Am I the Baddie?? pt4

When last we left our heroes, they had freed most everyone from the prison except those accused of more serious things.

On your way out, one fo the prisoners, a merchant held for fraud, shouted, "...the Baron! He's everything you've said! He paid me to deliver people to him for his dark rituals! I didn't KNOW and when I objected, he threw me into the dungeon and appropriated everything I had for the study of MAGICS FOUL AND FEARSOME AND NECROMANTIC!"

The crowd is starting to erupt, gasping in shock and horror.

Burai looks up from where he was experimenting with a set of manacles. Locked, he realizes, and without the key not much use to the party. He sets these down now and begins to approach the Baron. "Is this true?"

Davienne turns to look at the merchant with narrowed eyes. "That is something to save for the judge, sir," She hisses with disdain. Then her eyes shoot to the Baron in his chains, taking in the expression on his face. "Don't make me gag you," She whispers to the merchant threateningly. "Unless you want this crowd to trample you? Since you -brought- people to him...you're as complacent as he."

Bannon frowns, his eyes scanning the crowd. He looks to Sabina, the gravity of the situation affecting his voice even though the smile never leaves his face, "We need to go and not stop. I'll try to draw us some time." He looks towards Burai and says, "That's for the Count to investigate." He then looks back towards the crowd, tilting his head, "We discussed you. You got locked up for fraud! You'd say anything to exact some petty revenge, you sentient discolored liver." He then looks around, seeming to take each of the would-be rioters in, "Consider the source." He then turns, beginning the trek away.

GAME: Bannon rolls Diplomacy: (15)+11: 26

Words. So many words. The dwarf shakes her head. "Not sure'n it matters who're telling the truth at this point," Shilde says, resisting an urdge to glare at the baron. She pats the head of the dog at her side. "Rocky.. be ready," she tells him.

Sabina looks at the croud with a growing feeling of disgust. She steps up agaisnt the nearest of the croud and begins to shout to be heard over their upset voices and anger. "Are you going to kill me?! Are you?! Are you going to kill them?!" She waves over to the rest of the group. "How about them?!" She waves to the prisoners they have chained up together.

She stalks quickly around the ring of near rioters. "Just so you can get to him?!" She says pointing at the baron. "You'd make yourselves as you claim him to be? Evil?! Murderers?! WE ARE TAKING HIM AWAY! YOU WILL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN BECAUSE HE'S BEING PUNISHED! By all the gods that hold truth, love and honor to one's heart, lets us through and away!"

GAME: Sabina rolls diplomacy: (13)+13: 26

GAME: Davienne rolls Intimidate: (7)+0: 7

"The only FRAUD here is the Baron and these men trying to ESCORT him to SAFEY! They're not authorites! THey're FRAUDS who are agents of the DARK ARTS themselves trying to save their own ski--," and that's when DAvienne is able to shut him up with a gag, since he's tied up in the first place.

Damage is done. The crowd is restless. Their fragile trust in you, buoeyed by your patient efforts to bring out the prisoners, is absolutely damaged.

Still, bewtewen Sabina and Bannon's calming, reassuring words, they're stalled for time.

But the merchant chose his words well, didn't he, to cast you in such a light.

Still, for the moment, they're holding back to talk amongst themselves, attention paid to Sabina and Bannon. They ARE considering the source.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS," mutters Baron Sharpton, frustrated and a bit louder than he should be.

Burai stands near the prisoners. As before he keeps an eye on the baron. But now he also looks at the merchant and some of the other prisoners. They were the worst of those imprisoned here, he recalls. And now he's starting to understand they can't be trusted.

"Don't make me gag you too, Baron," Davienne growls at the man, shooting him a look with her mismatched eyes. She isn't exactly the most intimidating thing, but she tries hard. Aw, so cute the glare with that button nose. She needs to work on that.

Bina nods to the others and motions towards the landing point of the airship they road in on. "Let's get out of here before things go really sideways. I don't blame them for being angry but a riot isn't something anyone needs."

"This crowd's gonna blow up.." Shilde eyes the faces beyond like she might a wounded animal. Though, to be fair, she probably has a better chance of predicting what the wounded animal is going to do. "Further we are along 'fore they do the better for us." So, she seems to be in complete agreement with Luckbringer and starts following her.

Bannon nods his Sabina and adds, "Like I said before. Go and not stop." He turns, murderous intent in his eyes as he starts walking towards the Baron. He reaches down and draws the rapier at his belt, "Start walking, or I'm going to stab you until you forget how and drag you. Go!" Bannon drops the sword slightly, holding it low but ready to prod the Baron forward at the first need to do so.

The crowd is, in fact, getting ready to blow up.

With the prison safely emptied by you, it doesn't take loing for a few of the rowdier folks, angrier folks, to throw their torches at it.

Oh yeah. That one is going on FIRE.

You're able to make some progress further away from the crowd, though many of them are following and howling abuse at the Baron. He's the baddie and he knows it judging from his expression.

Ser Rogort is looking less than pleased with how all this is going.

"We need to get back to the Count's and he needs to dispatch a larger force to quell this unrest before it explodes into something even more dangerous."

Bannon continues to move, giving the Baron a prod when needed. He smiles every so often as a particularly clever abuse is hurled at the Baron, mentioning off-handedly, "That was hilarious. I'm going to use that."

He falls a few steps behind the Baron, looking back towards Sir Rogort, "Oh, definitely get on that. We can't have any of those dangerous personal freedoms that happen when someone comes by and squeezes until the nobility gets launched from the pore like so much blood and puss." With a scoff, Bannon adds, "Don't slip on the sarcasm."

Bina nods. "We're working on it, Sir Rogort. Believe me we don't want to be in the middle of a riot any more then you do. And even if Bannon is overly blunt he does have a point. This was to olong overdue. It's easy to see the Baron should have been pulled away six months ago." She glances back at the croud they have left following them. "Please! Go home! Or if you must, watch us fly off to his trial."

Burai nods as the prison goes up in flames. His expression is grim, but he has to admit, if it had to be destroyed, fire is probably the best way. "Yes," he nods at Bannon. "These people are like a herd of sheep. While they may fear strength...they won't respect it. We've had more success with reason so far." He glances at Ser Rogort and then gives the Baron a little nudge. "Don't make the same mistakes he did."

Davienne maybe glares at Sir Rogort's back and pulls the quarterstaff off her back. She hangs back and just holds it up as a sort of a barrier between the others and the crowd. "Please, folks, we are removing this problem now. You all need to have a town meeting and elect an official representative," She calls to them, still scowling, as she moves along with the group, staff barring at best it can.

Shilde keeps her mouth close now with the proximity to the human townsfolk. Not the most diplomatic person to begin with, the last thing they need is a dwarf telling them what to do in a situation like this. She just keeps her shield ready, her hand at her hip near her cudgel, and an eye on her dog as the escort moves along.

"The people here will vent their rage and we're in o position to do anything about that, anyway. I'm more concerned about what comes next. Order must be restored before the situation spirals." replies Rogort, curtly, to Bannon.

Sharpton scowls darkly at the lot of you but remaisn silent himself.

You're making it down the road, of course, towards the airship in the distance that waits for you.

GAME: Sabina rolls perception +2: (18)+5+2: 25

GAME: Bannon rolls Perception: (8)+7: 15

GAME: Davienne rolls perception: (7)+9: 16

GAME: Burai rolls perception: (17)+11: 28

GAME: Shilde rolls perception: (10)+9: 19

So, you arrive at the airship and you're starting to notice that it's... a bit... empty.

The crew should be on deck.

Keeping the engines running.

But it's definitely... not.

Like at all.

Burai frowns mightily. "Something's not right," he murmurs. He places one hand on Sharpton's shoulder so he can keep track of where the Baron is even while Burai takes his eyes off of the prisoner and pans his glance around. He tries to remember what things looked like on the ride to this place.

Bina looks up at Burai's words and looks forward where the airship is. She sighs and murmurs loud enough for the others to hear. "I don't see any of the crew aboard. And... I think we're about to be attacked."

"Well, get 'im on board and get ready to repel boarders, then," Shilde suggests. "While we figure out where they went its as good a place to hole up as any without killing any of them."

Bannon looks up to the airship, an undaunted grin on his face, "This is a trap." He then looks over his shoulder, the grin turning into a full blown smile, "I think our next move is spring the trap. We're probably safer aboard then not aboard for the moment." Bannon holds his arms out in front of him, stretching his shoulders and then holds his arms back briefly. He holds his sword out in front of him, lunging forward and then straightening up again. He then adds, "Ready when you are. Let's have some of us go forward ahead, and some of us stay behind to guard the rear. We'll put the prisoner in the middle."

Davienne boards the ship and stays near the enterance. Intent on keeping people from boarding with them. The fact that the crew is gone has her narrowing her eyes. "Stow the prisoners...can we fly this ship ourselves?"

You board the creaking deck of the airship. It is very silent.

"I don't like this," says Baron Sharpton, quietly.

The other gagged prisoiners muffle and grumble.

But they're all there. On the deck. The empty deck.

GAME: Shilde casts Light. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13

As light is cast on his buckler, Bannon nods his head to Sabina, "Thank you." He then asks, "First time repelling boarders?" He smirks, "Pull the gangplank on board as soon as we're onboard. The boarders won't be able to get reinforced." He then turns, his eyes narrowing as he begins walking up the plank. As he ascends, his voice even becomes more piratical, "If de boys be out drinkin'..."

Davienne turns slowly to look at Sir Rogort. Her eyes are narrowed and lips thin. "You want to explain this, Sir?" She turns the title sarcastically on her lips. He's in charge of this ship after all.

Shilde has no intention of being the last one up, though she happily defers the position of first to others. While she waits, she pulls a pebble from one of her pouches and places a weak light enchantment upon it. Once she's on deck, she pockets it in case it's needed. "Alright Rocky... see if you can find the missing airmen, aye?"

Sabina whispers a prayer to Tarien, asking for his aid to discover magical tricks or things unseen. Her holy symbol held in one hand and pressed to her forehead. After the prayer is said she begins to look about with care.

GAME: Sabina casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13

Burai nudges the Baron ahead up the gangplank, then directs him to one side where he'll be more or less out of the way. The half-oruch draws his falchion and follows a short distance behind Bannon.

Bannon calls out again, "Close the gangplank behind us." He then frowns, "We need to be careful about how we do this. The boarders could have locked the crew down in the brig, hoping to ambush us when we go down there to release them. It's what I'd do." He then grins broadly, "Forewarned is forearmed, as they say." He holds his rapier and buckler out in front of him as he picks his through the airship, lighting the way as he's following along behind the large dog.

Rocky sniffs around as he circles here and there... then raises his head and looks towards the passages leading below decks. He barks once, then sets off following the trail. His dwarf, Shilde, actually looks a little bit startled that he found something... then glances at the others before she sets off to follow.

Down you go into the interior of the airship, following the tracking dog known as Rocky. Shilde's dog is quite the tracker, and seems to have a good path. Snuffle snuffle snuffle.

DOwn, down down.

Towards the cargo bay.

/Of course/.

You emerge into the cargo hold and begin to poke around the numerous crates that tower over you full of merchant's goods that need to be delivered, along with mail and countless other services that every airship is needed to provide.

Then you hear it.

The cock of a runelock dragonspitter as men, atop the piles of crates, take aim at you, having emerged from their hidey holes as you spot them.

"Right, then," yells a man, "hand over the Baron and we'll make sure you can fly away safely."

"Oh balls, it's the Ruby gang," says Baron Sharpton.