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Message: <blockquote data-quote="drunkadelic" data-source="post: 286647" data-attributes="member: 4020">8.1.02 - Deadline: Part FourDrem and Smith finally get the statue out the doorway and are faced by 2 angry, impatient guards. "What are you boys doing with Mr. Grayson's prize statue?" they ask.Drem hands them a familiar piece of paper that says:40,000 Gold PiecesPaid in FullFor StatueGrayson J. ThimbletoadThe guards look at one another, baffled by this turn of events."Um, well, yah got a reciept right here, guess that's good enough, now clear out of here, citizens!" one of them barks.The men smile and continue on their way towards the warehouse.Meanwhile, in the warehouse, 4 guards rapidly advance on Matthew, hiding for dear life on the second floor of the guardhouse. As the heavy footsteps of the booted guardsmen begin to echo from the stairs, little Matthew jumps out into their view at the top of the stairs, plucks the largest bead from the Necklace of Fireballs and screams."Eat hot burning death, soft skins!"A flash of light and heat later, what was left of the guardsmen and the staircase fall away to embers and ash. Matthew looks over the side of the landing, down the gap where the stairs used to be and sighs."Guess I overdid it." One of the guards short swords, blown across the vast warehouse, finally hits the floor with a clang. "Nah."About that time, Drem and Smith drag the statue in, panting and wheezing. "What--happened--to--the--bloody--stairs?" Smith yells between heaving breaths."Um. Nothing." Matthew lies.Smith looks at the watch, seeing there is only 15 minutes left to get the statue up to the second floor and place it on the magic circle."What are we going...." Smith drops the watch and bends over to pick it up. At the same time, an invisible form comes back into view and stabs out at Smith, missing due to Smith's leaned-over state. "Behind you, Smith." Drem yells, drawing his longsword.The halfling is back, and he looks really upset this time. He positions himself between Smith and Drem again, hoping to give neither them the opportunity to cast or shoot.Upstairs, Matthew begins smacking the floor with his dagger.Backing away from the melee, at the insistance of Smith that he can handle the halfling, Drem throws a rope up to Matthew and gets up to the second floor as well. Down on the floor, Smith isn't faring too well. The halfling is wily, and very skillful with the dagger. "Steal my statue, will ya? Going to revive that she-devil and cause chaos in my town. I don't THINK so." The halfling drives his knife to the hilt in Smith's thigh.For once however, Smith's witty repartee goes unheard, as the only sound heard in the warehouse at that moment is the screaming gurgle of a halfling shot in the throat with a heavy crossbow bolt."I dare say that's the end of you." Smith muses quietly before he steps on the halflings neck with a sickening, wet crack.About that time, a 5 foot section of flooring comes cascading to the floor from above. As Smith looks up into the hole he sees Matthews grinning form, holding a now-dull dagger. On the floor is the magic circle, floorboards, supports and all.Smith hurriedly drags the flooring over to the statue and slides it under. The succubus indeed animates, stretches its wings, mutters something in Abyssal and vanishes in a puff of brimstone.Smith looks at the clock.7 minutes left.End of Deadline</blockquote>

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