A little later Sharea arrives at the Rusty Tankard a little later. On the outside she appears cool and smooth as ever, though it easy to see for one who knows him that something must have agitated her greatly.
"Where is Cil?" she asks the next best patron in unusual, direct fashion. "I need to talk to her."
Once she finds Cil she tells her story. She tells of the letter that she found, how she thought that it was some kind of invitation to a game, how she found some students in the dormitories to play along, and how she head been wrong and those... shifters or whatever they may have been had killed the students, but spared killed her. Something out there is after Sharea, something that does indeed kill just to scare her. But whatever that something is, it is not attacking Sharea directly yet.
As Cil watches dusk settle over the streets below, she catches sight of a larger man steadily walking out of the darkness of a nearby alley.
He walks purposefully, but with air of...not weariness...something she can't quite put her finger on. He also is making his way towards the Rusty Tankard. As she watches, she thinks, "He's come! He actually came! Will he stay, though?
As the man neared the tavern, movement caught Cil's eye....a woman walked quickly, agitated from the opposite direction, hurrying towards the Tavern. In moments, she caught up with the man, and courteously he paused and allowed her to enter first.
In the dim light, Cil is sure that he glances up to her window ,just before entering himself.
Turning, Cil waited to see if one or both ascended to join the group.
The woman burst into the room first, eye's casting about before settling on Cil, "I need to talk to you." she says, as the man entered behind her.
Holding up a hand to forestall the woman's obvious desire to talk, Cil walks over to Falko, a curious expression on her face, one that Saronis definately has never seen on his friend's face before.
Standing in front of the man, in the flesh , after so many years, Cil grabs both of Falko's hands in between her own, "Thank you." she says simply, looking into the man's eyes, her meaning perfectly clear to the man who saved her life so long ago.
Blinking rapidly, Cil let go of Falko's hands and with a gesture , bid him and Sharea to sit, her demenour all business again.
"Saronis, Rhobannon, Shalyna, this is Falko and..." she pauses for Sharea to introduce herself. To the newcomers she says, "Please , refresh yourselves."
"Sharea, you were unexpected, by not unwelcome. Please tell me why you've come."
Rhobannon raises a mechanical arm in greeting after his name is listed, but remains quiet, letting the events of this "party" unfold.
"H-hello," Shalyna says to the newcomers, her voice muffled by the collar of her coat. and her face hidden in the shadow of her hat.
Rook sees Sharea coming and before she enters he raises his hand with two fingers showing. She knows that she can find Cil on the second floor from his obvious motion.
Rook takes the silver coins and smiles up at Falko, and in a cheerful voice says, "Well you are in luck, she is in, second floor meeting room. Really you can't miss it."
His offer to take Shalyna's coat simply refused by her just taking a seat and not next to him made him just a bit more angry. He picked up his goblet a bit too harshly and some of it spilled, that being the only sign that he felt slighted again. Then he looked at Cil and then to Shalyna with his eyes slightly squinted showing that he was becoming even more agitated.
With the appearance of two more he raised his cup at the mention of his name and finished what was left in it. He simply listened as he poured himself another drink.
Rhobannon leaned over to Saronis, and spoke in a low tone, "now now, this may be your last chance to make merry. No need to become angry"
He takes the words to heart and takes a few breaths, then thankfully responds quietly to Rhobannon, "Thank you friend, the wine has made my leash on my temper shorter. I am just... feeling off."
"Saronis... your tattoos..."
Sharea is not herself, she is panicked and unsettled, not like the White Lady that Cil knows. Her words are hurried and not well thought out... perhaps a bit helpless.
"I found a letter, I thought that it was some kind of invitation to a game, I collected some students in the dormitories to play along... but... but... I was wrong... soo wrong, and those... shifters or whatever they may have been had killed the students, but spared killing me. I was not there when it happened but is was so gruesome... the way they were clawed and pulled apart..." At this point she falls to her knees crying and in shock at the whole ordeal.
When someone comes over to give her some physical support, she grabs onto them and whispers loudly enough for everyone to hear, "The shifters are after me! Please help..."
-----
Outside you can hear a howl, something inhuman... and it is near, the howl resounds in the room as if to drive Sharea's story home. Then there is many calls in response to the first howl. With the window open you can hear a clash of metal on metal. The cries and sounds of a battle unfolds.
Cil begins to go to Sharea when she falls to her knees, but the howl for outside stops her. Motioning Shalyna to tend to Sharea, Cil rushes to the window and peers out from beside it....
"Two big groups are having it out out there, can't see anything though....Falko...they're after me? " she asks , incredulous, "What did I do? I've kept out of any shifter business....as far as I was aware." she ends softly, then her face hardens...
She strides over to stand before Falko, "How do you know they're after me?" she demands, the stress of the situation causing a bit of her half-elf persona to slip.
"two or three dozen. Fighting our way out wont be easy. There another way out of here? Amd a destination in mind?" Rhobannon asks, standing up and shouldering his bugout bagof gear and ensuring the backpack is secure.
He fills a cup with iced water and downs it in preparation for exertion.
Saronis looks concerned with the telling of Sharea's story. He puts down his goblet and gets caught up in her horror. With the call to arms by Falko the large elf stands a bit unsteady. He grabs his great sword and forgets his bag. "Readdy to fight!" He blurts with a small slur with the d.
"W-w-what's going on? Who are the shifters?" Shalyna's hands go for her pack and her sword. Two strange things standout about the sword, it has no guard of any kind save the flaring of the hilt into the blade that keeps the wielders fingers from getting sliced off by accident, and it is a single piece of light drinking steel with black leather wrapping the hilt.
Whoa! Is it time to play? Oh wait, there's fighting. I hope there aren't any elven longswords. I might go mad if I have to hear them talking about how superior they are to every other blade. Again. Howl fumes in the back of Shalyna's head.
"I thought most swords couldn't talk?" Shalyna says to Howl.
It was more of a feeling of smugness when we saw those two elven mercenaries a couple of days ago, the sword admits sheepishly, Although one of them did insult the smith that made me. I can't abide by that. Insulting a sword's smith is a grave insult.
"Well, that explains why you were yelling at them when we passed. Though I don't understand why you called them limp. I thought metal was hard," Shalyna says, puzzlement coloring her voice.
Sharea seems a bit crestfallen at Shalyna's question, "I don't know which makes it all the worse."
Cil looks a bit shaken at Falko's words, "But, I sent you a letter...."
Seeing a lack of comprehension in Falko's face, she surmised what happened , "You didn't get my letter, but someone else led you here. "
She walks away from the window, to come before the others, and after giving Shalyna an odd look, "I was bringing you all here, well except for Sharea and Shalyna, for a job. I needed a team I could depend on. But that endeavour might all be moot, now you're all in danger, not of your own accord , but because I'm a Changeling! And the Shifters have decided tonight was a good time to move against me. " she stops briefly , looking each in the eye "You have a chance right now,as Falko said, to fight or flee. Neither has anything to do with me or my job, but with your willingness to take on a fight that isn't your own."
She strides to the door and calls down , "Rook, what's the situation?"
Looking back, "It's decision time."
"well, i had been looking for some action." Rhobannon says, drawing a shield and morningstar.
"I... I know what it's like to be judged by what you are and not who you are. You seem like a nice person, and if these guys are after you, then they are probably not nice people," Shalyna says, as she puts on her pack.
"I want to help good people, because that's what I want to do. If you need help, then me and Howl will show these shifters, or whoever they are, why you don't want to mess with a spellsword."
Great, Howl says in the back of Shalyna's head, We're gonna die horribly aren't we?
Howl.
Yes?
I don't like you right now.
Okay, okay, no more sarcasm. I promise!
Howl, remember what I said about promises you can't keep?
Alright. No more sarcasm about dying horribly.
That one I think you might actually be able to keep, Shalyna chuckles mentally.
One of the waitresses hurries up the stairs relaying the message from Rook obviously, she looks more frantic than Sharea just did, "Cil they were prepared, they have silver, Run! You must survive." With that said the girl runs up the stairs with what is left of the staff and a few patrons from the Rusty Tankard.
After Falko finished his statement a torch came through the window and landed on the floor, the dry thatch on the floor looks like it might be excellent kindling. A large crash can be heard downstairs, breaking of windows, and splintering of wood. Screams of pain follow as the battle seems to be moving into the bar. A crossbow bolt flies into the room luckily it hits no one but the far wall from the window.
Rhobannon utters a brief word of arcane power and a dull brown sheen washes over his armor before disappearing. As it clears away, a wolven howl is heard faintly.
Saronis shakes himself, shakes his head more than anything but sees that it won't help. He sits down and grabs a pitcher of water and splashes himself with it, takes a deep pull then tosses the rest onto the torch that just landed in the room. He misses it but with the water spraying the torch's flame shrinks. "Anyone got something for the wine?" He asks as his limbs feel slightly numb.
Sharea slips her dagger out of the sheath attached to her dress and her left is raised to cast a spell. "That's too many... how..."
She interrupts herself and focuses. "There is a back door in the kitchen. Apart from that we could climb the tower up or down for an exit, but that would be several stories. I can cover our way with illusions." She rushes her fingers through her hair and adjust her dress to gather her composure. Now is not the time to hesitate or worry.
Without thinking much about it she mumbles: "Strands of arcane shelter me." and runs her open hands over her body.*
____
* Mage armour
One of the waitresses hurries up the stairs relaying the message from Rook obviously, she looks more frantic than Sharea just did, "Cil they were prepared, they have silver, Run! You must survive."
Cil looks at the waitress, eyes wide at her words, their import slowly penetrating Cil's confused mind, "What do you mean, I must...."
Cil shakes her head roughly, then looks to Falko as his question penetrates, she nods to confirm what Sharea said "Yeah, the back door. The alley there....we can escape to the south. I know of another safe house near the tanners."
She grabs her pack, then turns and addresses the others ,"I don't know what's going on, all this talk of the shifter after me and I need to survive, but I plan on finding out. If you're coming, follow me and Falko, if not good luck."
She then nods to Falko, her eyes drift to Saronis, whom she graces with a grateful smile, then follows Falko on the stairs down to the back door.
"I'll take the rear. Howl and I have a few tricks that should keep them busy," Shalyna says.
With the waitress gone as soon as Cil starts questioning her the group seems to look toward Cil for direction.
She quickly exits seeing the passage clear. Down to the main floor and the first landing of the stairs. The halfling that was at the front door, Rook, is now fighting off three shifters at the front door. Several bodies lie outside of the front door. Another one is climbing in through the window.
Cil was first with Falko close behind. The rest of the group and Shalyna bringing up the rear. It seems the group is all following at this point.
Saronis had enough time to look around and grab his pack and attach it before following the group.
"Rook, time to seek the safer end of bravery! Come!" Sharea calls out and throws nonchalantly two magic missiles out of her left hand at the one climbing through the window, without actually stopping to move towards the kitchen door.
A little rattled by the sudden event and the sight of dead and living shifters battling to gain entry to the Tavern, Cil nods at Falko's assertion, she points towards the kitchen, "Back door's that way!"
She stops at the entrance to the common room "Rook, time to leave! " she cries.
Blue sparks dance on Shalyna's fingers as she follows the others.
Come on Rook, time to go! she thinks as she hears the others call out to him.
"Get yourselves into the kitchen and ready to bar the door! I will be there in a moment. Just need to make a few more foot stools." Rook laughs as he dodges another attack and drops another of the shifters. The last two don't have silvered weapons but you can see three amongst the bodies that hold a special shimmer at Rook's feet.
With warnings yelled out he continues to move, if needed he goes into the kitchen first.
He looks for a bar or something to secure the door once Rook is with them in the kitchen. Holding the door open with one foot, one hand on his greatsword and free hand to grab 'bar' if in reach.
"Rook, you are injured. Come along, now."
Rhobannon moves with the party. As Saronis looks for something to bar the door with, Rhobannon stands ready to attack any enemies that make it through the door.
Round 2
He looks back at your group as he begins to heed the words of wisdom, he only makes it halfway to the kitchen before he falls to the ground. Still with his daggers in hand he twists around to fend off the coming shifters. He growls out at the shifters, "Come and get me ye' scurvvy dogs, even for me that is a low blow! Come at me!"
"He ain't goin' anywhere on his own. I'll cover him, someone grab him."
Rhobannon (bonus not visible)
Saronis
Falko
Shalyna
Cil
Sharea (bonus not visible)
Rook
big guy
shifter warriors
backdoor thugs
upstairs barbarians
21 Rook*
18 upstairs barbarians*
15 Rhobannon *
14 big guy *
13 Sharea
11 shifter warriors *
9 Saronis *
9 Falko
8 Cil
7 backdoor thugs *
5 Shalyna
*Gone this Round
The two shifters at the front door advance, taking their time getting over the bodies. Their weapons aimed at Rhobannon who is now in front of Rook. The hurt shifter in the window gets up and moves in as well. Now Rhobannon has three attackers adjacent to him.
The other window breaks and a shifter slips in, as another one slips through the first window. The big armored dude slices someone who gets in his way and steps into the doorway. Screams and then silence tells you that they are taking no prisoners and death is coming this way.
At the back of the group Shalyna can see two shifters coming down the stairs they are covered in blood and likely not their own. Both using gore riddled metallic claws and having blood stained spiked leather armor, tells of the slaughter they just committed. They stop and search any doors that are easily barged in to open...
The sound of the whistles and bells of the coming watch guard of Sharn. Even in a slightly bad neighborhood, the quick rumor of battle in the streets summons the guards to stamp out a quick starting riot if nothing else.
W-what do I do? What do I do?!
Panic clouds Shalyna's mind as she sees death closing in around her and the rest of the group. She sees the armored brute cut down someone in cold blood.
What do I do?!
She sees the blood dripping from the two shifters coming down the stairs, she can smell the gore even through the collar of her coat.
What do I do?
Shalyna, a calm voice says in the back of her mind, Calm down, this isn't the first scrape you've been in, has it? No, you're stronger than that. Take a deep breath and think.
Time seems to stand still as the young magus takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly.
Better?
Yes
Good, now, let's see if we can get ourselves out of this mess. The big man in the armor is going to be a problem, but if we move quickly, we can get out of here with everyone intact. Well, everyone that hasn't been hacked to bits yet, Howl chuckles with little humor.
Right then.
Shalyna rushes forward to Rook, scooping up the halfling in her free arm while holding Howl in the other hand.
"There's two more coming down the stairs. If we're leaving, we'd better move it. NOW!"
Panic is building at the edge of Sharea's mind, but she has lost the students already, she won't leave anyone else behind today. The different calls are confusing her... Are we leaving or aren't we?
But however frightened she may be, there is still a dragon in her. Quite literally. Heat builds up in the back of her neck as the mark starts to glow and in walking backwards she thrusts the winds of the dragon against her foes.
While she does so she retreats further into the kitchen.
vs DCC 15 gust of wind if necessary