Jenna adds Jaro's musings concerning their mutual enemy to her own notes, her quill making scratching noises as it moves over the otherwise empty pages of a small book, committing their shared knowledge to paper so that it can be shared with the others. The blonde haired Priestess is conscious of the statue of the Warrior that looms over both of them as she writes, for it is the first time that she had been in one of Arma's Houses since the night that she had spent with Corros.

She had detected no difference in the elder Priest's actions. He had greeted her in the same fashion as he had on her previous visits, nodding his thanks as she had deposited five gold coins on his collection plate. And yet somehow the Temple seemed...different...in ways that she could not easily identify. It was nothing to do with the foul slogan daubed on the wall outside, although the sight of that had been enough to make Jenna incandescent with rage, swearing silent vengeance on those who would desecrate the House of Arma.

As she put away her book, rose, thanked Jaro, the realisation of what she found unsettling came to the slim Priestess. Were her own actions a desecration of sorts? She looks at the elder Priest, holds his gaze for a moment, the silence between them building, as though each was focused on their own thoughts.

It is Jenna who finally breaks that silence by uttering the traditional words. "May Arma's shield protect you, Her sword clear evil from your path."

May Her shield protect you also, may Her sword always be true." Jaro replies as Jenna takes her leave of the Temple, retraces her steps through the City that is not her own, a grey clad Sentinel, alert for the presence of any Redcloaked mercenaries. Although if she meets one on his own, or perhaps even two, she will not hide from them. Those who would desecrate the Temple of Arma must be prepared to pay the price for their actions. The thought makes Jenna wonder what price the Goddess may one day demand of her.

Nicolai chuckles.  "I like it.  It's a sucker punch in the politics."  He flicks a glance sideways at Corros.  "You have a better feel for the streets than I do," he admits.  "What would you think about getting us in front of that carriage?  That Varimori has four guards.  It's not great odds but I'll bet I can whittle that number down..."

He glances unnecessarily at the eaves of a nearby house and emits a low whistle.  One of his ubiquitous ravens glides across the street and alights on a nearby rain barrel with a musical chuckle.  "Jenna," Nicolai tells the bird, scrawling a nearby address on a scrap of parchment.  The corvid gingerly pinches the missive in its beak and takes flight, followed by a small crowd of its cohorts.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:43, Fri 30 Sept 2016.

"I don't mean to doubt our amazing competence,"  Corros says to Nic, "but we might need a bit more muscle.  Can your winged friends find Jenna and draw her to us?  Might help us hunting.  Can you keep up?" he adds with a slight grin, and then he's in motion.  The warlock would never have been able to keep up with their dwarven druid friend in the wilderness, but here in the city?  Forget it.  A lifetime of knowledge can be obtained in a decade and a half if one is given sufficient motivation to learn, and Corros had been forced to learn.  It was that, or starve, or die in one of a hundred or more grizzly deaths.  If he was lucky.  Instead, he picked up on the ebbs and flows of traffic, the way a city breathes, and how the main streets are like arteries carrying blood.  There was one particular lesson that is coming in handy on their present task, though.

Most cities only have so many streets that can handle carriage traffic.  The others are too narrow, too steep, to windy, or simply end at inconvenient moments.  But just because they can't carry wheeled traffic, doesn't mean these cast-offs can't get two nimble men where they need to be even quicker than a box drug behind a team of horses.

Corros leads Nic left, then down a filth encrusted alley that spills into a market space for barrels.  They aren't there forty paces before they hook another left and sprint down a clean, if narrow, stretch of cobblestones that appears to be made up of homes for some kind of artisan class.  Then they turn again.  And again.  Finally, after several lung busting minutes, Corros leads them to an alley that intersects with the main thoroughfare.

"The carriage," he pants, "if I'm right, should be here in about two minutes.  You have a plan, yeah?"  It would be rude to point out that they are here without their more combat oriented brethren.  So Corros let's it slide.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:45, Sun 25 Sept 2016.

Making remarkable speed, the streetwise warlock leads his Ardani companion through side streets, alleys, and yards to a shadowed spot off the Neck, along the carriage's most likely route (and about two blocks away from the safe house). Belying Corros' estimation, the luxury conveyance appears not long after the pair gets into position. The two horses drawing the carriage are moving at a trot, the liveried man holding their reigns looking uncomfortable. Beside him sits a Redcloak with a loaded crossbow held just above his lap. The other two mercenary escorts are standing on runners, behind the enclosed cab, on either side. They're each holding on to the carriage with one hand, a polearm in the other. All of the mercs wear short swords at the hip.

Summoned by raven courier*, Jenna is on the opposite (east) side of the Neck, at an intersection kitty-corner to her two companions, and a bit further from the approaching carriage. Although her companions can see her, she hasn't yet spotted them.

The carriage will arrive to within 30' of Corros and Nic (60' from Jenna) in just a few seconds...


Your Turn.


*For continuity's sake, please edit a previous turn post to reflect this.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 20:14, Sat 24 Sept 2016.

From his station behind a discarded crate, Nicolai nocks an arrow and brings his bow to a half-draw.  He makes no motion to raise it yet - the motion would certainly draw eyes he doesn't want to attract for a few more moments.  Instead, as the carriage passes, he focuses on the paired horses and murmurs, "dóiteáin agus scoirnigh."  He flexes his right ring finger against the sudden chill that permeates the bronze band he wears there, draws a breath to see if his spell has taken effect, and brings the bow to full draw...

Opening with Fear (p. 239) from Ring of Animal Influence.  30-foot cone, affecting only animals.  Targeting both horses.  Their save is Wisdom, DC 13.

If successful, next action will be a shortbow sneak attack (attack +6, damage 3d6+3 piercing) on whichever Redcloak is still on the carriage.

If unsuccessful, next action will be that attack on the nearest horse, hoping to cause it to bolt if it's not an outright kill.

Overcome by a sudden, inexplicable fear, the horses abruptly yank against their harnesses, turning sharply to their right, away from the alley where Nicoloai and Corros wait concealed. The driver, holding tight to the reigns, is pulled from his seat, landing with a sickening thud in the street- a passing wheel barely misses crushing his head. In an instinctive attempt to steady himself, the crossbowman sitting next to the now-empty driver's seat accidentally discharges his weapon, dropping it as his hands grope for purchase.

The carriage's front wheels turn too sharply, too quickly, catching against the uneven cobbles and dumping the vehicle on its left side with a loud crash. The three red-cloaked guards riding on its exterior are thrown into the street, landing hard and tumbling clear of the moving wreck. The carriage continues to slide down the Neck, shedding sparks and splinters as its gilt wooden sides grate against the surface of the street. It doesn't get too far- the horses, starting to overcome their blind terror, can't overcome the drag of the sideways carriage. It grinds to a halt about 30" past Nic and Corros' position (very close to where Jenna waits), the horse team whickering in fear as they continue to strain against their tackle.

It all happens in just a few heartbeats.

The guards lie in the street, separated from their primary weapons; although clearly stunned, and undoubtedly hurt, all three are conscious and stirring. The occupants of the carriage's enclosed cab almost certainly sustained some sort of injuries in the crash but, at the moment, there's no way of telling how serious they might be.

Bowstring already drawn, Nic takes aim at the Redcloak closest to regaining his feet and lets fly. The arrow sticks in the merc's left forearm, drawing a shrill curse (B3 -9HP).

(Crash damage: B1 -16HP, B2 -14HP, B3 -6HP; all are stunned)


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 17:26, Sat 01 Oct 2016.

Corros doesn't waste time oohing and aahing over the effects of Nic's fear spell on the horses.  As the carriage settles in a cloud of dust and curses, the warlock emerges from the alley and starts a steady walk forward.  His boots crush bits of brick thrown up as the twisting carriage tumbled.  People are already emerging from the walls they had thrown themselves against to avoid getting crushed, eager to see what had happened and if anyone is still alive.  From the yells of anger and pain, it is clear the guards are still alive.

Jenna, we need the carriage open.  Can you do the honors?

It's time to get the crowd back, to let them know this is still an active battle.  When his eyes find the crossbow armed guardsman, Corros draws forward a pair of bolts to put the man down before he can form an organized defense.

Corros
43/43 HP, AC 13
Walking to the carriage, casting Eldritch Bolt at the guardsman with the crossbow. 2x bolts, +7 to attack, d10+4 damage each

As Nicolai dashes forward, the corner of his mind that's writing a report to a nonexistent handler wonders, what do you call a carriage accident when there's nothing accidental about it?  The greater part of his concentration is focused on maintaining his balance on the rain-slick stones so he can reduce the odds to more manageable numbers.  His rapier comes free with a hiss of steel on leather; a moment later, his dagger drops into his free hand.

The nearest Bloodforged is staggering to his feet and reaching for a pair of hand-axes.  Nicolai checks his rush by planting a boot in the man's shoulder.  As both combatants pivot away from the impact, the Ardani's blades dip, flickering toward his opponent's arms.

Nicolai
Move: Into melee with B1
Attack: Rapier +1 against B1 (attack +7 with advantage, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Dagger +1 against B1 (attack +7 with advantage, damage 1d4+4)
Special: First successful attack gets +2d6 sneak attack damage

Summoned by Romanelli's raven, Jenna had arrived  at the address on the scrap of paper that the bird had borne in her beak to find no sign of her companions. Unsure as to why he had sent the bird to fetch her here the blonde haired Priestess had given the carriage no more than a cursory glance, was still looking around for any sign of the others when her attention was captured by the whining of horses, the sounds of the carriage scraping and grating across the street, the cries of men.

A moment later the carriage has come to a halt close to her, its wheels still spinning, the horses that drew it pulling against their harnesses. Bystanders are already turning their heads in the direction of the accident, gawking at it, some pointing, although no one seems to be moving to offer any aid. Then the Priestess sees Corros emerge from the crowd across the way, hears his voice in her mind, a soft whisper that tells her what he needs her to do.

Jenna nods as though he was standing next to her, sees Nicolai too emerge from the throng, blades in hand as she steps forward, quickly closes the distance to the upturned carriage, taking care to try and avoid the horses as she clambers up on to it, standing on the side and looking inside, having no clue what it contains as her hands close on the door handle and pull it downwards to try and open it.

Jenna
Climbing up on to carriage and trying to open door

Ambush sprung, the companions make haste to seize and hold the initiative.

Twin bolts of eldritch energy leap from Corros' outstretched hands, enveloping the warlock's quarry in a swirling cloud of purple sparks. Despite the dazzling pyrotechnic display, the magical attack appears to have done little damage (B1 -9HP).

As it becomes apparent that they are witnessing an attack rather than an accident, nearby pedestrians scatter, or find doorways and alleyways from which to gawk in perceived relative safety.

Nic strikes ruthlessly at the recovering Bloodforged crossbowman but the man's red-lacquered armor stands up to the test, turning both rapier and dagger blades. It occurs to the Ardani that Kreyg probably wouldn't entrust VIP protection to just any of his rank-and-file sellswords- these Bloodforged are likely some of Kreyg's best men.

Jenna clambers on to the side of the jackknifed carriage and opens the gilt door. Two upturned faces greet her, one soft and bloodied, the other hard and unscathed. The nearest of the two occupants, clearly the bodyguard, reaches for the longsword slung from his waist as he struggles to separate himself from his injured noble charge.

OOC: After this turn, the guards will be able to act. You still have advantage on attacks this round.


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Tue 04 Oct 2016.

Looking at the two faces staring up at her, for a moment Jenna is unsure whether she’s supposed to rescue them or kill them. The decision is made for her when one of them begins to draw his blade as he struggles to push his companion aside. On one knee on the side of the carriage that now faces towards the sky, the Priestess points at the swordsman with her right hand, taking a deep breath as she feels the Goddess’s power surge through her and manifest itself in a bolt of radiant energy that dances around her fingertips for a split second before she launches it at the swordsman.

Jenna
HP 44/44; AC 21
On one knee on top of carriage
Launching Guiding Bolt (Level 2) at swordsman

"Hells," Corros swears.  The effects of his magical offensive having proved tepid, at best, the warlock takes a deep breath breath as he approaches the previous target who is now struggling to his feet.  A flick of his eyes shows Jenna engaging someone in the carriage with her own magic.  If the three Ravens aren't careful and effective in the next ten seconds, this battle is going to go sideways.  Badly.

Instead of renewing his attack, the warlock kicks his pace up to a run and scrambles up the carriage.  Inside are two passengers, one clearly armed and dangerous.  The other, he presumed target, the emissary.  The knowledge bestowed upon him by the Library vibrates through his fingers calling power to flesh in an attempt to warp and mold the emissary into something much more...portable.

Corros
43/43 HP, AC 13
Casting Sculptor of Flesh on the emissary, form of a turtle
This message was last edited by the player at 00:21, Wed 05 Oct 2016.

Nicolai doesn't let the supercilious smirk slide from his face, but inside he's cursing as he adjusts his footwork and comes in again on the Bloodforged corporal.  He's regretting not sending another raven for Gronk - but then again, he doesn't have to win this fight, he just has to drag it out long enough for Jenna and Corros to win theirs.  Or at least separate the dignitary from his bodyguard.

I'll buy you as much time as I can, he thinks toward the witchling as his blades descend.  Grab the mark, get out, and have Jenna disengage.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 54/54; Superiority dice 4/4
Move: Staying right here
Attack: Rapier +1 against B1 (attack +7 with advantage, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Dagger +1 against B1 (attack +7 with advantage, damage 1d4+4)
Special: First successful attack gets +2d6 sneak attack damage

Standing atop the acutely tilted carriage, looking down inside, Jenna attempts to neutralize the Varimori emissary's bodyguard. A blazing bolt of white light shoots from the blond cleric's hand, enveloping the swordsman in a scorching halo of radiant fire (G1 -19HP; target grants advantage to next attack). The bodyguard, although hurt by the magical blast, thrusts upward with his sword, looking to disembowel his assailant. The finely-made weapon's keen blade slides through the strap of Jenna's right greave, cutting through the mail and flesh beneath (Jenna -10HP). A second thrusting attack is turned by the cleric's enchanted armor.

With his feet firmly set in a more formal attacking stance, Nic's second round of melee attacks is much more successful than the first. The tip of his rapier finds a chink in the mail covering the mercenary's cubital fossa, driving deep into the flesh below. As the man grimaces and pulls away, Nic's dagger slices sweeps in just under his eyeline, tracing a crimson line across his cheek (B1 -22HP).

The Redcloak recovers quickly, bringing his handeaxe down on Nic's left arm (Nic -7HP). The shifty rogue manages to twist out of the way of a second falling hatchet blade. One of the other mercenaries picks one of the dropped spears up off of the cobbles and charges towards the Ardani. The spear tip punches through Nic's studded leather armor, drawing blood (Nic -7HP).

The third Bloodforged escort seems momentarily torn between assisting his two red-armored comrades and discharging his duty to protect the Varimori delegate. With the swarthy attacker reeling, he opts for the latter, drawing short sword and running towards the jackknifed carriage.

Corros briefly considers evoking a second brace of eldritch bolts, before turning his full attention back to the main objective of their hasty ambush. He sprints over to the sideways carriage and climbs up next to Jenna. She appears to be fully engaged against the emissary's personal bodyguard- Corros can just barely see beyond the broad-shouldered fighting man to the emissary curled into a ball at the ersatz bottom of the cab. The warlock's hands perform the prescribed motions, as the words of a long-dead language spill from his lips. Where just moments before cowered a richly-dressed, middle-aged man, a box turtle now stands placidly on its four stubby legs. Someone will have to climb down into the carriage, however, in order to pick up the transmuted emissary.


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 01:22, Thu 06 Oct 2016.

Any confusion that Jenna may have experienced when Corros leaps up to join her atop the carriage and promptly transforms one of its occupants into a turtle is rapidly dispelled when the...turtle’s…companion lunges at her, the sharp pain that follows as his blade finds an exposed part of her armour and slices the skin underneath bringing her thoughts swiftly back to focus as she sheds her blood for the Warrior.

Seeing the white fire dance and flicker around her foe Jenna takes a breath, her eyes now milky white as she feels Arma’s power flow through her, her body a conduit for the Goddess’s power, a power that courses through her, converges at her fingertips as she unleashes a second bolt of radiance at the swordsman, this one fiercer than the last, words tumbling from her lips as she does so. ”Yield now, while you have the chance!”

Jenna
HP 34/44; AC 21
On one knee on top of carriage
Launching Guiding Bolt (Level 3) at swordsman

On it! Corros says to Nic before pushing his way into the fray between Jenna and the sell sword.

Whether the swordsman yields or not, Corros drops into the newly spacious carriage.  Watching the emissary...change had been bizarre no matter how he looked at it.  He hadn't even been sure he could do it until he tried, the power coming from that place both inside and outside his mind.  Trying to ignore the guy with the pointy objects and fully expecting to get stuck by at least one of them, Corros wraps one hand around a rather confused looking turtle and uses the other to start summoning a door to pull him four hundred feet away from this mess.

As soon as the portal forms, Corros reaches up, and pulls Jenna through with him.

Corros
43/43 HP, AC 13
Securing turtle, casting dimension door with the distances in mind to put him roughly 400 feet away in an alley in the basic direction of the safehouse.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:17, Thu 06 Oct 2016.

Dropping to one knee, Jenna unleashes another burst of radiant energy from her open palm. It strikes with even greater force than the first, hammering the grievously-wounded bodyguard to his knees next to the involuntarily reptilian envoy (G1 -28HP; target grants advantage).

Corros exploits the opening and leaps down into the cab, picking up the bewildered tortoise with one hand whilst the other traces the requisite runes for opening a dimensional door. As the magical portal expands to admit the warlock, Corros reaches back and grabs ahold of Jenna's outstretched hand, attempting to pull her through after him. He's more than half-way through the dimension door when he feels his grip falter, then fail. Passing through 400m of horizontal space in an instant, Corros appears in an alley approximately two blocks northeast of the ambush site, tortoise in one hand, the hand that was holding Jenna's empty.

Jenna loses her balance when Corros grabs her, tumbling headlong through the open carriage door. She is essentially diving after her fleeing paramour, when the stricken cavalier wraps his shield arm* around her the waist. Jenna tries to twist free, but to no avail (Jenna is grappled!)- the knight is too strong. The two contestants are tangled in a squirming, struggling mass in the bottom of the cab, surrounded by the smell of burnt ozone, fresh blood, and stale cologne. The bodyguard drops his sword- ill-suited for the cramped confines of the carriage interior- and reaches to his belt for a dagger.

The third Redcloak climbs atop the carriage, just as Jenna disappears within. Looking down inside the cab, the crouching mercenary sees the cleric and the lightly-armored Varimori knight struggling against one another. There's not much he can do to help, though- not without risk of injuring his ally.

Meanwhile, Nic (NPC'ed) is doing his best the other two Bloodforged escorts occupied. The Ardani rogue moves with a deadly gracefulness, rapier and dagger singing through the cool, damp air. His target tries to fend off the blades but they easily pass his guard, drawing yet more blood. Exhausted, the grievously-wounded mercenary slumps to the cobbles, and starts slipping into unconsciousness (B1 is unconscious & dying).

The merc's comrade shows an impressive mastery of the spear, vengefully striking Nic with two well-placed thrusts (Nic -14HP).

*His off hand. The knight isn't carrying a shield at the moment.


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 19:04, Sun 09 Oct 2016.

Nicolai jerks back from the spear-thrusts.  The mercenary's guard is strong and the Ardani's blades lack the reach necessary to harry the man, so Nicolai turns and sprints for the carriage.  As he wheels, he emits a piercing whistle.  The air turns black with dozens of ravens converging on the spearman.  An unpleasant grin splits Nicolai's face as he vaults atop the overturned carriage.  "Hello, there," he hisses at the Redcloak menacing Jenna.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 26/54; Superiority dice 4/4
Bonus: Disengage
Move: Out of melee with B2, into melee with B3
"Attack:" Commanding ravens to distract B2
Reaction: If struck, will spend 1 superiority die for riposte
This message was last edited by the player at 23:55, Sun 09 Oct 2016.

Jenna is still not sure exactly what is going on. Nicolai's raven had summoned her to this address, Corros had appeared briefly by her side, and then a man had turned into a turtle. She was unsure whether her lover was attempting to kidnap the turtle or rescue it, but in either event he had vanished through some magical portal and she now found herself inside the carriage, close enough to smell her opponent's sweat, to see the anger in his eyes.

Jenna had practiced in close quarters battle like this at the Cloisters but she was well aware that she was no expert. Nor did she possess an appropriate weapon, for there was no room to swing Arma's Blessing, and any attempt to channel the Goddess' radiant energy was likely to be thwarted, the proximity of her enemy allowing him to disrupt the movements of her hands.

And so the blonde haired Priestess falls back on instinct, closes her gloved right hand into a fist and aims a punch at the swordsman's face, at the same time bringing up an armoured knee, hoping to strike him in the groin.

Jenna
HP 34/44; AC 21
Attempting melee combat - 1 x punch to face, 1 x knee to groin

Corros feels Jenna's grip slip from his as something pulls her from behind, keeping his lover from following him through the would he tore in space.  It is not a good feeling.  He stands safe for the moment, a turtle slowly blinking up at him.

"Yes, I know your confused," he tells the creature.  "But their lives mean more to me than yours.  Or mine frankly." 

The city is his home.  Any city.  Running through the streets, traveling Balefyre has given him a formidable understanding of where he needs to be standing.  He knows how to run should he be discovered.  And he's going to be damned if the woman he's given his heart over to is going to die without him trying to save her.  And Nic too.

Corros drops the hapless creature into the satchel slung across his shoulder and begins to run.


Corros
45/45 HP, AC 13
Running back the way he came, using City Secrets (x2 traveling speed).  Trying to close to 120' for the effective range of eldritch blast.
Mercenary arrival will derail his plan and force him into less obvious motion.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:43, Sun 09 Oct 2016.

Any hasty pursuit of the shifty Ardani rogue by the Redcloak spearman is foiled by the conspiracy of cawing ravens. The mercenary swings his weapon wildly in a futile attempt to bat away the tightly-circling birds but, despite a few dislodged feathers, the ravens continue to swarm him unabated.

Nic is atop the carriage in three seconds. The guard squatting there greets him with a thrust of his short sword followed up by a chopping swing. Nic avoids both and counters with a smooth riposte. Once again, however, the red Bloodforged armor is proof against the Ardani's light blades.

Inside the carriage, Jenna breaks the cavalier's nose with a punch from her mailed fist. Her knee catches on something hard and never reaches his groin. He stabs at the cleric twice, but Smoke easily stops the dagger blade. Although the man continues to maintain his grip around her waste, the priestess can feel his strength ebbing. One more strike might be enough to finish him (G1 -3HP).

Corros dashes towards the site of the ambush. Although he's making almost superhuman speed (120' this turn) through the back alleys and side streets, it'll still be some time (2 more turns of dashing) before he arrives back on scene, within range of his eldritch attack cantrip.


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 00:55, Mon 10 Oct 2016.

Jenna’s face is streaked with blood, her opponent’s, where it had spurted from his broken nose. The Priestess is breathing harder. Whilst she had often smashed skulls with her hammer this was the first time that she had fought another hand to hand, the first time that she had seen her own fist break bone.

”I told you to yield whilst you could.” She hisses, balling her first and throwing another punch at the swordsman’s face, ready to follow up with another, then another until he either throws himself on her mercy or stops moving.

Jenna
HP 34/44; AC 21
Melee combat – punching bodyguard in the face until he surrenders or reaches zero HP

"After she's done with him, there's only one way out of this carriage, and you're standing in it," Nicolai tells his adversary.  He lets his eyes drop, as if involuntarily, then aims a high cut at the mercenary's throat when the man follows suit.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 26/54; Superiority dice 2/4
Bonus: Feint against B3 (-1 superiority die)
Attack: Rapier +1 against B3 (attack +7 with advantage, damage 2d8+2d6+4)
Move (optional): If B3 goes down, returning to melee with B2
Reaction: If struck, will spend 1 superiority die for riposte (attack +7, damage 2d8+4)

Corros runs, watching the streets as he goes, trying to gauge what is happening in the city around him.  There will be help coming for the carriage under siege and he doesn't want to mark himself as part of the problem.  If he runs directly to the scene and finds Jenna and Nic gone but mercenaries there, the last thing he wants to do is stand out of the crowd and have to start a running streetfight.

That concern pales to the fear that he'll get there and find his friends dead.

His feet strike the cobblestones repeatedly as he struggles for breath and continues to run.

As soon as Jenna's short right hook connects with the bodyguard's jaw, he goes limp, instantly releasing his death grip around the cleric's slender waist and dropping his dagger on the ersatz floor (G1 -3HP; G1 is unconscious!).

Nic, meanwhile, duels with the Bloodforged atop the carriage side, just above the priestess and the unconscious cavalier. The Ardani's clever feint draws the expected response and Nic makes the mercenary pay for his predictability (B3 -15HP). The Redcloak's short sword is better suited than Nic's rapier to the cramped, ad hoc platform atop which the two men are facing off, and he succeeds in cutting the rogue with a tight backhand swing (Nic -5HP). The mercenary's follow-up thrust, however, misses badly and Nic adds injury to insult with a quick counter, doing additional damage (B3 -8HP).

The mercenary down on the street regains his composure and wades resolutely through the swirling conspiracy of noisy ravens, making a bee-line for the carriage. The ravens won't leave him alone, though, causing enough of a distraction to make him miss both spear thrusts aimed at the elevated, currently-engaged rogue.

Corros easily avoids the light foot traffic, arriving back the Neck about two blocks north of the ambush site. He doesn't see any Bloodforged along the way, and a quick glance north suggests that help from the direction of the keep won't be arriving on scene anytime soon, if it's coming at all. That said, he realizes that he and his friends have raised enough of a ruckus in the surrounding neighborhood that getting back to Vander's safe house unseen and unremarked is an increasingly unlikely proposition. There are simply too many curious onlookers about. If he continues sprinting, Corros will be back within range of the carriage in another half-a-minute or so (i.e. another combat round), but he'll need to take a quick breather (literally) before he can cast again.


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 21:04, Fri 14 Oct 2016.