Still sneaking carefully, Demian remains unnoticed on the roof.
When the flames fail to hurt Barnabus, the Warden is stunned. "Inconceivable..."
You have the Warden surrounded but he seems protected by some magical force deflecting your attacks and remains unharmed so far.
He panics but is able to focus again casts a different spell at Morthos, "What's a skeleton bard's favourite instrument? The trombone!"
The magic infused joke enters your mind and instead of falling to the floor doubled over in laughter, you merely cringe. What's more, the corruption inside you, rather muted recently, seems to awaken, its flame feeding on the negative emotions you have for Branderscar.
He then sends the flaming sphere into the next closest, Seltyiel. "Abomination!"
The flaming sphere hits you, flames spread over you and then are absorbed into you somehow, you should have begun to melt but you are fine. Instead you feel an unholy connection return and energy flow into you.
The guards outside try to break down the door to get inside. "What's going on Warden?"
The construct is able to somehow avoid the worse of the flaming sphere, and insists on attacking with his claws.
Although she doesn't want to kill him, she does want him subdued, so she slashes at him with her scimitar.
She waves the scimitar around wildly, however, and grimaces. "What's wrong, Warden? Performance issues?"
The quarry surrounded, Barnabas continues to press the attack:
When the flames fail to hurt Barnabus, the Warden is stunned. "Inconceivable..."
Morthos glances around, not really understanding why the warden would say such. "I do not believe that word means what you think it means, fool."
He panics but is able to focus again casts a different spell at Morthos, "What's a skeleton bard's favourite instrument? The trombone!"
Morthos simply raises an eyebrow at the Warden. "You should be executed for that." Morthos then attempts to strike something more than air, or the nearest wall, or perhaps a bug that just so happens to fly by due to its misfortune of 'wrong place/wrong time'. Maybe just maybe, this time, the antipaladin can connect upon this do-gooder who most assuredly thinks he is above all.
Demian continues to await a safe room to enter.
The four surrounding the Warden manage to penetrate his magical defenses and wound him deeply, but he still manages to stay standing. "You will not make it out of here alive." He says determinedly. With probably his final act of defiance he gathers arcane force into his hands.
The magic missiles fly towards the wounded-looking Sarela. She is unable to avoid them as they slam into her.
The bolts of force slam into you and then... are gone. You barely felt them hit you. Instead you feel power return in the way you can manipulate and mesmerise with just a look or a touch.
The guards outside the door slam against it again, this time it breaks open and they burst into the room, swords at the ready.
Seeing the guards burst through the door, Barnabas tries to make quick work of the dangerous mage:
Barnabus' second punch takes down the warden.
As the warden falls, Morthos turns his attention toward the noise of the guards and heads that way.
Round 4
As it becomes apparent the door won't withstand the beating it's taking, Eowithe steps back and waits for the guards...with her blade!
Seltyiel reflexes again don't fail him, and he double moves to the door to help with the guards.
Demian hears the breaking of the door, Whelp, it might be a little bit before it is safe. I'll go check to see if we've attracted any attention. He then proceeds to sneak around and check on complex to see what the rest of the guards are up to.
In the dark and silent night, even though the sound of fighting is evident to you, the stone of the building manages to muffle it quite efficiently. There are 4 guards and a guard dog on the west wall that are patrolling towards the Warden's tower currently. You are unnoticed.
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With the Warden's fall and Eowithe's sword clanging against a guard's shield, attention is focused on the 2 guards bursting in from outside the room. They seem surprised to see you somehow in here but their training is good enough that they instantly attack.
Demian sneaks to the north side.
Round 5
Eowithe curses as her first blow goes awry. Then she takes a breath and watches her for for a moment or two, noticing his tendencies...then strikes...
Morthos proceeds to attack the guard in front of him.
Barnabas smiles in satisfaction at the crumpled form of the Warden. His nostrils flare at the coppery tang of blood in the air. His blood was up and the hunger was upon him.
Seeing his allies of convenience engaged with the guards, he moves in to support.
Sarela runs closer to the guards, grinning maliciously. ”Now you’re really in for a world of hurt.” Sarela stares at one as she runs up.
Seltyiel swings both his claws against the guard by him.
To the north is the prison roof and beyond that the gatehouse several hundred feet away, you can make out their lanterns and nothing else. As you make it to the east side of the tower, below you can see 4 guards and a hound patrolling the wall moving towards the gatehouse end.
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After the Warden falls, you rush to surround the incoming guards. Seltyiel hits one with a claw. They fight back, wounding Morthos, but don't look too confident seeing the Warden down.
Barnabas pounces on a guard:
Striking the man and enveloping him in his grasp.
Sarela circles around the back of the party, to get to the other guard. As she does, she focuses her gaze on him, eyeing him like a predator eyes prey.
Eowithe grins as her fellow prison-breakers join her and Sarela against the guards....
Taking a nasty cut from the guard, Morthos attempts to return the favor...
...but doesn't.
Demian sneaks back to the west side to observe the guards approaching.
The guards on the west wall will be almost directly below Demian in 1 round.
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Barnabus grapples one of the guards with his strange tentacle and Seltyiel slashes him with his claws.
The other guard winces from the headache Sarela just gave him. "Foul witch! Stay out of my head!" Turning from Morthos to Sarela he swings but the migraine throws off his aim.
"We need to warn Blackerly about this." Both guards take a step back into the hall.
As the guards discuss fleeing to warn Blackerly, Sarela steps behind Morthos and focuses her mind as she replies to the guard, "A witch? I'm not a witch - just a dancer who needed to eliminate the competition. I don't want you fleeing, so I forbid it!" As she spoke her voice took on a cadence, and she focused her gaze on him as, on the final phrase, she imposed her own will upon him.
Morthos follows after the guard and attacks.
Seltyiel does a small step ahead and tries to attack the closest guard with both his claws.
Unfortunately his attacks come out absolutely directionless.
With the doorway clogged, Barnabas waits for an opening.
Round 7
Eowithe, frustrated at her inability to score a hit on these cursed guards, re-doubles her efforts...closing the distance with the
Finally, her strike draws blood and she deadpans, "You do know your doom is upon you?"
One of the guards swings his lantern toward you at the most inopportune time. "Come down from there!"
"How did he get up there?" The other guards pull out arrows and shoot where the one with the lantern pointed and the hound barks loudly.
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The guard struggles to resist Sarela, giving Morthos and Eowithe the opportunity to strike him down.
The remaining guard withdraws and begins heading down the stairs.
You hear one of the guard dogs barking somewhere outside.
Round 8
As the guard flees, Eowithe grins, "I've always enjoyed the chase!"
She sprints after the fleeing guard...
Sarela moves forward as well, getting her eye on the guard, and then calls out, "I don't want you fleeing either, so stay put!"
Seltyiel moves trying to reach the guard going for the stairs. As he reaches the man, he tries to trip him.
While the others chase down the guard trying to get away, Morthos works to finish off the one that is still there.
Demian stabilises.
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Morthos stabs his longsword into the dying guard on the floor in the doorway, killing him.
Sarela's words worm their way into his mind and he freezes with his hand on the handrail. He is surrounded by Seltyiel and Eowithe (and Barnabus?).
Realising his position he lets go of his longsword and begs for his life. "Please don't kill me!"
Barnabas roughly grabs the man and starts shoving him back up the stairs. "You tell us what we want to know and you might just get out of here alive."
Barnabas will go about helping to secure the guard and then search the top floor.
"OK! Waht do you want to know?"
Cleaning his blade upon the shirt of the dead guard, Morthos makes his way to the others who've managed a prisoner. "Take off your armor, fool, and do it quickly. And for the record, if you dare try anything that is not to our liking, you will die."
Once that is accomplished, Morthos works to put the armor upon himself. As he does, "How many archers are we going to have to deal with outside? And where is Blackerly and will he be arriving soon?" As he asks that, he looks up and around a moment as something else has just occurred to him. "Where is the sickly one? Did he not follow?" Cutting his vision toward their prisoner who looks a bit confused, "That last question was not directed toward you, fool, just the previous ones."
The guard quickly removes his armour and shield. Another chain shirt and heavy steel shield.
"Uh, there are 4 guards each patrolling the east and west walls. And 4 on the Gatehouse roof. Blackerly warned the Warden to go to the Gatehouse but he didn't want to leave the tower and thought you would all die trying to escape never thinking you would come up here. There were 4 of us protecting him. The other 2 are downstairs just outside the door. No one expected you would come from the roof."
"Blackerly is in the Gatehouse, managing the guards from there. Arriving? He sent a message for reinforcements, blaming everything on the Warden. Half the garrison of Varyston will probably be here by tomorrow night."
Eowithe skids to a halt as Sarela 'holds' the guard with her eyes. Her own eye widening she ignores the questioning of the guard and asks Sarela, "The drug, it has worn off?"
With a look of determined thought about him, "Twelve, hm? Twelve guards with bows we must get past. If nothing else, it will definitely prove interesting." Turning to the others, "If you've any questions for this one, feel free to ask them. I'm going to aid in trying to find something of use here." Morthos then proceeds to help in searching the place.