Lo'Laan attempts to put down the final monk while his companion guards the stairs.
With a groan, Amari throws himself against the monk, trying to wrestle him away from the bell.
Amari dives onto the guard and grabs him hard as he falls himself.
Amari manages to twists in mid-air, so that he lands on top of the other monk instead of hard on the ground.
Amari lands gracefully, simultaneously putting a wrestling hold on the other monk.
With only one monk left and the bell neutralized, Hadha strolls down the stairs to join his fellows.
[spoiler=GM screen]
[/Dice]
The monk tries to escape Amari but fails. He reaches for the bell and pulls the rope but cannot ring it with Zaza holding the clapper.
Lo takes the opportunity to heal himself.
Amari performs a complex shoulder-body-throw, wrestling the monk away from the bell as far as possible - and right into the middle of the other shadows!
Amari pins the monk to the ground with his skillful maneuvering.
Hadha starts ruffling through the pockets of the eliminated monks.
The monk exerts an extreme force of will and completely shrugs off Zaza's spell while throwing off Amari's hold.
Hadha moves to loot the monk by the stairs. He peeks down to see that the situation is close to getting out of hand, so he lazily fires off a ray at the struggling monk.
Seeing Hadha rip at his fellow monks life through his strange ability, Amari tries to throw a takedown punch at the other monk, hoping to knock him out before another Al'Fahd dies an unnecessary death.
The monk takes two hits but doesn't go down! He grabs for the rope of the bell and pulls as hard as he can!
Zaza loses hold of the clapper immediately but Agaban grabs the bell from behind her, barely managing to keep it quiet.
Amari sees the strain of Agaban, crosses the fingers of both hands into a double-handed fist and clubs the monk over the back of the head again!
Hadha sighs and tries again.
Lo'Laan attempts to grab the monks feet and pull him from the ledge.
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Gritting his teeth Agaban attempts to keep the clapper in place while looking to see if he can disable the bell more permanently than what has happened so far...while also wondering why Zaza decided to try to cast a spell when he is obviously outmatched in terms of strength alone.
After successfully keeping the clapper from striking the bell. Agaban quickly reaches around and attempts to strike the monk with his mace to finish off the last defender.
Amari knocks out the the monk with his overhand club.
You see no action at the other tower, implying they did not notice your assault on their companion installation.
Amari hurries from monk to monk and binds their hands (in front, so one can see what they are doing!) with the manacles he brought and gags them with ripped-off pieces of their own clothes.
Then he collects his fallen bow and takes up watch upon the elevated platform and keeps the other tower as well as the grounds under observation.
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Following behind Amari to double check and make sure they aren't going to lose anymore of the monks than were already lost. Agaban then returns to the bell.
Was this supposed to be magically or just a really loud warning system? Can we disable it somehow to buy a little more time just in case one of these guys gets free after we leave? Oh and Amari is there any type of seniority...or do you care who we try to revive to gain some additional information before entering the main building?
Agaban is quite sure the bell is non-magical. You could easily disable it if you took a minute or so. Amari identifies one of the monks as slightly more senior and likely in charge of this shift.
Amari offers Zatinya a short, somewhat pained smile and a short nod.
Then he points at the oldest monk.
His signing is short and fast, one might even say fierce.
<He. Oldest. How question but stop alarming?
Death may not scare him.>
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Turning to the bell then back to the one Amari points out.
Hmm...lets move the other monks up to the platform and question this other monk on the lower level. Not sure it would matter but any edge would be useful.
Saying this Agaban then turns back to the bell determined to disable it before doing anything else...just in case something else goes wrong.
The monk snaps to from the smelling salts "Wha..." Then he glares daggers at Amari. "Traitor... The elder will end you with misery beyond your wildest dreams for this."
That sort of hateful, vengeful talk is certainly not normal for Al-Fahd monks.
Hadha has finished looting the monks and sits just within eye's reach of the elder monk. He feigns an exaggerated, mocking yawn at the threat. Yaya, unimaginable pain, soul-rending sorrow, yada yada yada... skip the pleasantries.
Amari just stares at the monk with the slightly grey hair in front of him, cursing him for being a traitor to the order.
He lets the man go on for longer than he probably should have but then interrupts himself with an energetically signed <Silence!>
Sitting down in front of the man cross-legged, he starts to sign fast.
<Me, a traitor?
I am returning after long months only to find the people we all swore to protect telling me stories about the order attacking them!
And now you, telling me that you now follow one man, rather than the host of elders who once decided in unison, for we all know that one man can and will fail and fall eventually.
Tell me, why I should not believe you a traitor!>
The monk glares at Amari then his gaze softens and he signs back. <You have been gone too long, brother. I see that you are merely ignorant. Speak with the Elder and he will make you understand. Perhaps he will forgive your treachery here for it came from ignorance. The Elder teaches new wisdom unlike anything we have heard before...> He gazes dreamily into the middle distance.
He is clearly enchanted.
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Hmm...well not sure it matters if he hears us saying that or not...but that also makes it harder since they are probably either all enchanted or following orders from their higher ups.
Scratching his head.
Sooo...anyone know of a way to break an enchantment...would have to be a pretty good one to not need constant reinforcement while they are standing watch and everything.
Hadha shrugs. I've never seen anything like this before.
The monk nods to Zaza. "Wise to seek his mercy. You will never escape his vengeance. He came from Taldor, bringing wisdom far beyond us. Present yourselves at the monastery and you will be taken to him, disarmed of course."
Amari nods at the words of his hot-blooded companion.
Just as they had feared.
He turns his back to the monk so that he cannot se the signs he is making towards the other shadows.
<I fear we cannot help them here and now.
Approaching their master directly is dangerous, for even if our minds are prepared, he might overwhelm us with whatever foul mind magic he is using on my brothers.>
Hadha nods in agreement, but he's facing the monk so he doesn't want to give anything away.
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Sadly don't really have any spell prepared to try to counter an enchantment and we wouldn't the time for me to ask and receive a new round of divine blessings.
Turning towards Zaza.
Do you think the enchantment could be broken with another enchantment...don't really know this area of magic and blessings so throwing out a guess. If not we should probably blind him and see about sneaking in through the kitchen and attempt to locate this Taldorn.
<I think we should move on and take that Taldan out as soon as possible.
I still have to try though...>
And he turns back to the other monk, signing very clearly:
<You must excuse, but we have to bind you up ... at least until I have spoken to that new elder.
But until then, think about what I am about to tell you very intensely:>
He begins to count up what has happened since this new 'eldar' has appeared, emphasising each change by counting fingers up.
<A Taldan appeared. A Taldan of all people. Our enemies since times before even you were born.
He managed to get into the order. This never happened before.
And not only that he was allowed entrance, he was made an Elder within what, a year? How many years have you been serving the order with all your being? 30? 40? And you are still not ranked as an Elder.
The people we all have sworn to protect now life in fear of our order. They are our lifeblood. If this continues, there will be no new recruits this year. And none in the next. And soon, the Al'Fahd monastery, who stood guard for so long, will start to crumple and fall apart.
Think about all of it ... and tell me who lost sight of the way.>
He looks the other monk in the eye intensely for another few seconds, then straightens back up and makes sure every one is well gagged and bound.
Three meters between each of them so they cannot help each other and everyones legs bound by rope and against some fix point on the platform, their hands bound by manacles.
<Le us go on then, friends.>