Evelyn watches the other two men flounder with a twinkle in her eyes. "Ah, they do make you uncomfortable, noted."
Then she turns to Xarian, measuring up the man who surely had some amount of Giant's blood in him. "I could slither along through the grass...But I'd rather not get stepped on in the chaos outside, can I borrow your arm?"
"I can wind around like an armband. If we get into trouble you can just throw me at someone. It's a tactic I've been party to before."
"The star lady, was beautiful. Gentle. A little unsettling, I'll grant you." Hadrian says, beginning his defense. "Snakes are hideous, and completely unnerving. Everything about them. The way they feel, the way they move, and those beady little eyes."
As the druid mentions curling around Xari's arm like an ornament, the young man shudders.
"To be fair, I didn't know she was a traitorous dragon cultist at the time," Aimon insists in his own defence. Though, whether that would have made a difference even if he had known...
Dressed in the cultist robes and mask, he inches back toward the door, nervously imagining their next steps. There's a lot of fire and violence swirling in his mind and he shakes his head to dislodge those worrying thoughts.
"The star lady, was beautiful. Gentle. A little unsettling, I'll grant you." Hadrian says, beginning his defense. "Snakes are hideous, and completely unnerving. Everything about them. The way they feel, the way they move, and those beady little eyes."
As the druid mentions curling around Xari's arm like an ornament, the young man shudders.
"A little unsettling, eh... that's one way to put it..." Xari trails off as he finishes putting on the ill-fitting cultist robes. Her followers had red stars for eyes, their bodies vanished after we slew them, and then she invaded my mind with a future in which the wishes of my worst self were fulfilled.
Yet the big man says none of that, not wishing to raise his friend's hackles. He smiles and lays a large hand on the nobleman's shoulder.
"I wish you the best of her, Hadrian, and I don't think she's evil, true. But neither are most snakes." And you don't seem the overly superficial type, so what does her physical beauty matter? She's not your lover... wait, is she? (He wants to add, but leaves that unspoken as well).
"To be fair, I didn't know she was a traitorous dragon cultist at the time," Aimon insists in his own defence. Though, whether that would have made a difference even if he had known...
"Good to know, Aimon." Xari grins at the young merchant's defensiveness. Both Hadrian and Aimon seemed a little defensive at his jibe, come to think of it. "Good to know. I'm uncertain what's come over me. I'm just teasing you both, though I don't normally do that to anyone, and my stutter is gone..."
Evelyn watches the other two men flounder with a twinkle in her eyes. "Ah, they do make you uncomfortable, noted."
Then she turns to Xarian, measuring up the man who surely had some amount of Giant's blood in him. "I could slither along through the grass...But I'd rather not get stepped on in the chaos outside, can I borrow your arm?"
"I can wind around like an armband. If we get into trouble you can just throw me at someone. It's a tactic I've been party to before."
"Armband. I can do that." The big man kneels and offers his left arm as he grips the hilt of his greatsword in his right hand.
He smiles up at Evelyn. "You get antsy and start to bite or strangle me, though, you best finish the job, or we're going to have words later."
(With his left hand still free even after Snevelyn settles on the arm above it, Xari re-casts Blade Ward before venturing back out into the night.)
Xarian As you taste the slightly salty fluid, words you shouldn't understand begin to float freely in your mind. You remember reading about something like this in one of Orlan's tomes. Must be a Potion of Comprehension.
In a swirl of green energy Evelynntransforms as she had done before - this time not into the hulking form of an elk, but into the small, unassuming form of a snake. She slithers up Xarian's arm underneath the robe, coiling around to secure herself.
Rox watches with a look mixed between fascination and fear, as if he too were unsettled by serpentine forms.
With your disguises set, you move out of the house, now able to walk the streets of Greenest a little more freely. Aimonleads you west along the road, then north. As you round the corner you pass a group of cultists mixed in with the nonuniformed raiders -- and they pay you no mind.
In no time at all you come to the intersection where both Sibba's shop (where you might be able to find some more healing potions), and the warehouse belonging to Aimon's family are located. Unfortunately - both are ablaze. You stand in front of the small apothecary shop, looking through the kicked in door. The inside of the shop isn't a complete inferno. But the fire is spreading quickly. If you want to search it, you'll need to do it quickly.
On the western corner of the road, the warehouse is in much worse shape. Parts of the roof have already caved in from the structural weakening due to the flames. But the entrance is still unblocked. Similar to Sibba's, it won't be long before the blaze makes entry impossible.
As they round the corner and Aimon sees his Perynor's Gilded Ledger engulfed in fire his shoulders slump. Mother would not be pleased with this development. It's not his fault though... The yellow and orange flames are reflected in his vibrant green eyes before he lets out a defeated sigh.
He turns to his companions, obviously crestfallen, but gestures urgently to Shiba's shop.
"That's it. The place we might find some more potions. We'll have to be quick."
"You feel like you need anything from the warehouse, Aimon?" Xari eyes the roaring flames engulfing the larger structure warily. "Or just the shop?"
Not otherwise knowing what to look for and having a sentient snake wound around his left arm, the big man defaults to moving west, then northwest, stopping in the path between the two burning buildings, just west of the cart. Standing guard, he casts and concentrates on Blade Ward once more.
Aimon wants to say yes. He wants his new, obviously capable, companions to help him save whatever might be left. He wants them to rush in ahead of him and carry out his clients' precious artifacts. Mother would expect at least that.
But he shakes his head.
"It's not important. The potions. Quick!"
Despite himself he moves quickly toward Sibba's store.
Hadrian glances over at the burning warehouse as Xarian mentions it. When Aimon insists it isn't important, he shrugs and follows the sorcerer into the burning apothecary to help look for and retrieve the supplies they're after..
"To those who refuse to bear serpents," drawls Xari laconically to Snevelyn who is hidden beneath the sleeve of his robe, "falls the task of charging into burning buildings for salvage." His stutter seemingly gone for now, the big man peers around to watch for nearby creatures or hazards.
(If it matters, Xarian's Passive Perception is 13 - did not roll... he has no darkvision but the fire may shed sufficient light...)
He does his best to appear like a lazy cultist who can't be bothered to assist his fellow looters, lounging outside instead, looking bored.
Aimonand Hadrian The pair of you rush into the burning building. Even the parts of the shop that aren't on fire are a mess - all manner of herbs, clay pots, and other supplies strewn about on the floor. You work quickly to salvage what you can from the inferno, finding 3 potions stashed away in the back of a cabinet. Before you can search any further, part of the roof comes crashing down. The smoke and heat from the fire are starting to become too much to bear.
You may continue searching, with a CON save and another Investigation check. Otherwise you can exit the shop freely.
Xarian Plenty of nearby fires allow you to make out the scene around you. Not a hundred feet from where you stand, another small home has been completely consumed in an inferno. Beyond it to the north and northeast, you can see the towering flames of two more burning buildings, both within two hundred feet. Back to the east, the black smoke filled sky is lit with an orange glow as most of Greenest burns. As your companions conduct their search, smaller groups of raiders pass you on their way south down the road, hauling bags of loot. You don't see any townsfolk trying to flee this part of town...At this point they're either in hiding, already captured, or dead.
"Not seeing any surviving townsfolk," mutters Xari grimly to Snevelyn coiled around his arm. "Only looters and burning buildings. Hoping this Lord Myrren and those at the Bent Bow have been able to hold out or get to safety. Otherwise they're dead or captives. This is brutal."
He peers back at the blazing shop that Aimon and Hadrian had rushed into to gather supplies.
"Don't get greedy, friends. Take what you can and let's go. Time might be running out. In more ways than one."
"Not seeing any surviving townsfolk," mutters Xari grimly to Snevelyn coiled around his arm. "Only looters and burning buildings. Hoping this Lord Myrren and those at the Bent Bow have been able to hold out or get to safety. Otherwise they're dead or captives. This is brutal."
From underneath his sleeve, Snevelyn hisses back. "This goes far beyond a sssimple bandit raid."
Aimon briefly considers staying and searching the shop for longer, but Xarian's voice calls him back and he slips back into the street, a handful of potions held out.
"We got these. There could have been more though..." he trails off a little disappointedly.
Hadrian covers his face with his sleeve as the smoke becomes overbearing, following Aimon back out at Xarian's call. He rubs his eyes, still stinging from the smoke. "It's better than nothing. Let's get to your Lord Myrren now."
OoC: I presume no one else wants to do anything at this particular intersection, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, we can always back up!
From where you are now, the manor is a straight shot north along the road. As you get closer, you can see the high walls of the property rising up, lit up by the fire of a nearby general store that's been set aflame. Two raiders pass you heading south south as the gate comes into view, one leaning heavily on the other as blood runs down their leg from an arrow wound. You can see a sizeable group at the gate to the manor grounds, a mixture of robed cultists and non-uniformed raiders. The group yells commands at a blue drake between them, egging it on to ram the gate which seems to have been barricaded.
As you pass by the last two buildings before the manor, two arrows flit through the air. One lands at Hadrian's feet, while another streaks past Xarian's cheek, nearly hitting Rox behind him. You look up at the second floor of the manor in time to see two figures retreat from the window, just as a pair of raiders at the gate step back to return fire with light crossbows.
To your left, you can see another group of raiders huddled in the cover of some trees. Standing tall above them is the half-dragon you encountered at the gate of the keep earlier. They stand with their arms crossed - even from this distance and with their unfamiliar reptilian features, you can make out the frustration in their body language.
While the manor's defenders seem to have noticed you - the raiders have not yet.
OoC: Your disguises have worked automatically in passing. But a direct interaction will require Deception checks!
Xari gestures to the others with his thumb pointing back, suggesting the group step back (south) briefly behind the cover of one of the houses so they are not arrow fodder for Lord Myrren's archers, nor noticed by either group of attacking raiders. Hopefully enough time to decide on an approach.
Once under cover, keeping his voice low, the big man relays the situation to Snevelyn, coiled around his arm, then continues:
"Need to pick our tactic, right now. Before they break through the gate with that damn drake. Seems to me, we could:
1. Remove our disguises so Lord Myrren and his men believe we are here to help. Attack the group by the gate with the drake. Hopefully Myrren recognizes Aimon, and if not, Nighthill said the dragonchess tally between him and Myrren stands at 9 to 8 to prove he sent us. The Myrren's men could then mount a sortie and join forces with us before the other group of raiders behind the trees with that big blue half-dragon bastard can react.
2. Keep our disguises on and surprise attack the half-dragon and his raiders behind the trees first. Every part of me wants to cut that bastard's head off, but... that's not our goal here, just to blindly kill raiders and get bogged down. Goal is to help Lord Myrren and his mean reach safety back to the Keep.
3. Keep our disguises on and try to fool one group or the other to maybe leave off their attack for some reason? Then take out any stragglers and reveal ourselves to Lord Myrren? Problem is if we are out in the open while we do that, Lord Myrren's archers will likely target us.
Any other ideas or specific details? Need to pick a plan and go. Right now."
Just before setting off on whatever course of action the party takes, from behind cover, Xari casts Blade Ward on himself once more.
"Maybe we can draw the group at the gate back into this alley somehow. Then we can deal with them without worrying about whether Lord Myrren's guards recognise us or not," Aimon suggests, his eyes warily glued to the arrow stuck in the ground near where they stood.
"Then we can deal with the other group separately or make a run for the gate, hoping Lord Myrren lets us inside."
Hadrian lifts a boot as the arrow lands at his feet, looking up at the window it came from. He takes a step back while he glances around to get the gist of the situation. His lips curl into a silent snarl as he spots the half-dragon hiding in the trees. From the corner of his eye he notices Xarian motioning for them to back off. He lowers his hand, which had been outstretched, instinctively grasping some weapon that wasn't there yet.
Once they've stepped behind one of the houses, he listens first to the big man, then adds his own thoughts. "I think there's too many to just openly attack...." Especially with that half-dragon and its entourage behind the trees...If they started something at the gate, they'd be on them quickly. And there was no guarantee Myrren and whatever forces he had would come out to join them."We could try going around the manor, maybe try to find a section of the wall we can go over without getting filled with arrows. Maybe like you said, lure away part of the group at the gate with the promise of a way in and pick them off. Or launch Evelyn over the wall to get a line of communication to Lord Myrren?"
He glances behind them, staring down the road to look for anymore approaching raiders.
Evelyn watches the other two men flounder with a twinkle in her eyes. "Ah, they do make you uncomfortable, noted."
Then she turns to Xarian, measuring up the man who surely had some amount of Giant's blood in him. "I could slither along through the grass...But I'd rather not get stepped on in the chaos outside, can I borrow your arm?"
"I can wind around like an armband. If we get into trouble you can just throw me at someone. It's a tactic I've been party to before."
"The star lady, was beautiful. Gentle. A little unsettling, I'll grant you." Hadrian says, beginning his defense. "Snakes are hideous, and completely unnerving. Everything about them. The way they feel, the way they move, and those beady little eyes."
As the druid mentions curling around Xari's arm like an ornament, the young man shudders.
"To be fair, I didn't know she was a traitorous dragon cultist at the time," Aimon insists in his own defence. Though, whether that would have made a difference even if he had known...
Dressed in the cultist robes and mask, he inches back toward the door, nervously imagining their next steps. There's a lot of fire and violence swirling in his mind and he shakes his head to dislodge those worrying thoughts.
"A little unsettling, eh... that's one way to put it..." Xari trails off as he finishes putting on the ill-fitting cultist robes. Her followers had red stars for eyes, their bodies vanished after we slew them, and then she invaded my mind with a future in which the wishes of my worst self were fulfilled.
Yet the big man says none of that, not wishing to raise his friend's hackles. He smiles and lays a large hand on the nobleman's shoulder.
"I wish you the best of her, Hadrian, and I don't think she's evil, true. But neither are most snakes." And you don't seem the overly superficial type, so what does her physical beauty matter? She's not your lover... wait, is she? (He wants to add, but leaves that unspoken as well).
"Good to know, Aimon." Xari grins at the young merchant's defensiveness. Both Hadrian and Aimon seemed a little defensive at his jibe, come to think of it. "Good to know. I'm uncertain what's come over me. I'm just teasing you both, though I don't normally do that to anyone, and my stutter is gone..."
"Armband. I can do that." The big man kneels and offers his left arm as he grips the hilt of his greatsword in his right hand.
He smiles up at Evelyn. "You get antsy and start to bite or strangle me, though, you best finish the job, or we're going to have words later."
(With his left hand still free even after Snevelyn settles on the arm above it, Xari re-casts Blade Ward before venturing back out into the night.)
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Xarian
As you taste the slightly salty fluid, words you shouldn't understand begin to float freely in your mind. You remember reading about something like this in one of Orlan's tomes. Must be a Potion of Comprehension.
In a swirl of green energy Evelynn transforms as she had done before - this time not into the hulking form of an elk, but into the small, unassuming form of a snake. She slithers up Xarian's arm underneath the robe, coiling around to secure herself.
Rox watches with a look mixed between fascination and fear, as if he too were unsettled by serpentine forms.
With your disguises set, you move out of the house, now able to walk the streets of Greenest a little more freely. Aimon leads you west along the road, then north. As you round the corner you pass a group of cultists mixed in with the nonuniformed raiders -- and they pay you no mind.
In no time at all you come to the intersection where both Sibba's shop (where you might be able to find some more healing potions), and the warehouse belonging to Aimon's family are located. Unfortunately - both are ablaze. You stand in front of the small apothecary shop, looking through the kicked in door. The inside of the shop isn't a complete inferno. But the fire is spreading quickly. If you want to search it, you'll need to do it quickly.
On the western corner of the road, the warehouse is in much worse shape. Parts of the roof have already caved in from the structural weakening due to the flames. But the entrance is still unblocked. Similar to Sibba's, it won't be long before the blaze makes entry impossible.
As they round the corner and Aimon sees his Perynor's Gilded Ledger engulfed in fire his shoulders slump. Mother would not be pleased with this development. It's not his fault though... The yellow and orange flames are reflected in his vibrant green eyes before he lets out a defeated sigh.
He turns to his companions, obviously crestfallen, but gestures urgently to Shiba's shop.
"That's it. The place we might find some more potions. We'll have to be quick."
He moves hastily toward the apothecary.
"You feel like you need anything from the warehouse, Aimon?" Xari eyes the roaring flames engulfing the larger structure warily. "Or just the shop?"
Not otherwise knowing what to look for and having a sentient snake wound around his left arm, the big man defaults to moving west, then northwest, stopping in the path between the two burning buildings, just west of the cart. Standing guard, he casts and concentrates on Blade Ward once more.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Aimon wants to say yes. He wants his new, obviously capable, companions to help him save whatever might be left. He wants them to rush in ahead of him and carry out his clients' precious artifacts. Mother would expect at least that.
But he shakes his head.
"It's not important. The potions. Quick!"
Despite himself he moves quickly toward Sibba's store.
Hadrian glances over at the burning warehouse as Xarian mentions it. When Aimon insists it isn't important, he shrugs and follows the sorcerer into the burning apothecary to help look for and retrieve the supplies they're after..
"To those who refuse to bear serpents," drawls Xari laconically to Snevelyn who is hidden beneath the sleeve of his robe, "falls the task of charging into burning buildings for salvage." His stutter seemingly gone for now, the big man peers around to watch for nearby creatures or hazards.
(If it matters, Xarian's Passive Perception is 13 - did not roll... he has no darkvision but the fire may shed sufficient light...)
He does his best to appear like a lazy cultist who can't be bothered to assist his fellow looters, lounging outside instead, looking bored.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Aimon and Hadrian
The pair of you rush into the burning building. Even the parts of the shop that aren't on fire are a mess - all manner of herbs, clay pots, and other supplies strewn about on the floor. You work quickly to salvage what you can from the inferno, finding 3 potions stashed away in the back of a cabinet. Before you can search any further, part of the roof comes crashing down. The smoke and heat from the fire are starting to become too much to bear.
You may continue searching, with a CON save and another Investigation check. Otherwise you can exit the shop freely.
Xarian
Plenty of nearby fires allow you to make out the scene around you. Not a hundred feet from where you stand, another small home has been completely consumed in an inferno. Beyond it to the north and northeast, you can see the towering flames of two more burning buildings, both within two hundred feet. Back to the east, the black smoke filled sky is lit with an orange glow as most of Greenest burns. As your companions conduct their search, smaller groups of raiders pass you on their way south down the road, hauling bags of loot. You don't see any townsfolk trying to flee this part of town...At this point they're either in hiding, already captured, or dead.
"Not seeing any surviving townsfolk," mutters Xari grimly to Snevelyn coiled around his arm. "Only looters and burning buildings. Hoping this Lord Myrren and those at the Bent Bow have been able to hold out or get to safety. Otherwise they're dead or captives. This is brutal."
He peers back at the blazing shop that Aimon and Hadrian had rushed into to gather supplies.
"Don't get greedy, friends. Take what you can and let's go. Time might be running out. In more ways than one."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
From underneath his sleeve, Snevelyn hisses back. "This goes far beyond a sssimple bandit raid."
Aimon briefly considers staying and searching the shop for longer, but Xarian's voice calls him back and he slips back into the street, a handful of potions held out.
"We got these. There could have been more though..." he trails off a little disappointedly.
Hadrian covers his face with his sleeve as the smoke becomes overbearing, following Aimon back out at Xarian's call. He rubs his eyes, still stinging from the smoke. "It's better than nothing. Let's get to your Lord Myrren now."
OoC: I presume no one else wants to do anything at this particular intersection, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, we can always back up!
From where you are now, the manor is a straight shot north along the road. As you get closer, you can see the high walls of the property rising up, lit up by the fire of a nearby general store that's been set aflame. Two raiders pass you heading south south as the gate comes into view, one leaning heavily on the other as blood runs down their leg from an arrow wound. You can see a sizeable group at the gate to the manor grounds, a mixture of robed cultists and non-uniformed raiders. The group yells commands at a blue drake between them, egging it on to ram the gate which seems to have been barricaded.
As you pass by the last two buildings before the manor, two arrows flit through the air. One lands at Hadrian's feet, while another streaks past Xarian's cheek, nearly hitting Rox behind him. You look up at the second floor of the manor in time to see two figures retreat from the window, just as a pair of raiders at the gate step back to return fire with light crossbows.
To your left, you can see another group of raiders huddled in the cover of some trees. Standing tall above them is the half-dragon you encountered at the gate of the keep earlier. They stand with their arms crossed - even from this distance and with their unfamiliar reptilian features, you can make out the frustration in their body language.
While the manor's defenders seem to have noticed you - the raiders have not yet.
OoC: Your disguises have worked automatically in passing. But a direct interaction will require Deception checks!
Xari gestures to the others with his thumb pointing back, suggesting the group step back (south) briefly behind the cover of one of the houses so they are not arrow fodder for Lord Myrren's archers, nor noticed by either group of attacking raiders. Hopefully enough time to decide on an approach.
Once under cover, keeping his voice low, the big man relays the situation to Snevelyn, coiled around his arm, then continues:
"Need to pick our tactic, right now. Before they break through the gate with that damn drake. Seems to me, we could:
1. Remove our disguises so Lord Myrren and his men believe we are here to help. Attack the group by the gate with the drake. Hopefully Myrren recognizes Aimon, and if not, Nighthill said the dragonchess tally between him and Myrren stands at 9 to 8 to prove he sent us. The Myrren's men could then mount a sortie and join forces with us before the other group of raiders behind the trees with that big blue half-dragon bastard can react.
2. Keep our disguises on and surprise attack the half-dragon and his raiders behind the trees first. Every part of me wants to cut that bastard's head off, but... that's not our goal here, just to blindly kill raiders and get bogged down. Goal is to help Lord Myrren and his mean reach safety back to the Keep.
3. Keep our disguises on and try to fool one group or the other to maybe leave off their attack for some reason? Then take out any stragglers and reveal ourselves to Lord Myrren? Problem is if we are out in the open while we do that, Lord Myrren's archers will likely target us.
Any other ideas or specific details? Need to pick a plan and go. Right now."
Just before setting off on whatever course of action the party takes, from behind cover, Xari casts Blade Ward on himself once more.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"Maybe we can draw the group at the gate back into this alley somehow. Then we can deal with them without worrying about whether Lord Myrren's guards recognise us or not," Aimon suggests, his eyes warily glued to the arrow stuck in the ground near where they stood.
"Then we can deal with the other group separately or make a run for the gate, hoping Lord Myrren lets us inside."
Hadrian lifts a boot as the arrow lands at his feet, looking up at the window it came from. He takes a step back while he glances around to get the gist of the situation. His lips curl into a silent snarl as he spots the half-dragon hiding in the trees. From the corner of his eye he notices Xarian motioning for them to back off. He lowers his hand, which had been outstretched, instinctively grasping some weapon that wasn't there yet.
Once they've stepped behind one of the houses, he listens first to the big man, then adds his own thoughts. "I think there's too many to just openly attack...." Especially with that half-dragon and its entourage behind the trees...If they started something at the gate, they'd be on them quickly. And there was no guarantee Myrren and whatever forces he had would come out to join them. "We could try going around the manor, maybe try to find a section of the wall we can go over without getting filled with arrows. Maybe like you said, lure away part of the group at the gate with the promise of a way in and pick them off. Or launch Evelyn over the wall to get a line of communication to Lord Myrren?"
He glances behind them, staring down the road to look for anymore approaching raiders.
Snevelyn pokes her head out from underneath Xarian's sleeve, beady eyes focusing on the nobleman. "Launch me?"
"..."
"It'sss not the worst idea."