Rael nods "Aye, the roof it will be..." he glance at the other "How crazy are we planning to be?" he motions "Crazy says we set the room aflame and climb the roof and egrees via the ship while the fort burns... on the other hand sensible says we light the rooms only once we boarded the ship."

"While I'll go with sensible most days, I think that in our current predicament a distraction such as a burning castle is what we need and it is worth the risk."

After so long of sitting in the background Lars decides to speak up. "That passage in the other room stopped off at another level. Lets just pop back a bit and toss in a candle in the great room, it has enough furniture to blaze nicely. It will also have a whole floor to burn through before reaching us." He grabs one of the candles from one of the brass stands and heads back towards the original secret stairs.

Berta opens her mouth to explain to Angrboda, but thinks better of it, not wishing to make matters worse.  However the news regarding this Valmir and the shifting of the plan towards a daring, not to mention fiery rescue, drives other thoughts from her mind.

"You are all quite mad," she shakes her head, teeth flashing as she grins broadly.  "So must I be ... but bring the rope, just in case !"

The group waves bye to Lars as he ducks down the secret passage to the lower levels. Meanwhile the group gathers ropes, secures gear, and double checks the black skinned man to make sure he has not wandered off somewhere. Several minuets of gear checking and Lars returns from the secret passage. "The great room is ablaze. Best that we get going!" The group makes a grand egress up the stairs to the widows walk. The view from above offers a clear view of a small gathering of royal guards near the main bunkhouse. Strapped to a giant wooden X is a figure in royal guard dress. Sadly it is to distant to make out any real features of the strung up individual, the claims of having Elcair remain unverified.

The roof perch itself is long and narrow. Not a good place for an airship to touch down, but easily accessible via a rope ladder.

"You have no where to go!
I know my reputation for cruelty is known,
But is my offer not reasonable?
You are free to leave, Just leave the Tenatir!"

In the distance you hear the creaking of the main gate as it swings open. Torches are lit by two runners showing an open path from the Royal Quarters to the main gate and beyond. [Private to Berta; Viktor: Barely above the voice of Media you hear a quiet "Ho There!" near the peak of the roof. Glancing upwards you see the dark outline of Valmir's commandeered vessel outlined against the night sky. You notice a small handful of people moving about the deck. One of them tosses a rope ladder over the side. It dangles a few feet away from the widow walk up the roof.]

Takes out his mighty axe and holds it up so it shines back to the vessel then puts it away and grabs his crossbow again...Berta did you hear that?  Over there...that is our ship...let us get everyone to board it. We might actually survive this yet.  Rael you and the black man go first.  I will take up the lead unless Angrboda has something in mind. I do not think that is Eclair

Rael nods slowly taking Meep hand with his as he guide the man toward the roof "Lets burn the house..." he mutters.

Angrboda does not like being in full view of everyone wanting to kill her.  She reaches into her pocket and examines the glass globe she picked up from the Sorceresses room, it seems to resemble the fire elemental orb the others were given.  "Do you suppose that this is another elemental?" she asks no one in particular as she studies it.

OOC:  Holy crap I critted it!!!!
14:57, Today: Angrboda rolled 3 using 1d100. witchsight tn 30.

Angrboda did you find another pretty orb? Anything you can do to see if that is Eclair down there?keeps his crossbow pointed down below while Rael and Meep start towards the ladder.

Berta shares Angrboda's misgivings, feeling far too exposed out here, now that the game is up and everyone seems to know only too well just where the invaders are.

Like Viktor, the big woman has her crossbow ready, waiting for someone to come in range.

"Looks the same to me," she offers, and "stay behind me," she suggests.  "At least Yara's armour will give me some protection if they attack.

"Though it might be the death of me climbing that," she eyes the dangling ladder with some misgivings, resigned to being last off the roof.

Berta do you want your armor back?chuckles and wonders if his old armor might be safer to climb in.

Angrboda shrugs and raises the glass ball, the brings it down on the roof, smashing it.

The glass orb shatters with a thunderous crash. The smell of electricity and rain assails your nose as a great cloudy form bursts from the ruined orb. In a matter of seconds a huge cloud that easily overshadows the whole keep forms over your heads. Wispy tentacles, hanging from the mass like a giant jellyfish, are framed out by the angry red hued lighting that dances across the billowing mass. You can feel everyone holding their breath as they watch the great behemoth hang in the air. [Private to Angrboda: You can sense the being staring at you in expectation. This thing is big, and powerful, it could easily level this keep through lightning strikes. It does have one downfall, you can sense that it is corporeal like the Mist Giants from the Mist Marshes on the Western continent. ]

Screams of alarm are heard from above you as the people scurrying about the airship begin to panic. Both Lars and Khazim take this moment to dart towards the airship seeing that the window of opportunity to escape is rapidly dwindling. Rael tries to coerce the black skinned man towards the airship as he freezes, amazed at the boiling entity above you.

Below, in the courtyard, you can see those assembled holding their ground. It is not evident from this distance if it is out of bravery or out of the inability to simply move.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:29, Fri 21 Aug 2015.

If it wasn't tragic with their life on the line it was funny and if he had the time he would have rolled his eyes "What the seven hells was this good for..." he shouts as the wind snatch his words.

Cursing under his breath Rael try to cajole and push the giant man toward the air ship "Khazim... Viktor help me with Meep..." he shouts as he push and pull at the giant.

Angrboda smiles and points to the gathering below, "Kill them, and you are free." she says.  She then turns to the rest of the group, "Well, I wasn't expecting such a big friend but this should definitely cover our escape." she says happily as the wind whips around her, the group can tell that she is enjoying this immensely.  "Serves those bitches right for imprisoning the elemental in the first place." she says as she tilts back her head and glories in the power around her.

A kracken like howl escapes from the storm elemental over you. The mass moves towards the main courtyard where the trussed up "Eclair" hangs. The wispy tentacles undulate and begin to toss angry red lightning bolts at those below. The tentacles begins to pick up whirlwinds of dust and debris as the elemental begins is mass of devastation. From above one of the crewmen see the difficulty with black skinned man. Looping a rope around himself he slides overboard and free rappels to the roof. Dressed in tight leathers similar to that of any mariner from the Young Kingdoms, he quickly helps Rael sling a harness around the black skinned giant.

With a tiny "MEEP!" the black skinned man is lifted off of the roof. The mariner turns to help fasten a harness for Rael as a crossbow bolt pierces him through the side. In pain, the mariner tumbles off of the widows walk dropping to the ground below. A small hail of bolts sail through the winds and embed themselves into the building around you. Guards from the eastern wall of the inner keep have taken station and are loosing carefully aimed bolts at the airship and those escaping. To make matters worse, an orange glow is beginning to show from the stairwells from the lower levels.

As you begin to ascend the ropes you feel a slight change in pressure. For a brief second, the whirlwinds caused by the released elemental cease. To the west, a smaller storm elemental appears. The female sylph is barely recognizable as it slides towards the larger storm elemental.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:32, Sun 23 Aug 2015.

After getting to the top of the rope ladder, Khazim unslings his own bow provides some cover fire. Whispering a blessing to his ancestors he lets an arrow fly hoping that the his perch on the airship allows for a better shot than those below. Quickly releasing a shot he merely hopes to keep the target's heads down.

18:02, Today: Khazim rolled 50 using 1d100.  Desert Bow tn 108
18:04, Today: Khazim rolled 8,1 using d8+2,d2. Damage (9)

Tries to come over to help with Meep as Meep is lifted away.  Tries to help the person helping to see how bad the bolt pierced him. Uses his armor as somewhat of a shield to cover from the bolts.

"Rael!" Angrboda yells, "Break the globe and direct the elemental to attack the bastard crossbowmen." she says pointing at the wall, "We are sitting ducks, The elemental should be immune to physical attacks and will be safe from their crossbows." Oh what she wouldn't give for a good bonebow and the ability to use it.  She crouches low and waits for her turn on the ladder.

OOC:  Where is the invisibility spell when you need it?

"I'll keep this, it's stronger" Berta replies absently to Victor as she gazes in awe at the lightning wielding tentacled elemental above ... though the death of the man falling off the roof brings her attention back to the here and now and she drops to one knee, looking for a target her gaze flicking back to the ship and ladder, willing her companions to move faster as she's most keen to get off the roof.

As the storm winds whip her red tresses about her face, the warrior woman turns in horror as Angrboda instructs Rael to loose what she assumes is a second of the elementals.

"May the Balance preserve us !" she breathes, her words stolen by the assailing winds, cowed by the chaos all around her and dreading how much worse it might get as she looses a bolt from her crossbow ...

[Private to GM: Oh dear, oh dear.  Hate to think what that Crossbow Fumble did - chucked in a Luck roll for good measure but that was nearly as bad ... ;>

20:29, Today: Berta rolled 20 using 1d6+17.  Initiative.
20:30, Today: Berta rolled 100 using 1d100.  Crossbow. vs 70 - Fumble !
20:32, Today: Berta rolled 98 using 1d100.  Luck. vs 80 - Failure
20:32, Today: Berta rolled 52 using 1d100.  Dodge #1. vs 104 - Success
20:32, Today: Berta rolled 64 using 1d100.  Dodge #2. vs 74 - Success
20:33, Today: Berta rolled 24 using 1d100.  Dodge #3. vs 44 - Success
]

Rael was already toying with the sphere when he heard Angrboda screams, he nods and toss the sphere at the floor at the general direction of the crossbow women.

"The Balance is preserved by freeing these elementals, which should not have been bound in the first place." Angrboda explains to Berta.  Then when Rael throws the orb she tells him, "When it appears you should be able to give it orders."

"It's my own preservation that concerns me !" Berta replies, with feeling.

Watches as Lars and Khazim make their way towards the ladder and figures once they are up he will make a dash for it.  Walks over towards Berta and puts his arm around her to comfort her a little.  Berta do you want to go in front of me on the ladder?  I can cover your lovely rear.  Rael and Angrboda have their elementals to control. 

Both Lars and Khazim make it to the top of the rope ladders into the airship. Lars, in his sailors experience gets to work bracing the ladders and assisting the other aeronauts. Khazim lets fly an arrow at the guardswomen on the rampart. Unlike the crossbows of the palace guard, his arrow seems to defy the howling wind by flying true. One guard staggers and falls back out of sight from the strike. Berta takes a moment to assist in Khazim's effort only to have her own luck run dry. Only the fates seem to know if the blessing given to Khazim was taken from Berta or not. As Berta readied a shot a quarrel skims by her face, just enough to leave a paper thin cut, causing her to flinch. Staggering back the crossbow she was readying discharges straight into the air. [Private to Berta: Somehow you know. Whatever luck had allowed you to duck your way out of every situation, simply is not there, as the quarrel impacts into Lars as he was leaning over to drop another tether.]

As Berta staggers back, Rael Gol see's his opening and launches the crystal orb given by the jester towards the guardwomen. The orb shatters against the stone wall and erupts into a column of blue-red fire. A four legged wave of fire rolls up the side of the wall towards the gathered guards. In a mockery of reptilian joy, the fire salamander begins to lay waste to everything within reach. Where it's feet tread, the stones glow red hot, steaming with the moisture stirred by the now warring storm elementals. The smaller Slyph is hardly able to contain the power of it's larger hydra like cousin as the courtyard is being laid to waste.

Rael Gol takes his opportunity to grab one of the free ladders and starts to ascend towards their potential escape. A tiny stifled gasp from above as another body falls over the airships side, quarrel sticking out of them. The body hits the widows walk near the stairs and tumbles into the increasingly orange stairwell. You hear a voice from above, barely over the storms, telling those below to get a move on.

"Go burn our foes and level this cursed fort..." Rael shouts into the winds, he was not sure if the thing heard him or even if it cared but he did as Angrboda had said and now was busy trying to climb the ladder to the relative safety of the air ship.