Breaking the Gates

From FiranMUX

Brizo drinks 1 ale.

Brizo puts waterskin: Brizo's Brew into [O] Well worn Kamnestran Backpack [O].

Brizo forgot his booze. Shameful. He returns with it, though has left his treasured drinking glass back at the tent, for the sake of practicality.

Kelarik looks about as Firanosian as someone can get right now, wearing an unfamiliar set of iron armor beneath that ragged priest's robe... but with a wood axe at one side, staff and spear crossing his back, and a backpack filled with carpenter's tools. Damn boy scouts gotta be prepared.

If Kelarik scared Kalina before, the sight of the axe on his hip makes the girl turn and find someone to hide behind.

"Soldiers...Firans...Ticanee...It is Past time.

The city of Ellish stands before us. For over forty years this city has stood as a black testament to the Great War, an enduring legacy that we simply cannot bear. They took our land and we reclaimed it, all save this city. And now, now we are _here_.

Think on that a moment. In over forty years we are the first soldiers to stand in this spot, gaze at those walls...and see the faint smoke rising of Republic firebombs. It has already been struck, history was made by the airforce. Now, now it is time to make of this a legend.

Soldiers of the Republic, the gates were burned but they are still barred with iron.

You will crack those bars, you will open it up like a nut so the infantry can pour into that city and put the goats to the sword.

Alexa is in command, the east gate is your target...open it up for me. Open those gates and let the goats know fear. Open the gates and let our people know hope. Open those gates and return as heroes, everyone.

Soldiers of the Republic, the battlecry is Unity, Republic and Ellish!"

Brizo cheers Donos!

Alexa cheers Donos!

Aranos cheers Donos!

Marsalos cheers Donos!

Kelarik cheers Donos!

Sabria cheers Donos!

Kalina cheers Donos!

Marsalos cheers Alexa!

Niobe cheers Donos!

Kalina cheers Alexa!

Brizo is starting to feel like a young buck again. "Hear, hear, we'll make this Second Great War, and one those old goats won't forget!" *Firan*

Alexa cheers her first general and offers a bow to the man. "I will not fail you, sir," she swears. *Firan*

Yacen cheers Donos!

Yacen cheers Alexa!

COMBAT: Zutanos wields his Republic Issued Iron Spear.

COMBAT: Brizo wields his Oak Wooden Quarterstaff.

Zutanos is gripping his spear, waiting.......just waiting

Sabria unwears her bow and then remarks softly, "I wish I --- a griffon to fly for this. I feel more comfortable -- griffonback." *Firan*

COMBAT: Sabria wields her (( White Short Bow With Blue Leather Wrap )).

COMBAT: Kalina wields her Republic Issued Long Bow.

Alexa looks to her soldiers... and Brizo... and says, "Are we ready to give the goats nightmares for a change?" *Firan*

Yacen pumps a fist into the air. "Yes!" *Firan*

Zutanos closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

Aranos hoots in acclaim of the First General's address, raising his spear along with the others. Letting out a deep breath, with a broad smile, he answers Alexa with a called, "Yeah!" to match Yacen's. *Firan*

Kalina grins. "Oh yeah!" She says cheerfully. *Firan*

Zutanos lowers his head in a quick prayer before being ready

"Damned right we are," Kelarik says, pulling his quarterstaff off his back. "And it's about time."

Marsalos raises an eyebrow and smirks. "I'd like to think they're still screaming from last night, myself." He exhales slowly through his nose and nods. "This one's for Sharin." *Firan*

COMBAT: Kelarik wields his o0o Eagle's Flight Wooden Quarterstaff o0o.

Sabria nods "Yes'm." She goes quiet and looks to Alexa for orders. *Firan*

COMBAT: Yacen wields his Nightfall's Raging Shark Iron Long Sword.

Brizo says a little prayer, and aloud. "Kamnestra, I know you like creating more than tearing down, but once we recycle this gate and liberate Ellish, there will be rebuilding like you won't believe. Anything they've destroyed, we'll put right, you believe me on that." *Firan*

Military Messenger for Kelarik strides up to Kelarik, saluting, and makes a delivery.

The messenger states in a clear tone, "Official military business, sir! Captain Karana said to tell you, at Firan time: 08:43:19 PM on Tue Oct 13, in the year 42 A.U.: You are ordered, as your commanding officer, your High Priestess, and your dear friend, not to die."

Military message to Karana:

>> I will try, to the utmost of my ability, to follow that order.

Brizo drinks 1 ale.

Yacen closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

Yacen heards Brizo's prayer and closes his eyes to add his own thoughts to it. Never hurts.

Looking around at her soldiers, Alexa says, "Today, we prove to the Republic what it means to be a member of the Fifth division. As we had prepared for this war, as we had prepared for things that could not be planned for, we will prepare the battlefield for our soldiers. Because we are Fifth division. Now let's put those bastards in their place." It's not long and eloquent, but then, Alexa is an old Ticanee soldier, not a Bear nobleman. She'll need much more education if you want to squeeze more words out of her.

Zutanos frowns, as he is not a member of the 5th division, but says nothing

Marsalos is...not Fifth Division, and neither is the other artillerist risking their life. So he lets them have their rally cry and everything, just stretching his arms.

You are now, Zutanos.

Kalina listens to Alexa, before she bows her head, praying quietly.

Sabria nods to Alexa. "I've been in every ------ so far, ma'am. I will not let you down." *Firan*

Once your under Alexa, your under Alexa for life.

Kalina closes her eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

Niobe doesn't seem to be overly concerned for her lack of Fifth Divisioness. In fact she offers a nod in Marsalos' direction before waiting to be told more.

Kalina belts out the marching cadence for the Fighting Fifth. Roll out, wagons! Forward with the oxen!

<OOC> Adam says, "Okay, so your mission is pretty simple in concept, tricky in execution."

Donos has left.

[Weather Report] The sky is grey and cloudy, and nothing casts a shadow. The southwest

wind is chilly.

<OOC> Adam says, "Your job is to take the really heavy battering ram, which is a sort of siege engine, (see http://tinyurl.com/2dgdsf ), and wheel it up to the east gate of Ellish without dying, then use it to bash in the gate. Then you have to get it out of the way so your army can rush in and fight."

<OOC> Adam says, "Once you bash the door in (or all get captured or killed), we'll stop. At the beginning of tomorrow's battle, we'll do some fun emits to show what you did."

<OOC> Adam says, "There will be a combination of @checks and Combat 3.0, but never at the same time cuz that's too hard for me to follow."

<OOC> Adam says, "Mostly, you'll all be inside the damned thing with some NPCs, pushing it towards the gate. Some of you will have the job of repelling anyone who tries to stop you."

Brizo comments, before they leave for Shamibelian occupied territory, "Best to make sure someone has water out there, for wetting down the battering ram. Makes it harder to catch fire that way if they shoot burning arrows." There. His contribution, for now. *Firan*

The sun starts to set on the Firan lands.

Kelarik gives Yacen a sidelong glance. You know, that's a damned good idea. "You wanna get a barrel of water, or should I?" he asks his brother in a murmur. "We can stick it inside the canopy and push it with us." *Firan*

Yacen glances over to Alexa and then to his brother. "I'll go get it. I can carry more than you anyway." *Firan*

Yacen has left.

Alexa looks over at her boyz. "We have some rain water saved up? Though not sure how much we'd be able to haul with it slopping as we move." But some is better than none. She looks to Kalina. "You'll be on water duty." *Firan*

[Weather Report] The fair weather clouds in the west turn orange, gold, carmine, and purple as the sun sets. A chill wind blows from the west.

Yacen has arrived.

Which is true. Kelarik watches Yacen go fetch, then nods to Alexa. "We got water. Hopefully it'll be enough." And oh, look, Kalina gets to play splash-the-ram. Yay.

Brizo says, "Wet it before we set out, least ways, and hope the wood keeps damp. Wet wood is harder to catch. If only we had an elephant..." Alas. But where would they possibly find an elephant? *Firan*

<OOC> Adam says, "I'm getting you a diagram. Hold on."

Yacen comes back hefting a barrel with water in it. It's not entirely full of water, but it has a goodly amount of water in it. "Will this be enough?" he inquires. *Firan*

Brizo scratches his chin a bit, and takes another swig of ale. "Course, once we're through the wall, fire wouldn't be so bad. That'd save us the trouble of hauling it out, if we just burned it down." *Firan*

<OOC> Adam says, ""

Aranos is humming a low melody under his breath as the last minute preparations are made. Quipping lightly, "And if we had some stuffing, we could make stuffed tomatoes." Adding a moment later, "If we had any tomatoes." *Firan*

"I got tools and an axe with me, if we need them," Kelarik tells Brizo simply. "But burning it out would be easier. Problem is that they've got water, too. But... we could try it?"

Darkness descends upon the Firan lands as the last of the sun disappears.

Kalina mutters dryly to herself. "Yes, ma'am." She says, calmly. *Firan*

Niobe is just doing her thing standing there and waiting for orders. Because, she's not one to chatter with most people. Especially all the priestly types around.

Brizo chatters. He always chatters when we drink. "Might not be that the best thing is to burn it, mind. We lose our protection there. Oh, and might want bring some planks, too, in case we have to cross ditches or mud, give the wheels some traction." *Firan*

Yacen adjusts the barrel in his arms. "Too bad we can't water the roof too..." he adds with a shake of his head. *Firan*

"Thought that was the point?" Kelarik asks of Yacen, looking perplexed.

Marsalos reaches over to help Yacen with the barrel as the younger soldier comes back, tilting his head back to eye the height. "Why not? It won't last forever, but we can right now." *Firan*

Kalina eyes Yacen sharply. Oh sweet Eesha, please don't say he just said tha- Kalina opens her mouth, then closes it. "Gonna be /soaked./" *Firan*

Yacen looks down in his barrel. "We have enough for both the roof and the ram?" *Firan*

Aranos adds, "If we water the roof, we wont need to water the ram.. Not til the roof is gone anyhow.." *Firan*

Brizo blinks at Yacen. "Sure you can. You've got legs and arms, you can toss it up there or climb on up." He taps Kelarik on the shoulder. "Say, though, you wouldn't happen to have some planks of lumber? In case we come up across muddy stretches or

ditches, I've seen mud mire many a wagon down in my day." *Firan*

Alexa looks over people and gets them lined up. "I want some muscle towards the front and the back of this thing. Keep the goats out." *Firan*

Kelarik is reasonable, really. "Well, seeing as that if the roof catches, I dunno about you, but /I'm/ not keen on standing in there and gettin' singed..." *Firan*

"We're unlikely to be able to get out from under the roof far enough to re-wet it while we're there," Marsalos says to Yacen. "Do it now, and bring some extra to re-wet the ram itself as we get closer."

Aranos chuckles and touches his nose, as he grins to Kelarik's quip.

Sabria frowns and tilts her head. "Who front and back?" *Firan*

Kelarik ohs. "Yeah, got some lumber. Lemme go fetch it. And you're right, I've been making folks wash wagon axles all throughout this war." He shoots a little glance Alexa-ward, then runs for a few sturdy oak planks. *Firan*

The East Gate of Ellish

You stand directly in front of the imposing east gate of Ellish. To enter the city through this gate, you must first pass down a walled corridor between two squat, stone guard towers. An iron portcullis greets you next. It is down. Just beyond that is a sturdy wooden door reinforced with huge steel bands and coated in protective sap.

The door is charred and cracked vertically from recent bombing raids but it is holding.

People Here: Alexa, Aranos, Brizo, Kalina, Kelarik, Marsalos, Niobe, Sabria, Yacen, Zutanos

Yacen drops the barrel.

You drop the lumber.

"I'll get the water up top," Marsalos says, since there seems to be more debate than there is time. "Niobe, come on, help me." He moves to grab up one of the barrels of water they've got.

<OOC> Adam says, "You've all seen the side elevation drawing of Ellish?"

<OOC> Adam says, "http://firan.legendary.org/index.php/Image:EllishFromTheSouth.PNG"

Sabria is watching for goats, her bow at the ready. She keeps watching and watching.

<OOC> Adam says, "That's the south side. You'll be coming in the east side (to the right on that picture). It looks remarkably similar on the east side, too."

Brizo probably isn't the strongest here, because he's not a young buck, but he's pretty big. Comes from hard work and exercise, not ale and strawberry tarts, honest it does. But he's not one for clambering about on roofs.

Niobe quits scratching at the sound of her name. Marsalos gets an arched brow look in his direction before she nods and tromps over to him. "A'right. How ya want ta does this, boost me up an' we'll slosh it all around 'er some shite?" in armor go figure. *Firan*

Kalina rolls her eyes and starts moving a barrel to help Marsalos and Niobe. "'s not just boosting, but more of a' 'gility thing to get up there and stay up." She says, eyeing the thing. *Firan*

Alexa's player gets attacked by a 20lb affectionate cat as she smacks Kalina across the face. "Next time you refuse orders, you're executed." She looks at the others. "Let's get this show on the road! Take your places." She looks up. "Hurry it up, up there!" *Firan*

Kalina flinches. "Aye, ma'am." *Firan*

Yacen sets down the barrel inside of the ram so that people can start getting into it to wet down the wood. He glances toward his brother. "Front or back?" Seems like both choices are about the same. *Firan*

Zutanos moves into position, his eyes watchful. he says nothing as he watches

Aranos stands in place under the roof, to lean his weight and muscle into moving the siege engine when the word is given. "Uphill, over the road, through the iron, and tear down the gate through arrows, oil, and whatever else they throw at us. Then back in time for tarts and fruitcake." A broad grin as he lets out a breath and voices, "Lets do this." *Firan*

Marsalos somehow manages to get the water up there, since it'll take three days to pose it out and that's not the point. Leave it to the Zinian to figure out water stuff. He finally dumps the empty barrel aside, tall vault of wood wetted down well, and jumps back down to the ground, brushing off his wet hands. "Positions, ma'am?" *Firan*

Kelarik just looks, at this point, like he's ready for virtually anything. He waits at the ready, staff in his hands in case ground forces come. But there's a bow jutting out of his backpack, too, juuuust in case. "Your call, Yacen," he says quietly. "But I reckon we're both gonna need to clear the path for this thing to make it through if they got infantry. If they don't... back, with bows?" *Firan*

Brizo is thinking now, considering. "Wonder how much play we have on the height of this thing. Ah well. Be best to try to attack any weak point we can find in the gate. I'll keep my eyes open. Reckon other folks will be doing the same." *Firan*

Niobe just eyes Kalina as she goes about getting her arse up there and balanced enough kinda to help slosh water somehow. It gets the job done, water going over the wood to wet it down as much as one can. She too jumps back down and gets back into position, whereever that is. As they approach the city she just stares "Feckin place ain't look no better than when I last seen it. Feckin damn'd tower." *Firan*

You're coming up with the Firan army on the good road approaching the east side of the city. The towers stand before you, and the gate house. Shami archers line every battlement on every wall and tower. Griffons swarm like mosquitoes around the city. Your own Air Force circles above you. Now you plan your approach.

Yacen nods to his brother. "We've got the back of this, ma'am," Yacen calls to Alexa. "You won't need to worry about any of those goats getting through us if they try circling around. 'Les you want us somewhere else." *Firan*

Brizo seems reasonably calm, all in all. Might be the ale, might be a lack of awareness of the danger, or it might be that he's simply learned, over the years, that worry and panic never have accomplished much. He takes a final chug of ale here, and tucks the waterskin away for awhile. He's a large man, so definitely not drunk, more relaxed and focused in the way that slightly buzzed Kamnestrans tend to best operate.

Alexa says, "Two archers in front to clear a path, two melee behind them to cover if we're breeched. Artillerists, get close enough to the front to give direction. The rest of us will give the muscle and guard the rear." She looks at Brizo and Kalina. "You two in the middle rear." About as protected as she can put the two. *Firan*

[Weather Report] A chilly wind blows from the west, driving dark clouds before it and blotting out the stars in patches overhead. The air is clear and elsewhere they glitter brightly in the dark sapphire sky.

Sabria nods and heads to the front, the bow ready. She doesn't know who the melee are but she's doing to do her best. She glances up at the griffons in the sky and frowns, "--- large is their aviary?" *Firan*

Brizo says, "I need to be able to get a good looksie at the gate as we get closer. Do the scouts have anything to say about what's over yonder, between us and them?" He's mildly curious, and just sort of assuming they have scouts. Somehow. *Firan*

Kalina isn't ever washing her cheek, but her eyes glitter as she mvoes back to flank Brizo in the middle rear, bow in hand. "Hrm." She says, quietly. *Firan*

"Firebombs cracked the left of the two doors," Marsalos says for reference, since he was there and all. "That will be its weakest area in terms of the wooden part of the structure." He heads through the large ram structure to get into the front space, motioning Niobe over to set her into position.

Kelarik just rests on the balls of his feet, looking limbered up and grimly prepared, staff in hand. There's a quick glance darted towards Alexa, then a look back to his brother again. "You know," he realizes quietly, "if we got any problems with mud, you and I are gonna be faster at laying down the planks, and the folk in the rear can toss them back through the ram structure so that it'll keep moving." Ugh. Front or back, front or back. *Firan*

Aranos notes idly, "You know.. Soon as they spot this big cart, they're gonna throw everything at us.. Probably best if we.. maybe.. hurried? A lot?" *Firan*

Niobe being one of the artillerists manages a position somewhere near the front. She's still putting her back into it though, didn't come all muscley to just look good after all. "Battering rams move about as fast as feckin ballista's. Ya kin hurry but it ain't a real hurry." *Firan*

Zutanos keeps a steady pace with the other troops, glancing every so often upwards to see what is in front and above of them. The young Hydran is happy to be serving, however........the sight in front of him does look imposing.

Brizo rolls up his tunic sleeves, or would, if he didn't have those arm guards in the way. Ah well. Anyway, he's ready to push. "Well that was damn nice of the pilots," he says to Marsalos, appreciatively. Makes their work easier. He'll keep his eyes peeled on that side. *Firan*

Alexa nods at Marsalos and says, "We'll aim for the left gate, then. Soon as the gate is down, we reverse course and push this thing away from the gate as far as we can to keep it clear, then abandon it and book." She is expecting it will be burning by that point. *Firan*

Aranos chuckles and notes to Niobe, "Still, I'd rather it take thirty minutes than thirty-one." He nods at his post to the instructions and stands ready. "Right down thier throats." *Firan*

Alexa says dryly, "And Sabria? Aim for their damned birds, got it?" *Firan*

Yacen headtilts toward his brother. "Could be, but they'll need the muscle back here too." He glances up toward the front to see whose already gone up there. *Firan*

Brizo asks again, since he's ever so hopeful, "Any scout reports on the terrain up there? Are we heading down the main road?" *Firan*

Marsalos smirks at Brizo, wiggling his brows once, then nods to Alexa. "Yes ma'am." His voice is plenty confident about this. Whether it's a show, who knows. *Firan*

"Yes'm. It's what I have been doing all war season." Sabria replies not looking too happy about killing griffons but in doing so, she's killed the enemy as well. She keeps looking to see if they are under attack yet, her bow following her gaze.

<OOC> Adam says, "Once you have a plan -- even if it's really obvious and straightforward -- let me know what it is OOCly."

Kalina strings an arrow into her bow. Then she stays quiet, eyes darting from person to person. Akward silence.

Kelarik is impatient to move. It shows on his face, a distinct need to get in there, get the gate busted down, and get the hell outta dodge so that the army can swarm in. "Ma'am," he calls towards Alexa, trying to stop this ongoing back-and-forth between him and Yacen, "do you want us up front, or in back?" There. Position your Cylistis, Alexa. *Firan*

Zutanos still carries his spear....they really /don't/ want him shooting a bow right now. He listens as everyone talks about what the plan is, just making sure he knows when and ...wha to attack

Marsalos answers Brizo, "The scouts that went out several days ago gave some information on the east side but not too much. Swarming with battlements and guards, but we knew that. There are large defence towers, which the Air Force saw as well, they're aeries. There's not been any scouting out past that, as far as I know." *Firan*

Aranos hums quietly under his breath, "This is the way we push the ram, push the ram, push the ram.. This is the way we push the ram up the road as fast as we can and smash in your gates before running awaaaaay... All through the town." *Firan*

Niobe says "Don't ferget the windows in that feckin black tower." is noted dryly in Marsalos's direction. "Aside from taht feckin bit a forest ain't no useful cover out 'ere. Grass, damn bonduin kids. Little fecker." *Firan*

"We're not going to be anywhere near that tower," Marsalos tells Niobe. "It's in the centre of the city."

Brizo nods a bit to Marsalos. He's toward the center, studying the gate from afar. "Meant more the state of the terrain, but guess we'll see soon enough." *Firan*

Niobe says "That's a good thing. I's jus' sayin that were part of it too though. Didn't see much of this side of the place. Got seen too quick, damn warlord almost stabbed me in the nose with 'is spear." *Firan*

"It's forested hills." Sabria answers. "That's how we survived. We used the forest and the hills for cover." She was just here not so long ago and walked home.

Marsalos nods to Sabria and Niobe. There ya go. He's still in his place, memory going over the previous night and where that weakened area is on the left side.

<OOC> Alexa takes a breath. Okay, the plan we have archers towards the front to clear a path. Melee just behind them in case someone gets past the archers, artillerists behind them to be able to guide this beast. The rest scattered throughout to push the beast.

Aranos puts his back into pushing, putting all the muscle he can into getting the thing rolling, and thus building as much momentum, as the uphill road allows. Jaw clenched closed the sentry is mercifully quiet for the moment.

Niobe is in the front, after the melee folks and somewhere near Marsalos. She keeps an eye on the gate where they're going, making sure the whole thing is being prodded and HEAVED in the right direction. Occasionally she even lets Marsalos get a word in.

Sabria asks as they get in position, "Should I switch to my spear,ma'am?" *Firan*

Kalina says from where she's standing behind Marsalos; "And I can see how?.... No offense intended..." *Firan*

Yacen glances over toward Alexa. "Ma'am, do you really want just one line in the front or the back?" *Firan*

Marsalos arches a brow slightly, turning to look at the woman behind him. "Do you complain after -every- order or just Alexa's?" *Firan*

Kelarik just gruffly strings up his bow and bluntly remarks, "Shut up, Kalina." *Firan*

Kalina says dryly, "Wasn't complaining." She then shuts up. *Firan*

Zutanos is saying nothing as he marches and readies himself. He looks around and finally says one thing "For Zutiv and the Repuiblic" *Firan*

Brizo is ready to put some muscle into this, get this thing rolling.

Kelarik looks towards the other two melee fighters. Well, somehow they're all related. "Gods bless," he murmurs in their direction, settling his staff in his hands comfortably. *Firan*

Niobe just stares from one side to the other of her. "Feckin shite. Don't go down, cause if ya go down Aunt 'shila will kick me arse. Won't be no point in goin home." *Firan*

Kelarik acquires a rather wolfish grin at Niobe's words. "Tell you what. You promise you ain't gonna go climb the wall to fall off again, and I'll try my damnedest to keep on my feet. Fair?" It's an easy promise, since it's pretty doubtful Niobe would go wall-scaling today anyhow. *Firan*

================= DEFENDER CHAINS FOR YOUR TEAM ==================

FRONT ------------------------------------------------------------------- BACK

*  Kelarik        Alexa          Sabria        
*  Niobe          Zutanos        Marsalos       Kalina        
*  Yacen          Aranos         Brizo

Niobe can't help but smirk at Kelarik's words "I kin deal with that. I's two fer two anyhow now. Fell off that feckin Agadin mountain awhile back, then I fell off a damn'd wall. Figure I kin give t'day a break. I jus' love ta go a visitin, goin ta knock me another door open." *Firan*

Sabria stays quiet as she's watching the griffons from where she looks out from the 'roof' over them. She frowns as she finally realizes the scope of how big this is....

the taking of this city. She closes her eyes and offers a quick prayer to Uf.

Kalina is about to facepalm. However, she supposes there is some sort of ironic justice in being in the back, her being a healer and all.

The order is given and, "HEAVE!" you start pushing this very heavy wedge-shaped siege engine towards the city. Soon, you'll be within archer range. Maybe the griffons will attack. Hopefully your forces will keep them busy! With the archers guiding you from the front, you labor your way across the open field. You hear the first volley of arrows. Fwit! Fwit! Fwitfwitfwitfwitfwit!

Yacen was in the back, but it looks like Yacen's up in the front now. His shield is up and at the ready. "Incoming," he toward his brother, in case he couldn't hear the arrows. *Firan*

Aranos grits his teeth with the effort of pushing, still grinning past the grimace of exertion as the ram rolls along toward it's mark. "Well," he grinds out dryly, "At least the roads are good!" *Firan*

Kelarik just grimly moves forward, staying exactly opposite his brother as this behemoth of a machine is rolled forward. His staff's in hand, ready to go, but he puts his shoulder into the pushing as well in the hopes to get this beastly thing to move faster before the world becomes a raining hail of arrows from above. Whispering a prayer under his breath, he tries his damnedest to be ready... and hopefully not a real big shiny target.

Brizo says a little prayer to Kamnestra, for sturdy construction of the wall above head. He puts his back into it, though not enough to throw it.

Niobe says "Keep yer feckin head under tha boards!" is called out helpfully as she hears that fateful volley sound. Quarterstaff in hand she still heaves with the rest of them, trying to move the battering ram as fast as possible towarsd the gates. Like getting closer is going to feel prettier. "Lets go show 'em how hospitality really works."" *Firan*

Heave, yeah. Marsalos knows where he'd like to heave this thing. His hands grab the wooden frame to start pushing, splinters digging into his calloused fingers. His shoulder shoves against his side of the ram to keep it steady on its path forward; with something this big, "aim" starts a few miles back.

Kelarik closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

Kalina is very, very very much in the back, even as she heaves that fecking thing, putting work into it. Arrows? What arrows?

Alexa shouts, "Keep it moving, people! Sooner we crash their party, the sooner we go home to ours!" She leans into getting Bessie the Behemoth Battering Ram moving. *Firan*

Sabria is grateful for the roof over teir head as she helps with heaving of the ram toward the gate. She nods as Alexa gives orders and puts her back into moving BtBBR toward the east gate of Ellish.

<OOC> Adam says, "Kelarik and Yacen, @check Luck + Dodge at 8."

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Luck + Dodge at difficulty 8 and gets 4 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Yacen rolls his Luck + Dodge at difficulty 8 and gets 1 fumble.

FWIT! That's the sound, right? Fwitfwit and a few arrows go sailing perilously close. Marsalos' head snaps up and he snorts. "Fecking feck -off-!" Whoops, duck another arrow coming straight that way. This ram's going to be a cactus by the time they get there.

Arrows volley into the small triangle in the front of the siege engine! Firan soldiers pushing and guiding the battering ram stumble and fall, dead. One of the arrows hits Yacen's stomach! The squads inside have to step over their bodies and avoid trodding on them. The engine is moving at a decent pace now, a walking pace, and it has a certain powerful momentum of its own. Not fast enough! The archers prepare a second volley!

Yacen is looking seriously bad.

Brizo has to imagine that this isn't a particularly stealthy advance. It really is hard to act casual and blend when pushing several tons of wood and bronze and iron along. There's the slow, steady creak of the wheels, punctuated by the fwitfwit of arrows -- and the occasional screams. He grits his teeth, head lowered like a bull.

<OOC> Adam says, "Okay, it went all the way through. <=)"

<OOC> Adam says, "I had said it hit his stomach but the damage came out lower back. The arrow pierced all the way through."

Kelarik literally ducks beneath an arrow that flies at his head, and it thwacks into the wooden structure beside him. "Get this feckin' thing moving," he growls out, heaving harder, his eyes on the gate ahead of them. "We ain't got all day now..." *Firan*

Aranos is leaning hard into the ram's frame pushing it forward for all he's worth. In a rather surreal moment, he looks down and sees a bloody arrowhead sticking out of the back of the man before him. "That ain't good.." *Firan*

Zutanos Watches as one of their own gets hit. He grips his spear a little tighter as he prepares. All he can see is those around him, so he tries to prepare with nothing but instinct

Alexa looks over at Yacen and frowns. "Yacen! Holding up?" To the others, she barks, "Keep it moving! Rotate the lines if you're too hurt!" *Firan*

Niobe rears back and hits the wood of the ram hard with her shoulder, trying to put more momentum into it. Even as she hears the screams begin it only furthers her aim of driving it faster. "Get movin ya big feckin arse piece a wood." *Firan*

Sabria keeps working on getting the battering ram to the gate. As she hears the twips she leans against the wall for partial cover. She stays quiet.

Marsalos' eyes flicker up again, leaning around to see where the hell they're going. Good pace, right trajectory..."Bit more left!" He calls to those in his line, the steering crew, and he steps up a bit and shoves with his arm and shoulder. *Firan*

Yacen is just pushing, you know. Minding his own business and pushing this ram up to the gates. Then... ow. Yacen yells out in pain, clutching at his stomach. An arrow feather is seen in front of him. Behind him, there's an arrowhead. He falters in his steps for a moment, half using the ram to hold himself up. "I'm fine!" he yells back, trying to get back into the rythym of the march. "Fine." *Firan*

Brizo is on the left side. That means, he slacks up a little, to allow the behemoth of a vehicle to slow, ponderously, veer a little to the left.

Kalina calls up to the front; "Ma'am, I brought healing supplies with me!" She's aiming to look at Yacen as she does so, the sight of that arrowhead making her grimace. *Firan*

Aranos adds to Yacen through clenched teeth and a forced grin, "Well, if you get any more 'fine' you've falling back in the line. Sir." *Firan*

Alexa calls, "Hold for now, Kalina. We're going to be getting more soon enough." There's simply no time to worry about it right now. *Firan*

Kelarik darts a glance to his left at that yell, letting out a little hiss. "Keep it moving, Yacen," he says grimly, although there's a growing look of anger in his eyes. OMG, They Shot Yacen. You Bastards. "You're gonna hold up. Cylisti power." Growl. *Firan*

Niobe puts some hip into at Marsalos's call for more left. The man in front of her gets a thwap on the arm with her free hand. "Cut yer speed, left is the other direction. Dumbarse." or something. She's not nice to her ballista crew too, it gets the job done though. "Yacen! Yer supposed ta dodge that shite!" is called towards the front as word floats back of his injury. Her words are harsh, apparently it's not a joke. She means it. *Firan*

"Got it, looking damn good now!" Marsalos calls as the line of the massive wheels twist in the dirt. "Dead on, go!" He stops the hard push and gets back to going straight. The soles of his boots make deep pivots in the earth as they slide against dirt and grass.

Kalina says "Noted, ma'am!" *Firan*

<OOC> Adam says, "Kelarik, Yacen, Niobe, @check Luck + Dodge at 8."

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Luck + Dodge at difficulty 8 and gets 4 successes.

Yacen grits his teeth, trying to put his strength back into pushing the damned ram. "And let you take on all of the goats and have all the glory?" he grumbles to Aranos. "You'll have to dream harder." *Firan*

<OOC: ROLL> Niobe rolls her Luck + Dodge at difficulty 8 and gets 2 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Yacen rolls his Luck + Dodge at difficulty 8 and gets 5 successes.

Aranos chuckles- or maybe that was a shudder of muscle straining. "We all have our talents, sir." Push push push. *Firan*

Two thousand angry black darts rise up off the walls and seem to stand still high in the air for a second before getting darker and lower... Tick! Tick! They hit the wooden cover of the ram's roof! AGH! Someone screams and stumbles with an arrow in her thigh, gets back up and pushes through the pain. Arrows get in the upside-down V of the front and hit ... not you. The slight turn has narrowed the angle of attack on you but has taken you a bit off course. You're staring at wall, not gate -- it's well ahead of you by some hundred yards still.

<OOC> Adam says, "Everyone who is pushing, @check Muscle + Size at 7."

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 2 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Yacen rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 5 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Marsalos rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Brizo rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 4 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Alexa rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 3 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Sabria rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 2 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Niobe rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Kalina rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 3 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Aranos rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 7 and gets 3 successes.

Even with a hole through his gut and out the back, Yacen is a BEAST. Brizo is no slouch, either. They lead a vicious push.

Brizo /told/ them it was all muscle, and not ale gut! He told them! And as if trying to prove that now, he puts the bulk of himself into the pushing, muscles straining with unaccustomed physical effort. He will pay for this tomorrow, surely, in sore muscles if nothing else.

Kalina hefts her weight against the ram, and thanks to that 160-odd pounds, she's pretty good at it, as things go. She's still fretting over Yacen though.

Sabria keeps pushing the behemouth toward forward. She let's the others steer as she is used to having three dimensions to manuver. She just keeps quiet putting her energy into pushing.

That's because Yacen just really does rock that hard. Kelarik is distracted by that soaring black hail, and ducks back beneath cover as the sound of arrows slamming into wood and screaming flesh starts to begin. But he's still pushing, if maybe not anywhere near as effectively as Yacen is. "Keep it moving..."

Yacen is bleeding through his gutty hole, and quite possibly those syrup soaked pancakes might want to slide out as well. The young armorer focuses the pain into pushing this thing further and faster forward. Pushing battering rams, great way to lose weight.

Alexa looks around people to check their bearing and to see if there's anything on the ground between them and the gates... and to see how close they are to the gate. She's hoping that gate was weakened from the fire bombs enough, because they're not going to have a lot of time once they get there. "Keep moving!" She's very plain spoken. Simple orders, over the noise of feet and cries of pain and griffons. *Firan*

Tactics, we'll just call it that. Marsalos can hear the thunks of arrows that hit wall instead of soldier...some hurt, but less than there would have bit. "Turn her back!" He calls, after the volley completes. Let's widen it back out. "Back to the right, give us some strength over there!"

Niobe mutters darkly as they seem to have gone too far again and she barks out towards Marsalos "Straighten 'er out! Too much left!" the guy in front of her, well he got hit with an arrow so it's someone new. This guy gets a thump to the back of the head. "Put yer arse into it fecker, lets get it straight this time! At the feckin gate!" *Firan*

Brizo is giving about all the strength he can, pushing on the left side to try to heave it around to the right. His face is rather alarmingly red, though, from the exertion, and his breath comes out in pants. "Doing good... son...." he pants out, encouragingly, to Aranos ahead of him. *Firan*

The Shamibelian archers have stopped volleying and are going to individual fire. You can make out their faces up on those walls. Horrid orange and tan things, horned and black-haired, with helmets white and black like skulls. Their bows are decorated with chips of yellowing bone. Fwit! Thwit! Fwoong! Arrows fly everywhere! Mostly they just hit the roof.

<OOC> Adam says, "Kelarik, Yacen, Niobe, @check Luck + Dodge at 6."

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Luck + Dodge at difficulty 6 and gets 5 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Yacen rolls his Luck + Dodge at difficulty 6 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Niobe rolls her Luck + Dodge at difficulty 6 and gets 2 successes.

You're between the first set of gates. You hear a series of loud splashing noises! Thin, vaporous oil drips down through the roof timbers!

Niobe says "Glad we gots us this nice 'ere roof." oh look is that Kargo? "Yer glad too ain't ya mail boy." is noted towards him as she continues to heave as hard as she can. That is until the oil starts dripping down... even if none of it hits her her eyes narrow. "Welcomin party!" *Firan*

Alexa calls out, "Archers! Volley the wall! Keep them off balance!" To the others, she says, "Don't let up! Focus! Push!" *Firan*

Kalina winces at each thud on the roof, however, when she feels something dripped on her, the girl looks up, horrified, in time to get a thing of oil on her face. "Some shardin' welcome." *Firan*

"Keep on it, keep her moving!" Marsalos is looking towards the gates as they pass through the first set, not up at the roof. "Couple yards to go, let's roll it!" His eyes barely flicker up as Niobe calls out, but it's just not the most important thing just then. Pushing this beast of a machine is.

Zutanos would prefer a one on one fight right about now, but he has no choice in that. He holds his line, and groans as the oil starts to come through. "This is war without honor" he says in reference to the oil. *Firan*

Brizo notes: he did not make the battering ram himself, and nor did he oversee it for quality control. Of course, when pushing a few tons of bulk across the roadway, it's only inevitable that some thin gaps will result, as things creak and shift about. He looks up briefly, eyeing the structure with the critical eye of a carpenter, as if trying to estimate how long it might hold out if it were, say, set on fire.

"Shite. Oil," Kelarik says, not looking at all thrilled as they begin to watch stone on either side of them, boxing them in. But he isn't stopping, either. Ah, the joys of wood. A whispered prayer again, this time likely for /really thick/ hardwood, and he grunts as he shoves onward.

To volley the wall requires the archers to stop pushing and to lean out of the wedged safety of the roof and aim sideways up onto the wall and diagonally up to the tower. It puts them at high risk! And volley requires a disciplined patience that does not serve to keep faces and necks free of goat arrows!

Yacen glances upward at those shami archers with their skull-like helmets. "Here comes the oil," he calls to his brother. "Let's hope that water holds out." He keeps his shoulder into the wood, gritting through the pain. *Firan*

Kelarik closes his eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

Sabria gets her bow and readies for a volley. "On the count -- three. One...Two...Three..VOLLEY!" She lets loose her arrow high into the air in a volley arch and readies another as she tries to push with her body letting her arms handle the bow. She'll follow Alexa's orders. *Firan*

Niobe looks to be pretty glad she's not an archer at the moment. Reaaaaly glad maybe, but either way she's still pushing, silent for mere moments. Because calling out while she's working tends to be her thing.

<OOC> Adam says, "Sabs, @check Luck + Dodge at 9."

<OOC: ROLL> Sabria rolls her Luck + Dodge at difficulty 9 and gets 2 successes.

<OOC> Adam says, "@check Coord + Combat/archery at 6."

<OOC: ROLL> Sabria rolls her Coordination + Combat/archery at difficulty 6 and gets 4 successes.

Brizo has to hand it to the archers. It's impressive, and says he as much, albeit in short, panted breath. "Damn good shooting." Grunt. *Firan*

Sentry Sabria somehow leads the archers in a volley! It requires them to hold still for a moment while the enemy shoots at them! Five of the archers fall in pain, one dead. They loose their arrows all at once, swarming the walls with their patterned bow fire! Bang! A goat spasms as several arrows blast through his armor and he falls off the wall, only a few yards from the back of your siege engine! At the front, you can see the gate coming up quickly! Booooommmmm! The A-frame timbers of your room bang into the iron portcullis gate before you and the metallic sound echoes loudly.

Kelarik just keeps on shoving, grunting, "Move it, fecker," under his breath to some random NPC. He just really likes saying that. Doesn't matter if it's to an ox, to an NPC, to his brother... yeah. It's one of those fun things to say. Grunt-heave. The archers can handle the support for the moment. And then... impact. Kelarik's shoulder grates along the wooden structure, and he barks back over his shoulder, "Time to knock on the damn door, yeah?" *Firan*

WHOOPS, do the back wheels run over that fallen goat? Tsk, what a shame. Marsalos' shoulder goes flying into the wooden frame as they slam into the portcullis, and he looks up, squinting against the sweat stinging his eyes. "Time to get this feckin party started!"

Brizo eyeballs that portcullis as it drops into place. Iron. Well, he supposed it was too much to hope that the goats would use wood on it.

The black and green fist of the battering ram is angled with knuckles pointing out for maximum impact. The huge pole extends the entire length of the ram so everyone can get in on the fun. Ding dong. Candy gram!

Kalina slams into her part of the battering ram, the healer looking just a bit dazed at the sudden booming noise.

Niobe says "Looks like we's got aim!" meaning... we hit the damn thing. "That's a gate right?" gotta make sure "Time ta earn yer feckin pay!" is called out helpfully. Sparing a second she wipes at the sweat from her own eyes... might be oil. That might also be why there's hives breaking out on her forehead. But that's alright! Changing position she takes up a spot on the pole, ready to start a swingin "Feckin goats." *Firan*

Alexa nods once in satisfaction that the archers are doing their job. And now that they're there, it's time for the rest of them to do theirs. "Together... heave!" she orders, setting up the pattern to swing the ram and gain momentum. "Ho! Heave!" Lather. Rince. Repeat. I... don't wanna work. I just wanna bang on the drum all day. *Firan*

Sabria leans back under cover and swerving so she can see the goat that fell off the wall. She wants to make sure it's dead before it can get close to the battering ram and cause problems. She notches another iron arrow and her expression deadly serious as she draws back her bow to let an arrow loose at the downed goat.

Yacen looks at the ugly iron gates when the battering ram hits where it needs to be. "Looks like," Yacen grunts to his brother, trying to stand somewhat straight. He gets over to the ram and starts it a-swinging, once the order is given. *Firan*

"Hands on!" Marsalos stops the forward push and ducks past the huge ram, grabbing onto the heavy back of it. "Let's get some momentum in this thing! Start her swinging!"

Zutanos watches shami's fall and wood splinter and his youthful face breaks out in a grin

Kelarik grabs one of the ropes on the ram, wrapping it around his fists for more purchase. And if Alexa's going to give them rhythm, he's darned well going to give them something to use for rhythm. A marching beat, even. He starts belting out the cadence of the Fighting Fifth as it starts to pick up momentum. Onward, big fist, onward.

Brizo glances up at the roof, again. There's thin slivers of daylight that can be seen, in between the downpour of arrows. Just enough to let the oil through. "Round two," he says, a little shaken by the first impact, but recovered enough to try a full speed ahead assault a second time. *Firan*

WHOOOOOOSH! The air around you gets sucked away and your ears pop and everything is eerily perfectly silent for thirty seconds but people are screaming! The air is rarefied, pure heat, and you can feel your eyebrows singe and the hair on your skin stand up then shrivel back, burned. There is a brilliant orange flash all around you, mostly in the front and back, but jetting through the larger cracks in the roof timbers like thin solar flares! Burn! Burn!

Alexa is looking not good.

Alexa is looking seriously bad.

Aranos is looking bad.

Aranos is looking majorly screwed up.

Brizo is looking bad.

Brizo is looking critically messed up.

Kalina is looking bad.

Kalina is looking critically messed up.

Kelarik is looking bad.

Kelarik is looking critically messed up.

You take 14 points of damage.

You get a HUGE area of your skin singed on your left eyelid, making all of the hair fried, and adding a stench of burnt flesh to the air.

You take 11 points of damage.

You get a HUGE area of your skin singed on your chest, making all of the hair fried, and adding a stench of burnt flesh to the air.

Marsalos is looking bad.

Marsalos is looking critically messed up.

Niobe is looking bad.

Niobe is looking critically messed up.

Sabria is looking critically messed up.

Sabria is looking like she is on her last limb.

Sabria collapses on the ground, becoming motionless.

Yacen is looking like he is on his last limb.

Yacen is looking like death warmed over.

Yacen collapses on the ground, becoming motionless.

Zutanos is looking bad.

Zutanos is looking critically messed up.

<OOC> Adam says, "Kelarik, Yacen, Niobe, @check Luck at 8."

<OOC: ROLL> Niobe rolls her Luck at difficulty 8 and gets NO successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Luck at difficulty 8 and gets 2 successes.

Niobe is looking like she is on her last limb.

<OOC> Adam says, "Okay, if you're knocking, @check Muscle + Size at 10. Positive successes do damage to the gate. Fumbles do damage (strains, etc.) to you. ;)"

<OOC: ROLL> Brizo rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets NO successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets 2 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Marsalos rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets 1 fumble.

<OOC: ROLL> Alexa rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets 2 fumbles.

<OOC: ROLL> Zutanos rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets NO successes.

Niobe is a stubborn woman that's for sure, even as it rains down her hands grip into the straps of the ram. The burns, the fire... her eyes glaze over as Niobe just... checks out. She still puts her back into it though, perhaps running on autopilot.

Heat. It's... heat. The world is filled with radiant, blinding, searing heat. Kelarik lets out a sound that's not unlike a whine as his world explodes, and yet he's still trying desperately to swing the ram, to make impact with the gate, to try to beat that Republic fist through the door where it belongs. His teeth are gritted, his eyes are alight with reflections of amber fire, and yet he's still trying to beat down the damn door.

<OOC: ROLL> Niobe rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets 1 fumble.

Marsalos is looking majorly screwed up.

Alexa is looking critically messed up.

Alexa is looking majorly screwed up.

Alexa collapses on the ground, becoming motionless.

Niobe is looking like she is on her last limb.

<OOC: ROLL> Aranos rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets 1 fumble.

Unconscious Yacen is busy trying to swing the ram and though he's gotten lit on fire by burning oil before, well this time it's burning oil and fire! Between the hole through his stomach and the burns in unmentionable areas, Yacen falls to the ground, eyes rolled up into the back of his head.

Unconscious Sabria gets hit with what likely was a firebomb coming through the roof of the battering ram. She goes unconcious from the oil, slumping harmlessly to the ground.

The roll of heat over Marsalos' skin feels deathly cold at first, then begins to burn almost from the inside out. "FECK!" The vowel in that is drawn out long and loud. Pain makes his hands slip on the battering ram's back, his leg twisting badly instead of putting the right force into the push.

Unconscious Alexa's momentarily distracted as fire drips on her, and that may be fatally so.

Brizo goes at it again, trying to ignore the searing pain and the fact that he is ON FIRE. Seems like water can only do so much good when there's burning oil and flames and all of that. And more people fall. "Muscle... into it..." he pants out. Yes, his face is quite red, and only some of that is from the searing from the fire. He is no longer looking up, hoping that the iron helmet will offer at least some protection. *Firan*

Kalina swears. Loudly. And improperly. "What'n the feck -!" She hisses afterwards, once she's regained hearing in her ears. Then she watches Sabria and Yacen drop, and the healer snarls. Then Alexa drops, and the healer just... stares. Then the healer dives into action, going for Yacen first, considering his injury, then Sabria, then in order of droppage; not that she can do much other than move them, however, it's what she has to do to get them the feck out the way. "/Stay/ out of the way!" She hisses, dropping to her knees beside Yacen, tea tree oil fumbling into her hands. *Firan*

Zutanos yowls in pain as the fire hits, his face contorts into an animal like snarl as he watches others go down and he continues working to get through the gates

At least until she falls, Alexa coordinates the heaving and slamming of the huge battering ram. It swings back.... then comes to a momentary stop then starts rocking forward. Everyone puts their back into it and pushes as hard as they can! BOOMM!!!! The vibration pounds through your whole body, as if someome smacked your elbows and shoulders with a hammer! Alexa's back gives and she collapses in agony. The portcullis rattles and shakes out of its foundation and it is slammed against the wooden gates.

Niobe truly is well lost at the moment. Even as the fire goes rolling over her skin, batted out by herself or someone in passing... She keeps at it, silent even through what must be agony. Fingers tighten spasmically on the ropes she's holding on to as her body continues the work that needs to be done.

<OOC> Adam says, "Another Muscle + Size check. OR, you can do a Perception + (either Carpentry or Masonry) check at 8 to discover weaknesses in the door and help reposition the ram."

<OOC: ROLL> Aranos rolls his Carpentry + Perception at difficulty 8 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Marsalos rolls his Perception + Carpentry at difficulty 8 and gets NO successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Carpentry + Perception at difficulty 8 and gets 2 successes.

Brizo realizes now that he's not sure what the chain of command is. It's while he's paused here to consider that he assesses the portcullis and gate.

<OOC: ROLL> Brizo rolls his Carpentry + Perception at difficulty 8 and gets NO successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Sabria rolls her Perception + Carpentry at difficulty 8 and gets 2 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Zutanos rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Niobe rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets NO successes.

Aranos pauses to check for a weakness, because his controller told him to.

Kalina tends to Yacen's lower back.

<OOC: ROLL> Alexa rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 10 and gets 3 fumbles.

Kalina bandages Yacen's lower back with 20 bandages.

Yacen wakes up, wincing in pain as he tries to sit up. "Take this damned arrow out too while you're at it," Yacen grits to Kalina. "I need to get back in the line." *Firan*

"Get Alexa out of the way!" Marsalos shouts, his voice raw from the volume and the pain crawling in searing waves over his skin. His attention goes back to the doors. "Someone closer, what are we looking at?"

Maybe it is the fact that Brizo has been set on fire. Or maybe it's the fact that he's in the rear. Or, maybe it's the fact that he really doesn't have the best eyesight these days, and he can't actually see what it is he's trying to detect. "I'll just shove," he grunts out, "from now on."

Kalina briskly rolls over Yacen. "Yes, I know." She says, softly. "Don't kill me." Then, she wraps her hand around the arrowhand and she near-rips it out of his back. "Sorry!" She repeats, and then applies tea tree oil to his back. "If it hurts, I'm sorry." She informs him with all the briskness of a healer, even as she starts bandaging it up. *Firan*

<OOC: ROLL> Marsalos rolls his Perception + Artillery at difficulty 8 and gets 1 success.

"KEEP IT MOVING!" Kelarik yells, his voice raw from the heat in the air. "More to the left! Slam it through that crack! Make it HURT!" Like he does right now.

"Pull it back and push to the left ON THE DRIVE!" Marsalos calls as Kelarik spots the weakness. He'll guide from the back, better at the actual mechanics of the machine than the structure in front of them.

Niobe has quick reaction at least, even as the jarring of the ram against the metal resounds through her body she seems to come back to herself. At least a little. There's still that glaze of something in her eyes but she at least realizes that they're repositioning and perhaps trys to help in that too as she keeps the momentum of the swings up.

Zutanos is still yelling as he heaves his strength into it all now. "FOR ZUTIV" he yells, hoping that it will make a difference, with all the rumors and everything *Firan*

Brizo shouts, "Keep calling from up front!" Yep. That's his excuse. He's in the back. Well, he can heave to a goodly amount of muscle under the right circumstances, so he focuses on that. *Firan*

Kalina bandages Yacen's groin with 19 bandages.

Kalina then moves in with brisk fingers to bandage Yacen's other burnt-owie-areas that might make moving hard.

"Swing her back!" Marsalos shouts, grabbing the back with the rest of the team. "Forward....back..." As the huge ram gins its momentum he calls forward. "PUSH LEFT!"

Sabria picks Alexa up to move her out of the way as Marsalos has said. With the General down, he's next in line. She closes her eyes and does a quick prayer to the mother of all Ticanee. "Lady Srenna, please aid us. Save your high priestess and help us beat the wall down." *Firan*

The glow of Zutiv's light starts to warm the dark skies.

Kelarik belts back, "I'll try," although that horrible, searing heat is making his eyes water and his skin scream. "Now FORWARD! Forward and LEFT!" *Firan*

Sabria closes her eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

Kalina bandages Yacen's chest with 18 bandages.

Alexa is looking like she is on her last limb.

[Weather Report] Fair weather clouds glow pink and white-gold in the southeast, catching the rays.

Another blast rocks your cover! WHHOOOOOSH! The oily vapors crawl into your nose and burn your lungs! Some of your people are blackened with soot. Some of the corpses, too. The ram swings back and then speeds forward, that Republic Fist pounding on their front door! BOOM! Boom! It hits twice, the second like an echo and the wood of the gate starts to crack! A huge chunk of wood splinters and gashes Alexa!

Alexa is looking like she is going to be crippled for good.

Aranos is looking like death warmed over.

Aranos collapses on the ground, becoming motionless.

Brizo is looking like he is on his last limb.

Kalina is looking like she is on her last limb.

Kelarik is looking like he is on his last limb.

You take 11 points of damage.

You get a HUGE blast by the heat all over your right bicep, making your skin blister in second degree burns.

Marsalos is looking like death warmed over.

Niobe is looking like she is going to be crippled for good.

Niobe collapses on the ground, becoming motionless.

Sabria is looking like she is going to be crippled for good.

Yacen is looking like death warmed over.

Zutanos is looking like he is on his last limb.

Kalina swears loudly as she moves backwards and trips over someone, the healer landing flat on her rear, even as she lets out an outraged roar at Alexa's fight with wooden chips. "Get 'er back here! Get the unconcious out of the way!" She bellows. "Did anyone else bring bandages?!" *Firan*

<OOC> Adam says, "Who's left? Check Muscle + Size at 8 (gate is cracking!) or Intuition + (Carpentry / Masonry / Artillery) at 8."

Alexa swears colorfully as she takes some of the splinters in her back. Went to Ellish, and all she gets, if she lives, is shrapnel in her back. "Almost... there! Heave!" she yells, not as strongly as she normally would. *Firan*

Sabria screams as that one hurts as the flaming oil slides down the iron breastplate and burns her chest.

<OOC: ROLL> Yacen rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 8 and gets NO successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Brizo rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 8 and gets NO successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Sabria rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 8 and gets NO successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Marsalos rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 8 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Alexa rolls her Intuition + Artillery at difficulty 8 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Zutanos rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 8 and gets 1 fumble.

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Muscle + Size at difficulty 8 and gets 3 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Kalina rolls her Muscle + Size at difficulty 8 and gets 1 success.

The sun comes out to greet a new day.

Brizo is in the back. He tries putting his weight into it but it's getting to him: the fire, the heat, the disturbing crackle from above. His shove, this time, is weaker, and his boots slip.

Yacen screams again as things are really getting hot down here. He takes up banging with the ram, but then pain's just a bit too much for him to get too much muscle into it right now.

Again, a whine, this time a hissing sound coming from Kelarik's throat, and in something that's half-scream, half-yell, he again belts out, "FORWARD!" Slam. "FORWARD!" Slam. This gate MUST GO.

Unconscious Niobe was already singed before, but that last drop of flames and oil just took her over and out. Sliding down the ropes her hands were gripping she slumps onto the ground. A person being slow roasted in iron armor.

Marsalos' right arm is looking like that meat that Kelarik likes to roast over a spit so much. The sound from his throat as more heat ripples over them is almost feral. "Come on, GET THIS DAMN THING DOWN! Back...forward...PUSH LEFT!" His hands shove the ram as it goes flying foward again, guiding towards the sweet spot. Come on! *Firan*

Burned and bruised, shot up and beaten down, the Fighting Fifth swings that fist of DOOOOM back one more time and then bolts it forward! BOOOOOM! ///crr-r-r-rack!//// The brace across the back of the gate cracks and the gates themselves are rent in twa, the whole thing in front of you flying open! Distantly in your ringing ears, you hear the far-off roar of the Firan Army and their call to charge! Now, to get out of here...

Kalina slams her body against the ram, trying to push it and at the same time, afterwards, she scrabbles for Aranos and Niobe, to grab them and drag them out of the way.

Zutanos is looking like death warmed over.

Zutanos is growling in pain as the next wave hits. Only two goals remain for him.....to get through this alive....beaten up maybe....but alive

Alexa grimaces a bit, leaning on the side as much as she can to get her balance. Oh, good... "Reverse! Back out!" she yells. Gotta get Bessie out of the way for the troops. "Grab who you can! Lay them over the beam!" *Firan*

"GATE'S DOWN!" Marsalos turns for the nearest person lying nearby, which is Niobe, and grabs for her body to pull her up. Get out of this buning thing, get out get out!

<OOC> Adam says, "You need 10 successes /total/ to get away: @check Reflex + Muscle at 8."

Alexa yells that mostly to keep them from fouling the ram's wheels, after all. Like catching a rock in a grocery cart. A real pain in the arse.

Kalina already has Aranos, so she starts dragging him over the beam as she moves, coughing thinly, blood coming out of her nose heavily.

Brizo reverses course now, but not before moving to help lug Aranos up and over the beam. The man is right in front of him. Presumably there's someone else to lug the other half of him up onto the beam.

<OOC: ROLL> Kelarik rolls his Reflex + Muscle at difficulty 8 and gets 2 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Kalina rolls her Reflex + Muscle at difficulty 8 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Marsalos rolls his Reflex + Muscle at difficulty 8 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Sabria rolls her Reflex + Muscle at difficulty 8 and gets 2 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Brizo rolls his Reflex + Muscle at difficulty 8 and gets 1 success.

<OOC: ROLL> Alexa rolls her Reflex + Muscle at difficulty 8 and gets 4 successes.

<OOC: ROLL> Zutanos rolls his Reflex + Muscle at difficulty 8 and gets 1 fumble.

<OOC: ROLL> Yacen rolls his Reflex + Muscle at difficulty 8 and gets 3 successes.

Unconscious Aranos is dragged along, having made no sound other than a rattle of armor for almost a complete two minutes. Some kind of record, no doubt.

You HAUL A TRUCKLOAD OF ASS out of there! Somehow, you cover the same distance in 3/4 the time it took to get here. Maybe the battering ram is lighter with half its panels burned off! Ashes and cinders -- sometimes chunks of burning lumber! -- fall on you as you rattle the siege jalopy out of the way of the incoming Firan Army and out of range of the goat archers. Exhausted and nearly dead, you push right out to safety... and collapse.

Unconscious Niobe isn't a light bundle to tote along that's for sure. She doesn't even help, just lays there like a dead fish wrapped in tinfoil.

Sabria is reversing direction and trying to get Bessie out of the way of the rushing army. Yay Go Firan Army! Go Air Force! Go Republic! Go Fighting Fifth! Gotta save the best for last.

Kelarik doesn't have to be told twice. The concept of becoming a forest fire doesn't really appeal to this Firanosian, and really, his limbs are already singed quite enough. Blackened, burned, now whining near-constantly, he follows Alexa's order blindly, doing whatever it takes to get this ram back and away without suffering any further injury. Knock knock, Ellish. We're home.

Yacen grits his teeth as the gate sounds off with a large *crack*. At the sound to reverse, Yacen makes sure that Aranos is snatched up and over the beam before throwing his weight into getting them the heck out of there. It's starting to get a little hot under the collar.

Brizo stumbles his way in the not most graceful manner, down the slope, tugging with hands that feel singed and burnt. All of him feels singed and burnt. His labored breathing continues.

Marsalos has Niobe over his shoulder like a sack of potates, booking it like a sprinter to get the F&"$"!# outta here. Gotta keep the artillery homegirl alive. His face and arm are black, whether from soot or his own skin nicely chargrilled, and his tunic is burnt up one side where surely the flesh underneath is badly burnt as well. *Firan*

Once they and the attacking soldiers cross paths, Alexa leans on the smoldering Bessie and looks up at it. "Ke-Kelarik," she wheezes, her lungs just singed enough that the run was less than fun. "G-get that..." She falls silent and waves a hand at the fist that crowns the ram. It made it back with them, too.

Zutanos is trying to run, but there is this gratingly painful feeling coming from his chest as he does, so all he can do is try to keep up, the young Hydran male simply keeps his feet moving

Sabria moves over to pick up Aranos and hopes that he's not a Hydran as she doesn't care if she gives his armor cooties. He's a person and she wants to keep him alive.

Sure, Kalina's fast for herself; sure, she's one of the least injured in the room; however, the healer deliberately lags behind, watching everyone, eyes sharp, and worried, fist in her mouth to stifle a sob.

Yacen gets the hell out of the burning mountain of death as soon as it's safe to do so. He moves his hand absently to his stomach, trying to feel for the arrow that gave him another hole. "I really really /really/ hate burning oil!" *Firan*

Kelarik pants, then grabs for his axe and, still whining, starts hacking the giant fist off the end of the ram. It's inelegant. It's probably going to be splintered. He can polish the gatemarks up nicely later. But right now, he wants the Fifth's fist, and he's damn well gonna get it.

COMBAT: Kelarik wields his <'] Firanosian Bronze Wood Axe with a Sculpted Eagle Head ['>.

Brizo is waiting until the all clear is given before moving out from under the cover here. It's not that he's fond of fire. It's that he equally unfond of being turned into a puncushion from dozens of arrows. The second it's clear, though, he's out of there.

Unconscious Aranos is not one of those wierd clans that doesnt like being touched by women. Quite the opposite in fact.

Alexa would be helping Kelarik, but she'll let him take some goat frustration out on the ram while she rounds the rest of them up. "Back... to fort... healers," she wheezes. "Now." She, however, is looking over her shoulder at the soldiers storming the castle, so to speak. Ticanee make bad patients. *Firan*

Oh yes. Kelarik is taking out some SERIOUS frustration on that ram. Hack. Hack. Hack. "I. Feckin. Hate. FIRE!" Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

    No battering ram is this. Though a battering ram once, only six feet  
    remain of this length of wood -- the very end of the ram, charred and 
    beaten.

Kalina coughs as every starts bandaging. "Hey." She says hoarsely, leaning heavily on someone as she walks to the front. "Hey, everyone.." She coughs again, spitting blood out of her mouth thanks to her nose. *Firan*

Niobe is not in so good a shape, and even as she wakes up without flames all around her head she doesn't seem to be really all there just yet. In fact she wakes up still batting at the parts of her that were burning when she went down, panic in her eyes.

Marsalos hasn't really noticed that Niobe's awake, having her tossed neatly over his shoulder. That's got to be disorienting.

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Category: Logs

Breaking the Gates

From FiranMUX

================= DEFENDER CHAINS FOR YOUR TEAM ==================

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