145

((After 3 more turns)) Uthal and Kel make it from the North Barracks to the wall, all companions and resident guards in tow. Through the open door, the flames can be seen trailing up the staircase onto the 3rd floor.

From the wall, there is a tower with a door, level to the ledge on which the party stands, otherwise to the south, the wall runs off into the night. It continues south, but eventually gets lost in the darkness. Southwest of the wall, outside of the city, there is a concentration of the black ash fog, where according the the clerk’s map, the priory and cemetery should be.

Kel takes a moment to catch his breath before looking at the tower door before looking at Uthal with a nod. "Give me a moment to see." He states before drawing his greatsword. He approaches the door to the tower and tries the handle. Under cover would be preferable to sitting on the wall in the night.

Uthal reaches up before he goes off. "Here, this will help with that." He taps him on the shoulder and Kel's eyes glow, allowing him to see much further than before. 

((Eyes of Night)) 

The door to the tower is not only unlocked, but Kel finds it to be slightly ajar, only an inch or so. The inside is a very bare room, about 15 by 15 feet. In the center of the western wall, an open balcony provides a vantage point to outside the city wall.

A single long table with two chairs are the only furniture, but there are sandbags stacked beneath the table, and a lantern sitting on its surface. In the center of the room a rope hung down from a hole in the ceiling. Looking up through the hole, a large bell is visible.

Directly under the rope is a closed trap door in the floor

Kel gave the tower a look around and when nothing jumped out to attempt to slay him, eat him, or light him on fire he stepped back out to Uthal.

"The room is clear. We should get everyone under cover and go from there. If there is anyone left, Arbitrator or the Watch, that..." He pointed to the conflagration of the barracks. "...might actually attract them, if we are lucky more undead will join the pyre." Kel sheathed his greatsword and bent to the task of moving the unconscious inside the tower.

Uthal helps him pull in the rest and then sits down. "Probably best to wait I guess. The two of us probably won't be much help in our current state." 

"I agree." Kel drops his pack and pulls a chair to the door, leaving it open a crack and dropping a sandbag behind it. He placed his pack on the ground next to him, rested his pike and his greatsword against the wall and fished around in his backpack. He pulled out one of his day rations and split it some of it, tossing the rest to Uthal after a 'heads up' nod. He ate the collection of jerky and dried fruit and kept an eye on the outside. "If you want to rest first go ahead. I will keep a watch."

Uthal nods. "Might as well. Wake me if we're about to die." He turns over and goes right to sleep on the stone. 

((Two hours pass.))
As Kel keeps watch, observing the burning barracks, no additional signs of life showed themselves. The only movement came from the southwestern corner of the barracks, as it crumbled with the flames. Not necessarily crumbling in, but more like sliding down, exposing the inferno within. It made surprisingly little noise as it did so.

Kel rubbed his weary eyes and stowed his whetstone. There was only so much sharpening one could do to a greatsword. Nothing had stirred in the two hours and his shoulders slumped. It was more than fatigue, he was facing the very likely prospect that the City was near collapse and ruin as the Arbitrator did not show. He stood from the chair and the slightly open door and nudged Uthal awake, offered him his waterskin, and then unpacked his bedroll. "Wake me if the clerk wakes, or something else needs putting down again." He made himself comfortable, placing the bedroll by his gear next to the door, resting his mace just within reach. "Use the lantern to signal if you spot anyone, I have a tinder box here." He used it to light a small incense stick from his pack and closed the tinderbox, setting it just inside his backpack. He changed the small flame on the burning incense to a golden hue with a slight gesture. (Thaumaturgy) Kel observed some religious words and when the incense had burnt and the area smelled slightly of sweet smoke for a brief moment, Kel let go of the fire inside his mind and drowned himself in the darkness of sleep.

Uthal sits up and nods, then takes his place near the door to keep watch. While he waits he says a silent prayer to Selune, thumbing his holy symbol as he does. He waits for 4 hours or until the others start to wake. 

((Uthal manages a short rest during Kel’s watch.))

Ura’s eyes open as she awakens from her slumber.

As Uthal takes over, a rumbling sound is heard from outside the tower, as the north barracks collapses in on itself. The building smothering the fire, within it.

The sounds didn’t bring any immediate attention, however approximately one hour later, as the sun began to rise, a large group of armor clad individuals came up the East road, stopping just below, outside the gate and the northern barracks.

Uthal peers out from behind the door, trying to remain out of sight but determine who these people are. He also specifically looks for the Arbitrator. 

Perception: 20

Uthal is able to identify the figures as primarily being members of the South Midgar guard. The same armor and adornments as those he had seen the previous day. A few of them prod at the wreckage of the northern barracks, whose fire had nearly gone out completely. The rest moved beneath the tower, and began opening the northwestern gate.

The arbitrator was not among them.

Within the tower, Anearis joins Ura in the ranks of the recently conscious.

Anearis’ eyes flicker as he slowly regains consciousness. He rises painfully off the ground. This was the most sleep he had been able to have all night.

Once he’s up, he takes a look at his surroundings, as he doesn’t recognize the place he fell unconscious. He notices everyone is either out cold or badly wounded. At the very least, everyone seems to be accounted for. He turns to Ura.

"What...happened? How...did we get...here?"

Atal's eyes open slowly.  Then he winces.  "Damn it," he mutters under his breath, adjusting his armor.  Sitting up, he rubs his head and looks at the others in bemusement.  "Last I remember, I was trying to put out a fire but the fire won."  He pokes himself to be sure.  "Why am I still here?  I didn't think the rest of you would bother to haul me out of there.  Especially since it was my mistake."

He gives Uthal a thumbs up.  "You, I might get.  Here, have this… my thanks, and a compensation for your missing hide armor," he says, throwing the flask of stinking whatever-it-was to Uthal.  (Uthal now has a flask of what I think is alcohol, and a pack of short-fuse dynamite, as a reminder.)

He looks at Kel and scratches his head.  "You're a lot more patient that I figured, too.  Thanks, both of you."

And finally, Atal looks at Anaeris.  "You.  Stop bringing home the undead behind you.  It's really a lost cause."  Still, despite his annoyed tone, he shoulder-bumps Anaeris companionably.

Standing up and stretching, he looks down at Sergeant York, still passed out.  Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the flask of medicine and crouches down by the man, not-so-gently forcing it down York's throat.  "Wake up, sod.  You might be the last competent guardsman left in the city.  One can hope."

Finished with that task, he looks over the clerk.  Since the boy is still asleep, he pulls out his rope and binds the clerk's hands behind his back.  "Let's not have this fool setting fire to anything else when he comes to," he tells the others.  Then he slaps the clerk a few times across the cheek for good measure, ostensibly to wake him up, but really, just to slap him.

Finished with all of that, he stands up and joins the others to look down at the wreckage of the barracks.  "Well, this is shit," Atal observes.  "Should we even bother talking to them, the way things have been going tonight?  At this point I'd place more trust in that bouncer Vincent than any guardsman in this town.  Well, except maybe the Arbitrator, but... I don't see him down there."

Uthal looks down at the elf. "Most of you picked very inconvenient times to try and die. We got out before the place burned down though." He then moves out the door and waves to the guards. "Up here. I've got some survivors with me." 

Atal groans.  "What can I say?  It's in my nature to take risks.  Maybe it's an elf thing."   Shrugging, he pulls out his loaves of bread and salted meat and distributes it among the party.  "Have a bit of a meal, courtesy of the guards.  It's not much, but better than a dry ration.  Now.  I'm going to have a sit down and try to feel a little less like death warmed over.  Call me if there's some emergency.  Or maybe don't.  At this point I'm not sure I'd really want to know."

(everyone gets some salted beef and a loaf of bread)

Kel stirred in his sleep, barely resting his head before being pulled from the waters of inky darkness and thrust once more into wakefulness. Slowly his eyes opened into thin slits as they groggily fed him information. There are voices, some as if they are directed at him, movement just past his head, the sound of an open hand hitting flesh at a high speed. He groaned and forced himself to sit up, a hundred promises of pain sparked across his form, his armor had cooled but he knew he would be raw and sore from the heat.

"Wmh idsihw suzm wapyzmulq? Wmh lyjyr bfwz lazmulq?" he muttered in infernal.

He rubbed his eyes as then someone handed him some bread and salted meat as they spoke. Kel glanced up and blinked. They were dressed like Ura, but they were most certainly not Ura in various places. The shoulders broader, the face sharper. The voice that spoke, as he in bewilderment took the offered items, deeper. Kel blinked again, took some water from his waterskin and splashed his face. ...I think I would have noticed Ura not being...womanly...maybe a spell...A disguise?... "I tfrwy?" he said in infernal at the individuals direction but not in a conversational tone, quieter as if giving voice to a stray thought.

Kel sat back against the wall and closed his eyes, bread and meat untouched in his hands. He didn't drift back to sleep, Azzeal knew he wanted to, but tried to collect his thoughts on what had happened and what they, or at least he, should do now. Sleep seemed prudent and a top need beside healing, he wondered how the Maiden's fared after the unholy night. Kel took a small fingerfull of bread and popped it in his mouth, chewing slowly, pondering. His eyes opened again and he sighed. The world before him was real again.

 Short Rest HP (From the 1 hour Kel got on Uthals Watch): 5

Anearis took the rations Atal offered and thanked him. Without a word, he went to sit down in grim solitude. The elf needed a moment to think and reflect on the night’s events.

Much blood had been spilled in Midgar tonight. The city reeked of death and despair. All Anearis could think about was the priory and the dark clouds that floated above it. It had to be the source of it all. But it was probably filled with more undead than they had faced tonight. He wasn’t sure they’d be able to get in, even with the Southern guard’s help. It felt like a suicide mission.