Mortimer balks as he is bombarded with new information. Finally he responds to Biel. Stay alive, I'll be there soon! Mortimer takes out a lump of coal, making sharp gestures. "Slieth el ruien!" Mortimer swoops down and unleashes a barrage of diamond shards from his hand into the guards. "Leave, now! Or the next one burns!"
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The primary guard drop to the ground and rolls, the other two beat at the flames with their shields.
The huddled slaves roar in anger at mortimer's attack and suddenly a hail of stones is rising to meet the wizard.
These guards, slaves themselves, are protecting the unarmed slaves.
Mortimer literally slaps himself in the head, then raises his hands as a white flag, taking the rocks as he deserves them, trying to shout over them. "Wait! I'm sorry, I thought these men were guards trying to hurt you, they had the armor on! Lis...ow! Listen! I'm here to help! Go back to where the sales are made and there are people there to protect you, today you are free!" Mortimer does his best to convince the people, but either way he needs to get going. Best of luck. He grabs the ring, twisting it and vanishing.
Erianna maintains watch with her sister and Erasmus, waiting for the wizard to return.
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The guards shout in thickly accented common.
"Stop! The foolish wizard has apologized. He says you are free, but we must reach the Hall of Slaves. He says there are people there to protect us."
Slowly, the group makes ready and trudges up the slope. Erianna and the others hear the sounds of many feet approaching the open door. The rattle of armor and weapons precedes the group.
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Mortimer arrive on Freedom's Eagleto find it bathed in blood. The marines and sailors lay sprawled, skinned, and gutted; their entrails bedecking the rails as grizzly garlands and streamers.
Biel shouts "Up there Master!" and Mortimer looks up to see the Vice Admiral, barely recognizable, suspended under the shoulders with rope. A small fire is rapidly eating through that rope, and Mortimer sees with horror the Amerysi leader's intended fate.
15 spears, arranged in a gruesome thicket, await the Vice-Admiral's eventual descent. Looking back up, Mortimer sees a block of white-washed wood hanging around the man's neck like a sign.
The rope snaps. The Vice-Admiral falls.
Mortimer flips him onto his back and gently slaps his face. "Sir, wake up!"
Slowly, the group makes ready and trudges up the slope. Erianna and the others hear the sounds of many feet approaching the open door. The rattle of armor and weapons precedes the group.
Erianna takes a sidelong glance at her sister, then finds a more defensible spot near the entrance to the hall, from where she surveys who is approaching.
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12 men in the uniform or Targ's guards, one badly burnt, precede a group of two score slaves.
Mortimer reappears under an astonishingly heavy VA Trinton. The man is greasy with drying blood. Mortimer flips the big man with much effort, then, after catching his breath, the wizard attempts to revive the commander to no avail.
Erianna takes the front door, steeling herself for the combat sure to ensue - "Your commander Targ is dead, so you have an opportunity to do the right thing" - she urges the guards - "Release those slaves, and no more bloodshed needs to take place"
Erasmus will bar the door with Targ's earthbreaker and lean the bodies of Targ and the elephants against the door.
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Trinton eyes flutter. He coughs up blood and bile. He looks down at his tortured body and the sign hung round his neck. He cries out, then faints.
The sign reads:
Please allow me to introduce myself... On second thought, maybe another time.
I realize a madman isn't the liveliest story teller, and I so wish I could be there to introduce myself, but I have pressing business you see. It will have to wait.
For now, it is sufficient that you know I will make it my life's pursuit to thwart your every move simply because you have made it.
The arrogance of Amerys is long due the reaping that is coming. I do not seek to warn you or even to frighten you. I expect only that you know your ends are irreversible.
Incidentally, good luck getting home on a broken ship, with a broken captain, to a broken land through waters infested with your enemies.
I do hope you don't fail and die so soon. I have much grander tortures for you later. Any end will do though.
Happy Dying,
R.R.
Well if you truly meant that then you have come to the Right place. Targ and his seconds in command were dealt by us. We can certainly provide assistance for you to get off this island.
via message spell Lets be on our guards anyway.
via whisper Well, yeah. DO I look like a fresh recruit to you?
No sudden moves!
Erasmus will move the large bodies, kicking each of them as many times as possible, and unbar the doors.
Mortimer stands wearily, glad to see the other slaves have made it. "Bad news, our ride is compromised."
Vice-Admiral! Esther, can you heal him?! Mortimer, how about your wand?! I have potions! Can anybody treat injuries? We need to save him! Erasmus is clearly as distraught as anyone has ever seen him.
"I've already burnt two charges on him, it was enough healing to get any man on his feet. The Vice Admiral needs serious attention." Mortimer tosses over the wand anyways. "Now let me think..." Mortimer sits at the couch and begins mumbling, twisted the ring in different ways.
Ester will immediately cast a spell on the bloodied corpse
she will examine to see if the person is now conscious.
What do you mean compromised ?
Mortimer turns to the nearest slave. "What's the fastest way out of the city?"
i think this man has lost his mind
Mortimer shakes his head, then calls out loudly. "Next person who calls me sir is going to see what his intestines looks like. We are from Amerys and we have set you free, but now we need to escape. I'm asking your help, how do we leave the city?"
Erasmus looks flabbergasted at the Vice-Admiral's state, but recovers enough to gain his composure. It's force of habit, I'm sure. How was the ship? Did you see any other people?
Mortimer pauses his muttering, catching his breath as the ring stops glowing. "Ship was half destroyed, probably sunk by now. Everybody else was dead. Without Biel I probably wouldn't have got there in time to save the Vice Admiral."
So, we saw what the Vice-Admiral can do, and something not only did this to him, but destroyed the entire ship? We need to find somewhere to hide, or get the hells out of here now.
"I'm not familiar with this area, so I have no idea where to go."
Alright i'll take command then. Mortimer please send you're biel in the air we need to have a better picture of what is happening in town. Erasmus Help the vice admiral up. Erianna you take point. The rest of you follow behind your job is to warn and act as support. Let us do the fighting. We are heading back to way we came. We will head for the tunnel underground below where you found us, while we wait to get a better picture of what is happening to him and in town. Alright everyone let's move.
"That area might be entirely underwater, and even if it isn't now I don't want to risk all of us drowning."
close quarters fits our battle need as it would be harder to choke us with numbers, plus we need to hide while your familiar is gathering intel on the situation and we need to figure out what is wrong with him. And don't worry about drowning i got that covered if it comes to that.
Erasmus looks at Esther incredulously. You can keep 60 people from drowning?
Mortimer frowns. "Do you? Can you save every single slave here with your magic? Unless you can create dozens of air bubbles or a force wall I doubt you can keep everybody alive."
you have a better plan or idea i take it then ? Because the way i see it is first getting more info, trying to figure out what is wrong with him and maybe if possible steal a boat in the morning to leave with the 40 people we currently have. But right now we are in the middle of town with an unknow ennemy force who just happened to destroy the back up you have. So what is your plan, what do you propose we do instead of sitting out in the open untill we get spotted ? she replies calmly.
Esther will cast a on the wounded slave guard.
Mortimer meets her gaze. "I don't know where to go, we did not plan for this outcome so I do not have knowledge of the surrounding landscape. But the underground is a deathtrap waiting to happen. I will cut our losses and get as many of us out of here before I bring everybody down there."