"As soon as we both make it out alive, they're all yours," Namura responded softly. "I think I was wrong about you."

The ranger pulled the goggles over her own eyes. She struggled for a minute to turn on the foreign technology, but eventually they clicked on. "I'll be on the rooftops. If things go even a little wrong, we flee."

"Scared of the dark? I even found a cinnamon bun in the dark." Buama chuckles. "You need to work on your skills."

There was nothing like drills on making or disassembling things blindfolded though there were some things you never did that with. Or the knowing how to get out of the lab in pitch black in case of a Consulate attack. Yup, things were never boring in a rebel lab that had to be ready for anything and keep them ahead of what the Consulate could do with aether.

"It's just taking me a little while to get my night vision back, is all," Lero pouts.

"As for the split - I can take Azi and Kraithee. I think our skills compliment each other well." He looks at the rest, "Arial, Flux, and Duncan for the second group. Arial and I have a sort of... skill... with unlocking things. It'll help us be silent as we break into these houses."

"So, are we all ready to go?" He opens the basement hatch and looks out into the main room. He turns to the others and gestures for them to follow once he's confidant it's clear.

"That split should work well. I am ready to go."

Flux puts their book away (yes, they were reading again), and starts to climb up to the ground floor to move out.

"Azi, Kraithee, and Lero, yo should take the North side of town, and Arial, Duncan, and I will take the South side."

Azi gives a quick nod. "Just point me in a direction and I will be your shield Lero. Let us get this done."

Lero nods to Azi, but stops Flux as he passes, "No. Typically when we do this sort of..." He stops for a moment, "I mean, it's best to stay close as a group. Hop from building to building and never be further than one building from each other." He grins, "Makes it easier for the overwatch and easier to watch each other's back."

I am ready to make whoever did this to the innocent pay, but I think dividing our party in 3 might be problematic, specially since only one of the two ground teams will have higher ground support. Turning to Lero: I agree Namura and Buma could give us air support but I believe the rest should stay together to receive the support.

Arial nods in agreeance with Lero's comment. "It's definitely best to stick close to each other. We'll sweep the city in zones: it at least seems to be built out in such a fashion. Clusters of buildings amongst the trees and gardens. While scouting, this cluster of buildings seems to be a more residential area, and houses around 25 houses. With the cultists having swept through this area though, I think it would be best to go to another part of the city and check there." Thinking for a brief instant, she recalls, "While viewing through the thopter, I saw a large cluster of buildings just down the road to our right. There's a good chance the cultists have swept through there too. But if not, then that's about thirty-five buildings we've searched before them... and if they're in the process, then that's a few candidates for... enhanced interrogation." A wicked smile crosses her face. "Let's start over there."

She opens the basement door and begins to exit it, motioning for the party to follow suit.

"A much better plan than mine, lets go!"

Flux remains on high alert, and his hand rests on a bottle of alchemical acid, hidden in their alchemist's satchel, ready to throw it as soon as the group is spotted by those who attacked the town.

Namura let her hand rest briefly on Buama's shoulder. "Do not hesitate to run if you think you've been found," she said in hushed tones. "And do not hesitate to signal me if you need me. I won't be too far."

The ranger turned and ran up the stairs until she reached the topmost floor of the house. She found her way to a window, and shimmied her way outside, only needing to climb a few feet to the roof of the house. Like a shadow, she melted into the darkness, leaping from rooftop to rooftop in order to keep up with her companions below (24 stealth.)

Namura's eyes were peeled for anything she could see. Whether that be an enemy thopter, roving murderers, obstacles in her party members' way, or possible survivors. (19 perception.)

Enchanted interrogation, Duncan liked the sound of that! "Lead on Arial, hopefully we will be able to find the survivors and this advance search party."

With great speed and silence, the party splits up into their predesigned groups, heading towards the closest cluster of buildings. Arial was right that the town seems to be built into "zones". Making their way  over, they see a low hanging wall, maybe 8 feet tall, separating the neighborhood they were currently in with the adjacent section of buildings. An open gate stood smashed open, it's remains charred by whatever flame consumed it. From Namura's vantage point, she sees a lone guard, about 80 feet away, wearing the signature cloak and hood worn by such cultists: a black cloak with streaks of orange and red swirling patterns sewn into the fabric, mimicking the aether patterns found on the aetherbeasts. The cultist doesn't seem aware of the party's advancement, but the party hasn't noticed the cultist either, and will fast be turning around the bend, placing themselves in line of sight of his position.

Namura quickly drew and released an arrow in less than a second, the projectile flying through the air towards the streets below. It impacted the earthen streets inches in front of Arial's feet, embedding itself in the ground. That was her warning, as limited as it was. If they didn't get her pointed message, she had another arrow aimed straight for the cultist's skull already drawn.

The arrow penetrates the ground near Arial and Lero gives everyone a signal to get down. He looks around quickly for a threat during those moments of silence, Not an attack.  I assume it's Namura warning us of a threat ahead, he signs to Arial. "Be on the lookout," he whispers to the others.

Namura couldn't see whether the party had received, and understood, her message. The cultist was about to turn the corner, and she had to move fast. She let the first arrow loose, but it went wide and missed him entirely. She estimated she had just enough time for one more arrow, as the cultist hadn't noticed her last attempt. Her third arrow struck true, and the cultist crumpled to the ground with her arrow embedded in his eye.

As the group rounds the corner they're faced with a body from one of the attacking armies. The arrow in the eye is similar to the one that landed next to Arial as a warning. He assumes it was Namura and gives a quick salute to the rooftops as thanks. Lero makes it a point to drag the body out of view as the rest of his group hides.  He sees Arial lead her group into one of the nearby houses, so he takes the time to search the body for anything that can identify the aggressors and once satisfied he leads his group into their first house.

The searches quickly become repetitive as the group enters a house, clears each room, and moves on to the next. Occasionally Lero is able to see a thing of interest and is sure to slip it in his pouch or bag to save for later.

With the guard dead, the party moves forward, hearing the thud of a body falling to the ground. Rounding the corner, they see the elven cultist, lifeless, with an arrow protruding out his eye. Arial signs to Lero, "Remind me not to get on her bad side."  Lero is quick to search the body, finding a wavy dagger, the robes and cloak of the cultist, and a potion with liquid appearing like fire. Moving forward, both search teams pass through the burned down gate, Buama and Namura hopping from adjacent rooftops that span the wall itself. Inside the walls, they find tracks of footprints, some bloody, and streaks of blood created from dragged bodies. It would seem that this place has already been searched by the cultists. Both teams go from building to building, searching systematically, as Buama and Namura remain vigilant in their watch-posts. It would seem that the cultists have abandoned this zone, leaving a lone guard to report on potential movement, as no other cultists can be seen.

Lero's team is either thorough or fortunate, for they find a couple of things while sweeping through the houses: an aether diffuser, 138 gold pieces, four doses of aether, two potions (one filled with a murky green liquid, the other filled with a glimmering red liquid). Arial's team is not quite as fortunate (or they only looked for the survivors), they only find a locked fancy bag and 18 gold pieces in one of its pouches. Rejoining at the far end of the zone, Arial mutters, "For the love of aether, it's like all of my buildings were already looted of anything that could be carried. Give me a minute while I send my thopter up to see what area to head to next."

As they're grouped back together, Lero hands all three potions over to Flux whispering, "You'll probably be able to make more use out of these than I can." He also hands Duncan the Aether Diffuser he snagged from one of the buildings accompanied by two doses of Aether. He then fills his dagger's A.S.D with 2 more doses of aether and keeps watch for anyone approaching.

Buama found the roof setup easy to navigate despite her gear. She had come prepared for anything including moving on to the darksite from here if they figured out which way to go. Every now and then she used her thopter to check behind them to make sure no one was coming back into the zone. Soon they had everything searched. Lero's group had found some useful items. However, no one was alive here and it appeared all the elves had been found and dragged off. 

She used her thopter as a lookout above them to make sure no one was approaching while Arial used hers to explore the next zone. Maybe they would manage to find someone alive and maybe manage to ruin the cultists' night on the town.

Arial's thopter returns within a few short minutes, whizzing silently through the air and reattaching to their wristband. Opening her eyes, she grins. "We've got a large cluster of buildings up ahead. Probably thirty or so buildings. But the best part is? Some cultists are still sweeping through the area. Three, to be exact. That means enhanced interrogation will soon be underway. The way over passes through some sort of park: large trees, pools of water, some boulders... nothing too special. We'll just take a stroll through the park and then hunt down those cultists." She moves forward, leading the party past the zone and heading towards the next cluster of buildings.

The park is dark, yet strangely beautiful. The leaves and vines from the trees glow a myriad of colors, most likely due to selective culturing of different species found in Peema. You quickly notice that all is not right in the forest, as two corpses, most likely elven renegades by the lack of cultist apparel, lie in pools of their own blood just off the road, next to a large basin of water tucked pleasantly under a tree.