The End of Days, Chapter One: Decimation Men (OPEN!)

[Jacior]

Looking at the carnage wreaked by his compatriots, Matthias decided it was time to fly to the mountain castle thing. As he get's close, he takes aim and throws another pebble. It balloons in size as it leaves his hand and streaks for one of guards of the mountaintop ballista.

((ranged attack, ballista guard: +18 to hit= 35))  

[Jacior]

((Assuming a 35 can hit. Damage +10= 18 ))  

[Disciple of Sakura]

Eternality_Cannon

The skiff currently holds a manning crew of four. They obviously hold ill will, but all of them are too terrified to do anything but hold the controls. It seems obvious they won't take you anywhere without some further "encouragement". For the record, they all have HP 18 and AC 10.

"Gentlemen, if I may? It'd be in your best interests, should you wish to live, to actually provide travel for those of us without proper transportation. As has already been demonstrated, we are deft hands at killing, and I'm sure one of us could figure out how to use your skiff without your assistance. Would you be so kind as to ferry our soldiers towards our current destination?" Delan gestures with Subtle Knife towards the tower they're set to attack.

{Hadn't realized that there was a crew as well as soldiers on the skiff, but there's no reason to go to town on these blighters, is there. Diplomacy, +10 bonus.}  

[Slave Xaccheus]

The sharp smell of urine suddenly permeates the air, and you see one of the crew suddenly pass out on the deck with a big wet spot on his trousers.

"Blimey, Rufus, of all the times to pass out..." mutters another one of the staff.

"Alright, we'll take you where you want to go!" wails one of the other rowers, a timid, cowardly man, "Just please, don't hurt us!"

The boat begins to move towards the mountain.  

[Anatarei Crimsonthrone]

Oulviina takes flight on Sabine alongside Halen. She's unaccustomed to riding alongside someone other than Rage, but at least he was a military man...

Of course, their target was the tower, and there was a crew on it. Perhaps a quick fireball would soften them up...

{I know we're supposed to take the tower and use its weapons on the other towers... What's the likelihood that a fireball would destroy the siege weapons we're supposed to claim?}  

[Slave Xaccheus]

(You could just sneak on board using the skiff and use it to leave later. The Hammerlock isn't really necessary now.

Edit: You could even use it to transport the rest of the group with certain party members choosing to row, and just choosing to kill the pilots.)  

[Disciple of Sakura]

{How hard would it be to man the skiff? Is there a skill involved, or is it pretty much a given that we can manipulate it?}  

[Slave Xaccheus]

((It's a given. It's like rowing a canoe.))  

[Disciple of Sakura]

"We could use the skiff as cover on the approach, rather than flying over there. We won't all fit without ditching the crew, but they can be our prisoners of war, I suppose. Surely the Hammerlock has a brig?"  

[Slave Xaccheus]

The crew on the skiff exchange nervous glances. A brig is not what concerns them; something else, more sinister, seems to haunt them.

"If... I may interject?" one of the crew seems to squeak, his voice rising at least two pitches, "We'd prefer to have our ends come swiftly. If you have to take this skiff back to the tower and carry your allies, we will be executed the minute our superiors discover we have been detained."

The other members on the skiff stand up, even Rufus, who has since recovered from his fearful blackout,

"And if they kill us, it won't be with dignity. The guys you're attacking aren't just some low-reputation invasion force like the warriors on our boat. These people..." the man speaking blanches, a fearful shaking coming over him, "I've seen what they did to people who failed them. I've seen it, dripping off of their face...all mangled and shredded... you couldn't even tell who the guy was anymore..."

Rufus places a hand on the speaker's shoulder,

"Our ends would be faster if you just put that knife of yours to work. Make it quick, and clean."  

[jennibert]

{apologies to Anaterai on declaring where your cohort is...}

Allowing Rage to fly the pegasus leaves Misery with more opportunity to look and see and hear. Being close enough to have overheard the skiff crew's request, Misery shivers. Well, there go my reservations on blowing this place to the Abyss.

After requesting that Rage deliver her to the deck of the skiff, Misery approaches the crew.

"If it is truly your wish to die before capture, then I will honor it." She pauses a moment, looking for assent from the members of the skiff's crew.

{Since I assume they won't change their minds, I will go ahead and post her actions towards any of the men who grant her assent--and she has a +28 to Sense Motive, which I'll roll if necessary. If they're not serious or if they all change their minds, please disregard the following paragraph.}

"May the god to whom you trust your soul guide it to a place of peace," she says quietly, and then slings her spiked chain straight for the heart of each man who has chosen death.

{Let me know if you need me to roll this, but I figured that they probably don't have enough hit points for it to matter.}  

[Slave Xaccheus]

The chain goes straight to the vitals. The crew hardly has any time to even wince before they are unconscious on the decks. Blood is already spilling out of their chests. Within five seconds, exsanguination has taken its toll.  

[Anatarei Crimsonthrone]

"Alright then. Let's get moving. I'm not sure there's enough room for all of us in the skiff, but we can still get there without arousing too much detection. Rage and I will remain on Sabine and Gavrial - the rest of you get that skiff to the destination. We'll hit them once we all arrive."

Oulviina mutters an incantation, and she, her metal companion, and their flying mounts vanish.

{Oulviina's casting invisibility through her Eldritch Weave, only targeting Rage, her griffon and pegasus, and herself. Let's get to our destination, yeah?}  

[Yurro]

((I'm sorry, but I was wondering if there is going to be a reply to my actions?))  

[Slave Xaccheus]

((Oh, crap! Sorry! With the entire party split up, I've had to do a bunch of stuff, and keep track of everyone.))

Matthias's attack hits, damaging the warrior heavily but not killing him. But, something strange later occurs. As the other ballista guards approach the dragon, a bizarre device on the end of a long chain suddenly catches one warrior by the head, enclosing it in a bladed cage-like mechanism. A swift pull severs the head instantly.

The other two guards instantly realize that there is a problem, but to late. Two more cages arrive, catching these two and pulling them from the edge of the mountain.

Another skiff flies above the top of the mountain, the prow pointing directly at Matthias.

Meanwhile, Igneel has landed in the center of a deserted city. Bodies line the ground, already dead and decomposing. But, it's obvious their deaths were not painless. Organs are sprawled across the ground, carved into pieces by an unknown force. Corpses of women and children are haphazardly spread across the streets, with bits and pieces of severed head only inches away. The entire ground has been painted a rusty brown, and the smell alone lets you know what it originally was.

Make a listen check, a reflex save, and a spot check.