Nights of Steel and Fire (D&D)

[Rogue 9]

"Might want to clean that first," Gaheris grunted as he wiped Bright Edge off on the deceased man's tunic. "I begin to think this was a bad idea. And the Watch will be along any minute."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Indeed" Astinius said. If he was less than ten feet up, he would simply jump. If he was more than that, he would cast featherfall, then jump. Dismissing the tentacles

"perhaps we can glean some information from them before the guards arrive. We should check the bodies"

[SirNitram]

"Why is it the foul and dark-hearted Shadovar must remind the pure and kind servant of the Lady Of Mysteries about the importance of less-than-lethal force?" Malkamar commented as the shadows withdrew from around him, the weapon fading out of existance. "Ugh. Quite the unpleasant battle, that. Quite unpleasant. I think they know where we are now."

[LadyTevar]

Torma heard the others griping, and just slowly crouched down and laid her head on her forepaws, her wings drooping around her as the adrenaline washed out of her system and the pain of her wounds really hit. She had no idea how badly the others were hurt.. but she felt like half her blood had been split on the street by the thugs. "ow....."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"I didnt see you showing much mercy my dark-hearted friend." he said, with a 'pot calling the kettle black' tone

"Besides, my ability to use less than lethal force is somewhat limited to what I can prepare. I had two choices. Do nothing and allowmy friends to be slowly stabbed and poisoned to death, or risk killing them all in the hopes that one would survive for me to immobilize"

[Rogue 9]

Gaheris was almost tempted to curse his generosity to Solarian earlier in the day as he walked over to Torma, but he couldn't have known.

"It'll be all right, Torma. We've got you," he said soothingly as his hands began to glow a watery blue. He laid them on the young dragon's wounds, the radiance spreading to the edges of the gashes, beginning to close them. His power gave out before she was completely healed, as he had known it would, but the bleeding stopped as the radiance got dimmer and winked out.

[12 points of damage healed. I'd given the rest to Solarian earlier.]

[Comrade Tortoise]

And soon after, Astinius felt the poison rebel agaisnt his magically enhanced immune system.

(8+11=19 too fucking close)
(10+11=21)
(16+11=27)
(17+11=28)

The first couple times it did this, magic flared around him and protected him from the toxins, but one ofthe last times had to actually be resisted by his fey constitution. Not something it was good at doing, and it barely succeeded at

[Comrade Tortoise]

Astinius too was exhausted and bleeding. He felt light headed and woozy. He bled from his side, and several other places, the wounds seeping both blood and poison onto the ground. he concentrated and allowed the Grace of Mystra to healhim. channeling spells he had previously absorbed into healing energies. Then he searched the withered emaciated bodies of his enemies

Healed 30 HP
(search: 20+18=38)

[SirNitram]

[8 + 12 = 20, 10 + 12 = 22, 16 + 12 = 28, 9 + 12 = 21, 7 + 12 = 19. I beleive that's all the doses I took.]

If Malkamar's physiology was susceptible to this poison, it wasn't immediately clear. The warrior shook his head. "I've lost rather alot of blood myself. But I'm sure this will be a little less eventful. Particularly if I can find any magic on these gentlemen to draw off of."

[Rogue 9]

"We should move," Gaheris said as he felt the poison still coursing through his veins. "This was too easy. They might be counting on the poison slowing us down before sending in more goons."

[Secondary saves 18+14=32, 8+14=22, 5+14=19, 8+14=22.]

[Cynical Cat]

The dead wore mail shirts underneath their clothes and had a number of concealed and poisoned throwing knives. Each of them also weakely enchanted knife with a hollow hilt and grooved blades. Several protective spells wrapped each assassin. Each also bore an iron key and a modest purse.

18pp
102gp
35sp
26cp

total of 54 throwing knives.

[LadyTevar]

((Poison Saves: 13+11=24, 13+13=26, 13+11=24, 13+15=28, 13+4=17, 13+3=16... WHOOPSx2 -8 to Dex)

Torma turned her head and licked Gar's arm. "Thanks... it helps..." she said softly, before suddenly going into tremors as the delayed poison hit her weakened system. The cry she let out was pained and pitiful as the poison overcame her natural resistances, and her wings nearly hitting Malk and Gar as they flopped flat to the ground.
".................ow................."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Astinius had gathered the 'assassin's belongings, mostly the gold and keys, but also a few of the lightly enchanted daggers and throwing knives, careful not to touch the blades of the poisoned ones.

Then he heard the dragon be affected by the poison

[Rogue 9]

Gaheris looked at Torma in alarm. "Don't worry, we're getting you out of here. We'll just have to eat at the Warrior some other time." He shot a glance over at the wagon. "Astinius, Malkamar, work on getting her up. I'm going to give their wagon a once-over." He walked towards the cart as he spoke.

[Cynical Cat]

The wagon contained mundane hay.

[Rogue 9]

Gaheris thrust Bright Edge in and out of the hay a few times before going back to the group to help haul Torma to her feet.

[SirNitram]

Malkamar sighed. Blood loss, now a dragon to carry. He got one side of Torma, hauling her up. "Come along, little one." He soothed. "We will get you home and feed you a proper meal, on me." He reassured the hungry dragon.

[LadyTevar]

"It's a long way home, Malkamar...." Torma said softly, trembling as she rose to her feet. The first try had her sinking back down, her legs too shaky to stand. The second try she had to plant the tips of her wings to the ground for extra stability. Her tail remained on the ground, as if she did not have the strength to lift it, her head lowered likewise. She swayed like a drunk in a strong breeze.

"I feel... sick." Luckily, she wasn't. That would have been a very nasty mess on top of the blood and gore around them.

((HP 57))

[Comrade Tortoise]

Astinius helped stabilize her, making sure she didnt fall over

[Rogue 9]

Gaheris slid Bright Edge back into it's sheath as he came up to Torma's side. "Come on, we're getting you back to the Abbey," he said as he slid an arm around the muscles at the base of her right wing.

[LadyTevar]

Torma laughed weakly. "Wow... all this time... all I had to do to get Astinius to hug me... was get poisoned...."

It was a very weak joke as she wobbled unsteadily, supported by Gar on one side and Astinius and Malk on the other. It was as if she had to think where to put all her limbs to keep from tripping over something. Her wings occassionally had to be used as braces, preventing her from tipping too far to one side or the other, more because she was afraid of falling on her friends than anything else. While looking fragile, the adar limbs that formed the leading edge of the wing were surprisingly resistant.

"I've not been... this clumsy... since I learned to walk..." Torma panted, ignoring the day before when she tripped and fell on Gar.

[Cynical Cat]

It wasn't too far to the Abbey and they were able to return without being molested.

[SirNitram]

"If the goal was to be attacked and not get any survivors.. We succeeded." Malkamar drawled as he set down the half of the dragon he was responsible for, very gently. "Otherwise, that was rather a wash. Any ideas from the rest of you?"

[LadyTevar]

Torma let the others get untangled before she carefully laid down on the cool floor. Her wounds had scabbed over and stopped bleeding, thanks to Gaheris' paladin abilities, yet they were still deep and painful. Add the occassional dizzy spells the poison gave her, which further messed with her ability to move, and she was ready to just hug the floor and not move at all.

"I tried... I wanted to catch one for you Gar...." she whined, her head flattening to the ground in the vain hope it would make the room stop spinning. "Maybe ... if I'd gone airborne...." maybe if she'd been bigger, if her breath weapon had worked better, recharged faster.... "Im sorry... I didn't have time to warn you....."

[Rogue 9]

"It's all right. Not your fault," Gaheris reassured her.

He then turned to Malkamar. "First, we get a cleric," said Gaheris, fingering one of the cuts he'd received. "Second, we find out what's going on. I have little doubt that the Night Masks stake out the Abbey, waiting for people to leave, and that's what happened to us. But it doesn't get us any closer to knowing what happened with Solarian. I'm going to get word to some of my operatives and have them start discreetly asking questions. I'd do it myself, but then again the Abbey is staked out and I can't leave without being seen."

He then let out a wry grin. "And third, we plan better for next time, and do so over a good meal. We can show up at whatever inn we choose openly, but walking all the way there in the open is a bad idea."