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The grim staffwielder's eyes widen and he steps back involuntarily when he sees Arvindur casting his spell. He quickly recovers though and holding the staff in front of him with both hands quickly mouths an incantation of his own in response: the druid feels the energies he'd gathered and shaped dissipate before the swarm he wanted to conjure up could come into being on this plane. The mage looks relieved for a moment - the outcome of his counterspell must have been uncertain - and then speaks loudly: "Beware the halfling! He is a mage or a priest of sorts!"

This causes the leading swordsman to hesitate even more. Django spits at his feet and taps his shield with the waraxe, covered in clannish runes.

"Come on then! Let's see what you're made of, eh? Come on!"

The guard's only response is to lift his shield a little higher and take a step back, instead of forward.

"Let them come to us," one of the others, standing further back, hisses.


[OoC]
No surprise round and all readied actions and posturing taken care of
Round 1 - initiative:
Asa
Charlie
Guards - delaying
Wizard - delaying
Arvindur
Django 
Hjeld
Servants

The wizard curses when he sees the flask skittering towards him and manages to take a few quick steps to the side to avoid a direct hit - and breathes a sigh of relief when he finds it doesn't explode. Just before ducking out of sight Arvindur sees him gesticulate and utter another spell, then he vanishes from sight.  

The guards and the Silver Swords are locked in a standoff at this point: the adventurers have the choke point under control, but the guards don't want to come to them. On the contrary, they want the intruders to enter deeper into the mansion. Django, unwilling to give up their favourable position, bellows a harsh dwarven curse and puts his waraxe on the floor so he can draw and throw one of the smaller axes slinging from his belt: the weapon is harmlessly deflected by his target's shield though.

Hjeld has seen the wizard as well and realizes the danger: his hand goes into his pouch and comes up with another thunderstone, which he flashes at his comrades just long enough to let them know what he's going to do and then throws it past the guards to where the wizard was standing when he became invisible. Another thunderclap resounds through the building, causing the servants to fall to the ground in agony and two of the guards to let their weapons drop, although without letting go of them altogether.


[OoC]
Round 2 - initiative:
Guards - delaying (2 deafened, not the one in front with the shield though)
Asa
Charlie
Arvindur
Wizard - invisible, possibly deafened but no way to tell
Django
Hjeld
Servants - deafened

Sorry about the delay: I got rear-ended last week and was hospitalized for a couple of days. Still feeling like I'll fold over in a stiff breeze, but I'm home at least.


Arvindur can sniff out what he thinks is the wizard's smell: the mage is definitely still around, but it's hard to detect where he is. The man doesn't interfere with his spell this time though, and a rugged-looking wolf materializes behind the startled guards.


[OoC]
Round 3 - initiative:
Guards - delaying (2 deafened, not the one in front with the shield though)
Asa
Charlie
Arvindur: you can use a move action to determine the direction of the wizard's location, he's not that far off. Pinpointing his position would require passing within 5 ft though.
Wizard - invisible, possibly deafened but no way to tell
Django 
Hjeld
Servants - deafened

Asa is trying to decide whether to call upon magic of her own: the invisible foe makes her nervous, yet she has no spells at her disposal that will let her take him on. In the end, she settles for holding back a little longer. Her healing magic hasn't been needed yet, but that can change quickly. When she sees Arvindur's snarling reinforcement appear, she grins and mutters: "Go fetch, boy..." 

Django, Hjeld and Charlie look frustrated: the ongoing stalemate is not to the Silver Swords' advantage. The wolf is a welcome sight, yet speed is still essential and they're itching to get this fight over with.

Just when one of them is getting ready to make a move, the ornate door behind the guards opens up and another swordsman steps inside: he has insignia indicating a higher rank and his bared sword has an ominous shine rippling over the metal. 

"Enough!" 

He speaks loudly and with authority, roughly pulling one of the deafened servants up.

"You know your task - go!"

After sending the man stumbling on his way, the guard captain turns to the intruders and flourishes his sword, advancing on the wolf: "Time to get serious..."


[OoC]
Round 3 - initiative:
Guards - delaying (2 deafened, not the one in front with the shield though)
Asa
Charlie
Arvindur: you can use a move action to determine the direction of the wizard's location, he's not that far off. Pinpointing his position would require passing within 5 ft though.
Summoned wolf: still gets an action, though I can make a guess as to what; you can deploy him behind and out of reach of the guards, if you like 
Wizard - invisible, possibly deafened but no way to tell
Django 
Hjeld
Servants - deafened

The shield bearer yelps and instinctively stumbles back, unable to completely avoid the unexpected orb of flame thrust at him. Smoke rises from his mail, which is fused together where Arvindur hit him. Having waited for the opening, Charlie quickly throws an axe at the man and clips him against the side of the head: the helmet he's wearing absorbs the worst of the blow, but blood flows freely from a deep gash above one ear.

The wolf ignores the advancing swordsman and snarling, the hackles on its neck up, it charges the invisible wizard, guided by Arvindur's mental command. It's fearsome jaws snap at nothing though and the mage reveals himself, having sidestepped the beast and blasting it from just a few feet away with a ray of searing fire. It's pelt is scorched away and ugly blisters form on the dreadfully burnt skin, yet the animal holds - until the guardsman officer runs it through with his sword, instantly sending it back to the realm it was summoned from.

The officer casually flicks some blood off of the long blade he's using and waves at the Silver Swords to come to him. The guards all step back a few feet as well, inviting the adventurers to come forward through the door.

At this point Arvindur realizes the enemy wizard has been holding back: the two spells the man last used indicate significant ability, ability which should let him take the offensive more. Maybe his knowledge doesn't lend itself well to that, but that last spell could have severely injured any of his cvompanions or himself. The officer's cocky insistence to draw them out also sets the halfling on edge.  

The other Silver Swords have shifted behind the druid to back him up, without crowding each other and leaving enough room for Arvindur to back up and get behind them if needed. The guards facing them have left a rough semi-circle on the other side of the door, just about large enough for the entire group of Silver Swords to stand and fight in should they choose to take the fight to defenders.


[OoC]
Round 4 - initiative:
Guards - delaying (2 deafened, not the one in front with the shield); the guard with the shield is barely standing after the two hits he just took
Asa
Charlie
Arvindur
Wizard - breathing heavily and looking half smug and half disturbed - he's not entirely confident in hiow the fight goes
Guard officer
Django 
Hjeld