[Koba]<br><br>Instinctively Koba draws his arm up over his head to protect his face. At the sight of weapons fire aimed at him, Koba reacts. Within a moment, Koba is engulfed in a halo of crackling energy. Small sparks and lightning emanate from all around him but he appears unharmed by the display. He unhooks the weapon from over his shoulder and falls to the ground prone while he tries to get a bearing on the location of the fire. "Anyone see where that is coming from?"<br>
<br>[/Koba]<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Apr 14, 2008 at 4:03 PM, Aaron Clausen <<a href="mailto:mightymartianca@gmail.com">mightymartianca@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
>> [GM]<br>
>> The inn itself is empty, and the equipment left behind is<br>
>> unmolested. Bongo had left behind most of his possessions. Osiris<br>
>> picks one of the bags up, and hands it to Alex. "For our brother."<br>
>> he says simply. Bongo had most of his weapons on him when he<br>
>> disappeared. There is still an old style C-12 Heavy Assault Laser<br>
>> Rifle, which, unless anyone objects, Osiris takes charge of.<br>
>><br>
>> Along with their belongings, the company finds two weeks of good<br>
>> rations; hard bread, cheese, dried meat and dried fruit, a final<br>
>> gift from Max.<br>
>><br>
>> The company make their way out of the inn and back out on to the<br>
>> street, where they find Sialillion waiting for them with her own<br>
>> gear.<br>
>> [/GM]<br>
<br>
> [Sia]<br>
> Sialillion comes by wearing dark goggles a black large-brimmed felt<br>
> hat and with a high-tech looking frame backpack strapped to her. The<br>
> backpack also has a compound bow tied to the back of it and a Wilk's<br>
> laser rifle clipped to the side within arm's reach. A matte black<br>
> breastplace and leg guards peek out underneath her cloak.<br>
> [/Sia]<br>
<br>
> [Ted]<br>
> "Well, Sia," Ted speaks up for the group, "You seem to know a little<br>
> more about this place than we do. How do we get out of here?"<br>
> [/Ted]<br>
<br>
[Osiris]<br>
"Impressive." the old man says.<br>
[/Osiris]<br>
<br>
> [Carlos]<br>
> "If everyone's ready, let's head out before we encounter trouble<br>
> again."<br>
> [/Carlos]<br>
<br>
> [Lady Frost]<br>
> "Not possible Carlos. With this group, trouble always finds us. Give<br>
> me a second here."<br>
><br>
> Setting down the man she's carrying, she looks him over to see if her<br>
> frozen form has been causing him any difficulties, then carefully<br>
> applies a thin layer of cold and ice to his wounds in an effort to<br>
> slow down bleeding and swelling.<br>
><br>
> She might not like, or trust him, but she wasn't going to let him<br>
> die.<br>
><br>
> "When we're in the clear, someone needs to take a look at this guy.<br>
> I'm a superhero, not a doctor."<br>
> [/Lady Frost]<br>
<br>
> [Talas]<br>
> "If we can spare a minute, I can use what healing talents I have on<br>
> the man."<br>
><br>
> Talas uses his healing touch on the man.<br>
> [/Talas]<br>
<br>
[GM]<br>
Some color returns to the man's cheeks, and he looks at Talas and Lady<br>
Frost with a mix of revulsion and relief. He looks ready to say<br>
something, but holds his tongue.<br>
[/GM]<br>
<br>
> [Sia]<br>
> "Right. This way. And we should move quickly- there's something<br>
> sinister lurking overhead. What, I'm not sure of, but my familiar has<br>
> felt its presence since our encounter with Bruth." She leads the<br>
> group to the sewer grate she was talking about earlier, taking back<br>
> alleys and avoiding main roads when possible.<br>
><br>
> While en-route, she explains, "The men at the castle are expecting an<br>
> invasion. They've moved the jetboat down river to a nearby village-<br>
> that's our best bet. But I fear that Poughkeepsie may not hold." She<br>
> seems geniunely concerned- an uncommon reaction for the stoic lady<br>
> elf.<br>
><br>
> "It was a good home while it lasted," she says after a time.<br>
> [/Sia]<br>
<br>
> [Koba]<br>
> "It sure looked like a decent place to rest." Koba says rembering<br>
> that he only has been in the city for about 45 minutes so far.<br>
> [/Koba]<br>
<br>
[Osiris]<br>
"Let us hope we can do whatever we can to defeat their enemies, and<br>
preserve them." Osiris says grimly.<br>
[/Osiris]<br>
<br>
[GM]<br>
Despite Sia's warnings of something above, neither she nor her familiar<br>
catch site of it again. The streets are in chaos, and no one seems to<br>
notice the company making for the tunnel. The tunnel is small, no more<br>
than two and a half feet wide by about three feet high. The grate<br>
itself is made of metal.<br>
[/GM]<br>
<br>
[Osiris]<br>
Osiris's psi-sword appears as deftly cuts the grate away. "After you."<br>
he says to the rest of the company.<br>
[/Osiris]<br>
<br>
[GM<br>
The tunnel is some fifty feet long. It must certainly be very old, for<br>
the concrete is cracked and chipped, with tree roots slowly tearing it<br>
to pieces. It leads steadily downwards until it ends in the middle of a<br>
rather brambly rose bush which hides the exit.<br>
<br>
Struggling through this bracken, the company finds itself at a muddy<br>
section of the river bank. A few hundred feet downstream the docks can<br>
be seen clearly, fire engulfing many of the boats. Several boats have<br>
escaped however, and are either keeping to the middle of the river or<br>
haphazardly moored to the other side, where a small village has grown up<br>
around the ruins of an ancient bridge. Most of the residents of the<br>
village are standing on the banks watching the fire.<br>
<br>
The going is tough here, with thick mud hampering progress. Slowly the<br>
company makes their way towards the village Sia has told them about.<br>
Finally the mud gives a way to firmer, rocky ground. Beyond the river<br>
is a hilly land of wooded knolls, grassy fields and small farms.<br>
<br>
Soon the village can be seen in the distance, a small affair of maybe a<br>
dozen houses surrounded by an earthen wall that has fallen into<br>
disrepair. A few sheep bleat as the company passes them by, but other<br>
than that is dead silence, with only the odd distance shout from the<br>
city, and the red glow of the fires, to disturb the night.<br>
<br>
The company fords a small creek at the foot of the earthen wall. From<br>
the top of the wall there is a commanding view of the village and the<br>
river. The speed boat they are to use is moored to a small dock, with a<br>
small contingent of soldiers, one on horseback, keeping guard. The<br>
mounted soldier catches sight of the company and spurs his horse forward.<br>
<br>
The soldier, a Wolfen, approaches, and when he sees Sia he takes off his<br>
helment and bows his head. "Lady Sialillion, the boat awaits you. It<br>
would be best if you hurry. We've had reports of brigands, maybe<br>
connected to that lot that are causing all that trouble in the city.<br>
I've got my orders to get you on the boat and then track the bastards<br>
down. So if you would..."<br>
<br>
There's a faint whine of an energy rifle somewhere in the village, and<br>
the wolfen's head explodes into burned fur and sizzling flesh. The<br>
horse rears in fear and bolts, knocking Osiris to the ground. From the<br>
village shots fire, at least two shooters, and the company is completely<br>
exposed.<br>
[/GM]<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
--<br>
Aaron Clausen <a href="mailto:mightymartianca@gmail.com">mightymartianca@gmail.com</a><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Taocowpbem mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Taocowpbem@zork.net">Taocowpbem@zork.net</a><br>
<a href="http://zork.net/mailman/listinfo/taocowpbem" target="_blank">http://zork.net/mailman/listinfo/taocowpbem</a><br>
</font></blockquote></div><br>