Gaxi is at first excited at the prospect of burning enemies, only to see others-including the scary woman with the giant sword-cleave the enemies easily.
Once the Frost Giant bursts in, all the bravado in the kobold is snuffed like a candle flame in a storm. He is left stupefied by what he sees, only to snap out of it once Pyros calls out. The kobold sprints to the others and looks for another way.
VARNHOLD GROUP
The small rat flips his cloak from his shoulder, bringing his mechanical arm out as flex the limbs. Mostly out of habit, as there were no muscle to stretch "Ikit teach em good, yes yes. We go around, collapse tunnel never good, could do so again if try to dig with no tools. Ikit knows, Warren tunnels can be bad if collapsed. Yes yes"
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Maeric draws his blades in one smooth motion, the steel catching the dim light as he drops into a guarded stance. His mask turns slowly as he scans the corridor, eyes tracking movement through dust and shadow. Each breath is measured, every step deliberate as he gauges the room for threats or another way forward.
“Stay sharp,” he mutters, voice low and rough. “They won’t be the last.”
Raok draws his dagger
He stands beside Ikit and nods at his words, being inexperienced indoors.
After eating and conversing, people start to drift off to their rooms. Eventually, everyone beds down for the night.
Each of you are awakened to the sound of fighting. Screams and yells echo through out the mansion. Some of you are awakened by masked figures breaking into your rooms.
Daxiana had never been a light sleeper. Her hunting hobbies had taught her than those that didn't stir at sounds that didn't fit would often find their supplies gone in the morning thanks to animals, IF they were lucky. Thus she stirred when she heard the door open. The figure wore a mask, and carried a half spear. He moved to stab her in her sleep, only to find she was already awake and rolling over to the side just in time. HIs spear got stuck, and in the precious two seconds it took him to yank it free, Daxiana retrieved her bow, drew arrow to string and fired! TWANG! The shot sunk into the throat of the intruder and he dropped.
Daxiana takes a breath , "THAT... was not bed in breakfast." She slips her armor on hastily and goes with her weapons armed... she had to find the others and what was going on! Soon she would find allies, and by Cayden's frothing cup, she'd need them!Varnhold Group:
Your group comes around a bend in the corridor and see the Amiri fighting several of the assassins. Any doubt about her ability to wield the massive sword is dispelled as you see her raging.You rush to help and the assassins are quickly dispatched.
Daxiana shoots one in the leg, but really by the time she has another shot, Amri and others have finished them off! Damn! She really CAN handle that big sword!
Amiri gives a quick once over of your group, but then rushes off yelling oaths to Gorum, obviously only interested in killing the attackers. Ahead and to the Left is a large door that leads to the main entry hall that in tiurn leads to the large feast hall wher you listened to the announcement from Jamandi earlier.
As you approach the door, you see several of the assassins confronting a group of guards, but before you can move in, you see the leader of the assassins call out and a Frost Giant enters the room, casts cone of cold, and slays the defenders. The group then moves toward the feast hall and, as they pass, the Giant smashes the Jeystone of the archway, collapsing the only way to follow them.
Daxiana's eyes widen as she sees an actual GIANT! Despite her bravado, the ranger IS only 18 years old and this is beyond her ken, and, she has sense enough to realize, beyond her ability.
Like Gaxi, she's stunned, and is grateful when Pyros manages to bring them back into focus.Dueling sword drawn, Pyros looks around for another way to reach the feast hall. "Does anyone see a path?" he asks the others.
The small rat flips his cloak from his shoulder, bringing his mechanical arm out as flex the limbs. Mostly out of habit, as there were no muscle to stretch "Ikit teach em good, yes yes. We go around, collapse tunnel never good, could do so again if try to dig with no tools. Ikit knows, Warren tunnels can be bad if collapsed. Yes yes"
"We'll have to work around then." She looks as well muttering "A bloody giant, who the hell smuggled THAT in?"
She nods at Maeric's comment about staying sharp, bow and arrow ready as she looks about.
One of the first things she notices is Roak, a ..frog person, "Guess I missed you at the party. Name's Daxiana, seeing as we're under attack together seemed polite to say hello." Despite her banter she says this as she looks about for the best path around.
"Make nice nice later. Big giant beast threat to Warren... Castle... Party. Us us! We take care of other invaders. Avoid giant beast. No can killl kill." his mechanical arm whirs and strains a bit. Ikit looks down at the prosthetic "Need better metals, yes yes."
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Harter quickly goes into action and effectively goes first into action, making sure to protect the others, even the small fragile Tartuccio gnome.
As they are about to enter the hall, the giant appears and, for the first time, the man pauses. He is impressed with its abilities and isn't sure he'd be a menace to it. After it's gone, he considers whether he should have entered, then decides second guessing his actions is better for another time.
He enters the hall and says "Everyone, quick, look for a way forward." He starts looking himself, but he knows he is not the most perceptive person.
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Harter seems to be looking weirdly at the gnome Tartuccio. Still he says [b]"I agree, we should move there swiftly. Stay behind me, I should be drawing their attention."
He tries to remember the quickest way to the banquet hall and goes that way. Before entering a room, he quickly scans it for chaotic auras.
When the assassins come in the night, Cassia is quick to grab her kukris and take up a position by the door, ready to catch a would-be attacker. When the assailant comes bursting through the door, she buries it in his neck, almost decapitating him.
She dons her armor and exits the room, finding the rest of the would-be claimants in conflict as well. She allows Amiri to cut her way through and when the group encounters the giant, she listens to her survival instincts and stays back.
"Yeah. How does a giant get anywhere near here without being spotted?"
"You're just in time! A bit longer and I'd have been... ugh, I don't even want to think about it! Can you imagine? What a terrible loss that would have been! But it's all right now, I'm safe, sound, and unscathed -- ready to lead you to victory!"
He continues,
"Lady Jamandi is holding the line in the banquet hall. We need to make our way to her! And along the way, we'll try to save some of these dummies that were supposed to accompany us into the Stolen Lands."
She moves forward through the halls and rooms, covering the pair while on the lookout for Jamandi. She can't help but wonder how Rain is faring outside and casts a quick, worried look out each window they pass.
"This way, Harter," she nearly shouts as Harter seems to start focusing on everything around them, confusing his paladin senses with a loss of direction. Each small pocket of enemies she takes slowly, unwilling to give up a defensive stance in front of Tarttucio, but that doesn't stop her lethal blade from doing its work. "At least the masks make it easy to identify friend from foe," she mutters as they make their way.
Stanislaw had been awoken by the sound of fighting from the room next to his. He had just had enough time to string his bow and grab an arrow before the door to his room opened and a dagger-wielding human came into the room. Seeing him awake he rushed forward as Stanislaw fired an arrow, felling the man. Donning his armor and gathering his belongings, he cautiously exited the room, moving through hallways, until he found Harter and Meredith.
Stanislaw frowned at Tartuccio. He still didn't like the gnome's arrogance, but he supposed everyone needed to be there. When Harter says he should draw their attention, Stanislaw chimes in, "Not alone, you shouldn't be. Who knows how many of these foes have attacked the manor? Meredith, Dax indicated you were a skilled combatant. Please join Harter on the front line, if you would. Sven, you look capable of holding your own on the front line, as well, if you could please join Harter and Meredith. I'll bring up the rear - a bow is most useful at range, after all. Let's keep our eyes open - these assassins are crafty." Stanislaw took up his position, arrow nocked and ready to draw at a moment's notice.
Sven marched in, alongside Stanislaw. He entered the room just as the priest of Old Deadeye proved his devotion by dropping a man with his deity's favored weapon. As a faithful of Grundinnar, Sven held a Warhammer in one hand. In his other was a shield he had purchased before leaving his clan behind, a 'mechanical marvel' that he hadn't quite figured out how to use yet. It was an advanced piece of military equipment, designed for experienced warriors. Something that he was not. It was evidence that gold alone could not replace expertise.
At Stanislaw's words, Sven banged his hammer against his shield as a way of acceptance, as he walked forward. His face, already looking like a sculptor made by an artisan in training, was dead serious. He tried to walk with confidence to the front, fully aware that he held on his shoulders expectations to hold his own. What he didn't say was that he was a merchant and a healer by trade, and that the only actual combat experience he had was fighting his way past desperate bandits on the road. Taking position with Harter and Meredith, he steeled himself. The expedition suddenly felt real. There were no caravan guards to fall back to. There was nowhere to retreat. It was time to earn their positions.
"I'm ready" He said, his voice sounding like two stones grinding together. He was well and truly glad to be in the company of seasoned warriors who knew what they were doing.
Hearing Daxiana's words and seeing her actions he looks around the room a bit more critically
With a voice that is a mix of higher than normal pitch and a few bass tones and clicks
Thankyou Daxiana I am Raok, of the Grippli people, I thought this would be a safe place under the Swordlords protection
"Safe? Nowhere completely safe, warren safest, but then other clan attack. Same here, but safe means clan with you, never alone, yes yes. Fight together. Fight off enemy clan!" he makes a few fist motions with his mechanical arm "Clan stay together, yes yes, strong!"
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Piret is surprised to learn of the much more sweeping and ambitious goals behind the expedition. She had taken what she knew of it beforehand very much at face value. A much more forthrightly political agenda than she had imagined doesn't really change things much for her though. At least she can't see any ways in which colonizing the "Stolen Lands" would conflict with her simple aims. Besides, the financial backing could make things easier.
Since she doesn't see herself as having much of a stake in a new polity, and even less in leading it, Piret doesn't ask any questions. She just listens to try feeling out what the people who might soon be her associates are like.
At Ikrit's comment of fighting together, "Yes, when a giant is about , one doesn't want to be a solo act that's for sure. Lonewolves tend to die in the wild."
And she's glad Cassia agrees with her, "Got to be an inside job, someone opening the way to get the giant in right? Maybe a servant was paid off?"
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Tratuccio - You don't know anything special about him.
Amiri- Kellid barabarian of the Six Bears tribe, a sub-clan of the Tiger Lords of Numeria.
Jaethal (the Elf woman) - She is undead (but of no type you've seen or heard of before), and wears a holy symbol of Urgathoa.
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Both groups wend their ways towards the main hall. The Varnhold group ends up coming in from the same path Jamandi and the Mayor entered the previous day. The other group ends up in am open air courtyard where they run into Kesten Garress. There is a fire raging that he is in the process of fighting with his men. He directs you to the other side entrance of the main hall.
Both groups burst into the hall at the same time. Inside is chaos. You see Valerie fighting several assassins. There are two of her guardsmen lying on the ground near her, along with several other bodies. She seems to be holding her own with her heavy armor and massive tower shield, but she is effectively pinned to the wall and cannot reach Jamandi.
As the Varnhold group enters, they hear the yells of Amiri as she jumps down from a balcony near your group and begins laying into the enemy with reckless abandon.
But the biggest spectacle is in the center of the room. A large transparent dome of force shimmers as it encloses Jamamdi and the Frost Giant. Another robed figure shares the dome with Jamandi. Three robed men evenly spaced around the dome chant and appear to be the ones maintaining it. Between you and them are a bunch of the attackers. When you burst in, a tall man in black armor yells and points at your groups and directs the assassins to attack you.
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Harter assesses the situation and tells the ones with his group "Come, let's get past these assassins. We need to get to Jamandi!"
No, I'm not going to actually run this combat, it will be more of a narrative. I just want to give everyone a chance to react and say what they would do. There will be some skill checks based on what is said after the fight ends.
"Ikit take on bad clan, yes yes!" as he says this, his prosthetic starts to crackle with green sparks and arcane energy as he leaps in to attack the assassins
Meredith nods at Harter's rally. "I'm with you. Come Master Sven, and show them your hammer!"
Turning to the purple gnome, she issues a warning, "Stay here with Stanslaw. You'll be far safer here than there. Now's not the time for questions."
She turns back to the mob-like brawl and means to start forging a path towards the dome of force. Shield in hand, sword swinging in calculated movements, and gold with silvery etched scale mail reflecting the arcane lightshow show her determined mission.
Gaxi sees all the chaos going on, and his scales flash briliant colors of orange, yellow and red.
“BURN, BURN TO ASHES!” the kobold screams, immediately putting his magic to work, setting any foe he can on fire, cackling in pure euphoria of a blazing crescendo.
”Right.” Sven said, lifting his shield alongside Meredith, as much to himself as anyone else. ”Grundinnar, watch over us.” He recited under his breath as he prepared to charge in. He had come all this way with a goal in mind, and the price was unpaid. As unsettling as it was to run headfirst into battle, the idea of backing off was much worse.
”We go in together. Watch each other’s backs. We’ll make it out in one piece.” He said with feeling, feeling more confident by the second with allies at his side. He wanted to say that he was a healer by trade and that he could patch up anyone who fell, but the moment was just that, a moment. The time for speeches and conversations was over. All that was left was to do right in the eyes of Grundinnar, by standing side by side with his newfound comrades.
What helped ground him, was that Harter and Meredith’s oration would naturally draw the likeminded to them. Those who lacked the discipline and wherewithal to fight as one would not heed the call. But those who did? He was confident that should they survive this, then it would be those who he would bring order to the Stolen Lands with. It was they that he could honestly call a comrade.
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While Ikit charges and Gaxi’s fire roars across the hall, Maeric moves in their shadow. He slips through the edge of the melee, staying just outside the brightest light. When an assassin breaks formation to avoid the flames, Maeric is already there, one clean strike at a distracted flank, then gone again before the body hits the floor.
He doesn’t call out, doesn’t draw attention. Just a brief rasp of breath from behind the mask as he scans for another opening, blades held low and ready to dart in where the others create space.
Seeing that the subtle and fiery approaches are all being taken, Raok decides to try unexpected teamwork.
He picks the closest bad guy to Maeric and lets out the loudest croak he can "Boooraarkk!!!" and he takes a few steps and leaps/charges at the man figuring an insane frogman leaping at his face with a dagger would be distracting
He strikes at the mans face and leaps away climbing up a wall to find the next target
Awakening to the sounds of battle in nearby rooms, Elenaril gets her bearings, moments before she hears the lock of her door being opened. The masked attacker approaching her with an upraised dagger sees what he expects to, the half elven woman on her side, asleep.
What he doesn’t expect is her rolling over at the last moment, to strike him in the throat, full-force, with a fist as hard as oak, covered in tiny thorns. As he falls to the floor, his confusion is brief, brought to a brutal end by an oaken staff slamming down on his skull. With no time to consider what just happened, the druidess quickly gets dressed, gathering her things and quietly making her way through the halls, littered with bodies of assassins and fellow quest-takers alike.
Following the clear signs of a few of those from the night before having cut their way through the enemy, ad seemingly growing in number, she comes upon the utter chaos of a pitched battle. Two clusters of companions wade into combat with killers and…a giant???...
Seeing Stanslaw standing beside the annoying purple gnome, watching as Sven, Harter and Meredith wade into battle, she joins the archer and likely merchant. ”Does anyone have any idea who is trying to kill us all?”
As the Varnhold group enters, they hear the yells of Amiri as she jumps down from a balcony near your group and begins laying into the enemy with reckless abandon.
But the biggest spectacle is in the center of the room. A large transparent dome of force shimmers as it encloses Jamamdi and the Frost Giant. Another robed figure shares the dome with Jamandi. Three robed men evenly spaced around the dome chant and appear to be the ones maintaining it. Between you and them are a bunch of the attackers. When you burst in, a tall man in black armor yells and points at your groups and directs the assassins to attack you.
Daxiana notices the armored fellow giving orders, "I think he might be the head of the snake, let's sever that."
And her arrow streaks towards the tall man in black armor across the distance of the room with incredible accuracy.
"All right, they've got that taken care of" Cassia says, looking at the armored warriors march towards the dome of force. "And she's working on that." She says, as Daxiana takes a shot at the man that seems to be the ringleader of all this.
"What to do, what to do." Not being much one to march in formation, she draws her kukris and heads towards the assassins that have Valerie pinned down, taking advantage of their distraction to study their weak points and strike from behind.
Pyros nods when Daxiana points out the leader. As he begins to head that way, he says "Someone tell the kobold to save some fire for that frost giant." then charges in, dueling sword weaving defensive patterns before him.
Stanislaw answers Elenaril, "No idea, but I don't think they expected this much resistance."
He looks at Tartuccio, and says, "If you have any way to assist in fighting from here, feel free to use it. Otherwise, I'd suggest taking cover out of the way."
Looking over the melee, he sees Daxiana from the other side of the room loose an arrow at the armored man while Pyros moved in to fight him, and he shifts his attention to the three robed men maintaining the dome. "Magic requires concentration to maintain, yes? What say we disrupt that concentration?"
He picks one of the robed men, taking aim and then loosing an arrow at him before drawing another to fire again.
Gaxi sees all the chaos going on, and his scales flash briliant colors of orange, yellow and red.
“BURN, BURN TO ASHES!” the kobold screams, immediately putting his magic to work, setting any foe he can on fire, cackling in pure euphoria of a blazing crescendo.
Meredith ducks to avoid an errant jet of flame and calls out to Daxiana on the other side of the hall, "It seems your friend DOES know a bit of Taldane!"
Meredith ducks to avoid an errant jet of flame and calls out to Daxiana on the other side of the hall, "It seems your friend DOES know a bit of Taldane!"Gaxi sees all the chaos going on, and his scales flash briliant colors of orange, yellow and red.
“BURN, BURN TO ASHES!” the kobold screams, immediately putting his magic to work, setting any foe he can on fire, cackling in pure euphoria of a blazing crescendo.
Dax calls out back as she's drawing another arrow smoothly "I love that he clearly considered the word 'burn' an essential one to master."
Seeing Pyros;s brave move into the fray Raok decides to support him, he leaps and runs through the crowd until he is near him.
Raok uses his studied Target on Pyros opponent and moves to engage from a flanking position
"Pyros i'm here to help" he warbles as he avoids being stepped on
Not really much of a "sleeper", being an elf, Athrehon rouses himself out of his resting meditations when the comotion begins, and is out the door of his assigned bedroom quickly enough to reach the others.
" 'Magi armis.', The wizard speaks the words of his base protective spell, and Athrehon is momentarily surrounded by an azure glow of arcane radiance.
Taking up a spot in the mid to rear section of the 'Stolen Lands' group, the elven wizard moves with them, trying to adjust to the odd manner of a formation as best he can, never really having spent much time in group-structured combat before.
Feverishly his quick mind sorts through his accumlated knowledge, looking for a good offense spell to aid the others. (Just waiting til next round, since he already cast. :) )
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Not being the best at avoiding fire, Harter only hopes that Gaki can aim his fire well. He continues in the melee, reassesses the situation and tells Stanislaw "We need to help as many people as we can here. We need to trust Jalmandi that she can take care of herself. I'll move with you, but make a perimeter around people who are hurt or in a disadvantageous position."
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The fighting is intense, no quarter is asked nor given. Of the attackers that cannot flee, all fight to the death. When some of you fight past the assasins and are able to strike down the acolytes maintaining the barrier, it quickly fades. Jamandi suands, looking tired, but unhurt, the Frost Giant dead before her. None of the assassins, including their leader have any sort of markings, papers, tokens, or symbols to give any clue as to who they are or who the are associated with.
Moments later Kesten Garess bursts in with several guards. Seeing everything has ended he stops and looks to Jamandi.
"It looks like I made the right choice in sending these people ahead."
"Yes, Kesten. it also appears that we have placed our trust in the right people for our little endeavor." Jamandi responds.
"However, it seems our plans are not as secret as I would desire. This is problematic."
"Someone already knows of our plans and is acting against us. This means your expedition will begin immediately."
"Lady Aldori! Please, I know who arranged this attack. The vile king of Pitax, Irovetti! What's more, I know who among us works for him..." After a dramatic pause, Tartuccio points at Harter. "You! Show everyone the ring you are wearing! You think I wouldn't recognize the seal of Irovetti? That's why he wasn't killed -- the bandits recognized him as one of their own by his signet ring!"
Sven was oblivious to the obvious. Focused as he was on his first real combat, the entire encounter felt like it had gone by in a blur.
Meredith leans on her blade after the melee, catching her breath. At the gnome's outburst, she frowns, casting an incredulous look at the purple gnome. "Oh, I very much doubt that. We practically grew up together racing horses at my father's stables every summer. He's never brought this king Irovetti up before."