Avrora's eyes carefuly follow the thug as he approaches, iron truncheon drawn at the ready. She shifts her weight to the tip of her toes and leans slightly forward, ready to move quickly if necessary. She bobs her weapon to and fro in an attempt to keep her opponent guessing as to its destination. The man's eyes dart to her right just before he raises his club. Acting quickly, she shifts her posture, moving her right foot back and bracing with her heel, shifting her shield around to accept the brunt of the blow with minimal impact.
As she does, a solid thud emanates behind her, and Varian shouts in pain.
"Cowards!" she yells "Attacking the unarmored!" As the truncheon bounces off of her shield, she swings her morningstar over her head, rotating her torso to the left in an attempt to bring it down over the head of the man who attacked her friend. But as she turns her boot slides on the slick stone, throwing her weight ever so slightly off balance.
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Seeing the brigands actually attack his cousin, Darian grits his teeth and readies his sword and shield.
This is insane...all of this is just insane...
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Galen has never attacked someone before now - at least not someone who didn't attack him first. He feels anger like never before and decides to let it infuse him; an old proverb of Callistra flashes in his mind even as he steps forward past two fleeing students and tries to bring his club down upon the brute's head just as he had done to Dany moments before.
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”Scum! Thrune is leading this city to a better future! Stop resisting!”, one of the militiamen yells at Avrora as he swings his truncheon at her fruitlessly, his poor aim easily turned by her shoulder armor. Yet even as he focuses on her, Avrora’s attention is elsewhere as she aims her own blows at the thug attacking Varian. Yet her morningstar’s blunt head connects with only air as it misses.
That very same thug, meanwhile, attempts to attack Varian again, yet finds his truncheon’s strike parried this time by Varian’s morningstar; the two metallic weapons clang together as their wielders each attempt to strike down the other, neither connecting.
Elsewhere, one of the militiamen looks over timidly at Phineas, his short, disguised self causing the thug to shake his head ever so slightly in fear; whatever he thinks of the mind-magic that affected him, he wants nothing of it, and goes to attack Varian. Thanks in part to his now-shaking attacks, however, his truncheon lands a glancing blow against the back of Varian’s armor, causing no injury.
”No! No! I’m sorry! Stop!” The last militiaman to engage the group finds himself on the ground, covered in mud and his own blood as he cowers in fear before Galen and the disguised Isabel. Although Galen only caused him a glancing blow, it was Isabel sticking him in the chest with her sword that caused him to drop his truncheon and begin cowering, his labored breathing showing the pain he’s in.
<< | | | >>
As the riot continues to escalate, a pitched battle has begun in the middle of it between Varian, Avrora, and a trio of militiamen, all trying fruitless to hurt one another. Varian and Avrora fight back-to-back against their attackers while Darian and Phineas rush to their aid or help from afar.
The dottari, fighting their own battle against any foolish rioters to press too close to the opera house, notice the group’s battle within the riot itself. One of the dottari near the doors points at Varian and Avrora with his heavy mace when he gets a chance to do so in between beating rioters senseless. One of his fellows sees who he means and nods in understanding, before beginning to move towards the crowd.
A second guard, further down the line, also breaks formation and begins moving towards the riot - in this case, his eyes are dead set on a middle-aged woman wielding a sword-cane with surprising grace and a young Varisian man..
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(5)
|
Isabel glares at the Thug before kicking his truncheon off into the crowd. "Get your lady and let's get out of here! We don't want to get caught up in this!" Isabel shadows Galen through the crowd, moving to intercept the Dottari if he gets too close.
------------------------------
?: Kick Thug's truncheon into the crowd
Otherwise: Hold Action until Galen moves.
Phineas breathes a sigh of relief as the thug decides he doesn't want to come after the man messing with his mind.
Get him, Varian. He looked scared at least, hopefully I distracted him enough for you.
As the Dottari steps towards Varian and Avrora, Phineas' worries only increase.
No! I won't be able to get sleep off before they're in the crowd...got to focus on who I can effect.
Phineas pushes forward into the crowd, and with a quick chant targets the thug he hasn't already hit with Daze.
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Darian steps forward, his blade shimmering with a faint hint of energy as he prepares to attack the thug assailing his cousin. His blade thrusts straight through the man's right shoulder, protruding out the other side.
"Julius, cousin...we need to get out of here!"
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Varian's eyes widens as he sees one of the Dottari coming his way. I need to stay wary. I can't use my spells now, because if I fail and they see through my deception, I'm lost. He parries an attack with his morning star, metal clashing again metal. Then, his cousin Darian attacks the thug from behind. Good. We can do it!
Encouraged by his cousin's attack, Varian tries to hit the thug in front of him swinging his morning star, keeping his defensive stance.
"They won't let us go!" he shouts at his cousin as he fights his way through the crowd.
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Galen was ready to smash the thug’s face in with his club, ready to do what he did to his beloved Dany. At least until the wounded wretch begs them to stop and pleads for mercy. Galen is ready to swing again, but just cannot bring himself to do it. To murder without mercy or remorse. The trinity of the divine that he reveres would all speak against such a brutal act, Shelyn most of all. He just can’t do it.
Galen lowers his club and then tosses it aside behind him. He wants to spit on the man but his mouth is too dry to even do that. So he simply growls, ”You REMEMBER the MERCY shown to you by good people this day!”
With that, Galen rushes over to pull at Dany’s arms and starts to drag her back away from the fallen thug, around the well-disguised form of Isabel and towards the bushes behind them both. He realizes now that Isabel does not look like Isabel at all from earlier...but her voice and her kind act of defense gives him no doubt as to her identity. ”Thank you,” is all he can whisper as he heaves at trying to drag his beloved out of the chaotic violence they find themselves in.
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Avrora curses under her breath, quickly readjusting her stance and managing to parry an incoming truncheon. She grunts and presses forward, managing to throw off her assailant, though her swing is far too wide. She raises her shield, preparing for the next move.
She is shocked to see Darian the melee. She is about to say something sarcastic, but she sees the Dottari break formation and a cold chill runs down her back.
”Hold still damn you!” One of the Chelish Citizens’ Group militiamen, the one attacking Avrora, grabs onto her shield and forces it down, allowing him enough of an opening to jab his truncheon like a sword at Avrora, hitting her in the face with it. Thankfully it wasn’t a blade, else she would be sporting more than a mere bruise.
”No! Screw this I’m out of here! These f%&+ers are trying to kill us!” A thug screams as he nurses a rather deep wound from Darian’s blade. Backing into the crowd, the thug breaks into a full run, shoving past people and jumping through a bush to get away. Varian meanwhile, parries yet another strike from his assailant as their weapons clash against one another, neither making headway.
While Avrora is distracted due to getting jabbed in the face with an iron truncheon and her own attempt at hitting her assailant, one of the dottari shoves his way into the crowd and spotting an opportune moment, connects his heavy iron mace to the side of Avrora’s head. Her head reeling in pain, she can see stars and taste blood in her mouth - yet incredulously, remains standing.
The other dottari meanwhile, shoves his own way into the crowd as well and tries to do the very same thing to Isabel - however, unlike Avrora, this dottari finds the middle aged woman too agile for his attack, and his mace connects with nothing but air. ”Submit, wench!” he yells in frustration.
<< | | | >>
The riot continues - by now, the opera house’s facade is sporting quite a few chunks and splatters of rotten meat and other, less mentionable substances. The dottari continue to beat down anyone who approaches the opera house, but they are becoming half-covered in rotten fruit as well. Their heavy iron shields are raised against the crowd, blocking both the rotten produce and odd rock or even weapon thrown at them.
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(Success)
The brute force behind the blow sends Avrora reeling in pain. Her head jerks sharply to the left and a dull buzzing overtakes the world. The cacophony of shouts and weapons around her now become dull and distant. Colors explode before her eyes even as darkness creeps in from the periphery.
They are outmatched. This battle was won before it began.
The pain in her jaw is a hot iron, and it spreads across her skull. There is no time to think, no time to consider. The prospect of capture by the Dottari now becomes very real. She remembers her time spent in the Kintargo jail.
She is afraid--truly, honestly afraid.
O Milani, are you with me now?
"Fall back!" she calls, or thinks she does. Her mouth is completely numb. She stumbles away from the Dottari, toward what she thinks is a familiar form. Miraculously, she does not fall.
--
Darian sees Avrora faulter under the assault and fall back, leaving Varian open to attack. He steps up to fill the gap. "She's right, Julius! We have to get out of here! Come on!'
To try to buy them time, he slashes his blade at the thug near him, and nearly removes his head with the attack! Part of Darian shudders at the idea that he may have just committed murder of a man enforcing the law...
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Galen is furiously trying to drag Dany back into the park beyond the outermost line of bushes, his breathing heavy and labored from the stress and physical exertion. Slowing for a moment as two students push by him to run into the park, he sees the middle-aged defender he knows as Isabel being accosted by an armored dottari, shouting at her to submit. To Galen, he no longer believes any orders by the dottari or their “citizen” militia allies are anything but lies spoken to murder the innocent. Nor can he simply allow this guard to smash down Isabel the way Dany was hit, not when the noblewoman very probably saved his own life. Holding onto his beloved’s arms he stands still and stares at the dottari with cold intensity, the grip of his hands tightening as he pushes his thoughts towards the fiend.
”No, you FLEE from her you cad! Slink back to your fiendish brethren!’
With the compulsion cast forth and strengthened by every bit of mental power he can muster, Galen gives a great heave and continues to drag Dany back to the line of bushes on the slim chance she can be saved from her undeserving fate.
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Phineas winces as Avrora takes a mace to the face. As Avrora stumbles through the crowd toward Phineas, he steps up to meet her.
"Avrora! Are you alright? Hold on, I'll try and keep that Dottari off us!"
Phineas casts daze on the Dottari engaged with Darian.
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"Avrora! Let's get away from here! Resist girl, resist!" shouts Varian as he follows Avrora and Phineas in their retreat. He knows that Darian is still there in melee, but having seen his camouflage, he wonders whether to call his cousin by name or no. Eventually, he opts for a far more generic: "Hey you! Fall back! We must get out of this hell!" I won't let you here cousin...
When he gets in a safe position, Varian place himself before Avrora and Phineas, in a desperate attempt to protect them. Also, he doesn't want to leave his cousin behind. "Stay behind me and withdraw as soon as you can. I'll stall as long as I can. " he shouts to Avrora and Phineas with an authoritative and imperious tone, that of a true Cheliaxian.
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With one of the thugs fleeing, the other shakily standing up so he too can flee, and a third unconscious on the cobblestones, his lifeblood flowing from a chest wound that Darian inflicted, only one of the Chelish Citizens’ Group thugs that paid any attention to the group remains up and active - in this case, he chases the fleeing group and attempts to smite Varian aside the head with his truncheon, but misses in his attempt.
Both of the dottari, meanwhile, find their minds assaulted by various magics; one is able to throw off the dazing cantrip, instead going on and clubbing Darian in the chest with his heavy mace; the other isn’t so lucky and is forced to flee the battle by Galen’s short lasting mental control.
<< | | | >>
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Varian's offer to stand behind and fight brings Avrora out of her stupor. She sees the cowardly thug advance on Varian, weapon drawn. Uttering a silent prayer to Milani, she whirls around, nimbly side-stepping Varian and arcing her morningstar, putting all of her weight behind it.
"Shame of Kintargo!" she screams, as it connects solidly with the man's temple and renders a satisfying crunch.
------------------------
They won't let us walk away...I'm sorry, brothers and sister of Cheliax, because I wouldn't hit you if I had a choice.
Varian's mind is filled with images of blood and terror. The protest is quickly turning into an open riot. And his city is bleeding, right there, in front of him. "" shouts Varian as he tries to swing his morning star at the thug chasing them. This time, he doesn't worry about keeping his defensive stance. We need to get rid of them, otherwise we'll get stuck here.
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The chaos and violence swirling around Phineas leaves him more than a little unnerved as screams and the sounds of weapons striking flesh fill the crowd. Phineas stays behind Avrora as she smashes the man chasing them full in the face, dropping him to the ground.
Well, she can't be too hurt, at least. A shiver runs down his spine. But that man could very well be dead. This is insanity, I've never seen someone killed like that before. But Varian's still in trouble, I'm not leaving without him if I can help it.
Phineas pushes through the crowd, fighting for a clearer view of Varian's fight. He focuses, bringing his magical training to the forefront of his mind as he tries once more to daze the Dottari engaged in combat with Varian and another man.
________________________________
Move Action: Move to the side.
Standard Action: Daze, Will Save DC 14 on Dottari 1.
Darian grunts as the mace strikes him in the ribs, depriving him of a few moments of breath. He quickly recovers his battle posture, and responds with a slash from his own blade.
He sees Varian return to his side, and realizes that his cousin is just as resolute as he in regards to not abandoning him in battle. Damnit, Varian! I'll be fine! Just go!
__________
Galen would have almost admired the way the dottari was forced to flee back to the Opera House like a coward, had it not been for the dreadful necessity of trying to save his beloved’s life in the process. Oddly he felt another presence affecting the guard when he pushed his own compulsion upon him, from the disguised Isabel no less. It wasn’t as much a forced intrusion into his mind as Galen was doing but almost a pressing or pushing against the man’s consciousness, forcing an added distraction to what Galen was doing. Of course, there was no time to ask her about it.
With a fleeting thought that he hopes the other dottari will see this one’s actions as cowardly and accost him for it, Galen continues to pull Dany back between the bushes and into the park itself, making as much distance as possible. He tries as best as he can to keep her head from hitting the ground as he drags her, not daring to look at her head or face as he continues to pull her along.
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|
|
Isabel breathes a sigh of relief as the dottari flees. Turning to Galen she bends down to heft Dany's legs as best she can and help Galen hurry along.
This is not my forte... Sunset you have a lot to answer for! Interestingly Isabel actually felt Galen's spell burst the dottaris mental defences. It felt almost as though he had slammed a sword right through her own mental presence although the 'blade' had left no damage behind. We have to have an honest talk he and I... later
----------------------
As Avrora knocks one of the thugs unconscious, all of the Chelish Citizens’ Group militiamen are down or are fleeing - only the two courageous dottari are still engaging the group. One of them finds himself simultaneously bloodied by Darian’s blade and mentally assaulted by Phineas’s spells - as a result, he’s left bloody and dazed for the time being. The second dottari, however, shakes off his mental control of Galen’s and pushes his way back into the crowd, this time heading straight for Varian.
<< | | | >>
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Darian sees the Dottari stumble, as well as receive reinforcements from the line of guards. Damnit! We have to get out of this fight!
He thrusts his sword forward, hoping to fell the man quickly before spinning around Varian to take position against the newcomer to the fight.
__________
"C'mon cousin! Let's get out of here", shouts Varian as he sees his cousin still trying to fight the Dottari in front of both. "More could be coming in! We must go!"
That said, Varian steps back keeping his guard up, turns on himself and starts moving away from the battle. "Avrora! Phineas! With us!"
________________________
When Varian agrees to retreat, Darian sighs in relief and turns to follow. Unfortunately, the rioting crowd doesn't yield before him as it does for his cousin, and Darian finds himself hard pressed to keep up.
Scattered thoughts skitter across Phineas' mind as he dazes the dottari long enough for Darian to finish him off and Varian calls for a retreat. I helped kill that man. I knew this would happen, but its different seeing it. False names are hard to keep track of in the middle of combat, aren't they? The thought seems kind of absurd given the blood and death surrounding them.
"Avrora, let's get out of here before that guard gets back! This way!". He motions at her to follow, then pushes through the crowd away from the Dottari through the bushes.
_________________________
Even as the thug is laid low by her swing, she sees others standing, moving in. Then there's the Dottari, who are breaking formation to assist.
The buzzing in her ears lingers, though at least she has stopped seeing double. Her jaw has begun to sing in pain. She knows she'll be remembering that blow tomorrow.
Assuming I live that long.
"Avrora, let's get out of here before that guard gets back! This way!". He motions at her to follow, then pushes through the crowd away from the Dottari through the bushes.
At the same moment, she spots a Dottari moving in on Varian. Her ally turns and runs with incredible speed through the crowd, Darian following in hot pursuit.
The Dottari's eyes search the crowd and land on her.
"This is not over!" she yells across the throng."Kintargo will not submit to the likes of Barzillai, nor to his thugs!"
"Milani save us," she whispers soberly as she turns and flees the madness.
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Galen was about to maneuver around to put Dany on the park bench by the pond, knowing he has to do something about her bleeding somehow. Yet he has neither healer's kit nor bandages, with his skill only vague memories of what he saw his Nan do when he was much younger. At Isabel's suggestion he looks over to where he sees "Davis" and the feisty Avrora woman, nodding to himself it's the better chance at this point.
"Yes I...yes let's take her over...at least that's less visible from the Opera House I think too."
With that he takes Dany's arms and head while Isabel takes her legs, shuffling down the park path as best they can while retreating protesters scream and run by them.
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”Get back here! I’m not done with you!” The last remaining dottari in the riot sees the group runs off and almost begins to chase after them - however, he spots his fallen comrade and instead stops to aid him. ”Bah let them run - hold on I got you!” Dropping his mace and shield, he rips off a piece of his tabard and binds the fallen guard’s wounds, staunching the flow of blood.
<< | | | >>
As the riot continues, the doors to the Opera house burst open and spew forth a dozen additional dottari who take up position behind their fellows in order to aid them. Behind them follows Nox - who holds the black iron leash for a monstrous, fiery hound sporting a spiked, black iron collar. Standing at almost five feet at the shoulder, the hellish beast reeks of sulfur and brimstone. Fire emanates from its hellish visage, and instead of fur, a mantle of flickering flame takes its place, each tendril of fire appearing as an extension of its body momentarily before disappearing.
”Mephry! Sic!” Nox grins as she lets go of the beast’s leash and it charges into the crowd, breathing a gout of flame into the front row of rioters. Taunts and goading quickly turns into screams of pain and terror as the crowd begins to scatter in all directions - some running left or right along the roads, while others jumping into the Aria Park’s lake, preferring the safety of the water to the beast’s fire.
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Darian continues to shoulder his way through the crowd, doing his best to keep up with Varian and get clear of the incoming onslaught.
__________
Avrora's boots dig into the soft, wet earth as she presses forward through the chaos. Screams fill the air, and more. Now, the peculiar aroma of singed hair and burnt flesh invade her nostrils as Nox's fiendish pet unleashes its wrath upon Kintargo's citizens. Her stomach rolls.
"Phineas, move!" she screams, praying they can find refuge in one of the city's many back alleys or bustling streets.
__________
Phineas looks back over his shoulder once as screams begin to rise behind him in earnest, then concentrates on running as fast as he can to push through the crowd and catch up with Avrora and Varian.
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This is FAR worse than I thought...
"" shouts out Varian in a desperate attempt to gather the maximum amount of followers before leaving the park along with Darian, Phineas and Avrora. Milani, please let them hear me!
__________________________
"I know I know, I...I'm heading for that bench there...help me get her there and I can check her...you go on after..." Galen's speech is labored now as he moves along, a mixture of mental stress and physical exertion. It's all he can do to focus on the far bench by the park pond, the screams in the distance due to some terrible beast driving him forward.
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