The head of the shrieking undead went flying from its shoulders at Tarvek's two handed swing, lower body falling back at his kick. But he wasn't inclined to stay out here, fighting in melee, as a solid blow or two would be sufficient to dispel his disguise self and that would cause problems. So he stepped backwards after the strike, allowing other warriors to charge forward into the melee as he retreated back inside through the doors of the inn, to where panic and shouting reigned. Largely in the struggle between those wanting to run away, those wishing to charge out and fight, and those, like himself, calling for barricading the doors. Something already sort of happening, but Tarvek only departed for the upstairs, calling for archers when he was sure they were doing so.
"Jan, May" he called to Janet and Mayuko "With me! Arm yourselves with the crossbows!"
'In the room, and I'll summon them' he didn't say, but he placed two there, visibly, in case anyone had investigated, and he entered quickly, handing the pair the light crossbows to each. Crude ones, but sufficient for the local designs as well as being useful in combat for the pair. His own was one he'd worked upon, or rather built, in the Waystation and while as disguised as he could make it…it was a powerful, modern, albeit weakly enchanted weapon as he placed Mayuko at the barred window of their room along with Janet, so they could alternate firing with the door open. There wasn't anything to shoot at, just yet, but he saw a human woman doing the same in the room just up for them, clad in clothing fit for the woods while hurriedly stringing up a bow as he passed her room.
In his hands he loaded his crossbow, cranking back the strings with ease, and loading the blessed bolt into the weapon as he made for the balcony. That was three stories up, Tarvek ascending some more steps to get up to it, where another person, a dwarf male, was shouting curses at those below and equipped with a blackpowder musket weapon. Easy to know as it boomed out before Tarvek strode out, weapon in hand, and overlooking the streets and towards the gates. It had likely been built this way deliberately; as it was a decent enough defensive position, and where he stood right now, while pretty and having nice seating, gave great sights for shooting into those streets.
'Down, up weapon, aim…fire' he told himself as he did just that, resting on one knee to minimise how much of his body he was showing over the stone railings, weapon resting on it…
Twaanggg
…before firing 'He shoots…he scores!'
Slamming a bolt into the head of another undead, who were coming forward. Not many, and Tarvek already judged as he began to reload, watching as the undead guard's head snapped back. Then toppled backwards as the blessing in it, or the headshot itself, managed to slay it. With the streets now cleared, or at least clearing, of civilians and the necromantic smoke cleared…
'Hmm, poor attack' he judged as he reloaded, ignoring the barking boom beside him from the clearly drunken dwarf, watching as those remaining undead weren't about in sufficient number to deal with the living coming towards them 'Where is the necromancer…ah…'
His eyes picked out the figured with spears sticking out of them. Clearly in the time it had taken him to get armed, then here, the fellow had been dealt with. Maybe shoot by the dwarf too?
"HAAAHAAAA PISS POOR EFFORT AM AH ROIT!" drunken dwarf cheered, clearly picking up on the same things Tarvek was a small gnomish female ran out to join them, a rifle-like weapon in hand "YE RUNNIN A WE BIT LATE LASS, THEM LICH LADS BOYS DONE FUCKED UP, EY?"
Tarvek felt, or rather an alert only he could see, distant but within the city's range hinted to him that, no, this was not over, even as the warriors below made swift work of the undead "I would not stay that. This may only be the beginning of something friend dwarf"
'Because this may have been unintended, or triggered early?' he mused, taking aim once again, and hitting one of the few remaining undead, catching the poor woman who'd been in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the shoulder. A solid hit that tore the arm off at the shoulder, and it was clear this was unintelligent undead at the very least as the corpse barely seemed to notice the blow before being smashed down by a large human male in armour armed with a ridiculously large looking warhammer.
"AH, BUT LOOK, THEY BE DEAD-DEAD AN' NARY A SIGN AH ANY MORE OF'EM!"
Tarvek resisted a sigh at the loud dwarf as he energetically smacked, or 'patted' the gnome woman's shoulder, Tarvek reaching down to grab her before she fell face first to the ground. The dwarf was enthusiastic he supposed, the gnome though seemed relieved as he helped her up unto the bench on the other side of him, now away from said dwarf "Thank you! Nearly fell! And, yay! We won already…I was in the middle of evening brunch! Or was it late lunch?...ah, boo! Evil! They ruined by Lat-unch I'll call it!"
Again the red-skinned orc disguised as a pale-skinned human valiantly resisted sighing, nodding instead "Yes, the vile fiends evil knows no bounds"
"Yes! Oh, sorry!" the gnome announced, now danger was passed, standing 'tall' on the stone bench "HI! I'm Dixie Weldercrank! Nice to meet you fellow heroes!"
"Greetings Dixie" Tarvek answered, eyes on the city, seeing 'rad-warnings' of that other explosion "I am Tav"
"AYE! WE SHOULD HAVE A DRINK TO CELEBRATE! IF I AIN'T…"
Only for the shouty-dwarf to be out-shouted by a guardsman below in fancier plate armour, maybe enchancing his voice with magic "STAY ON GUARD THOSE IN THE INN! ALL CITIZENS STAY INSIDE AND BARRICADE YOUR DOORS UNLESS FIGHTING WITH THE MILITIA!"
"OI! AH WANNA FIGHT…"
'….' Tarvek watched the stupidity in silence, mind befuddled at it, as the shouty dwarf hopped the railings and began to descend the walls at a quick climb. Bloody dwarves!
"Woo! Go Dwarfy MacBeard-dwarf!"
He sighed, deeply, then looked at the cheering gnome "One doubts that is his name"
"Maybe it is!"
Tarvek opened his mouth, then sighed as he saw the gnome's face, remembering other such ones with lilac skinned lunatics of similar size and mentality "As you say"
Thank heavens another human, the female archer from earlier, emerged onto the balcony with them, distracting the excitable gnome as the bands of warriors below were formed up into rough bands…
The disguised orcs eyes narrowed.
…that started creating barricades. That answered some questions in his mind. This likely wasn't over as he watched lighting in the distance, hearing the aftermath of its passage, but no signs of clouds in the sky. The local mage-lord at work then he guessed, holding position as time passed by, sending a quick 'text' to Janet to come up here they were for now. It was clear things were happening, such as the gates being open, and people being escorted into the city as best Tarvek could judge. Another blast maybe was across the city within the hour, along with more blasts of lighting, Tarvek using the upper floor of the inn to gaze out at the walls with an imitation of a local spyglass. Something one other person was doing as a crowd gathered on the roof, Janet and Mayuko coming beside him before he did so.
"What's happening?"
"They are bringing people into the city" he answered Janet, quietly, as he tried to get a good view of things, minutes turning an hour, then two "And someone is throwing around a great deal of magic, maybe someones"
'Which…might be arcane communication now I consider it' Tarvek frowned, thinking on the subject, and on how there were people arriving very swiftly from without the city, farmers, all while guards were still patrolling, as well as checking those arrivals. Sending words of warning would explain how those outside the walls might have started moving inside quickly. Night was falling now, the sun setting, the darkness rising along with a rolling in sea fog distantly Tarvek judged…
'That's trouble' he could tell, but it was a little time away, and he had blankets brought for Janet and Mayuko up as it grew dark and cold, moonlight shimmering from the skies above. Around them others were doing similar as patrols below walked about the streets below with torches, as people continued to stream in from outside the walls, all while being thoroughly checked. Tarvek knew this feeling, that of the eve before battle, and suspected the slow-moving fog out in the bay was a problem in of itself, though one the natives were aware of…
'And barricades are up, and we are behind solid walls, bombs having already gone off' he reminded himself as he sat down, resting against the railings of the uppermost floor, half-dozing, half-listening to those around them, and those below. This was not the end, merely the beginning, but even a siege game time to study texts, and if all should turn against them then Tarvek would flee with his two ladies. No, he rested as time passed, night ever darker even as fires were lit, Tarvek getting an alert on his HUD, causing him to rise up, to look out to what he expected. Nodded to himself at what he could see, clearer than any native as he zoomed in.
The fog was overflowing the docks, following around the walls due to running into an arcane barrier of some sort…
'And teleportation without' he guessed at alerts, though his systems didn't recognise the energy beyond guessing that such bursts of magic might be such things. Bells began to ring in warning….
Only for a voice to boom out, necromantic energy spiking in the air beyond the walls "HEAR ME FOOLISH CHILDREN OF THE ALLIANCE! OF THE HORDE! TODAY WE FORGE A NEW ALLIANCE AND YOUR BODIES SHALL SERVE AT THE LICH KING'S FEET!"
"…." Tarvek was caught speechless a moment…
It was….
Did this Lich just…
Shook his head 'Did this Lich lord project his voice over multiple locations on this continent to announce his attack?'
"PROUDWHORE! YOUR WARNINGS TO THE ORCISH VERMIN WILL SERVE YOU NOT! SOON YOU WILL PROSTRATE BEFORE OUR GREAT KING! THE TRUE KING OF STORMWIND! OF ALL OF AZEROTH!"
Okay….
Clearly, they were. They even had a Herald on hand to do it, and do some name calling…
Tarvek was already reloading his crossbow, waiting for the evil laughter sure to follow, probably some more suggestive language…
