The Eye of Anubis: Book Two

[Kaitou Kage]

Why don't you puke on him again? Kuzan thought sourly to himself, I'm sure that'll go over really well.

But he decided against saying that. Because he was sure that would go over really well, too.

So instead, the priest turned to Michel, in a concentrated effort to avoid making any sort of contact with Ulsaon.

"There're still wounded upstairs?" he asked, "Can you take me to them? We should lay them out, get them comfortable."

The priest had exhausted nearly all of his magical healing for the day, and what he had left wouldn't be enough to really help. But he possessed considerable skill as a mundane healer, as well. Mundane healing didn't come through as cleanly, but it worked well enough in a pinch.

"I still have some holy water," he continued, "It does burn the undead. And if worse comes to worst, I also still have my crossbow and my staff." The priest patted his satchel meaningfully.

Otto's suggestion made him pause for thought.

"You know," he said, "That is a good idea. I can conjure a thick mist around myself to help with the screen. The downside is I can't project it or 'throw' it. I have to be standing where it is to be."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"All fine ideas," Lia says with a fierce grin -- though only she knows it is there, it can perhaps be heard in her voice. A little. "Of course, in order for me to pepper that bastard with explosives, he needs to be within my sight and standing still. And I'm afraid setting off smoke bombs and fog would only attract attention if I were to try hiding in the clouds ..."

[DocBeard]

"Sir." Tomas nods to Samael, looking, well.

He sighs. "It's sort of all gone to...heck." The swearing makes him wince, but such is life. "Mister Cavendish has taken a whole family captive, and we have to hope that Charles and Khalil get here in six minutes, or he's going to disembowel them."

"Even if we do make it, we don't know what he wants from us." Tomas rubs the back of his head weakly, "...it was that, or he would've killed them there and then, sir. I couldn't make the villaigers choose like that. I'm going, but I can't...won't make anyone follow me."

[Kaitou Kage]

"Actually," Kuzan spoke up, an idea occurring to him suddenly, "Wouldn't it be better to get the ghouls away from the children first? I can channel enough divine energy that should send the ghouls -- and possibly many of the other undead -- fleeing. They won't be able to take the children with them, and it will be easier to deal with them separately from Cavendish."

"Plus," he added, "It'll get the children out of immediate danger so we can deal with the others."

[steveflam]

"Oh" Ulsaon rummages through her bag and retrieves some more items, laying them on the table. "I've got some thunderstones and smokesticks. They might come in handy as well."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I can stay aloft for maybe six minutes," Lia says. "That's six minutes to somehow get the undead away from the hostages, immobilize Cavendish so he doesn't mess everything up and get the hostages out of range before I drop the big bomb on top of him. I'd say this needs meticulous planning, but we're in a time crunch here. We need a plan that's fast and has a reasonable chance of working.

So:
Priest Kuzan can turn the undead. Will they immediately release the prisoners?
How do we stop Cavendish from moving about and casting spells so I don't miss him?
Who's going to dart in and snatch the prisoners out of threat range before I drop the bombs?"

[NeoTiamat]

No sunlight came through the clouds. Darkness... almost dusk....

The Erl-Stones
April 26th, 761, 1:05 PM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Soon.... very soon..." Old Marilena's voice was deathly soft as she sat down on the grass between the stones. "Soon... but not how... they work in their own ways."

The blind woman stared forward, clutching the birchwood cane in both hands like a talisman, a symbol of something.

"Promise me, young man..." Marilena whispered, "That you'll bury me between these stones. And that you take care of Pumpkin... the young professor will care for her."

"Promise me..."

Karl's Folly
April 26th, 761, 1:05 PM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"One minute, gentlemen!"

Through the village Cavendish's sinister, carnival-barker-esque voice resounded. You could see him from the window of the inn, clad in his frock coat and absurd top hat, a gangly, malevolent shape. The bonfire outlined him, making him seem all the darker in his undertaker's gear, a fiend from hell surrounded by the flames, the ghouls his demons, the children his damned. The girl, Mary, cried silently, while the little boy called for his mother.

"I've always had a certain curiosity." Firelight danced, reflected in Cavendish's smoked lenses. "How long and sturdy is the human intestine? Can one, in fact, rip out a person's intestine and then strangle them with it, choking them before they bleed to death?"

"Just our luck we've two test subjects right here, and in a minute, we may yet find out! Call it an experiment, a tribute to Dame Science!"

"One minute ladies and gentlemen, one minute!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm coming with you." Harris nodded to Tomas, stepping beside the young Lamordian. Michel nodded, looking a little queasy at the prospect of surrendering to a monstrosity like Cavendish, but to his credit, he stepped over as well.

One by one, the other members of the Menetnashte Expedition joined the group, with two notable exceptions. Jervis and Samael were both missing, and no one was quite sure when they had disappeared.

Prof. Pelletier nodded to Lia. "Miss Mournswaithe, I may have a means to slow this Cavendish down, for a time..."

Michel grinned a little weakly as Guy came hobbling down the stairs with Sarari and Dieter in his arms. They were, if not well, then at least awake.

"It is time." Pelletier said, tying a black piece of silk like a blindfold. "Let us go forth like brave men and women, yes?"

[OOC: Do or die time people, discussion time is at an end. Next post is moving out of the inn or being considered to have stayed back where its safe.]

[lostboy]

"I trust your negotiations were...satisfactory?"

"Indeed Affendi, the Old Laws and I have an accord." The desert guide says blinking in the light.

"Promise me..."

"It seems my word is to be given freely this day." Khalil says distratcedly, then realising the gravity of the situation, he turns to look the blind woman straight in her eyes. "Forgive me venerable mother, you ahve my word, your body shall lay to rest here."

Looking across to Charles he gives a look, saying Now What?

[Kaitou Kage]

"I'm going too," Kuzan said to Tomas and Harris, "We don't have time to stand around anymore, not if the children are going to live."

He fingered his holy symbol. Gods bless us all, he thought, and protect those children.

"But this won't be our end. If that's what Cavendish thinks, he's got another thought coming."

[The Whistler]

"It is time." Pelletier said, tying a black piece of silk like a blindfold. "Let us go forth like brave men and women, yes?"

Powder. Wadding. Bullet. Ramrod. Holster.

Otto levered himself out of his chair. "It is all we can do."

Favoring his right leg slightly, he walked towards the door with the others.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Looking across to Charles he gives a look, saying Now What?

Charles shrugs expressively, as if to say, What else can we do? Helping Marilena sit herself on the grass, he sits next to her, still supporting her. "Yes," he say quietly. "We will bury you here, and we will take care of Pumpkin; we'll let Professor Theroux know. Rest easy, grandmother. Your work is done, and we thank you for doing so much to help us."

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan shook his head suddenly as they walked, as if something occurred to him.

"Tell me again," he said in a quiet voice, "Why do we think that dropping a fireball on the city is a good idea?"

[steveflam]

Ulsaon grabs two alchemical fires as well as two thunderstones then follows the others out. If only we can get the children away from Cavendish, I'd run in and grab them and get them away from him. Hmmmm....

"Well if we can somehow distract Cavendish and get the undead away from him, I can try to run in and grab the children and bring them to safety."

[Kaitou Kage]

"That's kind of the tricky part, now isn't it?" Kuzan remarked, "We have a hostage situation and it's not going to be easy to get to the children to save them."

[steveflam]

"Well the only thing I can cast is a flare but as it's merely a cantrip I doubt it would be very effective. Of course I've the bottled fire, but I might hit the children. And who says I can get close or any of us for that matter."