Liberty Beguiling

Aleixo nods. "I agree, extracting myself is proving a little tricky though, I seem to be rather popular." He tries to pull the hands from around him, freeing himself from one persons grip, only to find himself in the embrace of another. He dances and embraces and smiles at the revelers, circling himself closer and closer to the edge where he can take Sval's hand and try to pull himself free.

"Get off him," Sval says, his calm demeanor left behind as anxiety and frustration at Aleixo's situation wells up inside of him. His hood falls back and the torches illuminate his imposing form and scarred face. "He has commitments  elsewhere."

Aleixo pulls a pair of hands from around his waist, several more wrap around his legs and torso though. He takes Sval's offered hand and pulls himself free from the circle. Dragging the party goers with him as much as freeing himself really, his powerful frame is too much for any of them to hold still. He covers his dignity with what's left of his torn tunic, with a sheepish grin he addresses his friends. "You missed out, that was quite the party. Bit clingy towards the end but you should have tried it!" 

"A bit clingy doesn't quite cover it," Sval says, backing away from the group and handing Aleixo his discarded gear. "Let's get back so we can get to sleep. I'm still not sure what's going on here, but it doesn't seem to be anything sinister."

Azul scratches the back of his head and smiles sheepishly and says "Maybe next time my friend, in all of my travels I've never found a people more passionate than the Hellenian's. It is a bit intimidating for a new comer." He takes one last look around, slightly disappointed he wasn't able to find more out about their god. 

Aleixo examines some scratches before fixing his armour back on. He winces as it chaffes a little over his shoulders now. "Yes, well. It isn't usually quite like that." He wipes some blood from his lip as he mounts his horse. "Quite the thing indeed. And so repetitive. A little off putting to constantly hear about the dead god rising, if you know what I mean?" 

"Is that....a euphemism  of some sort?" Sval asks as they ride back towards the city.

Xan laughs heartily "If it is then I dont find it particularly appealing. Nevermind, we made it out in one piece but I think we need to head back and get some sleep. We have a busy day of bandit lord overthrowing ahead of us." 

Petros opens the door, pulling the halfling into the room before slamming it shut again.  He quickly slips a chair under the door handles as he pulls on his armor and boots and throws his bag over his shoulder.  He heads to the window, hoping to get to Amiri's room, next door, from the exterior of the house.

Azul holds out his hand to Luthien and says "You are more than welcome to ride with me on Seian."  He gingerly pats black and silver riding horse. Azul then guides the horse back towards the Mayor's house. He gives a weary smile at Xan and says "you speak truly my friend, it will probably be our last night in a safe place with a real bed. And I plan to make the most of it" he adds with a dry chuckle.

Luthien laughs with Azul and takes his hand and joins him on his horse. Looking back at the forest as it fades from view, “I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night, a good rest is calling my name.”

"I'm Linzi, by the way," the halfling adds as Petros slips into his armour. "Where are you going???" Though confused, she daintily follows Petros out onto the window sill as he edges around the outside of the building. Before long he has reached Amiri's bedroom window. Peering inside he can see the enormous barbarian sprawled on top of her covers with her mouth open and a bottle of wine half in her hand, half resting on the floor.

"Hi Linzi, I'm Petros.  We are going to get back-up.  Follow me." Reaching Amiri's window, Petros sighs, realizing Amiri might be difficult to wake.  He first knocks on the window.  When Amiri shows no sign of waking, he slips out a thin, flat piece of metal from his belt pouch to ease open the closed window.

"Hold, the ox something I could try before we go." Xan says cryptically, his hand lightly brushing the chain around his neck. He turns his horse a little to get a better view of the revellers and breathes long and slowly, he barely moves for a minute, face hard and eyes piercing.  "They are... singular, most of them have but one thought in their minds, "The dying god is risen." But there are others, s few who only want to sate their carnal desires, but most are consumed by this message." His beautifully bronzed skin is noticeably paler as he recounts this to the others. "Something is very wrong, I have to confess I'm concerned for those who are here for a good time, I fear they will only find the opposite." The healer is clearly shaken by his delving into so many disturbing minds.

Hearing the worry in Xan's voice and the revelation that all of their thoughts echoed the risen god refrain they kept hearing. Azul pets his owl and says "Take to the skies" Sofia then flies up from her perch on Azul's arm, and begins to circle the area. As she soars Azul's eyes go from their usual amethyst, to a dull silvery grey color. Azul's perspective shifts from his body to the aerial view from Sofia, her eyes cutting through the dark of the night. As the bird flies around the orgy, Azul sees acts of debauchery that he would have thought unimaginable before today. But one thing stands out to Azul, he sees one of the revelers has furry legs and cloven feet. He calls Sofia back and transfers his conscious back into his own body. He then describes the furry reveler to the party. 

Luthien making sure to keep Azul stable during his state. "hm, could it be some kind of Fey? they have been known to enjoy such. . . revelry. It might come as a surprise to you but, I do not have much interaction with their kind so it's hard for me to say for sure." Deep in thought she furrows her brows, "Do you think the mayor knows about this festivity and the creature involved? Might be worth asking."

Aleixo tightens the straps of his shield around his arm and picks up his spear. "I would not leave these here to the whim of any creature, especially while there are some who remain free of its will." He clangs his spear against his shield and raises his voice to shout over the sounds of the party. "Know this, your mind is not your own. You are in danger here and should leave! Goat man, make yourself known! State your intentions whether they be good or ill!"

Xan this looks across at the warrior to hid side and then to Sval nodding his head towards Aleixo and shrugging whilst looking confused. "Well looks like we are getting involved right now, ready or not." He whispers to the Norscan. "Inviting someone to throw the first punch at you can go badly wrong you know." He goes quiet, scanning the group. "If it goes wrong and a fight breaks out then I will try and help as best as I can. Fortunately, our new friends seem useful as well."

"Let's just see if we can get the goat-man to let the people go peaceably," Sval says. "I'm not sure about the intent here."

The latch on Amiri's window opens with a soft click  and the window's hinge creaks as it swings inwards. Amiri rolls over on her bed, letting the bottle tip sideways from her hand and onto the ground as she mumbles unintelligibly. Meanwhile, outside Appolis, some of the revellers give Aleixo confused looks, but are quickly pulled into the distracting embrace of another. Many more ignore the warrior's words entirely. No goat man emerges from the undulating crowd.

Lowering himself into the room, Petros goes to brace the door from the inside with a chair as he calls to Amiri in a loud but pleasant voice, "Rise and shine, Amiri.  We have company outside that want our blood.  Let's get to our feet and figure out how best to meet our foes.  Oh, and this is Linzi.  Linzi, this is Amiri.  Now, Linzi, what are we dealing with, how many are there, and where are they?"

Returning to his senses Azul analyzes what he saw through Sofia. Something about the man with cloven feet pulled at Azul, he then remembers a story that he heard shortly after arriving in Hellenia. The story was a bawdy tale, told artfully if a bit too graphically by a man who had a bit to much to drink in the tavern. The key thing that Azul remembers was the lustful hedonistic nature the man attributed to the Satyrs.  Azul then tells the group "I believe the man in the crowd was a Satyr, I agree with Sval we should do our best to see if we can speak with him peacefully and see what is going on here."

Amiri jerks awake with a start, instinctively raising her fists and looking about wildly until she realises that it is only Petros. "Petros? Come to pay me a midnight visit?" She begins with a smirk, before pausing when she notices Linzi. "Who's your friend?" The barbarian adds with a raised eyebrow. "I'm Linzi," the halfling explains exasperatedly, "and there are assassins in the manor! They're moving in small groups, but they seem to be everywhere!"

Petros, leans nonchalantly against the door, crossing his arms and giving Amiri a wicked grin. "Well you were drinking an awful lot, and I didn't want to risk you forgetting a night with me.  What a waste," he finishes, adding a wink to his smirk.  "Now, we all ready for a dash down the hallway to assist the defenders?  Right, after that, stick with me.  No job for us if the Mayor dies."   As soon as Amiri is up and ready, Petros draws his rapier, pulls the chair out of the way, and rushes into the night.

Amiri rises and claims her enormous greatsword from where it is lent against the wall. A couple of handaxes slot into her belt and she is ready to go. Outside the room the distant clamour of combat can still be heard. The first thing that Petros notices is the corpse of another guest who has been cut down in their open bedroom door. Near the end of the corridor, two men dressed in black leather can be seen flanking the loud-mouthed gnome from earlier in the evening. Their blades are held ready to strike. "Oh no! We have to help!" Linzi cries.

Petros closes in on the attacker on the right, double-stepping at the last minute to throw off the attacker's defense.  As he lunges, Petros shouts a word of power, wreathing the blade in an energy that slightly distorts the area right around the blade.  As the blade plunges into the attacker's armor, it bends ever so slightly when it encounters a hardened boiled leather plate, preventing what would have been a neat puncture wound in the man's side.  Withdrawing the blade, the distorting energy remains, wreathing the attacker in an nearly invisible field that will leave a surprise for the figure, should he attempt to flee.

"We have you outnumbered!" Linzi warns the other assassin, drawing her duelling sword. Amiri simply roars and charges up besides the man who Petros has attacked, coming up on the other side and thrusting her enormous greatsword straight up through her foe's chest. There's a hideous cracking of bone and tearing of muscle as the broad weapon runs the man through, and then she tears it free with a snarl, sending him slumping to the ground. The other invader blanches and carefully backs away from Petros and Amiri, before turning to make a run for it.

Petros chases the man, yelling "Look out!" causing the assassin to hesitate, allowing Petros to slide his thin blade through his back and out his front, piercing the invader's stomach.  Again the invader is sheathed in an energy field as the sword is withdrawn. Turning back to the gnome, Petros says, in a commanding tone, "Come with us if you want to live."

"The goat man hides."  Aleixo complains, "We can try to speak with him peacefully, but he makes it hard, surrounded behind the people who's minds he stole.

"Perhaps he's a coward,"  Sval says, loud enough to be heard over the din. 

"Get back here!" Linzi yells indistinctly from behind Petros. A moment later Amiri is at his side once more, brutally bringing the assassin down with a deep slice into the back of his legs. The man crumples to the ground like a wet sack and for a moment all that can be heard is Amiri's heavy breathing. "You're just in time!" The gnome declares. "A bit longer and I'd have been... ugh, I don't even want to think about it! Can you imagine what a terrible loss that would have been? But it's all right now. I'm safe, sound and unscathed - ready to lead you to victory!" "General Alanis is holding the line in the banquet hall - you know, the one she had us gathered in before? We need to make our way to her! And along the way, we'll try to save some of these dummies who were supposed to accompany us north!" "Speaking of dummies..." the gnome looks back at Linzi and starts whispering as he takes a ring off of his finger, handing it to Petros. "Take this ring - quiet now, so that little fool doesn't hear us! She might try to steal it herself... It's magical. It'll protect you. You'll need it while you work to defend me!"

"You're welcome," Petros says, shoving the ring in his pocket.  "Amiri, Linzi, let's go," Petros says, waving them on towards the private quarters of the Mayor and his family.

The door at the end of the corridor is blocked somehow, but another door to the right leads into a different passage that takes Petros and his companions around a corner to where a set of double doors opens left into what looks like a library. Another three figures dressed in similar black leather stand talking quietly in the middle of the room. However, when they see the four adventurers round the corner, they leap into action! Out of town in the forest, Sval hears a distant cackling, but the creature does not reveal itself.

Amiri lets our a fearsome battlecry and charges towards the three men, lashing out at one of them with a powerful swing. He avoids the worst of the blow, but it sends him stumbling backwards, winded and bleeding from a gash across his arm. The gnome side steps around Petros and Linzi, holding out one arm and speaking an incantation that sends a cone of brilliant colours rushing over the three assassins. They cry out in fear and clutch at their eyes. "Hah! That'll show you!" Linzi yells from the back.

Petros bounds forward, swiping his blade across the leg of another man, again transferring the barely-visible energy onto the assailant, before retreating a few steps, sword held up ready for a counterattack.  "Let's take one of these alive this time, shall we Amiri?  For sport."

Hearing the cackling Azul sends Sofia back into the crowd hoping to get eyes on the Satyr. The owl soars over the crowd searching above the revelers but is unable to spot the man again. "I can no longer find the Satyr.Sofia's eyes are adept, I fear that he may have hidden himself through magical means."

Amiri glances at Petros, shrugs, takes one hand off of her greatsword and punches the man that she is fighting so hard that there is an audible SNAP as his arm breaks. Meanwhile, the gnome weaves another enchantment causing one of the assassins to buckle over in uncontrollable laughter. "Surrender, while you still can!" Linzi demands, her voice eerily distorted. The man fighting Amiri screams in pain and cowers, but his eyes are focused on Linzi. "K-k-keep, keep the halfling away from me!" He stammers, clutching at his broken arm. The man fighting Petros ducks away, but is caught off-guard when the shimmering energy shrouding him detonates with a cacophonous boom!

Petros walks up to the man rolling around on the floor while drawing a thin-bladed stiletto dagger from his belt, and stabs at him with both implements, but is frustrated by the man's movements and armor.  Again, the rapier imparts a aura of sonic energy around the man.

"We should help these people. Maybe if we can't get water, a fire will drive them away."

Amiri swings her leg forwards, booting the cowering man hard in the ribs with another resounding CRACK . Meanwhile, fell whispers echo around the gnome as he mutters another incantation the fleeing assassin wails and collapses to the ground as his legs blacken and wither away. "Your allies have fallen. Your fate is sealed," Linzi stage whispers to the laughing man, who fails to rise from the ground. The assassin cowering before Amiri tries to rise and run, but she whacks him over the head with the pommel of her blade, laying him out unconscious on the ground.

Sheathing his sword, Petros turns to the gnome and says "I think that will be enough."   He crouches down with a smile on his face and casually points his stiletto at the neck of the man lying on the ground.  "Now that's better.  Looks like you have the chance to be the lucky survivor tonight.  Why are you here?"

"It could work but it could cause a dangerous panic too. It may well be worth the risk though." Xan ponders and asks Azul, "She is certain he is gone? Or rather, hidden? If so I suggest we burn it down and be ready for any eventuality."

The man's breathing gradually slows as the enchantment of laughter leaves him. "The boss got paid to crash the mayor's party," he replies with a grimace, eyeing the stiletto warily.

"And the boss is whom?"

Azul shakes his head after hearing Xan's words. "Sofia's eyes are second to none, she is adept at finding and hunting prey." He the looks to the bird and back to Xan "She is confident that he is no longer in crowd or has hidden himself by other means" Azul then remembering Alexio's suggestion begins to concentrate and gather fire into the palm of his hand and looks to the group "If we think it will help these people, I should be able to set the statue on fire?" He looks around seeing nods and no one speaking against the idea he then forms the fire into a ball and hurls it at the statue. It hits dead center but doesn't set it on fire just scorches the point of impact, it appears the vines and leaves are still fresh enough not to burn.

"A noble effort for sure, perhaps some more fire and it will burn? Else I do not know what we can do for these people, other than check they are well tomorrow. Eventually their bodies will give out and they will need to sleep." Aleixo shakes his head in concern.

"I think mine would have given up a long time ago, sadly." Mutters Xan under his breath as he looks at the revellers engaged in their debauchery.

As the firebolt impacts against the effigy, silence falls across the gathering of revellers and the vast majority stand in unison. Each of them staring directly at Azul. "The dying god is risen," they chant in unison, steadily advancing on the source of the disturbance.

Aleixo steps in front of Azul, spear lowered and shield raised. "GOAT MAN! Let's solve this peacefully" 

"I think we should go,"  Sval says, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Now."