Crimson Sands of Time

As you exit the door a detail of Thayan knights on its way to the black site in response to the chaos that has erupted, bearing torches, weapons held at the ready (three have swords, three crossbows. Those with swords hold the torches) arrives from the south

Spotting the door opening, and currently 30ft away, they call into the dim light. "By order of Tharchion Halarkoun, halt!" 

Crossbows descend to aim straight at Trisk as their stocks find the knights' shoulders and world to their faces. The knights fingers just brushing their triggers.

If you can see them, each of the six knight bears one of the following three insignia:

(Ooc: I've got this timed such that Trisk opened the door, the others are still inside the building, so the Thayan knights are seeing what look to be inquisitors and Troopers but not the body of Jigor or CW who looks like a civilian / prisoner. So, how do you want to proceed?)

OOC merry christmas/ happy holidays everyone! )

Before leaving, tetrevess sweeps the papers into his pouch, hoping for something of interest to the cause, and follows along.  “I suggest we lie, if anyone is good at it.  I am not, sadly.” he says mentally to the group.  

Anyone can attempt this, just pop out and say something.

<If it's not clear from your words, please indicate if you're disguised as an inquisitor, trooper or other.>

Trisk will move slowly and casually back into the room so that he is out of line of sight, even closing the door a little if needed before opening it again. During the time when he is not in the line of sight of those outside he will cast Seeming on the group to give everyone a fresh disguise of an inquisitor or trooper (we don't even have to have Jigor appear as a prisoner but instead a wounded inquisitor or trooper if we wish).

Then Trisk will emerge and call the approaching forces over to help secure the area. Explaining that they may be followed from within and to aid in preventing that from continuing now that they are outside.

Trisk's Deception: 19 

As Trisk dashes behind the door, a Thayan knight looses a bolt thst strikes the door as it closes. Splintering the wood at rhe seam between boars where it protrudes slightly into the building beyond., sticking in the wood.  From without, as Trisk casts seeming he hears the voice of the knight who ordered him to freeze admonishing the careless crossbowman "Hold fire!  Those could be inquisitors!  Could you tell in the shadows!?  You will await my order, Irhrand. Is that understood?!"

As Trisk re-emerges, (looking similar enough whether he chsnged appearance or not, given the dim light and the chaos of the situation, thst he is regarded as rhe same person who just retreated when challenged,) "What is the current situation within <X>?"

<X = "Inquisitor" or "Trooper", as appropriate. (Please indicate) >

(The rolled 9 is associated with the act of moving back into the building. The next stated action is negotiating. The prior failure raises the DC.)

Trisk has a disguise of an Inquisitor.

"There has been a breach on the upper levels, some went up and others tried to make it down to us, we managed to get out this way and that is where we are now."

"We could use your aid to stop any pursuers while we see to our injured."

Trisk's Deception: 5 

CW steps forward looking like a trooper, dragging Jigor (who looks like an inquisitor) as he would an unconscious person and says, "Come on Brandil, you're leaving out the important parts. Sending them in this way will get them needlessly hurt." He turns to the knights and says, "Someone set off a poison cloud in there and we're getting clear of it by coming out here. What you do is up to you, but I feel it would be best to guard the perimeter to make sure the invaders and prisoners don't escape rather than exposing yourself to the poison. Right now, our priority is to get him out of here." indicating the body he is dragging.

Deception check: 7 (of course I rolled a 1).

<ooc: Looks like we're in another fight.>

CW readies his action to cast Darkness on his quarterstaff at the first sign that his story is not accepted by the knights.

The Thayan Knight nearest the door starts to respond to the inquisitor. Right, protective posture, HVP, ackno.."

"Wait." says dht familiar voice of the Knoght with the shield emblem, the same voice that was yelling after the bolt was loosed from a now reloaded heavy crossbow. "Aren't you a little short for a Corps Trooper?"

<I know he's disguised as an inquisitor, I really just wanted to use the Star Wars line. Seriously, though, CW is mechanically Small: max 4ft, with up to one extra foot from seeming. This isn't the reason for the outcome, it's the failed roll, of which there were two, (effectively being a roll with AD from Help action,) which failed.  I think the word choice was solid, so the height thing is just an excuse why, in-universe, the knights would doubt the apparent inquisitors.>

"Sir?" Replies a crossbowman, bearing a single-sword emblem, glancing at the knight who questioned CW's stature, trying not to take his eyes off the pair of inquisitors.

A pregnant pause fills the air, from within the building, a commotion can be heard from tbe door to the left, by which the party entered,  initially. 11.

"SENYAL!" Cries the Knight as two heavy crossbows let bolts fly at:

1. CW 26 for 11 piercing

2. Trisk 15 for 11 piercing

The other three knights, who didn't give the order, charge at the pair, ready to storm the door as CW casts darkness on the staff he carries.

"Geldiezina!" Cries a k ight qith two swords lrading rhe contigent stroming the door. The knights continue to charge into the darkness, gleaming greatswords swallowed by shadow as the evening rain begins to fall and the clap of thunder sou ds through the city to the south. (This is a routine scheduled magical event, it could have mechanical effects, but its just a thing thst happens)

A. x Trisk: 21 for 22 slashing damage.

B. x CW: 16 for 22 slashing damage.

<DA on the melee attacks, the first crossbow attacks are rolled as normal, being the trigfer for the reaction.>

Players are up. Everyone but Trisk and Careless Whisper are inside, presumably at the top of the stairs, maybe in the room with the desks. I'll try ro get a map up tonight. Initiative exists. These guys are 20. If anyone has above that, you can act first, but if you're not out there, your actions above initiative 20 are confined to things inside the building. You can, as usual, choose to move your action to after the NPCs and take your whole action any way and anywhere you choose, within the limits of your movement, augmented as applicable by spells, etc.

Trisk will cast Shield to protect himself from the crossbow bolt.

Not drawing the light circles, but torches illuminate the area. Interior PC locati9ns are approximate, movement distance is therefore 'loose'

Both the bolt and the sword slash miss CW by mere inches.

<ooc: was hoping the bolt would hit so I could deflect missiles back at them>

Players are up. I did go ahead and recolor the darkness and add the torchlight.

Trisk is going to cast Major Image and create the illusion of Jigor holding a lantern within the darkness where no one can see either.

Then Trisk will move 1 square diagonal to the top left, which is still in the darkness, or Northwest if the top of the map is North.

How do we think this works? The lantern is magical light? I guess? So it shines through the darkness, as MI is a higher level or what?

Bullseye 60ft cone, but default I think hooded. 30ft radius bright + 30ft dim.

Darkness is 15ft, level 2. M.I. is 3rd level up to 20ft cube. So, he could have a cube containing the light from the lantern within the sphere of darkness. One side would have max length of 30/(3^(½)) = about 17.3ft.

That means light visible for 8.66ft in any direction followed by a curved volume over darkness extending a max length (at ground level, or point above ground parallel to source of darkness) of 6.34 additional ft.

Of course, if Trisk is moving around d a corner, the light fro. The lantern might not go there.  Also, ad it js a major image and not a genuine lantern, the light can behave however Trisk wants it to within the cube he creates. I'm just notdarkness. sure the goal or what attacks get DA feom drakness. If @Brian_Avery could draw a square or other shape in owlbear, it would help.

https://www.owlbear.rodeo/room/V64TuMcUPJi8/TheAridCatch