Souls of Arhosa

[VennDygrem]

Madoc curses under his breath. The damned biyou constantly manages to get away. Worse yet, Madoc would now have to subject himself to additional stress just to find him. He hops down to the ground, then moves to the back door and opens it.

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Map: https://beta.ditzie.com/64700/60e30b0c7f806

[skydragonknight]

Ebony drops down, lights a torch, and after finding the first split in the tunnels, takes the path that the Yn Gyntaf does not, well aware that she could never catch up to him.

[Skyrock]

Gwaedwen keeps moving forward through the western junction, as rapid as the cramped quarters allows.

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Double move for x2 speed, halved because of squeezing = 30' movement

https://beta.ditzie.com/64700/60e5d5660cb4e

[VennDygrem]

Like all his kin, Madoc has issues with being indoors. Going underground is practically unheard-of. However, Madoc is a hunter first and foremost, and his prey had escaped down the tunnel, so it seems that likewise must he follow. Out-smarting your prey is wiser and less costly, on the other hand.

He shouts down the tunnel, "Go on ahead, block off his path to retreat. I'll find him..."

To Red, he says, "Why don't we see what the woman knows? Maybe I can find where the tunnel leads and cut off his escape."

Map: https://beta.ditzie.com/64700/60e5e8ceb525b

[Raineh Daze]

"That was the plan," Red says, squeezing once more through the squalid hovel and looming over the old lady. Not that she has a huge amount of choice in the matter, due to such inconveniences as 'ceilings' and 'rooms sized for small people'. "The tunnels: where do they lead? If you tell us, then nobody has to get hurt. I just want to ask some questions."

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Roll of 34; diplo or intimidate as appropriate.

https://beta.ditzie.com/64700/60e5ea585b4af No longer squeezed between two walls, fortunately.

[Stratovarius]

The old Biyou cackles and smiles up at the giant. "Well, well, took you lot long enough. Always knew someone was going to come for that miserable sod. Didn't even like him, though he paid me enough I kept my mouth shut about what he was doing going in and out of town. Too many trinkets to be anything but a lackey for arcanists." She spat on the ground. "Take a look around if you want to know what they're good for. I grew up in this hovel because of all the damage they caused. But gold is gold, and I'll take anyone's. You pay me and I'll even let you sling me over your shoulder and shout directions at you, make sure you don't get lost. Ain't like I could keep up with you any other way. I'm crooked but I'm honest."

[VennDygrem]

Madoc glowers at the old woman, who seemed so guileless just a moment before. It didn't matter, in the end.

"20 gold. 5 up front, the rest when we catch your errant lodger, to ensure your information is good. That's enough to improve your lifestyle for some time."

'The rest of her life, more like,' he thinks to himself.

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Madoc's attempt at bargaining - Diplomacy: 12

[Stratovarius]

She cackles. "Best you be paying up boy, or my last words on you will be a curse." She waggles her fingers in the direction of Madoc.

[VennDygrem]

Madoc counts out the 5 gold coins and drops them in the old woman's hand.

"Now then, I think the Llethu asked you a question."

[Stratovarius]

"Like I said, one of you lot is going to have to carry me. I can't keep up with you on your own." The old lady had something approaching a malicious grin on her face. "Plus, I want to see that fool get what's coming to him."

While the Biyou was talking, the small girl slipped through the ruins and grabbed Red's hand again, clearly unwilling to be far away from the giant in armour. It was obvious that she thought the Llethu was the safest place to be, although the last remaining adult had run off sometime after Red smashed into the building. Red clearly had a new puppy.

[Raineh Daze]

Sighing, Red gestures for them to follow her outdoors. There's room enough on her shoulders for two of them.

[Stratovarius]

“You’ll want to take a left here. I think. Might be a right. Can’t tell my directions at my age, I’m getting all kinds of senile.” For all of her reserve, Red was approaching the point at which the old lady was going to feel the business end of a weapon, and sharpish.

The deliberate muzzyheadedness had been going on for several corners in the rat’s warren that the old bag called a home, and there had been precious little to show that those who had remained on the surface were going the right direction. For all Red knew, the Biyou could be leading them astray and allowing her younger colleague to flee.

“Should have guessed it before I got up here, but your shoulder is damned pointy. Not too comfortable for an old lady with a bony arse. Next time I suggest you bring some pillows along, or at least a cloak. Oh, and you’ll want a right.” Red turned. “No, your other right, the one over that way.”

‘The other right’ was clearly a left, but Red made it anyway. At least the small girl who had attached herself to the Llethu was little louder (or heavier) than a feather, and clung to the giant with a grim determination that seemed at odds with the miniscule nature of her form.

It took two more turns of poorly communicated directions from the old hag, and a wish that divine vengeance would strike her down momentarily, before Red had the answer as to whether the directions had been false or fair. Ahead was the much younger Biyou, crawling from a sewer grate in a party of town that had already shunned the tumbledown ruins of the warrens, and had at least some notions of respectability. It also meant that more folks were about, and of a sort less likely to turn their eyes away if murder was committed in the streets.

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Biyou is about 70 feet away and hasn't spotted you yet. Map can be provided if desired.

[skydragonknight]

Ebony stops and uses the time that they are not spotted to cast a protective ward on the combatants.

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5 rounds of DR 10/- (Max 40 points) for Madoc, Red and Ebony. So should start combat to not waste them.

[VennDygrem]

Madoc sees the biyou, his prey, crawling out of the grate. Onlookers be damned, he isn't going to let him get away again if he can help it.

Barreling through the street, avoiding obstacles where possible, his gyntaf swiftness carried him to the emerging biyou in little more than an instant. He seizes upon his scaled opponent, grabbing on to keep him restrained and hopefully prevent him from using whatever tricks he used last time to escape.

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Ok, Fusillade logistics time:
{Full-Round Action} Rolling Rush - Charge ignoring difficult terrain and removing the straight line requirement, and replace the attack from the charge with a Grapple; Fusillade combined with {Standard Action} Aimed Blow x2 and {Swift Action} Skilled Attack x2, for a total Martial Point cost of 5, my limit. Grapple does not incur an AoO, and gains a +2 to the touch attack bonus and a +8 bonus to the grapple check.

Melee Touch Attack to initiate: 26
Grapple Check: 25

Map: https://beta.ditzie.com/64700/60fedacd88a2e

[Stratovarius]

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https://beta.ditzie.com/64700/60fd6b4398d90

Feel free to place yourselves on the bottom of the map.