Perhaps we would be better off opening this door?

Yes, we should. I'm afraid the room behind the door is too small to allow for a use of my bow, btw.

Still no sign of the dogs below, although they can be heard barking still.

Morgana hurridly flips through her grimoire, looking for a spell that can open the door from a distance, finding nothing she puts the book away, defeated.
I have nothing that can help up us to open the door from a distance. One of us is going to have to do it.
Looking around, seeing the hesitant faces of her companions, Morgana's inner Warrior comes to the forefront.
What would Silune say if she could see you now? This is ridiculous!Get ready.
Pushing past Alex, Morgana approaches the door and casts Shatter Lock.

Roll Effect test

Alexander readies his sword. Assume the stance of the dog. Alexander sqaures himself to the door and readies his weapon in front of him as if it were a dog's tooth.

Effect Test

There is a loud cracking sound as the spell strikes the lock. A few pieces fall out, and the dog stops barking for a moment. The door is still closed however. It looks as though the lock is damaged, but not completely broken.

The barking conrinues down stairs, still not getting closer.

Frag this!Morgana lets out a rebel yell and kicks the door for all she's worth, sword in hand.
Strength Test

The door , already fragile, breaks open at the elf's suprisingly strong kick. It bounces off something immediately, something that yelps, then bounces closed again.

Morgana stares at it for a moment...
Well, fuck a duck.
This time she pushes it open, and holding her sword at waist level waits to skewer whatever may be on the other side.

Initiative Everyone

Initiative


With the chain mail slowing him down, Alexander, knows that whatever happens he will have to react to it; however, his sword is ready.

Initiative


Having already set her sword, Morgana plunges it into the charging animal.

The huge black hound is recovering quickly on the other side, and charges in, teeth bared. The moment's lull is enough to give Morganna a chacne to strike.

Melee Weapons

Broadsword Damage

The sword bites deep in to a flank, and the hound howls in pain, but still comes on.

Ralo buzzes around the dog, confusing him.

The great black hound leaps forward even as Ralo begins buzzing about it's head. It snatches at Morganna, biting down deep on her leg before she can pull it away. The bite penetrates even past he chain surcoat, tearing deep in to her leg and drawing blood. Morgana lets out a shriek as the harry dog tries to over bear her. She sets her self and growls back just as fiercely.

As the battle with the beast of a dog begins, each of the name givers begins to feel their magic slowly weaken. Their movements not quite as fast or sure, the strength of the magic seems to be draining off.

Panic begins to set in. Could this be why this place seems so devoid of magic? These blackened halls, dedicated to these great beasts, some sort of magic stealing trap?

Bite! Alexander, strikes at the dog.

Attack & Damage Tests

Initiative 4

Initiative

Initiative


Attack


Damage


Ralo attacks the dog he has been buzzing around the last round.

The dog comes on at Morgana. Alexander comes in with a slice, measuring his cut so as to not hit the elf girl as well, but is unable to get in to position. Meanwhile, Ralo comes in for a fast stab, deep in to the dog's flanks.

The huge hound continues trying to over bear Morgana. Ralo, now more or less within the room the hound was occupying, sees two more of the large beasts rising from sitting positions and charging forward. One is headed straight for the buzzing chew toy.

Roaring in rage, Morgana pushes back against the monstrous beast, driving her sword deeper into it's body and wrenching it upwards.

Melee Weapons

Broadsword Damage

The final sword strike from Morgana takes the beast in the neck. It collapses, nearly bearing her down with it's dead weight. The other two dogs come on fast.

Initiative 7

Initiative

Initiative


Too slow to catch the movement of the beast, Alexander readies himself for the next hound.



Unfortunately his sword swings wide and the beast passes him by.

Initiative




Attack



Damage

Magic Drain


The two hounds charge in, while Ralo prepares him self, and Morgana recovers from the fallen hound. One hound continues to charge Ralo, the other goes for Morgana, since Alexander is still behind her in the stair well. As the hounds come in, the draining effect is felt again. Swords feel heavier, movement is slower, even Ralo's astral sight seems to dim. The hounds attacks.



Both hounds bite down on their prey, trying to wrestle them to the ground.

Knock Down Test

Avoid Blow

Alexander's blade misses the nimble hounds, while Ralo manages to flit aside at the last second, dodging the snapping jaws.

More howls can be heard coming from below, barking getting closer.

In this armor, I am not going to be able to do much besides watch. However, I must defend my friends.

Alexander tries to impose himself between one of the hounds and his companions.

Initiative, Attack, and Damage


Alas, the hounds power prevents Alexander from doing much more than watching events unfold. By Mynbruje, I can not stand here and watch this! May I be granted the strength to protect them.

From his vantage point behind Morgana, feeling his magic weakening, Alexander can do little more than watch. It gives him the oppurtunity to get a better look at the room the hounds are occupying.

It looks as though it used to be some sort of living room. There are a few mounds of material that might have used to have been furniture. There is a wide stone fireplace, long sice dormant. The ceiling inside is the same 12 foot as the downstairs hallway. The room is 20'x20', with two hallways leading out of it on the opposite side of the room from the tower entrace. It is from the northen hall that the barking is coming from, and quickly. Thanks to Alexander's organized, builders mind, he can reason that this is the way down to the gate house, and those would be the hounds that went down stairs earlier.

Barely escaping the bite of the wounded hound, Ralo hesitates not a second and attacks a second time.


Initiative




Attack



Damage

Initiative 5

Ralo's sword slices through the hounds neck, cutting the jugular. Dark blood spills out over the stone floor, and the hound collapses.

The other hound in the room continues tearing at Morgana.

Alexander, still observing, hears the pair from below growing closer. He begins to hear more and more answering barks and howls, seemingly coming from all over the citadel, all coming through the room in which they are battling the hounds. There are no sounds however from below, where they came from, or up the stair well, in to the tower.

Alexander ponders on the meaning of this for a moment and then shouts, We have more of these infernal beasts coming through the door. Get up the stairs!

Initiative

Morgana screams out in pain, and backpedals from the beasts' onslaught.

Initiative


With her back pressed against the wall, Morgana screams out again and goes for the dogs throat. Wrapping her fingers around it's windpipe, Morgana squeezes and pulls, dragging her nails across it's skin.
Unarmed Combat

Damage

The dog makes a noise almost like retching as Morgana assaults it's throat with her nails. Tenaciously the creature rips at her , trying to free it's self from her grip.



Alexander shouts out then turns up the stairs, running at a fast pace for a man burdened in chain mail. The howl's and barks are getting closer.

Initiative 6

Knockdown Test

As the dog lurches against Morgana she struggles to find her footing, almost going down underneath its weight. Bracing herself against the wall, she manages to keep her balance.
Initiative

Combat status listed below

Boy! You can't forget about the fire on the other side of the room. You have to be able to do more than one thing at a time. Yes, master. Alexander turns on the stairs and readies himself for the hounds. Morgana, Ralo, come up the stairs!

Initiative

Initiative



Buzz


Ralo gets away from the hound he just killed and heads to the one that attacks Morgana.

Morgana, I'll distract him! Get to Alex!

The houng rips at Morgana again as Ralo zips in to distract it
Attack 15 = hit no armor defeating
Damage 12 - armor

Morgana's Damage from Dog

Morgana screams out again and grabs again for the dogs' throat.
Unarmed Combat

Finding the beasts' throat exposed once again, Morgana digs her nails in hard. She can feel warm blood spurt over her hand, and the slick bone beneath.
Damage

Ralo buzzes in, then gapes as Morgana finally gets a solid grip and rips the dogs throat out. She holds the dripping mess in her hand for a moment as the beast leaps back, makes another three steps, tryign to whine in agony, and collapses. One of the charging hounds stops by it's fellow as it dies, the other charges on, apparently headed for the flying chew toy.

As everyone is directly in the doorway or up the stairs, combat movement would allow them to move in to the stairwell again and close the door if they should chose to before the next dog arrives.

Initiative


Ralo is surprised by the sheer ferocity of Morgana. Always ask her before tryong to paint her body...

He heads for the stairs to Alex.

Morgana throws the dogs' windpipe down the stairs and lunges for the door, barreling into it with her shoulder. The door slams shut and from behind it Morgana can hear the sound of claws on stone. Bracing herself she waits for the impact of the dogs body against the door.
Alexander, help me hold it!

Morgana remember that the door swings in to the room they've just left. The dogs can't open it with sheer strength, as they'd have to pull it open from their side.