Aster turns to the sudden sound just in time to have her vision go white.
She pats the table where Larkspur is shouting, attempting to scoop him up, and carefully leans towards where Ryssa and Taton were speaking. "Is it bad? Should I be fighting?"
Taton goes blind momentarily, which would worry him more if he were not a trained fighter... of course a trained fighter generally has a weapon and he did not bring his with him to this locale. He stands and grips his chair, though he doesn't yet move further. Doing so while blind would be ill advised... the request that he drop to the floor, he isn't too sure about that. He feigns malady, and stupidity. "Ah cannae see! Ahm completely blind! Oh what a woeful fate to befall one such as I who have only the one eye to begin with!"
It's a rather pathetic attempt at looking pitiful, but it has the chance of working.
Meghan shows an embarrassing lack of street smarts or any smarts whatsoever by staring right at the mage's scroll as it bursts into flame and blinds her.
Dammit! Dammit! Stupid!! Great--a robbery and I'm blinded! Think, girl!
The succubus serving wench considers briefly trying to hide the small coin purse she carries to collect money and give patrons change for their drink orders. Instead she opts on a better plan: fishing inside the coin purse for three silver pieces....
Initiative Order:Thugs, Thuvalia, Gold Goblin Bouncers, Meghan, Angvar, Taton, Ryssa, Aster
Blind timer: 1 rounds left
It seems all but one guard managed to shield their eyes in time before the blinding flash, and the 4 thieves swiftly move to take down the guards that keep their sight.
Two of the guards fend off the attacks, but one guard is felled, a punch sending into the darkness of unconsciousness.
Thuvalia focuses as she starts to sing, and her notes seem to be magical in a sense. One guard who is ready to strike back seems to go blank for moment, as if Dazed.
The remaining guard attacks one of the accomplices as the blind guard gropes around trying to find some semblance of cover.
He injures one severely, but the thief still stands.
One thief is harmed, the other 3 thieves and Thulvia and Angvor remain unharmed.
Half the crowd seems to have listened and gotten down to the floor peacefully, the other half is panicking. Taton, your bluff seems to be working.
Meghan fumes to herself silently as she takes some of her earnings in hand and casts a spell, the panic and attack keeping her spell casting on the down low.
Angvar Strides over to where the prize chest is and pulls out a scroll.
"Oh no you don't!"
Ryssa sees the man approach the chest and pull out a scroll. Thinking quickly, the tiefling priestess summons a giant bee right in front of the man!
Bandit:
The light from the magical scroll reaches Sully's eyes, and his sight leaves him.
"Endless pits of the Abyss!" He curses. "I am not losing one of my best streaks to a bunch of half-wit thieves!" He scrambles, attempting to scoop up as much of his winnings as possible.
Bandit chitters in distress, and Sully senses that his familiar has been blinded as well.
"Just... Just grab whatever you can get your hands on!" He shouts at the Raccoon.
Aster scoops a shrieking and screeching Larkspur into her bag and then unfurls her banner, revealing a tattered banner patterned with brightly colored birds on a black background.
She angles her weapon towards the sounds of combat, blindly trying to determine what's happening. "Is someone losing? Is it the good guys? Are there good guys? Can somebody please tell me who I'm supposed to be fighting?"
Initiative Order:Thugs, Thuvalia, Gold Goblin Bouncers, Meghan, Angvar, Taton, Ryssa, Aster, Sully
Rounds of Blindness: This round you are still blind, but after.....feel free to let the *whoop ass* flow.
Ryssa acts quickly to summon some aid in the coming fight, conjuring a large bee of sorts.
Handsome Sully, frantically moves about, trying to stuff the tokens and chips that signify his future wealth into as many pockets, openings, and containers he can. Unfortunately, it seems his winning streak has worked against him and there's far too many tokens for him to hide away.
Taton the blind man meekly shields himself, as if a beggar on the street. No one, not even those at his table are ready to see what will be coming in the next few moments.
Aster unfurls her banner, though this was more out of panic and habit than any sort of tactical aspect. She can't even see to see if its unfurled properly (though it is). Larkspur is squawking angrily, as he tries to keep a hold on the coins he has left.
================================
The thugs continue on to try eliminate the other two guards, using their number to flank and knock out the other guards. They stow their daggers, and pull out rapiers and saps.
And with that the last of the employed guards have been knocked unconscious.
Thuvalia turns her attention to the tiefling that summoned another problem, and focuses her voice,. it become almost like a beam of sonic vibrations and it directed exclusively at Ryssa.
Meghan is up, though other players may post conditional actions.
Meghan squats down in what she hopes is a cowering, submissive position, clutching the top of a table with one hand while tightly gripping her three magicked coins in the other. Until her sight returns, however, she continues to act like a meek, scared, compliant employee.
Ryssa stood around a bit dazed, cursing under her breath.
However, the giant bee started attacking the man with the scroll.
Aster is frustrated, both at what's going on around her, and at Larkspur for dragging them into something so certain to tempt thieves. To hell with it, she thinks. The worst that can happen is that she dies useless. She bites her lip and starts to move forward. Aster pivots on the ball of her right foot and begins to cautiously move in the direction of combat, bringing her longspear about her body in long, slow arcs. The flag flutters like a colorful trail of smoke behind it. Each step is followed by a gentle turn which seems oddly out of place for someone of her size, followed closely by a brief moment's pause as she listens over the flapping cloth for the thud of footsteps or the clash of steel.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Larkspur is a screeching madman... madbird? Desperate to keep himself safe in the folds of Aster's coat, he flails about madly and burrows deeper into her pockets, shrieking.
Taton continues gripping his chair, as it shall be his chosen weapon in the time to come. He hadn't thought that a night on the town would end in violence. He should have known better. Why can I not simply have a night of peace and quiet? Or even peace and not-so-quiet?
Surmising he has gathered as much of his winnings as he is able, Sully carefully stands. Only having the vaguest idea of the location of the robbers, he begins summoning the magical energy that courses through him in order to defend himself as best he can.
Bandit cowers under the gambling table.
Meghan bides her time. Saul's an alright boss and dammit if he's the first one who hasn't tried to grab her ass as part of "employee evaluation." That's the kind of boss you could appreciate.
=======================
Angvar sidesteps the bee (taking him out of immediate AoO range) and begins muttering under his breath.
The air seems to reverberate before Angvar and it hits the chest containing the 10,000 sp shrinks until its the size of a small piece of cloth. He quickly picks up the cloth and stows it in his pocket.
=======================
Taton keeps on with his act, testing his vision and realizing the blindness was not as potent as it first seemed. Even now he began to make out the shapes around him.
Ryssa, with a new mind to command, does not sense the danger in the melody that invades her ears. A sudden dissonant cord scatters her thoughts, and she hesitates, losing the time she could have acted.
Though not being able to see, Aster does what she can to raise the people's spirits. Though no one may recognize the symbolism, or understand the meaning, the fact that one person is brazenly waving a flag around defiantly brings the knowledge that at least another is behind you in your aim to stop these thieves.
Though, this effort is slightly off put from Larkspur screeching about his mortality.
Handsome Sully retreats to the most corner-like area he can find, and prepares a bit of magical trickery should someone come for his winnings. He won this (mostly) fair and square, and he'd be damned if someone wanted to ride his fortune.
=======================
All four thuggish thieves (not the names ones) move to protect their boss, half of them going for the freakish insect, and the other half smart enough to know taking out the summoner is the smarter action.
Ryssa, even in her adled state, has enough sense to react to obvious attacks headed toward her, and manages to dodge both. The bee is less nimble, but only takes a bit of damage.
Thuvalia looks at the current situation and decides her next target as Daze won't work on Ryssa again. She hums, the resonant energy filling her throat and lets out a sonic blast at the bee
All players up (will insert Angvar in when its his turn). You are now unblinded
The bee shrugs off the spell just in time and begins attacking one of the thugs, specifically the one who struck it.
But it misses its target.
Meanwhile Ryssa takes a step back and calls out for Calistria to aid her in this battle that has gone bad.
She also says, "A little help please!?"
Aster moves up towards Ryssa's right flank, pivoting her longspear about her as she moves. In the final moment of her approach, she puts her weight on her left foot and brings her spear down on one of the thieves in front of Ryssa, using the fullest length of her reach to attack safely.
Larkspur continues his panicked burrowing deeper into Aster's bags, his harping muffled somewhat by the thick leather and piles of small tools.
Furious that someone would attack Ryssa, Taton looks the closest one up and down briefly, picking his spear up from where it leaned against the table and trying to stab the assailant. He winds up stabbing a chair. "Ah bugger, ah still can't see anythin! But you stop trying to hurt her!"
Blinking rapidly as his vision returns to him, Sully takes a brief moment to assess his surroundings. Seeing no danger in his immediate vicinity, he zeroes in on the leader of the thieves (Thuvalia).
The strange words of an arcane incantation spring from Sully's lips, and his tattoos briefly glow as magical energy surges through him. He extends his arm back, then swings it forward in a hurling motion, despite his hand being empty. However at the completion of the gesture, a large orb of tightly packed snow leaps from his hand!
Meghan's sight returns and she's surprised to see the half-orc woman unfurling a flag of some sort and rallying the table against the would-be thieves. She feels the magical inspiration touch her as well and, though not exactly wearing battle gear (Or much of anything for that matter, damn you Keypaw!), she moves to engage the robbers.
for
Meghan does her best to move through the crowd before pulling out a small silver coin, strengthing the tension of her thumb, and shooting it straight at one of the thieves surrounding Ryssa. He howls in pain as the magically enhanced piece of money embedds itself in his side, though he remains standing.
======================
Angvar, sensing that time is not on their side here, quickly casts Open/Close on Old Scratch's cage, letting him loose! He then returns to Thuvalia's side.
======================
Taton tries to take advantage of his returned sight, but sudden onrush of light and colors seem to throw him off, and his spear damages the furniture rather than the enemy.
Ryssa makes a short retreat as she calls upon one of the things that's kept her alive for so long. Luck. Her bee is a bit unlucky however as, while it isn't dazed like its master, it still misses on the attack to fight back.
Aster oddly enough fells one of the thieves with a powerful blow of her banner/spear. The force was so unexpected that the thief didn't realize what had happen until he was on the floor ten feet away wheezing as his lungs struggled against the internal bleeding. and then his lungs stopped.
Handsome Sully, now confident that no one was coming after his fortune, decides to pitch in a bit by pitching a snowball. It goes fast, but it also goes wide missing anything he was hoping to hit.
======================
The thugs scowl, realizing that with a man down they weren't going to win an all out brawl. They make a short retreat and begin grabbing at people jewelry, money bags, anything of value they can.
"That's right boys! Grab what you can before we take off!"
She takes out a small crossbow, bolt preloaded, and fires on Aster
Ryssa swings her mace at one of the thugs, meanwhile, the giant bee seeks out one of the thugs and tries to stab the robber with its stinger.
Meghan keeps moving, grinning devilishly as is appropriate given her succubus garb . Being unarmed (besides her magicked coins) and unarmored, she tries to remain at the 20-foot range threshold of the robbers , aiming at a target not currently engaged in melee or not currently benefiting from cover from any tournament patrons if possible. She intentionally avoids targeting Old Scratch, not wanting to make herself a target of the cranky old imp.
for
Taton continues to pursue the same soul that had tried to hurt Ryssa, assuming that he yet lives (if not, transfer my attack to a secondary target at -1 attack and damage). He hobbles a bit, still trying to keep up the harmless old man routine, but tries to stick someone (an enemy) with the pointy end of his spear, this time with a much higher chance of connecting.
Aster reels from the bolt lodged in her stomach, and takes a 5 foot step back from the thugs, putting a bit of distance between herself and the thugs in case they advance further. She moves the flag between herself and the thugs to give herself a bit more opportunity to react.
She groans audibly. "Gods, why does this always happen."
Seeing the bolt strike Aster directly in the stomach, Sully's eyes go wide and his miserly panic gives way to something akin to aggrieved rage.
"All right, time for some dirty pool," he mutters. The declaration gives way to arcane incantation, and once again his tattoos glow as the magic courses through him.
Meghan charges up another piece of silver, and send the coin whizzing through the air. The pain it causes to the thug who is bent over trying to tear a bracelet off a woman's arms is evident as he jumps up instantly and starts hopping about.
=========================
Angvar smiles to his wife and, smiling, opens the door and runs outside, the cash prize safely stowed away in his robes.
=========================
Taton hobbles forward though his act has probably faded in believability now. Even more so as he has miraculous aim for an old, blind man sticking the (secondary) target through the shoulders, and letting him slump to the floor.
Ryssa brings her mace up with such a speed that it catches a thug unawares and its also the last thing he sees before he hits the floor, unconscious and bleeding out. Her bee also deals som damage, but its more of annoyance than actual lethality.
Aster keeps steady, though she knows any excess movement or actions will make her blood rush, which for someone who is starting to lack blood, is going to topple her into unconsciouness.
Sully decides to go on the offensive and tries to thwart her escape by laying a greasy area around her.
The sudden floor change catches her by surprise and before she knows it she lands right on her ass, now prone.
=========================
The last remaining thug decides its best to cut his losses and runs for the exit.
He immediately eats s@$# and stops, moaning as he sits up and rubs the bump he got on his head.
=========================
Thuvalia, still on her backside, decided haste is better than standing and spends her entire turn crawling away, making it through the door and out of sight. With a unseen kick, she shuts the door closed.
Suddenly, something of an arcane symbol appears on the now shut door.
=========================
Old scratch is a grumpy old thing. He starts sputtering and spitting, most likely verbally cursing you all in a language most of you don't know.
He's going on and on about the differences between devils and demons and how you're all idiots for even entertaining that they're remotely the same.
He catches the eye of Sully, and begins to speak "casting suggestion."
"You know what they say, the generous are truly wealthy. You should start throwing your winnings to the crowd to calm them, and quickly!"
The danger apparently passed, Aster groans softly and sits down very, very carefully. She inhales sharply through gritted teeth, leans back against a piece of furniture. She's fairly sure it was furniture anyway, she didn't bother to investigate too deeply on the trip downwards, and closes her eyes to recover. "I could use a hand when somebody gets a moment."
Ryssa reaches out and used her magic on Sully. Hoping to help him out since he was targeted by the imp.
Meghan briefly considers using her last magicked coin on the fallen robber but then notices what rough shape the female half-orc is in. Turning in the direction she last saw Saul Vancaskerkin, she yells, "Keypaw! Scratch's loose! Can ya cage 'im again before he kills a customer?"
The succubus server then moves to Aster's side and tries to comfort her a bit before yelling, "Is there a 'ealer in the 'ouse?"
Taton looks at the remaining assailant who is now floored (pun intended), and heads over. He holds the end of the spear at the man's throat and says "If you move, I will end your life. I advise you not to sneeze."
Ryssa casts a healing spell on Aster.
Faux-fiend Meghan grins at the true tiefling for a moment before speaking. "Thanks! Coulda done that myself, but then I wouldn't have no spells left in case cranky ol' Scratch don't return to his cage like a good little boy!" She begins fishing into her coin pouch for three more silver pieces, just in case she has to do battle with the tournament mascot.
Sully's eyes glaze over slightly, and a concerned look spreads over his face as he reaches into his various pockets for the coins he had managed to gather up.
"Don't worry, everyone! Everything is fine, remain calm!" He declares while beginning to toss handfuls of coins at cowering patrons.
Aster sighs with relief and sits up more straight. "Thanks for helping me out, there. I really appreciate it. I never learned how to do that myself." She grunts and tugs the bolt out, tossing it to one side.
Her eyes go wide. "Oh, man. That's not good. He's probably bewitched. Someone should stop him. He's going to be really upset once he figures that out."
She rattles her bag and dumps Larkspur on the floor. "Hey. I bet he'll let you keep some of your winnings if you catch some of what he's throwing."
Larkspur immediately starts screeching. Me?" He starts to notice the lack of real combat and quickly chirps up at the idea of potentially recovering money. He sings to himself as he swoops off in the direction of the raining coins.
Meghan's yell goes unanswered, and as she looks around she finds that Saul is nowhere in sight. In the excitement, you realize you forgot that Saul usually checks on the books around this time, trusting the staff to keep things in order.
===========================
Taton threatens the last remaining thief, who very calmly drops his weapons and holds his hands up in a sign of surrender.
Ryssa patches up the swaying Aster, bringing her away from the brink of collapse.
Aster, thinking quickly, lets Larkspur loose taking advantage of his greed. The familiar takes off and happily waits for the gold to rain.
And rain it does! Handsome Sully has a joyous look on his face as he begins taking fistfuls of his winning and tosses them into the air like candy at a parade. Larkspur manages to grab a few coins in the air, but as he doesn't really have hands, he only catches five of them combined between his talons and beak.
===========================
Old Scratch looks a bit happier now that he caused a bit of mayhem, but he does notice that he's the only one and could be the target of a lot of ire. He quickly casts another suggestion, this time directed at Taton.
"What kind of man denies their opponent and honorable death. Kill him! Free him from his misery!."
He then disappears in a cloud of smoke, though those with keen eyes can tell that his cage rattels as if something flew into it, and closes with a thunk.
Meghan tries to push through the crowd to Taton's side before the fellow can succumb to Old Scratch's magical suggestion.
"Ain't no honor to be had in killin' an unarmed man, now is there?" she asks the spear-wielding man. "Besides, since the other pair slipped away, this fella's the only source o' information we got 'bout them thieves, eh? We wouldn't want his knowledge to die with 'im, right?"
"Okay, I think I've had enough of that imp."
Thinking quickly, Ryssa casts a spell on Taton.
Larkspur twirls in the air, clutching the gold tightly to his colored breast.
He spirals back past Aster and drops the coins beside her before setting back off in case more coins are thrown.
Aster moves towards Sully, takes his hand, and tries to pull him into a short dance. Whether or not he takes her hand, she spins quickly on the spot, her feet working rapidly, her hands moving up and down around her body in broad arcs. After but a quick moment, she stops and gestures for him to continue, casting saving finale "After you".
Aster moves towards Taton, as she walks, she starts singing softly in common. Her footsteps slow and deliberate as she moves towards him. Each step punctuating a word. "Have I no harvest but a thorn. To let me blood, and not restore. What I have lost with cordial fruit? Sure there was wine before my sighs did dry it; there was corn before my tears did drown it. Is the year only - Her voice suddenly dropped into a harsh, gravelly tone as she shouted at him, trying to shake him away from any spell that may have been cast.
Sully continues happily throwing coins about, blissfully unaware at the future mortification he is inflicting upon himself.
"Okay this isn't funny!"
She quickly slaps Sully across the face trying to snap him out of it.
"Sorry to do that to you but I had to snap you out of it as you're throwing away your hard won money. Which reminds me!"
Taton looks at Old Scratch for a moment, the suggestion washing over his mind and leaving it without effect. "You shut it or I'll run you through next."
As the danger seems to be dying down, the once fearful crowd begins to grow angry. Several even start approaching the man that Taton has at his mercy, who is very much still alive. Though if the crowd has their way with him, not for long. After all, crime in Riddleport while usually all business, can sometimes get personal.
But before the crowd can finish what you all have started, Saul Vancaskerkin is back. He quickly explains to the crowd, who is now demanding refunds (probably to make up for their current losses) that he will let everyone cash out at 110% of their current chip value. And while this doesn't sit well with most, its probably the best most are going to get so with that most if not all the crowd departs, a couple of larger folks hauling the now bound and gagged thief off to the law. Unfortunately for Saul, it seems a lot of the newer staff was scared off as well and so not many bodies remain when the crowd clears.
However, he has had a word with you all mentioning something about a reward and possible opportunities if you'd be willing to stay around for drinks. On him, of course.
Sully, though you snap back to your senses and quickly stop yourself from chucking more of your winnings into the crowd, you sadly lost around 60 gp worth of tokens.