, to be honest. That spear tip was barbed, a nasty thing really." She looks to another medic, apparently the only other one awake at the hour. "Tell the governor he's awake, please," she says. Her companion nods obediently and leaves the room.

"I think you made some friends here tonight," she chuckles. "Do you...understand Common?"

Thia will make her unsteady way down into the courtyard.  Unwilling to take a place back in the infirmary, she will find a quiet corner,  put her backpack under her head, cover herself with her cloak and fall quickly asleep.

Thrax opens his eyes slowly and recalls what he can of his ill fated duel. He winces as he moves to sit up and adjust himself. “Yes, I speak common. Gond’s blessings on you, thank you for helping me. That half-dragon, did he release his prisoner as promised? Is that mob still waiting for us outside the keep?”

The woman nods, smiling as she brings Thrax a glass of water. "The Markguths are quite intact, yes. And you will be happy to know that the raiders seems to have departed, at least that's what the word is from the wall."

Governor Nighthill clears his throat to announce his entrance and crouches down beside the wounded cleric. "You have my thanks, Thrax. I know not what would have happened if you had not stepped forward, but knowing your abilities...none of my men would have survived that fight, that much I know," he says.

After a pause, he continues, "The raiders are retreating. I do not understand why, but it seems we have been granted a small reprieve. Their line has broken and they are in the process of departing to the southeast. I sent some scouts to examine what they could under cover of darkness, but little has been left behind. Except..."

The Governor deposits a pair of healing potions into Thrax's hands. "They were able to find these. You have earned them, and much more." he says. "Your companions are resting. You should do the same."

OOC: Added two potions of healing to Thrax's inventory. In addition, each character has earned 50 XP for stepping up to the challenge and fighting the half-dragon without costing the life of a hostage.

OOC: If Thrax wants to say anything to Governor Nighthill before beginning his long rest, we can handle that retroactively in the next round of posts.

Most of you awake to the heat of the late afternoon sun that rests almost directly over the courtyard of the keep. Thrax still lies asleep in the infirmary, but other than the wounded men and women still under the care of the town's medics, the chaos of the previous night is nowhere to be found. Guards still man the walls of the keep, but the gates have been opened, and the smoke still rising over the intact buildings of the town may as well be chimney smoke, as ineffective as the fire was against their thatch construction.

OOC: All characters except for Thrax (who is still in the process of a long rest) have gained the benefits of a long rest.

When Yevele wakes up, she will make her way back to the top of the keep and see what the town looks like now. After spending a few minutes on the tower, she will head back down and head out of the keep. Once out of the keep, the monk will make her way to the south side of the river and search over that area to make sure that no raiders are present there, ready to ambush the keep once people start leaving. She will also keep an eye out for Laosin, the monk whose request brought her to this town. Finally, she will also be on the lookout for dwarvers, figuring that if she sees any, they are probably Rogram's family.

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OOC: Waiting for some responses from the other members of the party before advancing. If the party is splitting up into various things, I'd like to resolve them all at the same time.

Somewhere in the afternoon Smoke jolts awake. Having fallen asleep some time during the night. He will stand up while still on the parapet and view the surrounding town to see if the raiders are still gone and to see what is happening. 

Noticing peace has come back to greenest he will move back down and walk towards where they had taken Thrax to see if he is alright.