((Ahh, I think I miss read that, anyways. He didn't convert me, he just convinced me that I should let the jury do there thing. So I think my action is still the same. He's not going to be happy with all the innocent blood.))

Dahme'dre looks back at the collapsed dining room as she concentrates on the rhythm of her song. She calls out, "Great thinking Aio! That'll keep them off our tails!"

((I presumed Aio hadn't included an action in her post because she is stunned. Erdan was posting his action for the first found of combat, to occur in initiative order))

(Correct, unless the healing word fixed that)

Haseren steps over the corpse, swings his sword through the air to hurl the remaining blood off it, than turns towards the remaining enemies. "Alright, who's next", he asks them, giving a menacing look.

(Intimidation: 15 )

(My initiative was 13, good to have it here where it's needed and where everyone else can see it.)

(And hi everyone, you sure started fast. It took me a moment to catch up after I noticed you started already, and by then you were already under attack. So I've been hanging here in the back alley, trying to plan how to warn you or to distract these thugs, but ended up just attacking them.)

(Stunned is a condition set in by the fall. Would just being healed fix that or would there be a (relatively low) DC check for consciousness? I'm totally fine if Aio springs back awake :P)

(Good to have you here! I was actually worried for a moment when I heard every escape route was almost certain death.)

Aio caught sight of the half-orc and froze. He was huge, muscular, brutish, and... monstrous. His features were so familiar. Aio's blood ran cold at the sight of him. 

He isn't one of them. He isn't. But he looks so much... He is our barbarian? He will be traveling... With us? 

Aio lost her composure and shuddered at the thought. Her breathing lost its rhythm and the calm that permeated her body fled and was replaced with terror. The terror of pain and memory and loss. The sword nearly fell from her talons as her mind was overrun with images of green skin, pointed ears, and tusks. The shouting voices rang in her ears and the smell of blood seemed to be all around her. Feathers drifted down from the sky in front of her eyes.

Snap out of it! You can do this.

With an effort of will, Aio calmed her breathing and focused on the task at hand, allowing a sense of calm to wash over her. She was still shaken, but she was no longer frozen in fear. She rushed forward and slashed at the warrior in front of the doorway with her Shortsword  ( Attack: 10  Damage: 8 ) before lashing out with her talons and striking at his eyes. ( Attack: 7  Damage: 5  )

(OOC: The second damage roll isn't showing up for whatever reason. 7 and if there's a Constitution check, then 4  )

(EDIT: Fixed the damage roll on the first post. Won't remove this one so it doesn't say roll manipulation )

((OOC Post))

A lot happening at once while I was asleep. Couple of things to clear up. 

First, my apologies for causing a lot of confusion with the insight check and results. My poor description at fault here, mea culpa.

The insight check wasn't to check if you were converted, or to see if he was having a crisis of faith. It was to check if he was a genuine believer, or an opportunist. You can infer from your rolls what you will. This would have been explained by Lady Bizmaria at a later date, but unfortunately Aio blew her to bits so you may never learn. Blame the Karate-Chicken.

Second, let's have a quick chat about how we're going to handle combat. 

Once I call for initiative rolls, we are in initiative turn order. 

At that point, you have two options of how to proceed. You can post your action whenever, and have it play out in initiative turn order, or you can wait for me to get to your turn and ask you what you do. The only rule there is to not post multiple times before I have a chance to play out your actions.  

The latter is more reactive, but will be slower. The former might mean I have to interpret your post slightly if something between your post and when it would play out changes the battlescape. For example, if you tell me you charge thug one, but someone who moves before you kills thug one, I might redirect your charge into thug two.  

Different players can play using different options, it should all still work, so do whatever makes you comfortable. 

Third, I'm pretty relaxed about dice modification and so forth. I don't think it's in anyone's interest to cheat in what is ultimately a collaborative storytelling exercise. Obviously we can re-examine this if someone begins rolling a suspicious amount of 20's in edited posts, but no one in this group strikes me as the type.  

(I personally prefer the second initiative method for the reason you described. There are times when someone may need to roll a save or redirect to a new target due to circumstances before their turn. Since everyone posted their first round of moves, I vote for resolving it as such and continuing in initiative order. It works for this round because everyone is more-or-less focused on different things, so there is little chance of affecting each others' actions. Besides, if someone knows it will be a while before they can post on their turn, they can always throw out their actions in a general wording and let it play out until they come back.)

The party enters the kitchen with much of the tavern falling in behind them, flames and falling beams cascading in waves at their backs. The heat and noise are near unbearable, deafeningly loud and searingly hot. 

((Aio, because you were stunned, I'm moving you to the end of the initiative order but still processing your turn))

The brute with the large spiked club takes it up in two hands. He takes one look at Haseren, standing over the near bisected corpse decides the soot stained crowd emerging from the kitchen to be the safer option. He charges forward at Erdan and swings his club in a low arc angled upward, attempting to drive the nails on its tip through your abdomen. The swing is vicious but slow and you twist backward, the club whistling past you and taking a chunk out of the doorframe on your left. 

The stout dwarven woman is made of sterner stuff than her colleague. She advances on Haseren with her shield up, her steps controlled and economical. With a roared oath, she unleashes a powerful blow against you with her hammer, arcing it to the right in an effort to avoid your shield. Prepared for such a maneuver, your sword arm moves of its own volition, slapping the head of the hammer midway through its swing to deflect it harmlessly into the floor. You roar your challenge into her face, causing her to blink slightly, not truly frightened but set on her heels by your challenge and the casual manner in which you dealt with her strike. 

Dahme'dre, you step up behind and just to the side of Erdan, the empowering magic of bless pouring from your fingers. Valen, Aio and Erdan glow with empowerment and good fortune, feeling as if they have a store of additional luck to call upon at will. 

Erdan, with the club still whistling past your stomach you take a half step back and concentrate on the mesmerizing world of slumber. You stretch out your hand, directly into the face of the thug before you and he crumples, his legs folding under him as he collapses into a deep slumber. With arcane power still coursing through your veins, you transfer your focus and pointing finger to the dwarven woman engaged in combat with Haseren. She sways on her feet, visibly trying to fight your spell but it's simply too strong, and she falls to her knees, and then entirely, slumping at Haseren's heels.  

Valen, you snap out a healing word and Aio's eyes flutter open, her wounds closing in response to your divine power. With a shout, you charge past the falling thug and come up behind the slumping dwarven woman, ready to crush her skull should you so desire. 

Aio, you run forward and stand over the supine, sleeping thug, your shortsword raised and talons poised. Should you wish it, you can snuff out his life with a single thrust. 

From behind you, you hear Garrock snarl encouragement, urging you to knife the bastards for what they've done to his livelihood. The wounded barmaid just trembles, cradling her broken arm. 

((Initiative order over. You can now act normally. Well done on you first victory! Please be sure to keep track of spellslots used. 

I'll be awarding experience to the whole party, even when people do things on their own. I think this keeps things neat and doesn't create weird incentives or disinecentives for splitting up. 
))

After Erdan's spell goes off, he will say

"We have 1 minute before these two wake up. If we want to finish them, lets do it now! Otherwise, we need to go!" 

Aio stood straight once the thugs were dealt with, then drooped once more, trying to ignore the half-orc. 

"The Duchess... She... She did not make it." Aio said softly. "The mob will come. With the Duchess gone... If you choose to leave now, you may. I will fly the scroll to Salvadar if I must. I am committed." 

Aio was nearly trembling over the feelings of guilt she felt over the Duchess' death. 

I am responsible. Another sin to ameliorate. Taking this scroll to Salvadar won't make up for her death, but it will be a good start. I can't reveal that I am responsible for her death to the others, despite the fact that I know it is the right thing to do. If they find out, my goose is cooked. I will keep it to myself. Another secret to keep, another burden to bear. 

Erdan still had a smirk throughout all of this. On news of the duchesses death, his smile finally falters. 

"We will have time for mourning and planning after we get out of harms way. Let's move! Garrock, do you have everything you need from in here?" Turning to the remaining barmaid, "Get what ever you need as well, we are leaving this building"

Erdan will move out into the alley and wait for everyone to leave the building. 

((Sorry all, miscalculated the exp because I vastly over-estimated how much you'd need to get to level 2! 

Experience awarded:
- Escaping the Tavern (Event): 300xp
- Thug 1: 100xp
- Thug 2: 100xp
- Dwarven Woman: 250xp

Total: 750xp / 5 = 150xp per party member. I will add these to your character sheets.))

Dahme'dre calls to her allies "The way is clear, let's get clear of the city." She maintains her composure but her eyes glow bright red with the flames of her fury at the Duchess passing.

Dahme'dre lifts her skirt and starts down the alley. She concentrates on the rhythm of her blessing should it be needed before it expires.

((Dahme'dre is out of first level spell slots. She can recover with a Short rest))

Aio follows after Dahme'dre, sparing a glance at the half-orc and shuddering a bit, before catching up to the human and making her way down the street. 

(OOC: The Nightwish song was a great reference, btw. Made me chuckle.)

Erdan will search the dwarf woman while waiting for everyone to leave the building. (Investigation 14)

He will take her hammer and throw it away from her, unless Haseren wants it. If he see's her holy symbol, he will take that. 

Haseren watches in wonder as his opponent falls asleep under his glare, but soon notices Erdan pointing at her. He nods, and as everyone gets over the fight ending before it really started, he points towards an alley. "I came from there but a few minutes ago, and I'm pretty sure none of this scum was making its way there. Should still be safe to go through", he says.

As Valen backs out of the burning room, he yells back over the roar of flames and voices, "Coward! Your blood is that of liars and deceivers and you have proven weaker! You would bring an army against one and invoke the Gods for petty schemes! I am Valen, Blessed of the Bastion; know my name and seek me in this world so I may show you the true mettle of Gods."

Valen considers the unconscious enemies and his axe for a moment. Not that they weren't deserving, but it wasn't right to kill someone outside of a fair fight. With luck, the Gods would decide their fate when the building collapsed. He will see to it that everyone is out safely before moving to the front with Hasaren, "The Duchess died an honorable death. We cannot change what has happened in our lives, and we work to shape what will come. The only thing we can truly do is decide each day if we will succumb to the world or continue to fight for another day." He will sling his axe on his hip and replace it with the sword from the other side.