15[20:15] <@VoxPVoxD> A column of smokeless green flame rises above the noodle shop, marking it for blocks around like a signal flare. The assassin's arrow, wide its mark of Keldar's heart, soars on the air until it sticks harmlessly into a neighboring rooftop. Birds scatter into the cloudy sky, rising alongside gleaming hooks that dig themselves into the shop's balcony. [20:16] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar, rising out of his seat: "Who, the FUCK," [20:17] 14Stranger is standing already, cane in hand. "Bubo..." [20:17] 14There is a note of warning in his voice. Preemptive disappointment. [20:18] 14Hopefully the secretary is at least ducking for cover, in lieu of an explanation. 15[20:18] <@VoxPVoxD> The full circle is gathered here, under this awning, alongside Nessun Dorma's majordomo. He's watching the flare go up. [20:18] 4von Hrolfen pushes his chair backwards and takes cover. [20:19] 4*von Hrolfus [20:20] 13Unfettered Xia Lan makes a noise of surprise as she rises, grabbing for her hooked blades and looking for more attackers. [20:23] 5 Xu Sim disappears under... the table? Where did he go? 15[20:35] <@VoxPVoxD> One of the grappling hooks splinters the wood as a thick, squat creature pulls itself upward, swaddled all in black with only two green eyes and the blue brow between them visible. It raises its arms in a child's approximation of a martial arts stance before attacking Keldar. [20:36] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar gives the thing a 'seriously?' look, as though offering one last chance to think better of this. [20:38] 14Stranger: "Bubo...!" 15[20:48] <@VoxPVoxD> Bubo calmly gets up. He sways a bit, as if he's tipsy. Xia Lan knows better. "As I said." [20:52] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar's expecting the thing draw its hand back when he moves his sword to parry, and so doesn't bother finishing the actual motion, and so ends up grunting and stumbling back a bit as the blow connects. Then his eyes flash and his nostrils flare and he's bearing down on the little bastard in a whirl of steel, slicing away the grapple it climbed p on with one strike and forcing it [20:52] <@Ferrinus> 12back against the edge of the balcony with two or three more. [21:12] 4Sword at the ready, von Hrolfus’ reflexive military training kicks in. Anticipating the direction of the incoming attack, he holds the sword at an angle with the flat of the blade facing the assassin and it bounces harmlessly off it. [21:12] 14Stranger draws his blade but he's more interested in the aims of these assassins than he is in thwarting them. That's what Keldar and Bastian and Xia Lan are here for. [21:14] 14Obviously, the one trying to kill Keldar is trying to kill Keldar. But more than that, they're interested in-- [21:14] "We need to get off this balcony," 14he snaps. [21:21] 13Xia Lan slashes away at the second assassin to reach the balcony, blades twirling, before leaning back into the same swaying posture Bubo is in. "Why? Wouldn't it be better to keep the fight up here?" [21:23] 14Stranger: "You might think." 14He steps back to look for ways back or down that don't lead through the assassins. "But they're trying to keep us up here. Likely for their sniper -- or something worse." [21:26] 5 Xu Sim emerges from under the table - not particularly well hidden - and launches a drop kick at one of the hobgoblin "ninja." Unfortunately, it ducks at precisely the right moment, and the sorcerer skids to a stop at the edge of the balcony. [21:30] 4von Hrolfus’ attempt is more successful. After deflecting the arrow, he elegantly balances on a heel and spins backwards to slice through one of the abominations approaching from the other side. [21:32] <@Ferrinus> 12As the entire platform shifts under his feet, Keldar shifts his weight enough that he can look down and over the shoulder of the hobgoblin he's menacing. 15[21:33] <@VoxPVoxD> The tables and chairs around the balcony buckle as the woodwork itself splinters and shifts. Keldar, looking down, sees three cobalt blue tusked creatures dressed in business clothes, straining with their considerable might to pull it down. [21:33] 13The idol lurches wildly as the balcony is yanked around under her feet. "Aaaah! It was the something worse!" [21:34] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Oh, like hell. Folks, I'll be right back-" [21:36] 14This has all been very well-coordinated. [21:54] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar plants a foot firmly on his enemy's chest, then swings his blade. A gleaming arc of metal cuts through one wrist, one neck, and then a second wrist all in the same motion, and before the other creature's able to so much as comment on the matter the mercenary's dashed off the balcony and back into the building. The astute ear will be able to hear the thump of boots on stairs. [21:56] 13Xia Lan uses the surviving "ninja" as a springboard down towards where Keldar just fled. That thing's gonna fall! If she's got to get on the ground, she'll do it the safe and responsible way. 15[22:09] <@VoxPVoxD> A pillar of red fire ignites the roof across the street, and a burning arrow streaks towards the balcony and past it, embedding itself in the floor of the noodle shop inside. Then the arrow burns itself out, dissolving into sparks like a fuse, each spark taking hold of the wooden furniture and paper lanterns of the noodle shop and swallowing it in flame. [22:10] 14That would be why they were trying to keep them on the balcony. [22:10] 4von Hrolfus recoils from the heat. [22:14] 5 What a clever device. Xu Sim wonders if he could replicate its effect. [22:23] 14He regrets having stopped to think about why they were attacking the balcony, rather than just trying to get off it. Though he's able to keep the flames from setting his robe alight, the infuriating little creature meant to pen them in on the burning rooftop does its job admirably. [22:27] 4von Hrolfus stumbles bakcwards into the flames, burning himself badly. He screams and attempts to put it out. [22:43] 4He attempts to flee backwards from the flames but a tiny abomination blocks his way. A fierce fight to get to the balcony ensues when the ridiculousness of the situation hits him - he’s fencing with a thing smaller than the average ten year old. Snarling, he lefts the assassination by the scruff of its neck and boots it out the way, scurrying quickly away from the fire on the balcony. [22:43] *assassin [23:00] 5 Xu Sim swats at a patch of burning robe as the fire spreads to his garmets. He recoils, and is caught in the chest by a swat of the hobgoblin. Undeterred, he ducks another of the creature's blows before hooking one hand around the grapple line and swinging onto the rope down towards the street below, with a generally undignified hoot and holler. 15[23:13] <@VoxPVoxD> As the balcony collides with the ground, the fire spreads both above and below. This fire is worse by far than the one Tsuka accidentally set when Stranger met him, and that fire was nearly a disaster in its own right. [23:14] 14He barely has any time to think about it, however, before the pain. [23:17] 13The Unfettered Xia Lan carefully spins and twirls around the fire engulfing the stairs of the burning building before flinging herself bodily out from the flames and into the swarm of hobgoblins. She lets loose a terrifying warcry and begins cutting them down, one by one! (She might be in public now, but old habits die hard.) 15[23:41] <@VoxPVoxD> The hobgoblins tear at the Solars as the street's engulfed in flames. The one stomping Xu Sim is particularly savage. The old man isn't moving anymore. [23:41] 5 Xu Sim lands on the ground amidst burning timber and, though he struggles to free himself, is caught up in burning embers and ropes. The hobgoblins make short work of him, spearing and goring him with their weapons. Xu Sim collapses amid the rubble, bleeding from a dozen wounds. Blood streaks through his beard as his lungs work laboriously and, each time, a little fainter. [23:43] 4von Hrolfus charges out of the burning building, his fine coat darkened and burned, seeking vengeance and yelling the traditional battle cry of Deguo. He trips over a bump in the ground. [23:46] <@Ferrinus> 12There's more thumping and crashing and swearing and then Keldar, surrounded in a choking cloud of ash and flames but having apparently moved too quickly and decisively to take more than superficial burns, comes barreling out of the front door of the noodle shop! "Allright you green bastards, you're gonna - holy shit, Xu Sim!" [23:46] 14Stranger staggers to his feet somehow, still smoldering, bleeding badly. [23:46] 14He hasn't had a chance yet to even swing his sword. [23:47] <@Ferrinus> 12Quieting immediately but still brandishing his iron straight sword, the mercenary, charges straight into the hobgoblins. He makes sweeping and heavily telegraphed blows that mostly serve to force the trio of besuited raksha back before dropping into a crouch and trying to see to Xu Sim's burns and contusions. [23:48] <@Ferrinus> 12It's not going well... [00:06] 4von Hrolfus leaps to his feet and braces himself, stands his ground and prepares to defend against the oncoming horde. He feels strangely relaxed - sure, for some reason, that he need not fear what’s coming. He’s proved right as the mass of abominations shy away from him to focus on Keldar. [00:10] 13Xia Lan keeps at the hobgoblins, harrying them with repeated strikes, but they seem to glance off - she's at least keeping them away from the fallen Xu Sim, but she has to be doing more-- [00:13] 4As the melee intensifies, von Hrolfus stays at the edges and attempts to strike down one of the runts. He misses. [00:15] <@Ferrinus> 12Keldar: "Fuck, fuck, fuck, why'd you have to land on THAT side you stupid old-" [00:25] 4Rage and frustration begins to build. His nation is on fire and he’s been helpless, unable to do anything, pinned down in this city of upjumped rapacious merchants. [00:27] 4His eyes begin to glow and heat begins radiating off him in waves - a bright brilliant flash of golden blinds a hobgoblin that’d just made a running jump at him. [00:33] 13The hobgoblins are nothing. Nothing. She hooks one by the neck and throws it bodily into another, before slicing the throat of the third hobgoblin. The sign of the noon-day sun crests upon her brow as a golden light spills forth behind her, but Xia Lan does not care. Old wounds are opening. Never again. She launches herself upon the survivng hobgoblins, quickly and quietly crushing their throats before returning to the scene [00:33] of the fallen Xu Sim, still glowing, still worried. [00:34] 13Surviving* 15[00:36] <@VoxPVoxD> The city flows in on the fire like blood scabbing a wound. Gawkers come from all around the neighborhood to see the flames, the carnage, and the Anathema. Xu Sim's body hangs limp in Keldar's arms, and what passes for Nexus's fire brigade struggles to contain a blaze which threatens to consume multiple city blocks. 15[00:37] <@VoxPVoxD> NEXT TIME: Night's Master