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Lazlo will attempt to subdue another Living Armor with the vine arrows. Attack: 22 Damage: 17

((Ok I used the 'Combat' dice this time...))

 Nice damage.  Isn’t that 2 crits in a row?

((Yeah- 2 in a row. I guess the dice roller is over me talking s@&t.))

((You know it's listening, right? XD ))

Skell armor reaction: 5

Failed! Vines entrap: 2

Lazlo's arrow lands true, though he doesn't hit the heart stones of the Skell living armor, what he DOES do is manage to hit such a shot that the weaponized vine seeds implanted into the wood of the shaft are freed at the same time. Grimbuld must have used these arrows on especially large or plentiful targets, because the vines flail out and completely entangle two of them.

Hyre and Aelar's arrows both hit their mark as well, though when their cores are struck, as they're laying exposed due to their altered forms, they react differently than the Guiston Labors do; they spark and pop in a brilliant flash of light. Rather than simply falling into a pile of iron pieces, they shatter apart, violently enough that if one were engaging them in close quarters, there's a good chance that destroying one would result in serious wounds for the victor.

Atetra looses his arrow: Attack: 22 Damage: 4

Demolishing his target. Already down to just 5, the remaining living armor look like they're... turning on one another. One pair that are particularly close together actually take out each other's heart stones. They're trying to self-destruct to avoid capture!

The remaining 3 look like they're going to try and attack the bound up armor.

Kallista takes her own bow and fires off a shot at one of the Skell.

Action: Longbow Attack
Attack: 23 Damage: 12

Aelar switches his target, pulls back, and looses, aiming as the legs of the one of the 3 remaining targets.

Attack: 25 Damage: 9

Kallista's Skell armor pops and falls, showering the one next to it with shrapnel.
Shrapnel: 16 damage: 4

The shrapnel isn't enough to disable the armor completely. Meanwhile, Aelar's arrow shatters the right leg of the living armor about to try and destroy one of the captives. It falls prone, and attempts to reconfigure its body enough to get back up.

There's just one living armor left, and it's already been damaged.

Hyre aims his shot. They aren't taking away his chance to study his enemy. Three of them! They can learn so much from this! 
Attack: 24 Damage: 11.

If Hyre’s shot didn’t take it down Lazlo will attempt to fire again (unless bottled Leon/Atetra go first?).

Attack: 22 Damage: 4

The guys perform like absolute units and the final Skell armor shatters apart.
Only moments afterwards, the huge, heavy doors of the Archives push open. They weren't a moment too soon as the doors look like they could be taken down by a particularly aggressive fart. Balgrim emerges first, holding a chair leg as a club. He waves the party down enthusiastically. It seems the young dwarf managed to save quite a few of his fellows despite the intensity of the initial attack.
The pilot begins setting the kite down while the Watchmen continue to reload their rifles.
"Well, ye certainly know how ta make an entrance, bless me." he says, though he is temporarily taken aback by Kallista's appearance, once things are explained, he calms down.
"We best be off, I kin show the way to the Chamber. Two dozen of em', all dressed in grey, covered up so we couldn't even see their eyes came up from the cistern. They had those blasted animated suits of armor, took us by surprise. I haven't heard much since the initial attack, though. They took the inner sanctum and then... nothing... I'm sure if they wanted to, they could have breached the archives, but I don't think they plan ta stay long. It's like they were just makin' sure those of us who survived stayed put." Balgrim explains.

"But enough gab, I know how to cut the feed to the Labors, just gotta get me close enough to stamp the kill rune. We doin' this fast an' messy?"

((Heads up, I have a colonoscopy Thursday and 'the purge' is tomorrow. I don't know if I'll have it in me to post anything on those days, but we'll see.))

((Oof- the prep is pretty awful. The night night gas though will see you through it. Hang in there! ))

ooc: Hello, everyone.  I'm leaving for Germany today.  In all the excitement I forgot to let you all know.  I will have my computer and phone and internet and downtime (I think) so I plan to stay current but if I lag, please feel free to bot my character.  Thanks!

((Understood! You guys can post away now. Things kind of got away from me a bit while I was under. Lots of chores and work to catch up on, but I think I have things in hand now. Turns out I have diverticulosis, so that's not great news. At least I can eat solid foods again.))

Aelar nods.  "I'm not happy about that but I think a quick, hard strike is probably our best best.  Hyre, I think it'll be a good idea to leave a couple of the watchmen here to guard the captured Skell-things, in case they get free and try to kill each other.  What do you think?"

"You're probably right, with one change. I'll stay here and watch them too." Hyre declares. To the inquiring looks he receives, he answers: "Though I'd like to see the heart chamber and know what it looks like... I feel staying here is more important. For me, at least. With Balgrim's guidance, Kallista's new powers and your magic, I doubt there'll be much use of me there. Even Lazlo with this bow of his and his inspiring songs might be of more use." If the others are still unsure, he continues: "Besides, we don't know how long they'll stay like this. I want to stay here, watch and make sure they don't free themselves and self-destruct. This is an invaluable chance to learn about our enemies. I can't let it slip away." It is strange, for Hyre, who is usually overprotective, to let the others go without him. Yet, he puts his trust in everything he mentioned earlier, and his willingness to do this just shows how important the matter is to him.

Lazlo looks to his friend Hyre “It’s a borrowed bow- and my voice is on again off again… not reliable in the least. Prone to cracking at the least bit of notice. If you’re sure you’ll stay here- I hate to leave you alone but… we must put this thing to an end.” Lazlo readies I self as best he could before setting off with his friends.

Barna looks torn, then takes her place near Hyre.
"I'll stay back too. I don't have any special abilities yet, and we're out of medical supplies, there's not much I could do if one of you got hurt. I'll stay and help Hyre watch over our captives and be a look out. for further trouble." she says.

Raia nods her agreement, and looks to Kallista.
"The two of us will take the front; we'll be more able to absorb any counter attack that presents itself within the heart chamber. If the rest of you can provide firing support, we should have more than enough opportunity to allow Balgrim a chance to bring this to an end." she states.
She looks to the titan-infused Kallista.
"I've got enough in me to cast two or three of my better spells, but after that, I can't risk exhausting myself any further or I won't be able to protect the others. I'll attempt to blind any enemies we find inside... use your best judgement on whatever abilities you have to follow up. We have no idea what's waiting for us inside." she says.

She then looks to the rest of the group.
"Are we prepared?"

Lazlo adjusts his bow, loosens the sabre in its sheath, and nods. "I'll follow..." Turning to Hyre and Barna he winks "Keep each other safe."

Aelar moves up, but hesitates, wanting to be by Raia's side but knowing that would be stupid.  With a sigh, he takes position behind her and readies his bow.  He turns to two of the guards, "You two, stay with Hyre and Barna and help keep the skell-things...alive, I guess.  Hyre's in charge."  He has no idea if they'll listen to him but he remembers something his cousin once said after a town-meeting in Hon.

"Aelar, sometimes you just have to pretend you have the authority.  If you do it well enough, if you believe it strongly enough, most people will believe with you."  Right now, he tried hard to believe...even if he himself was only pretending to believe.

((Well, Leon's bowing out too, so we really are a party of 4 now; but as is my custom, I never 'write a player character out', I always set things up so that players can come back at any time.))

ooc: I'm up for recruiting more.