That's a lot of bad guys down in one go.  Dale spins around to see who's left.  He hears Vyncent shouting, then someone shouting at Vyncent, but misses the part where the villain's healing himself.  Still, "don't you dare" is usually bad.  Dale should probably head in that direction.  But first, shoot the bad guy.

Dale fires magic missile at Vyncent and then runs towards the cluster of enemies.

---

Standard action: cast magic missile for 2 damage (lame)
Move action: move to N7
AC 20, HP 10/10

OOC: Melee combatants suck until we get our second attack. :( One bad roll and my turn is thrown away!

With her target now surrounded and in melee, Kassadria stabs at the man with her rapier. Although she missed, she certainly would have created an opportunity for the guardsmen to land a blow or two, hopefully sealing the criminal's fate.

OOC:
You rolled 9 using 1d20+7 ((2)). <- That includes flanking bonus. Unless the thief has paper armour and negative Dex, I missed.

This message was last edited by the player at 01:39, Tue 06 Nov 2012.

Staring down at the battlefield from above Strange is both intrigued and disturbed by the strange voice coming from the building below him, "Unaccountable voices.. hmm.. rarely a good thing."  He takes a daring leap from the rooftop down to the raised platform where Lorelei guards the door, flaring his wings and attempting to roll as he lands in order to avoid taking damage.  He turns to his rapier-wielding ally, "Accompany me inside - something is amiss," he says abruptly before yanking the door open and hurrying in.

Move Action: Leap from rooftop using wings and acrobatics skill to avoid/minimize damage.  (Roll: 20:58, Today: Strange rolled 12 using 1d20+7. Acrobatics.)
Standard Action: Using as extra move action, opening door and entering.
Free: Speaking.

With the notice of two archers upon him now, Gren's first reaction was to cast a shielding spell on himself to protect him from harm.  But he didn't.  The Half-ogre was obviously not used to being a sorcerer yet.  He was still too inexperienced and his brutal warrior-life life among the tribes showed as he popped up from concealment just long enough to launch his javelin at one of the archers.  He then quickly ducked back down.  One good hit from an arrow and he was good as dead.  At least Eramus was nearby.

He winced a little as it seemed the javelin was going to rebound off the edge of the roof.  Still, there was a chance that it could strike an archer in the inner leg if reflected right.

08:01, Today: Gren Boarshead rolled 7 using 1d8+5. damage.
08:00, Today: Gren Boarshead rolled 16 using 1d20+2. attack.

Even as Strange yanked the doors open, A small brunette blur slipped in through them. Like her Roguish companion those noises had after a moment set off a warning sign. Outside of defeating Vyncent after all, she had chosen a guarding position and thieves had a way of getting into places they really should not be in. Her eyes flashed about as she took in the room before her.

Seeing the ruckus between a good deal of the party and Vyncent at the other end of the square, Dale feels inclined to join in the fray. Jogging into range, he fires off an arcane missile at Vyncent with Delana currently tacking him to the ground, it only connects with a small part of his shoulder, not even eliciting a response from the man. Delana, on the other hand, gets an earful, "Get off me whore of Iomedae!" It turns out to be the wrong thing to say though as not only Delana, but the two nearby priestesses as well, yell out in anger and redouble their efforts; each of the priestesses putting their respective thieves hard on the defensive. Delana, now on top of Vyncent and pinning one of his arms to the ground, brings back a gauntleted hand and punches him square in the face, breaking his nose, resulting in a stream of blood. Kicking out at Delana, Vyncent attempts to escape the priestess's grasp, a fact that does not go unnoticed to Erasmus who fills his voice with divine authority, "Submit!" he calls out as the master thief goes limp though his eyes widen in surprise at his own body's actions. The town guard seems to have the advantage now as well as they down yet another thief and injure another two further.

Still taking cover behind the flower stand, Gren grabs another of his javelins and makes a hasty throw up towards the roof before returning to cover. The look on his face bespoke disappointment in the power and aim of his throw but as the cry of one of the archers rang out, he looked up surprised to see his javelin sticking out of the man's gut as he fell off the roof. Perhaps he misjudged his own strength?

The remaining thieves fight back against the defenders, their numbers may have begun to wane but with the amount of injuries they throw out, it is obvious that they are intent on doing as much damage as they can while they still can. The one fighting with Kass turns and, seeing the desperation of his situation, charges her and brings his blade into her stomach up to the hilt! Kass's eyes dim slightly upon the attack and she stumbles backwards a step and drops to the ground.

Meanwhile up on the building, "Unaccountable voices.. hmm.. rarely a good thing," Strange mumbles as he takes a flying leap akin to a giant predatory bird as he unfurls his wings to slow his descent. The landing is a bit hard, splintering a couple of the boards that make up the balcony but he lands otherwise unharmed. "Accompany me inside - something is amiss," Grasping the handles and yanking the door open, Lorelei wastes no time and dives forward into the room to find Degrin sprawled out on his rear in the back of the room, shaken but unharmed with Ikani in front of him. Between the two and Strange and Lorelei though are yet another handful of thieves and the man that only they would recognize as Arudal himself. At the intrusion, Arudal spins around. A wave of his hand and two of the thieves break off to attack.

Lorelei responds with a quick snap kick towards the first thief in range though he dodges fairly easy and retorts with a slash that she almost completely dodges save for a small scratch across her cheek. The second rogue moves in to attack but the monk easily ducks under the wild swing. "They're trying to silence Degrin! Don't give them the chance!" she calls out seeing Lorelei and Strange enter all the while stuck on the defensive against the pair of thieves. "Give him to us quietly and we will keep him alive away from the public eye. Resist, and I will have no choice but to have to kill you all. The choice is yours." Arudal speaks slowly and nonchalantly, as if there wasn't a battle raging outside or a holdout in the room with him. The only sign of discomfort, if it could be called that, was his continual rubbing of the inside of his right forearm.

Initiative Order
25 Kass
19 Strange
18 Vyncent
11 Dale
  9 Town Guard
  8 Priestesses of Iomedae
  6 Ikani
  5 Lorelei
  4 Gren + Arudal
  3 Degrin
  2 Delana
  1 Erasmus
26 Thieves

Cumulative Statuses
Dale: Full HP
Erasmus: Full HP
Gren: -2 HP
Kass: -13 HP + Dying
Lorelei: -1 HP
Strange: Full HP

Degrin: Full HP
Delana: Full HP
Ikani: Full HP

Vyncent: -9 HP + Poisoned
Arudal: Full HP

This message was last edited by the GM at 08:53, Thu 08 Nov 2012.

The glowing red orbs of his eyes narrow to slits as he spots Arudal.  He knows that he should warn the others outside but an idea enters his head and stops him from calling out the door - besides, they will note the absence of he and Lorelei soon enough...

He steps forward into the room, slowly circling to the left as he speaks, adopting a similar tone of nonchalance as he speaks, oddly lacking the characteristic pauses of his normal conversational tones, "Ah, Arudal, we had been wondering when you would slither out of the woodwork.  We know what you have gotten yourself involved in.  Vyncent and his men are even now dying in the square.  It will only be mere moments before the guards and our companions arrive.  Do you think you can kill us by then?  Consider your position carefully now.  We have your documents linking you to Vyncent.  Even if you kill Degrin here you heard his speech in the square - you are ruined and your plan is finished.  It does not have to be this way.  Help us kill these men," he gestures towards the nearest thief, "and perhaps I can convince Degrin here to keep your secret and let you live your days out comfortably in that lovely manor of yours rather than in a pitch black cell.  Think.. and think carefully.."

Move Action: M-8 to H-5
Standard Action: Total Defense (+4 to AC)
Free: Speak + Intimidation attempt. (Roll: 01:27, Today: Strange rolled 23 using 1d20+3. intimidate. AWWW YEEAAAAH NAT 20)
This message was last edited by the player at 09:30, Thu 08 Nov 2012.

If they were going to get the guild to stop, capturing Vyncent was their best bet. So, feeling the thief before him was handled, Erasmus moves to assist the priestess with the thief standing his ground by Vyncent, lashing out somewhat ineffectually in an attempt to make things more difficult for the man.

---

Move: Withdraw to S12
Standard: Aid another to reduce R13 AC

07:43, Today: Erasmus rolled 9 using 1d20-2. Aid Another: Reduce R13 AC.

Despite being stabbed unconscious a moment before, apparently Kass had been healed by the nearby priestess and the nasty bugger that tried to gut the poor Tiefling had received his just desserts at the hands of the guardsmen. About time. She stood up in time to relish the last gurgles of life from the sneaky bastard.

Since she was still wounded, and very much not in the mood for charging back into the melee, having been pretty effectively cut up by a surprisingly well trained thief, she walked back over to her bow, replaced her rapier at her hip and looked for another target as she reached down to pick up her safer, ranged weapon.

OOC:
Move action: Stand up from prone.
Standard action: Move back to M16 and pick up her bow on the ground there.

Lorelei absently brushed fingers across her cheek noting the blood as her eyes narrow sharply. It seems she didn't appreciate being hurt as she clenched her hand up tightly, staring down the two rogues with a dark look. Her fist rocked out suddenly, no warning or coiling of her body as she backhanded him sharply across the cheek. The whistling impact as well as the sudden impact erupting in pure fire seemed to show just how little she liked it, rocking the Rogue's head sharply to the side.


Standard: Basic Attack w/ Elemental Fist vs F7, Hits for 8+5
Move/Free: Intimidate Aid for Strange, Fails

18:24, Today: Lorelei rolled 9 using 1d20+5. Critical Confirm.
18:23, Today: Lorelei rolled 7 using 1d20. Intimidate Attempt, Aid Another.
18:22, Today: Lorelei rolled 8 using 1d6+4. Unarmed Damage x2.
18:22, Today: Lorelei rolled 5 using 1d6. Elemental Fist Damage, Fire.
18:22, Today: Lorelei rolled 25 using 1d20+5. Flaming Attack vs F7.

Completely oblivious to the scariness going on inside or Kass' impending death, Dale continues onto the nearest thief and helps to finish him off.

---

Dale moves to Q8
Attack 22 on R9, 8 damage
AC 20, HP 10/10

Gren felt pinned.  He didn't want to chance another foray from behind the vendor stand with the archer waiting above.  When he spotted Kassandria readying her bow and looking for a target he made up his mind.  Rather than ready another javelin, his fingers danced in the air in front of him weaving mana together to form a protective shield.

If she killed the archer, he would go after Vyncent.  If not, then he would try for the roof top assassin next.

Casts Shield

As Kass's vision begins to blur and he mind begins to slip away, suddenly a fiery warmth fills her chest and a hand presses itself against her back. snapping to from the brink of death, she turns to find one of the priestesses, hand glowing golden, standing over her, administering aid. Nearby, the town guard members that accompanied her surround the thief and the four of them bring him down with a barrage of sword thrusts. "Can you stand?" the priestess asks, offering her free hand to her. Taking it, Kass stands and nods in appreciation before moving past the woman to retrieve her bow and get back in the action. Apparently there were some yet who were willing to look past her demonic appearance to the soul within.

Vyncent, however, was not one of those people though currently, there was little he could do to show it. At Erasmus's command, the man had stopped struggling though it was plain on his face that he his mind still emphatically fought against it. Delana takes the opportunity to remove the manacles from her belt and claps them on Vyncent's wrists. "Thanks for being such a dear. I think you're going to enjoy jail. Dark and cold like you." Erasmus moves over to the two and helps Delana jerk the man up off the ground and move him back towards on of the priestesses who just finishes off her thief adversary. The remaining two priestesses miss their attacks and the rest of the guards seem to have equal difficulty finishing off their opponents.

Dale, seeing his intended target go down, alters course towards the nearest thief and makes short work of him much to the surprise of the guards and priestess who had been having problems ending him. For him to just walk up and kill the man so easily, they must have been doing something wrong.

Still feeling pinned down by the archer, Gren casts a spell on himself, creating a translucent shield around his body in hoped of warding off any unwanted attacks from the thief above. Looking back and forth between the archer and Vyncent, the half-ogre debates what his priorities should be. Seemingly the spell was just in time as an arrow that was aimed for his head bounces off the bubble of force and lands nearby, snapped in half.

Seeing his attack fail, Vyncent captured, and only a couple of his comrades left, the archer ups and runs across the rooftop, vaulting over the peak of the roof and out of sight. The final two thieves don't miss the man's retreat or their leader's capture either. Bloodied and knowing they're surrounded, both men drop their swords, one after another, and raise their hands in surrender. The priestess and the guards waste no time in knocking them both to the ground and binding their hands behind their back. One of the guards let's out a victory cry that is quickly taken up by the remaining guards.

---

Meanwhile inside the building, things are hardly settled. Lorelei fingers the cut on her cheek and without warning, snaps. Backhanding the thief that cut her with such violent force, the thief's neck audibly snaps as the impact point flares up with fire. The other thief in base to base takes a shocked step back as his ally falls to the ground, dead in one punch. Looking back to Arudal for approval, Strange reads the moment well and tries to reason with Arudal.

"Ah, Arudal, we had been wondering when you would slither out of the woodwork.  We know what you have gotten yourself involved in.  Vyncent and his men are even now dying in the square.  It will only be mere moments before the guards and our companions arrive.  Do you think you can kill us by then?  Consider your position carefully now.  We have your documents linking you to Vyncent.  Even if you kill Degrin here you heard his speech in the square - you are ruined and your plan is finished.  It does not have to be this way.  Help us kill these men," gesturing to the nearest thief, he gestures towards the nearest thief, "and perhaps I can convince Degrin here to keep your secret and let you live your days out comfortably in that lovely manor of yours rather than in a pitch black cell.  Think.. and think carefully.."

The threat and the creature it comes from on top of the efficiency in which Lorelei ended the thief seem to have the intended effect on Arudal. He takes a nervous step back against the railing to the stairs and slightly raises a hand in front of him as if trying to create a barrier between them. "You don't understand. If it were up to me, I wouldn't care what happened to him and would gladly spare his life in exchange for my own. But as it stands, I fear those who want him dead far more than a child and a living statue." Addressing his men he nods, "Proceed."

The unsure thief swallows hard and attempts to end the fight before Lorelei can do him any damage. His desperate attack works, cutting a deep gash in her shoulder. The two facing Ikani have a much harder time as both attacks are turned away and the head priestess has no such problems, embedding her scimitar into the calf of one of her aggressors. "If you want him dead, you'll have to go through me!" Degrin simply continues to cower in the corner, intent on merging with the wall and fading from sight.

Initiative Order
25 Kass
19 Strange
18 Vyncent
11 Dale
  9 Town Guard
  8 Priestesses of Iomedae
  6 Ikani
  5 Lorelei
  4 Gren + Arudal
  3 Degrin
  2 Delana
  1 Erasmus
26 Thieves

Cumulative Statuses
Dale: Full HP
Erasmus: Full HP
Gren: -2 HP
Kass: -6 HP
Lorelei: -7 HP
Strange: Full HP

Degrin: Full HP
Delana: Full HP
Ikani: Full HP

Vyncent: -9 HP + Poisoned
Arudal: Full HP

This message was last edited by the GM at 10:07, Sat 10 Nov 2012.

Lorelei winces as her right hand loses a bit of its strength and seems to go a bit lax, as she rolls her eyes. What should have made her much less dangerous seems to have barely given her pause as her left hand suddenly launches out. Her foot stomps down on the ground as she braces herself and slams her palm into the Thieves solar plexus with a spine-shivering 'Crunching' sounds, as she spits to the side in Irritation.

"That was a poor choice."

Her eyes are now firmly locked on Arudal gazing at him darkly as she almost casually removes her hand from the Thieves gut. It seems she took personal offense to his order to, y'know, kill her.

Standard: Stunning Fist vs Thief (Hits AC 20 for 9 Damage, Save DC 12 or Stunned for 1 Round)

22:47, Today: Lorelei rolled 9 using 1d6+4. Unarmed Damage.
22:47, Today: Lorelei rolled 20 using 1d20+5. Stunning Fist vs Thief.

Strange was momentarily perplexed.  He had never known anyone so arrogant and who could so blatantly defy their own instincts of self-preservation.  To be fair, however, most people he knew were gargoyles, so there's that...

Though he would like to take a running charge at the bastard one of the thieves is in the way, getting soundly thrashed by Lorelei, he swings around to the back of the poor fellow to help her finish him off (+2 flank for her to-hit roll), attempting to clamp his sharp stone jaws around the hapless fellow's neck.

Move Action: H-5 to E-6
Standard Action: Attack thief at F-7

23:23, Today: Strange rolled 21 using 1d20+4. Bite attack - flanking.
23:23, Today: Strange rolled 4 using 1d4+2. Bite attack damage.
23:24, Today: Strange rolled 6 using 1d6. Sneak Attack damage.

Dale looks around.  All the bad guys are either dead, dying, in chains, or running away.  This makes him a bit sad.  He's sure Gren would have liked to kill Vyncent rather than just have the man arrested.

Then Dale finally notices something.  "Where are Degrin, Lorelei, and Strange?"

---

Double move to G4.

Kass looked around and saw that pretty much all the thieves were already subdued or had the odds so stacked against them to be considered as good as dead. Even Vyncent, it appeared, had been detained. She took the momentary respite to thank the priestess who had healed her properly, with a bow and and grateful smile. As she did so, she noticed some of the others making their way to the building behind the platform where Degrin had spoken. Since there was nothing left to do out here, she supposed she may as well join them, and made her way across the square towards the building.

She didn't speak to Dale; now that she was closer it was easy to hear the commotion inside. She needed to get in there sooner rather than later.

OOC:
Double Move: M16 to G7 (or thereabouts)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:41, Tue 13 Nov 2012.

Gren finally stepped out into the open and closed in on Vyncent.  He threw a scowling glance at the man, then pointed a finger at him accussingly.  "The city would be just in hanging or quartering this man!"  He then spat in his general direction.  "In fact, to do any less would be unjust."

Dale's comment didn't worry Gren.  They were probably safe inside.  Gren was content to remain outside in case any more archers showed or in case another Theives Guild member tried to free Vyncent.

Erasmus's face flushed with self satisfaction as his gambit payed off.  They had captured Vyncent and the rest of his cronies lost their will to fight.  It was his quick thinking and Delana's able hands that put this to a stop, and he basked in the glow of his triumph for those moments it was available.

Spotting Dale race into the building cut his self-congradulation short though, as it placed him in a dilemma.  He was torn by the sight of all the wounded lying about, but the fact that this whole thing might not be over yet pulled just as hard.  So many priestesses being in the area gave him the justification he needed to move on, knowing that they would seen be seeing to the task of tending the wounded.  Erasmus gains Delana's attention just long enough to advise her, "It looks like there is more afoot.", indicating the building Dale ran into, then he moves to follow himself while the priestess secures their prisoner.

Seeing Strange's eyes go from intense, to momentarily perplexed, to determined all in a flash of an eye, Lorelei turns to the thief who looked to be ready to continue following Arudal's orders . As he takes another step forward, she shakes her head, "That was a poor choice," she says coldly as she strikes out with an open palm, catching the thief in the solar-plexus, causing the man to double over forward just in time for Strange to appear seemingly out of nowhere, grab the thief's neck between his powerful stone jaws, and rip backward, snapping the man's neck and sending him tumbling back the opposite way, his head barely still attached.

Ikani takes a page out of the duo's book as well and in a display that flaunts why she is appointed as the head priestess of a semi-militaristic religious establishment, cuts one thief shoulder to hip and spins quickly around and ebeds her blade in the second man's gut. This seems to have the intended effect on Arudal. If he had been having doubts before, this put the nail in the coffin, a coffin he now seemed to be determined not to make his own. "Mercy! Mercy!" Searching for the closest escape route, he looks briefly over the railing of the stairwell before heaving himself unceremoniously over the side onto the stairs a dozen feet below. After rolling to a stop a few stairs down, the man scrambles to his feet, reasonably unharmed, and jolts down the stairs at a dead run, taking them two at a time.

Unfortunately, it seems that luck is not on his side today as the first thing he sees upon entering the main room of the building is a group of still battle-ready opponents including Dale, Kass, Erasmus, and two of the guards that had been guarding the entrance up until now. The group had left the tending of the wounded, dying, and captive to Delana and the priestesses, the remaining guards, and Gren who seemed to refuse to let Vyncent out of his sight. Realizing that he has no hope at this point, the man looks around frantically and, spying a nearby window partially left open, stumbles over himself on his way to it. Yelling at the top of his lungs so that the man could hear it, though unnecessary due to the close proximity, he calls out to his coconspirator, "VYNCENT! DO IT! DO IT NOW!"

His head rolling to the side laxly at the loss of blood from his broken nose and the concussion he likely now had from his bout with Delana and his fall to the cobblestone, it takes him, as well as the others outside, a moment to comprehend what is being said and by who. However, it is Vyncent that catches on to the meaning of the words first and quickly bends his arms in their shackles to bring his hand to the still-glowing rune on his forearm. As he does so, the platform the pool of water rests on begins to glow red around the carvings, lifting off the ground and beginning to swirl slightly, issuing a warm wind as it does so. Gren quickly connects the feeling the aura gives off to that of the documents that began to singe when left together in their secret formation too long. Luckily, he is not the only one. In a blink of an eye and a snap-judgement, Delana reacts. Unsheathing her sword, she swings upward between Vyncents bound arms and severs the rune-imbued arm at the elbow in one smooth motion. Immediately, the aura begins to slow its rotation and start fading from view. "There will be no more tricks from you, master thief." Turning away from the now-screaming man to the building Arudal now stares out of, face pale and eyes hollow, she calls out to the others, "Erasmus! Does Arudal look like he's not going to try and prompt Vyncent to do anything else stupid or shall I cut off the other arm just to be safe?"

(OOC: Congratulations! You have successfully deposed the bastard Vyncent Lacio and made sure he's earned his just deserts! Story Points all around! Xp soon to come!)


Cumulative Statuses
Dale: Full HP
Erasmus: Full HP
Gren: -2 HP
Kass: -6 HP
Lorelei: -7 HP
Strange: Full HP

Degrin: Full HP
Delana: Full HP
Ikani: Full HP

Vyncent: -16 HP + Poisoned + Disarmed ;)
Arudal: -3 HP

This message was last edited by the GM at 08:51, Wed 14 Nov 2012.

Dale is rather startled when Arudal simply falls right in front of him.  "That's new."  Then he shouts and some creepy red thing happens, so he bashes the man over the head with James' hilt.  "I think that's enough of that."

Arudal immediately crumbles to the ground, bleeding heavily, so Dale leaves him to the guards.  Instead, he glances up the stairs for Strange and Lorelei.  "You guys OK?  Degrin dead?"

---

Nat 20 for a non-lethal attack on Arudal.  Really?
16 total damage.  I may have just killed him.  With a non-lethal attack.

Strange moves towards the stairwell but stops just before going down.  He turns to Lorelei and then to Ikani, giving each a brief but respectful bow, "Well fought.. hmm.. both of you."  With that he wanders unconcernedly down the stairs to find Dale and the others, "Degrin is, in fact, quite unscathed I believe.. hmm.. I shall stay near to you for a while so that my.. hmm.. existence is more easily explained.  I trust you remember our agreement about any.. hmm.. rings we might find."

"Oh yeah."  Dale loots Arudal for rings and pretty stuff before guards remove him.

"I think it's okay! Erasmus replies to Delana.  Quickly ascertaining that the situation inside has been resolved, Erasmus falls into checking for anyone who might be saved.

---

Starting with those inside, then moving back outside as necessary, apply Rebuke Death to stop people from dying, can do so up to 6 times.  Will bind the arms of any hostiles before doing this to them, though.  Once out of Rebuke Death, use standard Heal checks with a score of 18 (taking 10.)

Lorelei flashed Strange a wane smile before walking over to the Door frame and collapsing partially against it and glancing outside, She was obviously not in good shape with blood trailing down her arm and leg but overall she was happy they had won without any deaths on their side. She sat then with a grunt of annoyance in pain, absently glancing about for something that would allow her to get the bleeding to stop.