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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 449439" data-attributes="member: 6294">Amberdale 0 : "An Introduction to Amberdale" by PDabble Games - Part 17"Grave robbers struck at the town cemetery last night." Brent explains, once the group has gathered in the privacy of his back room. "The groundskeeper saw three men break in and loot some of the graves.""He didn't try to stop them?" Ming Li asks, dubiously. "Or alert the guards?"Brent shakes his head,"There were three of them, and he was afraid to attract their attention.  He did get a pretty good look at them, though.  Said they were rough looking types, and that all three had a tattoo of a snake on their forearm.""So what is it you would like us to do?" Mantreus already has his eyes on the cash prize."We think the thieves might come back again tonight.  With the festival coming up the guards have their hands full looking after the living: they don't have time to protect the dead." Brent pauses, "You are the closest thing to guildsmen in town at the moment.  If you stop these men from repeating their robbery, we'll pay you three hundred gold. What do you say?"The group says yes, resoundingly.They immediately set off to the cemetery to see the lay of the land.  The graveyard has a neat picket fence around it, no more than waist high on a man.  The graves themselves are arranged in orderly lines, except for one larger mausoleum, presumably a relic of some wealthy family that once lived in the region.For some reason it does not occur to the group to seek out the groundskeeper and ask if he has any further information.  Instead they toy with the idea of hiding inside the mausoleum, so as to surprise the robbers.  Mantreus already has his thieves tools out when it suddenly occurs to them that they are clearly visible from the nearby road, and would be likely to be observed in any attempt to break and enter.Deciding that it would be counter-productive to break into a mausoleum in order to prevent a grave robbery, the group instead takes the time to search out excellent hiding places, and they are soon concealed around the cemetery, ready for any robbers that might appear during the night.Sure enough, about an hour after midnight, three shadowy figures slip up the path toward the cemetery gates.  Two look like small, lithe men, while the last is larger and slower-moving.  The adventurers hold their breath, hoping their concealment will be sufficient for them to surprise the enemy.Both Mantreus and Rose have hidden themselves near the entrance of the graveyard, planning to spring on their enemies from behind.  Rose's small frame and camouflage skills make her all but invisible in the darkness, but a particularly sharp-eyed observer might just be able to pick out Mantreus' silhouette.No-one moves as the robbers move through the gates, passing close enough to the two rogues for them to reach out and touch them.  Only when he clearly sees the last man's back does Mantreus feel confident that he has passed unobserved.At which point he slips out of hiding and guts the robber from behind.The man crumples with a choked off scream.  The noise alerts his companions that they are in danger but Mantreus and Rose move faster than either, both dashing forward to slash at the larger of the two remaining men.Using his superior reach, the man succeeds in fending Rose off with his shield, but Mantreus' sword bites deep again, drawing a thick flow of blood.  The man grunts in pain, but does not fall.Meanwhile, the remainder of the group unleash a barrage of missile fire at the third robber, who is just far enough away to be a safe target.  The dim light seems to be ruining their aim, however, as only one shot strikes home.Finally reacting to the threat they face, the target of the missile barrage tries to move around behind Mantreus, but his path is blocked by a gravestone and he has to pass dangerously close to the human rogue.Mantreus sees the opening and takes it: he half-spins, slashing backhand with his sword, swiftly finishing the job that an arrow had already started (DM's note: the player's dice were hot - don't you hate that?).With a growl, the remaining robber slashes at the death-dealing rogue, finally treating him to a bit of his own medicine.  Mantreus wisely decides on discretion over valour and steps away from the bigger man, rather than continuing to fight toe-to-toe.The Padre moves forward, shouting a command for the robber to "Die!".  Although the big man sways as the magical compulsion sweeps over him, he stays up - but only for as long as it takes Stormstrider to charge into the melee.  One glittering sweep of the ranger's scimitar is enough to bring the group's final foe crashing to the ground.</blockquote>

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