Another Mask Behind You

The road is busy today, most of the people headed out of the city however rather then into it. Many of those heading out look haunted, families tight together and children clasped to their parents arms as if to let them go is to invite danger. It would be easy to get lost among this crowd, particularly since it's rather late in the day.

Arynne happens to be walking with one of the merchant caravans. Mostly on guard duty until they hit a certain part of the road, since this is where bandits frequent.

The end of a nice day outside sees a deer dragging itself along the road, towards the general direction of Alexandria. It stops suddenly, and drops to the road, and a small Goblin pulls herself out from under it, her already-red gi stained a darker hue by blood. She pants and rubs at her brow, before grabbing the aforementioned deer by the antlers, and continues her journey towards Alexandria. Slowly.

Azog has been out hunting, he's now cleaning a small animal and sits in front of a fire by the side of the road. He's heard about the bandits, but they don't generally bother him much. Azog is the sort of person who people jump out at, then apologize and explain how they were waiting for someone else. Seven foot oruch don't generally have -too- much trouble in that regard.

Out and about on the road is one metal paladin. Ophelia is a creation of steel and silver and crystal, and the sound of tiny motors whirring and crystal hydraulics working accompany her everywhere she goes. One hand rests on her holy book; her eyes are upon those who walk and the world to the side of the road, all in equal measure, keeping vigil over the innocent and anything that might try to bring harm to them.

Edinaz is on the road as well, sweaty, dirty and tired-looking. He carries a pack over one shoulder, from which protrudes the handles of some wooden practice swords. As the people flow out, he slows down, watching the people and faces.

Where there is fear and strangeness, Paladins tred!

Mostly because they want to smite the strangeness. Usually. Frequently. Okay, they almost always want to smite SOMETHING.

Today, the would be smiter is Smyhtly the Brave. You can tell. He has a brave expression on his face. He is no doubt not the only paladin here to observe the goings ons! Ready to help, see.

And smite. Especially smite.

Amid all these people it is easy to lose sight of someone, or to catch sight of an odd person. Like the one that is following close behind a goblin in chainmail emblazoned with the symbol of Reos. The goblin carries a hammer, and doesn't seem to realize at the moment that he's being followed. The figure trailing after him isn't notable for the dark robes that they wear, but rather the oddity of the black mask that covers their face. That...

and the dagger that they just drew from the folds of their robe.

The result of specializing in divination is the fact that you tend to get a flash of a warning before something bad happens. This is one of those times for Arynne. She suddenly stops and turns RIGHT for the one who just pulled the knife. "get out of here." She says to the cart she's walking by, and she SMACKS the horse connected to the cart. That should be enough of a warning for the others, but the next warning should be the fact that Arynne just cast a haste spell for them.

The brown-skinned Gobbo halts again, and settles her behind upon the deer, huffing. "Why are these things always so heavy?", she mutters to herself. The sudden baring of a dagger doesn't really cause Choler much concern, though she makes note of the slappy woman's actions, and then calls out to the Goblin in chainmail. "Oi.", she says as she points past the other Gobbo. "Yer about to get stabbed!"

Something is happening. What that something is, Ophelia cannot just yet say; but *something* is afoot, and it may just prove to be something vile. She looks about, her head moving deliberately as she casts her gaze left and right. "Get clear of this place," she instructs a pair of children walking past, before she turns to walk back the way she came, towards Arynne. As she walks, one hand goes up over her shoulder to draw her sword; afterall, never hurts to be prepared.

Edinaz puts his bag down, growling something like "It would be now," under his breath. Still, the change in body language cues him -- he knows what impending violence looks like. And so, that's how he finds himself heading towards, and not away from, drawn blades.

Azog looks up at the sound of commotion. Is there something going on? He'll stand up and look to see what's going on.

Here we go!

Smtyhly is blithely unaware that anything is paying attention to him, stalking him as you would. In fact, he's got his hand on his hammer and his back turned as he moves to pick up a small, dropped toy by one of the families passing through the area. "Excuse me, ma'am and sir! I believe your child dropped this exquisitely plush... elf?" He looks confused.

"Why is there a plush elf doll? Anyway, you dropped it!"

GAME: Smythly rolls Fort: (18)+11: 29

With the target so clearly distracted the person in their dark cloak has an easy line of attack on Smythly. In the space of a second the shadowy-robed individual stabs the goblin. The blade sinks home in a little bloom of red. It's hard to tell from the angle how bad the wound is, but Smythly remains on his feet at least!

Choler tsks and stands up. "Bloody two-shoes. Pay attention to yer surroundings!" She cants her head left and right, neck vertebrae popping and cracking, and she follows up with cracking the knuckles in her fingers by making a pair of clenched fists. "Keep an eye out, they don't run around by their lonesomes." That said, she begins to advance on the one stabby fellow.

"He'll be fine." Arynne says before she tosses out a trio of magic missiles at the personya in the black robe. "We just need to bring this one down, then look for the rest of them. No one's stupid enough to work alone."

Well, if someone's being attacked, that's a thing Azog can help with. He'll charge into the fray and strike a pose, whipping his blade around in a Dazzling Display of martial prowess that may give the enemy pause. Or instill a bit of trepidation in them thar Azog can exploit.

Ophelia does not rush in, at least not yet. The paladin is primarily a melee fighter, that much is true; but there's more than enough warriors and heroes piling in on the one figure for now, and she's certain that's sorted. Instead the golem takes a few steps back, turning her back on the fight at hand to scan the roadsides once more, looking for the threat that nobody has seen yet. ...Afterall, they don't work alone.

"Hurk," replies Smythly as he's struck. He's a little caught off guard...

...okay, make that completely caught off guard. Remain standing, sure, but he staggers forward and lurches to turn around, trying to face the attacker that had wounded him. "VILLAIN!"

The individual in question is unable to respond to being called a villain. Instead they are struck dead on by magic missiles and then... Azog comes in with his display of martial prowess and it's enough to lay the woman - as her scream indicates just before she falls to the ground - low. Meanwhile no one else seems liable to appear out of the woodwork to help her. Instead /everyone/ is hurrying away from the commotion as quickly as they can.

The Goblin in red practically blurs as she runs over to the knife-wielding woman. She gives the air a good thrashing as the woman drops to the ground, the large Oruch having done the heavy dropping. "Takethatandthatandthatand... ohyougother.", Choler says, excitedly. "Carefultheremaybeotherslayinginwait." The dead? woman is eyed critically by the Gobbo. "Iwonderwhosheis?" She reaches to remove the mask.

Arynne, once she sees the woman fall, she touches her amulet, mumbling a few words before she begins to look around. being able to see invisible people is a good advantage.

"Well....I think I see the one who started this." Arynne says pointing towards.....nothing. "There is a man who is invisible starting to walk back into Alexandria. And he's too far away to hit with a glitterdust spell."

Azog stands by to fight any more bad guys that show up. There don't seem to be, but he'll keep a wary eye out. "Are you OK?" he calls to the wounded man. As far as invisible people go, he shrugs, then peers at the ground to see if his tracks are invisible.

Ophelia looks over her shoulder, just long enough to confirm that the woman is, indeed, quite dead. She resumes looking out into the fields. "There are almost certainly more of them," she declares. "There must be. ...Who attacks a group of adventurers alone?" She casts her eyes about again, before making a decision; she starts walking again, and makes her way off the side of the road and into the countryside. If the doers of evil don't want to show themselves, she'll make it tempting for them.

GAME: Azog rolls survival: (9)+20: 29

Azog hrms, following the tracks, but not very far. "Tracks are lost in with all the people fleeing," he grumbles. "I might be able to find similar tracks when the mob has separated from the fleeing person..."

Arynne says, "Someone who was mind controlled, likely. Or Dominated. Close to the same thing, I think." She then sighs. "Sadly, I'm not that great at Divination yet, or I could find him."

GAME: Azog rolls survival: (2)+20: 22

Azog leads you into the city, but quickly looses the tracks as you find cobblestone walkways. Now you have only a street with five men and two women walking along the path; no one invisible at all.

"...what? What?! Why would someone just...!"

Smythly is, of course, already working on his own wounds but he's letting others take the lead at this point.

Azog grumbles about tracking on stone. That's tough on anyone. But what more can he do?

Arynne says, "You'd be surprised at why someone would try to kill a paladin." Arynne then sighs. "And I don't see him anymore though.""

"Why would someone do what?", she wonders, looking to Smythly. "Didja steal from anyone? Are you prominent in your Temple? Do you taste good?" Choler shrugs her shoulders. "Why would someone attack you? All kinds of reasons, really."

-End