Only Billy can act before their prepared actions.
Billy steps out of the shadows, pistol levelled at the thugs. His voice is low and smooth and deadly, the six-gun in his hand promising a swift death, ”Now I’m certain of one thing in this situation. The three of us are leavin’ here alive. Now you got just a few choices. You can drop the guns and leave here alive too. Or, well, I can put my six-gun to work and my buddies here can tear you apart in ways you can’t even imagine. The choice is yours, but I know what mine would be.”
Combined with Tarasik's admonishment, that threat was too much for them. It's all well and good to bully civilians protecting children, but this clearly entailed personal risk to the nationalists, and they weren't soldiers. Weren't even real revolutionaries. They run off into the night.
The giant's shoulders sag in some slight relief. "Tarasik shall be picking them up now." Statement made, he rushes over and starts hauling both men over his shoulders.
Walter nodded, and looked towards the civilians. "May I suggest you all take yourselves and head out of the city that way?" he said, pointing along the path they had come with his cane. "It should be pleasantly free of any guards and such for a while yet."
Moving to Tarasik, Walter added, "Then let us find somewhere nice and quiet, out of the way, and have a short chat with these fine gentleman."
Having cleared out the local area, it doesn't take more than a few minutes to find a secluded area between larger buildings to have a discussion. A wooden loading dock and some crates provide an area where you can lean the prisoners (presumably tied) for questioning, and be seated yourselves during the process, if you wish.
The alley has only two entry points, so it is easily watched for interlopers during the process.
Slowly, one of the men comes to consciousness. He jumps, or attempts to, but is restrained from doing so. Slowly he meets your collective gaze. His fear is obvious.
"Please to be answering questions. No harm will be coming for you." Tarasik lopsidedly informs.
The man opens his mouth for a second, then closes it and nods silently.
"Whatever you want," he says is broken Britanglish.
"Marko Gavri," Walter said. "Where is he?" He smiled in a friendly fashion.
"Garvi. You won't stop them, you know. They're bringing something much older than you. Older than all of this."
"You can find them in the Ugrin Opera House, about one mile that way," the demoralized nationalist gestures with his head.
"Old things just easier to break." Tarasik reasons, eyes lazily glancing towards Walter all on their own.
"Why is it always the opera house?" Walter wondered outloud. "But yes, us old folks have our weaknesses. And frankly, I intend to just rend your masters down to smouldering bone and charred tallow long before they bring in a being that will, I must point out, kill everyone and everything. Pray that we succeed, or flee and weep as your family dies. Your choice."
"We can control it. Pavlovic is powerful shaman. Marko Gavri is his apprentice. And we have...the travelers." The man describes beings that sound like the ones you fought outside the village yesterday morning.
"You'll never stop them in time!" the man beings to laugh maniacally.
Tarasik raises one of his fists, and then promptly brings it down square on the man's head to knock him back out. "We must be moving quickly."
"Indeed," Walter agreed as he headed for the opera house. They were usually supremely easy to find, given how big the blasted altars to pomp were. "If the idiot was right, we may see enemies with spellcasting. I'll do what I can, but I suggest making them a target of priority. The less time they have to cast the better it shall be for all of us."
The trip to the opera house is rife with tension; speed is of the utmost importance, but you do your best to scare off or incapacitate rampaging nationalists during the trip. At last, you arrive there.
The Darthapest Opera House does not disappoint. In typical grand style, it stands head and shoulders above even the four story buildings of Darthapest. Entrances many times the height of a man make a clear path for even Tarasik, and balconies overlook the streets below.
The guards outside are easily frightened off, and gesture into the auditorium when questioned. They were obviously intended to frighten off angry townsfolk, not powerful soldiers (though few of the rich live here in this area, and few of the poor are angry at the nationalists).
Once inside, you are able to peek through the auditorium doors and get a view of what's going on. The seating floor is empty. On the stage are four forms. One is robed, and is holding up a bloodied dagger. Across from him is Marko Gavri, holding his hands up to mimic the robed one.
Two more robed creatures stand across from each other, beings like (or the same) the ones you fought outside the village.
A dead or dying form lie in the center of them all.
You are all still in the lobby but close enough to see down into the auditorium.
Walter considered. "I would suggest that Tarasik and Djon attack those strange rubbery buggers we fought before, and Billy and I play 'who can kill the chanting idiot fastest' before joining you. The sooner he falls the better the chance we stop the ritual." The witch paused. "Unless the final component is his death, of course. Let me see if I can work out if this is a 'kill' or 'restrain' situation."
To Sir Walter's practiced eye, the ritual doesn't involve the deaths of anyone save the unfortunately soul whose body lay amidst them all, bleeding on the floor.
That said, they seem to have reached a culmination in the spell: it's not complete, per se, but it seems a first stage has been accomplished already. They might need either Gavri or the shaman alive to tell them what they've done so far, and how to undo it.
Walter sighed. "I'll probably need one of them alive for the specifics to destroy the ritual. He does not need all his arms and legs, just to live long enough."
"Understood." Tarsik says as he starts to lumber forward, body expanding as the ring's hold over his body is broken once more. His eyes are piercing and focused while slinging his weapon out from the confines of his coat. Seeing that he's unable to get completely up close with a single dash forward, he takes aim for the first time in a long while.
He aims for who seems closest, hoping perhaps to startle and distract.
An other worldly scream flies out from the creature; it is a scream Tarasik remembers well from their last tango with these beasts.
Now that both parties are aware the existence of each other, it's time for initiative.
Billy:
Djon:
Tarasik:
Sir Walter:
Gavri:
Travelers:
Shaman:
Initiative: (some really weird rolls there)
1. Gavri
2. Sir Walter
3. Tarasik
4. Shaman
5. Billy
6. Djon
7. Travelers
Gavri draws a pistol and turns to fire at Tarasik.
Gavri:
Sir Walter's action.
Walter moved into view with a smile, staying well back. "Marko, dear boy, we have been looking absolutely everywhere for you." He responded to the gunshot, draining some of his magic to focus a blast at the little weasel.
The lightning slams into Gavri and knocks him back stumbling several feet, his clothes singed and smoking. He remains standing, a testament to his fervor moreso than his fortitude.
Tarasik may now act in round 1.
Tarasik's eyes zero in on Garvi as he fires. Battle instincts prompt him angle his bulk just enough for the first shot to narrowly scrape his protective jacket. He's unable to pull the same trick off for the second shot, the bullet impacting his heavy hide, bruising heavily before the metallic slag is brushed off.
He hefts the smoking head of his strange rifle, making a quick dashing line for the two closers foes. At the last momment his control breaks, and slams the hammer down with force.
Gavri staggers back and falls to his rear, the fight almost completely knocked out of him. The second Traveler, hit by Tarasik on the followthrough, is crushed to death, and vanishes in the air a second later, his body returned to his home plane.
From across the floor, the Shaman puts a blight upon Tarasik.
HP damage.
Will Save Partial:
Tarasik is sickened for 3 rounds.
Billy and Djon may act.
Billy unfurls his wings and takes off, flying across the auditorium as he fires off a shot at the shaman.
The shot hits the shaman solidly, causing him to drop the ritual knife and cry out in agony.
Djon's action round 1.
Part of the darkness above comes to life, detaches itself... and falls upon the the enemy.
You're ineffective against them... Hush. I'll make due.
The constant battle within.
Djon kicks out, at once striking at the creature and breaking his own fall.
Djon lands solidly on top of the second traveler and hears a snap. He bounces off and lands safely in an adjacent area.
Sneak Damage:
51+ avoids
Top of Round 2
1. Gavri
2. Sir Walter
3. Tarasik
4. Shaman
5. Billy
6. Djon
7. Travelers
Gavri fires his pistol at Tarasik, somehow managing to avoid granting the giant a melee opening as he does so.
Sir Walter and Tarasik may act.
The first bullet strikes, and for the first time in months the giant's flesh gives way just a little. Red splotches stain his shoulder, yet Tarasik pays it no mind. Instead he growls dangerously, shifting his hammer to one hand while reaching out with his other.
Tarasik manages to get hold of Gavri, whose demented expression is rapidly changing to one of fear. It seems the little assassin had thought he'd escaped harm, and was not fond of being reintroduced to the concept.
Closer, now... Djon looks to the sacrifice.
Closer, now... Djon looks to the sacrifice.
Looks pretty dead.
"Ah, thank you Tarasik. Don't worry Marko, we'll deal with your friends and have a little chat. Please, considering which of your limbs you feel are the most expendable." Walter shifted his focus to the shaman, throwing another blast out.
The shaman, deeply hurt by Sir Walter's attack, manages to channel negative energy (which also affects both Gavri and the other remaining Traveler)
Tarasik Will Save:(Basically don't get a 1)
Djon Will Save:
Gavri Will Save:
Traveler Will Save:
Damage:
The attack was too much for Gavri, whose life force begins to ebb as he drops into unconsciousness. The Traveler fared better, but was still hurt by the attack.
If you try to save him, you'll get hammered... tough call, hero. The voice in his head incessant.
NO!
Shaking off the wave of negative energy and inner negativity, he tumbles away from the other-worlder in the hopes of evading its reach.
Djon stops at the edge of the stage, beside Tarasik and on the other side of the incapacitated assassin, dropping and placing his hands upon the man's chest and head.
You don't get off so easy, you piece of s#!π... not before being useful.
Djon summons the man's life force to stay.
Djon manages to hold off the reaper for now, saving the assassin Marko Gavri from death.
Billy's action.
Billy points at the shaman, "Now listen here, bastard! I can't say I know what you've got planned but I sure as hell ain't findin' out the hard way."
With that he fires off three shots at the evil mage.
Billy's first two shots hit the shaman solidy; the third misses. However, it is enough. The first two shots drop him. He's still alive, but won't be for long.
At this point, the other traveler realizes the jig is up, and heads back to his interdimensional home. The other traveler disappears, as well.
That leaves the party with an unconscious but stable Marko Gavri and an unconscious and bleeding shaman.
I gotta save another dirt-bag? Fine... it had better be with it.
Djon hustles towards the Evil priest.
"Alright, then let us bind them and awake them. I'm afraid we're going to have to force them to give us the answers we need, and I don't especially think we have time for subtle." Walter headed the shaman, using Stabilize after binding the guys hands, feet and gagging him.