WIS save 15

Anger about the whole shenanigans courses through Avaria.  First she looses the doppelganger that attacked Hammerdasher and now this.  Slumping her shoulders, she picks up Jan as Marrin heals her so she can run, and then heads out with her, not leaving her side.

Ula's chainmail clinks along behind.

The group heads for the main gate, taking a slightly curved path to avoid the melee in the parade ground. 

Assuming everyone is dashing, Jan, Avaria, Ethel and Ula get about 10' from the gate, Marrin, having a head start gets through and out onto the street.

"Fall back," Mard's voice can be heard calling. 

His guards begin backing up towards the gate, covering the party's exit.

More cursing and sword clashing emerges but everyone remains standing.

Jan's K friend leaves the room where they saw Ethel looking through the curtains and heads to the third room, finding it empty. K's pretty stumped now as to where the mayor might be.

Marrin will jink to the right once through the gate to get rid of any line of sight problems, if possible.

Jan pants, wincing from the spear wounds and the start to a nasty headache, reaching out to K for clarification that he saw Ethel in the house, letting them know that Ethel is out here.

"Bastard's wearing your face now Ethel, unless I'm understanding things wrong."

K is pretty sure they had an image of Ethel in front of them in the one room. They're a little confused now as how Ethel moved so quickly to get from the second floor to almost across the parade ground.

Jan informs K that the Mayor can take on other people's faces much like she can, and that is the Mayor pretending to be Ethel, and asks them to keep an eye on the fake Ethel in the house.

"Should we head to Ula's house?  Her parents should be on alert and also, the mayor might take this out on them... but we definitely need to leave town."  Avaria looks to the others to see where they should go to get themselves out of this mess.

If Mard's crew needs any help in disengaging, Jan will send a crackling blast at one of the mayor's guards once the party gets near the gate to help them be able to peel off and fall back.

Attack: 26 Damage: 10 force and 2 bludgeoning

Ethel's eyes sparkle darkly upon learning the Mayor was mimicking her through magic.  She opens her mouth but then chokes back whatever she had planned to say. thinking better of it.

"Once we are out of here, we'll talk to Mard.  He will know better if the Broken Oar will see retribution over this, and what to do about it."

She resists the overwhelming urge to continue attacking these guards with her spectral claw, and joins the others in dashing away.

Jan is fuming, but isn't going to take her friends to task until they've managed to successfully extract themselves. She lets K know that she'll be moving out of range, and to stay hidden and listen to what the fake Ethel or any of the others say or do, and that she'll call them back once the group makes it somewhere safe, or if she needs them sooner.

The party gathers outside the gates and starts heading back towards the Broken Ore. 

They can still hear fighting from within, but Mard reappears moments later with two of his guards, and runs after the group.

He's bleeding but not heavily. But talking while running seems too much for him at this point.

As the group heads north, then east towards the Broken Ore, they're met by a welcoming party near where the guard barracks are.

A grimfaced Maisie and equally serious Olek Stonecast along with Hammerdasher and Geffroi run towards the group, pulling up with Maisie looking quickly behind the group, her eyes growing wider.

"Where's U-" Maisie begins but can't even finish saying her daughter's name before Ula chimes in. "Right her mum. I'm invisible. Not sure for how much longer."

Mard comes to a halt and starts to gesture for everyone to come into the barracks.

"Not bloodly likely," says Olek. He nods his head back the way he and his wife had come from. "The Ore is safer than whatever you've planned in there."

Mard starts to protest, but one look from Maisie and Olek put a quick end to that.

"They can't stay," is all Mard manages. 

Maisie sighs and nods. Then gestures at the group, her hand holding an invisible hand. "We've got all your gear ready. And we packed extra food and supplies."

Hammerdasher falls in behind the group, constantly looking over his shoulder. "The Xanthe's Wish isn't fully repaired, but Bigge says the rest of the work can be done at sea and he can have her launched tonight." 

Avaria looks to Maisie and Olek, "Has our presence put you in danger?  Are you going to be alright?"  and then turning to Mard, "And what about you and your men, this can't be good and I feel just wrong leaving the situation like this?"

Avaria hit on all of Ethel's concerns.  "The Mayor doesn't seem like the type to know when to leave well enough alone.  And he is obviously not averse to hiring cutthroats to do his dirty work.  I worry greatly for anyone we leave behind here."  She cannot think what this must be like for Ula, with so many of her kin here, potentially in harm's way.

Mard sighs again but shakes his head.

"I don't think he'll mess with the Stonecasts. Besides Maisie and Olek being more than capable of handling themselves, they're also two of the most beloved residents of this town. The mayor would have open rebellion if he did anything to them or the Broken Ore."

Mard looks back in the direction of the mayor's compound.

"This was bound to happen sooner or later. Klein and I will chat and come to an agreement and life will go on here. But that will be easier if you're not here."

Mard's hooded guards have disappeared into the night and two regular town guards come out of the barracks, looking curiously at what's going on.

Maisie pats Avaria on the arm.

"Don't you worry about us. We've been dealing with greater dangers than Mayor Klein since before you were born."

Avaria gives Maisie a smile, then exchanges it for a hug.  "If you're sure.  If you're better off with us gone, we'll leave tonight."  Turning to Hammerdasher, "You're coming with?"

Hammerdasher looks at Avaria and nods his head but then stops and frowns a little.

”I would come but I have a duty to my clan. I have to head north and try to figure out away to get our wealth back. If you are heading north I would happily hitch a ride but if you’re headed elsewhere, I’m afraid our journey together will have to end here.”

"He has power... he vanished from Avaria's grasp, and reappeared down the hallway, vanished again, and is able to put on Ethel's face, and reach out to damage our minds. Not one to be taken lightly, much to our disappointment.", Jan mutters.

"Let us gather our things and make for the ship, then, before Mayor Klein has a chance to marshal a sortie against us."

She looks at Hammerdasher.  "We have threads pulling us in many directions.  I'd say we have an interest in the north as well... though it isn't our only possible path."

"What do you think?" she asks of Jan, Marin, Avaria and Geffroi.  "When we unfurl the sails of Xanthe's Wish, to where shall the winds take us?"

Marrin answers that Ula will remain invisible,

"For at least a half more, or so."

She shifts a bit and looks in the direction of the Lintoll. She'll answer Ethel's question,

"I think I am going to be happy to just be away from here. North is fine. When would cast off be?"

Then she'll step over to Maisie and ask,

"All my things are packed? I need to get a wardrobe change and head back to the Lintoll. Noon should know the state of things."

A half deception: 26

"If you need to cast off sooner, I can maybe meet you where we waited when we came in?"

"Noon should know what the Mayor is capable of... and what he knows. You're not going alone, however." Jan agrees.