The Blue Line

[RogetThesaurii]

Raziel quickly followed Izzy and made his own way through the house, seconds behind her. He leapt over the bench to land in the backyard beside her, ready for action.

OoC

Raz hears the whistle and follows Izzy to the yard. Added him to the existing map. It would be Kayli's turn and I will roll Initiative for Izzy and Raz. Currently, it's Garkyn, the Animated Stature, then Kayli, so I will add in Izzy and Raz next round.

Razizzy

 

New Order: Garkyn, Izzy, Statue, Raz, Kayli. It's currently Kayli's turn.

Edited April 18 by RogetThesaurii (see edit history)

[Drakestendor]

 

Kayli snapped the visor down on her helmet and repeated her chant of power. She then laid into the fetching statue.
 

“Get Back!!” She hollered to the citizens!

[RogetThesaurii]

Kayli used Garkyn's positioning to hamper the statue, keeping it lined up for a return to the offensive. When she saw it, she didn't hesitate. Snapping her visor down, she swung hard and let her prayer echo out into the garden. "Get back!" she yelled. The woman began stirring, but both boys remained dwon and huddling, though at least one was conscious, and crying. Above, Squort zipped to-and-fro. "I can't see him!"

 

OoC

Nice shot Kayli! Garkyn is up (no new map needed) followed by Izzy. Kayli made contact, Garkyn, try and finish this thing off!

[Dorgyn]

Kayli’s strike against the animated statue left his ears ringing momentarily, but did not phase the ranger as he again brought Gefrierschrank to bear against the artwork menace.     

 

OOC

Garkyn attacks the statue twice with advantage from flanking with Kayli

 

First Attack on Statue with Advantage

First Attack on Statue with Advantage

Possible Damage

 

Second Attack on Statue with Advantage

Second Attack on Statue with Advantage

Possible Damage

Edited April 18 by Dorgyn (see edit history)

[RogetThesaurii]

Izzy had arrived in the middle of chaos. Kayli and Garkyn seemed to be fighting a statue, and civilians were near the fracas, though both Kayli and Garkyn had intervened between the dangerous animated stone creature and the half-or completely unconscious civilians. Not thinking deeper on it, Izzy moved to get the furthest boy clear of the combat zone. Racing around behind Kayli and then Garkyn, she stooped to grab the bpy before safely returning him to the bench behind er and Raz.

The statue continued its unabated attacks on Garkyn and Kayli. It made strikes at both and seemed to be soaking up hits from the dwarf and the squad's corporal.

 

OoC

Izzy's turn is taken by GM to speed play. Dash as a Bonus action to gain double movement speed, Move behind Garkyn to Boy 1, grab him as an Action and return (more Move) to her position. She sets him on the bench behind her current (original and finishing) position.
Statue takes its two attacks, one on each of Garkyn and Kayli.

StatuevsGarkynDamageGarkyn

Statue vs KayliDamageKayli

Raz is up!

[Vexo]

Raziel was not expecting to see what he saw when he came into the garden. A living statue fighting Kayli and Garkyn. He saw the boy and woman laying prone near the battle. He rushed over towards them and knelt by the boy, checking his neck for a pulse; the woman stirred. "If you're able to, get to the house. I'll interject myself if the statue comes closer. I'll take care of the boy, I promise." He hoped his words were enough to get the woman to move to safety. Raziel was unsure if the boy was alive or not as he couldn't find a pulse right away, he just hoped the woman would heed his words and trust that he would help the lad... even if there was a grim ending here.

 

OOC: Moving 1 square NW, 2 squares N, 1 Square W to be between the b2 and the statue.

Standard action to make a Medicine check on the boy.

Medicine check

Persusion check with the woman

Edited April 23 by RogetThesaurii (see edit history)

[RogetThesaurii]

Raz lifted the boy into his arms as the woman stood and shook her head to clear the muzziness of her unconsciousness. She nodded at Raz's direction and started to move towards the house, slightly unsteady on her feet, but on her feet and moving. She staggered but continued towards the house, calling out. "Saranna! Call for aid! Saranna!" The older woman appeared in the doorway, cupping a hand behind her ear. "Huh?"

[RogetThesaurii]

Seeing her team in action, Kayli knew they would safeguard the civilians, so she concentrated on ending the menace to her and her fellow teammates: this animated statue! Using her position across from Garkyn, Kayli summoned the thunderous burst of energy she had been successfully using thus far. She just hoped this thunderclap would shatter the statue.

The blow made contact and the statue exploded into fragments. Kayli let loose a held breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding for the last few seconds. In the sudden quiet of the garden, the sound of an elderly servant asking for clarity on what was going on settled in the back yard. Kayli thought she'd let Raz settle the woman. He was good with people. A real asset, and a good cop, in her opinion.

 

OoC

Kayli uses Booming blade again, in the flank with Garkyn.

DamageThunderBooming Blade

Edited April 27 by RogetThesaurii (see edit history)

[RogetThesaurii]

Panting breaths and labored breathing echoed through the sudden silence after the battle. Then, as if on cue, one of the young boys began to wail. Garkyn noticed it was the injured lad, the one he'd seen cut down seconds before Kaylee arrived, lending magical healing across the civilians to save lives while the Watch engaged the animated objects.

The young woman, who soon introduced herself as Wynette 'Wynnie' D'Urberminsk, nanny to the young boys. "Sarana and I take care of them. Their mother is quite important in the family business and she is often away. Their father is a ship captain. Seldom home and not for long when he is. My thanks, officers. You saved us all!" Her eyes gleamed brightly as she appraised the handsome tiefling who had helped whisk her and her charge to safety. Kaylee leaned into letting Raz do the talking here. She concentrated on the investigation. Where had that little menace gotten off to now?

With help from a late-arriving Xander' who's acrobatic antics seemed to help calm the boys, Wynnie got Sarana to take the youngsters inside to clean them up and get them a snack and something to drink after their traumatizing experience. She hung on Raz's bicep as she gave her statement. It was breathy, and her heaving bosom was firmly on display for the tall tiefling, but he remained professional in his duties.

While the girl talked, Kaylee, with Garkyn and Izzy's help, scoured the garden area. They took into account things Wynnie said as they conducted their searches.

"I took the boys Downslope yesterday morning, to get them some exercise and to see some ships. Its part of their education and its a good walk, good exercise for them. They have a lot of energy! I'm sure you know the feeling?" Wynnie's big brown eyes drank in Raz's crimson features and dark, inhuman eyes like he was a fountain and she'd just come in from the desert. She squeezed his bicep 'good-naturedly' and gushed on with her tale.

"As we were returning from the jaunt, the boys wanted to stop into a toy store one of their friends had mentioned. Escarra Delaney, Owing Delaney's granddaughter? As in Delaney's Crabs? Master crabber of Cordoba, if you're unfamiliar. His ships are the largest fleet of crabbers in the bay." Wynnie's digression had her lead Raz back to the stone bench where she'd swooned earlier.

"The boys attended a garden party at her family's Garden District holiday house last week and the girl simply raved about a wooden owlbear 'as big as me!' She said it so many times. I guess she showed the boys and nothing would be acceptable but they'd need to have something from the same toy store. I agreed. Technically, I do work for them." The girl sat and dragged Raz down beside her on the bench, turning to face him at closer range. She leaned close and smiled.

"The boys clacked and dueled all the way back from Dockside. When they got home we did some practical lessons based on what they'd seen of the ships we'd explored. The swords were forgotten out here in the garden. Just after breakfast today, the boys had some lessons to finish and then they were taking a morning play, supervised, when that little wooden creature appeared and zapped the swords with a magic ray of some sort. Next thing I know, the swords had broken free of the boys' grasps and were menacing them, chasing them! I leapt up and tried to shield the boys. I screamed for Sarana, but, well, you've seen her. A tad aged..."

"One of the blades must have struck me in the head. I was swatting at them but they easily avoided my feeble attempts. The next thing I knew, you were rescuing us!" Wynnie pressed herself against Raz, snaking her arms around him 'appreciatively', though they roamed over his shoulders and back a bit too... exploratorily. Disengaging herself slowly, Wynnie looked at Raz from just inches away. "Is there anything... I can do to repay your help, sir?" She bit her lip and waited for a response, as if the rest of the squad wasn't even present.

For their own part, Izzy, Garkyn and Kaylee made neat work of the garden. Criss-crossing each other, they covered the same ground three times in the time it normally took to go over it once. Efficient action was becoming natural as their team gelled. "It was here for the swords, no doubt," Izzy chimed in as Kaylee and Garkyn nodded knowingly.

"Disappeared from over here, boss- er, Kaylee." Squort pointed the officers towards the bench far across the central garden area from Raz and his fan-girl. It was Garkyn's sharp eyes that saw the evidence. "Broken twigs here. See? And there's a bit of this branch that's been sat upon for some time. This thing watched those boys, from a secluded blind, before it attacked. It made itself a little ambush spot. For kids!" The dwarf's ire was rising and Kaylee and Izzy didn't blame him.

"He's used magics to leave, not simply disappear. That's my guess. Not leaving us a lot to work with, but my gut says we should hot-foot to the Garden District. He's got a head start on us." Kaylee coughed discreetly and Raz caught her eye. She gestured back towards the front of the house and the street. Time to go. The tiefling nodded slightly and extricated himself from Wynnie's embrace. "Thank you, miss. I'll be sure to enter your statements into the record. If you'll excuse us?"

And just like that, the squad was heading back through the short hedge mazes leading from front to back of the property. A loud whistle from Garkyn summoned Xander from a second story window where he was helping amuse the lads. He regaled the young boys with his skills as he swiftly made his way back to earth down the side of the house and joined the other departing officers.

The stern quiet of the squad was part jogging to their next destination and part contemplation of the mystery of this case. What was this tiny creature? Why was it up to these shenanigans? How could it be stopped? Were there more victims, besides this young girl, that needed to be found and possibly saved? Only time would tell.

Sweating, panting and strung out along nearly a full city block, the squad, led by Izzy and trailed by Garkyn, arrived at the nearest entrance to the Garden District not more than half a bell later. Izzy snagged the first member of the Brethren they saw and asked about the house used by the Delaney family. With address provided, the squad raced towards the house, hoping they would still beat the little creature to its next target. They almost made it.

Barely a hundred paces from the house, a scream of a woman and the breaking of a window signaled something was amiss. The broken window sported a bloody-faced man half hanging out of it. The roar of some beast echoed out from the room behind the shattered window. The squad exploded with renewed energy and closed on the house.

OoCOk! I moved us forward to see if this can get our story back on track.
Billy is on the road again so I am acting as Xander if he is needed.
The squad has had no rests, it is not quite lunch time when they arrive back in the Garden District.
The house is still a hundred feet ahead of the party. They are jogging through what feels and looks like a pleasant city park. The house is two stories, and has a few rooms on each floor.
Kayli would be familiar with these types of houses, as would Izzy. Noble families share these homes, as there are so few of them, and all the houses have the same basic layout inside. Stairs to the second floor would be right inside the front door. A 'fire escape' style ladder would give access around back to the second floor. The broken window is on the front of the house and a man is half hanging out it, clearly bleeding and unconscious. It was his body impacting the window that shattered it. Screams can be heard inside from the 2nd floor.
We are not yet in initiative.

[Dorgyn]

Skidding to a halt to catch his breath, Garkyn’s breathing was clearly labored but he quickly recovered at the alarming sound of screams and breaking glass.  Unfamiliar with other entrances not within sight, the dwarf charged forward toward the front door with his maul in both hands should he be required to batter the door down should it prove to be locked.

 

“Let’s go!” he barked more to himself than the others on the team.

 

OOC

Garkyn will head to the front door to make his way to the second floor.  If the door is locked, he’s more than willing to “Knock” loudly with Gefrierschrank!

[RogetThesaurii]

Though lagging the others, Garkyn never slowed down. He kept chugging along and when they had nearly reached their target, he didn't bother to ease his stride. With purpose, and a heavy fist, Garkyn smashed into the front door, thumping the heavy portal with his mailed fist and bellowing like an ox to be let inside. He could hear the sounds of chaos inside, and no one rushing to answer the door.