Metropolis (The World in Waiting) - Chapter One

[Phoenix]

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.

[sblock]Open Lock check (DC 17) +29 - Success[/sblock]

The first lock opens easily, the children pouring out into the corridor and following Jovik's instructions. With the noise coming up the corridor from the chamber, Jovik begins work on the second lock, looking briefly at the dozens of locks still to go. With the battle raging in the last chamber, there had to be a faster way of doing this and getting the hell out of here.

Hadn't there? Or would he have to leave some of them behind?

 

[Festy_Dog]

Ba'aktar grinned wickedly at the sight of the massive creature.

"An extra head to cut off. Twice the fun," he says, nodding briefly in appreciation of the storm cloud's silver lining.

With that he picked up a cultist's beaten quasi-corpse and vaulted over the walkway railing. He placed the corpse below himself to absorb the impact, then rolled casually off the corpse and onto his feet once he was on the ground.* The khora twirled in his hand as he eyed the big beast greedily.

"Ch'futah neer goden draaAAAGH!" the end of his statement was cut off as it degenerated into a hate-filled roar.

The big half-orc loped towards the two-headed beast, launching himself over corpse of friend and foe alike to enter the fray. The battle around him receded into the grey while the creature became bathed in red, he had loosened the reigns and let his bloodthirst take the lead. The rage had taken him now.

*ooc:
[sblock]Phoenix, hope you don't mind a bit of artistic flair with how he closed the gap. Same effect as taking the stairs but satisfyingly crunchier.

Ba'aktar will attack if he has the time, but priority right now goes to raging and entering combat. He could rage then charge if that would work, but I'm not entirely sure of the specifics.[/sblock]

 

[Fenris]

[sblock]Open Lock check (DC 17) +29 - Success[/sblock]

The first lock opens easily, the children pouring out into the corridor and following Jovik's instructions. With the noise coming up the corridor from the chamber, Jovik begins work on the second lock, looking briefly at the dozens of locks still to go. With the battle raging in the last chamber, there had to be a faster way of doing this and getting the hell out of here.

Hadn't there? Or would he have to leave some of them behind?

OOC:[sblock] I feel like Magnum PI, "Work the lock, work the lock, don't look at the dogs, work the lock [/sblock]

Jovik opens the next cells and pulls out the two or three oldest boys. "Boys, I need one of you to take this dagger and crowbar, see if you can force open the locks, the other two head down and try to find a set of keys. Did you see where they kept the keys? Go look for them"

 

[Bront]

OOC: [sblock]Twitchy will enter the fray, sure. He's magic fanged. I want the wolf to appear next to the two headed thing to try to keep it occupied (It's big and strong enough it might even trip it) It should appear next round, since it's a full round cast.[/sblock]

 

[D20Dazza]

Surprised that the beast could shrug off his spell effect Ghost ponders what next to do. Digging into his cloak once again he pulls forth a feaher and some small berry tarts. Pulling back his right hand he throws the tarts at the beast while waving the feather in its direction and yelling bawdy jokes at the top of his voice

[sblock]Tashas Hideous Laughter DC 14 - the ettin gets a +4 to the save for being a different race. Damn crap bard spells*grumble*[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

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

Combat Rolls:
Dire Wolf attack roll (Ettin - AC 18) +13 - Miss
Ettin attack of opportunity roll (Ba'aktar - AC 15) +29 - Hit
Ettin damage roll (Ba'aktar) - 11pts
Ba'aktar attack roll (Ettin - AC 18) +31 - Hit
Ba'aktar damage roll - 13pts (37pts total)
Warrior Group attack roll (Cultists - AC 13) +7 - Miss
Warrior Group attack roll (Ettin - AC 18) +10/+16 - Miss/Miss
Ettin attack roll (Warrior - AC 14/Ba'aktar - AC 15) +18/+9 - Hit/Miss
Ettin damage roll (Warrior) - 11pts (2/20hp)
Ettin Will save (DC 14) +11 - Failure
Yellow Robes attack roll (AC 14) +16 - Hit
Yellow Robes damage roll - 3pts (2/20hps)[/sblock]

With a final gesturing of his hands, Taran launches the image of the spectral wolf down to the giant below. As the magic strikes an image of a great wolf appears, snarling with rabid anger and fury, launching itself at the two-headed monster with eager abandon. Beside the small druid, Twitchy scurries down the wall, eager to join the fray.

A sickening crunch beats the large rat as Ba'aktar pulls himself off the corpse that he had landed on, charging with a primal fury at the massive creature that had provided such a fitting challenge for the warrior. Before the half-orc could strike the massive creature swung its club, cracking loudly against Ba'aktar's chest, slowing him in his tracks.

The half-orc beserker ignored the pain though, leaping forward and slashing across the creature's hip, spraying blood across the chamber and causing the creature to roar in pain. The thing swung about wildly, striking another of the warriors across the side of his head and knocking him to the ground as well as barely missing Ba'aktar on the backward stroke.

Through the battle, over the noise, a single cry rings out, reverberating through the chamber and carried on the wings of magic until the massive creature is drawn to hear it: "'ello 'ello 'ello, a funny thin' 'appened to me on tha way to the cultist's lair tonight. I stopped off at the dry cleaners t' get me yellow robe, an' they thought it waz a custard stain, so now I'm the Snow White of the evil regime!"

The huge creature stares blankly up at the walkway overhead, its four eyes blinking, stunned for a moment. Then, at once, both mouths peel open with a terrible booming sound, the creature dropping to the ground, desperately trying to fend off the blows of the warriors around it as it loses control of itself and begins to cry with laughter.

About the chamber the fight is going poorly for the remaining warriors, with the Yellow Cult beating back their bloodied opponents, victory at hand.

 

[Phoenix]

OOC:[sblock] I feel like Magnum PI, "Work the lock, work the lock, don't look at the dogs, work the lock [/sblock]

Jovik opens the next cells and pulls out the two or three oldest boys. "Boys, I need one of you to take this dagger and crowbar, see if you can force open the locks, the other two head down and try to find a set of keys. Did you see where they kept the keys? Go look for them"

[sblock]Open Lock check (DC 17) +17 - Success[/sblock]

As soon as the order left his lips the next lock clicked open and the children were out and running. Looking down the corridor there was no way that such small children could possibly force the doors to even one of the cells, and Jovik had at least a dozen in this corridor alone, left to open.

Jovik moved on to the next cell, and there was a small girl, no older than four years, staring out at him with a sad face. "Dey don' yoos kees mista, dey open dem with werds. Have yoo cum ta risqoo us mista? Was yoor name? Mi name's Cindee, Eyem a geeerl."

 

[Festy_Dog]

Ba'aktar rejoiced as the spray of blood coated him in red. For some reason he was feeling a bit tight in the chest, but it didn't matter terribly much right now. As soon as the fight was getting interesting the creature was suddenly on it's back, laughing. This wouldn't deter Ba'aktar however, and he launched himself up on the beat's stomach and started hacking at its shoulders and neck, intent on taking one or both of its heads if possible.

 

[Fenris]

[sblock]Open Lock check (DC 17) +17 - Success[/sblock]

As soon as the order left his lips the next lock clicked open and the children were out and running. Looking down the corridor there was no way that such small children could possibly force the doors to even one of the cells, and Jovik had at least a dozen in this corridor alone, left to open.

Jovik moved on to the next cell, and there was a small girl, no older than four years, staring out at him with a sad face. "Dey don' yoos kees mista, dey open dem with werds. Have yoo cum ta risqoo us mista? Was yoor name? Mi name's Cindee, Eyem a geeerl."

OOC: [sblock] Sure go on, break my heart here why don't ya [/sblock]

"Cindee, of course I am here to rescue you. Now think hard, what words did they say to open the locks?" say the Jackal as patiently as he can. I need help he thinks. He grabs the oldest boys again. "Listen, you need to head down the other cells, I am looking for some of my own kids here" and Jovik rattles off the list of his boys "Go ask in the other cells, and see if you can find them, they can help me go faster" As he waits for Cindee's reply of the words, a thought that has been slowly gestating in the back of his mind begins to stand up. If I killed Zsath, does that make me the new Zsath? Am I a god now. The sword did weird thing on me, was that me or the sword.? Time to test it out. And with a mighty breath, the Jackal summons every once of power he can muster in his body and points his sowrd down the hall and shouts "I, Jovik the Jackal, Slayer of Zsath do command these locks to open!"

 

[Bront]

With the giant creature incapacitated in a manor, Taran moves to the chamber with Twitchy and the Dire Wolf, hoping to bolster the warriors. He tosses a bolt of lightning down on the cultists as Twitchy and the Wolf step in to make short work of a few cultists.