The Clagoff Finale

overeddie wrote:

"You mean we could've snuck in on these creeps?"

OOC: Pretty much, but that clearly isn't this group's modus operandi.

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The first thunderwave from Odanais causes the door to shudder violently and warp, with the following blows from the two axes putting large cracks in it. A second thunderwave finishes the job, smashing the door into pieces which explode into the chamber beyond.

This chamber is absolutely huge, stretching close to two hundred feet across. Large pillars dot the area, holding up a ceiling over fifteen feet above. Besides these, the most obvious feature of the hall is an open rectangular pit in the center, perhaps a hundred feet in length and over half that in breadth, the top of its sides sunk some ten feet below floor level. Large bleachers extend along the two longer sides of the pit, with a smaller set of bleachers (holding more plush, comfortable seats) on one of the shorter sides. The last side houses a small pavilion overlooking the pit. Doors, a couple of them open, lead off the chamber in various places.

Not that the group has much time to examine the locale, since it is heavily packed with people. Well over a hundred people fill the bleachers, most of them dressed to indicate that they are at least upper middle class, if not more affluent. Attendants of various kinds move around the area and armed guards stand nearby and at some of the doorways. An armored dwarf mans each of the heavy siege crossbows which have been set into the two longer sides of the pit. Clearly there are more people and/or creatures in the pit, from the sounds of combat and loud growling emanating from it.

Despite the crowd, Captain Clagoff is easy to spot. He is sitting comfortably in the pavilion on a floating disk loaded with cushions, with Dagobert Hax near him, as well as some of his regular attendants. Or was, since he is now staring in the direction of the adventurers (as are many of those present), with a look of comical bewilderment on his face.

Looking even more surprised is the armed guard standing next to the doorway, whose compatriot lies confused and bleeding beside him, having just taken a faceful of door thanks to Odanais.


OOC: The pit's shorter sides are to the north and the south, with the longer sides to east and west. Clagoff's pavilion is on the northern side. The PCs are on the eastern side, about fifty feet to the east and sixty feet to the south of where Clagoff is.

Since there are no end of enemies, targets and obstructions here, let's call this a skill-&-combat challenge. You can use skills and/or attacks of various kinds to get closer to Clagoff. Feel free to use encounter powers, which will replenish if you come to an actual combat scenario. Hold off on dailies. You'll need them.

Yatagan utters a quick prayer --rawr rawr rawr-- to the Dragon Within, asking to borrow a part of his roar of authority.

"THIS IS THE LAW! WE ONLY WANT CLAGOFF AND HAX! STAY OUT OF OUR WAY AND YOU STAY OUT OF TROUBLE! THERE'S A SIZABLE REWARD FOR HELPING CAPTURE CLAGOFF!"

OOC: shift past the nearest guard, run towards Clagoff's position, invoke Astral Speech then bellow diplomatically, Diplomacy: 25

The member 'Mallus' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 9

Lizzy closes in tight behind Yatagan ready to swat away any would-be attackers.

Vox, trusting in Yatigan's antics to keep the attention of the crowd, quietly steps into the shadows and reappears upon the bleacher level. Ducking into the crowd, he begins to make his way towards Calgoff through the spectators, twisting around people, leaping over them, and occasionally using an elbow to clear someone out of his way entirely.

(Acrobatics: 22. Depending on the DC you set, that may or not be sufficient to move through the crowd.)

Sticking close to Yatagan and Lizzy, Odanais clears a path before them with a succession of sweeping Thunderwaves, pushing first to the left and then to the right.

Thunderwave (vs. fort): 12 & 18.

The first one (probably feeling more like a summer breeze) was clearly a warning shot!

The member 'gridley' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 2, 8

Figuring there's an endless amount of enemies anyway, Penelope strings her bow and takes careful aim at Clagoff. She attempts to strike him twice.

OOC: I'm going to assume she doesn't hit.

The member 'Penelope' has done the following action : Dice Roller

#1 'd20' : 6, 10

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#2 'd12' : 8, 1

The League/Troupe/Knights/Company springs into action with its usual uncoordinated and idiosyncratic efficiency.

Yatagan recites a quick prayer to the Dragon Within, and even as he yells a warning (and offer) to the assembled crowd, he feels a now familiar warmth in his crotch. There is no visible result of the god's action, whatever it was, but Yatagan somehow feels certain that it has attempted to aid them in some way.

The guard closest to the paladin lifts his sword to strike as Yatagan runs by, but before he can strike a large axe-blade smashes into his ribs, flinging the unfortunate man aside to land in a whimpering heap. Lizzy doesn't pause but rushes after the dragonborn.

Odanais, sticking close behind the pair, waves a hand and casts, sending a wave of energy into the closest people, but his aim is awry and instead he strikes one side of the bleachers. There is a cracking sound as wood gives way and a number of surprised viewers tumble to the ground right in front of Yatagan and Lizzy.

Heyoka, a step behind, blocks the blade of an onrushing guard, and strikes back with a twin flash of his double-bladed sword, neatly removing the horrified man's hand at the wrist.

Vox simply disappears from where he was standing and reappears fifteen feet away among the bleachers. He leaps forward, adroitly jumping from level to level, heading for Clagoff - until a shocked patron stumbling out of the way catches his foot in the shadar-kai's and almost knocks him off his feet.

Penelope, bringing up the rear of the group with Sappho, fires a couple of arrows above the crowd. People scream and duck, but unfortunately so does the target, and the arrows whiz by Clagoff's head.

Rising to his fullest height on his stumps, Clagoff shouts, "Kill them! Someone kill them! I'll pay a ... thousand gold for each of their heads!" A number of people stop shouting and some of the armed and armored individuals in the chamber head towards the group. The dwarves manning the fixed crossbows begin to swing them towards the adventurers.

Others, however, run for the exits, especially when the two bailiffs add their voices to the commotion, shouting, "This is a raid! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately and you will not be harmed!"

It's difficult to make out sound in the commotion now, but it's fairly evident what Clagoff means as he calls orders to those around him. Some of those in his group head away from the adventurers, one of them - a tiefling - gesturing at Clagoff's magical disk, which floats next to him as he moves. Hax draws a sword and brings up the rear. As Clagoff is moved by the disk, a suit of plate armor suddenly appears around him, as if summoned from thin air. They seem to be heading for a door in the far wall of the chamber, across from the one the adventurers entered through.

Vox is the only one close enough to see into the pit, and what he sees there is an obstruction-strewn arena, within which three hobgoblins are facing a wounded owlbear. Two more hobgoblins lie motionless within the arena.


OOC: That gives you three successes (Yatagan, Lizzy and Heyoka) and three failures (Vox, Odanais, Penelope). Post your next actions.

shilsen wrote:

Clagoff shouts, "Kill them! Someone kill them! I'll pay a ... thousand gold for each of their heads!" A number of people stop shouting and some of the armed and armored individuals in the chamber head towards the group. The dwarves manning the fixed crossbows begin to swing them towards the adventurers.

Yatagan shouts back "CLAGOFF DOESN'T HAVE THE GOLD! HE SPENT ALL HIS MONEY ON THAT SHITTY PLAY! THAT'S WHY HE'S RISKING AN ILLEGAL TOURNAMENT NOW! HE'S BROKE!". The Dragonborn paladin can't keep the smile off his face. He's delighting in the limelight and it's promise of violence.

OOC: Diplomacy to sway the crowd: 36

Quote :

- a tiefling - gesturing at Clagoff's magical disk, which floats next to him as he moves.

Not projecting quite so much, Yatagan says to Penelope "Ms. Pindar, if you please, consider shooting the Tiefling to death. I'll wager he's fragile.

Yatagan continues to run after Clagoff and his entourage. He raises his battleaxe, visibly coated with a viscid gray-white substance, and attempts to frighten people out of his way.

OOC: Intimidate: 17

The member 'Mallus' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 20, 3

With unhinged glee Lizy begins hacking his way through the crowd towards Clagoff. He uses passing attack to get through any two people who stand in his way.
Attacks: 13, 33
Damage: 14, 9

The member 'overeddie' has done the following action : Dice Roller

#1 'd20' : 1, 19

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#2 'd12' : 6

Doh

The member 'overeddie' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd12' : 1

Shoving the bumpkin who tripped him out of the way, Vox produces his crossbow and levels it at Clagoff's back...and then lowers his aim, fractionally, to target the surface of the floating disk.

"I hate these trick shots," he mutters as he fires.

OOC: Positioning Strike: 20 vs. Will, unless combat advantage happens to apply. 11 points of damage, and shift Clagoff three squares if that's a hit...knock him off the disk if possible, if not, try and tip it into the arena.

The member 'Rolzup' has done the following action : Dice Roller

#1 'd20' : 9

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#2 'd8' : 6

Quote :

Not projecting quite so much, Yatagan says to Penelope "Ms. Pindar, if you please, consider shooting the Tiefling to death. I'll wager he's fragile."

"Sure," Penelope says, redirecting her aim to the Tiefling. "I'm just a little anxious to have Clagoff dead," she mentions casually, before firing twice at the enemy.

OOC: If there's no attack roll penalty... 20 vs. AC for 5 damage and 22 vs. AC for 3 damage.

The member 'Penelope' has done the following action : Dice Roller

#1 'd20' : 8, 10

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#2 'd12' : 3, 1

Odanais attempts again to open a path in the crowd.

Thunderwave (vs. fort): 24

The member 'gridley' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 14

Yatagan again raises his voice and shouts above the crowd and this time at least a couple of people decide that he has a point. A couple of the guards who were about to bar the group's way stop and back off. One of the dwarves manning the mounted crossbows evidently decides to even more clearly make his shift in allegiance felt. Pivoting smoothly, he fires at Clagoff's group. One of the armed men around Clagoff screams in agony and collapses, the tip of a three foot long bolt protruding from his back.

Lizzy helps clear a way, swinging wildly at a guard who had continued to attack, before slashing another deeply across the chest.

Odanais also helps, another thunderwave sending some of the people who had fallen in front of the group sliding painfully out of the way.

Heyoka has less success, trying to pick up and fling aside two people and grunting in surprise as one promptly knifes him, his armor turning what could have been a serious wound into a scratch.

Vox too is incommoded by the people around, a well-aimed shot which was heading right for Clagoff's back being intercepted inadvertently by another of those guarding the former captain.

Penelope's twin arrows find their mark, however, nicking the tiefling wizard who seems to be directing the disk. The wizard spins around, lifting a hand to cast, but at a command from Clagoff, desists and only moves forward with the disk, just reaching the door they have been heading for. One of the men flings the door open and Dagobert Hax rushes through, while others stop to bar the way.

Meanwhile, some of the people who had been running into the tunnel leading back to the tavern stop and give back confusedly, as shouts of "Stop! This is the law! You cannot escape!" greet them. It sounds like one or both of the other raiding parties, though not yet visibly, is only moments away.

While most of those in the chamber are fleeing or cowering, some do choose to put up a fight. An orc hurls himself at Lizzy, holding a two-handed warclub and smacks the dwarven warrior on the helmet (12 pts damage). Another guard, a human, slashes at Yatagan but the blow rings off his plate armor. The second dwarven crosbow-wielder fires at the group and Odanais barely avoids taking it right in the chest.

OOC: That's 4 more successes and 2 failures, making it 7 successes and 5 failures. One more round for the skill challenge.

Lizzy takes 12 pts damage, Odanais takes 13 pts and Heyoka takes 7 pts.

"Son of a...."

Vox closes his eyes for a moment, reciting a calming mantra that, as always, does him no good whatsoever.

(OOC: Just as well I missed last turn, by the way. Positioning Strike is melee only.... Howw far is Vox from the door that Clagoff is escaping through? I have a plan, but I need some specifics first.)

"Ahh, Orc scum!" Lizzy sizes up his new opponent. "Time to die!"

Attack with crushing blow: 31 vs AC. 18 and 13 damage.