Subject: Kayla

Kayla falls to a slump in a fit of exhaustion. Breathing deeply, she looks around her. "Damn quiet fer an invasion," she thinks.

"Gawd, I'm starvin'," she rummages in her bag and finds a bit of squid jerky. "Awesome. Didna know I had summat this left!" Kayla begins gnawing happily on a dried tentacle and alternates between the cephalopod mollusk and her waterskin.

Subject: Re: Kayla

After languishing in prison for what seems like an age, Buchek decides to take advantage of some of the continuing education classes available to inmates in Caro. After perusing the course catalog carefully, he finally decides on a class in differential equations. He'd been intimidated by the subject matter at first, but his natural mathematical abilities soon rose to the fore, and before long he was surprised to find himself at the head of the class, and quite possibly more fulfilled than he'd ever been in his life.

Subject: Regrouping, and, er, Still More Ineptitude

(ODM: Okay, I'm still really busy, but if I don't start getting mails out to you guys, I'm afraid both you and I will forget what's going on. I don't want that. Plus, the cool stuff is yet to come, and I want to get there before I'm old and gray. So, I'm going to try to get out a turn as often as possible. That may mean missing a day here and there, but it's better than nothing. Without further ado...)

Buchek stares at the guard's hands as he trembles with the keys just out of arm's reach. The bustle of guards in the next room has caught his attention, and their strong arms has bolstered his resolve against the caged barbarian. Still, he glances furtively at Buchek before backing slowly away toward the door.

Erk pushes into the guardhouse along with the men, watching what should have been smooth, praciticed tactical procedures. Instead, the guards were fumbling - not through inexperience, but because of inebriation. The dwarf could tell many of them were in the cups as they grew frustrated with belt holes and bowstrings.

In the confusion, he looked for cells and saw an entryway to his left that led to a hall. Moving in that direction, away from the press of men, he bumped roughly into the back of a guard not watching where he was going.

Jumping suddenly in the air, the man let out a yelp and spun away from Erk toward an empty cell. A clanking jingle drew Erk's eye, as he realized the guard must have fumbled the large iron keyring in his fright - a good three feet inside the cell beside Buchek's.

As the keys fall, the diminutive form of Kayla slides in virtually unnoticed, popping up next to Erk and staring at Buchek's angry face, his white knuckles gripping the cell bars. With a look of mild surprise at the anger and frustration on the man's face, she chimes in with "Heya!", not quite sure of the situation she's stubled upon.

****

Bermid draws his sword meekly and follows after Elotai into the street. His depression turns quickly to confusion as he sees the streaming fire of arrows in the air and the blazing buildings. Elotai walks briskly across the street to the guardhouse, ignored by the passing guards now streaming out of the guardhouse toward the main gate.

Entering the common room, he sees several guards fumbling to equip themselves, and the backs of a dwarf and halfling just beyond the doorway to his left.

****

Telwyn sheathes his sword and runs, feeling the heat from a flaming arrowhead brush within inches of his cheek and bury itself in the dirt ahead of him. There doesn't appear to be any marauders in his path, but the war cries and horns behind him give speed to his steps.

(you can sheath and take 2x your speed, not 4x. So, 60 ft for you)

****

Holn watches the barbarian recover his glancing blow with agility, but also amazement. The mace should have crushed ribs and given him a satisfying crunch, but instead felt like he had hit a tree. He levels another blow, a little more warily this time, aimed at the intersection of neck and shoulder, but his confusion at Holn's magical armor makes his attack obvious, and the sorcerer twists away from it [attack 6, miss].

Again, Holn speaks the strange words, calling internal energies to his fingertips, and his opponent makes another attempt, a desperate arcing swing that misses utterly [attack 8, miss]. As Holn reaches calmly for the barbarian's shoulder, he backpedals away in fear, sure in his knowledge that he wants no part of this strange mystic [touch attack 5, miss].

There is a look of panic in the raider's eyes, and Holn can't decide whether he is about to make a last all out attack, or run in terror.

(WTF?!? This is getting ridiculous. I had to guess that you were using the Shock again, since you only said the ball was in the barbarian's court, last time)

Subject: Re: Regrouping, and, er, Still More Ineptitude

Wooohoo! We're playing again!

Buchek watches unbelieving as the keys go flying, landing in the cell next to him, and throws back his head, howling in a mixture of fury and frustration as he begins shaking the bars before him. As he shouts, the fury that has been building in him bursts forth, screaming through his veins in an adrenaline rush that blots out all reason. [ie--Buchek is going into a rage]. In a remote corner of Buchek's mind, his rational self watches dispassionately, disconnected from his body, as his arms flex against the cell's bars [ie--Buchek, in his enraged (and strength enhanced) state, is attempting to free himself by bending the bars of his cell].

If Buchek's bend bars is successful, and assuming that other players' actions don't necessitate a change in plans, Buchek will tear his axe from its peace bindings and run from the prison into the melee outside, howling like a madman all the while.

Subject: Re: Regrouping, and, er, Still More Ineptitude

Standing outside the cells, Erk hears the howl of rage from one of them, and guesses the barbarian is in that one. He yells out, ?We?re here, Buchek! Give us a moment, and we will have you out!?

Turning over his shoulder to Kayla he says, ?Grab those keys; see if one fits the cell locks.? Then he will rush over to Buchek?s cell door and speak to him, trying to calm him down.

Subject: Re: Regrouping, and, er, Still More Ineptitude

Telwyn continues to run, heading for the guard tower.

Subject: Re: Regrouping, and, er, Still More Ineptitude

Elotai turns to Bermid. ?Are these your companions?? he asks, gesturing at Erk and the halfling.

Just then, he hears a roar from further inside. What have they got caged in there, he wonders, some kind of wild animal? He had seen the wolf in his visions, but the wolf wouldn?t make such a noise.

[OOC: If Bermid acknowledges Erk and Kayla then Elotai will go with him into the room with the cells.]

Subject: Re: Regrouping, and, er, Still More Ineptitude

I blindly hit the reply button this morning for Holn's reaction. Just so everyone knows:

Holn takes a 5-foot step backwards and performs a ready action to melee-touch the barbarian if he closes the distance to attack again.

(OOC: I want the initiative.)

Subject: Regrouping

Kayla eyes the cell with the keys, and wonders if she can squeeze through the bars. If they look wide enough, she'll walk through and grab the keys, hoping the guard doesn't see her. With the keys, she'll open the lock and follow Buchek.

If they're too narrow, Kayla motions to Erk and whispers, "Get in front of the lock and keep talkin!" while moving in front of the lock at Buchek's cell. She hopes that Buchek is bending bars unassociated with the lock. After checking to see if anyone can see her standing in front of Erk, she'll try to pick the lock with her lockpicks.

Subject: Re: Regrouping

Erk will do whatever he can to both calm Buchek down, and to cover Kayla while she works her magic.

Subject: Re: Regrouping

From the corner of his mind where Buchek's rational self observes, he wonders how it is that he came to be wearing these tattered, purple pants.

:)

OOC--it'd be funny if Buchek had screwed up the lock, and wasn't able to bend the bars far enough to escape. He could always escape through the sewer grate, but still.

How long does a barbarian's rage last, anyway? Assuming that Erk doesn't succeed in calming Buchek down, is there any chance that the rage will last long enough for Buchek to take a couple of raiders' heads before he calms down?

Subject: Kayla's action?

Did I miss another email, or did Clara not send an action for Kayla? I don't want to go on until I know what the halfling's up to.

Subject: Re: Kayla's action?

Looks like the list must be having problems again. Here is Kayla's turn:

Kayla eyes the cell with the keys, and wonders if she can squeeze through the bars. If they look wide enough, she'll walk through and grab the keys, hoping the guard doesn't see her. With the keys, she'll open the lock and follow Buchek.

If they're too narrow, Kayla motions to Erk and whispers, "Get in front of the lock and keep talkin!" while moving in front of the lock at Buchek's cell. She hopes that Buchek is bending bars unassociated with the lock. After checking to see if anyone can see her standing in front of Erk, she'll try to pick the lock with her lockpicks.

Subject: Looming battle

(this is just ridiculous)

Buchek's howling rage shakes the iron bars with loud clanging and clattering, but the large hinges on the iron door hold fast [Strength check 18 v. bend DC 24, fail].

Erk yells out, "We're here, Buchek! Give us a moment, and we will have you out!" Turning over his shoulder to Kayla he says, "Grab those keys; see if one fits the cell locks."

Kayla, seeing the keys in the adjoining cell were beyond her reach, slides up against the iron bars, warily avoiding Buchek's grasping fists. Whispering to Erk as she passes him, "Get in front of the lock and keep talkin!", she reaches inside her backpack for her lock picking kit and selects the appropriate tools for the job. [Action used to get her gear out of her pack and ready, a pick attempt can be made next turn]

Erk moves toward the cell in an attempt to calm the raging barbarian, but Kayla's words pull him up short. Understanding her intent, he uses his wide body to shield the view from the doorway to the common room, and makes his placating gestures from further away.

Elotai's words receive no words from Bermid, whose eyes have widened in shock at the howling, primal outburst from the adjoining hallway. His absent nod is the only indication that these are, in fact, the people he had arrived with.

The howling in the cell hallway draws attention from two of the guards in the common room, though most exit the tower running toward the bridge. [Elotai and Bermid would notice them moving to investigate]

***

The barbarian, seeing Holn's confident, passive stance, loses confidence entirely and thinks better of his assault. Running from the invulnerable mystic, he heads back toward the bridge and reinforcements. Seeing his adversary depart, Holn surveys the scene.

His concentration on the barbarian's mace consuming him, he hadn't noticed the flaming arrows at all. Looking around, he sees the last volley clear the wall and watches as several roofs have been set ablaze. In the flickering light, he sees a gray streak low to the ground heading back towards the tower, followed by Telwyn, running at great speed in the same direction.

Turning, Holn sees a rush of guards heading in his direction, and decides it would be best not to be the point man for the assault. He also runs back toward the tower, if nothing else than to get behind a line of armored fighters. [I'm assuming this is what he would do if the barbarian ran - in the future, give me a contingency plan, or at least thought, so I have a little more to go on]

[Jake: to answer your question, the rage lasts 8 rounds. It has now been one. If they can get you out of the cell, you could conceivably split a head or two before you crashed]

Subject: Clarification

Ignore the "ridiculous" comment... I had at first had Kayla picking the lock and failing miserably, but then realized she'd need to unpack her stuff first. So, ignore the man behind the curtain.

Subject: Re: Clarification

Dimly aware that his friends are trying to free him, Buchek releases his grasp on the bars. He reaches over his shoulder and tears his axe from its peace bindings [OOC--or attempts to do so, as the case may be].

Subject: Re: Looming Battle

Holn strains to look out into the darkness, now lit by small fires everywhere, trying to gauge the situation. He lets go of the mana, a small spark grounding into the earth beneath him. Calling Fa, he gathers the cat and runs after his companions.

Fate has been hounding the party from the beginning. Holn shakes his head, wondering why the gods are putting obsticles in the way of it. He thanks Singard silently for protecting him.

Subject: Re: Clarification

"Just a few more moments, Friend, and you will be free,? Erk says to the clearly enraged barbarian. ?I apologize for letting them put you in here in the first place. It is unforgivable to treat a man who has given his peace word in this way.? Erk will continue to speak soothingly to Buchek, in hopes that he can keep the barbarian from drawing more attention to them while Kayla picks the lock. He will also keep one eye on the doorway while keeping Kayla behind him. ?We will not leave until you are free, you have my word on it.? He says as a final promise to Buchek. He grips his axe with one hand as he says it, knowing somehow that the Barbarian will understand the value of a promise given while holding a weapon one considers holy.

Then he just waits for Kayla to finish her work, while covering her back.

Subject: Re: Clarification

::run, run, run::

Am I there yet?

::run, run, run::

Subject: Re: Clarification

Oops, mistakenly sent this only to Ty.

Note: forwarded message attached.

Buchek nods to Erk as he frees his own weapon. If it takes Kayla a while, Buchek will pace about his cell once his axe is in hand.

Subject: Re: Clarification

Kayla keeps working on the lock.

(Sorry for the brevity, Kayla's busy selling her cookbook.)

Subject: Buchek Swims to Consciousness

The darkness that surrounds Buchek swirls, slowly brightening to reveal his cell. Shaking his head to clear it, Buchek releases the bars of the door, dimly noticing Kayla picking the lock and Erk blocking her from his gaolers' view.

"Damned litch," Buchek thinks, "hitting us with that time stop spell", before stopping to wonder how he knows of litches at all, let alone their sorcerous powers.

It dawns on him that perhaps this is the work of Dee-em, the supreme deity that stands over the world like a puppet master, giving his subjects the illusion of free will as they dance at the ends of his strings. But why? Why would it serve Dee-em's purposes to allow those strings to go slack? Why would... **darkness returns.**

Subject: Re: Buchek Swims to Consciousness

*thwap*

Buchek gets a nasty case of tetanus from an iron shaving on the jail cell bars and dies a painful death.

;)

I apologize for going MIA again. Life hasn't been kind lately.

BUT, light. end. tunnel. I plan on kicking off regularly again starting on Monday (hopefully) and continuing indefinitely. Sans one mouthy barbarian, natch.