I thank Grassy again, not realizing until he is out of sight that we neglected to agree on a signal.
"Oh, bother. I hope that chaos and mayhem are a clear enough signal." I mutter to no one in particular.
I watched the completion for the setup intensely, not knowing what I was actually looking for, but determined to find it.
Got a 6 on search/spot
I realized that I was on edge, but couldn't pinpoint why. Until I mentioned it to Lucienne, and she reminded me that we were still hearing the raucous, otherwordly music. And while it had faded into background noise for me, it was still setting my teeth on edge.
Finally, action began to happen on stage. I cast about the area one more time, desperate to find ANYthing out of place. No guards where there should be. Too many guards where there was no need for any. A Large, Mystical machine labeled 'Death Dealer 2000, MKII'. Anything.
I searched while listening to the unimpressive man begin his introduction,...
During the hour-long wait, Lucienne is going to attempt to Gather Information about what happened this morning.
When the unassuming announcer begins, Lucienne will be paying attention to any underlying messages.
And yes, she'll also be keeping track of the figment that only she and Akallabeth can see.
Romulus , a sense of dread fills your body. You continue seeing someone who looks exactly like your wife. You know enough to keep quite and complete the mission but it is still unnerving
I do my best to ignore the images that my mind tries to distract me with. I breathe deeply to find my center. I will away the cacophonous sounds of the throng and the varied sights of the multitude. I imagine the Hollow Man standing at the podium. I see him screaming in pain as I burn him and his cohorts to ash. I smile.
I emerge from my meditation ready for whatever the world may hurl my way. I check the cold iron daggers and my staff. I tell the others, "Best not rely on spells for the meantime. Can't tell how this seal will affect them. I suspect that the Hollow Man wants us to make that mistake."
DC checks,...
As 'Shadowwise' took the stage, I noticed something funny about what I was seeing, and I started to rise by reflex. "There's,... something, there. I can't tell,... It's not heat distortion. It might be an invisible object of some sort? Or maybe a magical field in place?" I continued trying to identify the effect as 'Shadowwise' took the stage, and drew all of our attention.
"Well, he cleans up nice, who woulda' thunk?" I snarked about 'Shadowwise's' green and gold uniform. "He's still a fey prat though."
All pretense of smart-aleck confidence evaporated as the false Pennywise made his big announcement. My jaw hit the roof hard enough to loosen my teeth. I almost missed the introduction of his two dangerous looking 'officers'.
Then the anger I felt turned to ice in my gut as I felt the crowd respond with unified fury towards these innocents.
When the cage apparatus appeared, I couldn't control myself anymore. "That's it! That's what I saw! It was already here the whole time, kept invisible for the 'unveiling'!" I slapped my forehead. "THAT'S what all the extra security was for! Not to protect 'Shadowwise', but to keep anyone from flying into the big invisible,.... cage-thing!"
"Look at the wires attached to that apparatus. It looks like they run clear across the city,... They seem to run to City Hall, Precipitous, Middle Dura, the Cogs,... Oh. No. They run to everywhere in the city that we know there is a seal!" I spun to Romulus, "We were wrong, there's no seal HERE, he held this here because it's centrally located to all the OTHERS he knows about!"
I turned to the others, panic in my eyes, if not my voice. "I have no idea what those cages are, or what they do. But if they're some sort of killing machine, AND he has them connected to the seals,... We can't let those people be killed in those things!"
I pulled an item out of my pocket that I normally only used in very dangerous, late night 'investigations', A long, wide strip of black cloth with eye holes cut in it. "Cover your faces. Use hoods, masks, whatever you've got. If he doesn't already know who we are and how to find us, let's not make it easy on him." I told the others putting my mask on.
"Grassy showed us how to get down there quickly," I muttered out loud, trying to see if we would get there before the prisoners were in the cages, or if it would be faster to use the feather fall tokens. "We have to get down there and free those poor people! Destroy the cages, cut the cables, whatever it takes! And lets hope that Grassy is as good as his word about that pickup,..."
its about the same either way. falling like a feather isn't a terrible quick way to get anywhere.
Romulus' Rolls:
I point out the wires to the others and ask, "Those wires over there, what do you think they are for?" Then I listen to the Hollow Man's speech. He's clearly trying to whip up the crowd into a frenzy end with his fiery rhetoric. But to what end?
I turn to Lucienne, "Any idea what the Hollow Man intends to do with all this?"
The Hollow Man shouts triumphantly " All of Sharn Shall See Justice Done Today!" The Hollow man continues his speech in jingoist fashion, stating how every man has to do his part and if you're not with us you're against us, be proud sharn be proud.
Spot DC 10
Wisdom DC 15
Knowledge Arcana DC 20
Knowledge Religion DC 25
Sense Motive DC 30
As she joins the others in a dead run, Lucienne remembers what Akallabeth had suggested as our goals:
"ONE-We figure out what he's up to. This may only be an opportunity to play politics and take control of the situation that he's created here. (Yeah,... right!)
"Well, Romulus, those are Soul Cages. (huff puff) Try to avoid dying inside of one: it'll not only hurt a lot, it'll trap your soul. So, he seems to be using those as some sort of lens, focussing the people's hate and feat through those wires. (huff) I'm not sure where they're leading, but that kind of energy might well be able to damage a seal. Goal one, check."
TWO- Whatever 'BAD' thing he has up his sleeve for today. We stop it cold. Whatever it takes.
(huff puff) "First things first: can those orb wands sever the wires? That has to be our primary target. Then we can worry about those victims."
THIRD- IF we get a shot at him, and I mean a KILL shot, then we take it. We can try to clear our names after we've secured all the seals and gotten rid of mister 'Harbinger-of-Doom' so the seals STAY shut!"
"Actually, I think that sullying our names may be an effective secondary strategy. (huff) Right now, he's focusing the assembled citizens' hatred towards these victims, as a weapon to break the seals. If we can get the city to transfer their hatred and fear to someone else, we may rob him of that weapon." (huff puff)
"Well, Romulus, those are Soul Cages. (huff puff) Try to avoid dying inside of one: it'll not only hurt a lot, it'll trap your soul. So, he seems to be using those as some sort of lens, focusing the people's hate and fear through those wires. (huff) I'm not sure where they're leading, but that kind of energy might well be able to damage a seal."
"That must be it!" (Leaps the corner of a stairwell) "The wires from the cages lead to sections of the city that we know there are other seals, Maybe he doesn't actually have the keys, so he's using the energy of their deaths and the hatred generated towards them to damage the seals and weaken them!" (Huffs as he lands on the next landing.)
(huff puff) "First things first: can those orb wands sever the wires? That has to be our primary target. Then we can worry about those victims."
I glanced up at the wires again as I turned towards the next stairwell,.. "I'M not that good of a shot! Kegi could probably hit it, but I doubt an arrow would cut it. (Huff as I take the stairs two at a time,) We can take them out from on stage, they have to connect to the cages somehow, we can hit them from there!
"Actually, I think that sullying our names may be an effective secondary strategy. (huff) Right now, he's focusing the assembled citizens' hatred towards these victims, as a weapon to break the seals. If we can get the city to change that focus to us, we might rob him of that weapon."
I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and took 2 breaths as I waited for Lucienne to gain on me. "I'm ok with that." Then I turned and ran for the next ramp. Unlike my usual, I never once smirked.
I run alongside the others, easily keeping pace with them.
"I can hit th' wire, but the arrow ain't cuttin' it. Too small. I'd do better maybe ta shoot th' prisoners."
Not that I would, but it would likely be better for both us and them than the alternative...
As we sprint towards the cage, my eyes wander from the wires and torture tree to the two "champions" at the Hollow Man's side.
Those two are more likely my target. Let the wizards undo the eldritch machine. I'll handle the rainbow brigade.
"Th' rest of ye, 'cept maybe Maddock can go for the cables. Th' orc an' I can try to hold back the guards an' buy ye time ta act."
Cables, I don't know about, but guards, I do. I ready my bow and draw an arrow as we reach the plaza level (where the ceremony is taking place).
Aerianna ignores the shouting of the crowd, looking for a way out of the cage. Unfortunately the guards were quite thorough when relieving her of her possessions. Her eyes keep being drawn to the thin wires that are attached to her cage.
From the back of her mind another voice peevishly chimes in "If you hadn't killed that merchant we wouldn't be in this mess.".
"Shut up. I'm trying to get us out of here so shut up and let me think! And if I hadn't taken that job we'd have slept in the gutters." she mutters to the voice in her mind as she searches.
I look around the crowd, looking for something, anything to help me get free.
I curse as I pick up the wire despite the minor pain. "That's right. Pay attention to the nice masked people." I mutter trying to worm my way out of the shackles and pick the lock on the door of my cage.
Once free of the manacles I tear off a corner of my shirt and wrap it around my hand, hopefully giving me some protction against the elecricity as I pick the lock. "Don't pay any attention to us."
"Sounds good Kegi," I panted as I caught up with him at the bottom of the ramp. I quickly muttered the charm that would give me an unlimited number of minor tricks for the next hour. I would need all the help I could get.
"You heard the man, Luc, Rom, your with me. Maddock, you and Kegi try to keep us alive. OH, and no more real names. Let's go!"
I figured we would be spotted before we got to the stage, but I also figured that a 'grand entrance' for the whole crowd couldn't hurt! As we neared the platform, I flexed my will, and a minor flash of light burst from the stage edge. Not bright enough to blind anyone, just enough to get attention. As I got to the edge, I made a throwing motion with my hand, and a large puff of smoke erupted from the stage. I jumped up on the stage behind the smoke, and let the flame loose. As the smoke dissipated, I wove the flames gathered on my hands into the pattern required to surround me in a defensive shell. I slapped the flames to my chest, and was surrounded in the familiar protective embrace. I had to try hard not to smile at the sound of the crowd's reaction to that.
"Citizens of Sharn!" I bellowed, my voice carrying farther than usual thanks to the minor enchantment. "Heed not this daemon in gnome's clothing! The real Pennywise is dead! Slain by this servant of Dal'Quor who has assumed his form! All the horrible slayings that have happened lately are the work of him and his green-suited goons! These people are innocent!
All right. If I ever (huff) start my own academy, (wheeze) "running in chainmail" will be a required (puff) course.
Lucienne pauses for a moment, amazed at Akallabeth's bravery and chutzpah, but it won't do him any good if he's killed or disabled. She pushes through to him.
"Alone amidst the midnight vaults a single candle flares,
Its steady glows illumine those who seek it in their prayers.
May Flamekeep's holy silver fire come warm thee in its spark.
Please keep at bay all fiends, I pray, and gird thee 'gainst the dark."
Now, we need to see how to dismantle these cages. "Hello, folks. We're here to get you out of there. Is there anything you can tell us about the magics surrounding these cages?"
Despite Aerianna's efforts to restrain comment, she hears herself shout "Be careful, they have some kind of electricity running through them." to the masked woman.
While the others examine the cages and distract the crowds, I take time to examine and trace the intersection of the wires. Perhaps, they intersect at a single point which we can attack and sever.
I notice the woman who shouted at Lucienne, "Please, we are trying to help."
Approaching the stage on the final leg of our attack, I concentrate briefly on my dragonmark. The runes glow faintly, causing a tingling sensation. [ooc]Activated shield.[ooc]
The others take to the stage drawing the attention of the hollow man and guards, who begin to move towards them. Spying an opening in the panicking crowd, I dodge between two onlookers and fire an arrow at one of the guards.
Kegi attack and damage (incl. Skirmish) (1d20+11=30, 2d6+2=14)
"Be careful, they have some kind of electricity running through them."
Lucienne stares at the cages, and the wires above them, making small, non-magical gestures with her hands, as if untying some mental knot. "That's not...quite...electricity, ma'am. It's a form of magical energy, raw like electricity, that floods into your body, slowly displacing your soul, which ..." she continues, more to herself than Aerianna, "... then gets shoved... there....and ....there! Oh, and then gets split up into smaller shards."
She looks at Aerianna. "Not a good way to go; not at all. I'd --
"Is that a lockpick you've fashioned? Excellent."
Lucienne smiles as she fishes out the well-made set of thieves' tools from her bag. "Would these be of any help?"
"Lovely." she says, still trying to get the lock open. Noticing the woman below holding a set of lockpicks she opens her mouth and, at a mental prodding to be polite, says "Yes, please. Toss them up. Thanks."
Seeing that my companions were working together to both distract the dangerous guards, and trying to free the prisoners, I decided to do what I did best, hog the spotlight. With any luck I could keep the attention focused on me, Maddock and Kegi long enough to keep them from realizing how well we were doing with the prisoners.
"Mr. Greene," I said to Maddock, "You seem to have a fan. Give him your autograph if you must, but please remember we're on a tight schedule."
I turned back to the crowd and 'Shadowwise', again amplifying my voice. "Have you noticed that only the Green-shirts seem to be on the scene of the massacres? Have you noticed that the Green-shirts never seem to be around when the watch is? Have you noticed that this false gnome just told you that these innocent people had just been sentenced to death WITHOUT A TRIAL, and you APPLAUDED?!?! How far the Noble Sharn has toppled in such a short time! Think about what you are doing! Don't let this Daemon lead you down his dark path, DON'T let Sharn fall into destruction with the rest of the Mourning, Think for yourselves citizens!"
I glanced over my at Luc and Rom. "How we doin' 'Rags'?" I asked Romulus Bandaged visage. "Give me a target, we gotta fry that thing fast, I can feel the charge building from here!"
Everyone has panicked. My work here is done. Now to get outta the way.
"Hey, watch where yer goin' ya blood-crazed freak."
I elbow, smash, and hip check my way through the crowd trying to put a few bodies between the greenshirts and myself. I feel my legs grow leaner and stronger as I shift, pushing, dodging and spinning through the crowd until I reach the stage. I look around frantically until I see my comrades through the ravaging mob. Sure enough, they are wrestling with the cages and trying to free the prisoners. A few green shirts are pushing towards them. Too close for the bow, I shoulder it and try to blend with the mob as I edge close to a guard.
Kegi's Hide check. (1d20+10=22)
Logos:
Aerianna jumps down from her cage, landing gracefully but soon drowning in the sea of angry people that fill the plaza. She roughly pushes and elbows her way through the crowd towards the nearest guard with a weapon. Along the way she looks for anything that she can pick up or take from someone to beat the guard. Once close enough, she raises it and strikes him on the head. Once close enough she taps him on the shoulder and then bludgeons him with when he turns round. Quickly she grabs his weapon and scans the crowd for the woman who tossed her the lockpicks. Strength in numbers, after all.
Wait...don't-- well, there went the one person who could unlock the rest of these prisoners. And with the lockpicks, yet. Oh, well, the universe can cut us a break when we are cold and dead in the ground.
"That coil there! That's the power cable! That's what we need to dismantle!"
What can she tell about the red mist / rain / Hollow tree?
Lucienne covers her head as the mob swells against her. If the crash of the mob was a one-time occurance, Lucienne looks around to see who needs to be healed with the wand of cure light wounds, perhaps one of the prisoners? If the damage looks like it's going to continue, then that's a losing battle, and she's going to find safety somewhere.
Perhaps behind the Hollow Man? That's an idea. Better cast Protection from Evil again, first.
I look at the power cable Lucienne is pointing out and memorize its place. I drink the remaining potion in my possession.
I then get out of the way of the mob.
Never mind me, I'm just looking around. :D
PS This is how I keep track of the games I'm lurking. Sorry for the interruption.
'Well, it was worth a TRY,...' I thought as the crowd surged forward. He's probably using magics to enhance the crowds emotions, should'a thought of that sooner.' I grumbled at myself as I used my 'Prestidigitation' to cause flares and smoke puffs to explode between me and the onrushing crowd.
It didn't help.
I was instantly beaten, battered and probably bloody.
"That's it!" I growled to the unlistening crowd, "NO MORE MR. Nice Guy! I swear, you try to HELP people,...!"
I shoved and elbowed my way back towards the Lucienne and Romulus, using my thin staff as leverage when room allowed. I stumbled next to Lucienne just in time to hear her shouted revelation about the coiled cable.
"If that's providing the power for the machine, then it must be using the crowd as the power source! It's the only thing that explains the crazy reaction!" I shouted over the roar of the crowd back to her. "And THAT'S my target!" I yelled, pointing at the spot where the coiled cable joined the web.
I summoned the flame, and it leapt to my hands and arms as if waiting. The nearest of the crowd drew back at that, creating a bottleneck and giving Lucienne and me a little breathing room. I guess our position at the top of the cage platform made it hard for the press of the crowd to reach us. I spun the flame and gathered it into the single most powerful spell I knew. Then aimed carefully and threw the ball of fire at the junction point.
17+3=20 to hit with touch attack, orb of fire spell
Aerianna nods at Kegi and kneels to pick up the weapon, never looking away from him.
She scans the crowd for the woman who tossed her the lockpicks.
"Could it be that you feel a debt to her? Maybe I'm rubbing off on you and you're not the stone cold killer"
Any who are close enough to her, hear the pale woman mutter "Shut up. It's a basic military theory. Strength in numbers." seemingly to no one.
"Good shot, Fireball! Get ta th' prisoners and fall back everyone. Lucienne, can ye spare o' yer healin' wand ta keep a brother in th' fight?"
I interpose myself between my allies and the onrushing guards, drawing a bead on the nearest.
"Good shot, Fireball! Get ta th' prisoners and fall back everyone. Lucienne, can ye spare o' yer healin' wand ta keep a brother in th' fight?"
(When Lucienne went shopping for the items, the healing wand she bought had apparently been created for one of the Deathguard elves. It's made of steel, with white ivory inlay, and looks like it could easily be honed to a point. Lucienne fancies that it could easily have been intended as a weapon against undead, doing piercing damage, and then a cure light wounds to boot.)
Lucienne touches the wand to Kegi and speaks "Fli'et," the elvish word for "mend."
"Rightly done. Goal two completed. Third goal: ..." Seeing the Hollow Man flee, Lucienne asks, "Doesn't anybody have any of those wall of fire scrolls handy?"
The Green Guard chasing after maddock withdraws , imbiding a potion and disappearing.
Maddock spits an epithet in the guard's general direction, and gives a brief hoot of triumph at the apparent partial victory his companions have achieved.
"Rightly done. Goal two completed. Third goal: ..." Seeing the Hollow Man flee, Lucienne asks, "Doesn't anybody have any of those wall of fire scrolls handy?"
"Bugger me if I know where they are." Maddock grumbles under his breath. Seizing on another idea, he whistles shrilly for his owl, points at the retreating hollow man, and shouts "follow that man, Grim! Don't let him out of yer sight!"
Hearing the cries and moans of the innocents still trapped in the cages, Maddock turns his attention to them. He rips two long strips of fabric from his traveling cloak, and wraps one around each of his large hands for protection, then braces himself and grabs the bars of one of the cages, tying to bend it enough to let the trapped prisoner free.
"Do you vanna follow em Ja?"
I vault into the skycoach, looking at Aerianna.
"Ye comin' with us?"
I jumped, alright, limped, after Kegi and climbed gracelessly into the air car.
"Yes Grassy," I gasped, "As soon as we're in." I reached out to grab Lucienne's hand and help her into the bouncing, aging aircab.
"Good job." I told her, looking to see if Maddock and Romulus were coming. "Spare a charge of positive energy for a comrade?" I smirked, Trying not to show how badly I really felt. Or how hard it was at that moment to keep the fire from pouring out again. The sweat trickling out from under my hat was not from my recent exertions.
""Tell the prisoners to run for it, with the crowd," I gasped as I fought a sudden twinge of the fire within. "Let's get out of here, maybe we can still catch 'Shadowwise', but we need to leave before they get thier act together!"
I scramble onto the air car. "Can anyone spare a potion? I seem to be in need of a change of bandages."
I then scan the surroundings hoping to catch a clue as to where Shadowwise headed.
"Maddock, the coach is leaving! You others, from the cages: if you're looking for either security for Sharn or to return some indignities upon your gaoler, hurry up!"
Lucienne jumps into the cab, turning the wand towards each of her companions in turn:
Romulus: "Fli'et. Hmm. Let me amend that. The Silver Flame burns hot and bright, to strengthen people through the night. The holy fire brings you weal; it asks your body now to heal. ."
Akallabeth: "Fli'et."
Aerianna: "Thanks for your help with the guards. So, how did you get caught up in all this? Fli'et. Fli'et."
Maddock (assuming he's climbing aboard): 'Fli'et. Fli'et."
She looks around. "Everybody all good?"
She then realizes that Grassy has turned the cab directly towards the music. The realization sets in, and Lucienne curses in exasperation, "By all the gold in Kyber's bedpan!"
"Do you vanna follow em Ja?"I vault into the skycoach, looking at Aerianna.
"Ye comin' with us?"
"I'm sure as hell not staying here." she says, jumping into the skycar.
At the healing she nods in thanks to Lucianne and pulls the lockpicks out of a pocket, tossing them to Lucienne."Let me handle this." the voice inside her says and grudgingly allows her control to weaken and for the other Aerianna to surface. Her manner becomes somewhat less cold and she smiles at the group "Thanks. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and they decided I'd make a good scapegoat. How are you involved in all of this? What's actually going on?" she asks, nervously fiddling with the truncheon. "I'm Aerianna ir'Thurion, by the way."
In sepulchral tones, I say to Aerianna, "Welcome to our merry band. I do hope you like facing overwhelming odds and the certainty of death. I am Romulus."
She looks at Romulus and a little bt of her darker past slips through "I've faced worse.".
"I like your spirit. Get ready then we're going after Shadowwise."
"Who's Shadowise?" she asks, hefting the truncheon and wishing for her rapier and dagger.
"He's just the one responsible for all the recent atrocities in the city. He also has bad breath and horrible taste in clothes, I think. For which he should be dragged out to the city square and hanged."
Aerianna re-asserts herself "Enough chatting." and smiles grimly "I'm sure his death can be arranged."