Metropolis (The World in Waiting) - Chapter One

[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 (Cultist - AC 13) +14 - Hit
Dire Wolf damage roll - 13pts (-4/18hp)
Twitchy attack roll (Cultist - AC 13) +12 - Miss
Ba'aktar attack roll (Ettin - AC 14) +20 - Hit
Ba'aktar damage roll - 16pts (-1/65hp)
Yellow Robes attack roll (Dire Wolf - AC 14) +23/+18/+9/+10 - Hit/Hit/Miss/Miss
Yellow Robes damage roll - 8pts/6pts (13/45hp)
Inspire Courage - 1st Round complete (+1 to hit and damage/+1 vs Fear Saves)[/sblock]

With the remaining cultists surrounding the Dire Wolf, Twitchy snaps at their heels, longing for another kill. From the walkway Taran shuffles down the ladder as quickly as his legs allow him, hoping to join the battle soon.
The huge creature, being badly battered by the raging half-orc, tries to push itself away, crawling back towards the double doors it came from. With a furious scream Ba'aktar swings his khora in a downward arc, slicing deep into the creature's neck and slicing through bone. The head langs limply with only a thin strip of skin to keep it attached. The creature writhes in pain, throwing the warrior clear, before slumping to the ground.
Whist Ghost continues his song, the robes begin to whittle down the large wolf, though they may be too little, too late...

 

[Phoenix]

Once more, a spoiler...

Jovik the Jackal:
[sblock]"Wonderful Jovik, just wonderful." Wasp buries his head in his hands, rubbing his temple and running one hand through his hair.
"I can't remember a lot anymore, I'm beginning to forget. But one thing I do remember is that if Zsath dies, that's a bad thing. As for the rest of your questions, the answers are very simple..."

"I...don't...know."

"It's as simple as that. I can only remember bits and pieces nowdays, I can't even really remember exactly what we were supposed to do that well. All I can recall is that we had to get help, to help...I think..."

"I can tell you one thing for sure though. If your throat wasn't slit, the Zsath tried to take you while you were...still alive. Zsath has complete command over the realm of death, put no power over...the living..."[/sblock]

 

[D20Dazza]

Ghost, while continuing to sing, looks around for any injured friends and then moves towards said comrade dipping into his pouches and withdrawing a healing potion.

 

[Fenris]

Still Spoilers
Phoenix:
[sblock] Jovik looks at his pupil(?) in concern. Wasp truly looked in pain by thos ordeal. The Jackal couldn't possibilyhope to understand how living a life backwards could feel, or the pain of knowing you have forgotten things. "Well Wasp, As I have always taught you first things first" says the Jackal as he opens the cell door. "Take half these picks, this should be instinct and your fingers can do this without your head, and start freeign these kids. I don't know what has gone on or what will happen. But from what you have said the more we change thigns the better. As for Zsath, nothing we can do about it now. He shouldn't have gotten greedy and gone after me while I was still alive. Serves him right. Whatever the concequences of that are will come and we can only choose how to respond. perhaps a god will step up and fill the vacancy. I don't care. I just want to get you and the other kids out of this dank sewer and back in the sunlight. Then we can figure out what to do. So let's start on these locks. Oh I took one of these vials of yellow liquid off of one of them back there. Any idea what it may be?"[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

Ba'aktar, bathed in the blood of his now headless foe, looked around for a moment as he got to his feet. Around him the forms of Taran and his animal friends closed in on the remaining cultists, their yellow robes stained with their own blood as well as that of their enemies.

More and more pressure was being applied to the doors to the chamber, with the remaining warriors, badly beaten, trying desperately to keep them closed. Seeing their predicament, the remaining cultists in the room surrender, throwing down their blades and putting their hands in the air.

Up on the walkway above them all, Ghost is the first to see the children. Bursting forth from the doorway, a torrent of kids ages from three to nine years old ran across the railing followed more slowly by Jovik and a child that seemed more...focused, than the rest.

Jovik (OOC):
[sblock]The cells take several minutes to open, but as you escort the children back you see that the fight has not changed a great deal in the time that you were away. [/sblock]

 

[Bront]

Taran presses his attack, allong side Twitchy.

 

[D20Dazza]

Ghost looks for a way to get up to the children "If any of those cultists are up there those kids will be slaughtered" he thinks to himself as he gives a thumbs up to Jovik.

 

[Festy_Dog]

The surrender of the cultists meant one thing to Ba'aktar, they wouldn't fight back. After taking a few moments to catch his breath he decided he had no qualms with walking up the the closest unarmed cultist and sinking his blade into the weak pink-skin's flesh, an example to the rest. They deserved no better in his eyes. Satisfied now, he layed out the next step of the plan to his allies.

"Collect the injured, and once the children are out fall back to the entrance," Ba'aktar declared to those still standing, "Half those who can still fight will go 'cross before the children an' injured and secure a landing, the rest defend the beach until all the children an' injured are across. Let's go!"

Ba'aktar acted as a rear guard as the injured were collected and moved out. He takes a moment to grab the creature's two heads for trophies after directing the cultists to lie face down on the ground. Despite that he hoped to see them again once he was outside on the beach. He wanted to kill every cultist he lay eyes on in this place. It wouldn't change what had happened to him, but it would easily make him feel better.

 

[Phoenix]

The surrendering cultists were short work for Ba'aktar, Taran, Twitchy, and the Dire Wolf. Their vulnerable pink flesh gave way to Ba'aktar's khora without a fight, erupting in geysers of blood that sprayed across the chamber with wanton abandon.

Seeing the children, Ghost grabs the bottom of the closest ladder and begins to climb. From below he can hear orders being barked from Ba'aktar, telling some of the warriors to follow and protect the children.

Ghost reaches the walkway first and is able to run alongside the fleeing children as they make a break for the beach, willing to protect them against whatever horrors may try to stop them.

Without the men to bar the doors in the lower part of the chamber, the remaining soldiers would not last long holding them shut, but no more assaults come. The robes that were trying to get into the fight had given up, or simply gone somewhere else.

 

[Fenris]

Phoenix
[sblock] just to clarify we opened all the cells correct? [/sblock]

Jovik starts herding the children out of the main chamber, directing them to the far door and the exit, few had trouble following directions. Jovik mainly followed behind to help up the samllest members two toddled along to their destination or were weak enoughto need the occasional hand up. He will keep Wasp near him as Wasp seems the only hope The Jackal has of sorting this mess out and from what Wasp said the Jackal seemed the Wasp's only hope as well.

Once the children are all out and into the main chamber The Jackal will close the door in the far wall leading to the cells and lock it with picks then will break the lock.