Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Two

[ewancummins]

In his usual manner, he'll try to run over the first one, though. [Power attack!]

The women grab Marie and flee toward the woods.

Cirdan spurs his horse and meets the first horseman head on. The enemy strikes his shield , causing a terrific bang and a shower of sparks, but not harming the knight. Cirdan swivels in the saddle like a quintain that's been struck and delivers a terrible blow to the foe as he rides past- hurling the man from his saddle!

The two men with torches ride around Cirdan and set the coaches aflame by tossing their torches onto the roofs!

The coachmen are standing in the road, attempting to cover the girls' escape. One hurls stones and the other is flailing about with his long coachwhip, snapping the lash at the oncoming horses.


Just then, one of the riders drops his sword and rips the mail coif from his head, hurling it far way. His blond hair is smoking. His horse screams and throws him from the saddle, then bolts for the far side of the road. The man rolls on the ground, pulling off his armor and shouting in pain and fear. Cirdan can see a reddish glow from the steel- something is heating the metal!

There are only three enemy riders still mounted.

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain is thinking this is the perfect time for that spell again, so tries to get as many of them in it's radius as he can before they start in on Cirdan . If he can get the leader he will, but if not then he'll settle for as many of the followers as he can get . Then he'll go after the rest of the crossbowmen via other lesser spells(0) if they are in range(30Ft) . Trying to only kill one if at all possible .

[ewancummins]

The three riders bear down on the two coachmen, with swords held high. Cirdan is riding hard to stop them.

That's when the rocks come down. Out of thin air, a downpour of cobbles strikes one of the riders and his mount. The man tumbles from the saddle under the assault from above. This rider's horse kicks him in the side as it panics and bolts, knocking him back down to the dirt.

The coachman with the whip prods the horse of one of the other foes, causing the beast to rear up wildly. The other coachman takes aim and hurls a jagged rock at the second horseman's face- it strikes just below the eyes! Blood oozing from his shattered nose, the man looses control of his mount. He falls from the saddle, but his right leg is caught in the stirrup. Before he can free himself, the horse begins to gallop away, dragging him down the road.

The last of the enemy horsemen jerks hard on the reins and wheels to face Sir Cirdan's charge.

They meet in the middle of the road. Cirdan takes a glancing blow to the helmet, striking his oponent in the chest at the same instant. The steel blade cleaves through iron mail, through the aqueton beneath, and deep into flesh and bone. Cirdan's pulls the sword free as he passes. Turning his horse, he sees the enemy rider sprawled backwards in the saddle, arms dangling limply as his horse trots back toward the barn. The man's chest is a red ruin. He's dropped his sword. If he isn't dead now, he will be in a few seconds.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Cirdan then will turn his horse and move back to the burning man,
to make sure there is no more work to do.
He will then ride to where he last saw the girls...

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain will then go in search of other bad guys to deal with trying to stay hidden if at all possible when doing so .

[ewancummins]

Meanwhile, inside the barn-

Norzak rushes inside the barn. Something strikes him in the chest at an oblique angle. It proves to be a crossbow bolt, now buried several inches into Norzak's flesh. the pain is great, but the dwarf can handle it.


Looking up, he spots the sniper- a man in the loft. There's a wooden ladder built into the wall, allowing access to this upper area. The sniper is near the top of the ladder.

Looking about, Norzak does not immediately see a hole in the ground, but it could be concealed by one of the stalls, or maybe the piles of fodder stacked about the floor.

[ewancummins]

In the barn

Alain will then go in search of other bad guys to deal with trying to stay hidden if at all possible when doing so .

Entering the barn through a window, Alain spots the sniper in the loft. He blasts the man with a bolt of eldritch power, sending him tumbling out of the loft to land near Norzak.


On the road-

The burned man lies in the road, whimpering in pain, mostly having stripped himself of his wargear. The area near him has a distinct smell of burnt flesh and hot iron.

The other riders are all slain or disabled, or fled.

Riding to the woods across the way, Cirdan finds Evie and her old servant, along with Marie, all hiding in a ditch overgrown by brush and tall weeds.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Off until tonight.

Cirdan will dismount and guide the women back to the road, keeping Evie close to him.

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain readies a spell(MM) to blast what ever come's out after Norzak in his search for a certain critter . Yelling out to the coach men " Tie the burnt one up we need to question him later . "

[steveflam]

Norzak grunts under the bolt. Gritting his teeth, he is about to move forward when the archer that was atop the ladder is now on the ground before him. Keeping his eye on the stallls, he rips out the bolt and tosses it at the man laying on the floor.

He move to each stall and one by one opens them, looking for the exit to the tunnel. Seeing Alain he'll whisper "There's a tunnel from the house headed this way, I's sure it's exit is ere" and he points to the stalls. "Mutant rat fled through it. Ever see a giant rat burn? Nows yer chance, bub." Norzak is now holding in his hands two vials, one of which is bigger than the other.

ewan, Norzak is also doing a listening check at each stall before opening them. As well he's looking on the ground for signs of excess dirt that could have been from digging.

Out of curiosity from the loft could one see into the stalls?

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain will only blast the critter or creature if Norzak is having a hard time with it .

[JMaytr]

Seeing Ciridan dealt with a a few of the armored men, he leaves the safety of the out house and makes his way stealthily towards the barn. Moving slowly and silently Jonathan sees a sniper in the loft above the barn. The boy keeps his pace, hoping that he is unseen by the sniper as he makes his way towards that position.

[ewancummins]

In the archives-

The youthful acolyte nods, blushing in embarassment at his own foolishness.

''I'm sorry, monsieur. I... I must have panicked. Yes, I'll get the gendarmes now.''

Benn's examination shows that Van Willen is most certainly deceased. The Doctor is handy with a blade, it would seem.

Benn is able to examine the books the poor man had brought for him, before the room fills with jabbering gendarmes and hand-wringing priests. There are three titles:

Queer Old Tales of Pont-a-Museau

Theory and Practice of Portal-Magic

True Account of a Delver's Life

Perhaps the old man was on to something?

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain will be going up to loft as sneaky as he can be for a better firing port at any would be ambushers .

[ewancummins]

at the farm-

The coachmen put out the fires and calm the coach-teams. Once that's done, they tie up the burnt man, just as Alain ordered them.


Inside the barn, Norzak listens at the doors of all six stalls. He hears movement inside two of them. He can look within by peeking over the [dwarf-height ] wooden barriers. Half the stalls are empty and the other two hold animals- a mule and a cow. Neither beast pays Norzak much attention, so long as he leaves them alone.

Jon is able to creep into the barn through window in the rear that has an unlatched shutter. Once he gets inside, he realizes the sniper has descended or fallen from the loft- and is now on the dirt floor, trying to get to his feet. Jon's not too far away and the man has his back turned...