Orathy wields a brutal battle axe with a wicked crescent blade.

Orathy wields Renewal, a steel longsword.

Ford wields Saffron's Edge.

Orathy wields a brutal battle axe with a wicked crescent blade.

Magden wields Culler Weighted Dagger L.

Orathy wields a brutal battle axe with a wicked crescent blade.

Nightfall on one of the first nights of the Siege and a hush has fallen over the docks. A sickly sweet rotting smell has been wafting across the water, blown in a chill wind. A mist slowly rolling over the river.

The river continues to babble and rush. No ships are currently on the water, however.

The moon is high above the river, glimmering where the mist hasn't obscured the rushing water.

While the course of the battles leading up to the siege had found Freja elsewhere, the 'elsewhere' remaining hush to common knowledge, the Redrain has found her silent footfall leading her to the docks tonight to take stock of the damages done.

Orathy Culler has spent days on the hunt. Days! After the docks were overrun, he's been doing nothing but patrols and hunting raids into the Lowers, scowering for signs of Bringers and Shavs that got through. He's barely slept but he's had some food at the Murder, who had been serving those standing in defense of the Lower Boroughs. He's on a walk, patrol, or hunt, whatever the case... finding his night leading toward the river mouth.

The Stormward Marquis hasn't gone home since the first opening skirmish at the gates. While he did leave to get tended to a bit, and he did get more appropriate armor, Ford has been stalking the streets, vigilant as ever. When he spots the Redrain, his eyes narrow and he tilts his head, making his way to approach.

Brier has been hearing more and m ore about these Bringers and Shavs, forcing their way into the city and trying to walk around like they own the place as they hurt the city's people. She considered letting her cousin worry of it and doing what she could to help the fight from the otside, but enough was enough and she wanted to do whatever she could. So donning her recently forged armor bearing the Crovane family symbol, she sets out for the Lower Boroughs. She patrols and lets her eyes scan over the buildings and alleys that she passes on the wawy to the river front. When she notices Freja, she does change her course to approach the woman. She bows her head respectfully to the princess and though seeing Ford brings less recognition to her eyes, she mimics the same respectful gesture to him as well.

Magden often spends her time riverside, stalking the shore like a small, silent cat. Sometimes the night fishermen are disturbed by her persence, drawing up their nets to go elsewhere. But there are none tonight. Not while the city is in such peril. Have the docks been recently overrun? She must have been looking elsewhere, or counting the splinters that fell down as the insurgents and defenders clashed. Such little details keep her attention better. When people begin to gather, however, she slinks back into the shadows. Not that they obscure her any more than they would a normal person. But they're comforting.

Freja walks with a broadaxe on either hip, the runes along their edges repeated in the scouting leathers she wears. The monstrous albino bear headdress she wears keeps her eyes in shadow, even in the full moonlight, so the direct line of her gaze remains hidden and only hinted at by the tilt of her head. The tilt turns to Ford's approach, silently staring until he gets within earshot close enough for tones scarcely over a whisper. "On guard or can't sleep?" Brier gets the same inquiry, but recognizing the vassal of her House she gets a friendly clasp on the shoulder in way of salute.

Ford checked perception + investigation against difficulty 25, resulting in 13, 12 lower than the difficulty.

Brier checked perception + investigation against difficulty 25, resulting in 14, 11 lower than the difficulty.

Orathy checked perception + investigation against difficulty 25, resulting in 14, 11 lower than the difficulty.

Freja checked perception + investigation against difficulty 25, resulting in 38, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Ford glances around at the silent streets, drawing in a slow breath at Freja's question, when his gaze returns to the bear adorning woman, one of his eyebrows curves upwards and he gives a nonchalant tilting shrug of his head, "Let's call it both."

Magden checked perception + investigation against difficulty 25, resulting in 6, 19 lower than the difficulty.

There in the water, just ahead of the mist that stretches like creeping fingers over the water... something round pops up briefly. The moonlight glimmering of pale skin, before the figure slips back under the water...

"On guard, your highness." Brier quietly offers to Freja, a friendly smirk tugging at a corner of her lip as she reaches up to place a callused hand on the woman's shoulder to return the salute. "Just got into town recently, been hearing some awful things. Only so much I can do from the forge so thought I'd be a bit proactive." When she lets her hand fall away, she introduces herself to Ford, "Brier Crovane, pleasure to meet you tonight."

"Guarding is all well and good, but ensure you have the sleep to go with it..." Freja snorts, half-amused with Ford and nodding her approval to Brier. The Cullers get a sideways glance from her and a nod if eyes meet in passing. But then, that faint sight.
     All it takes is that glimmer of moonlight of off pallid skin, sans scales and cleary -not- a fish suddenly deciding it needs to breathe. "There." the scout says firmly, switching gears in a matter of moments. Freja points with two fingers towards the direction she saw it and then removes her axes from their belt, holding each one low and at the ready at level with her hips.

Orathy regards the trio that are talking amongst themselves, though more so he starts to notice that someone was slinking back into the shadows. That makes him pop an eyebrow up and go over to investigate, head slanted as he approaches Magden or at least, where she's trying to stay obscure from the others. Until that is, Freja calls out with two fingers pointed toward the water, following her gaze and taking a moment to register his gaze in the gloom of the night punctuated only the lanterns scattered here and there. "Sparte be thanked fer those Lanterns now..." he growls, a pride thing, probably.

Leveling his gaze on the tall Crovane lady, Ford inclines his head softly, even offering her a gentlemanly smile despite the circumstance, "Fo--" His attention whips towards Freja and her callout. He shifts his stance and sets his hand on the hilt of his sword, falling silent and listening for any manner of not normal.

There? There what? Magden pokes her head around one of the great poles supporting the pier, squinting at the fog.

Just after Freja's call they come... Six Shavs up out of the water. Pale flesh covered in primitive armor. Carrying with them sharp swords and spears. Freja's warning means that those on the shore aren't surprised. With a primal cry the shav's come charging up the river bed.

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 15, resulting in 29, 14 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 42, 22 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 49, 34 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 56, 36 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 20, resulting in 27, 7 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked dexterity + brawl against difficulty 20, resulting in 27, 7 higher than the difficulty.

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

Orathy checked command + leadership against difficulty 15, resulting in 47, 32 higher than the difficulty.

Brier has rolled a critical success!
Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 20, resulting in 40, 20 higher than the difficulty.

"Ahhh fuckin abyss..." Orathy spits to the side as he notices the water shifting and mist creeping, then from it the rise of the ... shavs? There's no way they should be that pale and that... capable of staying under water for so long! Hence the curse. Orathy remains relatively calm, as if this wasn't the first group of demonic soldiers he's had to face down, working out the haft of his axe from his belt and settling the brutal axe in a good grip of his hand. He digs in his feet, rolling up his shoulders, shaking out his neck. He narrows in on one of the shavs coming for him, stepping forward with a weighty thump of boots, "Ya see these streets behind me youse fuckin abyssal twats! These be OUR streets! Youse ain't havin any of 'em! Evar eh!? Fuck of 'n die already!" That poor Shav, he doesn't know what's coming. The brutal rubicund axe gleams with a reddish tinge, whisking through the air with a clean and forceful downward cleave! The axe bites into that pale nasty flesh and smashes full force into the creature's head, to a gruesome sound of collasping and breaking bone and the sickening squelch of wet brain matter spewing out and slopping all over the place, his axe hailing back with a spray of blood as he wrenches it free.

Brier looks over to Orathy when he goes to investigate the shadows, but on her call she tries to let her gaze follow where Freja points out. Her eyes narrow to get a better look at what she is pointing out. She cracks her knuckles and utters a quiet grunt from her chest when the Shavs start their charge. She turns and tries to run up to one of the shav's on the outside of the group, anger burning in her eyes as she rears a balled fist back and slams it down into the Shav's face in an attempt to leave them crumpled in the dirt. She shakes out her hand slowly before she kneels down to grip the Shav and try to jerk its head and neck at an unnatural angle to elicit a snap from it to try to guarantee that it won't be getting up again.

Freja checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 40, resulting in 59, 19 higher than the difficulty.

The moment the shavs emerge from the water, Ford takes two steps to the side, away from Brier and Freja. The steel of his sword sings as it's drawn from the sheathe as he steps forward, ducking beneath the first initial swing directed in his direction. The Marquis then punches the hilt into the gut of that particular shav, then twisting his hips and bringing that hilt to bear on the man's jaw this time, sending him to the ground like a sack of flour

Magden startles back slightly as a shav slogs out of the surf beside her. Well. That was unexpected. In the next moment, she leaps on him, stabbing at his neck and taking him down into the water. There's a lot of red in that swirling foam as she regains her feet... but, with the body under the water, there's no telling -- for the moment -- whether it will rise again.

"With me." Freja says to the two she had been speaking with and with whomever happens to be in the vicinity, lurking in shadows or not, if you're compact side the Redrain expects some sort of help with a blade - the tone indicative enough! The scout springs forward, her boots falling in a swift staccato upon the docks before a deft spin of her wrist has the axe in her right hand connecting soundly with the Shav's cranium as the one in her left arcs upwards from her hip - it finds the Shav's wrist, halting his first strike entirely before his body gives one last twitch, nerves reacting in a final effort against the lodged axe. The Shav's clawed weapons clatter to the docks before she plants her foot firmly at its waist, kicking it both off of her weapons and into the waters below.
     Nowhere near the brutality of her brothers, Freja does seem to have a finesse all her own though, albeit a messy one.

One of the Shavs is not cut down right away and instead lurchs toward Freja. Not bearing a weapon. It's fingers elongated and its nails sharp and vicious looking. The claws swipe and slash at the Redrain princess but do not manage to catch her.

This is not the end, however, as a group of more shavs come up out of the river. Bursting up for air. There are now eight shavs wade from the water to go after the river mouth defenders. Are more behind them?

Magden checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 51, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 35, resulting in 48, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked dexterity + brawl against difficulty 20, resulting in 41, 21 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 49, 29 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 20, resulting in 28, 8 higher than the difficulty.

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

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 19, 1 lower than the difficulty.

Ford checked stamina + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 20, 5 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 18, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Orathy has rolled a critical success!
Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 60, 35 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy has rolled a critical success!
Orathy checked stamina + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 58, 43 higher than the difficulty.

Brier looks up at the water as more start to emerge and she calls over her shoulder to Freja, "I'll stand by your side until their end. We will not be fell on this night!" When they start to run up, reaches out to grab the Shav by its hair or head and yanks it down to ram her armored knee in its face as she throws it off to a side in an unconcious heap. She glares at it in consideration and decides to leave it there as she looks around over the others that remain standing to try to decide on her next target.

Freja pivots on her heel, finding her rhythm with a bright ripple of laughter that seems out of place amid the sound of weapons clanging against armor. Both axes meet in the middle to greet the next shav at his sternum, the audible cracking of bone heard before a wheezing sound announces the Shav's death rattle and final breath, escaping in a pink mist from his lips.

That clawed swipe at Freja draws Ford's attention, without hesitation he turns and gives the bastard the business end of his boot, knocking him away from the Scout of the Snows. As retaliation, that claw that came for Freja was now scraping across his brand new armor! The fucking nerve. It knocked a few of those studs off and left some charming valleys in his chest.

Nothing's going quite Magden's way, tonight. Nothing's so much as pricked her, but now she has two //semi// dead foes being pushed ashore, like the river's spitting them out. Shav. Bleaugh. She can't blame it. Still -- precious, precious time. She hunkers low and keeps her eye on the water as she cuts throats, making sure the two she's taken down don't rise again.

"Magden!" Orathy calls out toward the woman he's put under his protection, "Fight beside me aye!!!" He at least was going to make an attempt to cover her, however, there's more shavs climbing out of the water. "Fuckin ABYSS with ya nutsacks!" The fact that he's moving toward the river is clear he's not going to let any one of those Shavs get purchase in the Lower Boroughs. The first one that comes out gets his clock knocked clean off, that brutal axe cleaving it's way through with a zing and a meaty rip of flesh and bone. His second shav falls at his feet, though it was not the last. He's abruptly flanked by one, barely getting out of the way in time of the Shav's attack, his armor saving his hide from another nasty wound, the shadow leathers made by house Culler standing sure once more! Though when he spins to resolve the attack of the other, in the same instant, done in a flash of the eye, the other Shav attacks, forcing Orathy to do some crazy feat of athletics that bends him backward with a rolling shoulder to avoid the strike, following up with the momentum of turning into a sudden backward flip to reposition himself (because crit yo!), swinging upward with the axe to attack the closest Shav to him from a lower crouch.

Magden glances up from cutting the second shav's throat. "Why?" she shouts back. "You're doing fine!"

The shavs continue to come out of the water. As the river bank defenders work at cutting them down; knocking them out, killing them outright and then begin to coup de grace them still come out of the water.

Two shavs leap at Orathy, attempting to stab at him with spears. While the one with claws tries to get at Ford. Meanwhile, the ones coming out of the water begin to swarm the defenders. Now they are almost twice as many shavs as there are people on the banks.

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 20, resulting in 27, 7 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked command + leadership against difficulty 15, resulting in 23, 8 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked composure against difficulty 15, resulting in 28, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked willpower against difficulty 15, resulting in 6, 9 lower than the difficulty.

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 30, resulting in 29, 1 lower than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 68, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 36, 9 lower than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 40, resulting in 31, 9 lower than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 35, resulting in 45, 10 higher than the difficulty.

The rope cutting Culler is fierce in how fast he moves, a rawness to his skills, the form one of a fighter born on the streets, all grit and instinct, with a certain underworld flare to it. He weaves and bobs, twists and wheels, ducking out of the way, parrying the spears with a twist or turn of his axe, using the blunt end to spin them away, as he includes a kick and muscles with his shoulder to gain leverage. Both the Shavs are attacking him at once. Spears are angled at him to cut him down. It's all about dodging, parrying, turning at the right time. He gets by the instep of the one Shav, coming across with the wickedly made blunt end of his axe, sending a spray of blood as he downs one of the shav's with the spear. It might not be dead, but it's currently out of his way so he can refocus on the second, which his attack inevitably miss for the time being, especially as the Shav realizes the other isn't there to poke and prod in unison and thereby has to face Orathy on it's own. The Culler is a seething ball of black leather as he hacks and cleaves at the Shav, sounds of his weapon being countered clinging and rattling.

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 29, 9 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 26, 1 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 31, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 32, 7 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 39, 19 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 16, 4 lower than the difficulty.

Magden checked stamina + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 28, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 50, 30 higher than the difficulty.

Brier 's eyes end up fixed on one of the ones still standing and despite how she tries to run up to swing her first at him, the Shav ends up ducking out of the way just in time. When it tries to swipe back at her, she ducks and weaves to avoid it. She smirks and laughs, "Good to see another one with some fight in it." She grunts out in comment, leveling both her hands to be on guard and wait on a potential opening to strike again at the Shav.

With Ford's attention wrapped up in dealing with Claws, he doesn't see the shavs coming up behind him. During one of his swings at Claws, he inadvertently dodges one incoming attack. This causes him to tangle the blade of his sword with the claws of the original assailent. With a twist, and a lovely flourish, Ford lops off the clawed hands, sending them skittering to the ground and using his hilt to punch the fucker out before focusing on these new friends he's made. Only just barely slipping away from the second attack sent his way.

Freja manages to bob and weave as a weapon comes singing through the air for her side, but she sacrifices her own riposte for it, her axes missing the shav she was going for.

Magden's attention is rapidly drawn from Orathy -- doing fine -- to her own world. Not as good. She twists away from a shav speak aimed at her heart (where in the abyss did THAT come from?) It nicks her shoulder. Tis but a flesh wound! "Ow," she mutters, and leaps on her attacher to deliver some payback -- which is, reportedly, a bitch.

With two of the Shavs downed, the other seven continue their assault on the others. Two of them going after Orathy and Ford, who manage to dodge out of the way of the attacks. Meanwhile, from the water come more shavs still. Seven more them, doubling their number in one go. Trudging up out of the water. The very last one to come up out of the water a head or two taller than the rest, its fingers deformed into wicked looking claws. Pale, and glaring. It comes charging through the water toward Orathy...

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 30, resulting in 36, 6 higher than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 64, 34 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 44, 14 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 47, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 78, 33 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 55, 10 higher than the difficulty.

Apparently Ford is the most violent pacifist ever. Despite his best efforts, or perhaps it's just being efficient, he is merely maiming these Shav aggressors. Turning to face the men who tried to stab him in the back, literally, he parries one of their blows and drags his blade from mid thigh to collarbone effectively opening him up stem to stern, but by the gods if he's not dead. Just lying there on the ground, bleeding to death.

Brier checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 33, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 36, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 32, 12 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 11, 14 lower than the difficulty.

Magden has rolled a critical success!
Magden checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 74, 54 higher than the difficulty.

Magden has rolled a critical success!
Magden checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 38, 13 higher than the difficulty.

The Shav that had managed to nearly puncture Freja's side is the next in cue; shifting to the right in stance in case another swing of the blade is aimed her way, the Redrain comes up with her left axe connecting with a dull 'thunk' of his neck, almost severing it in two before the Shav falls. She uses her right axe to dislodge the now limp for, the flat backend of it smacked against the side of the head to budge its brother axe loose.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 24, 4 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 31, 6 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked stamina + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 28, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 30, resulting in 27, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Orathy checked stamina + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 23, 8 higher than the difficulty.

Brier cracks her fist against the Shav's jaw to send it staggering away from her and notices one trying to creep up behind her to catch her off guard out of the corner of her eye. A toothy smile is flashed and she side steps the one in front of her, before twisting nimbly away from the one trying to get behind her. "Have to be faster than that." She mutters as her eyes scan over the shav's remaining as she tries to loosen her neck up.

Three Shavs-- including the tallest --go after Orathy. The Culler is a dervish of blades, however, and manages to himself from being hurt except for the last one... The tallest one manages to slash out with monstrous claws and get at Orathy. Meanwhile, Ford is surrounded by two shavs with spears. One of them sticking him right between the ribs. Those shavs on the woman, however, miss or are dodged.

Taken on two at a time, Orathy Culler is still making a swathe through the shav line coming for him. He breaks through the leverage of the Shav who he was attacking head on, his axe cleaving through spear first then doubling back with the wicked talon shaped spike shattering through the Shav's skull, the point of it coming through the mouth and jaw. Wrenching the axe free and booting the Shav over with a kick, Orathy doesn't loose stride as he turns toward yet another trying to come up on him. This last one, was different. It was taller, it had deformed claws for hands. Orathy grunts, going through the motions as he takes down another lesser one, though, soon finds himself surrounded by three.... with the one son of a bitch coming at him with wicked claws. He isn't able to dodge and parry as they net him into a circle, swearing as he's defending against spears but those claws... It catches him off guard. His arm catches the majority of the raking claws, but his shoulder and some of his face gets the tail end of that business... His head jerks to the side from the momentum, he staggers back, his hand reaching up to his face, glove coming back soaked. "OY! Youse fuckin made me bleed me own blood! Ya Abyssal cock nut!" It's clear that the threat comes from the taller one, which he pivots to focus his attack on, trying to keep that from happening again, while minding the other two that have hemmed him in.

Magden only manages to trade wound for wound with the shav that nicked her shoulder. Her 'nick' is of the 'nearly cleave arm from shoulder' variety, but the bugger is still standing when she pulls her blade free. Another comes rushing to the aid of its... species. She ducks and rolls, springing back to her feet and whirling to face them again. One ear on the chaos up river, she mouths, //Abyssal cock nut?// with a befuddled face. But never mind! Death to deal.

Brier has rolled a critical success!
Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 30, resulting in 72, 42 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 47, 2 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 31, 14 lower than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 35, 10 lower than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 50, 20 higher than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 45, 0 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 13, 7 lower than the difficulty.

Brier checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 28, 3 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 36, 16 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 35, 15 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 30, resulting in 65, 35 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 30, 5 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked stamina + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 12, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 34, 14 higher than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 44, 19 higher than the difficulty.

There's that sharp, instant jolt of incredible pain. Ford throws his head back with a yelping shout as one of the Shav's spears finds it's way inside his body. He grips the shaft of the spear and holds it so they can't jerk it around in his innards to badly, but that significantly throws off his swinging game. But he does manage to free the Shav of his grip on the spear so he can slowly pull it with a pained grunt. He holds onto the spear for now. Ford is intent on lodging that thing so far down someone's throat they'll shit arrowhead.

"Since you're so keen on getting in on the fun..." Brier growls out as she narrows her eyes on the one that tried to sneak up on her, flexing her hand. "Then who am I to deny you?!" After reaching back, she knocks her fist against its temple to send it falling backwards limply. In turning her attention, she misses a swipe from the wounded one nearby. She jerks away from another trying to close in on her and breathes heavily as she glances between the pair of them before she beckons the Shavs to taunt them into trying again.

The big fucker is hard to miss, so Freja goes for that one - thing is she may be tall, but he is taller. He is mightier. She is built for speed above strength. It is a surprise there isn't a comical 'dink' that rings out when her axes barely make a dent in the Shav's back. Her eyes widen and she grins impishly, "Oh, you're a right ol' brute aren't ya?"

Orathy manages to land an insignificant hack against the taller Shav brute ahead of him, staying well ahead of the other spears, dancing around them as he dodges left and right. Sweat was matting his hair to his face, face that was pouring blood in free flowing rivers down into his beard and further down his neck, disappearing under the black leathers and splattering over them. He's still surrounded but his focus, had been, that taller threat. He barely avoids getting slammed by those claws again, nodding to Freja who helps to flank it, "Tween the both of us, we best be knockin it down!"

Once again, Magden stabs at the wounded shav... annnnd no love. "Can we discuss how badly you need to die?" Using its weakened state, she swings the creature around like a dancer, hoping to use it as a shield against the second.

The shavs continue their press. Attempting to cut down the defenders here on the river bank. The tallest one turning onto Orathy and Freja. It's cut and nicked but it's still very much up. A few of the Shavs break off, and attempt to make a run for it, to rush past the defenders and into the city.

Orathy checked command + leadership against difficulty 15, resulting in 22, 7 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy looks over his shoulder to see that some of the shavs are making a run for it. He bellows out, "FUCKIN ABYSS! Someone get them cock nuts!!" Yes, apparently that's the phrase of the evening! He however, cannot deal with them, so close to the tallest brute, to whom he turns to still, axe poised and ready to see if he can duck under those defenses...

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 25, resulting in 35, 10 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 25, resulting in 44, 19 higher than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 46, 1 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 25, resulting in 38, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Nononono NOT okay. Magden sees the handful of shavs running up into the boroughs as she whirls her dancing partner around. Dancing Partner is immediately dropped. As a rule, she never turns her back on an opponent, but rules were made to be broken. She leaves both the wounded shav and its mate behind as she sprints after the runners.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 36, 9 lower than the difficulty.

Brier checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 17, 8 lower than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 49, 29 higher than the difficulty.

Brier has rolled a critical success!
Brier checked stamina + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 90, 75 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 25, 0 higher than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 42, 22 higher than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 30, resulting in 69, 39 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 28, 8 higher than the difficulty.

Brier 's head jerks over to the few that are trying to get away and she starts to run on over to tackle into the first one that she can reach to knock it onto the ground and try to slow its run. "Get back here." She snarls out, unflinching as it tries to kick her away. "Trying to! Just stay focused on that hulking one!" She calls over to Orathy distracted by trying to subdue the one she managed to reach.

Ford spots those fuckers trying to run further into the city and turns, tossing the spear into a throwing position and hurling it at one of the fleeing bastards. It pins him in the back, but as is the way of things tonight. He can't kill him. So he just starts crawling around with a spear sticking out of his back. Whatever, fuck you shav, you earned that spear, see you in hell.

Magden might gloat a little as, in her flight to catch the runners, her two (former) opponents miss her entirely. If she had eyes in the back of her head. All she knows, however, is that no one stabs her in the back. That's good enough. She catches up with one of the fleeing shavs and leaps on its bag, dagger swinging down in a high arc.

'DINK!' might as well be the sound of Freja hitting the large Shav. Again. She's landing the hits, dodging the blows, but those willowly arms aren't packing a punch. Sure, she can sneak up on a fucking bringer, but she can't one-shot a monster shav. Someone help the girl with her muscles, feed that woman a cheeseburger or twelve. She isn't relenting, but she isn't downing it anytime soon - her jaw tightens with stubborn determination as she exchanges parries with the man.

Orathy ... shouldn't have really yelled out. That put him off balance and misjudging the turn of his axe. He was concerned that no more got into the Lowers, but, the reminder of the hulking form in front of him for now, kept him from the flinch of pursuit against those runners. How he wanted to chase! It's an instinct to want to attack fleeing Shavs. Instead, as his axe sails clean through the air, he reworks his stance as the thing turns on Freja, hollaring as he charges it!

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 59, 14 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 25, resulting in 23, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 46, 16 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 25, resulting in 55, 30 higher than the difficulty.

The taller corrupted Shav's mistake was to turn away from Orathy Culler. Laugh at him will it?! Orathy takes his weight and throws it into his downward arch, HAMMERING the axe into the Shav's back, bursting through armor to sink into flesh and perhaps bone! Orathy wenches it out and goes for another cleaving swing, meaning to hack at the back of it's neck... or something!

Freja checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 43, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + stealth against difficulty 20, resulting in 46, 26 higher than the difficulty.

Freja checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 38, 18 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 25, resulting in 22, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 37, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked stamina + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 32, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Magden uses her boot on the once-fleeing (now deading) shav's back to pull her knife free, taking a diagonal lunge at the next runner. Full body tackle... or faceplant. Stay tuned, True Believers!

Ford checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 25, 5 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 25, resulting in 52, 27 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 50, 20 higher than the difficulty.

Two of the shavs scramble off into the darkness of the city. Disappearing down alleyways. Off to who knows what sort of mischief they might get into...

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 51, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 42, 12 higher than the difficulty.

Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 30, resulting in 28, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 30, resulting in 53, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 45, resulting in 83, 38 higher than the difficulty.

Brier tries to to thwack the Shav that's on the ground, but is left growling in frustration after it manages to crawl away. She is at least able to endure one of its final kicks before she climbs back to her feet. "Damnit all." She grumbles out, before she turns and tries to run over to return back to where the few lingering ones remain. She swings a punch that goes wide and she curses again under her breath.

Freja has to dive to miss the Shav's next attack, completely foregoing her attach entirely. Not a single hit this time.

Ford is in rage mode, getting a spear delivered express to your guts will do that. He continues moving through, as best he can, the remaing scores of Shavs, removing the leg of one, running another through and leaving him to bleed on the ground. He may not be killing any of them, per say, he's sure leaving a fucking mess in his wake. Tears in his wake, never at his wake.

The large brute doesn't stand a chance after he's opened up his back to Orathy's brutal and bloody axe! The big shav's attention on Freja had been it's downfall. The first slam of the axe had effectively stunned it and severed some tendons and back muscles. It wasn't pretty. It doesn't stop either. Orathy's subsequent attack is as brutal as the axe is. There is no mercy. The eerie red steel blade is like a hot knife through butter as Orathy heaves it up and brings it back down, this time onto the back of the taller shav's neck and spine! Blood and gore as bone particules crunch and splinter, a rooster tail of blood sprays underneath the axe and the momentum of the killing strike brings Orathy down almost with the Shav, having to fight for his blade to wiggle free of the trunk of Shav meat he hurled it into. Stepping back with a grunt from the hulking mass, he turns to look at the remainder of what's left, if anything, panting.

-One- shav gets away... the other does not... One shav runs through the city; lost, confused, up to no good.

Freja checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 37, 7 higher than the difficulty.

"FUCK!" Magden flips her bloody (literally) bangs out of her eyes just in time to see one of the runners -- possibly two, she might have whacked her noggin when she took the first one down -- escape. She cuts the throat of her downed victim, returns to the beach with haste. Things to mop up, down there.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 59, 29 higher than the difficulty.

Brier has rolled a critical success!
Brier checked strength + brawl against difficulty 30, resulting in 54, 24 higher than the difficulty.

Magden checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 66, 36 higher than the difficulty.

Ford checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 30, resulting in 67, 37 higher than the difficulty.

Brier seems about fed up with not being able to get anymore blood drawn, so she reaches out and grips one of three remaining by the shoulder. She draws back at full strength and slams her fist against its nose. She does not stop there and she continues to punch the shav that's gone limp in her grip repeatedly and brutally until his face is a bruised, swollen, and bloodied pulp before her. After panting heavily, she releases her grip to leave it on the ground and looks to survey around them. "I think...only one got loose into the city..."

There is some anger left over from the the SHAV THAT JUST WOULD NOT FALL and Freja takes out that aggression on one of the poor, invading Shavs still lingering on the beach. It isn't quick and beautiful, it is a hacking and slashing mess of the scout cussing loudly and using the invader as her own personal pincushion. What is left is a barely recognizable face attacked to a ragdoll form, the Redrain covered in well..a rain of red? Her wrists are drenched, face covered, and that albino bear headdress will certainly benefit from a good washing and soak.

Storming forward, Ford swats the incoming attack from a shav out of the way as if it was a light slap from a pillow, or the shav's sword was made of hopes and wishes. The steel of Saffron's Edge slides into the shav's gut before Ford does a lovely spin and removes the bastard's head from it's head. Like popping the cork from champagne. When no one else was moving, Ford looked up at the night sky, the winter cold giving him a lovely cloud of breath, "I've had enough of these mother fucking shavs in my mother fucking city."

attached to a ragdoll*

Magden wipes blood from her face. Eww. "I think I'll be having a bath, now. Well done, Rath." She trudges up toward the Murder.

Orathy looks over toward Ford, smirking, watching as the other man finds his stride after the bellow of telling them off. For his part, Orathy just sort of goes over to one that's like half dead or something, at least unconscious still from earlier, and promptly cuts off their head. THUD! Axes are good for that. He'll make sure the others on the ground, any that are dead or even still alive, get the same treatement. SWING. THUD. Heads will roll and all that! Once it looks like things aren't moving anymore, he grumbles to the group, "How many be gettin away inta the Lowers?" Meanwhile, he goes back to the taller shav and starts to have a look-see, pawing through armor and gear and such, seeing if there's anything interesting of note!

Orathy checked perception + investigation against difficulty 15, resulting in 20, 5 higher than the difficulty.

"One," says Magden, still trudging. "Possibly two, if you cound the one with Ford's spear in it. But it can't turn corners. So it's fucked."

By the time the defenders are done the beach is littered with the bodies of twenty for shavs. The river bed slicks with their blood. Foot prints lead out into the city-- one shav got away and into the city. Where did it go? What is it going to do...

"Mine will be easy to spot. Just look for the one with the wooden tail." Ford moves back towards the buildings of the docks, clutching his side. Good thing he got the new armor today, otherwise he probably could have been dead.

"One." Brier repeats for Orathy's benefit after she looks down at her hands and flexes her fingers. "Going to need to get some snow or ice on these..." She mutters to herself and then she decides, "And sure as the Abyss going to need to find a proper weapon. You all were slicing them so much, was like you were carving up roast turkey for a starving family.."

"Not goin' to make it far. We'll start the hunt." Freja practically growls as she gives her axes a small flick, sending the bit of guts on them to the sand as she begins stalking forward, towards those bloody footprints leading into the city. It can't be said she lacks zeal, that much is for certain.

In the dark of night cries of alarm come up from the Lower Boroughs at the River Mouth. Words are that shavs are coming up out of the river attempting to get into the city. However, by the time forces are scrambled down to the rivermouth they find that five local defenders have lain waste to a force of twenty four shavs. Princess Freja Redrain, Master Orathy Culer, Lady Brier Crovane, Marquis Ford Kennex, and Mistress Magden have been said to have stopped the small force of Shavs from entering the city with their weapons-- and in the case of Brier Crovane fists --alone. However... there are whispers that one or two shavs may have gotten past them and into the boroughs... Still, that five people managed to stop /twenty four/ men on their own...

Magden pauses and crouches to stare at Opia, the fat, unblinking cat. She's all done with the shavs now. "You have to blink," she tells the cat, "or you aren't real."