1 Grayson Guardsmen have been dismissed.

The Harbor is open and clear to the Bay of Thrax, so that the sea stretches, glimmering in the warm light of dusk. (It's dusk, okay.) The River Arx, however, is under assault by Bringer forces in its shining ribbon cutting the landscape north of the City, as masses of Shav'Arvani troops work to saw down trees and block all potential access of traders and supplies from overland. While a small team of picked men and women wait in held-breath stillness for a go-ahead sign, /this/ team of, of course, volunteers has a clear assignment: make a huge mess, huge enough to draw them down and away from the plucky blockade runners with their hopes of rendezvous with Grayson and Velenosa ships working their way through the river trade routes from elsewhere in the war-beleaguered Gray Forest.

The other team waits, lying flat to the deck of their skiff, ready to cut the ropes and sail as soon as the coast is clear.

Most of the troops so occupied are tainted Shavs, building more or less a side quay beside the river so that they can stand on their platform and fire arrows northward toward any ships that might risk an advance. The nearest dam construction is barely underway, but it would be a real bonus to scuttle it.

Reese arrived with Luca who she dragged here. The Grayson princess is such a pest to the lazy prince. She is adorned in her silvery steel plate, looking rather shiny, but then tonight is about drawing attention. Of course Reese, often draws attention. She has her pink sword at one hip and her mace at her other hip. Her helmet is in place, concealing much of her pretty face, ribbons and golden locks. She looks like a warrior now. "So you should be good at this Luca, because you are super super flashy. I don't reccomend taking your shirt off to distract, but it might work. It seems to work at our Arx tournaments." She murmurs looking over the Shav forces and the river.

Artorius arrived wearing his darksteel plate. He adorned with his separated, red tattered cloaks that bore the Malvici hawk hanging from his neck and waist, flourishing with each blow of the wind. He carried his rubicund greatsword with him, prepared for a fight. His helmet was in place on his head, looking very much so a monster of a warrior. He looked at the enemy from the walls, a light growl coming from him.

Leta's polished her helm to its shiniest. As for the rest, she's in bold red and green and yellow and is hard to miss against just about any backdrop, though dusk will likely mute all colors but that of shiny steel. She's volunteered! Maybe someone's paying her, somehow. She's got her pollaxe with her, which she leans on as she considers the terrain ahead. Hanging from a baldric, at her side, a horn. It's not very fancy, just horn, crudely carved. But it looks loud.

Sparte is bouncing along in his step a short way behind Artorius. It isn't that they came together, it just happened to work out that way. Sparte glances to the taller man, flipping up his visor to grin at the other man and give a nod to Artorius' sword before gesturing to his own rubicund greatsword. "Hey, we're twinsies!" Really setting the mood there, Sparte.

Luca has begun to lose his taste for war already. A battle to kill bringers where he didn't touch any bringers, a siege characterized largely by a lot of boring waiting with occasional spurts of ugly brutal violence that hasn't been of challenge, and a general sense of just being useless to this sort of conflict in general. No, Luca hasn't been taking well to this whole war business, and it's that reason that when Reese told him about this little bit of distracting violence for the good of another mission, the Languid Prince jumped at the chance purely for the change of pace. Admittedly, most any time Reese bats her pretty blues at him, he jumps at the chance, but that's neither here nor there. What is here is the lazy prince, bedeckecked in glittering blue and purple dire snake scale and rubicund helm, purple-red segmented faceplate up as he's arriving with the princess at the meeting place overlooking the mess they are to wade into. Her quip earns a wry snort and wink her way. "I think that might distract the wrong side. So far, the Bringer's and Shavs haven't seemed much distracted by my sex appeal, Ribbons. No. I'm thinking something with fire. Lots of fire. Like smashing a big cart of tar and pitch from the shipyards maybe. Not sure how we could get it intact to that platform they're building or the dam thing though. Anyone hiding a dragon in their pouches? Now'd be the time to fess up if so. No judgement, just saying it might be useful about now."

Artorius looks to Sparte. If he could see his face, it would not be laughing. He merely looks at Sparte, patting his shoulder softly without much of a word.

Reese peeks over to Artorius, giving the warrior a smile of greeting that touches her somber blue eyes. She then notices Leta. Reese looks over to her horn and hmms. "Oh, that is a good idea, a horn!" The princess then spots Sparte and he is given a smile as well. "So I am not sure how to do this exactly." She says, looking all thoughtful and pensive. Her attention is back on Luca. "No dragon, Luca." She says as he speaks, adding. 'And short on, we don't want is distracted. Um...the cart sounds like a good idea. I guess we could scamper on up the wall, make a bunch of noise and things too. Sparte looks like he could throw a massive boulder."

The water laps quietly at the waiting skiff. The sun is sinking, a bright glow of orange staining the sky as it begins to vanish beneath the treeline. The occasional shout and snap of voices can be heard from the Shav'Arvani threat that looms beside the river, the saw and clank and bang of men and women working apparently tirelessly. There are likely Bringers, too, among those forces; it's possible to pick out one or two of the berseker types, actually, standing still as islands of tension among the busy work, though no more terrifying Fomorian giants to decorate anyone's district with horrors of empty skulls. Further away, the shifting swarm of a busy army picks itself out in black and shifting motion amongst the trees -- really, it's too easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer mass of the potential threat surrounding the city, looking too far ahead.

Artorius nodded once to Reese, his ocean blue eyes barely visible behind his helmet, but they are warm to her. "Why don't we just go and say hello." he would grip his sword hilt tightly. Fearless he was. He looked out into the army, before looking to Luca. "How about a contest, Lucky." he states simply.

"All I got with me's the flames of passion, here." Leta says with a shrug, tipping her head towards Luca with a broad smile, her lips and twinkling eyes still visible through the face opening of her helm. "Master Guardsman here's the expert on fire from what I hear." the sellsword waves a gauntlet towards Sparte, while scrutinizing him with a long once over, up and down, making sure he's hale, though she says nothing.

Reese checked perception + war against difficulty 15, resulting in 33, 18 higher than the difficulty.

Luca checked perception + war against difficulty 15, resulting in 13, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Leta checked perception + war against difficulty 15, resulting in 15, 0 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte takes the pat on the shoulder in stride, looking over at the others while scratching at one cheek. "Well, I brought a lantern blessed at the shrine and, uh... Some music." He pulls out a small leaflet, looking at it a few moments before adding. "I'm not much of a singer though." He tucks the leaflet away, looking over the others. The lantern hangs from a hook on his belt, and currently has a small cover over it to keep the light concealed. It still gives a faint glow.

Luca grimaces looking out over it longer, shaking his head and getting distracted glancing over to Reese in profile, useless for a few seconds to come up with other ideas. Artorius' comment just brings the languid prince's cinnamon eyes back to him with a smirk. "I'm not sure I love our chances if we five just charge them with horn blowing like an army's following, bloody their noses, and then proceed to not bring forth said army. I mean...I'm down for a contest of who of us kills the most of them before we all die, Artie, but that _does_ seem a bit brash even for me. Safe to assume we're not going to manage much in the way of stealth though with Princess Shiny Britches here though, so maybe best we've got. Worst case, we get to the quay, we could hold the platforms and make a lot of noise, burn them on our way to retreating back to the gates?"

Sparte rubs at his jaw a bit as more experienced and important people discuss what to do. "If we just hit them and run away, they'll be higher alert, won't they? I mean, that'll give a distraction for the others on their way out but it might put them in a worse spot coming back." He purses his lips for a few moments before shrugging. "Easy to find a flaw with a plan though, I don't have a better one."

Artorius chuckles a little, nodding to Luca. "Most kills wins." he states simply. "Where did all that brashness go? We can handle it. It's only an army. Best plan it seems we have is to go out and make a mess, retreat while causing as much damage as possible. I agree with you on that instance, Prince." he smiled soflty from behind his helmet.

Reese seems to be all into the idea of fighting. She has her hand on handle of her blade and everything. Luca gives her pause though. "We could hit them and stay together as a team and then back up together as a team?" She murmurs, seeming to agree with Sparte. "I will get the most kills, course. I am Princess Ribbons after all." She murmurs.

Leta nods, gestures down towards the construction, tilting her head with a look in Luca's direction, "Just go down and cut our way through. Once we're there we sound the horn, make 'em think there's more coming, set everything on fire and come back. You know, keep 'em distracted." the sellsword suggests, squints at the path and shrugs once more. "Whatever you like, mind you.

Artorius looks at Reese "That a challenge?" he smiled softly, his blue eyes twinkling from behind his helmet. He chuckled softly "I'll take you on."

In the distance, even as the light is beginning to fail, the enemy troops show no signs of slowing down their methodical efforts on the dam. Trees are being felled. Logs are being carried. More obscure carpentry tasks are being done that can't be picked out accurately at this distance. It's just getting to be that perfect time of evening to strain an archer's eyes, when it's not light enough to pick out distance targets but not dark enough for torchlight to be of much use.

"Fine fine. Brash it is. Everyone stock up on torches and flints, and I'm going to talk to a guy I know about a cart of pitch. Who knows, maybe if we cut a big enough hole, we can send the cart riding right through on our way out and seed some more chaos to help us get back to the gates alive. Hit at full dark when the others have best chance of slipping through in the chaos?" Luca seems amusedly resigned and, admittedly, more than a little enthused with the challenge of the boldness. He's looking to Reese though for confirmation, apparently deferring to her to give the call.

Carissa, a Malvici bodyguard arrives, following Eirene.

Leta just stands there, leaning on her pollaxe, and looks to Sparte, suddenly pensive, eyes squinting behind the steel frame of her helmet, "So wait - when you bless a fire, right? If you set fire on something else with that fire you'd blessed, is that -other- fire blessed too?"

Reese looks toward Artorius. "It is." She says, giving him a brash smile that touches her somber blue eyes and apparently. She then turns to Luca. "Torches and flint and it sounds like a a plan. Lets strike and do this." She says, trying to take charge.

"First person to take a major wound gets slapped upside the head," says the Malvici doctor as she makes her way towards the others of the party. Her red and black armor is firmly fastened, her longsword ready at her side. She stops and glares at Leta. "Have your stitches come out," she demands.

Artorius looks at Reese "Then it is accepted." he returned her smile. "Let's get it done." he turns his head to Eirene. "Oh, hello Aunt."

Carissa, a Malvici bodyguard have been dismissed.

Sparte gives Leta a shrug in response, which is about as helpful as anything that might've come out of his mouth.

In the distance, another tree falls. The men manning the quay are standing, but they are watching the river with that focused intensity, apparently peering into the distance, just waiting for a trade ship to sail close enough into range for them to release their volley.

The skiff waits.

Reese looks over to the doctor, she seems very relieved she she is here and yet concerned at the same time. "I will try not get injured, this time." She says sheepishly, the princess realizing she has needs healing a lot, too much! "Okay, lets do this!" She murmurs drawing her silvery pink sword and getting ready to leave their brash charge that could be called brave or it could be called rather foolish too.

"For sure, m'Lady. See?" Leta looks over towards Eirene with a broad smile, and rolls her shoulder back and forth with ease, lifts one arm and drops it again. "Went back to the Mercies and had it all looked at, it's all fine. Itches a bit, but that's it." she replies. Then nods back to Sparte, "'Cause it's the same fire, right? You'd think so, anyway. I'll go to the shrine and ask." she continues with her theoretical musings while she waits for the nobler sorts to settle on a plan.

"Do I get a kiss if I come through unscathed instead, doc?" Luca's quipping with a wink to the medic as she arrives as they're breaking to gather items for preparations. He'll cast a hopeful look after the wink towards Reese in parting, apparently not averse to kiss from her instead if it comes to that. Leta's question and Sparte's reaction earns a laugh from the prince in turn as he adds before departing. "Abyss, but it's worth trying, eh? Never know, could be a new grand tactic for the war efforts. Holy flaming carts, Guardsman!" After that, he'll take Eirene with him to explain what she'd missed to that point and arrange for the cart and torches for some of them, then he's back last of the group, grinning like a bandit with anticipation. "Good fighting all. And Gloria be with us."

Eirene's here to make sure the foolishness is medically managed; "Burn the fuckers," she says with a feral smile all the same. A woman covered in Lagoma's firebird, she certainly appreciates the beauty of the plan. Art is given a cheerful salute and Leta's responce is met with a dismissing nod. Her Malvici blue eyes just roll at Luca in good humor, both for the kiss -and- the joke.

Reese has rolled a critical success!
Reese checked wits + war against difficulty 15, resulting in 96, 81 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked wits against difficulty 15, resulting in 8, 7 lower than the difficulty.

It takes a little time for the cart and pitch to be rounded up and for the team to prepare for go time. Starlight is beginning to pick its way through the last lingering hues of sunset in the air. It's starting to get harder to pick out individuals in the shifting morass of movement that is forested ground caked with enemy forces.

Artorius nods softly at the dying of the light "Let the games begin." he said with a light growl at the end, looking to Reese and Luca "Keep track of your scores, winner can decide who does what?" he offered.

Reese reaches for one of the torches, lighting it on fire. She the sets the cart ablaze, getting it all bright and flared up. It is quite impressive. "Okay, we are going to kick some abysmal butt!" She says. The girl has the cart, starting to get it rolling toward a mass of their forces possibly with the help of the others here. "Fucking Silence! Get the fuck out of our lands! I am going to make ribbons out of your undead rotting flesh. This is Grayson land!" She says, hollering and making this all noise with the intention of getting their focus.

Fire leaps toward the sky in a crackling blaze. The cart's creaky wheels are slow to gel76jk2t65;;;;;;;;;;e'''''''''''llk

Eirene checked command + leadership against difficulty 15, resulting in 28, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius sighed softly watching Reese's ultra thematic entrance "Very well." He leaps after hear, running far quicker than a man of his size should be able to with unnatural speed. He draws Requiem, his rubicund greatsword, and warcries at the enemy.

Reese wields Devotion, a silvery pink alaricite short sword.

Eirene is a drill sargeant used to being heard of the din of a battlefield when ordering her medics to their places. She takes a deep breath and barks out her own addition to the din, voice sharp and clear. "Right, you quiet motherfuckers! You're on our lands, you fight our way! Loud and proud." She draws the Flame-Mender and follows behind - letting the others go first because the medic does *not* draw aggro.

Sparte mostly just tries to keep up with the others. They're all so heroic and storied and stuff. The skinny guardsman is just going for the participation award on team suicidal today.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 53, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 29, 11 lower than the difficulty.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 61, 21 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte wields a massive rubicund claymore with garnet inset guard.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 50, 10 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked stamina + performance against difficulty 15, resulting in 37, 22 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 39, 24 higher than the difficulty.

Luca, as one of the strong backs, was behind the cart, helping get it moving at a good clip once in position, the poor pair of horses set to suicide run doing most of the work admittedly, but he was urging it all right along, laughing as they begin, muttering aside to Artorius with gleam in his eyes before he slaps his helm faceplate down. "This is fucking insane, Artie, and I can't stop grinning." And then they're moving, the flames billowing up, the charge beginning, and Luca's calling aside. "Give us a big damn horn like the Gods themselves are coming to the battle, Lee." And then they're rushing, and Luca's actually tripping up at one point in shock at sight of Reese gleaming at front of that charging flames...or maybe just at hearing that language pouring out of Ribbons mouth so unexpectedly! Either way, he catches himself, cackling and starts roaring out as they come. "WE'RE COMING FOR EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU AND YOU WON'T DIE SILENT!" And as he's rushing alongside the cart, managing to keep up with frightened horses, he's drawing free the pair of matched viper-pommeled sabres, one gleaming bright in the flames, the other mirror dark of diamondplate. Fang and Fury free, he'll roar happily as he's diving into the fray amidst the chaos that charge of cart is almost inevitably going to cause, blades working in concert to begin the competition death count.

Aureth checked command + manipulation against difficulty 40, resulting in 31, 9 lower than the difficulty.

"Alright, that'll distract 'em!" Leta agrees, and steps up alongside Reese and the cart to help shove the flaming thing towards the enemy further down the slope. As it begins to roll, Leta clings to the side for a moment then hops off. She lifts the horn to her lips and blows a long, loud note, rising higher then falling again as the sound booms down the slope towards the river. Then she tucks the horn away and charges after the others, aiming the sharp end of her polearm forward and high.

Aureth checked command + teaching against difficulty 15, resulting in 53, 38 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius leaps into the fray, his sword drawn. He moves with great speed, faster than he should. With a mighty roar of rage he leaps into the enemy, his sword flashing "SHOW NO MERCY AND ACCEPT NONE NEITHER!" he shouted to his brethren, unleashing his fury as the kill-count game commenced.

The flames leap toward the darkening sky as the cart hurtles out into the midst of the enemy. The noise is startling and the furor is immediate. Flames dance and crackle with the roar from the walls as those not joining the fight still yet lend their voices, inspired by the spectacle and by the commands of advancing team. A few Crimson Blades archers let loose a volley of covering fire to add to the general confusion as the hurtling smash of the flaming cart hits the forefront of the Shav'Arvani troops.

They do not scatter, but there is a moment, a stolen moment of confusion that leaves the forces in a bewildered disarray before the blaze of light reflecting from the shining armor and blades that leap among them. Artorius quickly finds himself in single combat with one of the Shav troops, while Leta scores a fine hit on one but quickly finds herself boxed in between two others; the diving slash and leap of alaricite and rubicund and diamondplate (oh my) clash and crack against steel, and it's on now. Reese's blade scores cleanly cleaving one of them in half as she rides the cart into the fray, while Luca cuts out the legs from another one.

The Shavs fight back, for all that they are clearly taken aback by the fiery onslaught. A massive hammer clangs against Artorius's armor with force enough to dent. Leta probably wouldn't be outmatched if she weren't unfortunately caught two on one, but it looks like she could use a hand.

On the river, someone reaches out a slow hand and carefully cuts through one set of ropes, and then another. The skiff is adrift.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 61, 21 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 58, 18 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 37, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 62, 47 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 41, 1 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 55, 15 higher than the difficulty.

Reese rides the cart down while swinging her silvery pink blade and making all this noise. The princess is even less subtle then she normally is as she tries to draw focus. She cut down one shav and now is trying to cut down the next. She glances over the battlefield, attempting to gage where people are and if Leta is alright. Still while on the cart and being so dramatic, she might not be able to to help her. She will if she can though. Once the fighting has really got going, her talking has decreased as she is now focused on staying alive and defeating the enemies who draw close.

Aureth checked command + manipulation against difficulty 40, resulting in 29, 11 lower than the difficulty.

Aureth checked command + teaching against difficulty 40, resulting in 26, 14 lower than the difficulty.

Artorius takes the hit hard, but laughs it off, coming back with rage (or trying to), swinging his blade at his atackers.

Eirene's known for her sharp tongue, but the medic is also a capable warrior. Her longsword strikes and parries as she moves in the fast Southport fighting style. She pulls the crimson silk scarf up from under her high collared doublet and fastens it around her mouth to keep the shav blood away. Seeing Leta getting outnumbered, she moves in for the assist. Better to stop someone getting hurt than patching them up afterwards.

Sparte has put his attention on making sure there is still an exit for the others. He focuses on sweeping a path so none of the others are locked in with this suicidal charge. He is grinning in his helmet all the while, having a blast of things.

"Showing off already, Ribbons? Remind me to challenge you more often! The results are kind of sexy!" Hey, no distracting your teammates with flirting mid-fight! Bad Luca, no kill count! Still, the words are called out joyful and delighted in metallic variance from inside his gleaming helm as he's spinning past the one he took legs out from with an almost casual backswing of the tip of one blade across throat, stepping right into anther pair eagerly, seeking to cut his way into the thick of things where he can draw as much attention as possible from his cohorts. His exotic gleam of scales and pair of blades stand out certainly in the chaotic firelight of the burning carts and fleeing horses, and he moves more like one of the Bringers than most men can manage, all unreal grace and strength and deadly intent. Of course, Reese is keeping right up with him, and she's distracting him periodically with admiration for her sword form, shining steel of her armor a beacon amidst the bloodshed.

The horn's still echoing off somewhere by the time Leta crashes into the enemy line, both hands the haft of her weapon to drive the rose gold spike at its head, like a spear, into the first enemy she sees. She yells her way through the first foe, and the hit's solid enough. But as her charge breaks and she stumbles, she finds herself beset on both sides by shavs as she yanks her bloodied weapon off and switches back into a serviceable grip. It's all she can do to fall back from serious harm, and from the exuberance of the charge the sellsword switches back into a serious, methodical fighting style, trusting her weapon's length and leverage to knock aside blows and counter, each strike punctuated with a guttural shout.

Sparte's spear hit slams hard into the chest of one of the troops, and then, as he extracts it, the butt of his spear scores a lucky shot behind him, cracking into the head of another enemy soldier in the chaos. It sends him sprawling to the ground, where Sparte can be free to protect their retreat.

With Eirene's neat strike on one of her assailants drawing him off, Leta is free to smash the living daylights out of the other one! Eirene's partner isn't dead, but it shows quickly that he is outmatched.

The fight between Artorius and his hammer-wielding new friend struggles on in an inconclusive clatter and smash of armor and weapons against each other.

While the cart peters to a halt to a roaring burn in the midst of stumps and bodies, several of the troop who were here have broken off at a run in another direction -- not fleeing so much as rounding up others, unfortunately. Meanwhile, the archers on the quay have refocused on the main mass, and now stand ready, firing arrows into the chaos as their enemies come close enough for their armor to reflect the firelight. An arrow shatters uselessly against Reese's armor; another cracks into Artorius's; a third hits the ground near Eirene's boot. Rude.

A tattooed shav with fiery hair shrieks curses as she hurls herself and a pair of sai blades into close quarters with Luca, flashing and dancing with startling speed, while another who looks straight out of the Oathlands fights back to back with her, swinging dual wielded maces towards Reese. These enemies come from everywhere.

Two larger, darker shapes have begun moving towards this carnage as they fight their way towards the quay and the archers. Bringers are coming, silent and eerie with eyes as black as unlit pitch in the dark.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 79, 64 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 38, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 45, 5 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene has rolled a critical success!
Eirene checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 63, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Luca has rolled a critical success!
Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 73, 33 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 54, 14 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked command + manipulation against difficulty 15, resulting in 12, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Aureth checked command + teaching against difficulty 15, resulting in 47, 32 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene spares only a moment to glance at the arrow by her boot before lashing out, the Malvici proving she's earned her place alongside these warriors. The flame-etched blade flashes as she delivers a swift kick with her square-heeled boots to the chest of the shav before whirling the blade around to take the head off while he reels. Seeing the larger dark figures looming she calls out, "We got Bigguns." She looks through the chaos for her nephew at that, seeking the fluttering cloaks of red and black.

Artorius lost himself in the fight, becoming so angry that he loses control. He would lunge with a loud growl, attempting to cut his attacker in twain...and any other poor soul that would now cross his path. He managed to keep subtle track of his kills though, remembering at least he was in a competition. "RRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!-" he shouted, sounding animalistic.

Reese tries to get a sense of were the boat is and what progress has been made getting such over the river, of course it might be difficult with so many enemies around. She keeps fighting with her silvery pink blade drawn. Her attention is on the oathland looking fighter with her dual maces.

At the warning a bringer may be approaching, Sparte pulls the cover off the lantern at his waist and turns the knob to make the flame as strong as it can be. It is a little bullseye lantern with a brass frame, the light angled forward in the same (general) direction he is facing. "Lagoma, grant us thy light against the deceptions of our enemies. Show the truth when darkness lies." And clang, off his sword goes against another target. Big enough he treats it like a spear sometimes.

Reese checked perception + war against difficulty 15, resulting in 11, 4 lower than the difficulty.

"Sparte! Archers with me!" Luca's calling out amidst the chaos after giving a harsh laugh escapes him when the back-to-back pair of shavs go down to Reese's thrust of glittering pink alaricite! With his opponents free though, Luca's taking the opportunity to charge full on at the quay platform and the archers, trusting to his speed and skill at dodging the arrow-y death, and apparently trusting Sparte's in turn. Archer's always have amusing reactions when they see someone rushing them that fast. They aren't used to people trying to close to melee with them and it usually results in bloody nastiness. Though whether their cohorts will let him get that far or require a bit of cutting down in turn before he reaches is a good question. The Languid Prince is so very not languid when unleashed like this though and nothing short of a dark miracle is going to stop him for long from the task he's set himself.

Leta's attention shifts fully onto one Shav as Eirene gets the attention of the other, and from there it's a simple business of stepping in, catching the warrior's blade with the steel-clad haft of her weapon and bounce it aside. As it clangs harmlessly on steel, she lifts the pollaxe and brings the axe end down on her enemy's skull and fells him. Unfortunately, the axe gets stuck. So she tries to yank and tug and twist, and it just won't come out! She keeps trying, and finally plants a boot on the Shav's head for leverage before she manages to pull her weapon free from his shattered dome. It's a gruesome business. Alas, the battle didn't pause for her benefit.

And then Sparte is being called on to hustle. Well, so much for his other plans. He sets to running after Luca, hoping he lives to regret it.

Artorius's target goes down and the swordswoman he is fighting next is a tall, blank-eyed, blank-faced warrior in leathers and hides. Again, there is no one source for these enemies.

Eirene kills her way smoothly to a free moment on the battlefield, a moment to catch her breath.

As Leta hauls her axe free, she takes the hard slash of a cut from the swinging impact of an enemy blade, as another shav charges her with enough force behind his sword to injure her again -- though not maim, what with her armor and her reflexes. Once her axe is brought to bear, she proves the more capable fighter than he, but it is gruesome, bloody work.

The bright gleam of Reese's blade slices not only through the mace wielder, but through the woman fighting at his back. There's a gurgling scream that is, honestly, kind of awful. More of the Shavs break off, trying to regroup. This is fast starting to look like a rout of 5 against 25, and not in the direction you'd necessarily expect!

But as the Bringers come to the verge before the quay, there are two of them, side by side, and they seem almost heedless of their own men as they start to stride towards the small strike force.

As Luca and Sparte charge directly for the quay and the archers standing on it, the skiff no longer drifts with the river's current. Aboard, someone puts oars to water and it slowly, sneakily begins to pick up speed. It has yet to reach the quay, but it is now clearly underway.

Luca checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 40, resulting in 46, 6 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 40, resulting in 57, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 37, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Eirene calls out to the others, "Back off from Artorious, move in only if he gets swarmed." She pauses a moment to survey the scene, looking from a command perspective as opposed to a warriors. She continues moving in against the shavs to thin their number so the better equiped ones can get to the two Bringers.

Eirene checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 57, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 42, 2 higher than the difficulty.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 60, resulting in 49, 11 lower than the difficulty.

Sparte has rolled a critical success!
Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 69, 29 higher than the difficulty.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 50, 10 higher than the difficulty.

Reese keeps fighting and fighting. She realizes the bringers are coming. She tries to gage where the boat is, but the Grayson princess has no idea. She looks to Eirene, hoping for help! The heat of the battle, leaves her unable to say much though.

Aureth checked command + manipulation against difficulty 40, resulting in 39, 1 lower than the difficulty.

Aureth checked command + teaching against difficulty 40, resulting in 27, 13 lower than the difficulty.

"Fuck! Bringers on the field!" Luca's calling out in a roar back towards the battle so that the others are aware, not even seeming to have needed to look at the pair starting towards the quay. "Spar! Take these, I'll hold them off!" Luca's following up almost immediately as he V's off from the archers, reversing his grip on the steel blade to a more defensive shield form and leading with the mirror dark shine of diamondplate sabre. Yes, he's totally going to try to take them both, and yes, that's probably going to tickle! There went that plan for cutting down the archers! On the upside, no one can claim they haven't got all sorts of attention of the army focused right here and not on the river and their other people!

Aureth has rolled a critical success!
Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 84, 44 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte holds his sword in a new and novel way! Grasping it by the blade with his gauntlet, he holds it at about neck height, blade horizontal, and pushes through into the group of archers like a battering ram that gives haircuts in the off season. Necks, bowstrings, assorted limbs, he is piling through those archers. "He is about to do something stupid so can't waste time here, sure you lot understand."

Luca checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 84, resulting in 59, 25 lower than the difficulty.

Leta gets her pollaxe free and immediately gets hit squarely on one arm, even before she's had time to gather her bearings. So the sellsword yelps, "Shut!", and spends the next few moments adjusting her grip and backing off into a defensive posture, more meant to keep any enemies at a distance, occasionally poking any that comes too close.

Reese continues fighting, the girl jumping off the flaming cart before she gets burned now. She is intent on taking down the closet foe even while trying to watch the battle and trying to watch for the incoming bringers.

Artorius cuts through as many shavs as he can, or at least that is the intention. He looks unrelenting as he tries to fight through the small army coming to kill him, a roar of rage coming out from him in a battlecry as he tries to kill as many as he can as he tries to get to the bringer.

Reese tries to cut her ways to the bringers as well, now that Luca called out their location.

Sparte's charge has exactly the desired effect: first, his mighty greatsword thrust impales one of the archers right through his middle. The one right next to that archer leaps aside and actually hits the river itself. Whoops! That's two down and three to go, but one of them is scrambling to drop his bow and pull an axe, while another is still shooting arrows determinedly into the general melee.

Artorius manages to fight his way through the last of his attackers, dripping blood, as Eirene slices neatly through another one, one of those arterial stabs that suggests a healer's precision in knowing just exactly how to fight.

Even as Reese escapes the fiery wreck of what remains of the cart, one of the shavs falls away before the slash of her pink sword, and another arrow cracks into her armor with force that bruises but does not pierce. Several of the other shavs are falling away, falling back, moving behind the Bringers as more troops are summoned, abandoning construction on the dam to organize and form up behind, but their reaction time is not as fast as they'd probably prefer.

Luca's charge upon the Bringers is made with startling speed and daring, viper quick, a dark slash of steel and deep, dark leather armor in the fire-spotted night, but there are two, and even as he lifts his mirror-dark diamondplate to slash deep through the hide of one, the other moves with preternatural quickness to meet him, deflecting his strike even as the first smashes its fist with bone-cracking force into his side. Before even the speediest Champion can make his escape, the twisting dark grip of the massive shadowed Bringer has him in its grip -- and he is thrown, hurtling towards the mighty River Arx.

The skiff is picking up speed now. It has nearly reached the quay to pass it, but the archers haven't noticed it; they are wholly occupied with the assault.

Luca checked strength + athletics against difficulty 40, resulting in 38, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 51, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 60, resulting in 51, 9 lower than the difficulty.

Sparte has rolled a critical success!
Sparte checked dexterity + brawl against difficulty 15, resulting in 40, 25 higher than the difficulty.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 63, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 71, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 64, 24 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene pauses a moment to watch the Bringers. Studying their movements, their tracking, the way they wordlessly move the Shavs behind them. She glances back tos see that the skiff if good and seems satisfied. "Press! Press. Bring those fuckers down! Take the one on the left," as Art takes the one on the right. "Give the Malvici space." Meaning him. Even as she says, she moves in quickly to engage the Bringer, snarling at it. "Give me answers, you silent fuck. What -are- you. How are you made! How can I fill you FASTER." She lashes out hard, her skill on the battlefield on display.

Reese charges at one of the bringers with her pink blade drawn, intent on trying to kill the creature. She briefly looks over to Luca with concern, but the battle is happening so fast that she doesn't react or saying anything besides. "Luca!" Luckily, Sparte is here!

Artorius roars ferally, barely sounding human, as in rage he leaps at one of the bringers, his greatsword overhead. Good timing as it seemed the others needed help. He spoke no words, merely animalistic sounds.

Sparte stabs his massive rubicund sword down into the tip of the shoe of the shav archer going for his axe, which is likely to be unpleasant enough of an experience, but THEN Sparte lets him know his bad day has just begun. Sparte releases his own sword, the axe snatched free right as it comes up in the shav's hand. A cross hook from Sparte leaving them dazed long enough for Sparte to then spin them around - twisting their impaled foot unpleasantly, and shove the shav sputtering into the water. The Axe is then slammed into their pants leg as a secondary anchor to the makeshift dock. "Is that a fair prince or a frog mine eyes does see? I can't tell from the swimming, climb up and let us see."

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 15, resulting in 58, 43 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 43, 3 higher than the difficulty.

"Fuuuuuuck!" Luca offers up pithily as he's sailing through the air after taking a grunting slam to the ribs and being caught up before he could slip away, too busy dodging the other of the pair to note the first. But gods he's in trouble! He dropped his steel blade in the process even! But managed to keep hold of the diamondplate, even as he splashes down into the water. Luckily, right then he's seeing a flailing limp limbs of an archer-turned-human-rope courtesy of Sparte and so a bedraggled, furious looking Velenosan prince is pulling himself up out of the water by the man, being sure to push him back into river after he's up past him. And as the duelist Champion comes up to his feet again, he's pointing with the mirrordark diamondplate at the one that threw him and snarling out. "I'm going to carve your heart out first!" And then he's off again, behind the others all moving to intercept the pair of beastly creatures, but not that far behind.

It takes Leta a while to get her bearings in the dark, while swinging her pollaxe about to clear some space in front of herself. Everyone else gets the shavs on the run, so she can breathe. She's a little bloodied and a little battered by the end of it, blinking behind her helmet. But she squares her broad shoulders, braces her weapon and advances to take her place alongside Eirene by the Bringers. There's nothing flashy about the sellsword's fighting style, it's all (appropriately) business. Stab, chop, hammer, stab, every blow and parry ringing out with a yell or a peal of laughter. Because no one says business can't be fun.

While Sparte rescues Luca, the other archers scatter off the quay, hastening to join the others forming up behind the Bringers. They are slowly becoming neater columns, ordering up. Their faces -- almost seem to be growing blanker, but it's hard to tell by only starlight and the leaping flames of the burning cart.

The two Bringers move with a kind of worrying tandem as the combatants join the fray. Reese's blade slices into Bringer flesh with a smoking hiss, while the other weapons seem to meet just a little more resistance as Artorius, Eirene and Leta cut and slice their way into the thick hide. That said, the Bringers are large, and while they are not slow, they are not fast enough to escape the swinging blades. It will be long and ichorous work cutting through them, but doable -- if they can avoid the mighty pounding crack of their massive fists and heavy feet. One swings for Artorius and another for Reese -- but Artorius is able to deflect the first as glancing, and Reese manages to dodge the second quickly.

The skiff sails on. It's past the quay now, although not yet to the point of the dam. The oars whisper through the water, the boat unlit and skimming quietly along by starlight.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 62, 22 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 37, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 74, 34 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 63, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 57, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 76, 36 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 53, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 36, resulting in 47, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 17, resulting in 34, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 49, 9 higher than the difficulty.

Justice, an elegant hunting falcon have been dismissed.

Sparte gathers back up his greatsword, shaking his head a bit as he falls in behind Luca in going to assault the Bringers. He tries to wedge himself between the Bringers, knowing his blows won't be that effective and trusting his armor to help cover for and missteps. If they can get one isolated... Well, worry about that once it happens.

Eirene's swift slash is a bit wide as she jumps back, taking a defensive step away to keep the claws from raking her dark leather. She snarls back at it as she readies, watching for her chance to cut into it with the steel. Not as effective as the more elaborate swords, but she can at least help keep it exposed for the others to shred it.

Artorius roars loudly as he deflects a bringers blow but manages to hit it in return. He looks at it, his eyes filled with murderous rage, as he lept at the beast again, going for the kill.

Leta's got a good rhythm going. Battered or not, her footwork's swift, and her pollaxe swifter. She stands alongside Eirene, the added length of her sword allowing her to thrust past and stab here and there. Her steel gleams redder in the light of the flickering flames nearby as she drives it in, punching entirely new holes into the Bringer's hide. And if the other Bringer comes within range as Artorious fights it, she'll give it a good thumping too. A hand swings overhead as the sellsword ducks with another bright laugh, and immediately counters by banging the fat hammer end of her weapon towards the thing's knee. Bringers have knees, surely. Hopefully they need them.

Luca's speed turned into something truly spectactular at the end of his rush towards the one that so ignobly threw him. A roaring blur of fury and dark blade seemingly aimed straight for the monstrous thing's heart. But Luca's fought these too many times now. He knows how hard they are to kill outright. And so rather than going for that heart-strike, he's suddenly dropping into a slide in a mirror of the technique he used on the last he fought. Skidding along the ground underneath the monster, between its legs, only to come up out of the slide into a truly vicious sweeping cut along inside of its thigh. It's probably a femoral by how much black blood pours out, sizzling and boiling off the diamondplate blade, but it's not going to kill the thing immediately, if at all. It may slow it enough though for them to take it down. Possibly even get it down to a knee where it's vulnerable parts are better in reach.

Bringers ... totally have knees. The piercing bite of Leta's pole-axe meets significant resistance in the dark hide; the crack of hard force against its knee might be enough to draw the weight of its attention on Leta. But then the mirrored blade that Luca drives follows that crack of impact, and there's a sound like steam and then for an eerie instant there is no sound at all. The Bringer's mouth yaws like a cavern and for a heartbeat there is a scream without sound, almost as though the air is being sucked from the night for a quavery heartbeat before its massive fist hurtles for Leta -- and she dodges neatly out of the way as its impact collides with the ground instead. It shudders, monstrous and huge, and then drops its full weight to its other knee, crashing beside its fellow. Within seconds of the creepy nonshriek, the slashing pink of Reese's blade gores hard through its shoulder in another hissing spit of ichor, but she's quick to avoid the splorting stuff that escapes.

The other Bringer swings its heavy foot towards Eirene, but she's too quick for it, and it has the onslaught of a screaming Artorius to contend with. The deep crimson of the rubicund blade does not manage to slice past the initial scoring of the monster's chest for all the force behind it, but it seems almost as though a groove has been cut across it, a point of weakening in the thick hide for the next stroke. Damage resistance, man. The slash of Sparte's greatsword creates a similar scoring over the beast's abdomen.

The skiff sails on. It's picking up speed now, with more oar work from the team aboard, and it will soon reach the dam.

Leta checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 42, 2 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 65, 25 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 37, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 39, 1 lower than the difficulty.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 76, 36 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked charm + teaching against difficulty 40, resulting in 70, 30 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene's too distracted by that odd attack. What was it trying to do there? The jaw - was that unhinged? She haphazardly swings at the other one but is more interested in that nega-sonic attack it just tried.

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 47, 7 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 57, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Luca checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 7, resulting in 57, 50 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 17, resulting in 50, 33 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius lept at the creature again, heaving a mighty swing at the bringer, emitting a feral roar that involved some kind of grolw sound in the midst. he ponders on whether he should get a sword of Alacirite.....but that's for another time. He continued his attack on the bringer, showing relentless courage in his rage.

Leta may be curious about whatever it is the Bringer's doing, but she's a natural philosopher, not a scientist. Instead of studying the phenomenon, she'll likely speculate about it over some wine at the nearest tavern. Which means she barely looks once she's ducked and weaved away from the Bringer's attack. Luca and Reese are on it, so she turns to the next, calling its attention with a quick hard jab aimed at Bringer's side. "Hey there!" she yells jovially.

Luca comes up from his slashing charge behind the creature as it's going to knees and screaming that not-scream. It gives him a split second to look out over the waters, grin viciously to see the boat making way, grimace when eyes then fall past to see the forming ranks of glassy-eyed reinforcements. Luca's turning in a flash then, swaying back by millimeters far enough to avoid the flailing inexpert swing of the monster on its knees recognizing the threat of that diamondplate blade at its back. Indeed, Luca's calling out even as he's moving then in practically a blur. "Ribbons. Switch!" Pre-existing signal between them for her to harry the second bringer with her alaricite? Or just something he knows she'd understand? Whatever the case, the Not-So-Languid Prince is already executing what he had in mind, grabbing that arm swinging past him and leaping upward as it swings back past. Suddenly the thing is swaying under Luca's full weight running _up_ it's too-long limb, straight for its ugly face, the mirror-dark diamondplate fang of a sword swinging out horizontally with all his force....and cleaving the head from the one that threw him. A gushing jet of boiling, sizzling blood sends the head soaring even as Luca's diving off of it, using his free hand to snatch it out of the air before he lands. He's getting quite the collection of bezerker skulls as is, can't leave this one behind. Even so though, he's calling out. "Start the retreat! Reinforcements! We can't fight the other fucker and all of them!" Even saying that though, Luca's standing his ground, grinning feral sort of grin at the other bringer, its monster-bud dripping blood from severed neck in his other hand. Apparently the stupid bastard is intending to hold the thing there long enough for others to start backing out.

Sparte is happy enough to swing at one bringer then the next, still trying to break them apart from one another. "Did you know your Brand only joined you because sunlight gives him hives? True story, tell your friends." When the retreat is called, he starts to fall back with the others. The lantern is given a passing check as he does so, with another quiet prayer to Lagoma. "As day allows for night we must pull back, but as darkness sets behind us Lagoma please light our path."

Artorius growls softly, paying little heed to the call of retreat. He growls a moment longer, shaking his head as he looks to the bringer. "We...will finish this later."

Eirene switches to a defensive style as she starts falling back with the others, never letting her focus shift too far from the Bringers. "Let's get the fuck out, we've done our job."

The Bringer struggles and thrashes beneath Luca, bucking and shifting as it tries to control his rise up its back, but it cannot, and when Luca's blade bites deep, it gouts ichorous and disgusting-- it's not actually /that/ smooth a cut to take the head, it might take a little sawing to finish its sweep through the hide as the thing thrashes and crashes beneath Luca's onslaught. But finally, it is slain.

The beribboned Princess swings her blade, free of the black stain as the droplets fall away, its pink sheen barely detectable under fire and starlight as she hurtles into the second Bringer, still standing, goring deep into its back even as Leta smashes the length of her pole-axe into its side. Reese echoes Luca's command with a call of, "Go! Fighting retreat!" caroled over the hiss of blood. "Burn the platform! Torches, everyone, light it up!"

The second one screams its silent scream even as it swats toward Sparte. It's hard to say what the screaming does, aside from cutting out volume for an instant, sucking the air out of night, a momentary, eerie, heart-freezing chill of a glimpse of an unbrought void.

Artorius's blade carves against the scores grooved deep in its chest, and a slow seep of black begins to show, slickening against the crimson of the rubicund sheen. Sparte smoothly escapes as he draws back after that bite of his greatsword, beginning the retreat.

On the river, the sails of the skiff billow to catch the wind even as more oars strike. They skim past the point of the dam.

A volley of arrows flies from the Shav'Arvani reinforcements formed up behind the fighting Bringers! Many strike the dirt harmlessly. At least two break on Artorius's and Reese's armor. A few even hiss pointlessly into the river, flying wide of their mark.

Eirene checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 42, 27 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 38, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Luca checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 52, 37 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 46, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 23, 8 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte checked mana + occult against difficulty 15, resulting in 26, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius would attempt as he ran and dodged arrows, to kill quite a few shavs before calling it good.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 61, 21 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 15, resulting in 55, 40 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene's always good with a strategic retreat. Objective is obtained, and while killing another Bringer is good, they should get out while they can. She books it, running quickly and cleanly under the cover of night in her blackened leathers.

Luca checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 40, resulting in 48, 8 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius ran quickly, dodging multiple arrows and even deflecting some with his sword. He ran quickly, getting out of there for the sake of promising to return home.

Leta checked dexterity + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 25, 10 higher than the difficulty.

With one hand, Luca's tying off the bringer head by its hair to his belt, with his other, he's dancing that diamondplate out with burning small cuts at the other, laced in with occasional nastier cuts if it tries to go past him towards those burning the platform. "Give it up or end up like your friend! I may not have carved out his heart like I said, but I'll take yours to make up for it if you want!" He's feral and ferociously enjoying himself now, taunting the creature with seeming weakness to the side he was struck on before, only to dodge back from it in a fluid combat roll, scaled cloak flowing with the motion like wings, leaving him rolling perfeclty past to snatch up his downed steel sabre from earlier, coming back up with both now held and ready. Arrows are being sidestepped almost casually amidst this, his eyes darting upward looking for more in between motions of taunting the Bringer. Slowly though, Luca's falling back, giving others time enough hopefully, waiting on signal perhaps from Reese that the full retreat is in effect.

Eirene checked intellect + war against difficulty 15, resulting in 30, 15 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene's done this before. Perhaps. She points with her blade at the flammible objects; barrels, ropes, dried tarps. "Nail those suckers, torch them!" Maybe she just enjoys fire.

Dodging arrows. Surely, there's a technique to it, but Leta can't even see the arrows flying in the dark by glancing over her shoulder, so the sellsword just zigs and zags wildly to keep any Shavs actually aiming at her from getting a good clean shot. But there are stray arrows, and at least one ends up sticking on her arm, going through the padding just enough to hang there, uselessly, bouncing along as the sellsword runs. She has her torch ready, drawn from her belt, and quickly strikes a spark. She sets fire to a rope in passing, waits for a moment for it to ignite, then shoves the flaming stick into the nearest flammable crevice. And off she goes!

While Luca engages the Bringer in another slashing hiss of his mirrored blade and neatly dodges the returning attempt to pound him with a massive fist, Reese charges after the others, dodging to avoid the rain of arrows. "Luca!" she calls to him over her shoulder, before breaking into a full run.

The quay lights up with flame as the torches strike it. The supports are too damp to light easily but the wood itself is begins with steam and smoke and then ignites in a fresh blaze.

Ropes, barrels, random detritus -- the flames catch and start to spread, in that scorched earth process that will protect their retreat. Even as they move past the smoldering wreck of what was once their cart, there's a sound from behind them and then the Shav'Arvani line is advancing, charging after them with a line of swords and pikes and at least fifty in their troop moving forward, if not more.

Luca checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 64, 49 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 25, 10 higher than the difficulty.

Sparte checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 48, 33 higher than the difficulty.

Eirene has rolled a critical success!
Eirene checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 31, 16 higher than the difficulty.

Leta checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 47, 32 higher than the difficulty.

Artorius moved quickly, grunting as he hauled it. He moved out of the way of arrows, even using his hands to backhand some of them away, using the darksteel plate to his advantage. He eventually made it to the gate, where he would wait out for Luca to make it before entering himself.

Medics. They know how to run. And Eirene's armor is designed for mobility and speed, so she has little trouble getting her way back, jumping over a fallen pile of lumber with ease.

Sparte has sheathed his sword for easier mobility and has the lantern up off his belt. He flashes it left and right as they retreat, sweeping the area for some unseen threat that - just maybe - is just his imagination this time. That'd be a refreshing change.

After a particularly vicious sizzling slash to the Bringer's leg, Luca hears that call of Grayson princess and is turning suddenly to go into a full scale run towards the others and the gate. His blades are sheathed, his hand gripping the Bringer skull to make sure he doesn't lose the prize. There's probably going to be some more silent screaming from behind, these of frustration as the thing is left behind, and so does Luca close with the group, ducking arrows nimbly and laughing the whole way. It's only once they've reached safety of the waiting gates and defensive archers that Luca's cackling out. "I can't fucking believe that worked!" After which, he's wincing a little at ribs, but moving over towards Eirene to bow his head in readiness of her thwapping him for injury.

The glow of Sparte's lantern does indeed reveal-- that there is no unseen threat. THIS TIME.

Once her torch is discarded, Leta pulls the arrow from her armor and tosses it towards a flaming barrel, adding a little more fuel to the incipient fire. And then she runs, no longer bothering with zig-zagging back and forth. The weaving path she has to pick along the uneven terrain is more than wobble enough for any arrows to whistle harmlessly by. She's still got her pollaxe in both hands, ready to sweep it and strike at any unseen threats, but it seems there are none ahead. And as she whirls about to check their rear once Luca runs past, it seems there are no threats behind either. Or rather, there are some, but they're growing distant. So she keeps jogging up towards the gates, until at last the mercenary stops, leaning on the haft of her weapon as she recovers her breath.

As the limping Bringer pursues with the army massing at its back, the team reaches the sanctuary of the city. Their escape is made clean. The fires burn and hiss and smolder in their wake for the foe to contend with. Reese holds the gate until the last of her party is inside and then the Iron Guard comes forward to make sure it slams shut, with Sparte there to make sure that nothing creepy is slammed inside with them.

CLANG!