Page 159 of 289
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 1:50 am
by Gizmog
Voulton bounces back as quick as he can, hoping he didn't lose the knife and will be able to free himself to stop this madness. It's probably pointless, especially with the driver gone crazy and chaos reigning, but he shouts as loud as he can
"STOP! This does NOT need to get ugly! There is NO REASON we can't untie everyone right now, turn around, head north and STOP THE REAL BAD GUY! I see the fear in your eyes! It is good fear! KNOW THIS: They could have done this at ANY TIME! But they didn't: They gave you a chance to do the right thing and help us stop an ACTUAL threat to the well-being of your people! You BETRAYED that trust and have seen an equal response! They're as afraid of you as you are of them! And there's no reason for it! All any of us want is to go home! All any of us want is for that home to be safe from gigantic monsters and werewolves! And none of us can have that so long as Nathaire and monsters like him are loose! We do NOT need to kill each other!"
A little voice inside his head tells him they won't listen though. Tiny, cowardly fools!
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 2:08 am
by Master K
Lynda picks herself off the ground.
"Canine." Lynda says. "If any of these men make attempt to attack me, attack them back."
"We could have been friendly about this, and we still can. Hear me now as a plea for peace. We want to take down the real enemy. As much as you abhor magic, we are doing it for the sake of your people. If you refuse to listen and attack us instead...well, we won't roll over and die. I do not appreciate someone who will lie in circumstances such as ours."
Lynda holds her dragonfly statue. If anyone attempts any attack, she'll summon the dragonfly and order it to attack.
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 2:09 am
by BMR
Hrulgin is about to move in and paralyze the driver, but he hears Voulton speaking. Might be wise to see how this plays out. He climbs up the tree and readies his darts with Drow poison.
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 2:12 am
by BMR
Kalar was ready to unleash a world of unspeakable pain on these blasted oathbreakers, but he decides to follow Voulton's lead for now. He's sure that the party could destroy these people, but it would be a long and difficult battle.
Still... He reaches up to his neck, grasping one of the globes hanging there. If any of the inquisitors make a move, he's ready to hurl a fireball at them. At the least, it might take out the horses. He keeps his tower shield between himself and the inquisitors, in case any of them happen to have ranged weaponry.
Kalar whispers to Voulton, "My skeletons should be approaching soon. If these fools see them, claim that they are Nathaire sending his forces out after us. You have my permission to attack and destroy them to keep up the ruse. But only the skeletons."
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 2:30 am
by Gizmog
Voulton glares at Kalar, but gives him a little nod of understanding. How sure am I that he's *NOT* Nathaire? he wonders to himself. Still, he hasn't done anything against innocents or the Kingdom in general that Voulton knows about, so benefit of the doubt.
Not that he trusts these lying sons of bitches, but he's willing to give 'em a chance. One more chance than they deserve, and they're gonna be playin' by our rules now. But a chance none-the-less!
He keeps fussin with the rope. If they don't listen to reason, a WHOLE hell of a lot of swords are gonna get broken and if the will to fight doesn't break too... well, maybe someone will have a nice cockring to steal.
Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 2:52 am
by Bob the Hamster
Rob breathes a great sigh of relief that the summoning worked. The somatic gestures had been very difficult with his hands bound. He holds his arms out so the hippogriff can bite through the rest of the bindings with its sharp beak. He is aware that this might take more than one try, so he desperately casts the only spell he can think of that is purely verbal
Rob lays a Lesser Geas upon the nearest inquisitor.
"Make the other inquisitors drop,
their weapons down, and do not stop,
until they have all dropped their blade,
this Geas binds you, I have bade."
Rob can hear Voulton's bellowing voice, but is not following the words
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 3:55 am
by Spoonweaver
The inquisitor in front of Rob turns around and begins yelling, "Put your swords down! Everyone put your swords down!" He then rides around and physically begins wrestling with the inquisitor near him. Many of the inquisitors are distracted by this and the words of the other party members stay the hand of the rest. Voulton frees himself at this point, leaving only Rachelle still bound.
The man in the hat turned his horse around and faced the wagon. As it reaches him, he matches the horse's speed, reaches down, and yanks their bridles.
The man with the large sword, currently being wrestled with by the geassed man smashes into the other inquisitor with the side of his sword. The geassed man slams to the ground. He gets up with a continued urge to disarm.
Then the skeletons came. Four from the north and four from the south swarmed in, scratching at the nearest inquisitors. None of their attacks seemed successful. The inquisitors all raised their swords again.
"Kill them!" cried the man in the hat. The looks of the inquisitors told the party he didn't just mean the skeletons.
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 5:00 am
by Master K
"Fine." Lynda says. "So be it. Fools. We could've been allies but you chose this instead. We are not the real enemy, but you've forgone that. I'll make sure to keep my dress clean after I tear your goddamn lying throat out."
"My dear emerald dog." Lynda says. "Kill them. Start with the lessers first."
Lynda invokes her Dragonfly statue.
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 5:02 am
by Gizmog
Voulton draws his axe and stands atop the wagon as dramatically as possible. He points an accusing finger at the man in the hat (Oh, that hat is going to get WRECKED) and continues his spiel:
"You! You chose to go south and look now: Ambushed by forces of the enemy! Your fear and mistrust have lead you to what you feared most! Meanwhile, our true enemy escapes farther to the north! Every second we fight amongst ourselves is a second that Nathaire slips farther from our grasp! These skeletons are NOTHING compared to the threat he poses! Let the 100 foot corpse outside of Vyones stand as testament to that! Don't forget why it's a 100 foot corpse we're discussing, and not a 100 foot monster standing in the corpse of a city! Do you wish him more success next time?!"
Voulton looks generally around at the men, some of them disarmed, some of them not, presumably many of them frightened of wizards and skeletons and the fate of their families. Men who may've been dragged from their homes, equipped and forced to do something they probably didn't want to do. Time to address them:
"I imagine you've been sworn to oaths! I imagine your lives are as threatened as ours are! I will not blame those who choose to fight for fear of reprisal from their church, but KNOW THIS: As the fear of ambush has lead you to ambush, so will the fear of death lead you to death! Any man who wishes to flee may do so now! Head to Vyones and warn them of the threat escaping to the North! Head to Ximes and do the same if it feels safer to you, but know that the longer trip wastes valuable time!
I cannot speak for my travelling companions but know this: Once Nathaire's threat has been resolved, I will return to Ximes and stand trial for any charges you wish to bring: I am no sorceror! I'm an honest man who deals in blood and sweat the same as you! I intend to free my friends, who are also honest people! We can still ride together and fight for the safety of Averogne!!"
Before turning his attention (and his big ol' axe) to the task of freeing Rachelle, he gives the men a final warning:
"I don't want to hurt you, but I will! Your church and its knowledge represent one of the best chances for me to return to my home! I do not wish to be your enemy! But none of us can go home while Nathaire still conspires freely and if I have to kill two dozen men to keep Nathaire from killing two dozen towns I will!"
The old priest would be proud, even if Voulton had stolen some of his best lines. Every chance to avoid bloodshed has been offered: further hostility falls clearly into the "pissing off a giant" territory. Even the old priest knew better than to expect peace after that.
Voultons actions will depend on just how much he's able to do:
If he's able to cut the rope connecting Rachelle's horse to the cart, that'd be a great start. If he's able to take a shot at her manacles, even better. If he can do both, wonderful. Ideally I'd like to do this without leaving the cart.
If he can cut the rope without leaving the cart, but not the manacles, then that's what I'll go with for the time being. Really interested in what the two men on the wagon are going to pull, and whether or not they're going to need to have their swords "taken away from them".
If I can't cut ANYTHING out leaving the cart, then we go straight into wait and see what happens mode.
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 5:14 am
by BMR
Kalar stands next to Voulton, but keeps an eye on the wagon driver. He lifts up his holy symbol (but shields it from sight of the inquisitors) and shouts:
"Begone foul undead! Return to your master and leave these men be! By my power and the power of all things righteous I bid you flee!"
He mentally commands the skeletons to appear to cower and then flee deeper into the woods and then continues with his speech:
"These minions will return, the power of goodness can only keep them away for so long. Is this not proof? Is it not obvious that Nathaire is after all of us? You are all oathbreakers now, and you will carry that dishonor and shame for the rest of your lives, but we give you a chance! We give you one final chance to redeem yourselves, one final chance to be able to hold your heads high in the future and to look your wives and children in the eyes without feeling shame! One final chance to turn around and head for the true threat to the north!"
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 5:19 am
by BMR
What in the world?
Then Hrulgin sees the skeletons moving away. A trick of some sort. Sneaky.
He positions himself in the tree and readies a dart to hurl at the man in the hat the moment he makes a hostile move.
+9 Dart (Drow Poison: Injury DC 13; Primary: Unconsciousness, Secondary: Unconsciousness for 2d4 hours) Damage (1d4 + Sneak Attack 4d6)
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 12:57 pm
by Bob the Hamster
Rob hears more of Voulton's words this time, and is impressed. He has an inkling now of why Voulton surrendered, and Rob does not feel so betrayed now.
He gives up on getting the Hippogriff to break his bonds. Maybe they are stronger than he thought, or maybe the curve of the beast's beak is the wrong angle, it just isn't working.
Instead he commands the hippogriff to fly and attack the leader. Rob bets that the others may flee if the leader is dead.
He notices the skeletons change direction, and wonders why, not having caught Kalar's words clearly
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 10:42 pm
by Spoonweaver
Rachelle was not able to free herself as easily as Rob or Lynda. Her shackle remained firm after her struggle and she was only able to ready her weapon in her off-hand. She deflected an coming attacks and managed to avoid being hit by the swords of two inquisitors.
Lynda's dog charged at the horsemen towards the back of the group. It leaped into the air at one of the horsemen, and scratched the inquisitor's chest. Lynda's dragonfly shot out at another inquisitor and burned his back horribly.
The inquisitors turned on Lynda and the dog then. Four of them circled the dog and their swords rained down on it. It disappeared in a puff of smoke. Lynda was attacked by three different inquisitors. Though their attacks struck true, Lynda's incorporeal nature left her unharmed. Her assailants seemed perplexed.
Voulton was the next to be attacked. Unlike Rachelle and Lynda, Voulton's speech left him open to the attacks of the two inquisitors that struck him with their longswords. They both tore holes in his skin. Kalar was attacked then, the inquisitors seemed to ignore his ploy. One of their longswords struck Kalar in the shoulder, leaving a nasty cut.
Some of the inquisitors took their chance and attacked the skeletons. The skeleton's fleeing allowed the inquisitors to easy slay two of them to the north and one of them to the south. The rest slowly escaped.
Rob's geassed man harassed another inquisitor that was coming Rob's way. Rob's Hippogriff flew up into the air and then swooped down at the man in the hat. It's attack missed however. Rob meanwhile, looked around at the inquisitors closing in.
Voulton managed to free Rachelle's horse from the wagon before bringing his axe up in an aggressive manner.
The battle had started, but you wouldn't know it from the look of the three amulet wearing inquisitors. Even as the hippogriff attacked the man in the hat, he made no move to enter the battle. Niether did the archer or the man with the large sword. The man in the hat simply said, "Surrender and you may yet be spared!"
Lynda's dog deals 5 dmg
Lynda's dragonfly deals 9 dmg
Voulton takes 14 dmg from two attacks.
Kalar takes 8 dmg.
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 11:01 pm
by Gizmog
Voulton nods to the man in the hat. "None of us have any reason to be fighting! But these two don't seem to understand WORDS! Forgive me for speaking their language!" With an angry scowl he turns to the two men who dared strike him while he was trying to talk!
Picking whichever of them seems the bravest, Voulton attempts to sunder the sword which tasted his blood! And assuming he's succesful on the first and able, he'll sunder the other one as well! If either attempt is successful, he will offer advice to the man or men: "GET IN THE DIRT AND DON'T MAKE ME HURT YOU!"
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 11:45 pm
by Feenicks
Rachelle attempts to get out of the general pack of inquisitors and into a place where she could have the time to grab her potion of Bull's Strength from her bag.
...is her bag with her on the horse? Can she still get something from the bag with her shackles on?
If her attempts to break loose fail after the strength from her potion fades - she'll enter a rage to further enhance her strength, but only if the potion continues to not be enough - Rachelle plans to just go as fast as she can back to town. If it's successful, though... she'll only try to sunder the weapons of those who try attacking her, and still try and help the party get back to town. No point being party to a massacre here, not when it will only end up making the issue of travel even harder for them.