The BEGINNING!

[Bean Bandit]

Jean ducked into a room, noting as she ran that it was full...hey! it was the elf-girl's boyfriend!

She noted he was fighting someone and headed straight for him, and slipped between him and his opponent, narrowly missing being beheaded by his opponent.

"Whoops, 'scuse me, stud." She managed as she opened the opposite window and slithered out, trying not to panic as she tried to lose her pursuer...

[TannimFodder]

Axebeard was so startled at Jean's intrusion that he nearly sliced her in two; in fact his axe was already on the way to do just that out of sheer reflex when she appeared behind him.  Fourtunately, he was a tad slow, and she was very fast.  Jean managed to get out of range just in time.  It also helped she appeared on his left side, and he had to swing from his right.

However, the timing was perfect to send his axe unknowingly straight at Jean's pursuer...

OOC:  Leaving it to the DM as to whether the guy blocks it or dies.  ^_^

[Anonymous]

John calmly noted that he was starting to become hard pressed to meet his opponent. While they had the advantage of being relatively fresh, he had been fighting all this while.

Of course, this just HAD to be the time SHE had to show up.

His expression briefly turned to one of rage as that blasted female once again mocked him.

Resisting the urge to go after her, he channeled his anger to buoy his flagging reserves of energy. Slowly, his attacks began to recover their vigor.

The girl seemed to be helpful this time, at least.

[Carthrat]

The assassin seemed a little disconcerted as John regained the power behind his attacks.

He flipped backwards, and somehow produced a Wand.

He spoke a Word.

And Heezam Idjit, sorcerer-wannabe extrondinaire, was woken up by such a vast outlet of magical energy, it was impossible to ignore...

****

Somewhere far away...

"Shadars Primal Devastation!"

****

However, his more immediate plight was that a fireball just went off.

In the room right above him, as after he'd been dropped out the tavern, he'd failed to wake up.

It wasn't a lethal fireball, exactly, but it burnt off some leg hairs.

And some OTHER hairs, too.

When the smoke cleared, the only trace of the assassins... was a rather large scorch mark.

If Fred had a moustache, he'd be enraged. Luckily, he didn't.

[Bean Bandit]

Jean found cover on and ducked into it. She resigned herself to waiting it out.

He pursuer should have been caught up in the mess, but not sense taking chances.

[Carthrat]

And of course, a rather large hole.

The little group was somewhat burnt, but not fatally so. Lying on the rapidly crumbling wood of the tavern was a note, miraculously unscorched.

And the note read...

"Do not even attempt to stand against us. Bring the ransom to the scheduled place, or the princess dies."

[TannimFodder]

OOC:  I know I sound stupid, but...  Can anyone translate Carthrat?  What just happened?

[Carthrat]

OOC: That makes me sound like an idiot, you know >_<

a) Everyone was fighting, right? Eventually, there were two guys left, and one was fighting with John, and the other, who had a Stoneskin spell on, was about to chip Hammerfists axe.

Then, the one fighting John jumped back, and dropped a fireball.

It wasn't a lethal fireball- he's not skilled enough to make it so. However, it managed to weaken the wood sufficently to make to rather easy to break, and it thus crumbled.

There are now large holes in the wall (though not the floor), some rather smokey-looking people, and an incompetent sorcerer has just woken up. As has, presumably, Fred.

The note is designed to be mysterious. Of course, Fred knows where the place his, as he was around when the original ransom was demanded. However, he could still be asleep, depending on Rez.

*resolves to work a tad harder at his descriptions*

[Rezantis]

OOC:

And no, Fred is still asleep, 'cause the fireball went off outside - and if a fight didn't wake him, mere breaking wood wouldn't do it.  >_<

[Anonymous]

Noting the silence, John decided to add his two cents in.

"Well...this just complicated things. Simple search and rescue? Oh now, we can't have none of that now." John sarcastically stated.

Sheathing his sword, he turned towards the others.

"Now then, time for all little heroes to get ready for the day." So saying, he gestured towards the door. "And I need to do so by getting dressed, so please let yourselves out."

[Carthrat]

Later that day, when everyone had sorted themselves out, the party gathered themselves around a table. Fred had been woken up, and everybody was tense about today's incident.

Everyone had read the note, and Fred was ready to tell them about the details of the ransom, as his faith had known the details from the king.

He opened his mouth...

[Bean Bandit]

And Jean promptly interrupted.

"I STILL don't see why I'm here." she scowled. "This is YOUR business, not mine."

[TannimFodder]

OOC:  I'm thinking it's one of those long-length tables, and not one of them round ones.  That and POST YE LAZY SACKS OF GRAIN!

Hammerfist, sitting across from Jean, vainly tried to kick her shin underneath the table.  His legs were far too short for the task, so he had to settle for glaring at the thief.

"Don' ye remember this bein' part 'o yer penence for yer crimes again' the church?"  He leaned forward to underline his next words.  "The only reason I an' the Cleric o'er there 'aven't cut ye in 'alf already?"

[Bean Bandit]

Jean glanced disdainfully at the dwarf.

"Oh, spare me, short, dark, and ugly." She said, irritatedly. "I gave the money back. Well, I left it where you could find it, anyway. And as for penance, It doesn't really matter if you cut me in half, or they do. Jumping into assassins nests is NOT my idea of a fun hobby."

[TannimFodder]

Hammerfist Axebeard continued to glare balefully at the thief.

"Tho' assassins ain't what we're goin' to be worryin' 'bout soon," he said, genturing wildly with axe in one hand, occasionally thumping the haft against the table to make a point.   "We're oof tae face yon dragon, who is bound to 'ave a 'orde larger than yea could shake a steek at."  Hammerfist spread his arms wide as if his short appendages could convey the size of the so-called 'treasure'.  He nearly beheaded the person sitting next to him.

As if an afterthought, he added: "An dun think if ye run away now, them assassins'll stoop botherin ya.  They've seen ya with us, and will prolly try ta kill ye even if ye ain't journeying wit our lovely band."