Her eyes gleaming with the thought of a ambush that the guards set them selves unknowingly is priceless.  Bethany hears the uneasyness in Drakes' voice and already in the mood to fight smiles as she nominates her self.  In a soft voice full of excitement she speaks If you do not want to take the chance of going first.  I would be more then willing to go in.  A little persuasion and a bit of T'N'A never hurt with getting what we girls want.

Edging just a bit forward she doesn't go further then need be to await what the others suggest.  But the eager twitch in her hands lets everyone know she is ready.

It took Drake a few moments to realize why Bethany was offering to take his place.  The fighter cleared his throat and steps back up for his own plan
"No, I will do it" Drake says more forcefully and then demonstrates why he came up with the suggestion.

One moment Drake is standing weaponless ensuring the group he is fine with going in and within a blink of an eye he has his sword drawn.  The speed of the draw is impressive and shows more than just the skilled training he has had, but a natural ability he has honed.

Drake resheaths his sword and waits for the others to follow, his confidence back in his posture. Sometimes he just needs a little kick in reality from time to time.

OOC: Drake has Quickdraw as a feat, thus the reson he never has a weapon ready....no need

Amylarn nods, impressed with Drake's demonstration. "I am convinced. Though to be fair, I am certain between Bethany and myself, we can hold the guard's attention long enough for everyone to be prepared. Regardless of who goes first, we should first guard against the guard's alarm lest he alarm the killers we came to kill." She grips the dagger again and looks ready to go in.

Drake feels his plan may be misunderstood by some.
"I have no doubt that a female would hold their attention, but by placing myself just inside before you knock again, they will have already granted us a sword in the door."

Drake goes on to better explain "My sword is best if it is already inside versus having to wait to get inside, should the door become a barrier." It is unsure if the fighter values his sword more than the ladies or is being protective of them, should things turn bad.

Drake finishes, addressing the need to stop any alarm. "Is any among us skilled in magic that would help quiet such an attempt to alert the others?"
Even though the group has been together a short while, Drake realized he doesn't fully know the strength or weaknesses of his allies.

"No, I'm afraid not...  Well, only by making a possibly louder alarm, to cover it up, but that might not be advisable, after all..." Elodeir answered, and shrugged, having been quietly filling inn the elven priestess who had joined them as they left the tavern on what was going on.  "How about you, Shaeria?" he asked, and turned a charming smile on the lady, one he mastered so well.

The halfling looks up and nods.

------------------------------

OOC: We'll say you decide to enter, go to open the door and...

-------------------------------

The door to the rendering shop is locked.  It takes a bit of doing, but after one bent-beyond-repair pick, Amy manages to get the door open.

Peeking in, you see the door is guarded by one of the uniformed guards of the Ilithane house.  He is standing halfway between the door and the steps that lead down into the rendering area itself.  His attention is more on what is going on down in the rendering area.

The flicker of flames lights the walls in an eerie way, and all the shadows are deep and long.

Low voices flow up from the downstairs area, but you can not make out what is being said.

--------------------------------

You've opened the door, and now need to work on getting in.

Move Silent checks, DC 10 are needed.  Failing having that skill, default to a Dex check, DC 11.

Shrugging lightly in response to Elodeir's question, Shaeria follows the others in, but unfortunately not quite as silently as she would have preferred.

OOC:

Skip those move quietly checks.

One failure was enough, and we've already had it!

-----------------------

Taking the lead, the lightest member of your crew moves into the shop and stubs her toe on one of the many loose boards of the floor.  Stiffling her cry of pain and surprise, she nevertheless makes enough noise to attract the attention of the Ilithrane house guard.

The man turns, gapes, and says "hey", but has not yet called out to alarm the others.

-------------------------

OOC: Meaning you surprised him.

You can all act, while he reacts (as he did above) and Shaeria rubs her toe.

Drake can not fault Shaeria, there was little chance he was going to be quiet. With shield already in hand, Drake reacts quickly, charging into the building and directly towards the guard.  He makes sure his path is slightly off center, to allow anything flying in from his companions behind. Drakes draws his sword in midstride, keeping his shield up.


=========================================

FROM DM:

Drake moves quickly and just as the guard is about to shout out in alarm, the black-clad warrior slams into the man with his sword, driving it deep into his shoulder.

The shout of pain is loud, but is it loud enough to alert those in the room below?
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:20, Mon 26 Feb 2007.

Moving forward she lifts her bow out as they moved closer to the door.  Already the sounds everyone made made her cringe.  The lock pops and soon a few start to move in.  Shaeria the first to start in stubs her toe and the guard looks towards the visitors.  Drake not wasting time charges in and to the side to run the man down.  A smile crosses her face as she lets her first arrow fly.


================================

FROM DM:

The ranger unleashes her arrow and it hits the human guardsman in his chest, silencing his cry of pain.

The man slumps to the floor dead, blood pouring out of two nasty wounds.

Bethany can make out the voices from the room below, and from their even tones, she feels that no alarm has been raised.

But she also hears footsteps coming up the stairs.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:24, Mon 26 Feb 2007.

Confusion was starting to develop inside the place and Amylarn would use it to her advantage. A battle of blades would not be the best use of her talents so she ducked down and tried to move in unnoticed, or at least find a spot out of the way where she could set up a diversion.

13:59, Today: Amylarn rolled 10 using 1d20+7. Hide check. 

===================================

FROM DM:

Amy ducks behind a crate, but she knows she will have to duck down even more to be fully hidden.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:25, Mon 26 Feb 2007.

Moving quickly inside, Elodeir lifted his crossbow as he moved, and let a bolt fly, aiming for the torso of the guard.

See above for replies in posts.

Seeing the guard fall dead, Elodeir holds his fire.

OOC: You can keep the rolls if you like, Elodeir.  Just re-post them if you use them in your next attack with the crossbow.

Bethany signals someone is coming up the steps and she and Drake move back out of sight as Amylarn ducks down to be unseen by wheover comes up the stairs.

The voices from the room below sound like murmurs from where you stand.

=================================

OOC: There are places you can hide before the person coming up the stairs will see you, but there is no way to hide the body of the guard and the blood from it before whoever is coming up the steps gets into the room.

Seeing that she had no chance to hide the body she motions for everyone else to hide.  Stepping back a few feet Bethany pulls another arrow and notches it in the string.  Pulling the bow string back she braces her self and gets ready to let loose another arrow in hopes that the same fate will befall the new person.  As she holds the string it starts to cut into her fingers as she readies her self.  She hopes that if she didnt kill this villian that the others would rush out and finish them off quickly.

OOC: Should I roll another attack roll and damage or would you rather I wait till you are ready for them?


====================================

FROM DM:

OOC:
We can use the rolls you listed as a private line here, assuming you shoot at first sight of the man coming up the stairs.

Bethany's arrow flies fast, silent, and hits true.

The guard grabs at his throat where the arrow struck him and he runs the last three steps up into the room as if he is in a panic.

His eyes are wide and his hands grip at the blood gushing from his throat.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:04, Mon 05 Mar 2007.

Drake quickly slide over to the side of the stairs.  He knows the attention of the one coming up the stairs will be on the other guard. His sword is out and his shield ready. He looks to Bethany and the others. With another quick barrage of missile and his sword, he may be able to cut the other down.......Then he wonders, if it is the youngest brother. The one not fully involved int he problems they are looking into. The figher is prepared to turn his blade, should he need to merely subdue the person coming.

Will wait until next post to see who comes up

Already chagrined at the trouble she had caused, Shaeria quickly does as told and hides.

OOC:

I am pretty much going to move things along.

Bethany posted attack and damage rolls, and we will say that she aimed well, intending to hit the man in such a way that he could not make a lot of noise as he entered the room.

Her arrow goes through his throat and...

========================

The guardsman gasps for air like a fish out of water, blood spirting from the hole in his throat with each beat of his frantic heart.

Seeing only Bethany, he turns and tries to call down the stairs, but his voice is a quiet rasp, not the shout of alarm he'd hoped it would be.

Taking a step toward the steps, he drops to one knee.

If he makes it down those stairs or falls down them, the jig is up.

Drake's experienced eyes tell him that unless the man gets healing of some sort in the next several seconds, he will die.

It will take magical healing to save him, and perhaps saving him will get him to help you.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:19, Mon 05 Mar 2007.

A moment later, the object of their endeavor appears from one side of the room. Lady Constance Ilithrane stands calm and regal in her dark robes. "Well...so much for needing a distraction." To the several looks of alarm and malice she is sure to get, Lady Ilithrane grins and slowly holds up her palms. "Relax. I am Amylarn." The disguise she has put on is completely and absolutely dead on the mark. "As soon as you all decide it is safe not to kill me, we should get that body out of the way and go downstairs. I plan to cause a great deal of confusion before this magic wears off."

Drake waits to see the will of the group. Should it be to proceed forward and make chaos, he will put the wounded man out of his misery. If it isn't, there isn't much he can do for him anyway, so the result may be the same.

As Amylarn appears as Lady Constance Illithrane, the guard gasps, then coughs out blood as his eyes widen and he shakes his head.

He seems surpised and a bit frightened at seeing Constance here, but he is also aware he is dying.

He reaches out for Amy, grasping at the air with his shaking fingers.

==============================

OOC:

Imagine my surprise when I saw my NPC's picture show up as one of my PCs!!  Good work, Amylarn!

Playing her part, Amylarn looks assumes a haughty expression and bends over the guard. She showed no compassion for the man and stayed just out of arms reach. ”Is my imposter here?” The imitated voice was close to matching Lady Illithrane, though not exact as she had only heard the woman speak a few words. Amy made no attempt to explain herself and was hoping only that he would live long enough to tell them something useful, though this seemed doubtful. ”Will you use your dying breath to offer your meager help to the woman with your life in her grasp?” She spoke half commanding, half mocking. Somewhere in her mind, the part of Amylarn’s subconscious that acted in goodness and well meaning beat against the temporary cage that her disguised personality had locked it in. To watch and do nothing as a living soul died helplessly was evil to be sure. But at least she wasn’t killing him herself. Or worse, trying to bring him back as undead.

The man's eyes practically bug out as he nods.  More blood spurts from the nasty arrow wound, and Drake and Bethany can tell he has only a few more seconds of life.  If any attempt is made to save him, it will have to come quickly.

=================================

OOC:

Is Elodeir still with us?

OOC: He's out of town for his birthday.  He'll be back late Sunday night.

Having no skills at healing and no other means of stopping the guard's death, Amylarn looks to the others with a nod of approval. "Save him if you can." There was no emotion in her voice, good or bad. It was simply a request.

Trying to play the part Bethany goes next to the man and with a disgusted look that showed pleasure more then disgust pulls out some cloth and her water.  Knowing the wound fatal she thinks it best to keep the arrow in for now.  Yes M'Lady, I will do my best... With a small bow she kneels next to the man and tries to save him for at least a few more minutes.  The look of pleasure does soon turn into one of disgust, or just a vile feeling that the dieing man knows is not a friendly sign.  When she had finished what she could do she stands back up and bows once more to the lady.  I have done what my skills will allow me M'Lady.

OOC:11:50, Today: Bethany rolled 18 using 1d20+5. Heal Skill - dieing man.