** Part I: Fire and Ash **

[spike]

[Ooc: thanks]

Idrys tells his sister what he sees through the tiny cracks in the pit wall. Sounds like the bodyguards are dissatisfied, he whispers. Let's take advantage of the situation.[/color] Idrys draws his longswords and approaches the commotion stealthily and quietly to get eyes on the situation. [Obviously avoiding the pit]

stealth: Idrys crept soundlessly as near as he would dare to avoid risk of being detected, being careful to circumnavigate traps outlined by the charmed trident (between pillars are trapped, outside the pillars aren't) he gains a +15% bonus to hide in shadows due to the pillars once he drew closer, confident of his hidden presence being undetected.

Here he saw several of the masked tridents, they were training for a few moments then paused for a break.

One spoke 'heh heh, the new dogs are more talented this season. Damned peasant stock must be living high on the hog, feeding their whelps some good grub. Must be something in the viddles, or that farm fresh sweet milk thats doing the trick. Finally if these greens are rightly trained we can take it a bit easier around here and have us some proper funs, none of this lickspittle work for the boss. He'l promote us and we'll be having some good times with the slave girls before they get shipped off to the farm, the rest of you can have the young boys heh heh'

trident #2: 'quit you're damned blathering, you gibbering blaster and go check on the girls, make sure they're not shitting on their cell walls. They'll need a hot bath fore tomorrow. None of you get any cute ideas about having some fun, they're not to be had or the boss will flay you slowly. If you want to spend your vigor go get a village whore in the nearestby hamlet. '

trident #5: 'no need, the girls are rotting, might do the some good. The only prisoners worth a hot fart are that young lord and the countess. Boss wants to keep Lord Altradeaus though, he's a proper mage and with his power we can rise above our enemies. '

ACTIONS?

[Chris1234]

Ok, in we go..
Karlane moves slowly, stepping carefully across the LH corner of the pit trap, intending to move around the outside of the room following the LH wall. {OOC1: Boots & Cloak of Elvenkind}.
Remembering the warning about acid strays between the pillars, she tries to move wound the outside of the pillars rather than between them.
Objective here is a backstab at whichever of the foes is furthest away from the pit trap when she behind him, i.e. so that it doesn't leave someone else behind her.

[TristenC]

Idrys will take up a position to strike the next closest as soon as the first falls to Karlene but without alerting the first.

[spike]

Karlene crept up upon a lone masked trident, when Lucien appeared next to her and said 'now, child, study your prey and tarry here, if you seek to learn the art of my technique'

Idrys gained a second solitary masked one, inserted his sword into the mans back and cupped his mouth as the invisible sword point burst through the masked killer's chest and he laid him slowly down to the ground to prevent his falling form to cause undesired noise. (20, -21 hp dmg assassination)

One of the masked trident's said 'mmmm, maybe we should go check on the slave pens, those slave girls we captured sure looked nice and clean, bet they taste as sweet as they look heh heh'

second trident: "hah, aye brilliant idea that, a little fun should help clear my head'

third trident: "perimeter check before we have any fun, boss doesn't want any surprises'

DECISION

[Chris1234]

Karlane takes the advice to study before striking, and then trying to do so noiselessly.

[spike]

KARLENE: (17, 79% -12 hp dmg) after studying your target, who stood leaning against the pillar fully immersed in the proceedings of his fellows you crept up and shatter the spine with your mace, thrusting his form down to the ground quietly and using the pillar's shadows to mask your presence from detection. Lucien said 'you can still do other things while studying your prey, so long as you do not break in your observation' he commented.

trident #1: area secure, how many perimeter checks are needed? This is the former assassins guild no fool is going to dare trounce about here. Even if they knew where here was! Nobodies got the stones, isn't that why the boss chose this? See he's got the smarts, so we aint having to waste time with the dull crap!"

trident #2: "right, so lets continue training otherwise we will never get a chance to get promoted through the ranks. Remember, we were once those green yellowbelly sapsuckers out there. With our deadly tridents we'll strike fear into the hearts of these local yokels, make them work doubly hard for our reward. Harvest time comes soon, and with it their pretty daughters too. Double the harvest, half the energy to collect'

[TristenC]

Idrys uses his special sight to watch the others. Once their backs are turned, he creeps in and conceals himself behind one, preparing to strike once Karlene is in position and ready.

[spike]

Idrys and Karlene get into position once the trident's backs are turned, Idrys leads the assault with another deadly fatality (20: 5% assassination) the other three masked tridents look to be in a stupor as an invisible blade pierced their comrade's chest, spraying them with blood (-29 hp dmg) the three are taken by surprise and completely off guard.

Karlene crept up and broke the small of the back of trident #2 with a devastating death blow (20, -18 hp dmg) killing him where he stood.

Azonia fires two arrows into the masked trident #1, and Sarancen's broadsword made short work of the remaining trident. The soldier wiped his blade on the cloak of one of the fallen, sheathing it and searching the bodies for anything of worth.

charmed trident: 'there's the elevator up ahead, but it is up there.

[Chris1234]

Karlane pats the ones down that she has killed in case there's anything significant such as keys or maps.
Any gems or jewelry she pockets for later ecamination, but passes any coinage to Sarancen with a murmured, "Here, a token of thanks for your efforts."

Recalling the information about there being an acid trap in front of the elevator, Karlane searches for traps. {OOC: FRT 30%, but might get a bonus for knowing the trap is there}.

She'll try and block the holes that squirt acid. As an indication, depending on the size of the holes, possibly by either cutting a finger off one of the fallen and tapping that into a hole or else the shaft from an arrow, broken into lengths, and either of these objects padded out with cloth from one of the fallen if necessary.

[spike]

Sarancen smiled gratefully, 'my thanks' was all he said, pocketing the coin appreciatively.

AS KARLENE fiddles with the acid trap, she inadvertently triggers it (90%: failed). Some of the acid sprouts shoot forth their payload and a angry hissing noise as it squirts onto the stony ground. Just then, she heard a dull murmuring, like gyrating stone and the grinding of gears when she notices the platform of an elevator above slowly descending, and somebody standing upon it. He was a towering brute of a man, at least 7'0 ft and muscular. This one took off his mask, revealing a man with a commanding visage and impudent eyes that sparked with keen intellect of a predator.

Sarancen grabbed Karlene and moved her toward the shadows of the pillar.

You could hear the unmasked trident say 'damn that asshole Karnak, taking all my best men for his stupid operations. Once my boys arrive I'm gonna teach him a lesson he shant soon forget'

The elevator comes to a screeching halt and off of it, the towering leader himself. He strode with a arrogant stride, a imposing figure who looks to be a formidable advesary. 'where'd those blasted fools wander off to this time? Better not be feeding my lovely little serpentine'

[TristenC]

idrys begins to rush to aid his sister when the acid begins to spray. As the elevator comes down and he sees Sarancen hide Karlene he conceals himself against the wall. The instant he is able, he attempts to assassinate the leader with both blades, having had luck recently with the maneuver.

[spike]

IDRYS: (22, 34%) sprang out of the pillar shadows impaling his invisible sword through the trident leader's back (-36 hp dmg) he roared hoarsely 'assassins!' as blood trickled out of his mouth. He runs frantically toward a pillar and depresses a button there, when thick blinding steam came pouring out of holes in the pillars flooding the chamber with obscuring mist. You can hear his belittling laughter from nearby, 'Lomag send you? Heh heh, should've known that bastard would show his true colors. How much he paying you? I'll double it, just go back and rip his damned head off for me whaddya say?"

[TristenC]

Idrys ignores the offers and uses the man's voice to track him in the obfuscating cloud. He attempts to move silently and when he feels he is near, he will attack with everything he has (making sure he has the right target naturally).

[Ooc: let's give Chris a bit to respond after the acid trap and such. I think it is well past midnight local time there]

[Chris1234]

Pulling back just in time to avoid being acid-eaten, Karlane says, "I'm fine thank you, Idrys," just as the left moves and Sarancen moves her out of sight.

When the misty fog springs up, Karlane gently takes Sarancen's hand and places it on the wall and gives her a slight push, calling, "Rest of you watch the way we came in and mind your step."
~I hope they get it that they're to prevent the leader escaping while Idrys searches for him - a task he's best left to do alone, ~ she thinks.

As an afterthought, Karlane adds, "Lucien, if you can find the target, please bring him to his knees." She moves to cover the lift (and avoid any missiles having given away her position by talking.)

If the guy tries to escape via the lift, Karlane will strike at him to try and block his escape whilst calling out "He's by the lift with me." (She can't see much in here, but maybe can hear him. Conversely, she may well gain surprise due to wearing Elven cloak and boots.)

[spike]

IDRYS stalked the wounded trident boss through the thick, obscuring mist and even your vision is negated by it. When, movement from ahead and out crept the maskless leader with a smug triumphant grin on his face. He leveled his trident toward you, when two impaler spikes flew out of the weapon’s pronged tip and nailed Idrys on either hand, ensnaring him in a net that was held between the two impaler-spikes (-12 hp dmg & held for 5 melee rounds pending strength check next round at 1/2). The leaders face brightened and he smiled in smug elation ‘don’t remember me eh? I suppose you wouldn’t’ he opened his mouth and plucked two fake vampire teeth out, laughing ‘how about now?’ he said jokingly, tossing the teeth at Idrys flippantly. Then he shook his fist in anger toward you ‘you blasted dolt, you’re interfering in my plans. I had a new body ready for the taking, and you HAD to come along now of all times!’

Lucien drew Karlene's attention toward himself and was attacking the boss-leader of the tridents, however the spectre seemed frustrated trying to actually get at his victim. The big towering leader seemed to float away each time Lucien tried to draw near, as if the effort of the spectral assassin was sufficient to cause the leader to fly away, as if a piece of floating paper being repelled by the wind itself. 'You fools can't reach me' he said, unfastening his trident into two separate but equal length parts. The second he twisted and it sprung out a spear-blade at the tip. He stared at Karlene and says in a deep baritone 'If you're here to rescue the mage, Lord Altradeaus it's too late, sweetheart. This time tomorrow I will inhabit his body, and he this one. So sorry if I spoiled your wedding plans, but I need to 'become' him for reasons of my own, matters not if I tell you it's the last thing you'll discover before I snuff the lights out of your pretty little eyes'

Sarancen and Azonia came up behind the boss, who turned and sneered at the two fighters 'what?! meddlesome variables!' when a ginormous serpent crept out of the mist and engaged the pair, coiling around Azonia in a tight embrace. The Elsmyrian roared defiantly and leapt into the air and landed in a body vault just a few few away.

Out of the corner of her eyes Karlene saw a young, handsome thin man descending down the elevator, clad in the arcane robes of a magic-user. He had a solemn expression in his eyes, one of anger or outrage.

DECISION?