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AC = 33/13/32 (+6 against lead derro)
HP = 133/162
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Blessing of Fervor, Smite Evil(Blue), -2 Neg
Kikinnin continues to bloody Blue, unhappy that he couldn't swiftly finish one to target another immediately. "You cursebloods corrupt these halls. How many of you will die here, before the others flee? The Cagewrights would see you sacrifice your lives for their purposes, eh?"
The black beard takes another brief moment to heal his wounds, sensing the derros' damaging capacity.
edit:
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Kikinnin's wounds heal up by Abadar's mercy, and he presses on the derro striking dos solid blows on the derro, leaving it deadly injured but alive.
Kythel retreats from his dangerous position surrounded by enemies. Still, due to the pressed location with chairs and tables the derro in the door is able to strike once at him.
Asfelkir swings twice more at the derro in front "You madman will soon be nothing else than dust! Gorum guide my fury!"
With a good strike, he completes Kikinnin's job, sending the derro to the Town's Hall ground!
Dandarrion steps forward to continue shooting at the derro in the door.
"Ha! My Cagewrights coworkers do know nothing of my little foray dwarf, but be ensured they will keep marveling of my berserker's efficiency against all odds, MUAHAHAHA!" Kravichak keeps laughing despite the many wounds bleeding in his face and elsewhere "And now see how I cast the match suggestion spell to make you reason" he says the magic words and throws a snake tongue at Marigold "There are more derros attacking your friends, you better run out and save them before it is too late for hem, MUAHAHAHAHA!"
Maxim reels back and Asfelkir also says "Damned one, he is right! We must help out there!"
The entangled in ice derro pains for the frost cover but moves forward and goes for Marigold.
Loudly striking the table where she is standing!
The other derro keeps attacking JJ.
The berserker is deadly effective, striking true with all his attacks on his fury.
Maxim and Asfelkir run, trying to safe the people outside.
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Will Save DC 25 -
Kythel is not able to resist the suggestion, on his way out, he Quickens another Channel to heal his allies leaving the foes unaided.
Quicken Channel Energy -
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More blue light falls from JJs wounds even as he listens to the horrid creatures warning.
"I'm not going to fall for that trick. Honestly, if you want to fool me, you at least need to appear to be beautiful."
He continues to batter at the green Derro, hoping to finish it off. Alakast now has more of a rhythm to its blows, and they start falling on target.
AC = AC = 33/13/32 (+6 against White)
HP = 162/162
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Blessing of Fervor, Smite Evil(Blue), -2 Neg
Kikinnin moves around the table, leery of White's blade. With Krav out of reach, the black beard concentrates on downing another derro, but quick.
Kythel manages to squeeze another healing pulse while he follows the well behaved and pretty reasonable suggestion of the maniac little blue fellow.
JJ's celestial blood further heals him while he strikes once, twice, thrice, four times and only in the fifth one the young man crashes through the armor breaking its chest and sending it to the floor out of breath!
Coming around the table Kikinnin, and only thanks to Maxim's icy prison entanglement, he manages to strike true on the white derro who grimaces in pain.
Marigold's Round 4
Marigold too takes the derro's words to heart, convinced that his evil allies are outside menacing the innocent townsfolk.
"ನಾನು ಅವರಿಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ - ನೀವು ಇಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಮುಗಿಸಿರಿ!" she cries as she jumps down off the table and dashes towards the door, though she does take the time to direct her ally to start smacking White.
"I've got to go help them - you guys finish up here!"
______________
Marigold sagely accepts the suggestion and retreats from combat avoiding the derro's attack.
The spiritual ally pierces through spell resistance and strikes one, easily hurting the berserker.
Asfelkir, Maxim and the others keep running away. But Dandarrion closes the gates of the Town Hall "No! Where do you think you are going? There is no enemies outside! He is lying to you!"
Maxim's acid arrow keeps damaging the caster.
"Let's see, I could flameball you now, that sounds as very amusing, or I could polymarph you into a pig, or I can try to disintegrate you again, but you are likely to come here hurting me now, I guess it is good time for some greatest invisibility!!!" without the need to pick any material component, the derro says some words and disappears from sight. You can still hear his maniac laugh as he hovers in place "MUAHAHAHAHA!"
The entangled creature suffers the pain of Maxim's icy frosting, she goes after the more injured JJ.
And deals a couple of cuts, crashing his axe once more on the table, which is by not made a mass of splinters in this section.
AC = AC = 33/13/32 (+6 against White)
HP = 162/162
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Blessing of Fervor, Smite Evil(Blue), -2 Neg
Kikinnin presses his attack against White, stepping into flank with JJ, which feels like it breaks even with the deranged derro's sapping ray.
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"Alright, I think I've got this one, JJ. Good luck with your jumping, and all. Mad Krav isn't going to go willingly."
JJ steps up onto the nearby table and then swings in the air about Kikinnin hoping to catch the insane creature.
Then, calling on the memories of the long, dark, trip the Watchers took in the underdark, he tries to strike out at the sound in front of him.
Blue light, now dimming, continues to bleed from JJ's serious wounds.
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Kythel frowns at Dandarrion, "Be that as it may, step aside. The Watchers behind can care for themselves, if these same berserkers are outside citizens are indeed in danger".
Kythel casts Magic Circle versus Evil upon himself to prepare for a possible battle.
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With tremendous impetus Kikinnin slashes the derro in front until it falls to the ground.
JJ jumps over the table, and from there he swings Alakast at the place he clearly can listen the maniac laugh of the derro. Kravichak continues laughing even after JJ strikes, once, twice, thrice, along with Maxim's acid arrow damage that damages the sorcerer once more, JJ shows up his skill fighting the invisible finally crashing his weapon a fourth time, sending the derro defeated to the ground!
3x +2 chain shirt
3x +1 greataxe
2x amulet of natural armor +2
ring of protection +2
3x cloak of resistance +1
6x potion of cure serious wounds
6x gems (10 gp each)
+1 dagger
belt of physical might +2 (Con/Dex)
headband of Charisma +4
metamagic rod of lesser empower
magical ring
ring or protection +2
2x potions of cure serious wounds
scroll of blight
scroll of insanity
scroll of magnificient mansion
scroll of teleport
wand of invisibility (47 charges)
wand of fly (24 charges)
138 pp
64 gp
Dandarrion stops Kythel "No way. There is no derro outside! Demonstrate you are not under the effects of magic!"
"Are you s-sure?" Marigold asks, looking quite skeptical. "Th-those guys sh-showed up in a f-flash - m-maybe it's the s-same outside! We should at l-least have a l-look to make s-sure!"
Kikinnin looks up at Asfelkir, then lifts his jaw in a quick gesture. "Well done. Could have been worse, had we not overwhelmed them. I shudder to think what might have happened, if Krav decided to attack when some of us departed the meeting."
The black beard marches over to Lord Taskerhill, and sets a palm against the man's forehead.
"We should sweep the building, just to be sure Krav didn't deposit anyone hostile before he tackled the meeting. I gather there's no more information we can gain from Krav and his association with the Cagewrights? He boasted that it was his decision to attack, not them, which confuses me."
Kikinnin thinks a little further. "Wonder if Krav set more derro against other buildings in Cauldron. He tries to undermine the peace, doing something like this."
"I'm curious about how it knew when and where to strike. I mean he obviously used that magical sensor, but how did he even know when and where to be scrying?" wonders JJ.
Lord Taskerhill protests down in the ground but seems relieved to see Kikinnin's hands just heal him. With some difficulty, more due to the shock than injuries not healed, he stands up "I... I think I can answer that. The derro madman came to me once at our plantation in Kingfisher's Hollow. He must have known me from then and might have been lurking at me and found about the meeting. Damned thing!" the man angrily hits the table.
The Vanderboreen lurk around the corner "Is it finished? Is it safe to go out now?"
At the doors Dandarrion does not know what else to do with the angry mob trying to get out of the hall. He finally concedes and let's the doors open.
Out in the street everything seems calm, except for the evacuated members of the meeting. Jenya, Ryan, Eidi and the evacuated noblemen and civilians are there, taking care of each other, but still shocked. There is no trace of any derro, but through the avenue a couple of guards and the gnomes of the MTA come running towards you.
When Marigold, Kythel and Maxim insists on their implanted suggestion, Jenya and Ryan frown. They combine their prayers to Abadar to cast break enchantment and free everyone from the mass suggestion.
Despite the meeting has been abruptly dismissed, Jenya and Ryan make their best to calm out the mood. The High Priestess soon comes back to the Hall and completes the document making Ryan Lord Mayor and hands it for everyone to sign.
Meanwhile you have time for your questions and investigations. Ryan himself asks "Who was that one? Where did he come from and why? Are we safe now?"
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Kythel approaches the body of the spell caster and casts a spell upon it to preserve the corpse .
"Tomorrow I believe I can get answers from this one regarding his tactics and motivations".
JJ sits down, catching his breath.
"Well that was a little more excitement than I was expecting today." he admits.
Quickly checking over the proto-council, he looks for anyone with bad wounds, before directing his attention to the dead Derro.
"What did they want to talk with you about Lord Taskerhill?" he asks suddenly.
Kythel puts a spell on the fallen derro to preserve it from decay.
"He wanted large amounts of wheat and sugarcane. The derro payed in cash and brought his own caravan to carry it, so no questions" Lord Taskerhill frowns "I thought he was just a mad dwarf with a lot of money"
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Kikinnin senses Ankhin's aggravation. "You're a prominent person of Cauldron. Of course you'd be a target for someone as insidious as Krav. Don't trouble yourself about it, Lord Taskerhill. It could have been any one of us marked for such spying."
The black beard turns to his friends. "I can't judge if this might happen again, and soon. If Taskerhill was marked earlier, should we be worried that the others, the Vanderborens or the Aslaxins, are similarly marked?" Kikinnin struggles to avoid looking at Marigold each time he mentions 'marking', but his eyes are drawn to the halfling lass's forehead, and her eyepatch.
When Jenya demonstrates her unwavering intent, Kikinnin looks on, with regret. He sees Ryan Taskerhill as acceptable, but he can't help but think that Jenya is the better choice of the two. He sets his jaw, and lets the leader of the Church of Abadar guide the leader of Cauldron into his new position.
"Well, Ryan, you are Lord Mayor now. We're at your service, but we're not above cuffing you if you let the power go to your head. The Cagewrights haven't shown their faces yet, but it's only a matter of time. Krav must have gotten excited. The Cagewrights are probably smarter. We know the Fiery Sanctum is their lair, but we're going to need preparations to protect ourselves in their territory."
"Ugh...st-stupid wizard," Marigold mutters, rubbing at her head now that it's free of enchantments. "I'm r-really curious to s-see what answers K-Kythel can get from h-him and I w-wonder if that p-purchase he made was for r-real or just a r-ruse to get a g-good look at L-Lord Taskerhill..."
While the rest of the group begins to pick up and wrap up Marigold moves to help Maxim gather up the equipment from the defeated derro, storing it away for later perusal.
"N-nice ring...b-but I'm n-not sure what it does..."
Not content to let the leaves scatter to the wind, Kikinnin offers his company to those gathered to see them safely back to their residences. If any of them have been marked equally to Taskerhill, he worries that there might be similar surprises waiting for the nobles when they're alone. He knows they can't keep eyes on everyone, should they want to depart for their own business, but the rattle that will come if they detain them for their own safety won't be surprising.
He turns to his own. "Safety, eh? The Cagewrights have many allies, and Krav's likely not the last of them. We should set ourselves to canvas Cauldron, I think. Bring awareness to those who can help us be in all places at once. Inform the Stormblades, awaken our stony statue allies and enlist their strength to our cause. There's much we can do."
"Everything that might be in my hands to help fight the Cagewrights back, you might have my friends" Ryan very seriously tells the dwarf.
"First thing first, I need to focus into having the Town Hall working. Sorting up stuff with the civil servants and making sure I do understand at full the current projects going on" the new Lord Mayor looks back at you "I count on you to protect the city while we sort out things during the next day. To that effect..."
The man looks back at JJ "Cauldron needs a new Captain of the militia. I need someone of my trust. Someone proven that knows the militia from the inside. Would you accept this job JJ?"
"I would like to transform the MTA into a full fledged special operations team able to defend the city from other planes and magical attacks. Would you look after that Marigold? I would like you to become the MTA Master of Spells" Ryan looks at the hafling and nods.
"If you are to accept these positions, this will be my first decree" the Lord Mayor looks at you very seriously and self-confident.
JJ offers a look at Alek. "Me? Captain of militia? Well, sure... I mean I know how to take orders, not so sure about giving them.." he admits.
"Do I get accommodations to go with it?" he asks with a sly smile.
The meeting wraps up and you all start to pursue your own goals on helping stabilize the city. JJ and Marigold dispatch with Ryan about how to organize the city defenses, Maxim comes back to his crafting in order to improve the odds of defeating the Cagewrights, Kikinnin conducts thorough search on the nobles and other key members of the community to make sure they are not being scryed upon, and Kythel makes sure the adventurers at Vhalantru's manor are slowly set free from their stone condition.
Just the next day after the meeting though a series of uneasy rumblings and grumblings wake up many of the citizens. Initially, these tremors are ignored. The townsfolk are no strangers to minor earthquakes, and react with little more than nervous jokes. As the minutes pass and the tremors continue to occur, however, the joking ceases. It does not take long for the citizens to realize something terrible is on the way.
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To Sara's mixture of pride and dismay, JJ busies himself with his new responsibilities.
Rising before dawn, he arrives at the guard post before the shift change, making sure he spends a minute or two with each man, orc, gnome or elf (or dwarf, halfing, or other militia member).
"Remember, Cauldron depends on you as much as it does the merchants and the nobles. You are the people who keep everyone safe at night."
He then retreats to the captains office to try and make sense of any of the reports and notices that seem to endlessly flood in. "Missing cat on Moss st? Sighting of the Morkoth in the lake? Two tailed goat born to Farmer Brown? Arrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh"
Mid morning sees the lad join militia members who are drilling. Nobody would ever call JJs fighting style 'elegant', but what it lacks in finesse it makes up for in brutal effectiveness. "If you can't look after yourself, how will you look after our citizens?"
He stays around until the next watch change, chatting with the men once again before returning, exhausted to his residence.
It is well before cock-crow when JJ wakes, ready for day two of his new life. Making good on his promise to Sara, he calls past his old apartment to meet her and have an early breakfast at the Drunken Morkoth.
He is sitting, tired and red-eyed, at the Drunken Morkoth, telling Sara about his first day 'on the job' when the first tremor strikes. "Don't worry, they are normal" he explains to the startled looking girl. However as they continue, and bottles start to fall from the wall, his eyes start to take on a slightly worried look.
"Someone may get hurt by this. I'm sorry Sara, but I'll have to head back to the militia compound, probably via the Mayors office. You should go home, check Tessa is okay."
He pauses for a moment. Then quietly he adds "Kikinnin was worried something like this might happen. Pack a get-away back for yourself and Tesa. Clothes, food. If things get bad, take the road to Redgorge. I'll try to meet up with you there."
Then he quickly escorts his betrothed to his old apartment, making sure she is safely through the door before hurrying towards the mayors office.
Kikinnin speeds up his gait, from amble to shuffle, as the rumbles begin to worry him, for their growing strength and rhythm. Having parted ways with the nobles, seeing them to their residences, the black beard's destination is St. Cuthbert, where he expects to catch Gemma up on the events of the meeting of the powerfuls. Now, he expects to learn what his sister has accomplished in plans and contingencies for this very thing beginning to show itself in Cauldron.
Taking to the steps, breathing heavily now, Kikinnin enters the Church, and seeks to find his sister first, speaking to others along the way about packing up, bellowing his dead serious orders. If anyone shoots him a disrespectful look, the black beard marks him or her for the return trip out of the Church, and a meeting of their rumps and his boot.
Kikinnin speaks tersely about the meeting, and the ambush, then sets his mind afire with evacuation. "Alright, Gemma. I think the time has come. The funds I gave you, do you still have them, or have you put them to use already? There are four gates of the city that need to be flung open, and the people pour from them. The prophecy of fire and destruction is coming about now, and we cannot fail the townsfolk here. We simply can't. Those we can't convince to leave the city are doomed, either to death in the fire, or worse, if the demon slavers from Carceri find their way through. We are Rouradonts, and we will test our metal and show our mettle."
Kikinnin thinks on the city, and its layout. He knows they only have so many voices to carry the warning, so many carts to fill and pull, to see this evacuation through. He tries to understand what should be the priority, and decides that those furthest from the gates of the city should be the first warned and commanded to begin the exodus.
When JJ arrives to his new position, the news of his appointment have already extended to the whole members of the militia. People treat him with new respect and more seriously they have done before. If JJ had doubted before of his place, he can clearly feels now people abides to his authority.
Among the mass of silly reports he finds out over his table, there are two recent ones that strike his attention:
- Terrem Kharatys has been abducted a second time from the Orphanage. He disappeared in strange circumstances just a few days ago. None of the other children were taken this time.
- A strange affliction is driving some citizens completely mad. The town's small jail is filled to the rafters with howling lunatics, and guard patrols are finding more of them every day. Yesterday, one poor soul was dragged down Obsidian Avenue screaming "I am Adimarchus!" or some damn fool thing.
Sara opens eyes worried. Having not lived in Cauldron before, the tremor scares her more than other citizens "To pack everything JJ? What are you fearing it might happen?" the girl does abide though by JJ's advise. She quickly follows him home before telling him goodbye "Please, promise you will not make any crazy dangerous thing JJ" she gives him a strong hug and a passionate kiss "You are so brave and responsible... I love you"
The priests and attendees on St. Cuthbert are surprised by Kikinnin's strong words "It is just a small tremor it will soon pass away dwarf..." they seem to tell him with their gazes. Still they get tense when he gets a bit violent and quickly disappear from his sight, although not sure whether if they are really looking themselves out of the city or just out of the dwarf's sight.
Gemma though takes his brother's words more seriously, she has already a roll of maps on her hands when Kikinnin stumbles with her "Kikinnin! Is this what you were fearing?"
"Oh brother, this is bad news. But it is lucky you told me to prepare about this" the dwarf woman extends the maps on a table and reminds him about all the points she researched before.
People stops for a few seconds when the tremors start, they look at each other. Not sure how to proceed, they just come back to their daily tasks after a minute of so of the same kind of tremor intensity.
Kikinnin remembers his sister's instructions, regarding Cauldron and its many tiers to the Lake District. He mulls over the maps, and looks up at Gemma in moments when he's most uncertain. "We need to move now. I need to temper my words, if they're to be heard, and heeded." Kikinnin taps the table. "Gemma, you've become familiar with St. Cuthbert, and those who study here. Would you do your best to convince those gathered here to take this threat seriously? If they do, maybe they'll spread the call to evacuate to others, who will listen to them, and trust them. Then we need to consider sending word to the Malachite, so they may distance themselves from the possible heat and gasses." The black beard girds himself with his full equipment, and begins his departure from the Church. "Also, remember the coin I gave you to convince the citizens to evacuate. Be generous where you need to be."
"I need to light a fire of concern in the Lake District, then. I'm going there now, and will spend time trying to convince them first, before moving into the other districts. If I can meet up with the rest of the Watchers, perhaps our words will carry more weight, but for now, my voice will have to do."
Kikinnin takes off straightaway, and begins his warnings with the first person he sees at the bottom of Cauldron. Each introduction includes his role with the Watchers, a brief explanation of the work they've done to protect the city and the new revelations come to light about the city in danger of a great fire, and Kikinnin's humble plea to each citizen that they evacuate the city for a short time, towards the nearest gate, with the essentials of travel to the nearest local refuge.
"Sure brother, I will spread the word. I will ask Jenya to give a sending to Maxim to save the Malachite and for the others to gather at Lake District" Gemma shows the bag of coins pointing out she is ready to put the plan into work.
When Kikinnin arrives to the Central Lake District people are tense but carrying on with their every day lives. Merchants are opening their shops, students are walking to school and retirees are observing the construction works of the new pavilion by the lake.
People around quickly start to react to the dwarves words, as they clearly carry a lot of authority, and some of them have witnessed Kikinnin's fight with the Umber Hulk and the fire elementals at Minuta's Boards. Most people hurry up to inform their families and pick up their stuff, but some others seem to enter into panic "What? What happens? Are the gods punishing us for devoting this year's market festival to Lord Vhalantru instead?"
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Though taken aback by Ryan's request that she come the MTA Master of Spells...what else can Marigold do but accept the posting? Only Maxim and Kythel were really her equals in terms of knowledge about the Cagewrights and the magics they'd been employing and both peers had their own business to see to. She did have a few suggestions, though.
"Um...as s-soon as it becomes f-feasible, I th-think the M-Master of Spells p-p-position should have t-two seats," she coughs during the smaller meeting between herself, JJ, Ryan, and his other appointed taskmasters. "One f-focusing on the arcane and the other f-focusing on the divine. S-some of the Cagewrights' tactics and p-powers overlap b-both spheres but others d-don't. And my own p-powers seem divinely granted...or at least c-closer to the divine than the st-studied."
Her other suggestions are more practical, aimed at thwarting those who would spy via magical means as well as researching the feasibility and costs of perhaps enacting permanent magical protections over certain parts of the city. It's a very long, but hopefully productive day...
______________
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As the rumbles around the city begin and, notably, do not abate, Marigold finds herself in her old seat at the Lantern Street Orphanage's large, well-worn dining table. She frowns, watching the tea in her cup make ripples, and looks up and across the table at Gretchen.
"Um...they usually st-stop by now..."
Then, she stares for a moment into nothingness as she receives a message from Jenya. Her eyes widen and then narrow. Marigold sighs.
She'd wanted to drop in and catch up with her old guardian, check up on the children, make sure that Patch was still sticking to the straight and narrow. But alas.
"G-Gretchen, I'm s-sorry, but I have to g-go. I d-don't know for s-sure what's happening, b-but please t-trust me when I s-say that you and P-Patch need to t-take the children and g-get out of the c-city. Now."
Marigold quickly rises from the table and moves to grab her things from the foyer. "H-hopefully it's just a f-false alarm, but...we c-can't risk d-doing nothing. So p-please, take the children and g-go," she adds, lowering her voice so little ears don't overhear.
And with that, she's out the door and gone, heading towards Lake District as fast as her legs will carry her.
"I will see what can be done about having two seats. Would you mind dividing your salary?" Ryan discusses all the other topics and agrees to them as good ideas.
Marigold joins the MTA that day and starts to put into work a plan to place a permanent mage's private sanctum inside the Town Hall.
Gretchen smiles understanding and soothes the halfling "No need to apologize Mari. You are our protector now, and we understand you need to answer the call" she does get much more nervous about when she requests for her and the children to abandon the city, she is up to argue against, but something in Marigold's tone makes her understand this is not the time to doubt "Ok, I will see how this is done. Patch! Patch! Gather the children, pick up the essential" the half-orc voices over the tremor commanding the children to pack up stuff.
Marigold soon reaches the central district where she finds some citiziens, but not all, are packing stuff and leaving. They quickly point out a black dwarf with very short temper has directed them to do so. They provide directions and soon the halfling finds Kikinnin trying to convince a fruit vendor and her son to leave the area immediately.
While they are discussing, they start to hear loud shouts and crying coming from a nearby building, a tall tenement structure. The windows on the top floor thrown open. A hysterical man leans precariously out one of the windows, a wailing child clutched in his arms. On the street 20 feet below, another man stands screaming up at the man in the window, gesticulating wildly and pointing at the ground floor.
"Tomash you have to abandon the house and flee Cauldron!" he raises the hands towards the man up who answers "No way Rhegin, I have lived in this home my entire life brother, and I see no reason to leave."
Exasperated Rhegin points at the several cracks forming in the building's foundation "The building is up to collapse, do not be stubborn, come down, now. Let me take Hagin at least!"
The building is nearing collapse. You doubt it can endure another tremor.
It is clear that any sudden moves might further panic Tomash into doing something stupid—like dropping his son, Hagin.
Working his way through the panicking down, JJ pushes his own path through the crowds. His size and strength... not the mention the coat of a guardsman help, but with the crowd trying to get away towards the gates leaving the city... his going is slow.
Eventually the lad makes it to the Lake district itself. Spotting a guardsman he calls out. "Do you know where Kikinnin has established a base of operations?"
Kikinnin senses the urgency in the brother's plea, and the panic in the brother above, so he moves to Rhegin's side, and speaks to the man at the window as reasonably as he can.
"Listen to your brother, Tomash! There will be time to rebuild, once we return when the city is safe. Don't risk the lives of your family! The tremors will grow stronger, and you must be a safe distance away to protect those you love from destruction! You're right to worry, Tomash, but you need to worry about the right things, and quickly."
Kikinnin looks at Rhegin, encouraging him to speak as well. The words of the brother should carry more weight than his own, but Tomash doesn't look good.
"Oh no...that m-man's on the v-verge of panic; he's liable to d-drop that ch-child if anyone m-makes any sudden moves..." Marigold breathes as she gazes up at the man and his son.
So I can't just fly up there - there's no guarantee I'd be able to catch the child if he fell!
Raising her voice, she calls out, "S-sir, please! The b-building's got some b-big cracks in its walls! At least c-come outside, j-just in case - for the s-safety of yourself and your s-son!"
"I can even m-make a p-path down from the w-window for you, s-so you won't have to use the st-stairs!"
______________
"Sure Captain! I spot him there, next to the fruits shop talking with the owner and his children" the guard seems to hesitate then he asks "They say we have to evacuate the city. Is it really that dangerous Sir?"
JJ will easily find the fruit shop and from there overhear the discussion between Kikinnin and Marigold and the people at the building.
Over the course of a minute, the man seems to doubt when Kikinnin addresses him "Who is this dwarf? Why is he yelling at me Rhegin?"
Seeing the man does not yet react, Marigold adds up her voice and Rhegin supports her "Do not be stubborn, do this, hear them" the pressure from his brother and Marigolds soft words finally seem to pay off, the man seems to see your great alert "Ok, ok, I will get to the street, but you will see this is going to end soon and we will be back home"
The man shakes the infant to calm him down, then disappears inside the building.
While you are waiting for the man to come down, a new tremor arises shaking the street and the buildings around!
The crevices expand with the tremor, and to your greatest fears and shock the building suddenly collapses among loud screams of terror from all the witnesses gathered around in the street. Rhegin starts to scream disappearing in the cloud of dust while debris rolls along the street ""
As the ground begins to shake Marigold is caught off-guard and falls to the ground, looking up just in time to see the building in front of her collapse into a pile of rubble.
"N-no! Damn it!" she gasps, as she struggles to regain her footing amid the continuing rumbles and tremors.
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"That is right. Orderly evacuation. Mayors orders. People to take food and essentials only." replies JJ, before heading down to find his friends.
JJ, graceful as ever, keeps on his feet as the ground shakes. He looks on in horror. He dashes over Rhegin, covering his mouth with his cloak to reduce the dust he breathes in.
"Stay back... Let me have a quick look. Younger legs and eyes and all that."
He tries to locate the man and infant.
Kythel will be by himself meditating and praying in the Cathedral when the tremors begin.
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Kythel gathers the followers of Wee Jas and in an organized fashion has them get ready, quickly as to be fully dressed and gather what magic they need for this trip.
"I have been asked to head to the center of Lake District. I would ask that you all head to the nearest exit yourselves. Along the way, assist any citizens you may see proceeding as quickly as possible with them to the exit. It is both the right thing to do and the necessary thing to do if the citizens are going to begin to trust our church and its clergy once again".
Kythel will cast Air Walk and head to the Lake District Center!
The priests and acolytes all are quick to agree on leaving the city and ready as they are directed by Kythel.
The High Priest walks over the air and the trembling houses, arriving at the Lake District just to spot one of the buildings suddenly collapse.
JJ prevents Rhegin from getting himself into the cloud of dust.
The young man then moves in and tries to find the people inside, but the volume of rubble is immense, there is certainly little hope for the people that was inside. In fact the rubble is so much that it rolled all over adjacent streets.
You spot someone getting out from the rubble in an adjacent alley! The woman gets out from the stones and severely injured collapses, bleeding from the injuries.
You hear faint coughing and muffled cries for help coming from the rubble in the adjacent alley.
You realize how to best move the debris. If done hastily it can crush the surviving people below or fall over the rescues. You can direct the works but a Strength DC 22 would be needed to clear out the place and up to six other people can try to aid.
Kikinnin senses the horror impending in the tremors, and Tomash's deadly delay in recognizing the danger he's in. With Maxim arriving swiftly to the scene, Kikinnin asks his bror to tag him with flight. Taking to the air, avoiding the stumbles of the tremors, the black beard arrives at the window. In mid-air, he removes a ring from his finger.
"Tomash, do as you're told. Put this on, now, and you need to leap from the window with your child. The ring's magic will see you safely to the ground. Are you the only ones in the house?" If there is any chance for Kikinnin to swoop up Uhlia or Hagin, while Tomash takes his leap of faith, he will do so, going so far as to fly in through the window within seconds, in and out swiftly. If all he can do is pull his Rope of Climbing and try and rope a wife or daughter , he might also try and use any resources he has to execute the impossible.
Despite her best efforts Marigold is unable to regain her footing, managing to only rise up as far as her knees before the continued tremors cause her to stagger and fall on her side.
"E-enough of th-this!" she gasps as she calls upon her powers of levitation to rise up off of the ground, even in her current prone state.
"Th-the alleys! There's p-people trapped and h-hurt over th-there!" Marigold yells, gesturing wildly from her prone position as she hovers off the ground.
Keeping his feet underneath him, Kikinnin watches helplessly as the building destroys lives. He can't blame the building, but he certainly can blame the Cagewrights, so he does. He marks them for the same mercy shown Tomash, Uhlia, and Hagin.
When miss Marigold points out where they can help, the black beard does. He tries to lift debris off of folks he finds, or lends a shoulder for a crutch to those injured and unable to walk well. When he can gather a number of them close by, he channels the healing energy of Abadar to restore their function for fleeing faster.
Kythel observes as the building collapses. Grimly he sends a prayer to Pharasma and scans the area as he hears Marigold call out.
The Cleric observes Kikinnin who's power cannot be matched by the tall wiry servant of the Lady of Loss. Instead Kythel summons a being that can assist.
From the ground rises a Huge Earth Elemental, Kythel points to the debris and it does what it can.
Round 1 Summon
Round 2 Strength Check
Round 3 Strength Check
Marigold notices the people in the street that was trapped by the rolling debris. She levitates to quickly come by and attend the man who liberated by himself and then fell unconscious.
Kikinnin quickly rushes to lift the stones, fortunately Kythel notices the rubble is just to shift inward and manages to stop the dwarf before whomever survived is buried and trapped alive.
The group starts to work under the insightful direction of the priest, who calls for the strength of the earth itself to come and help.
On a first instant the rocks prove to difficult to move but with the elemental assistance, Kikinnin manages to uncover while the elemental finds none despite moving a great bunch of earth.
As Kikinnin heals the family very quickly, the one that liberated himself points out faintly "John and Lisa... they are still trapped..."
The group renews the efforts, and although they fail initially, the great strength and easiness to move through the rubble from the elemental and the great determination from the dwarf, pull out the rubble to find the last two members of the family liberated.
"Yes... its them! You found them *cough* *cough*" the dust is still everywhere around and the family is injured, but you have managed to unearth them before they can die suffocated.
The volcano does not give pause to the team though, as you are all smiling and helping the family the earth trembles again and you hear a great commotion somewhere to your right.
A great fissure opens all along Ash Avenue, just in front of the Brass Trumpet, previous base operations of the Last Laugh!
A massive fissure at least fifty feet long and half that wide at its widest point bisects the street ahead. Steam rises from the crack in jets. Suddenly, the ground convulses sharply, and the edges of the fissure crumble a bit and slowly start to close. A chorus of screams wells up from within.
This massive crack split Ash Avenue, and fourteen hapless townsfolk have tumbled inside. Several were knocked unconscious by the fall, but none have died—yet. The crack has widened and deepened by several feet while you approached, until it reached its current depth of 50 feet. The tremors and crumbling edges have made it impossible for anyone to climb out. To make matters worse, the buckling earth now seems about to reverse its course, and the crack has started to close. If it closes all the way, everyone of the townsfolk inside will be crushed and buried alive!
The walls of open earth have many handholds but the tremors make them very difficult to climb. Sliding down would be much faster but dangerous