With the wagon lurching around, Drake's next strike in not as good as the first. The Fighter feels the groups only hope is to take down the driver and stop the wagon himself.


09:35, Today: Drake Debonn rolled 14 using 1d20+8. attack.
09:36, Today: Drake Debonn rolled 8 using 1d8+3. damage.

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

FROM DM:

Drake feels his sword break bone and the driver looks up, blood gurgling from his slack mouth.

He sputters out something that only Drake can make out.

Blood splatters, hitting Drake on his chest.


The driver drops the reins and the horses keep charging wildly forward.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:59, Sat 22 July 2006.

Deciding against using his crossbow for a more effective way of striking the driver, Elodeir again pointed a finger towards him, barked out a quick word of power, and two bolts of force slammed into him.



14:10, Today: Elodeir Nightjewel rolled 8 using 2d4+2. Magic Missile.

Reply in Drake's post above.

Elodeir Nightjewel sees the driver droop to one side, blood coming from his mouth, and lets the magic from his spell rest in his hand for several seconds.

And a good thing, too!

For a dark figure moves out of the back of the wagon and raises two daggers, ready to stab into Drake's back.

The magic missiles slam into the dark figure, and Drake is now aware of him.

The mss of people run in fear away from the dangers of the area. Denira sees her chance and finds a spot with less people. The dark one with the daggers catches her eye as she lost the "Zhent" everyone was screaming about in the confusion.
She kicked a few rats out of the way and began to cast a spell. She gets out her holy symbol and performs the necessary prayer, trying to paralyze this new threat.

OOC: Casting Hold Person, DC 16 Will save to negate

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

FROM DM:

The small dark figure rises a dagger to strike at Drake's back but stops cold.  Its eyes are wide and that is all you can make out, as its face is half-covered with a black patch of cloth.

As the wagon bumps along, the figure falls flat on its back, one of its daggers thunking firmly into the wood of the wagon.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:49, Sun 23 July 2006.

Not caring about the rats or the people around the area Bethany moves to the path and runs to the horses.  Moving next to the creatures she does her best to reach out and grab the reins of the now fallen.  The mount she is near or hopes to be near she does not see any injuries on she does her best to calmit before going further into danger by the cart.

Reply in Denira's post above.

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

Bethany has no luck calming the horses.

Radcliffe, the half-elven bard, steps forward as if sensing Bethany's intentions and casts a spell, pointing his hands at the horses as golden light twinkles from his fingertips to the horses' ears.

There is no need to run!  You're safe, and these people will not harm you!  Try to stay calm!

One of the horses seems to hear and understand the bard and stops.

The other horse wants to keep running, so the wagon takes a harsh twist, knocking Drake over.

The horse that stopped actually seems to answer the half-elf!  It shakes its head, stamps a hoof, and makes snorting noises that Readcliffe takes in as if understanding what the horse is saying.


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

The rats surge through the graveyard, and about a quarter of the townsfolk have managed to flee through its gates.

All characters except Drake take another point of damage from the rats' bites.

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

OOC: For the next round, the wagon is stopped and each PC can act again.

Don't forget to take damage from the rats (2 points per all except Drake by now).

OOC:Mike, the wagon that everyone is focusing on is the "red" wagon, right? Where is the "white" wagon at this point? I re-read the thread but I didn't see where it went.

Elodeir rushed towards the wagon, trying to get onto it (and therefore also away from the rats).

Drake is spins as the figure behind him is struck by magic missiles. He raises his sword in preparation, before the small foe freezes, most likely from more magic from his friends.  Just as Drake begins to struggle about taking down the held opponent the wagon lurches and Drake finds himself tumbling.


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

PM from the DM
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:39, Mon 24 July 2006.

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

OOC:

It is near the pyre, its horses being held by some of the mayor's guards.

Yes, the red wagon is the one with the body in it. The white was the decoy.

As Elodeir gets onto the wagon he sees a raven fly into the open back of it!

He also sees that the black-clad figure is held utterly motionless as if by some sort of enchantment, and that Drake is able to stand up, righting himself as Radcliffe seems to quiet one of the horses.

The other one, which has been injured, is still panicked and not listening to what the half-elf may have to say to it.

The wagon is pitching and heaving as the injured horse tries to break into a run.

Amylarn’s blonde head peeked up from one of the tombstones she was hiding between. The red headed Zhent had eluded her for the moment but there was still plenty of opportunity to capitalize on the information she had put together and squeeze some coins out of someone’s pockets. The Zhent had been focused on that wagon over there so the odds were good that the driver was in on the secret plan. If he was still alive to talk to that is. At the very least it looked like a good place to get clear of the horde of rodents! The rats running by occasionally bit or scratched her ankles and it was very distracting. The girl took off at a run toward the “red” wagon with the intent to climb on.

Drake quickly gains his footing again on the wagon, and brings his sword up to the held opponent's neck. He is well covered should he quickly overcome the spell.

OOC:

Awaiting Bethany and Denira's actions.

The wagon was well defended now. Drake & the sorcerer were onboard and their seemingly main threat had been held by her spell for a short while. The rats were still an annoying problem, but most of the citizenry had fled.

That statue seemed to be gone & so did that Zhent who supposedly started all the fuss. She got closer to the wagon, pulling herself up onto the side of it to keep away from the rodents.

Grabbing the reigns Bethany quickly puts her hand up and starts to gently rub the horses to show them she is a friend.  Pulling the reigns a bit she does her best to make them stop and stay calm while the rats run over her feet and scratch at her legs.  They may be part of the wild but man they are smelly little agrivations much like the humans who are running around and out of the gravyards gates and around the tombstones.

The rats continue to race all over the pyre area and those PCs still standing on the ground take 2 points of damage as the grey and black vermin concentrate on your feet and ankles.

Radcliffe warns Bethany The horses are terrified and these rats are not helping matters in the lease.  I'd let go if I were you.  Or try to disconnect the horses from the wagon, if you think that is wise.

Amylarn is close enough to hear the bard's suggestion.

There are still screams from townsfolk who did not manage to leave the cemetery, and a number of farmers and other men from the town are returning with stout sticks and tools to smash at the wooden man, the rats, and other possible threats near the cemetery gates.

Drake sees that the small dark man he stands over is utterly still.  Drake thinks it is a halfling, but can not be sure until the cloth on its face is removed.

Out of the corner of her masked eye, Denira sees something dark move away from the wagon, up into the air, but she can not be sure what it was.

Meanwhile Elodeir is sure it is a raven, and it looks to be carrying something in its claws.

OOC: Only Elodeir sees the raven clearly and can get a missile attack off on it with no penalities.  The raven is about 20 feet away at present.

Denira could attack it, but her attack roll would be at -2.

Drake, Bethany, and Amylarn do not see the raven.

The party is up again.

"Is the raven carrying something?" Elodeir mumbled to himself, and looked up at it.  While he was no more than average at best with his crossbow, he raised it for a shot - perhaps he could somehow make it drop whatever it carried - it might turn out to be important, after all, he decided.  After a moment to steady himself, he let a bolt fly, seeking out the bird in flight.



OOC:
14:29, Today: Elodeir Nightjewel rolled 17 using 1d20+5. Attack.
14:29, Today: Elodeir Nightjewel rolled 5 using 1d8. Damage.

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

FROM DM:

Elodeir's bolt catches the bird in its mid-section, and it goes stiff from the attack.

It drops something about the size of a man's finger from its talons and lets out a shriek as it falls to the ground.

Elodeir swears he hears another shriek from somewhre outside the cemetery as the bird falls to the ground about 10 yards from where the item it was carrying fell.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:16, Fri 04 Aug 2006.

There is little compasion for the would-be assassin. Drake was given orders to protect the wagon and that is what he does. Someone has gone through great lengths to plan this disruption and the less distractions the better. With his sword already to the masked-man's throat, Drake slices.


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

FROM DM:

Drake slices deep across the stiff figure's throat and a gush of crimson blood washes up onto Drake's legs and chest.

The cloth covering the figure's face falls away and Drake can see it was a halfling female, wrapped head-to-toe in leather strap-like armor and black silk.

Horrified eyes look up at Drake as the little halfling dies.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:24, Fri 04 Aug 2006.

Just in case Elodeir fails to down the 'raven' as he calls it (Denira couldn't tell any better) she takes a risk and incants a spell, ending it with an overpowering command to drop whatever it was carrying. It was a risk as it would only work if the bird was a wizard's familiar, and even then it may not affect it.
It was, however, the only thing she could possibly do as she had no ranged weapon.

OOC: Casting Command on the raven to make it drop what it's carrying. DC 14 Will save to resist unless it doesn't speak common. Then it has no effect.

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

FROM DM:

As she gets ready to cast her spell, the woman from Rashemen sees Elodeir strike the raven, killing it.

OOC: So she does not cast and waste her spell.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:33, Fri 04 Aug 2006.

Amylarn only wanted two things at this point; to talk to the wagon driver and to get away from those cursed rats. Her ankles and calves were bleeding and in the back of her mind the girl worried that she might catch some awful disease from them. Radcliffe’s suggestion sounded like a good idea to Amy. She made an effort to climb up on the wagon and begin releasing the hooks or chains that kept the horses attached to the it. If they were only leather she could more easily draw a dagger hidden in her skirt and cut them loose. Amylarn called to Bethany, ”You there, lady-elf, I will help you loose these horses.”

Taking her sword Bethany slashes at the reins and does her absolute best to not nick or hurt the horses.  Cutting at the main rope/leather strap Bethany tries hard to slash down and maintain her hold on the reins untill her job is done while taking the vermins bites and scratches to her legs.

OOC what is up with our page?  Or am I the only one seeing our portraits in the center and our words filling the page.

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

FROM DM:

Working quickly together, the two women manage to loosen the horses from the wagon.

One of them breaks free and runs to the middle of the cemetery where several large black rats crawl up it, digging in deep with their sharp teeth.

The other - the one Radcliffe holds and still talks to - is still.  The bard says He is frightened, but he'll be fine.  The other is probably a lost cause, I fear.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:39, Fri 04 Aug 2006.

OOC: Well, I'm good so it must be you.

OOC: I've got the same problem, yeah.

OOC: Nothing wrong on my end.

Maybe there is a notice or message about this in the RPoL messages?  I'll go look.