Dyanna looks back at Loukas, grins and replies to them both, "A brother of martial discipline, eh, Loukas?  I wonder how such would suit you, though no reader of the gods' designs am I.  Good luck with your choice!"

With that she prepares to follow Balthazar into the city.

"If we come upon this foe, can I ensnare him with mine own enchantments to assist in your boon?"  she giggles as she asks, and is a bit flighty for the moment with anxiety at the coming foray into harm's way.

Loukas smiles at Dyanna's jest, but the look on his face is before and after is rather bemused, "You do me honor by considering me worthy of becoming your novice... But, I am not a religious man, Zmija, as Dyana has suggested. I was raised a Christian, and though I heard tales of the Rus gods from my mother, I am afraid I do not recall much of them. Are you sure you wish to have an ungodly man like myself as your apprentice?"

"I haven't a clue how much you can help.  Let's figure it out when the time comes."

Balthazar addresses the assembled group, "We make for the University Library, next to St. Elijah's Church.  Let's ride!"

Suggested riding order:

Balthazar and Dyanna
Zmija and Loukas
Michael
This message was last edited by the player at 00:33, Fri 02 Apr 2010.

Balthazar and Dyanna ride side by side leading the way south into the heart of the city. Loukas and Zmija hang back and talk quietly as they ride.

Michael brings up the rear and does so uncomfortably. He is definitely not used to riding.

They are not more than a few blocks from the safety of Dobrynya's camp when they encounter a small troop of nine mongrel Pecheneg mercenaries mounted on steppe horses an armed with falchion and short bow. They seem to be as surprised as you are and their leader grunts out of guttural commands in the language of the Pechenegs which only Zmija speaks. They all draw their swords and begin waving them overhead. The leader advances and points at Dyanna and shouts again in his native tongue.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:56, Tue 06 Apr 2010.

"He first said that we needed to give him all of our belongings and he would let us leave...he then got a better look at Dyanna and changed his mind. We are to leave the woman with his as well...needless to say, that is out of the question!" He translates to the others.

Swords and no bows, eh?  Good.

Balthazar frowns and shrugs with an air of resignation in a "you've got us, guess we're screwed" gesture.  He turns to Dyanna as if he's whispering soothing words to her to explain the situation so that she'll cooperate, but in reality he is casting sleep from his ring on the Pechenegs, making sure he gets the leader (but not any party members).
This message was last edited by the player at 21:29, Tue 06 Apr 2010.

Gathering what the mongrel leader's intent was, Dyanna readies a spell as Balthazar casts his.

To the mongrel...the Pechenegs drop from their saddles and onto the ground. A few of the horses also succumb to the spell cast by the hedonite but for the most part their mounts disperse in panic.

THe leader of the small band lies face down in the dusty street snoring loudly.

When the Perchangs are noted Loukas draws his bow. When Baltazar and Dyanna cast their spells he begins loosing arrows. All the while contemplating the words he and Zmija had exchanged up until moments ago.

Dyanna drops quickly from her horse and draws two daggers.

"Quickly now," she says in a quiet voice.  "We've little time, let us dispatch the vermin with swiftness."

Balthazar makes sure he is the one to dispatch the leader, hoping the magic card of the Deck is satisfied.

As Balthazar goes straight toward the ostensible leader, Dyanna's route is more circuitous, beginning on the flanks and working around one by one.  As blood spatters she finds it to be more messy as well.  As she slices the life from each mongrel she checks their belt pouches as well...

"Mayhap, Loukas, you can gather their weapons?  Could be a pretty score, and if luck holds there are some enchanted items as well."

Loukas remains where he had been after firing arrows into the fallen Perchangs, but is careful not to fire at ones near Dyanna. Once finished, "Loot them if you wish, Dyanna, but it is a waste of time to grab what little they have. Let's get moving quickly."

Wiping her bloody dagger on the cloak of the last mongrel she looks at Loukas and shrugs.

"Aye...I seem to have forgotten our recent spoils," she notes with a wry grin.  "Wealth come too fast - I still am that poor girl at heart.  Still, seems a waste to leave free wealth, and the coin at least we can keep, even if only a modest sum of silvers."

She slices throats first, then check pouches and packs quickly.

"And what of the horses - perhaps more for Dobrynya's army?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:45, Sun 11 Apr 2010.

Moving quickly to recover whatever arrows are recoverable he glances at the horses, "Most likely they may be of use, but bringing them along with us will hardly enable us to move as covertly as we seem to need to."

Zmija moves around the bodies at an alarming speed checking the purses with the others...this lot was definitely among those that had been doing very well. Only 200 gps can be recovered and all their equipment is of the mundane sort.

"It is just a matter of time before these horses will be rounded up by the men of the Knyaz...we leave them for later. I think I see our goal up ahead...we should move out and be done with this quickly!" As he speaks he points at a large building int he distance which is clearly a church.

Balthazar suddenly stands straight up as he feels the magic of the Deck pulse through him.  After the sensations cease, he does a little happy dance and impulsively kisses Dyanna on the cheek, then blushes when he realizes what he's done.  He gathers his composure and says, "Yes, let's make our way to the Library in haste; we've dawdled here long enough."

*************

Balthazar tracking:

5th level m-u: 4 2 1
1st) cure light wounds***, detect magic, light, magic missile*, mount, sleep*, spider climb
2nd) deeppockets**, invisibility*, knock, locate object**, melf's acid arrow, stinking cloud*
3rd) dispel magic*, mirror image (2nd level spell memorized to higher slot)

* ring of spell storing
** ring of wizardry
*** spell-like ability from master points

Active: deeppockets (~10.5 hours remaining)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:32, Mon 12 Apr 2010.

Just a few short blocks and the university is clear...the Church of St Elijah looms behind it and the building looks as if it has been sacked by the Pechenegs but still stands. The doors hang off the hinges...but there is no sign of life.

Dyanna jumps in surprise as Balthazar suddenly squeezes her.  Her heart races, her hand falls to the hilt of her dagger as unwanted memories force themselves from boxes long thought shut in the corners of her mind.  She steps back as Balthazar releases her, then composes herself, then turns and stares to where Zmija points.

"What of the library?" she asks, privately hoping that no one hears the tremor in her voice.

"Well, first we should find a safe place to stow our horses."  Balthazar looks around for the best place to do so.

The University and the library look looted but clearly the Pechenegs had no need for books. The main door of the library is also off it's hinges so the horses can be brought inside the building.

Loukas dismounts and deals with his horse quickly. He'll be moving carefully and quietly in an attempt to avoid attention should they stumble across more Perhcengs.

Dyanna follows Loukas indoors and leaves her mount with his.  She follows him more carefully, an eye behind her for Zmija and Balthazar.

"Come, Mage, your treasure awaits," she says quietly all the while looking up at bookshelves for anything that might be familiar.

"Indeed it does."  Balthazar ties his horse up along with the rest of them inside the library's foyer.  "Michael, find a place to hide and watch the horses.  If anything comes by, give us a shout and come running."

Then Balthazar takes the group to roughly the center of the library and casts locate object, looking for a spellbook.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:44, Wed 14 Apr 2010.

Dyanna follows behind, her eyes wandering over the rows of books and scrolls upon the various shelves.

"One could study here for the remainder of their lives and still be well short of completing all the works stored within these walls," she murmurs aloud.

She sighs, then and adds, "I've not that much time - hopefully the librarians placed similar tomes within reach of each other..."