Argumentus's brow furrows with rage. With spittle dangling from his protruding lower lip he leans back and performs brute strike on Goblin Leader.

Argumentus slams his mighty fists into the vile goblin's chest, pulping its internal organs. The goblin seems briefly astonished, and then his eyes roll back and he crumples to the floor, dead.

Shin's stated his intention to have Bob cower uselessly, so:

The westmost fire beetle scuttles into the doorway and emits a fire spray. Argumentus and Gabriel are both engulfed in the blast of flames. The other beetle clambers atop the recently-dead goblin leader and takes a bite out of Argumentus.

Argumentus kills the goblin leader with an 11-damage hit, precisely enough to drop it. Fire Beetle A scores a critical hit with its fire spray, dealing 18 damage to both Argumentus and Gabriel. Fire Beetle B scores an additional 7 damage on Argumentus with its bite.

Both characters are badly bloodied. Argumentus HP 8, Gabriel HP 12

New round, initiative order: south goblin, Fescue, Bob, Gabriel, south beetle, north goblin, Motsognir, Argumentus, north beetle

The bloodied goblin flees into a distant corner, trying to make itself look as small as possible.

http://www.saxypunch.com/missile/map12.png

My arm feels much better, but still not enough to attempt to use it for my crossbow. Seeing everybody, minus the lady-man, rush into the fray, I head forward also.

Move one left, 5 down.
Use shuriken on closest beetle.
Easy Target attack .

This shuriken strikes true, slashing through a sac on the beetle's underside and spilling an oily fluid onto the ground.

Critical hit! 14 damage. The beetle is slowed and Fescue gains combat advantage against it.

Scary Bob peeks out from under the table long enough to see the enemy streaming toward his position, and quickly throws a Cloud of Daggers into the other side of the doorway. The second beetle gets some minor scrapes. 7 damage

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The dwarf roared in pain as the fire engulfed him. The flames blistered his skin, singed his beard and heated his armour. The moment it subsided he gasped hard for air, feeling the lingering damage to his flesh, and several blisters open into deep gashes on his body. But he was not to be felled so easy. No. He was Gabriel Sledgehammer. He was a Paladin of Kord. He was his god's chosen hand of vengeance. He was death incarnate. The eye of the storm. But that was not what saw him through the initial moments. He had flashes to his uncles berating him as a young dwarflet for staying down when he'd skinned his knee. No, goddamnit he was a dwarf. And that meant something.

Tightening his grip on his hammer he set his jaw and swung his weapon in a cruel arc at the creature, bellowing from beneath the singed hair of his beard. Instead of giving way to the rage that consumed him, he felt the warrior's calm drift over his body as his hammer whistled through the air. Kord was with him, guiding his hand. He may die this day, but not yet. Strength surged through his limbs as he finished his stroke, allowing the weapon's arc to pull him away from the creature.

Second Wind
Bolstering Strike
Shuffle back from the door

Gabriel's desperate swing leaves a cracks open fissures along the beetle's chitinous shell , and its spindly legs splay in all directions as the hammer drives it to the floor. It's not long for the world.

13 damage, beetle is badly bloodied. Gabriel gains 7 HP and 2 temporary HP from the combination of his Second Wind and the Bolstering Strike: 21 HP

The southern beetle is struck again by the Cloud of Daggers. It backpedals away rather than continue to live in a world of knives. The northern goblin, also stymied by the cloud, can do little but fling a javelin in Bob's direction once again — and miss.

Southern beetle suffers another 3 damage from daggers.

Seeing the opportunity to finish off a crippled foe with minimum risk, Motsognir charges forth with a shout, inspiring Argumentus. He swings his axe at the twitching beetle... and misses completely. How embarrassing.

9 health is restored to Argumentus: 17 HP. Attempted Viper's Strike against beetle fails.

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"GUUUU!"

The beetles' combined assault was too much for Argumentus to cope with, letting loose a flurry of punches on the northern beetle.

Argumentus performs Reaping Strike on northern beetle

Argumentus moves a space to the west

The fighter's vicious blows were too much for the already-limping beetle, and it collapses at last with a plaintive fffftz.

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2 down, 3 to go. New round!
Initiative: Fescue, north goblin, Motsognir, Argumentus, beetle, south goblin, Scary Bob, Gabriel

I can faintly make out the scurrying goblin past the blanket of knives floating midair. What a marvelous sight, if not for the deadly situation. I hop up on the table to get a straight view of the beast, and a high ground throwing point.

Move on top of table next to me.
Sky flourish with shuriken @ goblin behind cloak of daggers or whatever it's called.

I can't seem to hit anything! Motsognir thought desperately as he scuttled further into the fray.

Move to north goblin
Warlord's Favor

From Fescue's elevated position, he's able to easily wing the shuriken through the cloud of magical blades. The goblin's left arm is now conveniently pinned to his body, so he won't misplace it!

Critical Hit! 9 damage.

Enraged, the northmost goblin charges forward through the cloud, intent on pushing Fescue off the table. Unfortunately, he has to run past Motsognir, who knows an opportunity when he sees it and wings the goblin with his axe.

The bull rush ends in failure as Fescue easily holds back the charging goblin with his boot.

7 more damage to goblin via misadventure

The goblin having become the easiest of targets, Motsognir scores yet another solid hit, his axe biting into the Bravest Goblin That Ever Lived.

7 damage

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Argumentus comes to the sudden realization that he's doing what he loves best, hurting things.

Argumentus moves one space north one space east

Argumentus performs sure strike on goblin

Argumentus' precision uppercut clips the goblin's jaw, and the unlucky creature's few remaining teeth are driven directly into its brainpan, killing it.

8 damage

The remaining beetle, still not yet ready to emit another burst of flame, continues its tactical retreat by moving away from the doorway's line-of-sight.

The surviving goblin, his javelins having proven mostly useless, adopts a similar tack.

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The Cloud of Daggers expires at the end of Bob's turn, unless he casts it again.

From my tactical vantage point, I watched the carnage of battle unfold before me. The ringing of weapons on armour, the cries of the wounded, the dull, wet thud of bodies hitting the floor. I was reminded of the opening scene of In whiche spearsman Ryanlor is moste heroically rescued, an dramatisation in three acts that I had had the pleasure of watching but three seasons past in the great playhouse of Reiksdorf. Remembering the triumphant performance of the lead actor, Tomas of Hanksburg and seeing such a similar scene being played out in all too grim reality in front of me, I began to weep openly. For a moment it was as if time itself slowed so as to get a better look at the galantry and horror being lived out in this rude dungeon chamber and I could swear I heard the mournful sound of Barberetti's Adagiato for lute and zither floating across the battle.

The horde were battling bravely but the fight was in no way one sided. The splashes of blood across the walls were a mix of dwarven, human and goblin and I could smell the burnt flesh of the ugly dwarf from where one of the devillish beetles had spat fire at him. I had known these poor souls no more than half an hour and yet, it was I who had called them into being, wrenched from The Raven Queen's bosum to do my bidding. I realised that to save my horde, decisive action was needed.

The remaining goblin and beetle had retreated out of sight of the doorway and thus, out of reach of either my bow or my magiks. Now was not the time for cunning but the time for heroes. I holstered my bow and drew my staff, it's tip still burning with a cold, eldritch fire. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I uttered a fearsome war cry and vaulted over the table in front of me, rushing forward to take my place alongside my minions, gathering my will as I went, ready to unleash my dark powers against the foe, should they dare to show themselves again!

Stows his bow, draws his staff, moves to stand directly behind Argumentus, to the north.

The clatter of the cloud of blades falling to the ground stirred something deep inside the dwarf. The sound of steel on steel, memories of battles long forgotten by all but Kord himself. The sound of steel on stone. Thunderclaps of distant clouds in the memory of his DNA. The heat of battle was an orgy for Kord's followers, and he could smell the fear through the wall. The blood of a wounded foe. It called to him. His god called to him. Urged him forward. For a brief moment he held the holy symbol, a tiny sword on the end of a chain of stones, to his chest. He was still within the chaos, a moment before the clap of thunder exploded across the room.

The dwarf roared, taking off at a dead run as he moved around the corner, passing through the door way and breaking to his left. The Goblin would see a stocky dwarf, his beard burning like incense, embers falling from around his face as if it were made of charcoal. His eyes blazed with equal fury as his face contorted grotesquely, an almost melodramatic burst of noise that was more scream than words erupted from his mouth.

"KORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!"

The dwarf led with his shoulder, plowing bodily into the goblin and swinging his warhammer in a cruel upwards arc, as if he meant to knock the goblin's head clean off its shoulders like some form of plastic robot toy that would rock and sock each other were they invented. Which of course they weren't.

Lay hands: Self
Move to Goblin
Valiant Strike

Unfortunately, much of Gabriel's momentum is lost in the process of taking an abrupt U-turn through a doorway, and only batters the goblin with a fraction of the intended force; still enough to be reckoned with, but a disappointment all the same.

5 damage

New round! Initiative priority: Goblin, Fescue, Motsognir, Gabriel, Argumentus, Beetle, Scary Bob

The last surviving goblin, realizing the time for running iss over, resolves to do as much damage as he can before the beardmonster finishes him. Drawing a wicked spear from his sheaf of javelins, he puts all his strength into a last-ditch thrust at the hated dwarf.

The spear snaps like a twig against Gabriel's armor. The goblin, having exhausted his store of bravado, falls back on the reliable standard of stumbling away whilst grovelling pitifully.

http://www.saxypunch.com/missile/map13f.png

The heat of the situation was getting to me, although it had been no longer than possibly a minute in of itself. I felt I would have been ready to stab anybody who squirmed near me. But fortunately, I hadn't lost my head as much as the rest of those around me, just yet.

I put away my bow and drew my sword, and charged through the doorway, gaining a bit of momentum from the height of the table. Quickly I turned the corner through the doorway, and confronted the beetle that was retreating into the corner. There was never a better boost of morale than a mark running away, leaving their backs to be stabbed.

Move to beetle.
Store crossbow and unsheath sword.
Torturous strike.

It's about time! the Dwarf smiled to himself as the adrenaline started to flow. He charged the beetle, swinging his axe wildly.

Move to Beetle
Viper's Strike

The dwarf blinked, shocked the goblin was still alive, to be quite honest. And a little annoyed. The sheer audacity of not falling over dead was stunning. It was rude. Hell, it was -incredibly- rude. And that upset him. No. It made him angry. And this goblin wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Gabriel bristled, incredibly visibly since he was still glowing, his beard a river of ruby embers. He looked down at his armour, at the point where the spear had snapped like a useless twig.

"Alright... who wants some?" he began, almost a whisper. "Who's next, huh? How bout it?" Who wants some?" His voice got louder as he continued to talk. "Huh? Who wants to have a little?" He suddenly looked up, his eyes wide; wild. He raised his hammer and pointed directly at the goblin's chest. "You." He jabbed the air between them. "You want some more, huh? You want a little? Do ya?" He placed his shield to his ear, miming an attempt to hear better. "Hmm? YOU WANT SOME MORE? HUH?"

He pushed off with his back foot and slid across the divide between them, setting his feet with a war cry and viciously swung his hammer towards the sniveling creature's chest, meaning to cave it in.

Divine Challenge, Goblin.
Shuffle forward
Bolstering Strike

Killing was a sensation new to Argumentus. Oh sure he'd punched lots of things; people, cattle, dogs, fish, but he'd never punched them dead. D-E-D dead. The sudden mastery over life and death caused a gnarled grin to curl up on the left side of his face. The new found sense of power causing the blood to surge through his veigns, Argumentus rushed into the southern room smelling 'nummies. yum

Argumentus experiences a healing surge

Argumentus moves one space west of the cooking pot

Fescue corners the beetle, his blade ripping a deep gouge through the beetle, and iridescent flakes of exoskeleton scatter into the air.

7 damage

Motsognir rushes in to further abuse the cornered insect, his axe hacking off a leg or two.

6 damage

Gabriel's mighty rage blurs his vision for an instant, and the thrice-damned goblin narrowly ducks under the instrument of his inevitable demise.

Argumentus's HP 25, Gabriel's HP 28 (sorry Deni)

Pinned against the wall, the beetle has no options save its vicious bite. Its mandibles tear painfully into Motsognir's leg.

Motsognir's HP 19

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Following the horde into the room, I turned towards the beetle and unleashed a blast of cold from my outstretched fingers.

Stands inside doorway, casts Ray of Frost or whatever it's called at the beetle.

The icy ray strikes the beetle squarely, slowing its already-feeble writhings.

8 damage, beetle is slowed and bloodied. New round! Initiative priority: Bob, Fescue, Gabriel, Motsognir, Beetle, Goblin, Argumentus

http://www.saxypunch.com/missile/map13h.png

The beast was bloodied but not yet defeated. Gathering my will, I shot another blast of icy death towards the beetle. To my surprise, I noticed that the ugly dwarf had not yet killed the goblin. Obviously the stunted chap had more sense than I had originally credited him with!

"Take him in for questioning eh? See what he knows about this place, good idea my diminutive minion"

Casts Ray of Frost at the beetle again