Metropolis (The World in Waiting) - Chapter One

[Phoenix]

[sblock]Ba'aktar Strength check (DC 28) +17 - Failure
Jovik Open Lock check (DC 23) +25 - Success[/sblock]

The fight below rages onwards as the group of stalwart leaders follows Ba'aktar deeper into the complex. From behind them there is a mighty roar and the screams of many men as the double doors burst inwards to release a horrid beast onto the invaders.

Running down the corridor it is apparent that this is a prison block of sorts, with cells linign each wall (including one which looked like somebody had escaped from it) and at the end of it the iron door awaited. Ba'aktar's huge strength and momentum puts it to the test, the door remained closed, and locked. With deft hands Jovik's fingers manipulate the lock and the door is opened with a great deal of dragging from the half-orc.

Within lies a torture chamber of sorts, a vertical rack on the wall looks as if it is attached to a similar on in the centre of the room by strange pipes and cables. Instruments of all types lay on tables and on the walls, many of them completely alien to the group. On the far side of the chamber is a second iron door, this one also locked from the other side.

 

[Bront]

"Then go, and rescue the children. I shall keep the men here and hold back the Yellow Robes." Taran says.

 

[Festy_Dog]

Ba'aktar twitched at hearing the roar and screams. There was a huge beast back in the main room begging to be fought, he hadn't clicked to it before but now that it was there he felt the pull of his blood to go face it.

"Through that door you'll find the wee'uns' cells. Watch the door down to the right, might unhinge easy," he spoke quickly to the Jackal, "You'll be fine without me."

He turned to Taran now, eager to run back.

"Then go, and rescue the children. I shall keep the men here and hold back the Yellow Robes." Taran says.

"Change of plan, I'm comin' with you," he said, gaining a strange look in his eyes.

With that he was out of the door, and sprinted towards the main room. Upon setting foot upon the walkway he took a glance at what was happening on the floor.

 

[Phoenix]

[sblock]Initiative Order:
Taran (and Twitchy) - 19
Rogue Group - 17
Ba'aktar - 15
Warrior Group - 13
Ettin - 12
Ghost - 9
Yellow Robes - 5[/sblock]

Rcaing back into the main chamber, Taran, Twitchy and Ba'aktar emerge to see that their warriors were struggling with the last of the cultists in the room. A number of soldiers were holding the small doors shut, desperately trying to keep more cultists from spilling into the room. Several more were engaged in swordplay scattered across the room, but the last dozen of the invading force were being battered like flies across the chamber.

A large creature, standing easily over twelve feet tall, stood in the middle of the room wielding a club that looked as long as the creature was tall. The, thing, was all muscle and hair, but amking things worse was that the creature had two heads, allowing it to spot when the warriors were trying to flank it. It already had a few cuts on its body, but the handful of corpses that lay about it was testimount to its strength.

 

[Bront]

Taran stops and slips off his mount. Twitchy steps before his master, ready to defend him if someone approaches, while Taran begins to chant a spell and chanel his magical power.

[sblock=ooc]Taran is attempting to summon a Dire Wolf with Summon Nature's Ally III, dumping his Neutralize Poison[/sblock]

 

[Fenris]

The Jackal will continue on towards the childrens cells, knowing that time is of the essence and he will have to work quickly. He hoped in some ways that he found some of his boys there because he would know they were safe and hadn't fallen victim to the yellow robes yet, but also they would be able to help him work faster here.

 

[D20Dazza]

Ghost Hound Elf Bard

Ghost eyes the large dual headed beast with apprehension, he digs deep into his inner strength, his blood pumping furiously, his body awash with adrenalin - and magic - he can feel it bubbling inside, welling up, the pressure of the situation allowing him to tap until now hidden reserves. He grins, dips a hand into his cloak and withdraws a human finger bone, crushing it between his fingers he raises his hands into the air, fingers splayed, and targets the howling beast with arcane energy all the time singing powerful words of eldritch might.

[sblock]Scare - SR yes; Will DC 15 (partial); Duration 5 rounds (or 1 if saves); as Cause Fear (frightened, if successful save shaken for 1 round)[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

The Jackal will continue on towards the childrens cells, knowing that time is of the essence and he will have to work quickly. He hoped in some ways that he found some of his boys there because he would know they were safe and hadn't fallen victim to the yellow robes yet, but also they would be able to help him work faster here.

[sblock]Open Lock check (DC 23) +23 - Success[/sblock]

The door at the other side of the chamber unlocks swiftly to the Jackal's touch. With a dragging of the iron door, Jovik stared down into the corridor ahead of him. Each side of the hall comprised entirely of cells containing children, and the hall split not too far ahead into a T-intersection. There must be over a hundred children in here!
The sobbing, crying, wailing and begging begins immediately as Jovik steps into the corridor. Starved, malnourished, injured, and generally suffering kids are packed into every cell, if any of Jovik's kids were in here they might be able to see him, but over the noise he couldn't hear them, nor pick them out in the crowd.

Where to start?

 

[Phoenix]

[sblock]Initiative Order:
Taran (and Twitchy) - 19
Rogue Group - 17 (Holding doors)
Ba'aktar - 15
Warrior Group - 13
Ettin - 12
Ghost - 9
Yellow Robes - 5

Combat Rolls:
Warrior Group attack roll (Cultists - AC 13) +9 - Miss
Warrior Group attack roll (Ettin - AC 18) +17/+5/+20/+19 - Miss/Critical Miss/Hit/Hit
Warrior Group damage roll (Ettin) - 19pts (24pts total)
Ettin attack roll (AC 14) +18/+26 - Hit/Hit
Ettin damage roll - 17pts/12pts (-4/20hp & 1/20hp)
Ettin Will save (DC 15) +10 - Failure (Immune to Spell Effect)
Yellow Robes attack roll (AC 14) +23 - Critical Threat
Yellow Robes critical confirmation (AC 14) +8 - Miss
Yellow Robes damage roll - 8pts (5/20hps)

OOC: Taran is up on the walkway with Twitchy, will Twitchy enter the fray again? Where do you want the wolf? Ghost, you are on the battleground below them. Ba'aktar, well, you knwo where you are.[/sblock]

Taran's hands begin to move once more as his magic snakes through his fingers, conjuring the image of a wolf in his hands. Ba'aktar's large form runs past the small druid, hitting the ladder and nailing the steps two and three at a time, dropping the last few feet at the end to enter the fray faster.

Warriors attempt to surround the large creature, ducking in to stab at its hind quarters and slashing at its legs. In a roar of pain the creature bashes about widely, throwing one of the men bent and crushes across the room, and hitting another so hard that the snapping of the bones in his arm is audible about the battle. Ghost's magic dances about the creatures head for a moment, but is unaffected and barely notices that anything was even attempted on him.

The few warriors left fighting the robes get slowly beaten back, as if the tide was now turning towards the robes for the first time. With battered warriors, a mad killing machine on the loose, and the group no closer to escaping with the children, it looks like a dark day indeed.

 

[Fenris]

[sblock]Open Lock check (DC 23) +23 - Success[/sblock]

The door at the other side of the chamber unlocks swiftly to the Jackal's touch. With a dragging of the iron door, Jovik stared down into the corridor ahead of him. Each side of the hall comprised entirely of cells containing children, and the hall split not too far ahead into a T-intersection. There must be over a hundred children in here!
The sobbing, crying, wailing and begging begins immediately as Jovik steps into the corridor. Starved, malnourished, injured, and generally suffering kids are packed into every cell, if any of Jovik's kids were in here they might be able to see him, but over the noise he couldn't hear them, nor pick them out in the crowd.

Where to start?

The Jackal is over-whelmed by such cruelty. Sure the alleyways were rough, but that was just survival, that was Metropolis. This was intentional. Nothing to do but start at the begining. Jovik looks at each side and choose the cell with the oldest children. As he quickly works the lock he is telling them to be quiet, to calm down and to listen so they can live. He tells the eldest children to head back to the second door, but to wait there and not enter the main room. He tells them to keep the little ones quiet. He says there are some more men there to help them, but that they are fighting the yellow-robes so stay out of the way. He pulls one or two boys out to go and settle the other cells down so that there isn't so much noise.