session 24

[Bynw]

20:06 < bynw> ***************************************
20:06 < bynw> ******         Previously        ******
20:06 < bynw> ***************************************
20:06 < bynw> The raiders have decided to ambush the
20:06 < bynw> troops taking the prisoner from the
20:06 < bynw> temple out of the city. The path will
20:06 < bynw> take them across a stone bridge near
20:06 < bynw> the southern edge of town. Far enough
20:06 < bynw> away from calling extra troops quickly
20:06 < bynw> and out of the general roads used by
20:06 < bynw> the townsfolks themselves.
20:06 < bynw> .
20:06 < bynw> Although the stone bridge itself
20:06 < bynw> presents an obstacle, this is the best
20:06 < bynw> location for any attempt to rescue
20:06 < bynw> the captive "witch" prisoner who will
20:06 < bynw> be surely executed when reaching the
20:06 < bynw> capital. And there are only about a
20:06 < bynw> half dozen guards. Even if they have a
20:06 < bynw> wizard of their own in the middle.
20:06 < bynw> .
20:06 < bynw> Should be a piece of cake.
20:06 < bynw> ***************************************
20:06 < bynw> ***************************************
20:07 < bynw> !! 2 hours until evening prayers
20:09  * Luc looks at everyone and asks, "We all know the plan. We all know when. roughly 2 hours. The only thing left is when we leave, and whether we all leave together, or seperately."
20:12 < Riam> "I'd like to see the site before and get set." ::turns and walks for the door, looks over his shoulder:: "Are you coming?"
20:15  * Luc follows, grinning slightly.
20:16  * Mirina follows Luc out into the street again, then follows Ri'am to the place where they will rescue the prisoner.
20:17 < Riam> ::Heads through the narrow warren of streets for the southern edge of the town and the bridge, whistling a tune as he goes, something that sounds a little sad::
20:18 < bynw> *the city streets are bussling with foreginers and locals as they go about their daily tasks across the city. hardly taking note of others as the trio passes them by. the locals have their minds set on completing whatever task before prayers begin*
20:19  * Luc follows the group, chatting idly about the business cover while they walk to the bridge
20:22  * Mirina has drawn into herself a bit, both as camouflage in a nation in which a woman is to remain veiled and quiet, and because she is preparing herself mentally for the task that may be ahead.
20:23 < bynw> *the journey across town takes roughly 30 minutes and without site of any city watch patrols
20:25 < Riam> ::Slows as he nears the bridge and takes a look around at the terrain::
20:27  * Luc nudges Riam. "If we're going to work this plan, it's the side and bottom we need to look at."
20:27 < bynw> *the bridge itself is the only way across to the southern side of the city. foreginers across the river here are rare indeed. the bridge is stone, thick, old and sturdy. only magic could ever hope of peircing it.
20:27 < Riam> ??Can I get a discription of the area??
20:29 < bynw> *the terrain itself, to help prevent smuggling of goods via the river, is rather clear of buildings and homes. still some rubble of what was once a thriving river edge neighborehood
20:30 < bynw> *it remains clear for several blocks on both sides of the river
20:30 < Riam> "You would know what to look for, not I." ::Smiles at Luc:: "Nice night for a swim, eh?"
20:33 < Luc> *grins* "Yes, it is." *steps off to the side, looking down at the water under the bridge, trying to see if there is any ground underneath, or any path beneath as well.*
20:34 < bynw> *a narrow path goes along the waters edge of the river ... just a single file footpath
20:34  * Mirina looks around for someplace inconspicuous to wait.
20:39 < Riam> ::To Mirina:: "My lady, if you like you can wait with me. I will be out of sight, and if something should happen you can help me."
20:39  * Mirina shrugs.  "Sounds like as good a plan as any."  She smiles at Ri'am.
20:40 < Riam> ::To Luc:: "Can you do it?"
20:42 < Luc> "Easily. There is room, and the spell will work on the stone."
20:44 < Riam> ::Nods:: "I will be out of sight, up above. I will begin my work when you have 'fixed' the bridge."
20:48 < Riam> ::Turns and heads into the shadows around some of the rubble at the edge of the river. He leads Mirina through twists and turns and takes a stone stairway to the top of a building, from there a ladder to a slightly higher rooftop. He drops through a hole and into an abandoned room with a balcony overlooking the bridge below::
20:49 < Luc> "My sneaky friend, you are my eyes. Let me know when they draw near."
20:50 < Riam> ::He shifts his bag and pulls a shortbow and several arrows from it. The bag's dimensions are much too small to hold such a large item, it is entirely impossible ."
20:58  * Luc kneels and waits underneath the bridge, patiently.
20:58 < Riam> ::Takes a knee in the shadows and watches the bridge, he speaks over his shoulder at Mirina:: "Would you heal anyone who asked?"
20:59 < bynw> *the last hour until evening prayers passes quickly as the bells from the temples that dot all the various neighborhoods begin to toll the evening hour of prayer for the faithful
21:00 < Riam> ::again to Mirina:: "I am curious."
21:00 < Mirina> "Sometimes I've healed people who didn't ask, like people who were unconscious."
21:01 < Mirina> "And in most situations, yes.  This is a weird situation, though, so if the guards on our  captive get injured, they're likely on their own to heal up."
21:02 < Riam> ::Watches the bridge as he talks, focused on it:: "So you are under no oaths to heal then, it is only your choice?"
21:03 < bynw> *the darkness of evening falls on the city during the time of prayers. and the night's quiet is inturrupted by the sounds of horses and a wagon being pulled by them
21:03 < Riam> ::Notches an arrow, then goes still as a stone::
21:04 < Mirina> "I am under oath, but my oath was sworn to the Empire and the Emperor.  I am under no obligation to heal those who are enemies of the Empire."
21:04 < Mirina> "However, I am not going to rush to kill them either."
21:04  * Luc listens closely, hearing the team as they close in on the bridge.
21:05 < Riam> "Would you heal a man who raped you, if you knew he would die without it? A man of your empire."
21:05 < Mirina> "That would be...an unusual situation, and I'm not sure what I'd do, honestly."
21:06 < bynw> *the clopping of the hoves against the stone grows louder as the travelling wagon approaches ... 4 horses ... a 4 wheeled enclosed wagon ... 2 guards on the front, 2 guards clinging to the rear. a lone lantern hanging on the front of the wagon as well
21:06  * Mirina , uncomfortably.  "It is nearly time.  Perhaps you should turn your attention to whatever it is you're going to do."
21:07 < Riam> ::Smiles slyly and whispers:: "Most would answer one way or the other. You are more honest. I like that."
21:07 < Luc> ::::The prisoner is actually on the wagon, yes?:::::
21:08 < bynw> !! should be IN the wagon !!
21:09  * Luc waits, spell ready in his mind, for the signal from Riam.
21:10 < Riam> ??Is the wagon in bow shot range??
21:10 < bynw> *in moments the wagon will reach the bridge, it is narrow enough that they will not be able to turn around ... timing must be precise to prevent it from stopping before reaching the bridge or moving too quickly across it
21:12  * Luc begins to chant, lowly, softly, under his breath, only audible to himself and no one else, beginning the spell and readying it for the attack on the wagon.
21:12 < Riam> ::Takes a deep breath and holds it, draws, then looses with an exhale at the lead horse in the team::
21:18 < Riam> !df 4
21:18 <@ChanServ> Result: (+)(-)(-)(+)
21:20 < bynw> *the arrow swoops in out of the darkness and strikes the lead horse it raises up in its harness a bit and then crys out a sickening sounding cry and crashes to the bridge, forcing the horse behind it and beside it to their knees
21:21 < Luc> !!!!Where, on the bridge, is the team of horses now? Approximately how far across?!!!!!
21:22 < bynw> *the two guards on the front of the wagon, go flying due to the sudden stop and are slowly picking themselves up from the bridge. the 2 rear guards are holding on tight to the wagon unsure what has happened
21:22 < bynw> !! almost midway
21:23  * Luc chants one final line, loosing the spell right underneath two rear guards and the wagon-bed.
21:24 < Luc> *the
21:24 < bynw> *just as the forward guards begin to cry out that the horse was shot with an arrow the very bridge below the wagon disolves and it pulls the horses and itself towards the water below
21:27 < bynw> *the remaining horses begin to panic ... fearing to slide backwards into the abyss that is pulling the wagon downward ... the 2 rear guards splash into the water of the river
21:27 < bynw> !df 4
21:27 <@ChanServ> Result: (-)(+)( )( )
21:27 < bynw> !df 4
21:27 <@ChanServ> Result: ( )(-)(+)( )
21:29 < Riam> ::With smooth efficacy he notches another arrow and looses again, this time at the forward guards still on the bridge::
21:29 < Riam> !df 4
21:29 <@ChanServ> Result: ( )(-)(-)( )
21:30 < bynw> *the forward guards, attempting to get the horses undercontrol and unbuckle the dead one
21:30 < bynw> *the arrow misses the guard but strikes another horse
21:31 < bynw> *the guards are crying out in alarm and moving to cut the leather that hold the dead horse to their wagon as it continues to slowly bob up and down in the hole of the bridge
21:32 < bynw> *the two rear guards raise their heads out of the river some 5 feet or so from where they entered ... attempting to catch their breath ... out of the line of fire of any would-be archer
21:36 < bynw> *the front guards are cutting the last leather strap holding the dead horse to the others
21:36 < Riam> ::Unflustered he notches another arrow in a smooth almost mechanical fashion, aiming again at the forward most guard on the bridge::
21:37 < bynw> *flustered a bit the guards move to cutting loose the 2nd dead horse
21:38 < bynw> *after catching their breaths the guards in the river scramble towards the far bank
21:38 < Riam> !df 4
21:38 <@ChanServ> Result: (-)(+)(-)(+)
21:39 < Riam> ??Far bank as in closer to me??
21:40 < bynw> *one of the forward guards is stuck by an arrow out of the night. he gags out a muffled cry before dropping dead as the 2 horses before him
21:41  * Mirina whispers, "Where is the prisoner?  If he drowns or something, this will all have been for nothing."
21:41  * Luc slowly chants and casts out at the guards below, casting an invisibile wall of force......at neck level.
21:42 < Riam> ::Notches another arrow:: "I will cover you."
21:43  * Mirina slips down as quietly and unnoticeably as she can manage, heading toward the chaos at the bridge.
21:43 < bynw> *the wagon still teters on the edge of the hole in the bridge suspended in the air by the weight of a dead horse and 2 other horses which are attempting to pull away from the hole
21:44 < Luc> !df 4
21:44 <@ChanServ> Result: (-)( )(-)( )
21:45 < Riam> ::Looses another arrow at the second forward guard still on the bridge::
21:45 < Riam> !df 4
21:45 <@ChanServ> Result: (+)(+)(+)(-)
21:45 < bynw> *the 2 guards climing up the far bank cant even make out a muffled cry as their heads tumble off their shoulders and sit next to them on thin air
21:46 < Luc> !!!!where is the wagon in the passage?!!!!
21:46  * Mirina makes her way as quickly yet inconspicuously as she can down to the bridge.
21:49 < bynw> *Ri'am arrow finds its mark. Striking the last standing guard in the eye. Killing him instantly without so much as sound. Save for the one made as his lifeless body hits the bridge. The 2 remaining horse are panicked and still strapped to one of the dead fallen horses. they are in a loosing battle against the weight of the wagon and gravity
21:50 < Luc> *calls out to the other two* "You know, you two, it isn't very easy holding two spells active. Can you get him and we can get out of here?"
21:51  * Mirina arrives next to the bridge just as Luc says that and runs over to the wagon.
21:52 < bynw> *the wagon teters at the edge of the hole in the bridge ... just balancing between falling and staying put
21:55  * Mirina hurries over to the back of the wagon and begins to cast toward the lock on the back to suss out its internal workings preparatory to picking the lock psychically.
21:56 < Mirina> !df 4
21:56 <@ChanServ> Result: (-)( )( )(+)
21:57 < Riam> ::Watches with interest as Mirina eyes the locked door::
21:58 < Mirina> !df 4
21:58 <@ChanServ> Result: ( )(-)( )(-)
22:01  * Luc motions Mirina asside, and casts out at the door. *casts Knock, to unlock*
22:01 < Luc> !df 4
22:01 <@ChanServ> Result: ( )( )(+)(+)
22:01 < bynw> * Mirina intent on getting the lock open did not hear the snap of the harnesses breaking due to the strain of the wagon teetering on the edge. they snap and break plumetting the wagon downwards and freeing the remaining horses
22:02 < Riam> ::Gently begins packing his bow and arrows back into his 'bag', again stuffing an impossibly big object into the bag with ease::
22:03  * Mirina sees the wagon fall and abandons the casting attempt, clambering beneath the bridge to the narrow footpath to attempt to find the prisoner.
22:05 < bynw> the wagon falls but only a short distance hitting the great invisible barrier that decapited the guards previously .. and the door opens and the body of another guard falls out ... he is dead ... having fallen on his own blade in the chaos
22:06  * Mirina gets under the bridge and peeks into the now open wagon.
22:07 < Riam> ::Having stowed his bow and arrows he climbs down the face of the building to the river bank below using handholds and skill alone::
22:09  * Luc looks into the wagon, moving around carefully
22:09  * Mirina finds the prisoner chained to the wall of the wagon.  She casts quickly for signs of life.
22:10 < bynw> *the "witch" is man in his mid 50's he is battered, bruised and cut. beaten to withing an inch of his life. his fingernails have been removed. his hair shaved with cuts across his scalp and face
22:10 < bynw> *as the Mohadine have made certain that no facial hair is to be had on the prisoner
22:12 < bynw> * he is dirty, and smells of rotten flesh and waste. he is covered in dried blood and some fresh blood as well. his face is swollen, his eyes probably can only barely open ... and he definately a foreigner .. maybe even Adanian ... he really cannot speak
22:12 < Mirina> "Let's get him out of here, to someplace where I can heal him!"
22:13 < Mirina> "Help me get these chains off him."
22:13 < Riam> ::gently pushes Mirina out of the way, and reaches into his boot to produce a few slender sticks of metal and bone::
22:14 < Riam> ::He goes to work on the manicles with an intense precision::
22:15 < Riam> ::In seconds the manacles pop open::
22:15  * Mirina takes a moment to admire Ri'am's work.  "You are handy, sir."
22:15 < bynw> *the man's body drops off the chains as so much dead weight
22:16 < Mirina> "Okay, let's get him and get the everloving hell out of here.  I can't carry him by myself; he's too big."
22:17  * Mirina takes up the man's feet as gently as possible.
22:17 < Luc> "Is there any alcohol nearby? We may want to make him look drunk."
22:18  * Mirina turns to Ri'am, smiling oddly.  "O resourceful one, do you have any wine?"
22:19 < Riam> ::Reaches into his bag with a sigh and produces a cheap but passible bottle of wine:: "You owe me one, and another for interest mage." ::Hands over the bottle::
22:20  * Mirina laughs nervously.  "Okay, let's make him smell of wine and then get out of here so I can Heal him."
22:22 < Luc> "I'll buy you the finest, the second we get off this gods-cursed continent."
22:22 < the_witch> "...Ungh..."
22:23 < Riam> ::Snatches the bottle from Luc, uncorks it and dashes the witch in the face with a burst from the bottle::
22:25 < Riam> ::Bottle in hand, he takes a drink before putting it back in the bag. He then moves to one of the fallen guards and begins stripping him of his cloak::
22:25 < the_witch> "..Mi..Mir..." He chokes, spraying a fine mist of blood.
22:26 < Mirina> "Shhh.  You are badly hurt, and I will heal you if I can just get you somewhere safe, but right now you need to be quiet."
22:27 < Riam> ::Hands the cloak to Luc:: "Get him dressed and moving, I'll see if I can't find us some transport."
22:28 < Mirina> "He's just barely alive.  He's not going to be able to move under his own power."
22:28  * Luc moves quickly, but gently, dressing the witch, making him look semi-decent, if covered in the stench of wine.
22:29 < Riam> ::Nods and then moves off at a distance eating lope on silent feet, up the bank::
22:31 < Riam> ::Runs off into the nearby rubble and out of sight::
22:34  * the_witch grabs Mirina's arm roughly. "Mirina..."
22:34 < Riam> ::A short time later he reappears from the rubble, moving low and silently.:: "Follow me." ::waves the other on:: "Hurry!"
22:35  * the_witch collapses backwards, his eyes rolling back into his skull as unconsciousness seizes him.
22:35  * Luc assists in carrying the unconscious man.
22:36  * Mirina looks briefly taken aback that the "witch" knows her name, but helps Luc carry him, following Ri'am.