Colmarr
First Post
Session 18: Dawn Square
Tok, Erik and Kuri took up position near the empty stage and scanned the crowd. Two skyseer-liveried wagons stood behind the massive stage, each tended by a white-robed druid. A small knot of skyseer attendants waited on the southern edge of the square for Nevard’s arrival. Behind the stage, a ring of trees surrounded a fountain and were in turn outlined by three towering frameworks of wood and iron. At the top of each frame, a continual flame burned in memory of Flint’s founding.
Tok pointed out a group of tall buildings approximately halfway down the square, and asked his seargeant whether they were a possible vantage point for a sniper. Erik replied around the nicodemus leaf cigarette in his mouth, indicating it would be an extremely difficult shot at that range. Tok nevertheless asked two nearby policemen to investigate, and they happily complied.
Xaresti and Wilheim moved among the crowd, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The deva monk spied a group of industrialists seated at the front window of a cafe, clearly unhappy about the rally. He returned to the stage with Xaresti to report their presence. Tok decided to investigate further and, changing form to match his appearance to theirs, joined the men in the cafe. They briefly studied him as he sat down, then returned to their conversation. The men were convinced that Nevard’s vision would be detrimental to their business interests, and more than one muttered aloud that the city would be better off if the rally did not proceed.
Nevard’s carriage eventually pulled into the square, and the crowd buzzed with anticipation. The venerable skyseer took the stage with almost a dozen attendants, and ritual magic cast his voice far beyond the range it might otherwise have reached. Nevard reminded Flint’s people that for centuries the skyseers had used their visions to guide Risur, and though the clarity of their future sight has faded in recent years, they believe they can still guide with their wisdom, to mediate between the conflicting forces of a changing nation. But, he said, he sensed danger was approaching, and so had sought guidance by studying the sky from the one clear spot in the city - atop Cauldron Hill. And he had a vision.
A shot rang out, and RT3 quickly pinpointed its location in the tall buildings Tok had earlier noticed. Someone in the crowd screamed in shock, and confused murmurs filled the square. Nevard paused and looked to his attrendants. Wilheim glanced to Erik and when the sergeant nodded, moved through the crowd with monastically-trained speed.
When no further shots were heard, and no attack came, Nevard returned to his speech. “I saw a dark figure, standing atop Cauldron Hill, towering over our city. The sun set, and he cast a shadow across Parity Lake, stretching northwest, into the sea, beyond the horizon. And also—”
Behind the stage, the white-robed druids whipped the covering from the wagons to reveal two mechanical platforms bearing quadruple-carbine mounts. The fusil golem in each wagon whirred to life and the barrels of their armaments swivelled towards the skyseer party on the stage. Before RT3 could react, the carbines exploded into action, smashing some of Nevard’s attendants to the ground. Only the fact they had been standing behind the skyseer saved his life.
Screams spread through the crowd and people fled in panic.
RT3 leapt into action. As Erik blasted away with his pistol, Kuri reached out with his mind to seize the nearest golem. The weapons platform, despite weighing almost a third of a ton, was dragged from its wagon and flung across the square. It landed with a crunch at the base of the stage, from where it could target neither Nevard nor his attendants. Xaresti chased after the machine, drawing his sword and levelling his shield.
Thornt’s nose wrinkled, and he realised just in time what it was that he was smelling. Death. Other white-robed druids in the crowd threw back their hoods to reveal the age-bleached bone of skeletons. Two rushed up the southern stairs onto the stage, felling a skyseer attendant, while the others advanced on the constables with rusty blades. Erik‘s battlefield training and impetuous kicked in, and the yerasol veteran sprinted up the stairs until he stood beside Nevard. His pistol barked, and one the attackers’ skulls shattered.
The second fusil golem fired again. This time its hail of fire hit Erik, cut down all but one of Nevard’s remaining attendants and sorely wounded the aged skyseer himself. Nevard clutched at a stomach wound that was quickly soaking his robes red. Kuri moved to the base of the steps, shadowed by a skeleton that attempted to halt his progress.
The waters of the fountain rippled and three great cats leapt out. Their bodies were a mass of exposed muscle capped with a nightmare visage – plain bone where the creature’s faces should have been. The first flayed jaguar launched itself at Xaresti while the others bypassed the half-elf and surged to the top of the stage. Erik fired at them as they came but the creature didn’t flinch as the investigator’s shot struck home. Razor-sharp claws flashed out, and Erik fell clutching a bleeding arm. The second jaguar leapt over his prone form and lashed out at Nevard.
Even as its claws rent the old man’s robes and the skyseer’s lifeblood spilled out onto the stage, Nevard’s form vanished and reappeared at the base of the stage near the newly-arrived Tok. The changeling’s magic healed Nevard’s wounds and clouded the jaguar’s sight so that it could no longer see its prey.
Xaresti and Thornt battled the fusil golem and jaguar at the rear of the stage. The paladin deflected both slashing claws and fusillades of carbine fire with skilled precision, but even Xaresti’s divine might was not a complete protection. The jaguar’s claws found a route beneath the half-elf’s breastplate and scored lines of blood across his back, and a shot from the golem knocked a massive dent into his cuirass. Thornt surrounded Xaresti’s enemies with swarms of stinging and biting insects. The jaguar roared in annoyance, and the golem sparked where its targeting processes seethed with crawling bodies. Xaresti saw his opportunity. He knocked the golem’s carbines aside with his shield and then pierced the creature’s central core with a thrust of his blade. The golem sagged and then was still.
In front of the stage, Tok and Kuri held off the two remaining jaguars long enough to revive Erik and protect Nevard, then RT3 finished off the skeletons, the jaguars and the remaining fusil golem. In the aftermath of the battle, Wilheim returned to the group. He had discovered a sniper hidden in the buildings, and the gunshot had been the assassin firing on the police officers who had discovered his vantage point. Both officers had been killed, and the sniper himself fell to his death from a roof while fleeing the Deva monk.
Nevard urged the constables to do what they could to rally the panicked crowd, and gradually the citizens of Flint returned to hear the skyseer’s prophecy.
As he watched the crowd go, the aging skyseer turned to his saviours. “Thank you again,” he said. “Twice now you have saved my life. There is more to be told, but not here.”
Tok, Erik and Kuri took up position near the empty stage and scanned the crowd. Two skyseer-liveried wagons stood behind the massive stage, each tended by a white-robed druid. A small knot of skyseer attendants waited on the southern edge of the square for Nevard’s arrival. Behind the stage, a ring of trees surrounded a fountain and were in turn outlined by three towering frameworks of wood and iron. At the top of each frame, a continual flame burned in memory of Flint’s founding.
Tok pointed out a group of tall buildings approximately halfway down the square, and asked his seargeant whether they were a possible vantage point for a sniper. Erik replied around the nicodemus leaf cigarette in his mouth, indicating it would be an extremely difficult shot at that range. Tok nevertheless asked two nearby policemen to investigate, and they happily complied.
Xaresti and Wilheim moved among the crowd, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The deva monk spied a group of industrialists seated at the front window of a cafe, clearly unhappy about the rally. He returned to the stage with Xaresti to report their presence. Tok decided to investigate further and, changing form to match his appearance to theirs, joined the men in the cafe. They briefly studied him as he sat down, then returned to their conversation. The men were convinced that Nevard’s vision would be detrimental to their business interests, and more than one muttered aloud that the city would be better off if the rally did not proceed.
Nevard’s carriage eventually pulled into the square, and the crowd buzzed with anticipation. The venerable skyseer took the stage with almost a dozen attendants, and ritual magic cast his voice far beyond the range it might otherwise have reached. Nevard reminded Flint’s people that for centuries the skyseers had used their visions to guide Risur, and though the clarity of their future sight has faded in recent years, they believe they can still guide with their wisdom, to mediate between the conflicting forces of a changing nation. But, he said, he sensed danger was approaching, and so had sought guidance by studying the sky from the one clear spot in the city - atop Cauldron Hill. And he had a vision.
A shot rang out, and RT3 quickly pinpointed its location in the tall buildings Tok had earlier noticed. Someone in the crowd screamed in shock, and confused murmurs filled the square. Nevard paused and looked to his attrendants. Wilheim glanced to Erik and when the sergeant nodded, moved through the crowd with monastically-trained speed.
When no further shots were heard, and no attack came, Nevard returned to his speech. “I saw a dark figure, standing atop Cauldron Hill, towering over our city. The sun set, and he cast a shadow across Parity Lake, stretching northwest, into the sea, beyond the horizon. And also—”
Behind the stage, the white-robed druids whipped the covering from the wagons to reveal two mechanical platforms bearing quadruple-carbine mounts. The fusil golem in each wagon whirred to life and the barrels of their armaments swivelled towards the skyseer party on the stage. Before RT3 could react, the carbines exploded into action, smashing some of Nevard’s attendants to the ground. Only the fact they had been standing behind the skyseer saved his life.
Screams spread through the crowd and people fled in panic.
RT3 leapt into action. As Erik blasted away with his pistol, Kuri reached out with his mind to seize the nearest golem. The weapons platform, despite weighing almost a third of a ton, was dragged from its wagon and flung across the square. It landed with a crunch at the base of the stage, from where it could target neither Nevard nor his attendants. Xaresti chased after the machine, drawing his sword and levelling his shield.
Thornt’s nose wrinkled, and he realised just in time what it was that he was smelling. Death. Other white-robed druids in the crowd threw back their hoods to reveal the age-bleached bone of skeletons. Two rushed up the southern stairs onto the stage, felling a skyseer attendant, while the others advanced on the constables with rusty blades. Erik‘s battlefield training and impetuous kicked in, and the yerasol veteran sprinted up the stairs until he stood beside Nevard. His pistol barked, and one the attackers’ skulls shattered.
The second fusil golem fired again. This time its hail of fire hit Erik, cut down all but one of Nevard’s remaining attendants and sorely wounded the aged skyseer himself. Nevard clutched at a stomach wound that was quickly soaking his robes red. Kuri moved to the base of the steps, shadowed by a skeleton that attempted to halt his progress.
The waters of the fountain rippled and three great cats leapt out. Their bodies were a mass of exposed muscle capped with a nightmare visage – plain bone where the creature’s faces should have been. The first flayed jaguar launched itself at Xaresti while the others bypassed the half-elf and surged to the top of the stage. Erik fired at them as they came but the creature didn’t flinch as the investigator’s shot struck home. Razor-sharp claws flashed out, and Erik fell clutching a bleeding arm. The second jaguar leapt over his prone form and lashed out at Nevard.
Even as its claws rent the old man’s robes and the skyseer’s lifeblood spilled out onto the stage, Nevard’s form vanished and reappeared at the base of the stage near the newly-arrived Tok. The changeling’s magic healed Nevard’s wounds and clouded the jaguar’s sight so that it could no longer see its prey.
Xaresti and Thornt battled the fusil golem and jaguar at the rear of the stage. The paladin deflected both slashing claws and fusillades of carbine fire with skilled precision, but even Xaresti’s divine might was not a complete protection. The jaguar’s claws found a route beneath the half-elf’s breastplate and scored lines of blood across his back, and a shot from the golem knocked a massive dent into his cuirass. Thornt surrounded Xaresti’s enemies with swarms of stinging and biting insects. The jaguar roared in annoyance, and the golem sparked where its targeting processes seethed with crawling bodies. Xaresti saw his opportunity. He knocked the golem’s carbines aside with his shield and then pierced the creature’s central core with a thrust of his blade. The golem sagged and then was still.
In front of the stage, Tok and Kuri held off the two remaining jaguars long enough to revive Erik and protect Nevard, then RT3 finished off the skeletons, the jaguars and the remaining fusil golem. In the aftermath of the battle, Wilheim returned to the group. He had discovered a sniper hidden in the buildings, and the gunshot had been the assassin firing on the police officers who had discovered his vantage point. Both officers had been killed, and the sniper himself fell to his death from a roof while fleeing the Deva monk.
Nevard urged the constables to do what they could to rally the panicked crowd, and gradually the citizens of Flint returned to hear the skyseer’s prophecy.
No sooner had Nevard finished speaking than people began to trickle out of Dawn Square, first in small groups and then in numbers. RT3 could tell from their murmurs and exaggerated speed that those present were taking Nevard’s warning seriously. Many would take up his offer of safety in the Cloudwood.
As he watched the crowd go, the aging skyseer turned to his saviours. “Thank you again,” he said. “Twice now you have saved my life. There is more to be told, but not here.”
