Jammers Summary: Chapter 1, Turn 28

----------- = Meanwhile, elsewhere...
*********** = Later...

Round 4:

Holland grimices due to his wound, but his eyes focus on the backb of the green cloaked thug (#4) still fighting. With an evil looking smile, he utters arcane words and two thin black lights shoot from his fingers to strike the back of the thug. The man gasps in pain as he instinctively reaches for his back.

Raken drops down and swings his legs beneath the thug, still recovering from Holland's bolts. The green cloaked warrior(#4) feels his legs lift out from beneath him and lands on his back with a thud.

Grigree shoves his swords in front of him and growls, "Drop the sword".

Grimly, massive canines bared in an ugly grimace, Nilaroo moves to retrieve his sword. "Let us finish this. The watch may be here soon." He snarls. Reaching the bar he pulls his sword from its resting place on the otherside and leans against the bar top tiredly.

Kain rolls off of his back up onto his knees, coughing as he tries to catch his breath. "Blood...augh..everywhere," he mumbles as he shakes the blood free from his left hand. From his knees he sees Nilaroo slumped on the bar. "Nilaroo!" he calls, "Don't move, I'll be right there!" Getting to his feet, Kain tries to avoid the melee between the last thug, Raken, and Grigree as he makes his way to Nilaroo's side. Once past the fight, Kain sheaths his short sword and wipes the sticky blood the covers his right hand onto his cloak.

Leera rushes forward, drawing her dagger. She sprints to the far end of the tavern and slits the throats of one of the two thugs near the window(#2). As she runs toward the thugs, she calls out 'Someone, help me tie up this guy!' (as she gestures with her dagger at the black-jacketed thug (#1).

Seeing that his victim is responding well to his abilities, Billy quickly glances up and down the street to see if anyone is giving undue attention to him or the Thumb. Billy casually walks over to Italapate, keeping his shortsword carefully hidden from sight. Arriving at the door, Billy steps inside.

Round 5:

Holland smiles and looks down at the unconscious thug at his feet (#8), pulling out a dagger he bends over to slit the thug's throat from ear to ear. before he can act however the man suddenly leaps to his feet, grabbing Holland's arm and spinning him about so that Holland is facing Grigree and Raken. Holland feels the tip of a dagger lightly prick his throat.

Kneeling next to Nilaroo and oblivious to Holland's plight, Kain presses his hands against the Gromman's wound. "Rest quietly," Kain says encouragingly as he closes his eyes, his brow furrowed in concentration. Nilaroo feels his wounds begin to close and heal.

Seeing the thug drops his sword, Grigree steps forward and suddenly punches him in the face, the thug drops like brick.

Leera slits the throat of the second thug next to her, then sees Holland being held captive by the blond man (#8).

Round 6:

Leera steps forward, hands and lips moving. Even as the thug starts to call, "WE're wal.." a scintallating cone of clashing colors envelpes him and Holland. The thug collapses to the ground, again over come by the spell. Not wasting a moment Holland drops to a knee, looks down on the unconscious thug (#4) and says softly but determinedly, "Balance the scales," and slits his throat.

Getting dizzy from the blood-loss, Holland looks around the room, then leans against the bar and in a weak voice says, "Raken? I could use a hand over here," his hands pressed against his wound in an attempt to staunch the bleeding.

"Wait...wait," Kain pleads with his wounded companion as he tries to rise. "I can help a bit more, please just relax Nilaroo." A light sheen of sweat breaks out on his forehead as Kain continues to hold his hands against Nilaroo's wound and send power into the gromman until exhausted.

Meanwhile, Raken moves to heal Holland. "You should be more careful," he says as heals the wounded mage. "By Celestrian's Eternal Journey, heal this man," he says, healing the mage slightly.

Leera rushes over to the black-jacketed human(#1). She quickly disarms him before binding him with stips of cloth cut from his blue trousers. As she does so she calls 'Hey, give me a hand with this creep!'"

Grigree moves off to help her out.

Holland gives a quick smile to Leera and mouths, "Thank you," before returning his attention to Raken, "Thanks, I needed that. Got any more?"

"Sorry, I'm tapped out. Hmmm, maybe I should ask Celestrian for more healing." Raken replies.

Leera nods quickly before bending to check the bindings securing Gantius.

Holland then leans his weight on the bar and after quickly looking around the room says, "We need to move quickly.. Kain, Billy, please strip the bodies of valuables and coin pouches. Jamila, please grab all of their weapons and roll them up in the green cloak and bring it with you. Grigree, Leera, please knock Gantius on the head to make sure he stays unconscious and bring him here. If anyone has a means of detecting magic, please use it now to make sure we get all of the good items."

Kain gives a tired nod, rising with a pleased grin on his face. After a quick search of his cloak, Kain mops his forehead with a clean fold of cloth, then scans the bar. With a shrug, Kain begins searching the bodies, beginning with those nearest the fireplace and working his way towards the front door. Slipping his cloak off, Kain turns the fabric inside-out to hide most of the blood and begins putting the valuables inside, making a small bundle.

Returning her cutlass's to her belt, "Holland, awya." Jamila says, and begins collecting the weapons and wraps them in the green cloak. Noticing that her shoulder is starting to annoy her work, Jamila cuts a few strips of cloth from one of the thugs shirts and wraps the wound caused by the axe.

Raken helps with the looting of the dead. "Ug, I don't think I'll ever get used to this." He leaves several of their coins for the bartender.

Seeing that his friends have everything well in hand, Billy approaches the black jacketed thug and double checks Leera's bindings. Billy walks over to the bar and grabs the dirty rag the bartender was using to clean his mugs and stuffs it into the thug's mouth, making it sure that he is properly gagged. "OK guys, get ready 'cause he's gonna wake up now..." You notice Billy's face visibly relaxing.

When Billy mentions that the thug is likely to wake, Leera watches Grigree deliver a blow to the back of his head, the man coughs against his gag and glares up at them, struggling to speak. Shrugging, Grigree carries him towards Holland.

Once the thug is brought forward, Holland takes a deep breath as if to fortify himself. Carefully he takes the thug's head in-between his hands and slowly recites some magical incantations. When he finishes speaking the thug shimmers for a moment and then slowly fades away.

Holland quickly sucks in some air and leans more on the bar. His face shows his fatigue and after a few seconds he says in a voice that is more shaky than before, "I have rendered him invisible. Grigree, Raken, please help carry him."

"I've got him," Grigree replies, picking up the man and throwing him over his shoulder. "Now, let's go. Don't want him to wake up again."

Leera walks over as Holland casts his spell. She watches appraisingly. After he gives directions to carry the invisible leader, she comments, "Nice technique... for someone who specializes in things that go boom and poof." She grins and moves about after Jamila, helping to gather up the fallen thugs' weapons.

Holland gives a smile and says wearily, "I am full of surprises.."

Leera then pauses and, standing, asks the group "What about that barkeep and wench? Ought we follow them and see what they're up to?"

Holland shakes his head, "Leave them be, they are probably more worried about their own skins."

Kain shakes his head in negation as well. "I..ah..don't like the idea of chasing them down. I think once the fighting started... they.. ah... ran and probably didn't see much of..ah..anything." Waving his hand around the bar, Kain adds, "We've already done enough damage to the place...well, ah, should we leave a few coins to pay for it?"

Looking around the tavern at the damage, Jamila moves behind the bar and knocks on the door and says "I'm sorry for what has been done to your ... tavern. It was unavoidable." With that said, Jamila takes out some coins from her purse, and places them in a mug at the base of the door. "Maas salama."

Holland, with a grunt, pushes himself up from the bar and winces momentarily. Favoring his right side Holland pulls the hood of his cloak up to cover his head. He takes another deep breath and says simply, "Billy you take point, lead us to the drop-off point, Leera and Jamila you follow Billy, then Raken and Grigree, then myself and Nilaroo, Kain you bring up the rear. Lets get out of here," and signals for Billy to move out.

"OK. Follow me, but make sure that dog is securly held... We don't want to lose him after all this trouble..." Billy steps out the 'Thumb's front door and looks up and down the street... Seeing that everything is as it should be, Billy turns right leading the group towards the rendez-vous by a circuituous route using back ways and alleys when possible.

Nodding, Leera falls into line and moves with the group. As the party leaves the tavern, Leera's disguise fades and she resumes her normal appearance.

Picking up the cloak full of weapons, Jamila nods agreement and moves to follow Billy out. "Are we going to check home, to see if the others are back? Jamila asks as she exits the door.

Nilaroo walks out ahead of Kain, still leaning forward from the residual pain of his wounds.

"Sure," Kain agrees. As the others leave, he scans the room once more, then tucks his cloak under his arm and leaves the Twisted Thumb, shutting the door behind him.

Italapate falls in next to Kain at the rear of the group.

Inside Reynard's Run (F):

Seeing his companions walking out of the Twisted Thumb, Deigatt's face loosens with relief, and he leans back and turns to Radick. "See, Comrade?" the minotaur says. "Heverything his well hin hand. Perhaps hit would be wise hof hus to take hanother route hand meet them back hat the Broken Tankard?"

Radick takes another drink from his mug. "You go ahead, I have a few last minute things to take care of. I will be there soon." Radick's tone clearly suggests that he wishes to be left to handle this business alone.

Deigatt shrugs and slips out the door to take a different route to the Tankard.

Date/time: 2:25 pm 17th day of the 4th Month, 5049 OC