"Come now, I just made the man a promise. How about I give him something to remember me by?" Jean said raising his pistol and training it on the back of the retreating figure.
You dont want to do this... Abels fists swirl with a light blue energy, its odd, not magic but something else.
Come on, where's the fun in that?
Mindos draws his rapier.
Mmmuhoh, Gwynn goes, reaching for her pistol.
============================================
Roark Group 1
Abel
Jean
Mindos
Gwynn
"Lady"
Mick
Coco
Roark group 2
Seraphina
=============================================
”You ignore me an’ you’re on your own down here, Skippy. Can’t say I recommend it.”
The guide had approached ahead of the party in her vain attempt to negotiate. However this only leads the roark thugs to see an opening now that a fight’s broken out. The three goblins in front are all too eager to take part in the fray. The first to act produces a revolver from his belt, and fires at Abel. The next two attempt to pile on him while he is in the entrance to the room.
The speed volume and force of gunfire in this enclosed location are more than a match for Abel honed reflexes as the bullet strikes him squarely in the chest. Seeing an opening made by their bretheren, the goblin with the chain wraps it around Abels arm and the one wielding the club jumps off his shoulders to strike the mystic squarely in the head. Fortunately for Abel, it doesn’t seem like the Roarks are fighting with intent to kill either. Examination of the injury from the bullet shows no puncture wound.
”Jus’ come quietly, Lady.”
“Can’t do that Rosco.” The half-orc in front lets out a resigned sigh as he brandishes a knife the size of his forearm. In a flash it lights up, brightening part of the room with the intensity of the light pulsing forth from the blade. He doesn’t exactly have the prettiest face, especially under this lighting.
"Tch, fine," Jean said grouchily and turned his revolver on the nearest goblin.
Current party order is: Abel -Jean-Mindos-Seraphina-Coco-Gwynn. If Mindos doesn't post tomorrow, I'm skipping him for the round.
Mindos moves to the goblin holding the club, and stabs it with his rapier.
Mindos moves up to confront the ruffians who lashed out at his recent acquaintance, but unfortunately gobins are notoriously nimble.
Gwynn's up next.
Gwynn pulls her pistol and fires at the closest goblin to her.
Gwynn fires a loud black powder-powered grapeshot at the goblin trying to stay around the corner from the party. His head visibly whips back as the dirty wall is grazed by the shot. He stumbles back and exchanges a worried glance with the other goblin.
Behind the goblins, Lady reels back from the knifing with a bleeding wound where she was struck. She shouts an uncharacteristically shrill word of a strange air: "KROSSA" Before lurching back forward. From his position Mindos can see just about everything going on through the chaos. With the exception of the pitch black hallway. The half-orc called Roscoe leans in and glances to the goblins around him.
Behind the goblins and Lady, Mick continues his retreat which was most assuredly planned ahead of time.
Coco darts out of line in the party and closes in on the goblin Jean targeted. She gives him a simple jab for his troubles, and he falls back into the muck unconscious.
No movement stirs from the darkened hall.
Seraphina began to dance, flickers of flame and flashes of light surrounding her as she used her magic to help others.
The goblin Mindos engaged along with one hanging back from the fray turn to run as they realize how outmatched they and their buddies are.
Roscoe sees his backup vanish and takes the risk to follow them quickly.
Lady swings her arm low at him when he turns his back, but he seems to anticipate the attack and hops over her arm on his way down the rightmost tunnel from which he came.
============================================
Roark Group 1
Abel
Jean
Mindos
Gwynn
"Lady"
Mick
Coco
Roark group 2
Seraphina
=============================================
Jean pulled back the hammer on his revolver and called out to the goons, "Best be running before my mercy wears thin!"
Finally, I was worried this sword might be defective!
With the group out of immediate danger, Mindos takes the chance to bring Abel back to consciousness. He pulls out another flask and holds it to Abel's lips, before slowly pouring it down his throat.
hit points restored.
Gwynn lets out a sigh of relief, reloading her pistol. ”That was an experience, she said. ”Doesn’t feel like it’s over, does it?” She raises one of her hands, fingertips glowing. ”Who thinks they need help?
Lady relaxes as her opponent leaves. Seeming to have no interest in giving chase.
"I dunno. We gotta hurry if we wanna avoid the Roark's now. I thought we were already going fast enough." The guide moves and starts to beckon the party down the center path with no further explanation.
Abel Picks himself up, and coughs a bit and Groans Thank you, that hurt quite a bit
Seraphina was not sure what the hell was happening, but followed the guide for now. She did keep the spell going with concentration, however.
Abel gets up and lets out a deep breathe before his fists light up with a Blueish Aura. It looks firm compared to before being blade like.
The party recovers from a brief and violent meeting. As the guide and Seraphina hustle onto the center path it seems that Lady herself is moving faster. Much faster than before. But not fast enough to avoid the deafening sound of gunfire from the darkened path!
Seeing the unaware combatant run by, the last hidden Roark member fires on Seraphina.
After this, the party hears the sound of multiple retreating footfalls.
We are currently out of initiative order.
"Will you stop shooting at us already!" she shouted after them. "It's very annoying!" She looked at there guide. "Are they going to keep peppering us with shots like that?"
"The hell you mean US?" The guide stops running partway down the hall. She limps back to the group holding the area she was stabbed.
"I... don't know. If we go around the Roark's turf, they'll definitely back off. But that's gonna cost us time. They just want us out."
"They shot at me too. They just didn't hit." Seraphina looked at the wound. She was tempted to make a sarcastic coment about how much of a discount she felt like doing for healing it, but she wasn't that kind of person. "Want me to patch you up before we get moving? Anyway else need healing while I'm at it?"
"I'm not geared up for another fight like that and the bastard will likely get away if we take our time," Jean said through gritted teeth. "We're getting nowhere. Let's fall back."
Abel sets himself to clear his mind and reestablish His psionic focus only making a brief comment while he focuses Yes, healing please. i will try not to be caught off guard again
Seraphina nodded, and used Channel Positive Energy to heal Abel and there guide - and any of the others who needed it as well.
The party concedes to the Roark family's well-formatted cease and desist letter, turning back the way they came. The guide is uncharacteristically silent on the trip back. She stays with the party through freddy's (Who seems to be out now), up the elevator, and down the corridors until the sound of a bustling street can be heard rumbling above.
"Well. Sorry things didn't work out, but this is gonna be my last stop. I'll be in touch. As long as that letter I gave Skippy gets where it needs to go. Get me?" As the tunneling shrank, she's reverted to her initial shorter stature.
"Well, that was a waste." Seraphina sighed in frustration. "Let's got tell the bosses that he managed to weasle his way out and see if we can think of a better way to track him down. I don't suppose anyone got good hints from the fortune teller? She mentioned fire for me, mostly. I think we've done that already."
Jean passed off an address he could be reached at to their guide. He was not stupid enough to do business out of his home address and wanted to know if she could find any new information on this particular quarry for him.
"We should probably go have a wash first."
I concur...Washing would be pleasant after this
"I'm all for the bathhouse, but we should probably send a message to the boss and tell her what's happening." Seraphina definitely felt like a bath was a good idea.
Mindos thinks back to his encounter with the fortune teller.
I don't really think I got anything useful from the fortune teller, unfortunately. Something about other planes? I think. Anyway, I think we send a message to the boss about what happened first. Maybe she can help us with our problem. Then we'll go to the bathhouse.
"Be seein' ya." The guide stops as the party comes across another manhole to finally make their exit out of the sewers. As they emerge, they realize they're merely down the street from the burned-out husk. The fire fighters seem to be finishing their work. The sun is lower in the sky, it appears a couple of hours have passed since the party began their chase. Returning to the front of the building, it would seem that while the crowd of gawkers has dispersed somewhat, Morgana Ainsworth is nowhere to be found.
"Well...hell." Malavine sighed. "Do we wanna go back to the estate, or send a message?"
"Send a message, I doubt her majesty will appreciate a bunch of reeking commoners showing up on her doorstep," Jean said, kicking bits of horrifying muck from his boots.
"That will not be necessary." A familiar voice followed by a familiar cough is heard behind the party. Bishop strides closer to the group so as to not raise his voice any longer.
"You were expected at The Nines hours ago. The Lady headed back uptown to secure the appointment she reserved with Ms. Silverhook when you hadn't returned. It was meant to be our next stop before we learned of the fire."
Common knowledge about "The Nines" would include it's status as one of those particularly ritzy resorts in Calweld, possibly the ritziest. Complete with amenities such as spas, massages and indoor skiing. A Knowledge: Local or Engineering check could offer more.
"She had booked your places weeks ago in anticipation that she would have to-and these are her words, not mine-'make her choices for personal security presentable in polite company'." He pointedly looks at the party's state of condition.
"They have baths. I suggest them."