OK, so Murdoch up front w/the driver, Barnak in the front compartment, Aleena, Maggie, and Alethia in the main compartment, Timrin and Dyria on the back, and Shando alongside.
Within the carriage, Aleena and Maggie argue as they become increasingly sleepy. Maggie: "What gives? I saw him first!" Aleena: "Hey, he saved me first, you just spied on him. Maggie: "Yeah, as a favor to YOU" Aleena: "Aww, shut up, you're drunk" Maggie: "So are you...you hide it well from others but I always know" Aleena (giggling): "Yeah, you're good at spotting your own kind." Maggie: "Oh, reaaaaal mature...." etc...Aleena: "Didn't we promise each other that we wouldn't let this kind of stuff come between us?" Maggie: "Yeah, we were like, 15." Aleena: "Oh, right, Alexei, remember him?" Maggie: "Yeah, he totally wasn't worth it" Aleena: "We'll work this out, too" Maggie: "Yeah" Aleena: "So long as I get to keep him...Maggie? Maggieee...hooray, I wiiin...." The conversation ends with them passed out on each others' shoulders.
The carriage travels through the streets. Suddenly, as it passes over a manhole, the cover explodes upward under Aleena. Those in the carriage are thrown out (34dmg to Alethia and Maggie, 17 to Dyria, Barnak, and Timrin, none to Shando and Murdoch). The back half of the carriage travels a bit backwards and the front half forwards, killing the driver and horses. Objects on the ground begin burning slightly and producing very large volumes of smoke.
Maggie starts to scramble to her feet where she landed, only to get bashed accross her lower back with a large steel bar (36dmg, partial charge during the surprise round), wielded by a muscular, lightly-armored human using a grey cloak to aid in camouflage. The logo on his chests identifies him as Thayan Diplomatic Security. Two of them were away with Mukaro when the Thayan enclave was leveled. She falls to her hands and knees, and gets bashed in the back of the head by another one (40dmg, also partial charge in surprise round, hp=-19, dies @ -30). She falls flat.
A shadowy figure pounces on Shando and buries a dagger his back (30dmg, poison save = success, assassin death attack save = success, surprise round action).
You notice a wizard on a balcony.
Dyria and Alethia manage to stumble forward from the back of the carriage without falling down. Through the smoke, they see an enormous man with the head of a bull and arms of red demonflesh. His armor is a patchwork, with metal plates around his shoulders and armpits, a chain shirt, greaves on his arms (with weapon-catchers on the back), and on his shins. Dyria recognizes him as Mukaro the Bull, one of the greatest gladiators in all of Faerun. A few months ago, he lost both his arms, but somehow made a comeback, far stronger than he ever was before. He and a few others were away on a goodwill mission when the Thayan Conclave was destroyed. They were the only survivors. The armor around his shoulders bears the mark of Cronos. The means of his newly-aquired arms is now quite apparent, as well as the debt that surely comes with such a gain.
Striking before they do (i.e. winning init and getting a full attack after using the surprise round to move), they each get a face full of demonic minotaur fist. Alethia slumps against the back of the carriage, watching the familiar birdies fly around her head (32dmg, stun 32 rounds, failed save, yagnoloth fist ability). Dyria is not entirely surprised how little pain came with the blow. In her gladiator slave days, she's been in, and lost, her fair share of boxing matches. As she lies against the carriage, her last coherent thought is the awareness that she's fading into unconsciousness (32dmg, stun 32 rounds). The creature grabs Alethia and Dyria and bashes their heads together, speeding the process considerably for both of them. (32 and 33 more respectively). Mukaro lets them crumple to the ground and takes a step towards Aleena, lying motionless in the wrecked carriage.
Further init:
Shando, Shando's Attacker, Timrin, Maggies Attackers, Murdoch, Barnak, Wizard
Key: Red means doors, blue is the balcony, green are windows, the purple is the two halves of the carriage.
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