Alua watched the halflings flee from the train. She had no intention of stopping them - after all, it looked like there might be another fight on their hands, and she could hardly make them fight with her.
Turning to the defeated thieves, she said, "Do they have anything that would help? Baran, Lupi, can you use that wand?"
Baran was looking fully healed, so the oracle allowed the link to drop. She cast a quick eye over the others - aside from Erix looking as wobbly as a newborn foal, nobody else looked injured. "Erix? You okay?"
Satisfied that her team was well, she took a moment to heal herself.
Something was bothering Alua. She looked again at Phin. The elf seemed fine, and it took a few seconds to realize what she was seeing. "What happened to the Tower?! Did they get it?" After all, Phin was holding a plain spear, and the precious artifact was nowhere in sight.
Erix waved farewell to the pirates, and the moment they were gone he slumped into the nearest chair. "Having some trouble... catching my breath... I think it's getting better, but the heavy lifting might be up to you, boss."
A moment passed "Any chance you could get my sword for me?"
Baran skidded to his knees in front of the two human attackers. He rushed to remove his hulusi as he looked about waiting for that screeching noise to come get them all.
He took a breath in and started playing scales to try to see if any of the notes resonated with any items with magical properties. He tried not to go too fast but couldn't seem to slow himself down.
As Lupi got to the others Baran had already cast Detect Magic, so she decided to begin changing her spells to Magic Missiles. In the meanwhile she said "Ummm... those halflings seemed very concerned... ummmm... maybe we should check the other cars too...? I'll prepare some magic..."
Still keeping his eyes open and trying to track the sounds of screeching and the beating of great wings, Baran grabbed what was most obvious and started to stand. "What next boss??? Perhaps follow Lupi's suggestion and move forward?"
Is there a way to know if Hold Person wand is Cleric/Wizard made? It only has an effect on save DC (13 or 14).
I am not sure, which railway car the halflings came from? Is it the cargo car above our heroes car?[/ooc]
Phin cringed as her weapon missed its mark but at least it allowed an opening for the others to take advantage and soon the leader of the Pilfered Wand lay dead on the floor. The rogue breathed a sigh of relief because the Tower was safe.
The elf whirled as the sound of quickly approaching feet sounded behind her. She watched in surprise as the halflings breezed by them and scrambled up the ropes. Hearing the sound of a large reptile taking flight made Phin very glad that she hadn't chosen to take one of the ropes to try to escape the train car. She had assumed that the halflings had used an airship but with the sounds above her she assumed that she would have gotten a rude surprise of something living, and probably hostile, that was transporting the raiding halflings.
Suddenly their train car was quiet as it was just the five of them. She looked concernedly in the direction that the halflings had come running from, "What fresh hell would cause seasoned raiders to run away with their tail between their legs?"
"What happened to the Tower?! Did they get it?"
Phin's brow creased in confusion. "What do you mean? It's right here in my hands." It's then that the elf actually looks down at the Tower and is completely shocked to see a regular short spear in her hands and she feels panic rise in her chest. She knew of tricksters that could make you see certain things and then use sleight of hand to swap items without the victim knowing. Had this happened somehow during the fight? She sank into one of the seats as her knees weakened.
She looked hard at the spear as if looking into its very core. It is then that the image began to waiver and she sighed in relief as she could see the true form of the Tower in her hands. "It's okay. It's still in my hands like I initially thought. It must have sensed my desire for it to appear differently so that the raiders wouldn't want to take it if we were robbed."
"Any chance you could get my sword for me?"
Phin got up, rolling her eyes, and with an exaggerated sigh went over to where Erix had been sitting and got his sword. She brought it back to where he was recovering. "Anything else I can get you, Cub? Fruit? Ale? Her voice may have sounded sarcastic but to the trained ear one would be able to hear the note of concern underlying her words. She may have gone toe-to-toe with the Living Spell but Erix had taken the brunt of its effect, not her.
As her friends got their legs under them, Alua sighed and said, "Yes, we should see what got the halflings so scared. If it's more of these living spells then we might be the best able to fight them." Taking the lead, the better to protect the others, she led them into danger.
"I'm hoping it's that they found out the fancy carriage at the back has a guard patrol. Give me a minute to catch my breath..." Erix shot a glance at Phin, and gave a subtle nod "and I should be right."
Alua led the way towards the back of the Rail, with the others following closely. She opened the door and stepped to the small platform between the cars that was open to the elements, and felt the wind of the Rail’s passage whipping her hair as she braced for a moment, knowing she might be about to lead them into danger, but as long as the Rail sped on there was no safe way of getting off it, and she knew they were, at the very least, better equipped to dealing with any problems than most of the other passengers would be.
She touched the handle before her, hesitated for a moment longer and then yanked the door open, stepping boldly into the second passenger car.
”- no good, no good, they said! Well, I’ll show them. Show them all! ”
Alua flinched back instinctively at the top-of-the-voice shout that met her as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Two of the car’s windows close to Alua’s position had been smashed in, likely by the pair of halfling pirated who had vacated the premises moments ago. Two men lied on the aisle down for the count at the very least, although Alua thought he could see on of them at least breathing. A dozen passengers – including the five who had evacuated your car – were huddled in their seats, trying to appear non-threatening, barely daring to shift on their seats. And in the middle of the car, stood a man.
A young-to-middle-aged man, wearing a long leather coat, now open at the front to reveal several bandoliers stocked with liquid-filled, stoppered vials strapped over his chest and waist. In place of a belt buckle, a fist-sized contraption with a golden Siberys dragonshard gleaming in its heart. In his hand, squeezed with all his might until his fingers tremble, was a short rod of some kind, with another golden dragonshard at its peak, just barely glimpsed from under his thumb that’s pressing down hard on it.
”Back, I say! Back! Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill us all!”
Baran whispered forward, "What's going on?" He drew out his hulusi flute and licked the reed.
Phin came to an abrupt stop at the raised voice. She took in the scene, her eyes flicking between the dragonshards. Fresh hells is right. This is new.
Keeping her voice low she said, "Rushing him seems like a bad idea. Should someone ask what he wants? Somehow I think it's something more than him just wanting the train car to himself."
Alua took in the scene quickly. Two civvies who needed help, but she didn't dare rush to their sides. A clearly distraught man who could do great damage to not only them, but the entire train.
Carefully laying down her mace, Alua spread her hands in a non-threatening way. "Hi," she said, keeping her voice low and gentle, as she might speak to a skittish horse. "My name is Alua. I see that you're in charge here." She glanced down at the bodies on the floor, then at the people huddled on their seats. "Lots of scared folk in here. How about if we let them move into another carriage, so that we can talk without being interrupted?"
As Alua began to speak Baran played a low calm tune to sooth the situation and inspire her to a compassionate tone.
Lupi was last on the line and could barely see on the other side. There was shouting and an angry guy with lots of dangerous-looking vials. Alua tried to reason with him. Lupi was knowledgeable enough on her diplomacy skills that she did not even try to aid Alua. Instead she remembered the old goblin wisdom "Bugbear shouts, act small!" and she tried to hide behind others backs.
Erix dragged his tired old body to the door, looked through, and swore.
After a few moments he backed away 'Given my track record, best thing I can do is not talk. Or kill him, I guess?'
With a sigh he went back to the group's seats, and started to pack up their critical equipment. 'However this goes, we might need to move fast.'
Carefully laying down her mace, Alua spread her hands in a non-threatening way. "Hi," she said, keeping her voice low and gentle, as she might speak to a skittish horse. "My name is Alua. I see that you're in charge here." She glanced down at the bodies on the floor, then at the people huddled on their seats. "Lots of scared folk in here. How about if we let them move into another carriage, so that we can talk without being interrupted?"
”No! Nobody move!” the man exclaimed, his eyes, wild with what might have been desperation. ”This is going all wrong… it wasn’t supposed to be like this. I mean, I planned… and then those halflings… they forced my hand, you understand? I had no choice but to act.” He shook his head, looking about himself as if searching for an answer to all his troubles from the car’s wooden wall panels of the comfortable seats.
”No, I can still make this work. Yes. We’ll just all sit quietly until we get to Sharn and then… then I’ll take care of my business,” he said after a moment, nodding to himself, clearly steeling his resolve with a decision, any decision, made. ”So you can all go the Dolurrh back where you came from! I warn you, do not try to stop me. You wouldn’t want these people’s blood on your hands, right?”
Baran tried to move forward to Alua's left hand as he continued to play. His hulusi shook in his hands as his lungs quavered but he could get the tune out and it was soft and flowing like wind sweeping over a vastness of hillocks. He looked at Lupi and then at the passengers nearest them and kept playing. He stopped advancing near Alua, looked at the man and his array of dangerous devices ... and kept playing.
Couldn't find this as a piece of music only - please advance to 0:37sec
Phin's eyes never left the young man and his frenzied movements. More specifically, her gaze stayed on the glowing dragonshards. She slowly followed Baran into the train car, making sure to make no sudden movement that would spook the man holding everyone hostage.
The rogue's well-trained body was ready to react, whether it was to help the hostages to get out of the train car or to spring forward to grab whatever the man was holding should he let go. Phin wasn't completely sure what he was holding but the way he was brandishing it while threatening them all made her believe that it was something dangerous.
Just for reference's sake, when Lupi and gang tried this in the campaign's previous iteration, the Rail blew up ;-)
Lupi was worried on taking any active action towards the frenzied man. The situation made her remember the old goblin saying "It went as well as trying to burn ice." She felt her abilities were not suited for the current task and hoped Baran's approach would give some success. She whispered to others "Is he going to keep on pressing on these vials all the way to Sharn?"
"Is he going to keep on pressing on these vials all the way to Sharn?"
"Alright friends." Erix called out to those brave - or mad - souls still in the original carriage. "Time to move further away from that last carriage I think. If anyone sees an Engineer, please send them down here to talk to me."
That done he proceeded to throw the various backpacks over his shoulders - glad that his strength had returned and started to follow his own advice.
”No, I can still make this work. Yes. We’ll just all sit quietly until we get to Sharn and then… then I’ll take care of my business,” he said after a moment, nodding to himself, clearly steeling his resolve with a decision, any decision, made. ”So you can all go the Dolurrh back where you came from! I warn you, do not try to stop me. You wouldn’t want these people’s blood on your hands, right?”
Alua nodded, as if he was speaking complete sense. "Yes, that's a good plan. We don't want to stop you from your important business in Sharn. But," Alua said, as if it just occurred to her, "Sharn is still a few days away. These people won't be able to stay still that long. They'll need to eat, sleep, use the lavatory. Surely you'll be able to relax a little if you don't need to worry about them?"
Gesturing to the passage behind her, Alua said, "Please, let them go where you don't have to worry about them doing anything stupid."
Okay, thanks. I'll wait until I see how my (very excellent) diplomacy attempt goes before trying to approach them.
”I… yes…” the man murmured, swaying slightly on his feet, almost as in tune to Baran’s hypnotic performance. ”Time… too much time. Sovereigns, I’m so tired of this all…” He released a giant sigh and looked Alua straight in the eyes.
”Ten years. A decade of my life I gave them. And do you know what they did? They had to ‘let me go’, they said. Hired two green engineers fresh from the academy for the amount they used to pay me the very next day, of course. The bastards,” the man spat, but it seemed some of the venom and energy was being leeched from his voice by Alua’s calm words and Baran’s soothing tunes.
”So I had to do something, you understand? I couldn’t just take this laying down. They did it to me, they did it to my colleagues, they would eventually do it to those new kids that replaced me. Someone needed to teach them a lesson. But what could I do? We did a few rallies, but they just ignored us, or bought the Watch to clear us out, bust a few heads in the process. Someone had to take the next step. Hit them where it hurts. Make everyone see they can’t just keep on stepping on us year after year, decade after decade, growing fatter and richer while we suffer. The weak have to show they, too, have claws. They have to rise against the oppressors… raise…”
While this desperate man opened up Baran took as close a look at the device as he was able, which was further away than he'd like. He was certain that he knew nothing about the shard connections. Disconnecting them could just as likely set them off as shut things down. The device itself seemed complex and was obviously made by someone who understood engineering. Someone that smart must have put a safety in somewhere. He wouldn't want it to go off early. Engineers loved control ... well, most of them ... well, some of them ... well, hopefully this one did.
Baran shot a quick glance at Alua and then did a double-take. She was glancing at him every now-and-again while she talked with this man. The bard nodded knowingly and began backing away slowly. He looked to Phin hoping she would follow ... there was scheming to do.
Engineers loved control ... well, most of them ... well, some of them ... well, hopefully this one did.
When the troubled engineer mentioned rallies, Lupi felt an odd sort of sympathy towards him. She had had some rallies and that's how they ended too. While the man was talking she also tried to get a glimpse on the equipment he was wielding. Her attention was towards the golden Siberys Dragonshards and the rod. The vials and bandoliers looked like alchemical stuff, and although Lupi did certainly have an interest in any field of knowledge, the goblins at Darguun never found her books about alchemy.
After a quick glimpse she whispered to Alua "Keep talking... try to keep him happy... maybe we could even befriend him..." and then shared her observations with Baran.
[dice=k arcana]1d20+9
[dice=Knowledge(engineering(aid another Baran))]1d20 + 10
Alua kept her face sympathetic, and nodded occasionally as the man began to open up to her. As she did so, she signaled for the passengers to move slowly behind her, towards the exit. Likewise, the she gestured for the passengers behind the man to move to the carriage to the left.
As she did so, she moved ever-so-slowly towards the people lying on the floor. She lay her hands on the one who was still breathing, and channeled healing directly into their body. As they coughed and came to, the oracle put a finger to her lips, and tried to help them stand and exit the car. She then examined the other person to see if there was any life left in them.
Standing slowly, she said, "It sounds like you've been treated terribly. We, too, know what it's like to be taken advantage of and abused by those in power." She thought of Sebastian, rotting in jail, and the money they had to pay to guarantee his safety. She thought of her fellow soldiers, abandoned to their fates after bleeding and dying for their country.
Gesturing to the train, she continued, "People like that, they only care about their purses. The deaths of a few dozen commonfolk won't make them raise an eyebrow. I can see that you don't want to hurt us, to hurt people like you. Nobody on this train is an oppressor. Please, let's sit together, and we can figure out a way forward that doesn't hurt innocent people." She sat on a cushioned seat, picking one near an unbroken window. She patted the seat beside her.
eah, perhaps you could hit the bomb with a really big hammer very hard.
Lupi moved into the car with the lunatic engineer as slowly and non-threateningly as she could. She did not dare to talk aloud, just introduced herself shortly "Hi, I'm Lupi." and sat down on the closest available seat to the door.
Baran walked backwards slowly to the connector and left. Then he rushed to the next car to get Erix and looked about to see if Phin had followed.
"Quick! Walkandtalk! Wegottacreatecontingency huff huff Alua'stalkingwithhimbut - he's already looking too twitchy. One, We got to the connector. Two, I vanish Phin - where's Phin? OK, it's just you - I'll do what I can from the floor. Two, I vanish you Erix. I open the door to the next carriage and let you in and I follow slowly. You'll have space of eighteen quick breaths to get into position. Grab the dead-man's switch when I start playing. If you can, slip this in Alua's pocket - maybe she'll know what to do." Baran hands him the wand of 'Hold Person'.
Baran was already back to the connector.
Baran waited in the connector, high winds whipping past, "Once you go through this door there's no turning back. You'r going to appear suddenly and that will trigger his every panic. Nod if you want to go."
Baran walked backwards slowly to the connector and left. Then he rushed to the next car to get Erix and looked about to see if Phin had followed.
"Quick! Walkandtalk! Wegottacreatecontingency huff huff Alua'stalkingwithhimbut - he's already looking too twitchy. One, We get to the connector. Two, I vanish Phin - where's Phin? Oh, good, there you are. Three, I vanish you Erix. I open the door to the next carriage and let you both in and I follow slowly. You'll have space of eighteen quick breaths to get into position Erix. Phin you'll have twelve. Erix, Grab the dead-man's switch when I start playing then I'll do what I can from the floor. Phin, knock him out, grab him, do whatever you can to help Erix. Erix, if you can, slip this in Alua's pocket - maybe she'll know what to do." Baran hands him the wand of 'Hold Person'.
Baran was already back to the connector.
Baran waited in the connector, high winds whipping past, "Once you go through this door there's no turning back. You'r going to appear suddenly and that will trigger his every panic. Nod if you want to go. And hold hands at the start or something - you won't be able to see each other."
Baran shot a quick glance at Alua and then did a double-take. She was glancing at him every now-and-again while she talked with this man. The bard nodded knowingly and began backing away slowly. He looked to Phin hoping she would follow ... there was scheming to do.
Even though Phin was watching the skittish man intently, she caught Baran's glance and thought she saw an ever so subtle jerk of his head towards the exit.
Figuring that Alua had the situation well in hand, Phin waited only a couple moments before following the bard out of the train car.
Before she can formulate any kind of question, Baran is talking so quickly that she just quietly listens. She waits, and then waits some more for the young man to take a breath. "I'll go first and get past him to get behind him. I'll try to knock him out if I can once Erix gets his hand on the trigger."
Standing in the connector with Baran and Erix makes for close quarters. She shrugs more than she nods.
Phin holds onto Erix only so far as to get together into the car. She quickly disengages and moves fluidly through the car, dancing around the young man until she is positioned behind him. She purposefully keeps herself in his blindspot for when she may become visible. She readies herself to deliver an incapacitating blow once Baran begins to play and Erix gets the trigger.
As Alua knelt by the unconscious passenger she quickly noted the blood matting the man’s hair – a clear head injury, but not serious enough to crack the skull. Quite likely just a blunt-force injury severe enough to knock the man out. As the nervous wreck of the man with the bomb didn’t seem to have any obvious weapons nor the kind of bulk to suggest he’d have delivered the injury unarmed it seemed to the oracle these two might just have put up a fight with the halfling pirates instead and come out second best. As Alua laid her hands on the injury and called upon her powers the man quickly roused, blinking his eyes in evident confusion that often followed head injuries. He didn’t quite seem to recall what was going on but he didn’t have the will yet to resist when the oracle shushed him and pushed him towards the door. The pair of dwarves from your own car who had found themselves trapped in this new theater of horrors took the injured man by both arms and half led, half dragged him away back to the car Baran had just taken Phin and Erix to concoct his scheme.
"People like that, they only care about their purses. The deaths of a few dozen commonfolk won't make them raise an eyebrow. I can see that you don't want to hurt us, to hurt people like you. Nobody on this train is an oppressor. Please, let's sit together, and we can figure out a way forward that doesn't hurt innocent people." She sat on a cushioned seat, picking one near an unbroken window. She patted the seat beside her.
Lupi moved into the car with the lunatic engineer as slowly and non-threateningly as she could. She did not dare to talk aloud, just introduced herself shortly "Hi, I'm Lupi." and sat down on the closest available seat to the door.
”Umm… hello, Miss,” the man replied distractedly, not quite seeming to know what to make of things anymore as he found himself sitting on the seats with two pleasant young ladies he had never met before, one of them seemingly understand his blight like none before. ”Right… you are right,” he said, sighing as he turned to Alua, the more vocal of his two new companions. ”They wouldn’t care about a few more deaths. They have enough blood on their hands as it is. I didn’t want to do any of this, you understand? Not now. Not here. But the attack, the pirates? They’d have stopped me, taken my device away if they had searched us like they said they would. I couldn’t have that, you understand, right? This gesture is all that I have left. Someone has to draw the eye of the world to what is happening right under everyone’s noses. Someone has to make people see, make them do something about it all.”
”He understood,” the man muttered crestfallenly, almost too softly for even Alua and Lupi to hear. ”He showed me how I could still be of worth.”
By this time, the passengers on the far side of the car had taken their cue from the people on your end and made a quiet, quick getaway, leaving only the three of you in the car. Or four, as moments later Baran opened the door…