The Funeral (Stonegood judging) [finished]

[Someone]

Race for the crystal, round 1

While you stood there pondering what the message could mean, precious seconds are lost. Ceshil waves a spell and runs like the wind, only to bump into a man who was too slow to step aside. Ceshil angrily turns and shouts “The five of you, come with me. The rest stay here and make sure they can’t reach us!”

They obey, some of them making their way through the overpopulated flying platforms. The rest draw their weapons dare you to go to them. Orerreth doesn’t doubt for a second, and rushes towards the one to your right while drawing a small, thin blade. He blocks the soldier’s first swing, dodges under the dagger strike and crashes into him with his shoulder, unbalancing his opponent and counterattacking with his own sword, which tears the Cannit’s clothes but can’t do anything against the mail he wears under them. At the sight of violence, the crowd exhales a cry of surprise and fear, and moves away from it.

[ooc: Crunch details:

Initiatives:

Ceshil 21
Latharion 19 (delayed)
Armed men 18
Orerreth 14
Raven 14
Siobhan 13
Stulgar 9
Niccolo 5

Ceshil goes first, and since everyone is still flatfooted and nobody has Combat Reflexes, he doesn’t have to worry about AoOs. He casts a spell and starts running supernaturally fast, though he has problems with the crowd and can’t make as far as he could.

I interpret Latharion’s actions as delaying to go after the rest of the group, so that’s what he does, and delays.

Obeying Ceshil, 4 of the armed men stay to cut your way while the rest attempt to double move towards the chapel. As what happened with Ceshil, they have problems running through all the people. The rest draw swords and daggers (TWF style) and Ready actions.

Orerreth moves, draws a short sword and faces one of the Cannith soldiers. Blows are traded, but none gets hurt.

Status: Nobody is hurt.

I decided to stop the round there, since I don’t think you imagined the Canniths dividing their forces.

Notice also that your movement through the crowded parts of footbridges and platforms is reduced; for them most part, think on it as difficult terrain except that it doesn’t have any effect on combat (people will be quick to move out of the way when blades clash) unless you can think on something to solve that.

On a related note, the was 10 enemies, not counting Ceshil, in the old map. It was an error, there should be only 9 of them.

Manzanita: I use Macromedia flash MX, though my version is a bit old (V6, and most recent is 9) It takes a bit of work to make the animations, though. Normally I just use photoshop.]

 

[Manzanita]

Raven will make a run for it, though she's torn about the whole issue. Obviously something important is happening, but her role is unclear. She figures if she is attacked, that will settle it for her.

"I'm not with him!" She shouts as she dashes along the edge of the platform. As she passes the first soldier, she unexpectedly drops into a roll.

OOC: The attempt to appear neutral is weak, perhaps, but if appropriate, her bluff check is +6. She takes a double move along the railing to her right, which brings her through the area of one of House Cannit's blades. She will attempt to tumble past to avoid any AoO that might come. Tumble check DC 15 to avoid AoO: 10+7=17. She can move 30 feet with her double move in difficult terrain. Presumably the terrain wouldn't affect her tumble since it occurs before she reaches the bystanders.

PS Love the mapping, Someone. That's the coolest I've seen in 4.5 years of PbP.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: I can't view that file type for whatever reason, unfortunately, so I can't see this map that everyone is raving about--hopefully it'll be okay)

'Violence begets violence, but...I should have expected no less from House Cannith.'

*Siobhan sighs and decides that if the Cannithers want to ready actions, firing her sling might be a fun idea while providing cover fire.*

(OOC: Siobhan will ready to fire her sling at the Cannither most directly blocking her brother's way out (if any--I can't see the map) at just the right time to provide the best distraction / cover fire. The idea is to make it easier for brother to get out, since with this weird magic, he's the only one who has a chance to keep up with Ceshil)

 

[Someone]

(OOC: I can't view that file type for whatever reason, unfortunately, so I can't see this map that everyone is raving about--hopefully it'll be okay)

ooc: Meanwhile you can use this attachment. I thought the animations would be useful to clarify things that would take long to explain, but this one isn't so cool. You have to see the ones I prepared for Wreck Ashore, one of the adventures I DMed in LEW. Or just buy a scroll of Fireball or better yet, Lightning bolt.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Ah, that works. Another idea if she can't fire the sling like that is to just double move past them and provoke the AoOs and readied actions herself--come to think of it Orrereth must have used up at least one of their readied actions to get to that spot, so Stulgar could go left. I'm also thinking of having him attack Ceshil now that Ceshil started with the violence, particularly since Ceshil moves 10 feet faster than Stulgar now if that was just Expeditious Retreat)

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Actually Stulgar is next, isn't he. In that case)

*Stulgar has a plan to gain the edge on Ceshil. It won't be easy, but it should work. If that map is accurate, then we'll be at the chapel within only a few rounds. If that is the case, he's going to go into Shift (as stated) and also Rage, drawing his weapon while double-moving 100 feet at full speed and jumping over the people in the crowd to keep up his speed, rather than slowing for them.*

(OOC: With a +16 to Jump, he can jump over the heads of audience members just by taking 10--this should allow him to make it to the circle part, where he will stand with one space between himself and the northmost side. This way, Ceshil will have to move past him and take an AoO or else go far south and waste movement)

 

[inky]

Niccolo - male human swashbuckler

Niccolo shrugs, taking in the view a minute, and then charges onwards with a shout.

OOC: I'm going to start by just running out and try to get past them -- ideally by the time my action's up someone will have cleared a space, but if not I'll tumble past (1d20+4 = 18) and see if that helps any.

 

[DrZombie]

Latharion swiftblade

Latharion draws his scimitar and waits, then moves to flank as soon as someone of his party is fighting a thug of house Cannith.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Doesn't look like anyone with flank with him but Orrereth--he should just go ASAP)

 

[Someone]

Rounds 1 and 2

The situation quickly becomes a chaotic mess, but the motley group that thought they were just going to a funeral moves like a well oiled machine. They quickly overwhelm the men that stayed behind with a combination of wits and agility, giving the raging Stulgar the opportunity to run like the wind jumping over the people’s heads and catch with the forward group. Two of them, amazed, turn to face him while the rest continue with their mad rush.

Latharion meanwhile watches the action and sees his opportunity. He moves ahead and catches the man that’s fighting with Orerreth by surprise, slashing his neck: the man drops his weapons and falls to the ground, holding his wound. A full battle erupts after that: a blade crashes into Latharion’s shoulder, the mail holds, but the blow is painful. Niccolo’s armor deflects another sword thrust that could have killed him. The rest of the group dodge or parry the Canniths’ attacks, and while all of this happens Orerreth presses forward after Ceshil.

[crunch details:

Ceshil 21
Armed men 18
Orerreth 14
Raven 14
Siobhan 13
Stulgar 9
Niccolo 5
Latharion 4

Raven double moves along the handrail and bluffs the man guarding that spot (it does help she doesn’t have her sword drawn), ending next to Ceshil. (note she doesn’t have her sword out yet, since you said nothing about it)

Siobhan can’t fire the sling: he must draw it (move action), load (another move) and shoot (standard) so I went with the second plan. She draws her scimitar and shield and double moves to draw the guy on the left’s readied action. The attack fails.

(By the way, Siobhan’s AC counts a shield bonus, but I can’t find the shield in the equipment section. You may want to correct that detail)

Stulgar shifts into a gummi bear (a raging gummi bear with a battle axe) and double moves. Given the situation he can’t 10 on Jump checks, but he makes the roll nonetheless. He draws an AoO from the same guy Siobhan threatens, which fails. He moves fast enough to overcome the guys that ran for the chapel first and can’t make AoOs because they don’t have their weapons out.

Niccolo double moves, drawing his rapier and tumbles past his enemies, ending near Ceshil too.

Latharion moves barely enough to flank with Niccolo the enemy Orerreth is fighting with, and manages to sneak attack with his scimitar, finishing the man.

Round 2

Ceshil withdraws through the crowd.

Two of the men ahead draw their weapons and surround Stulgar. The dice god isn’t with them, and they fail again. The rest move forward.

The group on the right maneuver and counter attacks. Latharion receives a sword wound (6 hit points), Raven and Niccolo remain unscathed.

Orerreth presses forward.

Status: Latharion 6 damage]