"I can't do anything useful standing here."
"I'm going to try getting in that alley by the town hall."
"I should be able to do something useful there!"
Juraan will try shoving his way to the clear lane to make himself useful:
... and gets a bit of a thumping, but gets closer to the edge of the crowd.
I doubt Juraan can get and use it within the riot area.
Even if Juran could get it, I'm guessing it would go off in a random direction.
Oh no no no!
Horrified as things suddenly turn violent, Marigold looks about wildly for some sort of barrel or other object to climb up on to better see - and be seen - by the crowd. Assuming she finds one, she hefts herself up on top of it as she suffers a multitude of bumps and bruises from being jostled by the surging crowds.
Now with a better vantage point, Marigold begins trying to talk some sense into the closest of the mob.
"WHAT ARE YOU D-DOING!?" she cries, as loud as she possibly can. "It doesn't m-matter if the taxes are unjust or not! The p-people of Cauldron AREN'T murderers - we're better than that! Leave those p-people ALONE!"
_______
As things turn violent, Maxim glowers and grumbles;
"Hell's Teeth... that escalated quick!"
Realising he needs space, the gun-mage presses in the wake of his companions;
:
:
He almost makes it, before a random rioter's knee makes contact causing him to spit out his stogie!
"Gods be darned! Was a good cheroot ye eijit!"
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Marigold quickly reacts climbing up a bank next to the City Hall while Ryan casts detect magic just before the riot starts.
You do feel magical auras in the area of the spell.
As the riot starts, Maxim and Juraan try to find a way out of and receive several hits as they fight to move to the City Hall. Maxim's stogie is lost among the numerous long legs!
While Ryan fails to cast his spell due to a strong elbow hit in his face, whomever it was responsible does not look back to say sorry.
JJ is pushed away by the crowd, bumping himself against the building at the south!
Sergeant Krewis tries to drink a potion, but the rioters surrounding him attack the sergeant as a reaction!
He is stabbed in the back and the belly, bleeding prominently, but he successfully defends his potion and downs its contents through the throat. The sergeant is profusely bleeding and seems at the limit of collapse.
Marigold attempts to make some sense in the people around her, but her voice is unable to make it over the screams all around.
Over the dais Maavu is not hindered by the crowd masses. He begins doing arcane gestures and seems to say some words as if casting a spell.
Maavu just casted shield.
The rioters that slaughtered the half-orcs and attacked sergeant Krewis move away and withing the crowd, while other rioters take their space and attempt to grapple and hit the surrounded Sergeant Krewis.
Stragenly enough only three of them attack the sergeant, the other ones looking confused with their hands in high.
It is like if Skylar Krewis was under a sanctuary spell.
A couple of fists land on the sergeant face breaking his nose. He barely manages to stand on feet.
You notice archers in the windows of the City Hall moving into aiming position.
The mob surges about haphazardly, damaging buildings and raising a din.
JJ presses forward toward the Sergeant. His young body used to dealing with crowds, he has little difficulty working his way through the mass of rioters.
"That is enough" he roars. "Krewis has not hurt you at all, he is one of us. If you are angry, then send your anger to those in power not those who protect you."
He tries to get to Krewis to defend the militaiman.
Seeing that her words don't seem to be working, Marigold decides to try a different approach and begins casting...
Don't want to do this but there's no choice...!
...and conjures forth a large swath of scintillating, rainbow-colored lights and patterns that draw the eye of all within its affects.
_______
Juraan shouts out to his friends:
"Maavu has cast a shield spell on himself."
"Skylar is being protected by his potion, for now; but still needs our help."
Juraan blurts out a litany of rude words in several languages as a result of all the drubbing he's getting from the crowd.
He then pulls out his wand of Color Spray to try and calm some of the crowd in front of him without hurting anyone
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Maxim halts in the shadow of the town hall, furious that a good stogie has been lost to the anarchy of the mob.
The gun-mage turns his back to the crowd, focussing on arcane words of power;
:
"Vlieg gek vlieg!"
As the arcane magicks take hold, Maxim lifts off the ground... before flying upward clear of the chaos, drawing his single barrelled pistol as he does.
JJ closes up the distance with Skylar. A lot of people push him in all directions, but the nimble man is able to avoid most of them and find a way to keep moving forward. He reaches the group harassing at the sergeant.
A precious blast of rainbow colors blasts all over the center of the crowd as Marigold completes her spell from the security of her high position. Some of the people inside seem fascinated by the colors, but the great mass of them is just too angry to realize or they wake up from the fascination after some other hits or push them aside.
A man hits Juraan on the arm as he attempts to draw his wand. The professor is able hold grab of it and use it. Similarly to what happens with Marigold's spell, the wands colors are mainly ignored by the masses, too focused in their anger.
Maxim's arcane words resounds furious to those close to him. People shout at the intimidating sight of the flying dwarf loading his gun all over the crowd in front of the City Hall!
Sergeant Krewis tries to find a way out of the crowd, but finds himself just cornered against one of the buildings. It is clear he is avoiding to attack the citizens, his weapon remains at his belt, and he makes his best to defend himself from the masses.
But the masses are angry and they want someone to pay for it.
Skylar barely manages to block one punch after the other, but he looks exhausted!
Maavu casts a second spell and retrieves a potion from his belt pouch.
The four archers in the City Hall windows shot, their arrows flying all over the crowd and precisely approaching the dais, where Maavu lays uncovered by the crowd.
Two of the arrows fail lodging themselves in some citizens behind the merchant, while other two reach their target and get trapped in the man's chest who rears in pain.
"Maavu cast a spell on himself to run out of here!"
"He starts this mess and wants to do a runner straight away. Brilliant!"
Aware his wand was a waste of time, Juraan tries to join Marigold, who's nearby.
« Qualchidunu idee, Calendula? Ùn aghju micca qualchi sguajustà da a so manica chì ùn devi mancu qualcunu di qualchissia. »
[color=blue]The Mob killed several half-orc guards after Maavu got them in a state.
The city guard is already using archers on the crowd and Maavu is trying to escape using minor magics.
The young guard Skylar is hurt and JJ is trying to help him.
But they're at a disadvantage, they're trying not to hurt anyone but everyone around them are violent right now.[/color]
--------------------
Item # 2: what are the chances of casting and landing a Flaming Sphere near Skylar that does NOT have people in it?
I'd like to get one near Skylar to ward rioters way him without actually contacting anyone.
My expectations are not high, though. With this mob it's probably not going to happen.
But it's the only thing that I can think of at the moment.
JJ moves through the crowd, trying to stick close to the sergeant.
"You're making a target of yourself out here all alone." he shouts, as he tries to defect angry fists aimed at the militiaman.
For all his good intentins, JJ too finds himself battered by the crowd.
Maxim rises above the crush of Cauldronites with pistol drawn. He scowls in the direction of Maavu, loading his pistol with an alchemical cartridge as he hovers .
Something gives the gun-mage pause and he swivels in the air, scanning suspiciously around himself;
:
God's be darned, sworn I felt somethin'... Must be gettin' squirrely in my old age!
Shaking his head with a grimace, Maxim flies toward where Maavu stands...
... Coming to a halt above and behind where the rabble rouser stands.
"Maavu! What in the Nine Hell's is goin' on?!"
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_______
With the crowd resisting her magics and unable to understand her words, Marigold feels that she has little choice left. She digs into her pack, trying to avoid the jostling crowd as she does. Finding what she seeks, Marigold closes her first around a small, round stone and pulls it out of her pack, flinging it into the crowd.
_______
Still rubbing his chin from the elbow he caught, Ryan surveys the situation quickly, Maavu's spied casting a spell to shield himself, Hmm, definitely not a simple merchant, perhaps the rumors he had the Umberhulk confined in his warehouse have merit; while the sergeant has not attacked anyone he is just trying to survive his beating, JJ is moving to the sergeant's defense.
Concentrating on Maavu, Ryan frustrated with trying to move within the crowd closes his eyes for a moment imagining himself on the platform beside Maavu. When he opens them he's standing beside Maavu. Reaching out Ryan tries to grab the mans arm, missing.
"What business do you have stirring up these people. Are you trying to get them killed?"
Move action - Dimensional Hop 6/16 '5 increments remaining
Standard action
"Magical auras surrounded you, what are you hiding"
Mainly instinctively Kikinnin follows JJ through the crowd, but his shorter legs quickly leaves him behind.
Ryan suddenly disappears to the surprise of everyone around him. Abadar's invisible hand pops him up behind Maavu, the merchant is surprised, but so is Ryan himself who fails to grab him.
Juraan makes his stand at place while trying to guess what else to do to control the situation.
JJ attempts to protect Skylar and receives a couple of hits himself in exchange.
Maxim flies over the crowd and sets himself behind Maavu while finishing his gun reload.
Desperate, Marigold throws a thunderstone at the masses. The ball breaks with a horrible noise that stuns and deafens the affected people. That patch of the crowd calms down as they bring their hands on the ears.
Ryan avoids the crowd while they angrily push him to one side and the other of the dais stairs. The cleric successfully completes his spell and Maavu's expeditious retreat fizzles out and disappear!
Sergeant Krewis continues to defend himself, this time with the help of JJ who succeeds to stop the crowds for a moment, although they keep shouting "Bastards! The money is ours! Not half-orcs!"
"But why..." Maavu starts to complain to Ryan, but his words are held in the air when a strange elemental creature made of dark air materializes in front of the merchant! Its presence results terrifying to everyone around.
The creature's arms transform into scythe made of wind and slashes at Maavu opening a wide wound in his chest!
The creature then magically disappears once more!
This is a Breathdrinker, an air, extraplanar elemental, able to freely turn invisible able to inspire fear on anyone looking at the creature, steal breath damaging Constitution, and freely turn invisible at will.
"AAAaaaah!" Maavu shouts in pain and turns towards the creature. The merchant starts moving his hands to cast a spell and then the creature pops again and swings the wind scythe at the merchant once more.
Maavu loses his concentration and the spell is lost, but the creature is visible now.
The archers in the Town Hall windows look at each other confused, not knowing what to do.
The crowd around the dais, look scared at the newly arrived creature and start screaming and running away, starting to free the space around.
A specially angry and violent section of the crowd start to form up and approach towards the Town Hall "This is our money! Out of town!"
"That THING is a breath-drinker!", Juraan shouts.
"It can steal your breath and turn invisible at will!"
Lacking anything else to do with his abundance of lethal spells, Juraan targets the new creature: « მდნარი მჟავა » . .
"Don't let Maavu go anywhere without explaining himself!" Juraan shouts at Ryan and Maxim.
"Ummm... Marigold. I believe another loud whiz-bang would be handy against [u]that[/u] lot!", says Juraan pointing to the group wanting to storm the town hall.
Although she doesn't understand Juraan's words, Marigold does get the gist as he points at the group trying to storm the Town Hall and mimes a throwing action.
She digs into her pack for another thunderstone before hopping down into the crowd and attempting to get into a better throwing position.
________
"Look out behind you!" shouts JJ, trying to make himself heard over the crowd.
"It is a Breathdrinker. A wicked creature from the plane of air. As well as turning invisible at will it can steal your breath from your very lungs!"
He stands near the sergeant for the moment, readying an attack against the creature if it appears again near him.
You also know they have DR 10/magic and good Reflex saves in addition to be good trackers. A thing that strikes you is the fact this Breathdrinker moves extremely fast, attacking as if hasted, but the books you read in Bluecrater Academy do not say anything about them being able to haste or cast spells.
Juraan's acid rays are longer than normal and the first one impacts directly the Breathdrinker consuming part of its air matter, but the sorcerer needs to adjust the second ray to avoid damaging Ryan and it is lost in the air.
Marigold produces another thunderstone and jumps into the crowd in an attempt to stop the angered mob!
JJ resists the fearful gaze and makes a stand, readied to attack the Breathdrinker if it approaches Sergeant Krewis.
As the strange airborne creature appears, targeting Maavu with its scythe, Maxim attempts to hover in position : , but instead he misjudges and moves forward, shooting past the encounter below!
"God's be damned! Iffen a bird can do this, I outta be able to!"
The gun-mage stops above a building with a frustrated curse, then levels his free hand toward the sinister Breathdrinker with a gun like gesture and uttering the words of arcane power;
"Toverkracht Projectiel"
The three glowing bullets streak unerringly to their wispy foe;
:
AC = 25
HP = 84/84
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin tries to mark the provocateur with the dagger, but finds himself poorly equipped to pursue the black blood through the sea of skulls throughout the square.
The black beard continues to work his way through the crowd in the direction of Skylar, positioning himself just close enough to both JJ and Maxim to lend them strength against the fearful gaze of the Breathdrinker.
For the insanity swirling around him, Kikinnin asks Abadar to bring him a touch of healing, largely to heal Skylar.
"Abadar, this man serves the Law here in Cauldron. I hope You can see his value, and heal him to stand against the throng."
Kikinnin doesn't waste time, healing Skylar a second time.
Kikinnin reaches Skylar and grants him the boons of Abadar, his hands quickly healing the Sergeant "Th-thanks Kikinnin!"
Ryan freezes in fear at the appearance of the Breathdrinker, grasping the dais stairs while staring at the elemental creature without much knowing what to do!
Meanwhile, Maxim is unable to control his newly acquired magics and lands in a close by building roof. The dwarf, emboldened by the encouraging presence of his Malachite brother finds the words to produce a set of magic missiles that burst unerringly on the creature.
Kikinnin asks for a second blessing and Skylar fully recovers from his previous wounds.
The Breathdrinker lashes Maavu with his wind scythe at an incredible speed, opening multiple wounds on the merchant's chest. The elemental then becomes invisible once more.
With great effort, Maavu retreats, pushes past the paralyzed Ryan and starts running with the rest of the crowd and away of the Breathdrinker.
The crowd that was angrily punishing Skylar starts to flee away, both scared by the Breathdrinker and convinced by the solid defense of JJ and Kikinnin. The Sergeant though remains paralyzed at the sight of the otherworldly creature.
The archers in the Town Hall take aim and resume their attacks on Maavu but their shafts disperse without reaching their target.
The angry mob moves over Marigold, pushing, beating, tearing and screaming at her without any consideration for the halfling.
They reach the doors of the Town Hall cornering Juraan against "Corrupts! Thieves! Our money Navalant!!! Our money!!! They steal our money!"
Five feet around the dais, the space is now free of the crowd.
"You okay Skylar?" the youth quickly checks.
With the crowd starting to move, JJ stands ready, scanning the area for the horrible elemental and making ready to charge it if he sees it.
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The nothingness that appeared and began sything through Maavu, left Ryan at a loss for words to answer Maavu's short query. Looking at the creature the cleric felt as if he looked into the depths of some bottomless pit. It was almost as if he was falling, swirling shades of black, grey and an ebon black so deep it almost glowed waited for him at the middle.
As the creature leaves Ryan is aware of his surroundings but his limbs refuse to respond to any commands.
was Maavu wrong after all or was that thing something he inadvertently set loose on the town again.
When Maavu makes a break for it, Maxim turns in the air and gives chase to the fleeing agitator
As he passes over the rival merchant, the gun-mage hails the man;
"Arlintal! You ain't outrunnin' me... Best give yerself up an' help stopper the madness yea've unleashed!"
The dwur glows down at him, pistol in hand;
"I ain't askin'... Iffin' I drop you I'll likely land my Uncle some plum tax breaks or such... Best give me a reason not to pull this trigger..."
:
:
Only now does Juraan remember that Marigold can only understand Abyssal or Celestial when under duress
« ಮಾರಿಗೋಲ್ಡ್! ನಿನು ಆರಾಮ? »
And seeing that the breath drinker has vanished, Juraan casts the appropriate spell: « ვხედავ უხილავი » . .
And tries to see where it is again:
"ನಾನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ, ನಾನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ! ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ಮರಳಿ ಪಡೆಯಲು ಪಡೆಯಿರಿ!" Marigold bellows in reply as she staggers out of the stampede of people. With no more stones to throw, she decides to try her earlier trick again and conjures a swirl of rainbow patterns to mesmerize the angry mob.
"I'm fine, I'm fine! Try and get them to back off!"
_______
Observing Skylar is already good Kikinnin protects
JJ tends to Skylar who seems frozen in fear after the sight of the Breathdrinker. The young boy readies to attack the creature.
Ryan deepens in the darkness of his out-most fears and remains rigid at place.
Juraan casts a spell from the vantage point of the Town Hall bank. Besides the angry riot, the sorcerer is able to see the invisible Breathdrinker next to the dais.
Marigold moves back making her space to cast a spell, but the crowd pushes her to one side and another. Through grand concentration the halfling completes her spell, creates a great rainbow the angry mob stops to look fascinated. A few creatures in the center remain angry and start pushing and screaming at the others, who slowly start to react.
Maxim menaces Maavu while flying around him. The merchant looks at his rival "What to do you want me to..." but he is interrupted as the Breathdrinker has flight to him in an invisible charge followed by a slash of its scythe!
The wind scythe cuts through the merchant bleeding on his arm.
Before the creature can turn invisible, JJ starts pushing people to reach it with his swords, but unable to charge through, and slowed by the crowd that runs in terror out of the area, he is unable to reach the elemental.
The Breathdrinker turns invisible once more.
Pushed by Maxim, Maavu turns to fight the Breathdrinker, he attempts to cast a spell defensively, but unnerved by the situation he fails his concentration and the spell is lost.
The archers in the Town Hall windows open fire once more on Maavu. But due to the long distance and combatants in the middle the arrows miss.
The angry riot remains mesmerized although elements inside start breaking it out of its fascination.
"ಅದು ಬಹಳ ಕಾಲ ಅದನ್ನು ನಿಧಾನಗೊಳಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ; ನಾವು ಅದನ್ನು ಒಡೆಯಲು ಅಥವಾ ಮಾವು ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ಕೈಲಾರ್ಗಳನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಹೊರಗೆ ಪಡೆಯಬೇಕು!" Marigold cries as she's still buffeted by the angry crowds. Hoping that the magics will be enough to slow the crowd at the Town Hall enough to buy them some time, she begins trying to fight her way through the rest of the crowd to reach the others. As she goes, something occurs to her - but maybe it's just her imagination?
That...that thing seems like it's after Maavu for some reason...
"That won't slow them for long; we need to either break this up or get Maavu and Skylar out of here!"
_______
JJ continues to close on Maavu, standing ready nearby to attack the creature if it appears again.
"Don't run Maavu, I can't help you through the crowd."
Maxim scowls as the fell elemental creature appears once again to slice at the rabble rouser.
He attempts to hover in place;:
When successful he draws forth a wand on his person and initiates its effect
"Hang fire Maavu... I'll drop this wand to ye an' Surabar..."
Stuck in place Ryan continues to ponder what was behind what was happening, Maavu or something else?
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AC = 25
HP = 84/84
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin hears Marigold's words, clarion call in otherworldly words, and debates what he can possibly do to spur Skylar into self-sustaining action.
Without the proper means of deducing what struck the boy dumb, Kikinnin continues to hold position, turning his gaze upwards at the archers, who shoot dangerously into the crowd, as far as he's concerned.
"Stop your shooting, you feckless wrecks!! Think for yourselves for a moment, and realize how foolish your attacks are! You could hit someone!!"
The black beard's anger roils through his speech, and he finds nothing of calm in the present moment.
"Marigold can't keep this crowd at bay much longer", Juraan shouts at the others,
"... try to get Maavu out of here, maybe that will calm things down."
"I hope", Juraan says with an inward sigh.
« ನಾವು ಏನು ಮಾಡಬಹುದು, ಮಾರಿಗೋಲ್ಡ್! »
Juraan then directs another spell at the breathdrinker, now that he can see it while invisible: « מאַגיש מיסאַל » . .
Marigold pushes through the crowd, fighting with the people around to open herself a pathway towards the area everybody seems whiling to abandon.
JJ moves, looking at the air, trying to spot and prepare for the Breathdrinker's next appearance.
Maxim draws a wand and waves to use its magic.
Ryan continues frozen in place but he starts to think in fighting it back, and notes his body starts to answer his brain call for action.
Kikinnin shouts back at the archers in the Town Hall, but they do not seem to hear him over the screaming crowd gathered in the square.
Juraan waves his hands doing his magic, and 4 missiles of pure energy travel through the air directly impacting on the Breathdrinker. Which gives everyone else a clear signal of where the elemental is at the moment even if you cannot see it.
Skylar is still frozen at place but the sergeant starts to blink his eyes recovering from the fearful shock of seeing the Breathdrinker.
The Breathdrinker swings his scythe once more, making a cut in Maavu's right leg this time "Aaaaaah! Hell's creature! Is this how they plan to finish with freedom now?!!"
As soon as he sees the elemental, JJ jumps on him stabbing his magical shortsword on it. The air mater coils at the point the magic of the sword takes effect.
The Breathdrinker then vanishes once more after his assault.
The merchant starts casting a spell taking attention at not being attacked, but once more he loses his concentration and the spell. Very nervously, the merchant picks a potion from his belt.
The archers in the Town Hall windows open fire again, the shafts landing this time all around Maavu, one of them stabbing at a peasant in the crowd!
The angry mob remains at place observing the colourful patterns Marigold has created, but some very angry people in the middle start to push and make the others out of their fascination.
Juraan attacks the breathdrinker again: « מאַגיש מיסאַל » . .
JJ steps sideways ready to attack the breathdrinker if it appears again.
"You have made a bad enemy of someone." he notes dryly.
With augmented eyes Maxim tracks the fell elemental-kin's movement, shifting in the air to gain a better line of sight; :
Before meeting its own gaze with his own as he targets the creature...
:
... yet the gun-mage holds his aim and pistol true and with a scowl evokes familiar words of arcane power;
"Toverkracht Projectiel"
Magic Missile!
When he completes the incantation three glowing bullets streak forth unerringly to their wispy foe;
:
We need him around to ask questions
Ryan thinks to himself as movement returns, taking aim, he adds a cold iron bolt into the area where both Maxim and Juraan were peppering with their respective magical missiles.
Juraan and Maxim join ensemble in a rain of magic missiles that explode on the elemental one after the other leaving the magic that holds the outsider together in very bad state.
As the monster pops up again to finish Maavu, JJ and Ryan quickly react jumping over it, the magic of their weapons breaking through the elemental protections. The Breathdrinker energy finally collapses and the air whirls around him opening a small breach to the plain of air where the creature disappears through in a blast of vapor!
This was a summoned creature and its avatar returned to its home plain after its defeat.
Maavu breathes deep "Thank you... you... you really saved my life. I owe you this"
The archers in the Town Hall windows open fire against the merchant.
One of the shafts lodges in Maavu's right shoulder and he stumbles, barely managing to hold in place "Bastards, they will kill me..." the merchant starts running, trying to look for the cover of his warehouse walls.
Skylar hides behind Kikinnin, the people around seem willing to hit him, but for some reason they cannot.
Meanwhile in front of the Town Hall the angry mob refocus their attention in the source of their angriness. The assault the front walls trampling over Juraan in the process!
The mob starts to attack the Town Hall, breaking the front windows and damaging walls and doors "Hang the half-orcs! Take our money back!"
Juraan tries to move down to the nearest crowd-free spot in the nearby alley by the town hall:
... and between that and the drubbing from the crowd he's barely conscious.
So he tries to heal himself up a bit with his (almost used up) wand of CLW:
With that too going wrong, Juraan is sorely tempted to lob a fireball into the mob that could've killed him...
... but makes do with muttering strings of rude words in several languages.
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"Maaven, you'd best run, and do so quickly." suggests JJ as he looks around worriedly realising he's left Marigold along in the crowd.
He starts to surge back through the crowd, trying to get back to his little sister.
"Excuse me... man with sword coming through. Out of my way, yes thank you. No, no, you should not be here with your baby."
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AC = 25
HP = 84/84
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin keeps bellowing from within the crowd, hoping wobbly that his words will penetrate the mass haze mentality, at least in the vicinity of himself and Skylar.
"Damn your bull-headed building bashing!! You think you're making your case any clearer by destroying your city?! You endanger your fellow citizens with this unrest!! People are gonna lose their lives, and for what?! The Guard will have no choice but to subdue you with force!! Trained force!! Think, people, think!! There is a time and a place for... peaceful... sit-ins... "
Frustrated beyond words for having failed, twice, to have any sway over the masses, Kikinnin clutches at his holy symbol, steadying himself, before surging the healing power of Abadar through the crowd, praying that the sudden interruption might snap the rabble out of it.
Anxious to regroup with her friends, Marigold continues to push her way through the crowd as quickly as she can go.
Having finally caught up to the rest of the group, more or less, she tugs at JJ's sleeve.
"ನಾವು ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಬಹುದೇ ಎಂದು ನನಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ! ಬಹುಶಃ ನಾವು ಸ್ಕೈಲರ್ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಇಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಹೊರಗೆ ಹೋಗಬೇಕು?" she cries as she looks around anxiously for a means of escape.
"I don't know if we can stop them! Maybe we should take Skylar and get out of here?"
Juraan discovers the hard way that standing in front of an angry mass of people is a bad habit at the least. He though manages to escape barely alive of the unthinking mass of punches, kicks, stones and beating sticks and into the alley.
JJ and Marigold succeed to reunite near the dais, where people start to gather again once the Breathdrinker is no where to be seen.
Kikinnin finds his words make no difference in the mass of people and channels Abadar's energy all through the mass of people. The people, who seems more like a herd of animals at this point, suddenly heal up and start to chant up and cheer at Kikinnin for his deed!
The archers in the Town Hall look down once Maavu is escaped of their range "You imbeciles! Retreat or we will shot at you!"
But the mob listens to no one and has come to have a mind of itself ruling over the individual thoughts of each of its parts, and that mindless force is angry and devoted to make pay the building for its frustrations. More windows are broken and the doors of the building are overrun, people start entering the place with stones and sticks on air.
After Marigold's idea, Skylar is made safe out into a more calmer area to the south of the crowd "Thanks friends. You saved my life sure today, out of that mindless crowd" he hands one of his cure moderate wounds potions "This is just a small token of gratitude but I think you appreciate"
Minutes become seconds, and soon, from the western branch of Obsidian avenue Cauldron's security platoon gets out of the Guards Barracks. The platoon wastes no time in attempts to talk the crowd down and begins firing arrows into the mob, killing many people. The citizens, however, still outnumber the soldiers ten to one, and drive them off with an intense barrage of rocks, lit torches and coins. The Mayor's personal guard push off the mob out of the Hall, killing as well many of the people that reject to surrender, but they are unable to push into the dais square. Instead they shelter in the building entrance, while the archers in the windows throw more than menaces to the angry crowd.
When Maavu bolts, Maxim flies after him, pistol still draw and loaded.
The gun-mage flies o'erhead of his rival, bellowing down at the man;
"Arlintal! I ain't gonna warn ye again! You've questions to answer for the chaos wrought here... Answers I aim to hear! Make haste for somewhere near an' I'll follow. Try to lose me an' I'll drop you stone dead!"
With the breath drinker destroyed, Ryan turns his attention back to the crowds.
"Good people of Cauldron, cease and desist. If you continue there won't be a town at all. You came here to watch a challenge but have thought to fight against town hall with nothing but your hands. Many of your friends lie dead or dying at your feet, some by your own actions as they were trampled. Others by the trained soldiers. Disperse so that those not dead may yet be saved. This is not the way to get the change you so desperately need. "
Ryan turns back to Kikinnin and JJ as they are closest. "Bring those injured, including Maavu, together and try to treat them. If I can convince the rest of this mob to go home, we'll heal those that still live. Townsfolk and soldier alike."
Ryan then tries to reason with the remaining mob groups.
"Th-this is a-awful..." Marigold murmurs, dismayed almost to the point of tears at seeing so many of her fellow Cauldronites engaging in the destruction and fighting. "R-Ryan's right, we need to t-tend to the w-wounded...and t-talk s-some s-sense into everyone..."
But when Ryan mentions trying to round up Maavu with the others, she shakes her head. "Th-think he's t-trying to sc-scarper," Marigold says, pointing up at the flying, bellowing Maxim as he gives chase. Under other circumstances, the sight would be comical and she'd likely laugh to the point of tears. "D-do we t-try to f-follow?"
Ryan makes an effort to reason the most controlled of the people. Some of them nod in agreement with him and walk out of the square after checking the destruction, but most stop at the edge of the street to check out with curious eyes how the guards hit their fellow citizens.
Not long after, the entire town guard breaks up the primary mob and restores some kind of order around the Town Hall building by arresting and beating many citizens.
Meanwhile you track down Maavu to his nearby Warehouse. When you enter his office, Maxim is already there menacing the merchant with his gun. Maavu is packing all kind of stuff in a backpack. When you enter he turns towards you very agitated "I owe you my life, I am aware of"
"I am wracked with guilt for what has happened. All this riot thing is very worrisome." he gulps very serious as he stops a moment while looking absentmindedly at the floor "I am no mad, I know it was largely my fault that things got so out of hand."
"What is really going on here Maavu?" asks JJ.
"You are a merchant, not an agent provocateur. Between this and the umber hulks you have put a huge mark on your head, and driven your business out of Cauldron, assuming you can even get out now."
He shakes his head.
"I get you don't like the mayor, but this seems deeper than that."