Session 16: Ogres and Giants and Drakes Oh my Report

General Summary

With a roar the Drakes jaws would snap down around Bliss, shaking the small elf like a ragdoll it would toss her across the room, leaving her to land in a heap, bleeding from the various punctures form its teeth. Ismaril would dart in under the Drakes neck as it tossed Bliss across the room. Her Elven Thinblade sparking with psionic power she would drive the crystalline blade into the creatures neck twice, discharging its fearful power. Adalon would blink out of time and teleport in before the great giant, jeering up at it the massive creatures as he seemed to ready a spell. The second drake would chomp one of the Elven guards in two and then push its way forward into the fray. Longwei with another practiced display and a flurry of fists would shatter the jaw of the next ogre and swiftly move into position flanking their leader, his heel kick however just thudding into its flank with no effect. An elven guard, his rapier in hand like a toothpick to the giant would deliver two piercing blows between its armors gaps. Idrial wounded would cut into the Ogre Captain hoping to down him, but successive blows just bounced harmlessly off armor. Ayrien would move towards the foyer but not before drawing the Giants attention to Adalon, goading it further to strike the half dragon. Adalon would finish his incantation and blink away, reappearing in the previous radius of ice. The Giant annoyed at this would back swing with its great axe into another guard, cutting him in two. As he reeled up for a third strike, Adalon would attempt to play fates curse upon him, his divine magics would slip and warp as they were taken by wild magic, the Giants axe sudenly shattering in his hand as the divine power surged uncontrollably about him. Resorting to his massive boot, the giant would try to stomp the guard before him who would dance to the side. One of the last two guards would drive his rapier into the second drake with little effect beyond making the beast angrier. The Ogre Leader would raise his club and crush Idrial to the floor knocking him unconscious then spinning around it would deliver a blow in kind to Longwei and in a back swing, Longwei would duck its third blow. A'lar would move his swirling illusions of chaos, the Giant believing the second to be real and would be struck with shattered glass and wood splinters, the rest however would shrug of his illusions. Leaving a healing potion on a near by table for Bliss, A'lar would follow the squire Neiah after the queen and Lord Aelindon as they disappeared into a side room.  

Bliss would pick herself up and push off after A'lar, his safety being her primary charge, reaching the healing potion she would drink feeling the sudden surge of energy of the potion. Ismaril crystal blade crackling with her psionic malice would pierce the drakes heart, and as it fell move protect the fallen Idrial, driving her blade thru the back of the ogre, watching as it slumped over before Longwei, giving him a nod. Adalon would produce his Chakram the holy symbol of his faith and send it flying towards the giant, cutting a small gash across its chest. The remaining drake would snap out and bite the last guard alive, thrashing it in its mouth and tossing it across the dance floor, and would roar before pressing towards the other combatants. Longwei looking hammered from the now fallen Ogre Leader would chug a healing potion then hurl a Shuriken at the giant, bouncing off its tough armor. Neia would reach the room first, upon entering would find the queen and Lord Aelindon were not here, she would look about confused finding little evidence of where they had gone. The Giant finding himself without a weapon would stride over towards the guard the Drake and thrown, its massive boot crashing down to crush the last life from him, the sound of bones snapping ringing in the dance hall. A'lar would join Neia in the search of the room, "I would have a secret exit in such a room, check the walls for strange switches or the like." Ismaril would push forward to the advancing Drake, her aura of fear freezing the beast in nightmares as she drove her thinblade past its scaled flesh and piercing its beating heart, the beast would fall before her. Adalons Chakram would return to his grip and be set to fly once more, this time skidding across steel armor with little effect. Longwei would produce another potion drinking deeply and letting another shuriken fly, with little effect. Ayrien would move to try and recover a rapier from the fallen guards. The Giant would move to kick Ismaril to the ground but he too would fall victim to horrid nightmares and freeze in fear. Ismaril would turn her eyes turning black as she assaulted his mind with psionic power, blood beginning to trickle from the giants nose. Teleporting into better position Adalon would throw his Chakram again, once more skidding off the giants armor, his magic however went awry again as he began to radiate daylight. Longwei would close delivering several rapid blows to the Giants groin, the only thing in reach, with one placed strike findings its mark. Ayrien would press forward with her comrades, the acquired rapier however bouncing off the thick armor. A'lar would return having no luck with the secret passage and would Shadowmark the giant. Ismaril would lunge forward, her thin blade screeching away from his armor and with a dark look her eyes would go black as she thrust into the Giants mind once more, the psionic energy scrambling his nuerons, the giant would tumble to the side dead, an eerie silence would befall the great hall.  

Indalell meanwhile was still watching the curious carriages and their guards. At a clearly noted time, they would begin unloading heavy objects from the wagons and dragging them into the park. As he crept closer he would note they were bodies, some of city watch, others of what looked to be ogres. Arranging them around a great statue of a dragon to make it seem like a fight had occured, the dragons chest would shutter and open, two figures emerging, that Indalell would guess were the Queen and the Lord of Aelindon. Acting quickly he would stealth along the hedges to get near a wagon, making a sound Indalell lured a guard over and around the corner, ambushing them with two heavy sap blows. Taking their face and changing his shape he would move back to the wagons, "Just a cat" he would say to the others as the queen was loaded into the center carriage and the other guards took positions. Indalell would find where he was supposed to be upon the wagons and they would depart in haste. They would take a differnt path, passing near the Fortress of Auretus, about a block away Lord Aelindon would exit, looking cut, battered and beaten, he would begin to limp towards the castle as the caravan once more departed, heading towards the Aelindon estate. Upon their arrival he would fall in with the guards escorting the queen, who now wore a magic blocking collar, to some fine chambers to rest, however these chambers were a refined prison with barred windows and a heavy iron door. Indalell would slip away from the detail as they returned the barracks and move to find a servants quarters. Picking out a mid level butlers private rooms he would slip in, his garrote finding the poor fellow as he slept, silencing him forever. Tucking the body under the bed he would assume the mans identity, dressing in his livery, he would make for the kitchen. Appearing there quite put out he was awaken for this, he would get the night staff to make basic refreshments and snacks to be brought to the queen. The staff would hurry not wishing to upset the Butler and he was off back to the queens cell, the guards challenging him as he approached, "What is this? She has wine and fruit inside." Indalell in his stolen face would sigh "I was woken up to see this is brought to her, look I'm just doing my job, what harm can I do just leaving the tray inside?" The guards would glance to each other and sigh, opening the door to let him in. The Queen would begin to protest immediately as he arrived, "Majesty, I am simply here to bring you refreshment and make you comfortable," with his back to the guards he would flash to her a set of picks and palm them into a napkin as he fussed with the tray he had sat down. "Call if you need anything else" he would bow and exit, thanking the guards then muttering about getting back to sleep.  

Ensuring he was not being watched or followed, Indalell would make his way to the next floor, finding an empty chamber above the queens he would make his way to the balcony and descend from top to her window. Changing form once more to a halfling he would slip between the bars and opening her window slip inside "Dont scream I am here to help" he would whisper before dropping into the room. The queen seemed shocked but did not scream as he arrived. "Who are you?" She would whisper, lockpicks in hand trying to open the collar. "Oh, right" Indalell would take shape back to the butler, "You probably met my friends from Amarantine tonight, we are here to help...do you have any magic that can get us out of here?" The queen would frown slightly, "Only by burning the place down." she would reply flatly. Indalell while enjoying the notion would shake his head, "That wont do, here let me" taking the picks back he would quickly remove the magic blocking collar. "Maybe if we can draw them, dispatch them, we can make our escape." The queen will nod, "I think we can do that" she would move over to the table, flipping it over once he was in place with a huge crash she would begin to scream for help. As her jailors rushed in, they would be cut down by Indalells blades and rays of fire form the queens fingertips. Giving her his sleeves of many garments, he would ask her to disguise herself as a servant girl, and then would fuss with her hair and adjust makeup to further sell the disguise. Getting her to a postern gate he would explain to the guard on duty this servant girls family was deathly ill and she had to go to them. With that the Queen dressed as a serving girl was thru the wall and making her way across her city in disguise.  

Back with the other Scales, Seraphina had returned along with several city and house guards. Taking in the scene, she agreed they needed to get to the palace and see about the queen. arriving at the fortress they would find Caelion Aelindon, having his wounds tended to and telling the story of how Ogres knew about the escape tunnel and had ambushed them in the park. He had done all he could but the queen was taken. A'lar would immediately call this story bullshit and begin accusing Caelion of being in league with the ogres, telling of what happened at Amarantine and that his pet mage had sent them. Seraphina would seem most displeased with this outburst as it was not helping the matter, and Caelion would rebuke A'lar as a foreign interloper that had no business being here. As guards returned from the park with the bodies corroborating Caelions story, A'lar would fume, "Fine a truth spell, if you have nothing to hide then it should be no issue and we can prove you did not take the queen." Caelion would scoff, "While I know Silicate dragons have no love for the privacy of the mind, we have not given up such freedom here, and I do not need to submit to anything that you suggest, you are not from here, and frankly I do not know why Seraphina has even allowed you to stay this long!" Seraphina would defend the scales for their help at the attack but say, "There will be no truth spells or mind reading, Caelion is a lord of the realm." Seraphina would take A'lar to the side explaining how he was hot helping her position, as the two quietly debated, A'lar was winning her over. Caelion would stand and beginning to make his way to another room, Ismaril would stand and follow, "Where are you going?" her tone stern. "The privy, not that its any of your business," he would snort. Ismaril would smile, "Ill come along" He would roll his eyes, "Going to give me a hand?" looking her over, Ismaril would grin a bit, "Maybe I will." Once in the bathroom he would take care of his business, while Ismaril kept an eye on him, he would give her a wink before moving over to wash his hands in the basin. As he moved to shake them dry she noted the movements of arcane spell casting. She would launch herself forward to try and tackle Caelion before he finished his spell, but she would be a half second too late as he blinked away.  

A'lar hearing of his escape would give an "I told you so" to Seraphina before making his way towards the Aelindon estate. Making his way thru the festival streets he would come to the fortress manor seeing the walls well guarded and the gates shut. He would watch for an hour for any activity but he would find no movement or frantic searching, soon however the Royal Guard would arrive surrounding the fortress and settling in to prepare for a siege. Within Indalell would take the appearance of a guard having seen the queen safely out and finding the defenders preparing to withstand an assault he felt it best to be far from here. As he made his way towards the ramparts he would see the Mage they had been looking for speaking earnestly with Lord Aelindon who had returned apparently. Figuring it still best to be gone he made his way to the walls finding a spot with little watch. He would affix his grapple and quickly descend the wall. As others noticed him there would be shouts as archers made ready, from the sieging lines the Royal guard would serge forward shields raised to cover and also capture the apparent defector. Arrows would surge past and thud into shields, but Indalell would be taken, "tell the queen I was sent by her halfling friend that let her escape!" As the night was growing long, the rest had returned to the Inn, with a promise that Seraphina would send if she had need of them, Indalell would join them and relate his daring rescue of the Queen and they would discuss the battle likely to occur soon.