Once the group started to scout out the Sombre side of town, Nethan knew this will not be a good place to sneak their mark out of town. Nethan shakes his head, "I do think we are being watched by guards but more like from the criminal element." Then nods his head, "I definitely do agree this is not a good place for anything including achieving our goal."
"Mugged? Interesting ..." Cracking her knuckles she leers towards the rooftops. "... but I don't think that will work out well for them."
She pockets the paper and shrugs. "How's that *reading* going?" she says with a nod towards the artefact.
Nethan nods, "Although I do not think you would do this Elise, but never under estimate your aggressor." ... Nethan then keeps his eyes open for danger.
Dreyyn can see some footholds to the left side of the alley up to the top and a rope to the right side of the alley to get up on those buildings.
Nethan tries to look specifically for the numbers and as he looks about walking down with the captain who begins taking the ready he can spot about 6. Though that isn't to say that is all of them but probably a good number. Like most muggings or blockades they will likely attempt to overwhelm their victims.
Alþórel checks his protections and then calls upon his arcane bond to erect even greater protections
Once ready he nods.
Dreyyn climbs up the rope on one of the sides.
There are 4 Eldred on this side, one of them notices you and taps on the ground as he turns around. Suddenly all four of them turn around to face you. They are all sprawled out on the ground on their front. When they turn to face you it appears like they are hovering a few inches off the ground. Wordlessly the closest one begins to crawl towards you.
There are 4 Eldred on this side, they are all looking over into the alley paying close attention to the group. Seemingly waiting until they all approach. They all have their hands planted on the edge of the rooftops, you can see a small amount of sand pouring from each of their hands. They seem more concerned with what's in front of them to notice you.
"What are you doing? State your intention." His blade is held in a protective manner and he will be in the Inner Sphere Stance, granting AC and Will save bonuses.
Once Alþórel's defences are up he tries to stay flexible.
I'm good enough at negotiations and scouting, but Dreyyn and Amelia are the experts.
Feeling all of those malignant eyes upon him and the group, Nethan activates his Inertial Armor and two-handed Soulblade(knife). For now, he will not activate his shield spell and continue to keep his head on a swivel.
Amelia manages to conceal herself away from the 4 that are have their eyes on Dreyyn. She can spy 4 more ontop the other rooftop that are still looking down at the alley way.
The one approaching Dreyyn suddenly darts down and a cloud of sand erupts from the ground.
Dreyyn deftly avoids the harmful effects of the sand and can feel that it was more than sand as it rushes past his head. The Eldred undeterred or maybe determined regardless of the spells success or not darts behind Dreyyn and with his senses still active can feel it trying to obtain something from his pockets.
The Eldred manages to take items from Dreyyn's fighter's kit that are on his belt. It looks at it quite happily.
Dreyyn will yell "flank him!" to Amelia, but in a voice loud enough to carry to those below. He will, as a standard action, share his Precise Strike teamwork feat with all within 30ft (sharing lasts 6 rounds). He will then move to the creature, and ready a swift action for when Amelia moves up and flanks with him (or will do this after Amelia if initiative works out that way) and the swift action will be Sudden Attack.
(bypasses DR)
Nethan looks at Al, then back at the muggers and attempts to intimidate them, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE WILL DO TO YOU IF YOU ATTACK US?! DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN BEAT US?! OUR POWER COMES FROM THE GODS!"
Nethan holds up his two handed crystal sword (soulknife) in a threatening way.
Amelia you get the benefit of the Precise Strike teamwork feat within 30ft of me.
Elise murmurs something in annoyance over the fact that the fight seemed to break out without her, up there. I only thoght they were going to take a look! she thinks as she sinks her claws into the wall, hurrying up to rectify the situation.
Alþórel pauses, then grins as he sees how the tides of fate fare. Running forward he leaps forward, rebounds off the gate and aims to do a midair somersault before landing on the roof.
The three thieves not engaged with Dreyyn summon weapons of sand from the roof tops. The weapons melt in from the roof and form around their hands. This looks to be the power of the colour yellow in this world. The summoning seems to have taken most of their time and they ready themselves. The other one assumes a defensive position.
Dreyyn swings in, leaving the thief quite badly wounded. Al jumps into the combat doing some acrobatics to land himself on the roof. Meanwhile Nethan puts on an intimidating show below. Those on the left side seem to be hesitant to join their friends in the combat. Those on the right are too concerned about the angry fighter near them.
Amelia darts in, her first throw doesn't do anything whereas her second one takes what remaining life out of the thief there is and he falls to the ground dropping what he stole. Another two stars fly hitting two of the other thieves, their new found weapons seem to stop the brunt of the blow from the first one. However her mythic attack cuts right through.
Elise takes a less flamboyant approach and climbs up to join her comrades.
With more targets to engage they look like they want to narrow down their foes as quickly as possible so begin moving around to flank Amelia. They tumble around people fairly well. It looks like despite their new weapons being fairly large they aren't weighing them down much.
They then begin to jab into Amelia.
Only one attack seems to find Amelia.
Alþórel winces as the thief falls, his hope of a peaceful resolution ending. Pity crosses his mind for the fools who thought to take on this company of heroes.
Closing his eyes for a second he focuses on the possible futures that approach.
From nowhere he draws a pitch black longsword. He mutters a word and waves it through the air, and it flashes into dazzling white along its length.
"Leave, and live. Stay and die. " he explains with eerie calm, eyes still closed. It is not a threat - it is a prophecy.
Dreyyn, now that the battle has begun in earnest and his companion is surrounded, goes in for blood.
moving two spaces east to flank with Amelia
Sudden Attack: take better of two d20s, dmg bypasses all DR
Then using Tactical Strike on the enemy he is flanking. If successful, see spoilers (calling Amelia as my target).
Golden Lion (Strike)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack; 10ft
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Any commander knows that in battle, footwork is key. By utilizing this theory, the Golden Lion disciple helps his comrades to understand this. The disciple makes a melee attack against a foe; if successful, any ally he designates within 10ft of his position may make an immediate free 10ft movement without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Nethan not liking where he was at moves to his current location looking for a way up on the roof in what looks to be the front of the buildings. He also looks to see if the thieves surrounding Amelia are within line of sight.
ROUND 1
Flynt gets some distance on the situation instead of clambering up to the roof and opens fire on the unengaged attackers.
ROUND 2
Jeremiah's first two shots don't find their mark.
Nethan sees a rope next to this building that he can climb up.
Dreyyn attacks and is not able to hit his targets, but the final strike in helping Amelia lands and she is able to pop free of her predicament. The blow hurts the thief though some of the damage has been absorbed by the sand.
Nethan climbs up the rope and looks for places where you can grab on to if something should happened with the rope.
Nethan moves up onto the roof without much issue and Amelia moves out of the way of her assailants.
The muggers on the other roof throw out some small bomb like devices that litter the other roof top. There is enough bombs to cover the whole roof. When they land they break into shards of sand and wash over their companions seemingly not affecting them however the stick to the feet of the party.
Jeremiah's first shot doesn't hit his target, though finally his second shot finds a mark.
Elise barely manages to avoid the ensnaring bonds of sand by quickly leaping into action as they shower the party. With a blood-thirsty laughter she surges forth towards the pile of sand-weilding warriors.
With a ferocious flurry she falls on them, but only one of the many strikes manages to connect. Jagged claws connect with the eldred and tears his flesh and clothes.
Nethan climbs up on the roof and without delay has to jump up in the air to avoid the tangle bombs. I guess living in Kyonin all of his life has help develop elf-like reflexes and dodges the effects of the bomblet?
Nethan casts shield since he will more than likely going to be in melee combat during this engagement.
Amelia also manages to tag one. The ones on the right rooftop are battered though not down. It appears like the can see that they might be outmatched. You see them drop their weapons though they draw something form their person and try to plant it on their assailants.
However they are unsuccessful in their trickery.
Dreyyn 5ft steps to the north to flank with Elise, then lays into the sandy eldred. He strikes the one he flanks on twice.
(Elise gets the 1d6 damage while flanking as well due to my stance)
Dreyyn manages to land the second blow on the his target. This one seems on its last legs.
Alþórel smiles as he finally finds the future he'd been looking for, and executes a maneuver he learned a thousand years ago.
Eyes still closed - so as not to be distracted by the present - he rushes forward, then leaps into the air in an impossibly long jump. The old man collides with a wall - but feet first. Pushing off at speed he curls into a ball and plants both feet into the nearest mugger.
This is the part that hurts he reflects regretfully.
"I said to go. It would distress me to kill you."
The mugger is able to stab Al before he is pushed though he doesn't realise how much the old man can maneuver and is pushed straight off the roof.
The other 3 muggers worried about this old man focus on him.
One of them throws a dust bomb at Al.
Then another one readies up a small dart that he sets alight, the one adjacent to him then picks it up and throws it into the dust cloud which then ignites.
The one who threw the dart then starts to run away for fear of his life. He goes down to help the one that got pushed off the roof.
Alþórel tries to ignore the pain from the wound in his arm. Regaining his balance he steps back as the dust cloud billows and explodes - though the heat singes him more than a little. As the smoke clears he quickly steps forward to his original position.
"Damn," Flynt mutters as two hit the streets and look like they are about to bolt. He decides to let them, redoubling his efforts to tag the north most mugger.
Nethan casts Bull Strength using Arcane Surge