4 - 063: The Fourth Piece

[K Man]

Romar, Irris and Tineniel -

The feeling of cold iron slapped around your wrist is probably something you'll never get used to...and hopefully never have to. The council turns their backs to you and begin discussion, just as you're hauled away towards the cart. You have three guards escorting you and these same three guards stand watch over you as you're forced to sit at the base of the cart.

You cannot hear the council from this distance, on purpose, only the slightly blowing wind across the emtpy dunes.

You're left like this, for quite sometime...several hours in fact. The council never stops debating, taking their turns making statements around the far away campfire. You almost begin to fall alseep to the lulling sounds of the nightime desert...

[Listen Checks, All Successes]

You snap awake at the sound of a scream...

Map;

.......................................
.......................................
...C.C.C...............................
...E.o.C...............................
....T..C...............................
.......................................
..............................*.*......
.............................*.o.*.....
...............................*.*.....
.......................................
.......................................
...............G....G..................
................R[].G.........*.*......
............G..IT[].G........*.o.*..... ->
................G..............*.*.....
.......................................
..........*.*..........................
.........*.o.*.........................
...........*.*.........................
.......................................
.......................................
...*.*.*...............................
...*.o.*...............................
....*..*...............................

[/pre]

...LEGEND...
o = Campfire
.... = Sand
[]
[] = Cart with Shard in it
G = Guard
* = Citizen of the Dune Palace
E = Erid
T = Telena
C = Nameless Council Member
R = Romar
I = Irris
T = Tineniel
-> = Source of Scream

{Currently, you are all still shackled, hands only. Break DC 25, Escape Artist DC 28. And you're weapon-less.}

------------------------------------------------------------------------

All in Fortress -

[Spot Checks, Girud and Mordrock successes] Only two of you can see the a portion of the air in the room that looks a little...out of sequence. Figuring that is the only thing were this creature can be, Mordrock takes a shot or two.

[Attack Rolls = 19/24, 50% Miss Chance = Both Successes] Through some small amount of luck, Mordrock manages to land two arrows into the creature and draw some blood. [Damage Rolls = 2,1]

The rest of you are certainly too far away to do anything to it now...

It backs up even further and your hopes of damaging disappear...

[Initiative: Krysta, Girud, Yuri + The Invisible Stalker, Galdren, Alton and Adelia, Mordrock]

Map;

 _________________2_________________
|  _______________#_______________  |
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |@@.............................| |
| |@@.............................|R|
| |...............................|T|
| |...............................|D|
| |...............................|M|
1#.................*..K............#3
| |...............................| |
| |...............................|G|
| |...............................|A|
| |...............................|Y|
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |...............................| |
| |_______________#_______________| |
|_________________4_________________|

[/pre]
<<<Legend>>>

* = Top of Pillar (3ft wide)
# = Top of Staircases, 1-4
...... = Darkened Pit
@@
@@ = Invisible Stalker (35/50)
A = Galdren
G = Girud
M = Mordrock
D = Adelia
T = Alton
K = Krysta
R = Garor
Y = Yuri

{I'm sorry guys, only one more round of this, I swear. I'm just stalling for a purpose. }

__________________________________________________________________________________________

[Fangor the Fierce]

Krysta should be out near the pillar, as of last round. This round, she would go to the pillar, and look up the entrance to above, seeing if anything is up there....

[Wizard]

(Wasn't there something about double guard shifts around the cart?)

[VemuKhaham]

Romar had been silent while they sat there, and after a while he also gave up any attempt to catch some of the conversation of the councilors. He had no reason to continue conversing with his former companions; they had made that much clear.

When Romar heard the cry, he immediately sprang to his feet and turned around to see what was going on. Fearing if he'd move a step he'd be halted by the guards, he calls for them:

"Someone, go there, now! Guards, what is happening?"

Do I see anything myself? I'd move a step to see besides the cart if it blocks sight currently.

[K Man]

Krysta should be out near the pillar, as of last round. This round, she would go to the pillar, and look up the entrance to above, seeing if anything is up there....

{My bad. I took 'move' to mean walk along edge, not float or levitate. Edited your position accordingly.}

Wasn't there something about double guard shifts around the cart?)

{Yes. But who says they aren't Inivisible Guards, Hmmm? Edited for more guards}

[Wizard]

Irris tenses, wondering if this is just a false alarm...or the beginning of the attempt.

(Readied action to grapple Romar if he moves from where he is now. If he moves, Irris will probably actually get two grapple opportunities, counting the AoO. +11 grapple bonus.)

(At the first sign of a guard leaving to investigate)"STAND DOWN!"[/i][/color] roared Irris.

In two years of training boys and men in camel-riding and swordplay, Irris had never raised his voice to his students. He'd found that a patient, informative manner was almost always more effective.

But now was very not the time.

"This is the Life-Giving Lake you're guarding here. You have your duty; now perform it!"

(Diplomacy +14, Cha +4, Intimidate +4, respectable member of the community +2 years...whatever it takes to convince these guys to do what they were assigned to do.)

[Japic]

Having been able to see it Girud points to it and tells Krysta where it is.

"It went that way, the cowardly creature is running away."

{OOC: I think something bad is about to happen, but am not sure what.

[TheUdjat]

His timing would be so perfect.

"There, you see? The danger we warned of. And now, by some strange twist of fate, we are more helpless to prevent it than we were to begin with." He sighs, slumping back against the cart. "At least we know where the traitor is."

After a moment, Tineniel pulls himself to his feet, looking between the direction of the scream and off in the direction of the council. He has pretty good eyes, so it doesn't hurt to look around a bit. He looks to the guards. "Listen, you lot. They're coming for the shard. If you'd be so kind, when you're convinced we're in imminent danger, I'd like to be free of these shackles and capable of defending alongside you. So just - tuck that away for later, mm? Thanks."

And he waits.

...while he waits, the Spiral begins to burn, and the nameless energy starts to course through his veins. He can feel it, alive inside of him. "'Twill be an interesting night, Irris."