Aljohar's eyebrows shoot in the general direction of the clouds as her normally-shy companion heads directly towards the cobbler's shop. It takes a couple of trotting steps to catch her up with the scholar, so taken by surprise is she.
"Shameful, your shoes are," she deadpans.
They really are atrocious. They should get cleaned with the rest of you.
Linokashtai just furrows her eyebrows slightly at the little crystal that she is holding in her hands, stuffing it into her pocket. She stays silent as she approaches the shop, seeming occupied for the time in her thoughts. She opens the door upon arrival.
Seeing the young woman who had known him as a child, Thenji acknowledges Aljohar's wave. He keeps the motion rather short as he sees she walks with the psion Linokashtai. While he's pretty sure the woman and he had an understanding, he generally tried to keep from drawing her attention too often. Thankfully, she seemed to preoccupied with following the armed men into the cobbler's to really notice his casual greeting to the cleric.
Keeping the corner of his eyes on the armed men, Thenji can't imagine why someone would want to get mixed up with their ilk, especially if they have the kind of coin to spend on a mount like that. Not unless they needed trifling with that is. He hope Aljohar won't regret following Linokashtai.
Thenji clucks at the donkey...Brawny wasn't it?...and tugs the reins in the direction he agreed to drop off Sally's cart. Of course, Brawny didn't really pay much attention seeing as the animal was already headed that way, making Thenji's action more for show than anything else.
Just a driver giving someone a ride into town for the festivities. Nothing to see here.
Initiative:
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Up by the grange, Pensive Starfinder bumps into one of the men loading the wagon. He angrily flings an arm skyward and no doubt spews invective upon the unfortunate laborer. The sergeant turns away and marches into Butterfield’s store.
Stephan hands the small cakes out to the children. “Yours is free,” he tells Jamorin. “It’s a finder’s fee.” The cake is warm and tastes of carrots; the thin sweet icing is melting into the cake.
As Linokashtai and Aljohar the step onto the porch in front of the cobblers, the bowman’s eyes lock onto the pair. His hands rest on the pommel of his saddle; the left grips his bow. His knees guide the big horse to step slightly toward the right. When Aljohar lays her hand on the door, he speaks in a deep growling voice, “My friends are in there. They’d like some privacy.”
Halfway up the street, the fourth horseman emerges from an alley on the east side.
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Two short blasts of a hunting horn sound and echo down the street. Pensive Starfinder his sword naked in his hand, stumbles from Butterfield's and winds another short blast.
Three short blasts is the local brigade's alarm signal.
The laborers loading the wagon stop what they are doing and reach into the wagon. The first to draw a spear wheels and thrusts it into Pensive's back.
Aljohar blinks at the horseman in surprise. "To buy shoes?" Aside to Lino, she says loudly enough to be heard, "Maybe really ugly feet?"
She displays her holy symbol to the bowman, keeping it in her hand. "If they have soldier's foot, perhaps I could cure them." Still, she makes no move towards her weapons, nor towards the door.
Hearing the alarm signal, Aljohar looks around in time to see the guard captain attacked. "Pensive!" she gasps, obviously surprised.
At the three blasts Lydia whirls about in alarm.
Please do not let Amanda be mixed up in this!
She whispers the charm to increase her vision as she starts toward the sound, unlimbering her bow.
Perception (to see what the hell is going on):
Racing toward the sound, Lydia sprints down the middle of the street, aiming for the Grange.
"Oh gods. Don't look now," Syrus says to Thenji, ducking down in the cart again. He wasn't entirely sure what in blazes was going on, but he wanted no part of it. Of course this happens the day I go outside!
Jam isn't really clear what's going on here, but is clear these kids need to be no part of it. At the alarm and Aljohar's cry Jamorin reacts quickly gathering up the children around the baker's cart getting them out of the line of sight of the archers half eaten cake forgotten. "Don't worry kids, everything will be ok, we just need to stay down with Mr. Stephan." He hoped none of them noticed the spear jab into Pensive. Jam peers over the cart towards the archers and spearmen "I should help..." He hesitates looking at the kids reluctant to leave them.
Thenji's eyebrow twitches as the expert archer sniper speaks gruffly yet with civil enough phrasing. He wonders how the pair will respond, but his eyes come up and forward as a man...Pensive? stumbles out of Butterfield's down the road. Several men loading a wagon suddenly arm themselves and one pokes the pointy end of a spear into the man blowing the horn.
"Oh gods. Don't look now," Syrus says to Thenji, ducking down in the cart again.
"Too late," he replies flatly. The urge to respond as Syrus had and simply ignore what he was seeing was strong. But as the confident archer called out to his fellows in the cobbler that something was wrong, he felt himself irked and a desire not to be shown up by the rude and arrogant men began to blossom.
First things first however. Brawny definitely didn't need to be a casualty. If nothing else, Thenji was going to see to it that Sally got her donkey back alive and well. Thenji snaps the reins and steers Brawny and the cart down the nearest alley or side street capable of allowing the cart to pass.
Thenji gives a low whistle in an effort to attract Linokashtai and Aljohar's attention. He pulls the hat off his head to shield his other hand from view down the street and makes the hand gestures they all learned during their time in combat to indicate going around and flanking the enemy from a direction they were not overwatching. He gestures to the cart then encouraging the pair to hurry up and get on before the donkey gets moving too quickly.
Casually with his long strides, he walks into the town looking around at the preparations and start of the festivities. A smile slides across his face only to be turned into a scowl by the blasts of a horn, squinting down the length of the thoroughfare he cannot really see what's occurring.
He passes the reins of his pony to Jonah; "If you could hold this, I'll see what's going on." He starts trotting down the street - then a thought crosses his mind; 'Hang on, Peter said he'd take the North route! Hope he's not going to get himself in the way.' The pace lengthens as his strides quicken into a light jog.
Three Short blasts echo thorughout the streets
Uthar drops his tools, and reaches for his Greatsword. Hefting its weigh the man starts to gain momentum down the street, moving suprisingly quickly for a man in armour.
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Down at the Grange :
Pensive turns and hacks at the spear shaft. The backstabbing spearman retreats a step and Pensive staggers north away from his assailant. Another man emerges from Butterfields clad for war in breastplate and wielding a largish sword. He pursues Pensive into the street and cuts at him.
Other laborers heave their sacks into the wagon. They too draw weapons from the wagon bed. One clambers up and takes the reins
The bandit archers site and fire on the closest vendors who dive and duck behind their carts. Two arrows strike carts, a third finds flesh in the thigh of a tinker who drops and rolls awkwardly.
At the Pantheon, Attus Veri watches the tinker go down. He begins running up the center of the street toward the injured man. The fourth bandit bowman draws and looses. His shaft strikes Veri in the arm. The cleric veers behind a water trough for cover.
Initatives and Positions:
Riders, 21,___250
Jam,___ 19,___600
Karl,__ 17,___ 60?
Lydia,_ 15,___540
Laborers/bandits, 13 , 1000
Thenji, 12,___ 190 alley
Syrus___ 5,___ 190 alley
Aljohar, and Lino, 4,___250
Uthar, 3,___ 525 parallel east (gone for round 1)
Injured tinker 940.
Attus Veri 820.
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Jam isn't really clear what's going on here, but is clear these kids need to be no part of it. At the alarm and Aljohar's cry Jamorin reacts quickly gathering up the children around the baker's cart getting them out of the line of sight of the archers half eaten cake forgotten. "Don't worry kids, everything will be ok, we just need to stay down with Mr. Stephan." He hoped none of them noticed the spear jab into Pensive. Jam peers over the cart towards the archers and spearmen ...
"Into the store kids," Stephan helps herd them through the door.
"I should help..." He hesitates looking at the kids reluctant to leave them.
"Don't be daft, Jam. You'll be an easy target alone out there. Wait til I get my shield and sword and we can take them together."
Without waiting for a reply, Stephan scurries after the children. You can hear him calling his wife and family to find his wargear.
"Right. You militia types..." Syrus complains when he sees Thenji's signaling, shaking his head. Frankly, he should be leaving this problem to them; he didn't go out of his way to avoid getting signed on just to get dragged into it anyway. Still, seeing Pensive gutted like a pig bothered him far more than he thought it would. He didn't like the man, but he never wished for any harm to befall him.
He curses under his breath, the words flowing seamlessly into a brief incantation he had not used in years. A shimmering veil of force envelops his body, promptly becoming invisible the second after it appears. If they were going to play hero, he sure as hell wasn't going to get pelted to death by arrows while doing it.
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Buildings are a mix of one or two story. The three exceptions are the Pantheon, the Grange, and Galifar's Rest, a three story inn.
Some buildings are close together, many have alleys 5-20' wide between them which would require jumping to traverse. The Pantheon is on the eastern side of the street. It's big enough and separated from adjacent building far enough that it is an impassable obstacle to rooftop travel.
Aljohar glances at Thenji, then looks at Brawny, considers the distance to Pensive and the bowmen covering the street, and hops into the cart, thumping Thenji on the shoulder.
"Let's move!"
Linokashtai makes a similar assessment of the situation, and scrambles up into the cart to take the wagon's way out.
There's a moment of light around the psion, but it quickly fades into invisibility.
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Aljohar and Linokashtai dash diagonally across the street and pile into Thenji's wagon.
At the cobblers two riders burst out of the door, hurriedly throw several pairs of boots and shoes over their saddle horns so that the footwear hangs suspended from its laces, and hoist themselves into the saddle. The bowman circles his horse impatiently and the fourth horseman trots down the street to complete the quartet. All except the horseman ready lances.
Meanwhile in front of the Grange, another spearman joins the assault against Starfinder. The sergeant's sword turns one blade, then finds the new assailant's heart, but as that man drops the swordsman cuts into Pensive's thigh. Roaring curses the old veteran falls to a knee.
Riders, 21,___250
Jam,___ 19,___600
Karl,__ 17,___ 60?
Lydia,_ 15,___540
Bandits, 13 , 1000
Thenji, 12,___ 190 alley
Syrus___ 5,___ 190 alley
Aljohar, and Lino, 4,___190 alley
Uthar, 3,___ 525 parallel east
Injured tinker 940.
Attus Veri 820.
The tent is 0. The grange is 1000. The cobblers is 250. The bakers,600. The Pantheon 620.
Uthar starts his run.
Lydia keeps running up the centre of the parallel street, looking for a way up onto the roofs.
If I can get up there I can scope what's happening, she thinks.
Chance of roof access (40%):
Wolf's teeth! Never a carter when you need one!
Looking 60' ahead, chance of roof access (40%):
Position:
Squinting against the bright sunshine, Karl can just see the hint of the dangerous robbery up ahead - he's not certain what's occurring but is concious of the potential for the townsfolk to get hurt.
His long stride lengthens as he weaves between the carts and stalls set up for the festivities and his speed increases.
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From the baker's shop Jam can hear sounds of a search and something of an argument. Lydia dashes past in the middle of the street.
The last stragglers reach the safety of doorways or the cover of carts, water troughs, porch pillars, or what not.
At the far end of the street, Karl begins to run in earnest.
With a glance towards the door to the bakery Jam shakes his head "Sorry Stephan people could be dead by then." He knows full well the backer can't hear him from inside the shop.
Now that the kids are safe I can move a bit easier. I don't really want to become a pin cushion either though... maybe I can stay out of sight.
Jam tries to move quickly darting from one piece of cover to another hoping the bowmen don't notice him and assume he went into the shop with the others.
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Jam moves forward, from cover to cover. He doesn't draw any fire.
At the Grange, the bandit bowmen hold their fire, waiting for targets. Two more men come out of the Grange and pitch heavy sacks into the wagon. Somehow Pensive regains his feet and continues his fighting retreat northward. His two foes pursue.
...Lydia keeps running...
Knowing Brawny is just a donkey used to pulling the little cart and occasionally carrying grain sacks, Thenji doesn't try anything fancy, just get the cart moving down the alley/side street to avoid any collateral damage to Brawny and the cart.
"Regol! Hop up here!" Thenji indicates the driver's bench. "I need to get all dolled up for the ball." The rogue points to the sack full of his leather armor stashed in the back next to the cowled man.
Turning his eyes back to the street, Thenji mutters, "Gah! I guess I should be happy these damn instincts to always be ready they pounded into me aren't just twitchy paranoia."
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Thenji drives down the alley and pivots the cart into the parallel street.
The riders wheel and gather themselves. Their horses start to walk toward the Grange, but it's a long way.
One of the bandit bowmen taps another and points down the street at Lydia.
Round 3. Initiatives and Initial Positions:
Riders, 21,___250 (gone to 290)
Jam,___ 19,___660
Karl,__ 17,___ 180
Lydia,_ 15,___780
Bandits, 13 , 1000
Thenji, 12,___ 220 parallel west
Syrus___ 5,___ 220 parallel west
Aljohar, and Lino, 4,___220 parallel west
Uthar, 3,___ 625 parallel east
Townsfolk, 1 __ various
Injured tinker 940.
Attus Veri 820.
The tent is 0. The grange is 1000. The cobblers is 250. The bakers,600. The Pantheon 620. A climbing spot in 830.
Jam, Karl, Lydia round 3.
Aljohar stays in the back of Thenji's cart as the donkey moves out nicely, assisting if Thenji needs help arming, otherwise keeping an eye out ahead of the cart and averting her eyes as he dresses. She urges Syrus to move the donkey faster once they complete the turn onto the parallel street.