Chapter 9 : A whole new world

[BigRedRod]

"ARM YOURSELVES!"

"Get the women and children inside, NOW!"

"Lizards! The Lizards are coming!"

The few guardsmen visible to the party from their position stood in the narrow alley outside Canace's small home, yell for the townsfolk to prepare for an impending attack as they swiftly move around the perimeter of the wall wielding crossbows. Lynores stands above the rest of the party, having been part of the watch that identified the threat heading toward Broken Gate and still on the narrow platform running around the perimeter of the wall.

A doorway opens opposite Canace's home and a tall, lanky man emerges gripping a short sword. He turns to shut the door and in a voice full of forced strength speaks to the hidden occupants,

"I'll be fine, you just stay in there and don't make a sound. I love you too"

Shutting the door firmly behind him, he nods at Canace and looks quite reassured to be so close to the gaggle of new comers to the island.

[Gnarsh]

Looking through the crowd, Lynores catches site of Varidiir's glow and locates the party. Looking down, he yells to them, "About thirty lizards, with torches! Varidiir, get to the gate and get ready to fight, I'll be down there soon! Canace, Tolven, get your elven hides up here and start blasting at everything red you can see! Collin, get as many men as you can as soon as you can and have them man the walls and the gate!"

He turns to the other guards on the wall. "What in the Hells are you fools doing? Get your bows out and shoot the little bastards!" He shouts at them while pulling out his own longbow and firing into the lizahorde.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Think they've come for the rocks?" Collin asks Canace as they're informed about the gate crashers. "Unless they have a battering ram or more of those underground beasts at their disposal, I don't see a need to go charging after them. Besides, I doubt very much that the town will follow any orders I give."

Walking back into Canace's home, Collin decides that the best and safest place for the stones is in his extra-dimensional bag. "I'll put these in a safe place in case they manage to break through the walls. And who knows, the bag may prevent the beasties from homing in on it if that's what they're doing."

Stones safely tucked away, Collin decides that the best place for him to be right now is not at the wall or gates, but in a place where he can lend aid to the injured. Lizards like sunning themselves, so they're probably going to use fire. I better get ready to treat arrow and burn victims. As he races to get in a position to help, Collin shouts up to his teammate and currently drafted guardsman, "Sorry Lynores, but I've got the injured to take care of. I don't recall them having any sort of healer or priest available to tend to this duty. You had best be prepared to defend the walls without me for the time being. Besides, in the event that one of those burrowing monsters breaches the outer defenses, someone should be on the ground away from the gate. Between the four of you, dealing with thirty lizards should be a piece of cake since we have the walls and height."

[Gralhruk]

Tolven's silver eyes remain fixed on the would-be-warrior across the street, one slender hand lightly stroking his chin. Would he survive the battle? Be a hero? Return to their love and adoration? It was a truly heart rending scene.

Or it would be, if the drow had a heart underneath his fine mithril armor. He smiles cheerily as the dead man looks towards them. He turns his teeth (and the rest of his face) towards Lynores as the tiefling tries to whip grunts and elites alike into action. He ignores Collin as the priest returns for the stones. Grating as the man was, he was both dangerous and resourceful - and, incidentally, probably the best equipped to protect their magical stoneware.

Of course they've come for the rocks.

He sighs. Vacation, it seemed, was over.

"Enter annoying lizards accompanied by burrowing monstrosities."

Grakus shifts, digging his claws into the drow's forearm.

"Present company excluded, of course."

He lifts the winged chameleon on high, whereupon Grakus spreads his translucent wings and launches himself skyward. He watches the sun sparkle off iradescent scales for a moment before extending an arm to Canace. The wall really would be the best place for them at the moment.

"Shall we?"

<OOC: Mental command to Grakus to keep an eye out for Ape-Beetles>

[Cadrius]

The prospect of battle surges through the azer leaving him feeling giddy and anxious for the impending skirmish. Yet it sours slightly as Lynores begins dispatching orders. The memory of the fiend's behavior during the conflict with the elemental is still fresh in his mind.

"Like you helped against the Mountain," He mutters, his voice lost amidst the flurry of activity sweeping through the town.

Yet this is different. This time they're protecting this quiet, peaceful village against the onslaught of reptiles and their cohorts. Undoubtedly they seek the purloined magical stones, but Varidiir has grown quite found of the people and the island. Maybe they don't welcome a burning dwarf with open arms, but he's found peace here and he means to maintain it.

Varidiir gives the newcomer a nod and recognizes his anxiety. The azer does his best to be reassuring. "Come with me, lad. Time to defend your home."

Cracking his knuckles, the azer trots toward the gate.

[Kahluah]

At the sounds of movement outside, Canace's eyes widen at the sounds of battle preparation. Grabbing up her sword, bow, and arrows, hooking the sheathed blade and quiver at her hips hurriedly, she mutters, "This is worse than expected."

Canace turns her attentions to Collin. "They could well be after the orbs, sent by whomever created the split to retrieve them. We just don't know. All I know is we need to get out and help."

The savant shooes the drow and the cleric out of her hut before exiting close behind them, closing the door. She watches the young man across the laneway say what could well be his final goodbyes to his family, before looping a piece of leather adorned with a single owl's feather around her neck. She closes her eyes and calls forth a sing-song incantation, before lifting right off of the ground, soaring into the air before turning to look at the oncoming lizardfolk.

OOC: Casting fly and moving 30 feet straight up into the air.

[BigRedRod]

The ten guardsmen, take positions on one knee with their crossbows balancing atop the wooden parapet, while Lynores draws his own bow and fires from a standing position in to the growing night dotted with small pockets of light formed from lizardmen with torches. One of the guardsmen shakes his head,
"We'll wait for them to get closer 'n make every shot count, Sir"

Collin quickly dashes back in to Canace's home and seizes the elemental condensates, forcing the two rocks in to his back of holding. Somehow, knowing what the two things are makes him worry more about leaving them in an nondimensional space.

Allowing Grakus to lift off, Tolven turns to offer Canace his arm and finds her instead finishing a spell and rising in to the air without him. From her elevated position, the elf sees little more than the approaching pockets of torchlight with the depleted daylight on offer.

The townsman and his short sword follow behind the Azer to the gate where a group of fifteen or so other citizens of Brokengate have already assembled. One member of the poorly armoured and equipped impromptu militia looks around for a moment before asking the question that seemed to be weighing on everyone's mind,
"Where's Samson?"

"He'll be here."

Before any can pursue the matter further, one of the guardsmen atop the wall shouts,
"NOW!"
The group of invaders still have over two hundred feet to close before reaching the wooden walls of the town when the first cluster of bolts are let fly. The loose formation of the lizardfolk serves them well and Lynores only sees one of the enemy fall under the wave of missile fire. The torch strikes the ground and is quickly put out by the trampling of the lizard horde.

The militia swells as another two townsfolk reach the gate bearing what arms they could find. For now the gate remains closed however, close-combat is the last resort everybody hopes will never happens.

[Kahluah]

From her Vantage point in the sky, Canace looks at the dark-skinned elf and shrugs an apology for disappearing on him so quickly, before turning her attentions to the approaching clump of torches. The flying elf narrows her eyes at the invaders, concentrating on the air above them, before calling in a voice that sounds like roilling thunder coursing through a stormcloud.

She thrashes her arm about, leaving a small trail of sparks to fly from her fingertips as she metaphysically rips a hole through the air above the lizardfolk, momentarily allowing solid bricks of electrified lead to rain in from the connection between the Air and Earthen elemental planes, relentlessly pounding the lizardfolk underneath the elemental cascade.

OOC: Defensively casting Ice Storm on an area of the approaching lizardfolk where it will do the most damage to their ranks.

[Gralhruk]

Tolven watches Canace rise into the sky and begin raining destruction down on the lizard folk. With a sigh and a shrug of his own, the dark elf moves to climb the wall in a more traditional fashion, unslinging his bow as he goes. For him, magic was a pleasant diversion - a device to be used to make life easier and baffle those without such power. Widescale slaughter by blasting enemies with eldritch might didn't really appeal to him, although he had a hard time arguing with the effectiveness of the tactic.

With a quick nod to Lynores, he nocks an arrow and sights on the most important looking lizard-figure he can see and then fires.

[BigRedRod]

As the lizard horde continues to rapidly close, the guardsmen and their two additional archers from the special forces team unleash a few more waves of missile fire. Even to Tolven's dark attuned sight, the lizardmen are still too far away to accurately target and so few drop from the bolts and arrows raining down upon them.

Canace channels the destructive powers of thunder and lightning from her high vantage point to combat the red-skinned creatures. Battling an enemy who chose to attack in a standard tightly packed formation, the spell would have claimed scores of lives with its impressive spread. However, either by lack of discipline or tactical decision the lizardmen are well spaced and so less than ten fall to the elemental battery.

Still, compared with the thirty or so that made up the original strike force, now only around fifteen remain. And yet despite their huge losses, the lizards show no break in morale. Small flickering flames dot the battlefield where torch-bearers have fallen in their charge.

Vardiir's militia swells to fifty members and still there is no sign of Samson, it is obvious that the confidence of the men is dropping rapidly as every second passes that the mayor does not appear dressed for battle and ready to lead.

Above the town and the battle, a few silver stars look down upon events as they suddenly change. Collin hears an odd crackling noise and catches the smell of burning wood and smoke, flames are just visible on the other side of the northern wall not far from where the cleric stands. Thick black smoke begins to pour outwards as fire takes a hold of a section of the northern wall.

"FIRE! FIRE!"

"FORM A CHAIN! A CHAIN! EVERYBODY OR THE WHOLE TOWN'LL BE ABLAZE"

A few of the militia members abandon their post at the gate and charge towards the spreading fire as townsfolk emerge from their homes carrying buckets, braving the potential dangers of the town under assault.

[Cadrius]

Fire. Varidiir scowls. Seeing the thick smoke errupt from the wall and spiral into the sky makes the azer ill at ease. He didn't see the cause, but it's cannot be coincidence. He eyes the men around him, the militia might be brave but they are not well disciplined. Too much time to dwell on death will rattle them.

"You men" --he gestures to half the militia-- "to the fire! Put it out and get back on the double. And watch for any attempts to breach the wall there. Well? What are you waiting for? Step lively!"

He turns to the other half, studying their faces, and marks the man he saw step out of the house. Varidiir turns to the wall and calls to one of the guardsmen. "How far are they?"

"Okay, lads," he says, facing the militia once more. "I'm not a dwarf of many words, but I'll say this. There are a bunch of ugly lizards out there that want in your town. Who cares why. I say we beat them so bad their mewling kids feel it."

Where the hell is Samson? This is his bloody town, not mine.

"Right. I hear the boys up on the wall are eagle-eyed. Bet we won't even need to worry about stabbin' none of those lizards. Still, let's get ready all the same. Maybe we'll be lucky and get our hands bloody."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

The cries alerting everyone to the fire, the priest begins to recite a prayer, but he stops. With the flames beginning to roar, Collin rethinks his actions to aid in the firefighting. My water orison won't do much but to get the ground wet.

Hearing the shouts for Samson, Collin takes it upon himself to find the lynchpin to the town's defense. If I were the town's leader, where would I be if not battling the forces intent on destroying it. Is he the kind of man to hide beneath his bed? Figuring that Samson's home is a good starting point, Collin begins to work his way there.

[Gralhruk]

Tolven sniffs delicately, the pleasant odor of wood smoke reaching his nostrils an instant before the alarm goes off. Bemused, he spares a moment to watch the flurry of confusion and activity as soldiers abandon posts in the name of public service. The fire was surely a diversion, which indicated the real attack was imminent. Leaving his post seemed a bad idea.

"Catastrophe and calamity. The brave heroes confronted by foes and fire whilst extras make an opportune exit. What twist comes next?"

He unconcernedly nocks another arrow and launches it at the approaching lizards.

[Kahluah]

Watching the scattered lizardfolk coming ever closer, Canace reaches into her pouch and sprinkles the powdered granite and diamond mixture over her bare arms and face. As she almost sings an incantation, her skin becomes stoney and grey, like living rock, and she takes her bow from her shoulders, ready to start firing when the lizards get closer.

OOC: Casting stone skin on the defensive.

[BigRedRod]

High above the town Canace attempts to weave a spell while keeping her attention equally focused on the approaching battle. For a moment, magic energies surge across her skin and it takes on the colour and texture of stone., but all too quickly the wizard loses control of her spell by splitting her attention and the energy dissipates as the spell fizzles uselessly and her skin returns to normal.

Vardiir's attempts to lead the militia seem to pay of, as the men thoughtlessly obey. Quickly they take positions on the wall, on a ladder and toward the well. Buckets are passed to and fro, as they tipped over the side in order to put out the growing fire.

More arrows and bolts fly from atop the wall and one of the guardsmen shouts down an answer,
"They're here!"

The ten or so remaining lizardfolk cease their charge and hurl their flaming torches at the base of the wooden gate, the crude missiles explode into cinders upon contact but fortunately the fire resists the urge to take hold of another of Broken Gate's walls. Along the top of the wall, the crossbowmen are forced to stand in order to see their targets. Bolts continue to rain down, but with minimal effect due to the red-skinned lizards keeping as close to the wall as possible while they spread themselves roughly evenly before the gate and wall.

Only eight still stand when they begin to take deep breaths and exhale small streams of fire. As unwilling as the torches had been to set light to the gate, the flame-breath of the lizards provides the encouragement necessary and the base of the gate and wall is soon blanketed by fire.

Atop the wall, the crossbowmen start shouting for aid,
"FIRE!"

"They're torching the walls!"

"Form a chain!"

"No! Hold your Goddamn Ground or we'll be overrun"

With their pyromaniac lust fulfilled the lizards begin to leap at the wall, digging in to the wood with their clawed hands, ignoring the flames that bite their ankles as they move. A hail of missile fire rains down on them from above, hampering their efforts. By the time that any are half way up the wall only four of the lizardmen remain, the corpses of the rest lie in the spreading flames at ground level.

Collin leaves the raging battle behind for the moment, moving at a swift pace through the narrow alleys in search of Samson's home. The din at the gates is still audible, but the priest feels an uneasy tranquillity in the deserted town. Stopping by the anvil and forge Collin realises that he can hear another sound, a muted clink of metal. Before he can reflect on this, the door to Samson's home bursts open.

Stumbling out of the portal backward at high speed comes Samson himself. The man is half-wearing a suit of platemail, although most of the buckles hang open making it more of a hindrance than an asset. Tripping, he falls backwards on the ground. Hastily the man tries to unbuckle the rest of his armour and get to his feet at the same time, resulting in neither action being successful. Looking up Collin sees from what Samson was attempting to flee.

Armed with a familiar pair of swords, the familiar form of Torin, who seems very much alive, steps out of Samson's home and barely glances at Collin. Blood splatters on the ground as the mage-hunter switches his grip on both swords with a deft flick and advances upon the mayor of Broken Gate.

Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Lizardfolk (4)
Militia (18)

Map - The gate
The red zig zag is the current extent of the fire at the gateDrop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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Map - Samson's Home
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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[Gnarsh]

"Deal with the lizards, then fall back from the wall! They can't last too much longer!" Lynores shouts down the wall to the guards as he attempts to shoot the nearest lizard.

[Kahluah]

Sensing her connection with the arcane falter for a moment, Canace's heart falls slightly. She looks around her, watching the militia defending the wall along with her new companions, and decides there is little she can do here. "I'm going to go and find Samson!" She calls to Lynores, Tolven, and Varidiir, before turnign away from the battle and flying in the direction of the Mayor's house.

OOC: Taking a double move and flying towards the house where Collin, Samson, and Torin are at.

[Gnarsh]

"Tell him to get his ass out here before we're all done with the lizards!" Lynores calls in Canace's direction.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Not knowing which man requires his immediate attention, Collin's progress grinds to a halt as he prepares himself for any confrontation. The priest offers up a prayer to Gul'ren to help fortify his armor, "By your grace, favor your servant with your divine protection."

His minor prayer invoked, he addresses the men in front of him. "Torin," he says straight faced, "It's wonderful you're alive. Varidiir could use your help at the gates." Staring down at the bumbling mayor he adds a snide comment, "And you, your presence is also requested."

(OOC - Casts Shield of Faith (+3 deflection AC) defensively on his armor. Concentration check d20+19 against DC16. Bluff that he's actually glad to see Torin, d20+0.)

[Gralhruk]

"Fear, fire, foes."

Tolven doesn't sound very alarmed, nor does he look particularly upset by the blazing town. The thought foremost in his mind is whether the Azer will find this an improvement. Suddenly all the care taken to prevent Varidiir from accidentally torching the place seems like a wasted effort. He stifles a laugh and then, still grinning, chooses one of the lizard men and sends an arrow winging down at him.

[BigRedRod]

Torin calmly ignores Collin's words as the cleric calls upon the protection of his God. Stepping forward the mage-hunter swings his swords around so their blades point downwards in to a V-shape before his chest and plunges them down toward Samson.

The mayor of Broken Gate rolls sideways as the two blades stab downwards. One bounds harmlessly sideways, while Torin's enchanted blade plunges through the sturdy armour and bites deeply in to Samson's hip.

Freeing his blade, Torin swings them both as Samson attempts to return to his feet and staggers backwards a few feet. Both of the strokes miss, but the mayor finds himself backed against the wooden wall of another home with nowhere to run,
"Traitorous bastards. I should have realised you'd be in league with the lizards .... turning up on the island. What a fool I've been!"

Back at the gate, Lynores and Tolven notch fresh arrows and fire them downwards. Standing at the edge of the wall and holding their bows vertically makes the shot rather more of a challenge. Lynores plants an arrow inside the skull of the nearest lizard, dropping it from the wall as it howls with pain for amoment before accepting it's demise. The extreme angle proves too much for Tolven, with his arrow landing uselessly in the ground.

Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Lizardfolk (3)
Militia (18)


Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END -l67fzw
Map - Samson's Home
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@1c 1w *s -3 87 7t rs 0 S *s -3 6t 78 rs 0 C *s -3 87 78 rs 0 T
*END 73fwzt

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Once again, Collin summons the power of his God. "I call forth the power of Gul'ren to smite my foe. Shimmering mace of doom spring to life!" The spectral image of his deity's favored weapon forms in his hand. If one looked close enough, they might shake their head in disbelief in order to get the ghastly image of ghost blood dripping from the talons attached to the head of the mace.

Pointing with his newly created weapon, the priest speaks in a commanding voice to Samson, "Beware who you name traitor, fool. I may be your best and last hope in dealing with the true menace." His eyes focus on the party's missing man and official commander. "Come, turn and face me Lieutenant Torin. Let's see your superior anti-magical training put to use, for a dung beetle could eat that pathetic worm in its sleep."

Why in the Nine Hells did you just do that? Collin curses to himself silently. Do you really give a rat's ass what that bumbling fool thinks of you? Does his life mean anything to you? He can't send you home. He can't help with the stone research. He's just a bureaucrat nobody. Next time keep your mouth shut and let the pig meet his own god.

(OOC - Casts defensively, Mace of Odo, a 3rd level spell. Collin is +19 to his concentration check against a DC 18 (15+3), can't fail. In the event that Torin attacks Collin, his current AC is 19.)

[Cadrius]

Varidiir scowls at the burning wall. Back home everything was on fire. So if you built a wall, you made damn sure that a little bit of flame wouldn't ruin things. Then again, back home there were hordes of cruel effreet, armies of salamanders, and vicious elemental lords. Perhaps it was worth the trade to lose them and take on flammable walls. He shrugs.

Yet the fact remains the lizards are dangerously close to entering the town. His stature belies his speed, and the azer proves this by racing up to the wall and peering over the side, looking for foes. He finds one. Hunching down, he waits for the would-be raider to get closer.

((OOC: Move up to the wall. Ready action to kick the lizard in the head if it gets within reach.))

[BigRedRod]

While Canace departs for Samson's house, Varidiir draws closer to the wall and leaps on to one of the ladders scambling upward and finding a position atop the wall. The guardsmen around the Azer reshuffle their formation and force fresh bolts in their weapons as the firey dwarf moves between them.

Taking advantage of the reformation two of the lizards race up the wall and tumble over the wooden ramparts as they draw their swords. Their ancient chainmail reflects red and yellow light from the fires which begin to affirm their grip on the walls. The third surviving lizardmen is a victim of his own arson, as his claws grab hold of a charred piece of wood and tear it free from the wall, sending him to the ground in a heap. However, Varidiir's position prevents him from stirking out at any of the lizards.

The militia form up in to crude ranks as they clearly have been drilled to do in order to repel invasion, the limited space atop the wall and lack of missile weapons limits their capabilities however. For the most part their own equipment doesn't seem much better than that which the lizards use, a random assortment of ancient weapons and armour no doubt handed down from father to son over the ages.

Back at Samson's house, Collin channels his faith in Gul'ren into a spectral mace and attempts to goad Torin in switching his attack from the mayor to himself.

Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Lizardfolk (3)
Militia (18)

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@rs 0 9y6tc 10 2o 1o 20 *s -1 1o 2o rs 0 9y6tc 10 20 1o 2o
*END -4col7c
Map - Samson's Home
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 5o 3o rs 0 0 2c 2c 1o 2c 1o -10 5o -10 5o 3o 3o 3o 3o 2c
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@1c 1w *s -3 87 7t rs 0 S *s -3 6t 78 rs 0 C *s -3 87 78 rs 0 T
*END 73fwzt

[Gnarsh]

Lynores drops his bow, draws his rapier, and begins moving down the wall toward the lizards. "Draw your weapons and slice them to ribbons, men! They don't stand a chance!"

[Gralhruk]

Tolven focuses on the closer of the two lizard men that has gained the top of the wall. There were a few guards in the way, making the shot more interesting, but he'd be more certain of a hit if he chose magic over the mundane. It was an artistic dilemma and he is momentarily torn between showcasing his power or his skill. Magic, he decides, might be the best of both worlds. His mouth shapes the words as they flow from his agile mind, one lean hand arcing as he hurls the green tinged missile forward.

<OOC: Melf's acid arrow at the closer lizard on the wall.>

[BigRedRod]

Raising his blade in the air, Lynores attempts to spur on the guards atop the wall to fend off the remains of the lizardman assault. Tolven takes more direct, and risky, action. Summoning an arrowlike glob of dripping acid, the drow takes careful aim and hurls the missile forward. the glob almost catches the side of Lynores' head, as it speeds past and through the crook of a guardsman's arm, before landing on the side of the red-skinned creature's head. Howling in pain the acid burns away the sensitive tissue in and around the lizard's eyes, although it is not yet ready to admit defeat.

Samson is caught by a pair of vertical strokes as he attempts to dodge sideways and dart in to a side alley, despite his grievous injuries he manages to keep moving. Unable to ignore Collin any longer, Torin turns around and swings his swords in small loops ready for Collin's attack. His blank expression is quite clear that the mage-hunter feels only indifference at fighting his former companion.

Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Lizardfolk (3)
Militia (18)

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*s -1 1s 50 rs 0 0 1c 3p 1c 51 1s 51 1s 3p 1c 3p *s 5 51 8x rs 0
@*s 5 6e 8z rs 0 *s 5 52 7p rs 0 *s 5 50 8c rs 0 *s 5 50 9m rs 0 *s
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@6w 20 34 1c 34 *s -1 20 4c rs 0 9zabk 1d 4c 21 4c 21 -4c *s -1
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@0 L *s 0 3q z rs 0 *s 0 3q 51 rs 0 *s 0 3q 5n rs 0 *s 0 3q 6w rs
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@rs 0 9y6tc 10 2o 1o 20 *s -1 1o 2o rs 0 9y6tc 10 20 1o 2o
*END yk0w4l

Map - Samson's Home
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 5o 3o rs 0 0 2c 2c 1o 2c 1o -10 5o -10 5o 3o 3o 3o 3o 2c
@30 2c *s -1 40 38 rs 0 9zabk 40 2s 3c 38 *s d 8u 6p rs 0 *s -1
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@1o -c 1o 10 10 2c -1o 2c *s -1 3c 2s rs 0 0 0 2s 0 18 o 18 o -4
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@1c 1w *s -3 aa 7s rs 0 S *s -3 6t 78 rs 0 C *s -3 87 78 rs 0 T
*END -19lfjt

[Cadrius]

Varidiir springs into motion after the lizards clear the wall. The guards and the spellslingers did an admirable job at thinning their ranks. It's up to the azer and the militia to finish the work. Slipping past one of the crossbowmen, Varidiir launches a kick at the lizardman, hoping to disable it quickly. Even now the flames lick at the wall's exterior and the fire is spreading.

Bloody hell. At least I'll be able to help put it out.

((OOC: Attacking the nearest lizard creature.))

[BigRedRod]

The wooden boards beneath the Azer's feet begin to smoke, as he shuffles about attempting to move past the guardsman before him atop the wall. The lack of space on the narrow walkway makes it impossible for the monk to move close enough to land a blow on either of the lizardmen.

High above the town-cum-battlefield, the elven elementalist glides through the air in search of Broken Gate's mayor, a man who would not stand idle while those around him are threatened by red-skinned monsters. The burning walls add to the level of smoke and make it harder for Canace to make out what is happening at ground level.

Out of Varidiir's reach the guardsmen and lizards exchange sword blows, the recipient of Tolven's spell collapses as a pair of guardsmen drop their crossbows and lunge forward with short swords.

In front of the gates the militia wait idly, the lack of room atop the wall discourages any from clambering up. The growing fires are a point of concern but all agree that to open the gates and attempt to extinguish the flames is a foolish endeavour.

A shower of rock and dirt erupts from behind the front rank of the militia enveloping most of those at the rear. The dust quickly clears from the air revealing one of the ape-beetle creatures which the party did battle with at their first encounter with the lizardmen, along with the bloody corpse of one of the militia members who the beast caught as it emerged.

Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Lizardfolk (2)
Militia (17)
Ape-beetle

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@6w 20 34 1c 34 *s -1 20 4c rs 0 9zabk 1d 4c 21 4c 21 -4c *s -1
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@4o rs 0 9y6tc 2o 4o 3c 40 *s -1 3c 4o rs 0 9y6tc 3c 4o 2o 40
*END 8ufxtb

Map - Samson's Home
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 5o 3o rs 0 0 2c 2c 1o 2c 1o -10 5o -10 5o 3o 3o 3o 3o 2c
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@60 3c 60 -o *s -1 7g 1c rs 0 0 4k 1c 7g 1c *s -1 7g 3c rs 0 0 4k
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@1c 1w *s -3 aa 7s rs 0 S *s -3 6t 78 rs 0 C *s -3 87 78 rs 0 T
*END -19lfjt

[Gnarsh]

Catching a glimpse of a commotion out of the corner of his eye, Lynores turns to see one of the ape-beetle creatures bursting from the ground. "Tolven, deal with the last lizard. Soldiers, get off the wall and away from the fire! Get that thing!" He yells, pointing to the newly arrived combatant. He jumps from the wall onto the roof of the nearby buildings, moving as fast as possible, then leaps to the ground and the creature.

(OOC: Double move toward the umber hulk. Tumble is +14 for avoiding damage on the fall, if necessary.)

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Out of the corner of his eye, Collin sees the mayor backpedaling for his life. For some unfathomable reason, the pries waves his hand at Torin in a come get me motion in order to keep the former officer's attention directed at him. "Come now Torin, let's put you back in your place," he says as he feints an attack to the left. The weapon of force is easily redirected and comes across from the right. "Why don't you choke on this!"

(OOC - Take a 5' step towards Torin and a full attack +8/+3, but only one hit is possible with the Mace of Odo, damage 10d6.)

[Gralhruk]

"The inevitable finally rears it's ugly head."

Tolven moves immediately as the creature bursts from the ground. Let the guards deal with the last lizard, if they could. There was no way they'd be any use against this new terror. Humming, he takes the short leap from wall ledge to roof top in stride and then sprints southward until he has a good view of the menacing ape-beetle below him. Acid seemed to work well enough last time and so he goes through the now familiar motions of casting his standard spell.

<OOC: Jump down to the roof, move south until he has a clear shot at the Umber hulk, cast Melf's Acid Arrow.>

[BigRedRod]

Brandishing his divine weapon of pure destruction Collin strides forth and offers Torin a brief feint followed by a horizontal back and forth swing of the glowing mace. Still marinating his blank expression the mage-hunter easily dodges both blows with a casual backstep. Seeing an opening, Torin hops forward and lands a two blows from his blades. The first blade slides within the shoulder of Collin's shield-arm and is withdrawn just as speedily with a ghastly squelching noise. If not for Collin's breastplate, the second would have split open his stomach, instead however it is harmlessly deflected. Behind the pair of duelling warriors, Samson hastily undoes the remaining buckles and straps imprisoning him within his sundered armour.

Deciding that close combat with the ape-like engine of destruction is the best course of action, Lynores drops from the wall on to the flat-roofed building nearby and begins to run towards the creature with his rapier drawn. Kicking off the edge of the building, the Tiefling covers most of the distance in the air, landing easily from his jump with barely a pause in his stride to join the cluster of militia around the horrid beast from beneath the earth.

Tolven follows in Lynores' stead already chanting the beginnings of a spell, but the dark elf halts at the edge of the building rather than leaping to join the fray like his companion. Completing the last syllable of the spell as he stops, Tolven projects another glob of greenish liquid. Clearly all of his skill was used on the previous casting, as the acidic arrow glides over the creature's head and slams against the wall of a nearby building, the wood turns black as the acidic begins to eat away at it. Grakus drifts closer to admire his master's handiwork.



Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Lizardfolk (2)
Militia (17)
Ape-beetle

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@4o rs 0 9y6tc 2o 4o 3c 40 *s -1 3c 4o rs 0 9y6tc 3c 4o 2o 40
*END -sod8u8

Map - Samson's Home
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 5o 3o rs 0 0 2c 2c 1o 2c 1o -10 5o -10 5o 3o 3o 3o 3o 2c
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@1c 1w *s -3 aa 7s rs 0 S *s -3 7j 75 rs 0 C *s -3 87 78 rs 0 T
*END -8tkz01

[Cadrius]

The azer takes but a moment to take in the sudden presence of the monstrosity before he leaps down from the wall. His short legs churn, propelling the burning dwarf at a high speed. He easily covers the distance between the wall and the militia.

"HEY! UGLY! BACK FOR MORE?" He knows it isn't the same one as before. At least he hopes it isn't. The possibility of these insectoid creatures being able to revive themselves sets Varidiir ill at ease. Unfortunately further thought on the potential death-defying abilities is abruptly cut short as he comes face-to-mandible with the creature. The azer lashes out with a fist before dodging backward out of reach.

((OOC: Move is 50'. Based on the map he should be able to get a spring attack in, but maybe I misjudged the scale.))

[Kahluah]

Coughing and spluttering with the thick smoke slowly coming more and more into its own over the settlement, Canace lowers herself to the ground, hovering no more than a few feet from the ground. Upon getting her bearings correct, she continues her travel towards the mayor's house.

OOC: Dropping 30 ft. to the ground and then continuing 30 ft. towards Samson, Torin, and Collin.

[BigRedRod]

Moving like a flaming blur, Varidiir leaps from the wall and passes between the gaps in the militia ranks, lashing out with a closed fist towards the creature and then recoiling away before the creature has a chance to counter the attack. His fist explodes with unstoppable force and leaves smouldering cracks in the chitin armour of the hulking monster.

Canace finally reaches her goal and emerges at the unfolding scene towards Collin, Torin and Samson. The smoke is now little more than a vague irritation in Canace's eyes and nose with the bulk of it hovering around the rooftops.

The two guardsmen nearest Lynores are inspired by his impressive charge and attempt similar feats of their own, holding their shortswords high in the air they rush toward the beast. Although neither of the two manage to land a penetrating blow on the creature. The others retrieve their crossbows and move to more strategic positions on the rooftops and wall while busily reloading.

The lizardman scaling the wall quickly becomes the last of his kind as the two guardsmen manage to maximise their flanking advantage and slay the creature.

On the ground, the militia swarm forth around the massive creature, showing no fear on account of the special forces team and the vast numerical superiority. The rag-tag assortment of arms and armour doesn't lend itself well to combat however and despite the number of hits landed with ancestral swords, maces, axes, staves and the like together they leave barely a scratch. One of the men stays behind in order to drag the fallen out of the fray and attempt to prevent his imminent death.

Three of those working to put out the fire on the north wall abandon their duty in order to protect their homes from the emerged monster.

Clearly not a mindless beast, the creature turns to face Lynores and the guardsmen stood by his side and lashes out with its claws in a pair of over arm swings. The guardsmen is slow to react and catches the full brunt of a blow against his chest, luckily his chainmail absorbs most of the damage, leaving his still able to stand. Lynores easily dodges the swift blow but is caught off-guard by the sudden surge forward and follow up attack, the mandibles of the creature clamp down on the tiefling's shoulder and shred part of his enchanted studded leather armour.



Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Lizardfolk (2)
Militia (17)
Ape-beetle

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
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@*s 5 5r 9p rs 0 *s 5 51 8z rs 0 *s 5 6e 71 rs 0 *s 5 6f az rs 0 *s
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@5r rs 0 G *s -3 4w 5q rs 0 T *s -3 7k 8h rs 0 L *s 0 3r 5n rs 0 *s
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@20 3o *s -1 2c 3o rs 0 9y6tc 2c 3o 1o 3o *s -1 2y 20 rs 0 9y6tc
@2z 1c 2z 20 *s -1 3o 1o rs 0 9y6tc 3o 10 3o 1o *s -1 3o c rs 0
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@4o 3c *s -1 30 5o rs 0 0 10 5o 30 5o *s -1 30 6w rs 0 0 30 4g 30
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@3c 6w *s -1 6c 60 rs 0 0 3o 3c 3o 60 6c 60 6c 3c 3o 3c *s -1 6c
@6w rs 0 0 3o 5s 6c 5s 6c 6w *s -1 6o 6w rs 0 0 6o 5s 6o 6w *s -1
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@rs 0 9y6tc 6c 5c 6c 60 *s -1 6o 5c rs 0 9y6tc 6o 4o 6o 5c *s -1
@6c 38 rs 0 9y6tc 6c 2s 6c 38 *s -1 6c 1o rs 0 9y6tc 6c 10 6c 1o *s
@-1 6o o rs 0 9y6tc 60 o 6o o *s 6 2z 4z rs 0 *s 6 3q 6b rs 0 *s
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@-1s 1c -1c 1s -w 1c -o 1s -8 1c 8 1s o 1c 14 1s 1k 1c 1s 1s 28
@1c 2g 1s 2w 1c 34 1s 3c 1c 3s 1s 40 1c 48 1s 4o 1c 4w 1s 54 1c
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@-1 1o 2o rs 0 9y6tc 10 20 1o 2o *s -1 20 3c rs 0 9y6tc 1c 3c 20
@2o *s -1 20 3c rs 0 9y6tc 20 3c 1c 2o *s 6 7c 9c 1o5 8 *s -1 2o
@5c rs 0 9y6tc 2o 4o 3c 40 *s -1 2o 5g rs 0 9y6tc 3c 4o 2o 40 *s
@-1 20 60 rs 0 9y6tc 1c 60 20 5c *s -1 20 60 rs 0 9y6tc 20 60 1c
@5c *s 5 6c 3p rs 0 *s 5 70 2z rs 0 *s 5 6d 28 rs 0
*END 3hzf34

Map - Samson's Home
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 5o 3o rs 0 0 2c 2c 1o 2c 1o -10 5o -10 5o 3o 3o 3o 3o 2c
@30 2c *s -1 40 38 rs 0 9zabk 40 2s 3c 38 *s d 8u 6p rs 0 *s -1
@5o 5c rs 0 0 1o 2o 5o 2o 5o 5c 1o 5c 1o 2o *s -1 7g 40 rs 0 0 4k
@40 7g 40 *s -1 7g 5s rs 0 0 4k 28 4k 5k 7g 5s *s -1 60 3c rs 0 0
@60 3c 60 -o *s -1 7g 1c rs 0 0 4k 1c 7g 1c *s -1 7g 3c rs 0 0 4k
@3c 7g 3c *s -1 1o 10 rs 0 0 1o 10 1o c -1o c *s -1 1o 2c rs 0 0
@1o -c 1o 10 10 2c -1o 2c *s -1 3c 2s rs 0 0 0 2s 0 18 o 18 o -4
@3c -4 3c 2k 3c 2s 0 2s *s -1 1g 3o rs 0 0 1g 1o 1g 3o -1g 3o *s
@-1 1g 2o rs 0 0 1g 2o 1g 2g -1g 2g *s -1 1s 5o rs 0 0 -1s 2s 1s
@2s 1s 5o -1s 5o *s -1 3c 5w rs 0 0 14 1w 3c 1w 3c 5w w 5w w 1w
@1c 1w *s -3 aa 7s rs 0 S *s -3 7j 75 rs 0 C *s -3 87 78 rs 0 T *s
@-3 3h 79 rs 0 Ca
*END e5ch9e

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Keeping pace with Torin, Collin holds his spectral weapon out. As he measures the distance for a successful attack he says, "Come now Torin, stand still and take your medicine. You're sick and require two lumps and plenty of rest in order to get better." Pulling his arm back he makes a motion to swing, but instead he lunges forward in order to lightly tap Torin. The force of the swing is inconsequential to the damage that is based on his belief and faith in his God.

(OOC - Full attack with Mace of Odo. Touch-attack at +8/+3 for 10d6 damage.)

[Gralhruk]

Tolven scowls at Grakus, his fine features managing the expression without detracting from his attractiveness at all. The lizard could gloat now but he'd be regretting it when they were stuck on this hunk of rock for the next year. That was his last acid arrow, too.

Someday the drow would get the hang of preparing the right mix of spells but clearly it wasn't today. Occupational hazard, perhaps, when you never knew if you'd spend the day investigating elemental disturbances or fighting fire breathing lizards and burrowing monstrosities. He grimaces at the blow Lynores takes from the creature, the spurting blood reminding him that they were still in the midst of the battle.

At least Varidiir seemed to have the situation well in hand. Sighing, he pulls a slender wand from his belt and points it down at the creature, speaking a single, sibillant command word as he does so.

<OOC: Draw wand of magic missiles and fire at ape-beetle.>

[Kahluah]

As Canace comes up on the battle ahead of her, she can see Samson lying in the alleyway, injured and armorless. She begins mentally rifling through her spells left available to her, before shouting at the injured Mayor. "Samson, run!"

She then starts chanting in a language that sounds like waves crashing against rocks, and she takes a tiny piece of crystal from her pouch and tosses it at the edge of the alleyway Samson is located.

OOC: Casting wall of ice at the alleyway so that it will block off Torin's escape that way and have to come through Collin and Canace, and let Samson escape without fear of being killed by a chasing madman.

[Gnarsh]

Annoyed at the wound, Lynores ignores the pain and raises his sword. He makes a pair of quick jabs at the creature, hoping to catch something vital.

(OOC: Full Attack, +11/+6, 1d6+3)

[BigRedRod]

Torin attempts to dodge Collin's divine mace but reacts too slowly to avoid the priests out-stretched hand. The silent explosion of pure white light flings Torin backwards through the air. Recovering his composure the mage-hunter manages to land on his feet and rushes back towards Collin an instant after touching the ground. Faced with a flurry of swift sword strokes, Collin can do little to dodge of block and is left with largely relying on his armour to keep him safe. Luckily the breastplate keeps any of his organs from being pierced, but his arms and upper legs are covered in long shallow wounds from Torin's assault.

Behind the pair, the alleyway in which Samson stands busily freeing himself of his armour is suddenly separated from the combat by the unexpected appearance of a wall of a solid ice. The thick ice is over ten feet tall and thick enough to make it impossible to be seen through.

Lynores lunges forward with a pair of lightning thrusts at the joints in the hulking beast's insectile carapace. Beset on all sides by guardsmen, militia, tieflings and small angry fire-covered dwarves, the creature is unable to dodge the attacks as effectively. A sudden turn in the beats deflects the first stab, but the second glides into a soft are of tissue, sending a spray of greenish-black liquid up in to the air as the blade is withdrawn.

A solitary pinkish orb is discharged from Tolven's stave, the missile weaves through the air lazily before colliding with one of the creature's arms. In the frenzy of activity the beast seems not to even notice the drow's attack.


Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson (?)
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Lizardfolk (2)
Militia (17)
Ape-beetle

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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Map - Samson's Home
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END -bdvrfr

[Kahluah]

Seeing that Samson should be safer for the time being from the marauding mage-hunter, the windswept elf lifts off from the ground and floats towards the ensuing battle between Torin and Collin, her bow in her hand. Settling herself into the alleyway nearest to them, she speaks an Auran phrase of power, commanding the sight of eagles and mastery over weaponry to come to her aid. As she utters the final syllable, her pupils enlarge until there is only the thinnest line of grey around them, and she is accutely aware of every shift in the wind that might interfere with the arrow she has nocked in her bow.

OOC: Moving five feet into the air, then 20 feet towards collin, and then five feet diagonally to the alleyway, and casting true strike.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin continues to taunt the mage-hunter, "Is this the best you can do Torin, needle me with your pathetic little instruments? Since you enjoy fighting with two weapons, let's see if we can balance this battle." A quick motion and a prayer to Gul'ren are uttered by Collin to call into being a spiritual weapon of force. "Gul'ren I beseech thee to help your devoted servant smite this foe. He who refuses to kneel before you and forsakes your existence should be cleansed from the face of this Earth."

(OOC - Defensively casts Spiritual Weapon against Torin (DC17, Concentration +19 + d20, can't fail). Round 1 Attack +10, Damage 1d8+3 force effect.)

[Gralhruk]

Tolven is bored. This tended to happen when he was reduced to less than ideal methods for dealing damage. The wand was useful but limited. Still, every little bit helped. He raised an eyebrow at Grakus and then discharged another magical bolt at the ape-beetle.

<OOC: Shoot beast with Wand of Magic Missiles again.>

[Cadrius]

Emboldened by his initial strike, Varidiir set himself into motion once more. This time he skirts the beast, aiming for its flank. He lashes out once more with another mighty blow. This time though he does not dodge out of reach and stops so that he's eye-to-carapace with the creature.

((OOC: Spring attack to that little open space on its flank.))

[BigRedRod]

Another flaming fist impacts upon the beast splintering the carapace armour covering one it's lower legs. The guardsmen atop the wall send a volley of crossbow bolts down toward the beats, but all but one are simply destroyed upon impacting with the thick insectile armour covering the beast. The single bolt which penetrates the armour does so only barely with most of its tip still visible. The last of the lizardmen atop the wall falls to a sword stroke from the nearest guardsmen and a bolt fired from his nearby ally.

The militia press their attack and the creature is now almost fully encircled allowing more of the inexperienced troops to land blows. Despite the odds thoroughly being against it, the ape-beetle continues to fight on. A pair of claws slashes are distributed between Lynores and Varidiir, the tiefling spins sideways ensuring the claw only catches a hint of his armour rather than more of his flesh while the azer reacts a moment too late. The claw strikes in an upward slash propelling the stout monk in to the air, where the monster completes the attack by tearing free of a hunk of flesh from his its powerful mandibles. Singled out for a pair of attacks from the beast, Varidiir lands badly and almost ends up falling prone upon the ground.

Canace floats through the air in a trance-like state of awareness with the battle unfolding before her, her grip tightens on her bow as she completes the magical incantation which will allow her an almost unstoppable attack against her target. Beneath her, Collin manages to call forth a divine mace of Gul'ren which takes form beside the priest and swings at Torin. Dodging sideways, Torin still receives a glancing blow to his left arm.



Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson (?)
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Militia (17)
Ape-beetle

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END hhgon0

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END 9fvam4

[Gnarsh]

"Press the attack, men! It can't last long!" Lynores shouts to the militia. He makes another pair of quick stabs at the beast's flank, aided by the distraction created by the militia.

(OOC: Full Attack, +13/+8 due to flanking, 1d6+3+2d6 damage.)

[BigRedRod]

Lynores lands a pair of devastating blows against the great insectile monster, using his rapier to punch tiny holes in its armour and puncture the organs within. Liquids of a vast array of consistencies and a rainbow of colours dribble out from the creature's wounds and even to the untrained eye it becomes clear that the burrowing engine of destruction is one its very last legs.

Tolven's solitary bolt of energy wanders slowly through the air and lands on the head of the creature between its great segmented eyes. The magical cantrip serves as the straw that broke the camel's back. Letting out a loud death screech, the ape-beetle falls to the ground atop its tunnel. Another spray of earth and dust is sent up as the men begin to cheer at their victory over the lizardmen and their burrowing engine of war.

Now is not a time to reflect on a won battle however, as fires still rage and the militia begin to charge around once more in order to save the fires which are rapidly threatening to engulf the entire town.

Moving like a dervish, Torin ignores Canace and the divine mace summoned by Collin and lands a pair of swift sword slashes upon the cleric. The first bites deeply in to the breastplate leaving a wide gash in the metal and a line of red upon Collin's ribs. Recoiling away from the blow, Collin is struck by the second which slices in to his left arm and only just stops short of touching bone.



Initiative
Collin
Lynores
Tolven
Torin
Samson (?)
Varidiir
Canace
Guardsmen
Militia (17)

Map - The gate
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
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*END 9fvam4

[Kahluah]

Canace watches as Collin begins to get sliced and diced by the still-faced mage hunter, and pulls back the bowstring. Adjusting her aim slightly up and too the left of Torin's chest in accordance to the spell, she lets the bowstring go with a twang, launching the arrow.

OOC: Firing an arrow at Torin, with a +20 (on top of Canace's normal bonuses) to hit with the true strike spell still in effect.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"You son of a filthy whore," exclaims the wounded priest. "By the Gods you shall pay for your treachery!"

Stepping back to provide himself some distance from the effect of his next divine calling, Collin prays to his Lord. "Gul'ren, show this creature the true meaning of vengeance. Let him burn in the presence of your grand radiance, Flame Strike!"

The effect of his spell is a grand apocalyptic burst of flame; a column of divine fiery energy lances through the sky to engulf a 20' diameter area covering Torin, Samson's house, Canace's ice wall and a nearby building. If the mayor was against or near the wall, he could have suffered a flaming death. Colin raises an arm to shield his eyes from the intense heat. The priest smirks and thinks a cheerful thought despite the temporary blindness, Let's see if you can live through that.

(OOC - Takes a 5' step back, no defensive casting and casts Flame Strike with the square directly behind Torin as the centering point (10' radius area of effect). Reflex save (DC 19) for 10d6, half fire, half unholy damage. Spritual Weapon continues to attack and cannot be harmed by the flame strike. Attack +10/+5, 1d8+3 force damage, bypasses damage reduction, 9 rds.)

[Gralhruk]

From the edge of his vision, Tolven catches sight of a most unnatural pillar of flame as it strikes down from the sky like a fiery lightning bolt. It occurs to him that he has seen hide nor hair of Collin or Canace. If the priest of Gul'ren was calling down that kind of power something was probably causing him some trouble. He calls down to Lynores and Varidiir.

"As thrilling as this area of the battle has been, I fear our presence is requested elsewhere."

With that, he leaps down from the roof and makes for the area where he judges the bolt to have landed. A mental command to Grakus sends the chameleon ahead on a scouting mission - one hopefully a little more productive than the ape-beetle scouting he had supposedly been on. As he goes, the drow takes a moment to activate the wand hanging at his side and render himself invisible.

<OOC: Jump down from roof, use one charge from Wand of Invisibility, and move at full speed to Samson's. Not sure how many rounds of action that is.>

[Gnarsh]

Turning at the sudden appearance of the flaming pillar, Lynores stands agape until Tolven gives his suggestion. "Indeed, looks as though one of the spellslingers got themselves in a bit of trouble." He turns to the militia and gives a quick salute and orders, "Get this fire down! Send someone to fetch us if there's trouble. We'll be back with Samson, hopefully." He turns and runs through the streets toward the new fire.

[BigRedRod]

Divine flames engulf the entire area for the briefest of moments before vanishing and revealing the devastation. All that remains of Torin is a blackened skeleton clutching a pair of warped longswords, lying in a large pile of ashes which seem to have made up the rest of his possessions.

The divine nature of the flames seems to have discouraged them from lingering, as such the two buildings caught in the spell are only partially destroyed. Thin black beams composed of little more than cinders are all that remains of the sections of the structures caught within the flamestrike, while the rest show no signs of being caught in a fire at all.

Beyond the region of dampness that was once a wall of solid ice, only Samson's armour remains. The breastplate rests against a wall of a nearby building but the mayor himself is clearly elsewhere. For a moment the two believe that he could have been entirely consumed by the blast, but a familiar voice soon sets any such ideas aside,
"Bloody hell, I'm glad you're on our side."

Wearing little more than a pair of short trousers and a vest, Samson emerges from an alleyway in to the midst of the destruction,
"Back when you turned up I thought you were all traitors. Looks like at least one of you was a man of his word."

Looking up at the devastation, Samson whistles and then looks at Canace,
"What of the lizards? Are they still attacking?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin ignores Samson and his lack-luster apology for the moment. Instead the priest is more concerned about his failing health. It seems that the ribbon cuts dealt by Torin have added up, sapping his strength to the point where the steel breastplate feels as if an elephant were stepping on his back. Collapsing to one knee, Collin kisses his silver holy symbol and utters a prayer of thanks to his Lord, "Bless thee My Lord and Master, Gul'ren. Your humble servant will press on to avenge all the wrongs taken against thee. Torin is no more, but he may still have uses. For now, I ask for a little more help. Please stop the bleeding so I may bring his body to un-life in your name."

During his meditative healing period, the ghostly mace circles around the priest. Not trusting Samson, Collin does not dismiss the weapon. In time though, the weapon will fade back into the nothingness that spawned it.

Once he's feeling better, Collin proceeds to examine Torin's remains. Kicking the two blades from the charred cinders and bones, he bends down to retrieve the weapons to add to his trophy collection. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," he says the skeleton. "You should have been like this when you fell in the trench you stupid bastard. I wonder what secrets your skull can tell us. I wonder if your bones will be of greater use to us now that you're dead. I suppose only time and Gul'ren's grace will tell us the answer to these questions."

(OOC - For the moment, Collin will be casting Faith Healing on himself. The spell heals 13 hit points without a random roll (8 + 5 for max level). If Collin is still under 50% of his normal hit point total, he'll cast a Cure Serious Wounds to heal 3d8 + 10 hit points.)

[Kahluah]

Canace continues to hover above the ground as she looks at the mayor of the town. "I do not know if they're still attacking, though I would assume they're not. Last I saw, they were in the more than capable hands of Lynores, Tolven, and Varidi'ir. Collin came here to find you, and I followed soon after."

As the maddened priest starts crooning over the charred remains of his former companion, the windswept elf frowns slightly, looking at Samson once again. "Did Torin say anything to you before or during the attack? He didn't look...himself."

Maybe he was dominated by another - I fail to see why he would attack without reason otherwise, especially this far into their being here.

[BigRedRod]

"Not a bloody word. I heard the cry of attack and before I was even half way to putting on my armour our friend had popped out of nowhere and just started swinging his swords around. Fending off a crazed fella while you are half inside your armour is a bit of a task and don't you forget it."

Samson looks down at the cleric calling upon his lord's power to seal his wounds and then up at the faint clouds of smoke,
"Bastards decided to smoke us out, did they? Not time to stand around yakking while the place burns down."

Sheathing his mace, Collin collects the two swords holding one in either hand and inspecting them both. One is uselessly deformed by the heat, it'll require reforging if it is to be ever used again, while it's companion seems to have suffered from little more than gaining a coating of soot, it feels uncomfortable in the priest's hand however.

[Gnarsh]

Jogging up to the others, Lynores stops and snaps a quick salute to Samson. "The invaders are dead, Samson. The guards and other citizens are working on getting the flames down. Who's the corpse?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"The corpse is all that remains of Torin," replies the sullen priest. "He assaulted him (he makes a small motion towards Samson) and then turned his attacks on me. What caused him to turn against us and how he managed to escape the fissure and slip in here is something you or Samson may want to investigate. Go question the guards and see if any of them saw him enter the town after our return. If nobody remembers seeing him enter through the gates, he may have climbed over the walls or found another way into the town. Finding out where the security broke down is probably important for the safety of the townsfolk."

Collin looks around the immediate area for a wheelbarrow or other storage device large enough to put Torin's remains in. I do not want to put him in my bag. I'm sure the stench would never come out. "You up there," he calls to Canace, "Do you see a wheelbarrow or push-cart anywhere? I need a way to transport the body to someplace safe and quiet. I may be able to get some answers by examining the remains."

His life and death struggle over and Lynores hanging around, Collin snaps out of his tunnel-vision thoughts. Turning to the tiefling he asks about the gate and walls, "I take it you've repulsed the invaders? Or do you require my assistance again?"

[Gnarsh]

"First priority is getting the fires down. Then we'll worry about questioning. With the mayor's permission, of course." Lynores says to Collin with a nod to samson. "Yes, we've repelled the lizards and one of the apebeetles. But I can see where you could get confused, what with me explicitly saying that they were all dead."

Glancing at the corpse, Lynores asks the priest, "What exactly are you planning on doing for answers? Zombifying him and asking? Last I checked, the undead weren't the most chatty of beings."

[Gralhruk]

Invisible, Tolven listens to the exchange. Was he to understand that Torrin came back here and tried to kill the mayor? It seemed unlikely, but those certainly looked like they could have been his blades. If it was true, then the mage hunter was tougher -and more resourceful- than the drow had given him credit for.

Firefighting was a bit too menial; zombifying Torrin sounded like much more fun. Except, of course, it would mean spending time with Collin who was decidely not fun.

"Decisions, decisions"

His disembodied voice drifts to the others.

"Too bad you blasted him so fully. He might have had something telling on his person."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With the members of his cadre around, Collin waves his hand at the phantom mace, dismissing his floating spiritual weapon. No need for it now, I doubt that Samson would dare attack me and call me traitor again. And if he did, I'm fairly certain the others would slice him in two. Or maybe not?

Hearing the accusation that he would create a soulless undead out of Torin's remains; Collin replies, "No, nothing as grotesque as turning him into an undead. I was thinking of compelling his spirit to answer a few questions; that's all. Of course he could lie, so I will invoke a circle of truth that should prevent such trickery. If that still turns your guts, I may with the proper resources bring him back to life. We would then have complete access to his knowledge."

A wry smile passes through the priest's face for just a moment. As quick as it forms it disappears, a cloud of indecision and hate replacing the near giddiness of his next idea. "With his abnormal behavior, I can only think that Torin was not himself. I fear that he was already dead when I put him down for good. If this be the case, restoring him to life would require an actual miracle."

"My dear Tolven, where ever you are; given the choice all over again, I would not hesitate to do it again," the priest says to the empty air. "May I ask how long you've been standing around? You weren't afraid to lend a helping hand were you? After all, I'm sure you could have taken him on single-handedly and subdued him without nary a scratch to him or yourself! Now why don't you be a good boy and go spy on someone else. Torin's controller may still be near by. Go find him and show us how good you are by keeping him in one piece."

[Gralhruk]

Tolven's invisible face is smiling, his voice light.

"Alas, I was otherwise engaged. You might have requested help if you were having difficulty."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"I thought that the solar flare was enough of a signal," Collin jokes back. "Besides, any smaller flash of light may not have been seen through the smoke."

[Gralhruk]

Tolven mentally touches Grakus, willing the familiar to keep an eye out for someone hastily departing this vicinity. If someone was controlling Torrin, they would not be easy to find in this chaos. An aerial view might help. Then again, maybe not.

"How long will it take you to get answers out of Torrin?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"I could try right now, but I have no guarantee that any answers would be truthful," Collin says to the air. "Give me a day and I'll work my mojo to ensure some believability in his answers."

[Cadrius]

Varidiir watches the militia, fresh from victory, trot off toward the burning wall. He notes that the man who'd emerged from the nearby home earlier had lived. For that, the azer is grateful. He'd made a little promise to himself that he'd make certain that one survived. That grants him a measure of satisfaction that no amount of insectoid corpses could provide.

"Better stamp out that fire," he mutters, setting off to help put out the wall.

[Gnarsh]

Lynores nods to Collin's summary of his plans, then turns and returns to the wall, where he assists in the putting-out of the fire.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Locking Torin's body away, Collin begins to examine the charred remains. Before he can commune with the dead, he must be sure of a few things. You nasty little bugger, I hope you had your free will and weren't a walking dead. If you were turned, there's little hope you'll be able to answer any questions.

(OOC - Need to know if Torin was undead before casting any spells. Is it a healing check, or a knowledge check?)

[BigRedRod]

With any immediate threats vanquished, the people of broken gate feverishly set about attempting to save their little piece of civilisation on the unwelcoming island. With the main gate opened and all hands forming bucket chains, the fires are soon put out, although the charred walls look like they will need extensive repairs before they will ever serve again as a defence.

The smell of smoke lingers in the air, oddly sweet and pleasurable in the more distant areas and downright unpleasant and eye-watering in the areas near the fires. Few citizens of Broken Gate manage to fill the hours before dawn with sleep of any real kind, most half expect another cry of attack and more of the red-skinned lizards to attack the weary town.


...

The early morning light finds the town teeming with busy people, all busy gathering the few stockpiled resources in order to rebuild the perimeter defences of the walled village as quickly as possible. There is an air of hope as Canace walks from her home towards the Jail house where the Special Forces team have made their home, never have the lizards attacked in such a large group, the arrival of the massive ape-beetle was another surprise, and yet Broken-Gate was victorious.

Torin's remains are laid out upon the stone floor, Collin's preliminary non-magical investigations have revealed little. Calling down the divine flames upon him has left little more than bone, hardly anything to indicate whether the man who had attempted to end Samson's life was in fact Torin, or merely his animated corpse.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

As he prepares the body for his spell, Collin begins to have some doubts. This place, this island isn't part of our world. I can't send or receive messages back home, so does this mean I won't be able to call Torin back to his body? I suppose there's only one way to find out.

Going for broke, Collin forces Torin's memories to surface. He draws out divine patterns on the charcoaled chest. He tries his best to put the pieces back together so that the corpse can respond to his questions. After several minutes, he's ready to begin the incantations. "Return. Return and answer my queries. I command you to return!"

(OOC - Casts Speak with Dead. DC 17 willpower save.)

[Gnarsh]

Lynores rises early and seeks out Samson, hoping to speak with the mayor. As he walks through town, he greets the people that he passes, proud of them for their triumph the day before. Upon finding Samson, Lynores salutes and addresses him,

"Good morning, Samson. I'd like to speak with you about the lizards. After beating back that attack I think it's time that we should take the fight to them. They're bloodied now, and if we take the opportunity to strike, they could be dealt with once and for all. I'm sure my companions would be more than willing, also. What do you think?"

[Gralhruk]

Victory need not be pretty. Or smell good, if Broken Gate was any indication. The town would need some quick repairs if it was going to repel any more invaders. Tolven stretches as Lynores heads off on his early morning mission. The drow wonders if he should be doing something productive.

Probably.

He yawns, covering his mouth with a slim hand. Collin didn't need anyone to wring his answers from Torin, Lynores was dealing with Samson, and Canace was . . . well, Canace. He didn't really know what she was doing, but in any case she probably didn't want to spend the day loitering around with him. He looks over at Varidiir.

"Feel up to a little exploration? It might behoove us to investigate the cave where we initially met these lizard folk."

[Cadrius]

The azer shrugs. "Might not be a bad idea. Maybe we'll actually find some trouble."

The lizards' attack on the town wasn't poorly planned. If anything they displayed the occasional glimmer of ingenuity. Burning the walls and having the insect creature burrow into town was clever. Charging the walls was not. Varidiir isn't certain what he should think about them. A randomly intelligent foe is unpredictable. Perhaps they would muster their numbers and attack again straight away, or perhaps they'd wait until Varidiir and his friends left. No, it's best to investigate. What's the worst that could happen? Besides a grisly death?

"Well, let's get going before Collin tries to make us do anything stupid."

[Kahluah]

"If you're going outside of the village, then I'm coming with you."

Canace strides towards the azer, and the drow, once again in the style of clothes that the group had first met her in. This time though, her hair is tied behind her head, save for the locks of blue which frame her face, and she has the no-nonsense look of someone who will get what she wants. Her sword is strapped to her side, and her dark blue tunic and white breeches are repaired from the burns sustained in their first encounter with the fire-breathing creatures.

"Those lizard creatures attacked our - my - home, and I intend to find out why."

[BigRedRod]

Samson is stood in the midst of a flurry of activity in the town, directing small groups of his citizens to deal with various sections of the repair effort. At the sight of Lynores saluting him he visibly scowls but listens to what the fiend-blooded fencer has to say before offering a slow nod,
"You can see that I don't have any men to spare but you can take the elf with you. She'd be more use to you than me right now. You've looked me in the eye and said you can do this, to me that means you are bloody sure about your own abilities. I'll not stand in your way then, go and get them little bastards back for all this."

After a moment he adds in a slightly smaller voice to the tiefling,
"Have you made any progress with the traitor? Your priest seemed quite certain he could find what drove him to attempting to kill me. I've been mulling it over and over. If you lot said that you got 'ere by accident then... Well I'm sure you're as confused as I am."

...

Canace, Variidir and Tolven pass through the open gates of the town as Lynores asks for permission to hunt down the lizardmen not far away. Despite the dangers of the island, with the morning sun shining from the ocean behind the town and the long wild grasses dancing in the gentle breeze the island is really quite a pleasant place to be. Although most of the beauty is no doubt lost upon the subterranean elf.

...

Alone in the stone Jailhouse, Collin chants an ancient prayer. The charred skeleton stirs for a moment as the priest speaks words in a bizarre tongue that demand that the fallen answer for the actions of the living. Thrusting his holy symbol of Gul'ren forwards towards the charred bones completes the spell. The fragile bones spasm and it looks as though the spell has worked...

[Gnarsh]

"Last I knew, Collin had not yet cast his spell," Lynores responds to the mayor in an equally low voice, "but hopefully he'll do it soon, if he hasn't already. I'd imagine we'll be leaving as soon as he gets some answers. Personally, I have no idea what caused Torin's betrayal. He hadn't been with us long, but seemed like a loyal enough person. I'm sure he wasn't acting of his own volition."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

The body of Torin stirs, signaling to Collin that the spell worked. Clapping his hands together in excitement, the priest thinks happy thoughts for the first time since landing on the island. Ah, success! This means Torin was manipulated instead of being turned into a walking dead. Now come the questions, I've a limited number of them and time is wasting away.

His first question put to the dead is straight forward, "Torin, what caused you to turn against the people of Vodalia?"

[BigRedRod]

"Good. Let me know how it turns out then."
And with that Samson turns his attentions back to shouting commands at the clusters of citizens.

...

The skeleton of Torin lies completely motionless upon the stone floor as Collin asks his question. In answer its the jaw bone starts moving with a sick clicking noise as the charred bones grate against one another. After less than a second of watching the remains of the mouth move, it becomes clear to Collin that although the spell may be able to call upon the memories implanted in to a body it is not capable of allowing this particular body to speak on account of the damage it has suffered.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

The clacking from Torin's jaw infuriates the priest. He mocks me even in death! With a wave of his hand, Collin ends the spell prematurely. In the future I'll know not to incinerate the prisoners I wish to beat information out of. Slumping down in a chair, he begins to go through the numerous prayers he can call upon that may help him eventually get what he wants.

[Gralhruk]

Torin, Torin, Torin.

What had caused the mage hunter to turn on the group? Most likely he had been somehow subverted by the lizards but . . . well, he was having a hard time believing that the lizards were that advanced. After all, there armor and weapons seemed sub-par.

On the other hand . . .

On the other hand, they had managed to get the ape-beetles to do their bidding. Maybe they had some way to establish mind control over intelligent beings. At least, a way to control semi-intelligent beings, depending on how smart you considered Torin. Or an ape-beetle.

"Canace, you said that you'd encountered those lizard creatures before. How advanced a society are they, would you say? Their metal work seemed poor at best, non-existent at worst, yet it seemed at least some of them are versed in arcane matters."

[Cadrius]

Varidiir grumbles to himself in his native ignan. He isn't particularly happy to have Canace along.

The language of fire tries its best to emulate the ubiquitous element present on the Varidiir's home plane. It does a fair job. Most of the words are fluid, like water, but hard sounds can be heard amidst the sentences; they represent the crackle of the flame. The words stop just shy of being pleasing to the untrained ear. Instead, they create an almost uncomfortable feeling in a listener, like a note that's a hair sharp. It isn't bad, per se, but the ear doesn't prefer it. And that's just the Azer dialect. If anything, the Salamander and Efreeti accents are even more unpleasant.

"And why the hell do they hate you and yer friends so much? Well, besides the obvious..."

In his mind, Varidiir marks another point scored.

[Gnarsh]

Having informed Samson of his intentions, Lynores begins to look for Collin, to see how his work has progressed.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Draping a blanket over Torin's remains, Collin leaves the body to rest in a cell for the time being. Unsure what skin grafting might do to the body's imprinted memories, he decides to scraps his idea of using lizard hide and organs to repair Torin's body to the point where his spell may work.

Taking a piece of paper, he leaves a note with Torin's body.

Leave Torin's remains alone. Still in the process of extracting information.

Collin

Despite having just the bones and charred flesh, Collin determines that all is not lost; the lizard corpses may still be of some use. Before they can all be disposed of, the priest runs in search of their intact or mostly intact corpses.

[Kahluah]

Canace looks at the drow and shrugs, looking out across the tree-lined vista, all but ignoring the azer's inane attempt at insulting her. "No one has been able to find where it is they lair on the island, and very few have had the inclination to attempt to find them. Suffice to say, while their weapons may be sub-par, I get the feeling that it is more to do with lack of maintenance than anything else.

"Unfortunately, up until now, we have regarded them as little more than a uncouth nuisance, which is more the folly for us, I fear."

[BigRedRod]

After asking a few of the villagers Collin what has been done with the bodies of the red skinned attackers, the priest of directed out of the walled settlement and further down the coast. Meeting Lynores along the way, clad in his boots crafted of the lizard-skin, the pair of them head out of the gate and set off in a direction perpendicular to that of the rest of the party.

A pair of guardsmen have been tasked with disposing of the remains of the warrior-lizards and have chosen to do so where the land meets the ocean in a rather sudden beachless transition. A heap of bodies stripped of their battered arms and armour lie not far from a heap of seemingly foraged lumber, at the bottom of the pile lies the remains of the great ape-beetle. The two guardsmen are placing the one of the bodies on the beginning of a rough square pyre not more than three feet tall when one of them spots the fiend-blooded fencer and the servant of Gul'ren approaching. The pleasant smell of sea air is mixed with the smell of flesh deciding that now is the time to begin rotting underneath the morning sun. A hand-cart lies beside the pile of bodies and from the smell and red stains, it seems logical to guess it was used in transporting the bodies from the village to the pyre-site.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin chuckles at the thought of the fire-immune lizards getting stacked for cremation. Still, the thought that the bodies could be destroyed irritates him slightly. Calling out to the guards he says, "Stop what you're doing! Do not light them just yet!"

Breaking into a jog, the priest hurries to the scene, ignoring the bounce from his breastplate. Getting to the pyre, hopefully in time, he asks that they hold off on burning the remains. "I need three of them, but which three to take?" Stepping through and on the remains, Collin begins searching through the dead, looking for the "best" corpses. I need them intact if they're to do any work. No missing parts and with as little damage as possible.

[Gralhruk]

"Then perhaps it would be better to ask ourselves what they hope to gain from the destruction of the town. If we suppose that Torin was indeed subverted by the lizards, what was his purpose? To slay the mayor, apparently. One dead human. Where is the gain in that? They don't live very long anyway."

He walks as gracefully as ever, seeming out on a rest day stroll rather than headed for blood and vengeance. Well, he isn't really on the trip for vengeance, since he really didn't have anything to avenge. After all, they hadn't done anything to him, personally.

On the other hand, the thought of becoming a willing thrall for some primitive lizard was a bit unpleasant. He turns his head slightly to find himself eye to eye with Grakus, the chameleon on his accustomed shoulder perch. He clears his throat, wondering if the irony of that thought was apparent from a lizard eye view and deciding it would be better not to ask.

Anyway, Torin was the one dead and currently in the process of a most undignified post mortem interrogation. The mage hunter had been mildly useful but at the end of the day, Tolven thought, better him than me.

"Does the mayor have anything they want?"

[Cadrius]

"I'd bet our friend's pointy ears that it isn't something the Mayor has that they want," he says, his hand almost brushing some of the tall island grass. He imagines it's pleasant, soft even, but he can't touch it; being permanetly ablaze has its disadvantages. "It's easy. How long have they been here? How long has Sampson and his? I'd bet they just want the humans gone off their island. But the real question is how in the hell did they get here?"

[Gralhruk]

The drow gives Varidiir with a sidelong glance. He sniffs lightly, wondering why the dwarf didn't smell like smoke. Something burning like that ought to give off some smoke. It would be most pleasant if the dwarf brought with him the odor of burning leaves. One of the few benefits of surface dwelling was the smell of burning leaves. Deciduous plants were not prone to growing deep beneath the surface.

"Yes, but why specifically target the mayor? It points toward a plan of some sort. The question is, what would that plan accomplish?"

[Kahluah]

Canace shrugs, looking at the drow and the azer. "With Samson gone, we would most likely have to leave, or wait for a new mayor to arrive. And with the split in the planes still in place, we would have to send a missive via normal means, which would be enough time for the lizards to continue whittling our numbers down while we cower in our homes."

She shakes her head. "There's something beyond just simple attacks and peppering the settlement with flames, and we should move quickly before they regroup with more and attack again."

[BigRedRod]

The two men are quite surprised by Collin's sudden appearance and request to take three of the bodies. His companion wearing a pair of boots fashioned from red lizardskin set them further ill at ease. As the priest gradually picks the bodies he'll be taking, those felled by the team's own archery skills, one of the guards half coughs and speaks up,
"Errr, you can 'ave our cart if you want to move 'em anywhere."

...

Now quite far away, the two elves and the azer debate motives for the attack and draw ever closer to their destination.

[Gnarsh]

"Why thank you, good sirs!" Lynores says to the guardsmen at the offer of the cart. He fishes two gold coins from his pocket and tosses one to each guard, then turns to Collin. "I suppose I'll be pulling the cart, so the mighty servant of the gods doesn't have to dirty his hands?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Startled by Lynores' offer to help, Collin nods his head but offers to help with the grunt work. "Eh? Oh, if you like, or we might be able to each take hold of one arm and move together. It's my plan to put them to work and shore up the town's defenses. I would like to rest and work comfortably with the knowledge that we won't be disturbed any longer. Maybe tomorrow with Gul'ren's help, we can put these things to work and build ourselves a more suitable home. Of course it shall be completely fireproof!"

[Gnarsh]

Raising an eyebrow, Lynores eyes to corpses warily. "You mean raise them as undead? Sounds fair enough to me, but are you sure the townsfolk will go along with it?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Rubbing the front of his teeth with his tongue, Collin hocks up phlem and spits it out in front of him. "What are they going to do; say 'you can't do that' to me? I serve a higher power and this feels right. Why not make use of the enemy? They can dig for rocks, or cover holes for the town when I don't need their services. Besides, if anyone complains, I suppose I could remind them that I'm not using their own people."

[BigRedRod]

The guardsmen offer subdued thanks to Lynores as the three corpses are loaded in to the cart. Both men are clearly quite disturbed by Collin's talk of necromancy.

Nobody stops the pair to ask questions concerning the grizzly contents of the handcart as they return to their quarters at the jailhouse. The bodies are already a-buzz with more than a few flies and Collin barely has time to dump them on to the cold stone floor and give them a brief inspection before there is a bang at the door and the familiar overbearing form of Samson enters.

His face carries a clear mask of disgust as he regards the three lizardmen on the ground and the bones of Torin in another corner,
"I heard some of my men talkin'. Looks like they did have something to talk about after all. I was planning on having all of the little buggers burned by this afternoon... So then, what is this in aid of?"
The man looks Collin in the eye waiting for his answer.

...

Eventually the grass gives up trying to keep hold of the loose dry earth and is replaced just be occasional scrub plants in the dusty reddish soil. Hot sun beats down as the three stand before the cave mouth from where a brigade of Lizardfolk emerged on the last passing.

The dusty ground has clearly been disturbed heavily and in the very recent past. A rough precession of footprints leave the cave before spreading out in the general direction form which the three came, a dozen or so yards away from the mouth and the prints have become little more than random markings in the dust.

[Gralhruk]

Tolven peers at the tracks, unable to discern anything other than that a great number of beings had left the cave. That doesn't prevent him from making a great show of his examination, though. Finally he shrugs.

"Probably from when they attacked. I don't see any tracks coming this way but that doesn't mean much."

He eyes the opening to the cave, reminded suddenly of his homeland far beneath the earth. His mouth twists bitterly before he realizes it and wipes all traces of emotion from his face. He turns to the other two, smiling.

"Shall we? I should lead, I think, and keep an eye out for any traps."

[Gnarsh]

Greeting Samson with a smile, Lynores turns to answer his question. "Well, Samson, Collin has decided, as he's as yet been unable to get any answers from the bodies, they should at least go towards something useful. So, he's going to animate these bodies and use them to help in building the town a new wall and otherwise superior defenses. Of course, if you have any objections, he will be more than willing to modify his plan so as to be more favorable to you."

[Kahluah]

Canace nods at the drow elf. Tolven wasn't like most other drow she'd encountered - most of them would have skinned her alive simply for being a surface dweller. She wondered momentarily why Tolven was different, before dismissing the thought in its entirety.

"If you have the facilities to detect traps, then by all means, continue. And besides, we already have a torch." She smiles, her voice lighthearted as she thumbs toward the azer. If he was to continue ribbing her about her heritage, the least she could do is humorously respond in kind.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Getting up from the floor, Collin moves around the guards and their leader to close the door. Turning to face an irate mayor, he says mockingly in two different voices, "Knock, knock. Hello. Hi, please come in and make yourselves at home. Thank-you, it's so nice to see you. No, no, no, it's a pleasure to see you..."

His mirth fades as he realizes that his guests do not appreciate his humor. "I realize you may not appreciate or understand my faith, but at the very least you could have shown some manners and knocked first. Hell, you never even bothered to personally thank me for saving your life; something that upon reconsideration is looking to be a bad decision on my part. Now, why don't you leave me alone so I may pray in peace. What I do with these corpses is my business, as you did not want them. You were just going to burn them, or at least try to. If you require some form of an explanation, think of this as being the same as if someone in town discarding a rock from their garden and someone else picking it up to use in their own. I'm using your waste."

"Now, if you feel that this is wrong, I'll consider your concerns. But know that I'll view this as a statement that you do not need or want any help from me and my Lord," Collin says to the town's mayor. "The next time your defenses are tested, I'll be more than willing to sit back and watch. Maybe their next assassin will be stronger than our former companion. As you said to me earlier or more to the effect about me, I am a man of my word, or at least I try to be. However, if you're willing to give your consent, I plan to put these creatures to work: fortifying your defenses, preparing for fires in your buildings, performing manual labor that is taxing to your living population and anything else I can think of that will save your town. Now will you leave me alone, or must I take my work else where?"

[BigRedRod]

Samson freezes in mid nod as Collin begins his rant and the mayor stays perfectly still throughout the speech of the priest. A short silence follows and is broken by Samson bursting in to laughter,
"I like you Collin. Never let it be said otherwise. Seems fitting to me that we should set the buggers to work be they dead or alive. Oh, but you might want to gather the rest of them before my men do burn them. Either way there, I'm sure you don't need me holding your hand. You two make sure to have fun now."
Beaming away, the stocky man turns and leaves the two to their own devices.

...

The cave is cool and dark. Or it would be if it wasn't for Varidiir's presence. Orange light plays upon the rough naturally formed sides of the cavern. The cavern which turns out to be little more than the start of a downwards sloping passage.

Tolven takes the point, his keen eyes searching the darkness just beyond the limit of the monk's innate glow while the two rivals trial shortly behind. The eyes of the drow find little of interest. Now too far from the surface to have any sand upon the uneven floor it is much harder to make out any signs of passage.

After several minutes of wandering downwards through the unending tunnel the drow abruptly stops. Before either of the followers need ask both notice an odd sparkle in the air caught by the dancing flames of Varidiir, A very thin wire has been drawn across the passage, about a foot above the ground. Small metal rings are set in to the stone at each side of the tunnel, each with one end of the wire fixed to it. Anyone pulling the taut wire would most likely tear one or poor of the wires free from the wall.

[Gnarsh]

As Samson leaves, Lynores gives Collin a pat on the back. "Ha! I sure as hell didn't expect that. Nice job. Now hurry up and get this animating finished, there's work to be done. We need to head to the caves sometime and get some more future laborers. Speaking of which, have you seen the others? I don't know what they were planning on doing."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Relieved to be left alone, Collin resumes his work until Lynores questions him about the others. Lowering the stiff arm on one of the corpses, he looks around the empty jail and shrugs. "I don't know, but I'm sure that they'll be back. Maybe they're helping to rebuild the town, or trying to track down where the lizards came from, or where Torin reappeared from? Regardless, I've still got the mystical rocks and it seems that they're the key to the dimensional anchor."

[Gralhruk]

"Well, well, well. Crude, yes, but effective against the unwary. Either there are more lizards below or they didn't want anyone plundering the place while they were out."

He can't quite decide if the light his flaming companion sheds is a boon or a bane. Like as not, he'd attract the first attack of anything going after them - a definite benefit for Tolven. On the other hand, if he wasn't so damned fiery they might have a chance at surprise. Well, given the azer's typical approach, surprise probably wasn't a possibility anyway.

He selects several tools from a pouch at his side, considering them carefully before approaching the trap just as carefully. It never hurt to be careful. After all, the truly devious often played upon the assumptions of others. The drow never trusted that people were as stupid as they pretended to be. With a mental word to Grakus to keep an eye out for any movement, the drow set to work.

<OOC: Disable device +13>

[BigRedRod]

Closer examination reveals several marks above each ring, clearly the tunnel has been carefully weakened so that if someone was to trip on the wire, thereby tearing one or both of the rings free from the walls it would seal the passage and most likely crush to death anybody who wasn't particularly quick.

Simply severing the wire renders the trap deactivated and the trio continue in to the unknown depths beneath the island. With every yard travelled the tunnel shrinks in diameter, until eventually the three are pressed in to single file and the two elves find themselves occasionally having to duck their heads to avoid a concussion.

Trudging forward through the tunnel as it twists left, right, up and down for several more minutes Tolven calls the group to a halt by ceasing his own movement. At the very edge of his vision, the drow can just about make out the end of the tunnel. Around sixty more feet of more or less straight claustrophobic tunnel remains before it suddenly opens. Quite what lies at the end of the tunnel remains a mystery. Apart from a vaguely unpleasant and unplaceable smell the senses for the trio pick up no insight to what might lie ahead.

[Cadrius]

He's supposed to like caves. Dwarves like caves, thusly Varidiir should like caves. And yet, there's something about the walls closing in about him that unsettles the azer. In his homeland, his original homeland, things were always open. The very crust of the plane is evershifting and caves do not last. Even the great rivers of magma that careen off the occasional cliffs and form firefalls do not last forever. The land is ever-changing, albeit at a comfortable pace.

He misses his homeland, but there's something about this island that pleases him. He might like it if the air were warmer, but the simple pleasure of dipping his feet in the turcoise waters is far better than any molten ocean of magma.

"Best be careful, lad," he says. "There are probably more down here."

[Gralhruk]

Tolven couldn't decide if Varidiir meant more traps or more lizards. Not that it mattered, as the Azer would likely blunder happily into whatever was about. Nevertheless, he flashes his white teeth at the fire crowned dwarf.

"But of course."

He advances cautiously, never taking for granted an inch of the ground in front of him. Truly, he was a different creature when he was about this business of life and death. It was, in fact, the only time he really felt alive, the only time he really felt like living. Everything else was pure distraction, a bit of fluff before the night closed forever.

He holds one arm out, fingers brushing the wall. Grakus gets the hint and travels down this human bridge, his prehensile toes easily gripping the stone surface. The chameleon traverses the wall roughly parallel to the drow. At the end of the tunnel, Tolven stops and carefully searches the entryway before sending Grakus inside along the wall.

[BigRedRod]

The cavern at the end of the tunnel is much taller than any of its other dimensions. The ceiling is lost in blackness even to eyes used to a life without light and it begs the question of just how far below the surface the trio have come.

A pair of sweeping staircases are carved into the rough, and slightly damp, rock. The two rise up and meet at what looks to be another tunnel mouth. A tunnel mouth sealed with a rather rusted iron portcullis. Beneath the portcullis and between the two curving staircases is a large heap of grey stone. The rubble is a clear contrast to the surrounding natural reddish rock of the cavern.

Ripples spread slowly across the surface of a jet black pool nearly ten feet across. The only sound in the cavern comes from the sound of a steady trickle of water running down the wall and adding to the pool. The dark water hides any insight as to its depth.

A heap of rubble sits across the pool, seemingly the product of a section of the unseen cavern ceiling collapsing. The tall cavern is deserted except for a smattering of deep red stalagmites.

Map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END -homxxv

[Cadrius]

"Huh."

The azer moves further into the cavern, eyes flitting about. In hindsight, he hadn't known what to expect from the reptilian people. He supposes, though, that an empty cave wasn't on his list. How they conducted their assault on the town should have been enough of a clue to how they might live.

He walks toward the clump of dark red stalagmites, seeking closer inspection.

[Gralhruk]

Tolven watches the shadows flicker as Varidiir enters the room, brightly lighting the way and providing a convenient beacon for anything that might still be here. Hopefully the place was as empty as it seemed. He maintains the detached smirk yet he stays ever vigilant. There were caverns and then there were caverns, and then there were caverns.

This didn't seem to be the first variety, nor the third. It was in between - a place where one didn't quite know what to expect. The lizards had already shown that they were bright enough to lay traps for the unwary, although they appeared rather amateurish. Yet caution was a cornerstone for a point man like himself.

The drow enters the room and heads slowly towards the pool; something about its still surface seemed unusual. Besides, it put him away from the brightly burning target that was Varidiir. As he reaches his goal, he peers carefully into its depths.

[Kahluah]

With the azer examining the stalagmites and the drow checking over the dark pool of water, Canace frowns slightly, wishing she had more of a light-source to use than just the flames from on top of Varidiir's head. Chiding herself for her lack of foresight in not preparing a spell, the wizard walks over to the staircases leading up to the portcullis, examining the base of them for anything of interest.

[BigRedRod]

Attempting to see within the black pool becomes rather more challenging than Tolven would have hoped. The liquid seems almost perfectly reflective like a black mirror set upon the ground, only the constantly moving ripples upon the surface of the pool reassure Tolven that he is in fact stood before a liquid. After a few moments of watching the ripples it becomes clear that some aren't originating from the tiny stream of water running down the wall, nor are they the result of the occasional droplet of water which comes from the unseen ceiling.

Moving his body and head in an attempt to find an angle at which his reflection isn't so prominent, the drow eventually catches a glimpse of the source of the extra ripples. A tiny white shape. Waiting patiently allows for another glimpse of the shape, moving with a strange rhythmic pulsation through the pool. The pool itself can't be more than a few feet deep around the edge although at the centre the dark water even stops Tolven's elf-sight from penetrating its mysteries, of more interest is the shape which appears just on the outside of the hidden centre. It could just be an exciting rocky protrusion but to the drow it looks rather like a hand.

Varidiir's lack of expertise concerning all things geological is another of the minute details that separates the bronze-skinned flaming monk from the more common dwarf. As he stands before one the contrasting red spikes, a droplet of water decides to abandon its position on the ceiling and strikes it almost precisely upon the tip. The particular clump of stalagmites that the monk chose to investigate seems identical to the other lumps in the cavern.

Stood at the base of the stairs, Canace quickly gets the impression that this cavern was once rather more spectacular. Stood closer to the grey stone it becomes possible to make out obvious carved shapes in the pile of broken stonework. Clearly a statue of some description once stood before the tunnel mouth and between the two staircases. As for the staircases themselves, the only detail that the wizard notices is that the one on her left is distinctly more worn than the one on the right. From her position between the two though, she can see no reason for the preference.

[Gralhruk]

Tolven arches one white eyebrow as he silently contemplates the thing in the pool. Bizarre. His reaction is driven in equal parts by curiousity and necessity. He draws his shortbow and grips it by one end, carefully extending it in an attempt to touch the wriggling white shape.

[BigRedRod]

No sooner has the bow entered the water that the white shape turns around and heads straight for it. Tolven feels a slightly shudder run along the length of the wood and carefully withdraws his weapon from the inky pool. A tiny white creature has wrapped its tentacles around the wooden shaft and seems to have no intention of letting go. It seems to be a type of squid, looking closer the drow can quite clear see that it is biting the wood to which it has attached itself, although such small teeth are unlikely to leave much of a mark. Including tentacles the thing can't be longer than the distance from finger to thumb on an outstretched hand.

[Cadrius]

"Huh."

This should be more important to him. Dwarves like many things: fighting, drinking, building things, disparaging elves, and stone, just to name a few. Yet Varidiir can't see the attraction in the rocks set before him. Above, water drips down onto the naturally occuring spikes. Drip. Is this what dwarves do? Stare at stalagmites? There must be something more to it.

Nearby, Tolven examines an alabaster squid clinging to the end of his bow. Varidiir chuckles. "Made another friend? We got a kind just like those back home...but they live in lava pools...and are always on fire...and they tend to go for your face." Maybe they aren't that similar after all.

[Gralhruk]

The drow smiles thinly at Varidiir's attempted humour. Or maybe he was being serious. It was hard to tell the difference with him sometimes. And really, Tolven didn't care either way. With distant interest, the dark elf plucks his dagger from the scabbard and then pries the squid off with the blade, pressing the creature to the floor to better observe it.

<OOC: Uh, anything remarkable about it?>

[BigRedRod]

It takes some work to eventually remove the creature from its position on the bow but eventually it flops to the ground by Tolven's boot clearly not taken with the idea of latching on to the short prying blade.

Prodding the squirming creature, Tolven is struck by his lack of knowledge concerning cave-dwelling freshwater squids. It seems odd to find a solitary creature in such a pool, but there are any number of possible reasons that it might have ended up here. Writhing around the creature doesn't seem to enjoy lying upon the wet stone ground nor being held in one place by the flat of the blade. Oddly enough it doesn't seem to be having any problems breathing despite having been out of water for a good length of time now.

[Gralhruk]

His homeland was full of unusual creatures though Tolven cannot remember seeing any quite like this - a fact that is unsurprising given his decided lack of interest in life forms other than himself. Holding the creature down with the blade in his right hand, he taps a slim finger against his lips with the other. The thing was likely just some indigenous life form, and yet . . .

Yet it was here, alone in this pool in the midst of the lizard settlement. It might be something other than what it appeared to be. Weaving his free hand in a quick, complex pattern, he utters a short, musical incantation. His mind stirs with the sounds of nearby thoughts until he focuses on the wriggling creature beneath his knife, a single thread in that vast mental tapestry.

There you are . . .

He pushes away the others and follows the silken mental line, concentrating on piercing the dark waters of an alien mind.

<OOC: Detect thoughts, concentrate for at least 3 rounds.>

[Gralhruk]

He raises a white eyebrow as he makes contact. He remains motionless for another moment, listening, contemplating. He backs off a step, releasing the creature from beneath his knife, then fishes some food out of his pack.

He places the food near the creature and then speaks, not sure if it will understand him or not. He keeps his mind focused on reading the stream of thoughts, hoping that there is some way to communicate with the creature.

"My apologies - one must always be cautious with the unknown. You are hungry: please accept this food as a token of my goodwill."

<OOC: Er, diplomacy +11?>

[BigRedRod]

The creature is clearly not designed for land-based locomotion, although as the drow sets down the morsel of spiced, dried meat, it makes a concerted effort to move itself across the damp cave floor. Dragging itself along on its tentacles, as soon as it can reach the peace offering it ensnares it using the suckers lining its tentacles and quickly pulls it down towards it mouth. For such a small creature it makes a great deal of noise as the strip of jerky rapidly vanishes.

Having eaten something, it arranges itself so that its great black eyes can stare up at the drow. Reading the emotion on such an alien face is impossible, but fortunately Tolven has other methods.

[Gralhruk]

Tolven smiles widely as the creature devours the strip of beef, attempting to appear as benevolent as possible. The drow considers the possible approaches. The familiar's master had most certainly perished in the attack, else he would have been back here.

"Yes, yes. The master bid me return here to see to his most faithful friend. There will soon be danger here, and he has charged us with retrieving the items. I will need your help to locate them."

<OOC: More squidplomacy along with some good old fashioned bluffing.>

[Gralhruk]

Tolven frowns. No more black pool? If the pool was dangerous, then what was the squid doing in it? Too bad he didn't have more information to go on.

"Perhaps I made an incorrect assumption. I thought we would need something to get rid of the pool. It isn't easy for me to follow everything the master says, him being so smart and all. Maybe it would be better if you went over the details of the pool again."

[Gralhruk]

"Right. Well, you are free from that damnable pool. Now, let's go."

Tolven picks up the squid if it seems willing and heads for the stairs. He indicates the grey rubble with his free hand.

"Where is all that mess from anyway?"

[BigRedRod]

The tentacles of the creature quickly wrap their way around the wrist of the dark elf, securing its position upon his hand. Grakus crawls upon the roof above shooting accusing glances down at his master, while the squid itself peers cautiously over at the flaming beacon that is Varidiir, seemingly unaware of Canace's presence at all.

At Tolven's direction, the suckered tentacles shift as the albino blob shifts its view. The sensation is rather unpleasant.

[Cadrius]

"Uh, lad? Squids don't talk." Except for the face-suckers from his home plane, but they generally had their mouths full and were not at all good conversationalists. "Or have you gone barmy?"

If the azer isn't mistaken, he actually saw Tolven feed the small creature a bit of food. Bonding with a disgusting cave creature that undoubtedly has malignant ideas on its mind (as they all do)? That never works...well, maybe once.

He takes a few hesitant steps forward, uncertain if the drow is eccentric or crazy, and where the line is between the two.

[Gralhruk]

"You are as astute as ever. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that your head is on fire."

Tolven considers petting the repulsive creature on his arm but, well, he can't quite bring himself to be that friendly.

"If you had been paying attention, you would realize that my friend here is The Master's familiar. In fact, if you think about it really, really hard you might recall The Master sending us here to rescue his familiar."

He smiles at the squid, almost certain that the creature has no idea what a smile is. After all, he was use to viewing somewhat more reptilian features. At any rate, his smile had to be considerably less toothy than what the thing was used to, which should be a good thing.

"At any rate, we were speaking of the statue. The ideals of the Xxcha? That wouldn't have anything to do with causing a planar rift, would it?"

[Gralhruk]

"Yes, we are all eager to reuinite you with the master. Would he be beyond that portcullis up there? And where are the rest of the Xxcha?"

This was getting nowhere fast. And of all things, the squid was starting to get suspicious. Yet one thing was nagging at him - the Master. He was obviously a wizard of sorts and Tolven had assumed he perished in the attack, but since finding the squid he'd had some time to think about it. A familiar ought to know when its master was dead, which meant the Master was alive.

Uncomfortably, he remembers Collin mentioning that there might be a handler about for the possessed Torin. He had dismissed the idea at the time, but now that seemed a great deal more likely.

[Gralhruk]

The squid's confusing thoughts careen through Tolven's mind, a torrent of less than pleasant images. Did it mean the battle? It seemed not, for then the creature indicated that the other Xxcha were on the other side of the gate. Was the force that attacked them just meant to test the town's defenses?

"Why did all the Xxcha not attack the humans at once, to wipe their settlement fully from the surface? Wouldn't the Master's magic have turned the battle in our favor?"

[BigRedRod]

Abandoning his conversation with the squid, Tolven looks to his companions. After a few moments he speaks, his slow words make it clear that he is attempting to avoid revealing everything to the small albino creature,
"We should go back to the surface for now. The others will know where we can find the Master."

[Cadrius]

Varidiir gives a shrug to his fey companions. Canace is enamored with the stairs and Tolven? Well, Tolven is apparently fluent in octopoidese. He furrows his coppery brow. All this talk of seeing the Master coupled with deducing why the lizards would bother with such a horribly poor attack has the azer befuddled. Yet he nods in agreement all the same. What better idea does he have?

"Let's go then."

[BigRedRod]

Repairs are well underway at Broken Gate. The white clouds in the infinite blue sky have already taken on pink underbellies as another long dusk sets about beginning as the trio are allowed through the gate with polite nods and smiles. The people of the settlement seem relieved to have the other half of the special forces team and their own wizard return to them before nightfall.

It doesn't take long to find Collin and Lynores back at the jailhouse. The charred bones of Torin lie scattered in one corner while three of the red skinned lizards lie stretched out on the stone floor. The smell of ash and decay is both strong and deeply unpleasant.