Acqua Alta Finale

[Umiushi]

This is the forty-ninth Acqua Alta Finale main post. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Tuesday, August 28th. The next main post will appear by 11 pm, Thursday, August 30th.

Noxias chants his fire spell again and again, until the color of dragonborn's exposed scales is ruined by red and black blisters, but this doesn't appear to slow it down in the least. It lays about with its cruel weapon. Noxias parries with a spell, but the chain swings over the invisible rim of his conjuration and hits him all the same. It catches Yrisz mid-side, and sends her spinning to the floor, along with several rent links from her armor.

At this point, Noxias dashes past to the far corner of the room. The fighter sends its chain his way again, but this time, jets of fire shoot forth from his robes, and the wounding is mutual. Its focus on Noxias leaves it an open target for Konstansz's mystical spell and Rogur's sling shot to find their marks, however, and the dragonborn falls into a senseless heap before it can deliver its finishing blow to the eladrin.


Tempting as it is to tear off the wooden shutters and stuff them into guard's mouth to keep him silent, Zephyr does not resort to such a method, and in any case, there is no time to be wasted in doing so. He binds the man with the remnants of his own bonds as well as those of the captive near him.

"My name is Polon," answers the youth in a melodious countertenor, "I thought they were part of the Matchless Gang, but I wasn't sure." He assists Zephyr in working to undo his bonds, "The others here are my father's fellow workers; we should free them, too. I thought they caught me to sell me into captivity, but when I saw Gendoll and Ogam brought here, I became unsure of their motives."

Polon gets to his feet and the two very different-looking half-elfs regard one another through pairs of sapphire and emerald eyes. "I see you have the use of magic," Polon says, "I can use it too, Zephyr. Now that you've ungagged me, I can be of some help to you."

Their conversation is interrupted by a muffled boom that shakes the floor and rattles the window. It feels like it came from the side opposite the window. No further disturbances are forthcoming, but from elsewhere in the building, Zephyr can hear the sound of multiple pairs of hurrying footsteps heading this way and that.

[yukonhorror]

"WAIT! Polon!???! We went to the Feywild to look for you. That is not an exaggeration either. Your father was VERY worried about you and we agreed to locate you. In any case, from what we learned, my magical talents are parlor tricks compared to what you can do." When the room shakes, Zephyr gives a little smirk.

"Looks like they caught up: more friends of your father. This club isn't much, but it is enough to knock some heads. Stay close and we'll be sure to liberate EVERYONE the Matchless gang has apprehended."

[Ithelryn]

Yrisz cowers in the rooms corner waiting, mace extending protectively in front of her and eyes firmly shut, for the repetition of her earlier sting from the dragon borns chained implement. When she hears but his own roars of pain, mated with unholy sounds of shot and flame, she ventures a quick squint just in time to catch the monster collapsing under the weight of his many wounds.

"Oh," is all she manages while pushing herself out of her protective corner.

Moving forward with feeling she slams the outside door shut, though only after Konstansz strides through the threshold, quick to admire her most recent handy work.

[Umiushi]

This is the fiftieth Acqua Alta Finale main post. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Saturday, September 1st. The next OOC main post will appear by 11 am, Monday, September 3rd.

"You went there. . ." Polon says with wonder in his voice, but cuts himself short, "Let's at least free Gendoll and Ogam before we leave. I don't want to leave them helpless." He walks over to kneel by the two scribes and begins to fuss with their bonds.

"I do not know what you've learned of my magic and I think I can help you, but I doubt I could surpass you, especially not in a fight. Is my master Erszebet among your company? I'm sure she will be able to deal with these criminals."

[yukonhorror]

At the sound of that name, Zephyr winces, if only slightly. "We found your pact agreement. We know you have pursued the magic of the stars. I am not trained in magic, it is pure... instinct."

Zephyr pauses to find the right words to explain to Polon what happened. "Erszebet is dead. She betrayed you, your father, and this whole region. She offered the lives of many innocents to the powers that be from the Feywild to flood this valley. What is out there is a small puddle compared to what they PLANNED to do. I am sorry you have to learn about it this way, but that is what happened."

Zephyr pats the boy on the back to help comfort his 'loss.' "In any case, let me help you with those bonds. I was so caught up with the guard and my friends, I forgot about them."

While Zephyr aids Polon, he attempts to feed his curiosity, "So, what are you doing here? How did you get here. From what we could discover, you ran away to prevent what Erszebet had done. Obviously, we were grossly mistaken."

[Umiushi]

This is the fifty-first Acqua Alta Finale main post. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Tuesday, September 4th. The next main post will appear by 11 pm, Thursday, September 6th.

Rogur strides over to the prone dragonborn and relieves it of its possessions. Into the water goes the makeshift weapon with a loud splash. Next, Rogur undoes two sacks from around the creature's belt, which he hands to Yrisz without ceremony.

In the corridor outside, Noxias looks into the neighboring room. It is empty of furniture and deserted. A couple of buckets and some scattered garbage are all that is in evidence.

Carefully, he steps a short distance up the staircase and gains a view of the next story. This windowed room has two doors, both of which are closed. There is an unpleasant, fishy smell in this room. Noxias initially suspects the trio of upright barrels in one corner, their lids weighted by stones. However, he notes the row of half-dried fish hanging outside of one of the windows, a moment later.

Noxias's examinations are cut short by the sound of footsteps and that of a door slamming open to the south. It's not the door leading into the room itself, but it's probably one very close by.


Polon turns away from Zephyr as he continues to work on Ogam's bindings. "I already discerned as much," he says softly, "I hoped that if the contract was prevented, her life would be spared."

He undoes the last of the ropes that restrain Ogam, and pauses before he takes off the gag. "You were not mistaken, Zephyr. That is indeed what I set out to do, yesterday morning. I had first thought to use the teleportation circle at the Library, and even prepared the components to do so, but Erszebet sealed access to that room before I could act; she was doubtless working to complete Twilight's Tryst at the same time. The one other teleportation circle in Beilston is at the Hospital of Rafias Ring. I was in the orchard outside the Scriptorium, thinking about how to make my case to the Hospitallars, when I was accosted by a pair of ruffians and brought to wherever we are now."

Removing the scribe's gag, he stands up, and helps the older man to his feet. Addressing the two of them, he says, "Please wait here for a few moments. I think it is too dangerous to move around. I will not be overpowered so easily a second time, especially with this man at my side. We will return soon with allies."

[Ithelryn]

Like so many silent shadows Yrisz's friends slip passed her on their way to the adjoining room. Quickly, the young cleric measures the contents of the two bags that Rogur has unceremoniously dumped onto her. Little guesswork is need to divine the contents of the first sack. Money, in the form of silver staters. "Good," Yrisz thinks to herself, "we are sorely in need of funds if I recall."

The second sack proves a bit more of a mystery. Three clay vials presents themselves to her. "They don't seem dangerous," Yrisz thinks examine the vials, "freshly made, untampered clay vials that at best contain some kind of healing dough, at worst some form of recreational narcotic. I do hope we don't have to find out in a hurry."

"I do wish they would label these things," she says aloud quickly realizing that she's talking to but an empty room.

Briskly Yrisz tucks both sacks into her own pack and with quick steps she makes her way over to entrance of the adjoining room, listening intently for clues to what might be occurring within.

[Umiushi]

This is the fifty-third Acqua Alta Finale main post. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Tuesday, September 11th. The next main post will appear by 11 pm, Thursday, September 13th.

Rogur and Konstansz rush to the room above, while Noxias remains halfway up the steps. He aims the tip of his staff towards the noise and brings the Sign of his spell to the forefront of his thoughts.

The door is kicked open by a pale, sandy-haired man in scale armor, fully equipped with a big shield and a short spear. Behind him is a short, gangly man with a spear in each hand. Noxias throws his spell, but the warrior in front is already bearing down on him, casting away his spear and drawing his sword from its scabbard. The fires of his spell burst behind the warrior, singeing the dual spear wielder. Noxias then steps back to avoid the warrior's low-aimed slash.

"That's right, Tinog," says the other man, smiling even as he blinks and wipes at his scorched face with a sleeve, "wizards are best dealt with close up!" He launches himself forward, and drives the tip of one of his spears into Noxias's left shoulder, just below the collarbone.

[Malk0lm]

[
"That's right, Tinog," says the other man, smiling even as he blinks and wipes at his scorched face with a sleeve, "wizards are best dealt with close up!"

Noxias yelps in pain as the spear finds it's mark. The feeling in his upper body suddenly numb.

"Well... I best put some distance between us then," Noxias rasps through clenched teeth. He sticks out his tongue as his body winks out of existence.

[Ithelryn]

The din of combat and the yells of anger and anguish emanating down the stair from the floor above leave no room for Yrisz sanguine imagination to work. With a bit of trepidation, owing to her bruised and tired form, she makes her way to the stair with the intentions of helping in some fashion with the groups newest round in this belligerent campaign against the Matchless Gang.

[cutopia]

"Your strategy would work better if you weren't out-numbered!" taunts Konstansz as she launches a spell at the thug apparently named Tinog.

[Umiushi]

This is the fifty-fifth Acqua Alta Finale main post. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Tuesday, September 18th. The next main post will appear by 11 pm, Thursday, September 20th.

"They can do that, too," the dual spear-wielder mutters as Noxias vanishes.

His companion, Tinog, is a decent, even talented, warrior. However talented, though, one is hard-pressed against three opponents of commensurate skill. He makes a valiant effort to fend off sword and spell, but your combined attacks are too much for him, and in the end he is overwhelmed by Noxias's deadly fire.

The spearman seems hardly to notice Tinog's death. Focusing his attention on Rogur, now, he presses him with his weapons, smiling evilly. It takes all of Rogur's efforts not to get skewered outright, and still he knows these initial strikes are merely probing his defenses, taking his measure.

"My condition is hardly permanent," he calls back to Konstansz as he swings his spears about, "my friends are not far behind me at all!"

[yukonhorror]

"Well, I know they are around here, SOMEWHERE??" Zephyr scrambles frantically to look for his friends.

[cutopia]

Amid Konstansz's torrent of almost unintelligible cursing, comes a reply to the spearman, "You'll not last long enough to see your friends again," as she launches another blast of magic.

[Umiushi]

This is the fifty-sixth Acqua Alta Finale main post. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Saturday, September 22nd. The next OOC main post will appear by 11 am, Monday, September 24th.

Heedless of who might hear him, Zephyr, shouting, hurls open the door to the room and charges down the stairs beyond. Polon hurries to keep up with him. Moving at random through the labyrinth of meanly appointed rooms below, Zephyr throws open doors, taking one half off its hings, looking for a passage that will take him closer to the others.

In a closet, Zephyr discovers his gear, tossed in a heap. It looks like nobody took the opportunity to look through it, yet. Hastily taking it up, the pair move on.

After a few moments more of dashing about, Zephyr pushes open a door and sees the room where he first entered the complex. He spies the older of the two opponents who bested him earlier. The man is standing next to the open door on the opposite wall. He briefly leans into the opening and fires a hand crossbow before ducking back out of the opening and reloading. Seeing the half-elf as he does so, his lips curl into a snarl.