Quiet, perhaps too quiet. Since the siege began people in the city have been living in fear. Rumors of Bringers making it into the city, looking just like everyone else make it very hard to trust that old lady that used to take a walk every night down Silk Row. Even more so, when there has been a confirmed assassination of a Lycene duke in his very estate. So while any other day, this area at this time would be very much alive, today, it is very much dead. And silent. Very silent. A soul here and there hurries around, trying to get back home, or pretending life continues as normal. Except it doesn't, and most people living in the Ward of the Lyceum know it. Still, life does go on, so there are some that move through the street tonight. But for most, their eyes dart around, as they wonder who is friend and who is foe. Perhaps you find here on patrol, looking for the enemy. Perhaps you simply need to get from one point or another. Perhaps you enjoy danger, and it draws you to it. For whatever reason, you find yourself here, in this street as the night begins to settle in.

Most of her guards have been left behind; even so, Bella seems perfectly content to be out on the streets for all that they are so very dead. Dressed in a heavy, Arxian-style black dress and that big heavy cloak, she is walking with Alrec and heading for the inn. Quiet and bundled up, hood over her head, scarf, gloves. There are even *boots* on her feet. But she's not shivering! So it's a win. She's also not talking much right now.

Mathias is indeed on patrol, the tabard of the Knights of Solace worn over his dark armour proclaiming his allegiance rather clearly. His rubicund greatsword is at rest as he walks, the flat of the blade on his armoured shoulder. A sign of caution, and of the danger Arx faces in these Bringers, disguised as normal citizens. His patrol takes him through the streets of the Ward he's grown to know rather well, and within sight of the Duchess Belladonna and Alrec. "M'lady. Master." Mathias greets both with a nod. "Have a good day." Simple, but the Knight of Solace's mind is on other things than polite conversation.

Reese arrives while adorned in her silvery steel plate. A cloak of the Iron Guard hangs from her shoulders, but it is likely that is not on official duty while in Lyceum. She has a pink sword at her right hip and a metal mace at her left hip. A hunting falcon is perched on her right shoulder. She steps in direction of the Inn as Reese is often seen visiting there. She looks toward Bella, giving the Duchess a polite nod of greeting. "Duchess Belladonna, greetings." She says toward her. She doesn't seem to Alrec, but he is given a nod as well. She does know Mathias, Reese having a smile for him for touches her somber eyes.

Swinging his shoulder after pushing out of the door at the Hundred Cities, Orathy looks down at his left arm as he grits his teeth, feeling the length of it as walks on. One can assume what they wish about why he was at the Inn, the most evidence being a place to drink. How wrong they'd be. The man is walking at a sober clip, he's heading his way east, or at least he thinks he is. The silence of the street has him glance around, instinctively, deciding it was best to hang tight to the buildings, where he could scramble up if needed. Then, his eyes fall upon Alrec and Bella, faces that definitely put his own in the shadows... hm. Interesting.

Orathy checked dexterity + stealth against difficulty 15, resulting in 22, 7 higher than the difficulty.

Mathias checked perception + stealth against difficulty 15, resulting in 22, 7 higher than the difficulty.

Rather than moving a few steps behind and beside her as he is prone to doing when in more enclosed quarters, here on the streets Alrec is actually moving in a more traditional fashion, escorting Belladonna on his arm. Or at least appearing to, for in all likelihood it is she that is guiding he. Nonetheless he is sober with his regard of the area before him. Mathias, for his greeted, is reponded to in kind with a deep incline of his head. So too is this offered to Reese.

Reese checked perception + stealth against difficulty 15, resulting in 18, 3 higher than the difficulty.

Reese doesn't seem to notice Orathy. She looks right past his shadows without noticing a thing.

Bringers and Shadows in the city are bad enough. Bringers and Shadows *hiding* in the city are another matter entirely. With a section of Crimson Blades, Tobias has been hunting for Bringers since the siege started. Now, with an entire ward to check out, Tobias has asked for Lt Ywaine to come along with the section of heavy infantry. Clanking along with the Blades behind him, Tobias keeps a steady pace, careful not to tire himself out. His blood red armor is polished and crimson cape flow with the winds slightly, and his left hand idles on his scabbarded sword. "Evening, all." Tobias gives neutrally as he walks along.

Mathias smiles in return to Reese. "Yer Highness." he nods to her, before his attention is taken by a sound, perhaps a movement of shadows that shouldn't be? His eyes find Orathy, after searching a moment. Though he sees the man, he doesn't speak up, and the arrival of Tobias soon has him looking away. Whatever purpose the man has for hiding, Mathias seems inclined to leave him to it. "Evening. Rested well from the excitement of yesterday, I take it?" he asks Tobias.

Ywaine is with the section of heavy infantry. He has on his leather armor and that Crimson Blades tabard; that weird short spear that is the three pronged tekpi at one hip, his quiver on one side, heavy great bow in one hand. His eyes are moving, left and right, left and right, as he moves along - to the side of Tobias and behind. "Yer highness," to Reese, "Yer Grace," to the Duchess. He will step forward, just long enough to lean into Reese - not untoward or super loud, just quiet. "Y'lookin' for pattern a' life. What seems wrong. If yer gut screams, it's likely right, yeah? Pattern a' life. What seems off, what seems wrong. We got yer back." He mutters before he steps back into place, looking left and right with the practiced glance of a long-time Guardsman and now sellsword turned officer.

Orathy checked perception + streetwise against difficulty 15, resulting in 38, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Belladonna checked perception + streetwise against difficulty 20, resulting in 12, 8 lower than the difficulty.

Tobias checked perception + streetwise against difficulty 15, resulting in 8, 7 lower than the difficulty.

Ywaine checked perception + streetwise against difficulty 20, resulting in 17, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Mathias checked perception + streetwise against difficulty 20, resulting in 12, 8 lower than the difficulty.

Alrec checked perception + streetwise against difficulty 20, resulting in 14, 6 lower than the difficulty.

Reese checked perception + streetwise against difficulty 20, resulting in 14, 6 lower than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 40, 25 higher than the difficulty.

Reese has a somber smile of greeting for Tobias. She then looks upon Ywaine. "Oh, a pleasure to see you again." She murmurs. She then listens to his quiet words, the girl seemingly baffled. "Pattern of life.." She echoes softly, glancing over the area. Reese notices nothing, the Grayson princess can be dense at times.

She's not watching the shadows or paying much attention to anything at all, lost in her own thoughts until voices are directed her way. There's a pause to Belladonna's step for just a moment when there is speaking towards her. There's a quick nod of her bundled up head, and then another as someone else speaks her way, the little Duchess shifting in against Alrec's side a little more. She goes back to walking fairly promptly, picking the pace up just a bit.

A sudden sound... TWANG, fills the night. It comes from somewhere on the rooftops. And there's something speeding, an arrow, straight for Belladonna.

Discretion is a key for regarding things as they naturally happen, rather than interfering and interjecting unwanted reactions. Keenly interested in interactions to an extent, especially between Reese and Belladonna, the Culler hangs back, tucking himself in a position that he can overview the entire area. His eyes flick up, a good thing he decided to haul back against the buildings, because there's something which catches his eye. It takes no more than a few seconds before he's bursting away from the wall. He doesn't say anything. He just books it as hard and as fast as he possibly can. Whatever the reason, he's barreling straight for Belladonna, in a hard, flat run, that looks intimidating as hell! The heavy thump of his bootfalls rush over the ground and when he's near enough, he gestures to Alrec to move it! before he throws his weight shove Belladonna out of the way...

Ywaine checked perception against difficulty 20, resulting in 10, 10 lower than the difficulty.

Mathias checked perception against difficulty 20, resulting in 15, 5 lower than the difficulty.

"Contact left!" booms Ywaine as he reaches for his quiver, a subtle noise as he draws an arrow, nocks it and pulls back the red steep great bow, drawing back and scanning two buildings down the way from the two. "Section, cover the duchess!"

"AMBUSH!" Mathias roars in warning, turning towards the source of the arrow, greatsword at the ready. All conversation is forgotten in that instant, his eyes searching for the source... and finds it. "Over on that building" He indicates a building to the north. "Someone on the rooftop!" But that's all he shares, taking a defensive stance. "Get the Duchess into the inn!"

Reese notices Orathy charging toward Belladonna before she sees the arrow. Her lips part open and her steel covered body tenses with intense concern. It is possible at that first she thinks Orathy is going to hurt her! She even takes a step in that direction. Then Ywaine is drawing his bow and Reese comes to her senses. She follows his gaze, looking over the surrounding area and to the rooftops as she stries to stop any possible attackers. She hears Mathias cry next and draws her silvery pink blade in response.

"Blades, keep the Duchess covered! Lt Ywaine, find the source of that." Tobias looks around as he himself starts put on his helm and gets to cover with a couple loud clanks. Then, Tobias is touching a hand to his chest, looking down briefly, before he narrows his eyes at the rooftops.

That is not the only arrow that flies through the night. No. Many arrows start raining on the area. Causing the few people that had gone out tonight to panic and scramble trying to get out of the way. One of them is a man, who gets shot on the leg and lands right in front of Belladonna, reaching for her from the ground. "Please, help us!" The man cries out.

Alrec's lips are parting as though offering some idle thought to Belladonna. Idle is the key word here, lackluster commentary really, and then there is a rather large fellow coming toward the Duchess. Alrec's brows are moving together and he starts to step that way, as though to intervene, but with any luck there will be recognition of the arro--scratch that, multiple arrows. At this point, with the tackle done by the big guy, he is moving to serve as meat shield if need be.

Ywaine checked command + war against difficulty 20, resulting in 26, 6 higher than the difficulty.

"Hold." Tobias says, before he pulls his blade out and holds it out to the man. "Identify yourself." As Tobias heads over. "No one get near him, please. Ywaine, your bow. Now."

5 Velenosa House Guards have been dismissed.

Reese keeps her blade drawn and moves into position to help provide cover for Belladonna. She seems to be following the orders that Tobias gave.

See, running flat out footsteps totally do catch her attention, but Bella doesn't even manage to get a real look that way before she's going tumbling with a startled squeal. She is prompt to draw an elbow back and try to get him in the ribs, to kick -- not that she's capable of doing any damage, but immediate reaction is /clearly/ fight over flight. It does not take her too long to pick up on what's going on, particularly when a man goes down in front of her. "Let me up!" She's prompt to demand, to try and reach for the wounded man. Even from the ground, she's lifting her voice. "Clear the streets! Everyone, go into buildings!" It's not for the warriors, focused instead on those few civilians that still pepper the area.

Mathias checked strength + brawl against difficulty 15, resulting in 20, 5 higher than the difficulty.

"Duchess. Don't touch that man." Tobias warms as he closes in.

Ywaine is turning, aiming his great bow at the man that tackled the Duchess, as Tobias ordered. For a moment or three his eyes narrow as he takes in the surrounding buildings. "Green house, red building straight ahead, yellow house to our right straight ahead and to the east. One hundred paces, on the roofs. Five archers, general." he tells the other man. Then he's back at the tackler. "Back away from her," he grumbles in a clear commoner accent. "Slow an' easy, fella. Princess, y'mind helpin' clear the streets? We got archers there, there, there, there and there," he says, nodding.

Orathy absorbs a lot of the tumble tackle fall, letting her rise though as they recover and the people around them are becoming alert to the numerous twang of arrows raining down on them. He looks toward the man that fell at Belladonna's feet, cursing as he offers his arm toward the man that had fallen, "Come on then, twill help ya get ta safety."

Mathias doesn't bother telling panicked civilians to get to cover, he just forces the choice on them. He starts grabbing one after the other, and ignores their attempts to fight back while dragging them to cover from the archers raining arrows down on them. No time to lose, they're getting shot.

"Identify myself? Just help, me please," that wounded man tries to get up, and tries to reach for Belladonna to help herself. "Please, my lady..." he begs, and sounds very much in pain. Meanwhile, Mathias is able to start shoving people out of the way, if not into the buildings at least keeping them from getting arrowed all over.

Reese is young brash fighter of the type who generally follows orders when someone seems to be taking charge. She looks over to Ywaine, nodding in response to his words. "Oh, of course not." She says toward him. She then starts to make her way among the civilians trying to urge them inside. Reese is more gentle and charming about her attempts than charming. She focuses on getting any children to safety first.

"He's with me," Bella is prompt to note for Ywaine when he looks to Orathy, clarifying. There is a gesture to go with it, a tip of her head. Tobias is ignored, but Orathy's movement towards the man reaching for her means she lets him do it, instead making to shift back in low beside Alrec to let him play shield, let the others do the same. "He'll help you," she is prompt to reassure the man. "Stay calm." There's no protest if anyone attempts to actually herd her towards the inn, but she's not starting that way on her own. Instead, she's scanning the streets, the people caught here.

Belladonna checked perception against difficulty 10, resulting in 30, 20 higher than the difficulty.

Alrec checked perception against difficulty 10, resulting in 10, 0 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy was reaching toward the fellow who was wounded, furrowing his brows at Ywaine, "Jist wha the fuck youse doin man?! Point tha somewhere else eh... like them on the roof?" He moves to help haul the wounded man up, offering his arm, "I'll get cha ta cover... jist hold on aye?"

The man is wounded, and Alrec, he is seeking to continue to try to shield the Duchess, hoisting her in hand close to him and indeed attempting to do the logical thing: seek cover. That also means ripping her away from the wounded and forcing her on if possible. He is, evidently, oblivious to anything other than getting her to shelter. Who cares about the wounded?

"I can see you. Bringer." Tobias says as he gets next to the man, still aiming his sword at the man. "It's a nice ploy, I'll give you that much. Play on the heartstrings." Tobias' sword is *definitely* aimed at the wounded man.

Reese checked command + leadership against difficulty 20, resulting in 31, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Ywaine checked strength + brawl against difficulty 15, resulting in 47, 32 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 15, resulting in 37, 22 higher than the difficulty.

Mathias returns from getting the people out of the line of fire in time to hear the talk of Bringers. "Come again?" His eyes narrow on the wounded man, stepping towards the group around him.

Ywaine steps forward as Orathy moves, "Back off y'all," he booms as he steps a quick two step - he drops the great bow's aim and takes one size fourteen boot, seeking to teep kick the other man - not to hurt him, but push him well away from the hurt man and off his balance. "Stay 'way from 'em! Sir, y'all stay down. Don't move that leg." he booms to the hurt, arrow-shot man. For a big man, he can move fast!

"Orathy, behind you right!" Belladonna calls out even as Alrec is dragging her in and towards the nearest cover. She doesn't fight him any, though she doesn't *help*, because she's absolutely not watching where she's going, leaving the movement to him while her head is turned so she can stare back at Orathy and the others.

Civilians are currently either being shoved around by Mathias, guided around by Reese or just plain running in panic all around the group. Most of the people seem willing to listen to Reese, actually except for one particular man, a noble man. He walks straight at her, unsheathing his sword, and without warning attacks her. The wounded man, he looks to be in so much pain and then, suddenly, he snarls and launches himself at Tobias. Oh and those arrows are still raining. But they aren't aimed at anyone specific, no, they seem to be aimed at random civilians, purposely creating chaos. "Get the Duchess, quick!" A woman cries out, one that Mathias was shoving to safety, and she reaches to try and get her weapon. While another woman, off Belladonna's warning hurries to try and stab Orathy.

Orathy has rolled a critical success!
Orathy checked strength + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 85, 65 higher than the difficulty.

Mathias checked strength + huge wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 51, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Reese checked strength + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 71, 51 higher than the difficulty.

Ywaine checked strength + small wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 27, 7 higher than the difficulty.

"Blades, to me! Put this thing down." Tobias calls out to his squad as he gets into posture to attack. With a Grunt, Tobias gives with deadly seriousness, "Best tell your Master in the next life to just curl up and die."

Suddenly doing a good thing is turning into a fucking annoyance! Orathy gets booted for all his efforts and staggers back away from Ywaine and the man on the ground. There's a loud grunt from the Culler, one that suggests he's rather pissed off at being so ... gently treated. "Wha the fuck youse doin?!" Seeing Tobias pull a sword has him unbelt his axe, "Don't fucking ---" And then there's someone trying to stab him as he hears Belladonna's cry... looking to his right, in time to get the back haft of his axe up, clean sweep the weapon out of the other's hand and follow through with a whirlwind of black leathers and a hacking downward slash of that brutal axe, taking the woman's head CLEAN off in one arcing swipe, a rooster tail of blood hissing across the cobble stones as the lifeless body flops behind him.

Alrec checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 27, 12 higher than the difficulty.

Tobias has rolled a critical success!
Tobias checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 71, 51 higher than the difficulty.

Belladonna checked perception + leadership against difficulty 15, resulting in 18, 3 higher than the difficulty.

Reese has her silvery pink blade in hand. When the man attacks her, she fights back. The warrior princess tries to evade his blows and she tries to attack the man in return. She hears Tobias' cry and intends to back up in that direction, but the girl has to finish this fight first.

Mathias is quick to react. "No, ye don't." he quite calmly states to the woman... before stabbing her with his greatsword. He's a professional, quick and strong with the long rubicund blade, and more than that, he doesn't pause. No, whatever faces him... will die. If it's not dead already.

Ywaine checked strength + archery against difficulty 20, resulting in 51, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Belladonna checked command + leadership against difficulty 25, resulting in 23, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Ywaine spins as Orathy reacts, bringing up his great bow and getting arrows downrange - against the archers - or trying to, at least, to get their heads down, or at least some of them. "Bringer," he barks at Orathy as he's firing. "Don't touch him, y'all."

Alrec is evidently one with the tunnel vision. For him it is all about getting Belladonna to safety, however and wherever. He moves a hand to his blade, but only after he has taken hold of her with his other, and attempts to be at the ready should some danger leap directly before them. There is nothing fancy about his footwork, and he does not strike at any might come near. No, he is just doing the dance of getting the pair of them from cover to cover, keeping his declared precious cargo at bay from archer fire.

Orathy checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 25, resulting in 58, 33 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy bounces back a step to look over the place, his rubicund steel axe glistening with fresh spilled blood that oozes off the metal in show of his abilities. He nods to Alrec and fully suspects that the man take care of the Duchess. The other goons that are trying to muster themselves, he snorts at and spits down at their feet, "Have at it then." He meanwhile, turns tactics and bounds down the alley, using rubbish bins and the line to step leap upward, grabbing hold of a window ledge and then bouncing off onto hand holds that the buildings offer during due to design and placement of stone, pipes, and ledges. It's a deft scramble, one that shouldn't be replicated unless a person knew what they were doing. This guy apparently did but he was off in the shadows of the alley so, out of range from the archers.... And eventually he spider mans his way up the sidewall, hauling himself up the roof side and rolling over it to crouch low. Freeing his axe once more, it's clear that he means to take out the archers personally.

Alrec wields Steel Scimitar.

Reese wields Devotion, a silvery pink alaricite short sword.

"Watch for me," are Bella's quiet words for Alrec, clearly a command as she plants her feet and digs her heels in. He can pull on her hand, but he is now quite literally going to have to drag the little blonde. At least she waited until they were behind a bit of cover, rather than between moments of it. And she doesn't climb up on any crates, either! It's a win. "They are trying to frighten you!" Her voice lifts again, ringing out into the streets and carrying with a fair amount of strength behind it. "The buildings provide cover! Go inside, head down the street...." She calls out towards this group or that, doing her best to slow the whirl of chaos -- people do seem mostly to listen, though not all of them. No, some of them think it's a brilliant idea to run in circles in the middle of the street, apparently. Maybe not literally that, but still.

That poor sucker going for Orathy certainly doesn't survive that. And then there's the one attacking Reese, that one just meets the sword head on, and slumps against her and the weapon. Alrec keeps moving Belladonna from cover to cover, while Ywaine keeps the archers occupied enough that at least they are not targeting anyone specific yet. That wounded man that was truly a Bringer? He tries to take Tobias down, and for a moment seems that he might be able to resist, but nope, he gets torn down by the Crimson Blades leader. At Belladonna's urging, at lot of the civilians become more organized in their fleeing. Looking for cover, avoiding the archers, however some still run around like headless chicken. A few civilians that were running, also slow down, and this time, rather than try and attack those that obviously are prepared for them, they start turning against other civilians!

Orathy checked dexterity + stealth against difficulty 25, resulting in 45, 20 higher than the difficulty.

As for the one fighting Mathias, it takes a bad hit on the arm, which makes it unusable. But that Bringer still snarls and keeps coming at the man!

Mathias checked strength + huge wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 48, 28 higher than the difficulty.

Ywaine has rolled a critical success!
Ywaine checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 68, 48 higher than the difficulty.

Mathias doesn't seem discouraged from his lack of success in putting down the Bringer currently facing him. Instead, he takes the opportunity given by the female Bringer snarling at him to stab her again. No witty repartee, no boast or prayer to the Gods. Mathias is in his battle trance, and doesn't lose his breath with those. No, he'll just continue stabbing. He's good at that.

Reese's silvery pink blade is left stained with the noble man's blood. She leaves him to lie there, bleeding on the ground. Her blue eyes are somber and pregnant with sorrow as she turns toward the bringer. She heads toward Tobias, watching as he takes down the possible bringer. She then scans the area checking for any other possible foes.

When the little blonde Duchess is digging in her heels, Alrec whirls upon her and shoots an incredulous look. It is mercifully brief however, for with her becoming difficult to move in such a manner, his focus must be on remaining alert and making certain there is no grand incoming. Make no mistake though, at the first hint of overwhelming odds, he will be throwing her over his shoulder if need be.

Mathias checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 61, 41 higher than the difficulty.

Ywaine can see from his peripheral vision what Orathy is doing. The big man turns into an archer -machine-, stepping neatly between the arrows that are fired on him as he increases his rate of fire to keep the heads down of the archers. The great bow - tall and wide - is quieter than normal thanks to it's design, arrows flying from the huge man in the direction of the various buildings as his body moves from muscle memory. Draw, nock, cheek to arrow, aim, fire, repeat, over and over again. He appears to be giving Orathy covering fire, as well as trying to reduce the output of the enemy archers.

"Prepared ambush." Tobias states simply. "Crimson Blades, keep the Duchess safe. I'll handle these." Tobias orders of the infantry with him as Tobias starts to head towards the chaos himself. Mathias has his well in hand, as do Orathy and Ywaine. Tobias starts to clank over to the chaostic ambush and starts to cut down obvious attackers.

Tobias checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 32, 12 higher than the difficulty.

There's plenty of places to hide behind up on a roof top. Smoke stacks, chimneys, the arches in the rooves themself is there are any. Orathy uses everything he can to his advantage, inching close enough to one of the archers nearest to where he climbed up the roof and likely the first one he had seen aiming at Belladonna. Rolling the axe haft in his palm to have the pointed talon on the opposite side as the blade, does he work his way rather tactfully, until he's near enough. The archer doesn't even have a chance to cry out. That pointed talon is bunted with enough force to go through the guy's ear and kill him instantly. Not to give away his position, Orathy uses his free hand to drag the archer a ways back, to hide behind one of the obstacles upon the roof. He looks over toward where the rest of the archers are, narrowing his eyes as he judges the best approach. Already stepping over the dead to head toward the next one. ARCHER DEAD.

She sees no Looks. Belladonna is instead intent on continuing to lift her voice, and when some of the people turn on each other, she's whistling sharply and calling out, "Green building, Bringer, attacking civilians!" That's sharper and for those nearby, though she barely takes a breath between that and calling out to divert a group from heading right towards one of the people tearing through the others.

Reese looks toward Belladonna at her words. She then nods in her direction. The princess then heads quickly toward the green building, her blood stained silvery pink blade still drawn.

Orathy checked perception + streetwise against difficulty 15, resulting in 32, 17 higher than the difficulty.

After a few more exchanges, the woman going for Mathias just meets her end thanks to his blade. Ywaine just dances between those arrows, forcing the archers to take over when he starts shooting back at them. Some of the attackers turn against Tobias, trying to fight the man back. Not far from Belladonna and Alrec, a young girl. Blonde. She gets separated from her father from the looks of it and falls to her knees, crying and confused.

Reese has rolled a critical success!
Reese checked perception + war against difficulty 15, resulting in 26, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Tobias checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 20, resulting in 30, 10 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 25, resulting in 24, 1 lower than the difficulty.

Orathy checked stamina against difficulty 10, resulting in 22, 12 higher than the difficulty.

Tick, tock. Evidently that has been long enough for them to be in one area for Alrec. Especially so with the Duchess calling forth from their hiding spot. Alrec is gripping her firmly upon the upper arm and yanking once, to signal their going, before attempting to go to the next area of cover. As to the child, there's not even a second glance to the girl. At least not one that would indicate he would aid her.

Mathias checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 20, resulting in 31, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Reese cries out. "Tobias! Incoming left!". The Princess then rushes forward, changing courses and trying to charge those who are rushing at Tobias.

Turns out Bringers aren't invincible, especially not when forty-two inches of red steel punch through their bodies and sever their spine. Yet, for good measure, Mathias decapitates the Bringer before turning to see what's going on. His eyes fall on the little girl crying, and something triggers in the Knight of Solace. Heedless of the arrows, of the Bringers, he rushes for the girl and picks her up, not even stopping in his run, not until they're safely under cover. "Stay here, girl, all right? Don't come out until I get back to ye and tell ye it's safe, all right?"

Orathy is thankful for the covering fire that Ywaine provides. He knows how many archers are up there now. He makes a move to charge after them! Unfortunately it can't be that he's batman the whole time! As he's bounding over one section of the roof, one of the rows of slated tiles gives way, slipping from underneath his foot. He crashes down heavily on the steeply slanted roof, leathers helping him to slide down almost out of control. At the last moment, he plants his axe spike into the roof and hangs there, half his body swaying off the ledge of the roof, with those roof tiles shattering on the ground as they hit. He swings his legs back and forth, trying to get a grip again, anything, to haul himself out before the archers start using him as a pin cushion. "Too old fer this shit!"

"Alrec!" Bella is yanked and drug those first few steps before she squawks that at him, waving her free hand towards that little girl and...oh, Mathias is rushing for the girl. She stops trying to jerk that way and is instead suddenly moving with Alrec again, though she's still doing her best to direct the crowds, using her voice more than anything else. She might be quiet a whole lot of the time, but she certainly knows how to make certain she's heard.

Ywaine checked strength + archery against difficulty 20, resulting in 26, 6 higher than the difficulty.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 71, 51 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked strength against difficulty 15, resulting in 28, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Belladonna checked command + leadership against difficulty 20, resulting in 31, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Ywaine puts base in his voice - that Iron Guard voice of 15 yrs, the man who trained the Guard and has that drill sergeant boom. "KICK. GUY. ROLL. NOW!" he booms at the top of his voice - trying to reach Orathy, as he pulls an arrow, nocks, draws, and aims at the archer most likely to hit Orathy - or he thinks - and he hopes he's fast enough, for a big fella. And that Orathy gets the yell.

Tobias doesn't say a word. The tall, bald armored Telmar just lays into the attackers like the large armored benemoth he is, dancing with the attackers as Requiem becomes a well attuned extension of himself as he both keeps the Bringers busy, and does as much damage as he can to give the others time to regroup... the clanking from his armor and the sounds of Alaricite blade finding flesh the only sounds coming from his fight.

Alrec checked perception + war against difficulty 15, resulting in 22, 7 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy's axe was planted deep into the roof, so that when Ywaine calls out to him, he can roll his shoulder and dangle by a hand, gripping that axe haft. Arrows zing by him. "Going to so fucking rip youse fuckers a new asshole!" He bellows over toward the enemy archers as he rolls with a swing back around, second hand gripping at the roof, clawing with some god given strength as he hauls himself up from dangling there like a dummy target over the roof. He keeps wiggle clawing his way up until he can plant a foot back on the roof, with an exhaled pant. Wrenching his axe free, he regains his footing and continues for those archers; a little more careful where he puts his feet.

Reese is all shiny in her silvery steel as she charges at the attackers on Tobias. She strikes at one of the men with all this expert skill, likely cutting him down. She stays close to Tobias, continuing to fight those on the Telmar.

Tobias engaging those attackers at least gives the civilians trying to make their escape some reprieve. And with those archers currently in cover, thanks to Ywaine, there is no rain of arrows going out yet. But off Reese's warning, some of those Bringers that were going for Tobias turn against her to engage her. The father of the little blond girl scrambles looking for her. "Mira!" He calls out, turning, spinning, trying to find that poor girl. Thanks to Belladonna's attempts to direct the crowds, however, he finds himself running towards the girl and Mathias, who just happened to scoop her up. The father looks very thankful. Meanwhile, on the rooftops the archers have now turned their attention to poor Orathy. Four of them. WOOSH. Three, since Ywaine takes one out with an arrow. The other three break into a run accross the rooftops, trying to escape.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 58, 43 higher than the difficulty.

Tobias checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 36, 16 higher than the difficulty.

Mathias checked strength + huge wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 66, 46 higher than the difficulty.

There is an answering snarl -- yes, snarl -- from Alrec, "No." Just that, proof that he saw the little girl and even more proof that he did not care. No, he is just racing with her to their next point and quite thankful when she ceases fighting him. However suddenly he is changing course, swiftly trying to wing Bella to one side of him with greater cover as he steps before her, readying weapon.

Ywaine draws another arrow, spinning. Eyes take in the far rooftops - where Orathy is, where the fleeing men are. He takes aim, trying to take out the lead man - the furthest one from Orathy - tracking him for one, two seconds before he lets the somewhat silenced arrow go from his great bow, his big forearm flexing as he does.

Orathy checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 25, resulting in 21, 4 lower than the difficulty.

"Lay low until things are calm again." Mathias tells the father of the girl before getting back into the fight. Reese seems to have found herself the most attention from the Bringers, and as Mathias rushes to join her fight, he's able to stab one of them from behind, using the point of his greatsword with great effect.

Tobias finally gives a grunt as he sees Reese getting swarmed as well. No time to do anything about it though, since Tobias is surrounded himself and keeping three of them locked down. Swing. Clank. Dodge. Swing. Clank. Swing. Swing. Clank. The armor behemoth is holding his own, at least.

What are thrown daggers for if not to be thrown?! Orathy is quick to pull out one of his knives and hurl it toward one of the fleeing archers. It sinks into one of the dormers with a solid thunk. He leaps and bounds over the roof regardless, pausing long enough to retrieve it before he pursues the fleeing archers. He has no idea what's going down on the ground, his attention is only the roof tops, a whole different world up here!

Belladonna checked command + leadership against difficulty 20, resulting in 40, 20 higher than the difficulty.

Reese is surrounded by four bringers. Is she frightened? Probably! She has devotion drawn and keeps fighting the creature. The Grayson princess princes seems to be quite skilled with her alatricite blade. When Mathias rushes forward, taking down one of the bringers on her, she looks relieved. Reese is far too busy to thank him though as she keeps swinging, attacking and trying to parry the incoming strikes.

There is no answering snarl for Alrec, no anger or apparent offense. Belladonna instead just lets him pull her along, though there's a startled sound as she's winged to the side and Alrec is stepping between her and something. She is prompt to turn her attention, both to scan the field where Alrec cannot see, and so she can continue to holler out to people that might need hollaring at.

Having his greatsword punch through Bringer spines is becoming a specialty of Mathias at this rate. He doesn't stop to ponder on the fact, however, going right on attacking the next Bringer in sight. The swifter they're done here, the sooner they can aid Tobias' efforts in bringing down the rest of the Bringers.

The fight on the ground continues and as Mathias approaches Reese's attackers, he takes one out right away. Reese takes one out herself, and Tobias cuts down another one. Seeing what's happening to their numbers, the four Bringers left just break into a sudden run, heading for the buildings to try and climb them up. Meanwhile, Alrec manages to pull Belladonna out of the way just in time as a young woman tried to stab her with a dagger. The street is certainly not silent now, and people are hurt. Some of them, look over to the Duchess of Setarco and her protector. On the rooftops, Orathy misses one of the runners, who turns around and brandishing a blade jumps at the man to try and tackle him off that rooftop.

Ywaine checked strength + archery against difficulty 25, resulting in 48, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Alrec checked strength + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 45, 25 higher than the difficulty.

Mathias checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 25, resulting in 67, 42 higher than the difficulty.

Tobias checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 25, resulting in 46, 21 higher than the difficulty.

Reese checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 25, resulting in 36, 11 higher than the difficulty.

Orathy checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 48, 28 higher than the difficulty.

When the bringers break and run, Reese chases after with her pink sword drawn, the girl trying to cut down the fleeing creatures. She is rather fast, checking up with one of the monsters. The girl then tries to cut him down.

"I don't think so." Tobias gives with neutral, deadly seriousness. Tobias brings into a run that has clanking noises echoing over the street. Large armored Behemoth can *run*, and Requiem is out and ready to sink into their backs.

Ywaine checked strength + archery against difficulty 25, resulting in 40, 15 higher than the difficulty.

"Oh no ye don't." Mathias growls when he sees the Bringers flee, and he gives chase at once. He's swift, and apparently the battle lust is still within him, for he catches up to the Bringers without issue, ready to make use of his greatsword until they're all dead. Thankfully, he doesn't need large spaces to make use of his blade. It's made for thrusts, not wide slashing.

Ywaine draws another arrow, moving smoothly. Smooth is fast, fast is smooth as he was taught. He aims at the remaining men on the roof - carefully aiming, letting the arrow fletching rest near his cheek before it near silently flies from his great bow at his target!

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 59, 39 higher than the difficulty.

Leaping over valleys in the roof tops and scaling shingles in the next to swing up over the next ledge, he sees in time the guy coming for him, ducking the attempted tackle and instead coming around with a swift kick that is followed by a hard check of his axe, returning the favor to the archer. He'll send the guy sailing off the roof! The archer does a good screaming AHHHHHHHHHHHHH as he realizes that he's so doomed... Gravity sucks! Orathy doesn't need to look to know the archer SPLATS somewhere on the ground, heaving himself over another valley of pitches to follow after the remaining archers. Determined.

The creatures are breaking and running, and Alrec has a fight behind her. Belladonna is attentive enough to him, but she does straighten up again, trying to slink out to where she can actually see the street, and the people. She does at least let Alrec stay between her and that young wqoman. "Hold, you, there! You two! Back up, help that woman." There are hurt people and there are frightened people, and she continues to do her best to clear the street of them, to direct those who can to help those that cannot. Wounded are being aimed at the inn, for the moment, and she does find a couple of someone's to run and fetch medical aid. She is of course at least somewhat paying attention to the fight Alrec is in as well, of course.

WOOSH. One more archer gets an arrow to the knee and is out. Thanks to Ywaine. That leaves two. One who is fighting Orathy and one that is about to escape! Meanwhile, another pursuit starts across the buildings opposite to the one Orathy is fighting on. Mathias just climbs his building like he's going up a stairwell, Tobias follows through easily, and Reese lags behind bug is also pursuing. Those four Bringers they were fighting at still running. Another shot takes the one runner out. And one fighting Orathy? He tries and trade blows with the man, but gets pushed off the side of the rooftop. "Aaaaah." He certainly goes splat. The commoners on the ground are happy to get some direction from Belladonna, and the woman that Alrec was fighting meets her end at his blade. Now, those four bringers that were running away...

Tobias checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 35, 15 higher than the difficulty.

Mathias checked strength + huge wpn against difficulty 20, resulting in 59, 39 higher than the difficulty.

From ignoring little girls to rushing to engage random women on the street, evidently Alrec has no shame. He is sweeping toward one particular female that is approaching them, his blade at the ready, and sure enough he is seeking to dispatch her as swiftly as possible so that he can turn back to his task. Fate is with him and the battle is short enough. He does not bother to clean his blade before returning to his liege's side, surveying the scene and defaulting to an 'at guard' position.

Orathy checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 40, resulting in 61, 21 higher than the difficulty.

Ywaine checked dexterity + archery against difficulty 40, resulting in 38, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Ywaine tries to hit the last guy - dodging target, far away, you can see half of him - that's a hard target. Ywaine adjusts for the range and wind automatically, the angle, and there's a tiny bit of luck and chance in there as well. He lets the great bow arrow fly - trying to hit the fleeing man.

The one that Reese was pursuing, stumbles and the princess is on him cleanly finishing him off. Mathias gets one that decides he wants to fight, jumping at the man but after trading a few blows finds himself impaled by that greatsword, in the stomach then sliding off it and falling off a rooftop, "Aaaaaah." The one Tobias was after ends up at a dead end, facing a wall he can't climb. He scrambles to try and go up the smooth wall, hissing at Tobias as the leader of the Crimson Blades approaches. This leaves one Bringer running across rooftops, and one Orathy who is how in pursuit. WOOSH. That arrow from Ywaine barely misses that poor running Bringer. On the ground, thanks to Belladonna, who's been kept safe by Alrec, things have calmed down.

These are skills that are practical but he probably shouldn't be showcasing. Maybe no one will be looking when he does it! Orathy busts his ass to get that last target fleeing. It's pretty incredible to watch him navigate the roof tops, each one he's getting somewhat lower to the ground and then fling himself off in what must be dangerous reckless timing, twin daggers poised in his hands like fangs, coming down on top of the Bringer.

Mathias has apparently decided to mock climbers with the ease which he displays getting up the building, getting his greatsword out as soon as he reaches the top, just in time to stab at one of the fleeing Bringers. Or not, apparently it decided to fight, and gets impaled for its poor decision-making. Now left without a Bringer to kill, he looks around to see if there aren't any more fleeing adversaries to introduce to the pavement below.

"CLEAR!" booms Ywaine to Tobias, as he nocks another arrow. A nod to Orathy, if he looks that way, the big man calling, "Owe ya a few ales, y'all know," he says as he glances over his shoulder at Alrec, "Clear, ah reckon, if'n y'wanna exfil her on out, archers done taken care of."

Perfect! Alrec is not grabbing and dragging her again. Belladonna's attention swings away entirely when the young woman falls, back to the people that seem to be settling down now. She watches more than she yells, and then eventually stops hollering entirely save for as those last bits that might be needed, returning herself to Alrec's side as she starts scanning the rooftops, taking stock of the mess that all of this called. She is at least behaving for the moment and not approaching any wounded herself. Or going too near anyone she doesn't know.

Orathy's daggers mark the Bringer he tackles to the roof top from the leveraged jump of the other he had been on, searing into flesh at either sides of the Bringer's neck, severing the spinal cord with a flash of twin blades made by WaveHowler arms! With the heavy momentum aided by that reckless jump, the two crash to the roof, but only one manages to stand and it sure as hell isn't the Bringer. Not after Orathy rises and then sheathes his daggers, to proceed to take the Bringer's head clean off with a downward stroke of his axe.

Reese reaches the bringer who stumbled, the girl driving her silvery pink sword into his chest. Once the creature has perished, she sucks in a sharp breath, taking a step back from the body. She looks a bit stunned.

"It's clear over here!" Mathias announces, his voice loud enough to carry to anyone who might be in the area. He begins his descent back to the street level, reaching it without too much trouble. Just out of principle, Mathias heads over to the last Bringer he killed to cut the thing's head off, before heading towards the group. "Ye were the target, Duchess. While it ain't my place to tell ye what to do, reckon ye might want to stay low at your place for a while." the Knight of Solace tells her, before looking around to the others. "Good job everyone. Work well done." he says, sheathing his blade, and then he's back to helping the wounded and the scared civilians. Maybe looking around for the little girl and her father, to make sure they're all right.

*Clank* *BOOM* Tobias makes no attempt to be subtle as his armor crashes into the wall and he starts to climb up, sword on his belt for a moment. Small clanks highlight gauntlets and sollerets as he practices being spiderman himself. Eventually though, the armored man getd on the rooftop and continues pursuing the Bringer. As the Bringers gets to the edge though, Tobias stops in reaction, before he holds up his sword again. Seeing the hiss, Tobias runs are the thing and runs the Bringer right through in the chest. Then, he whispers something to it, before he cleaves up and through it's head, before he kicks the body off the roof and to the ground below. "I hear you, Lt." Tobias booms his voice. "Crimson Blades, cleanup! Get the civilians off the streets, and keep watch for anything new!" Tobias orders from the rooftop.

Alrec responds by way of a chin-up acknowledgement-slash-gratitude offering toward Ywaine when he is updating him. That being said, his blade is neither cleaned nor put away just yet. It is going to be a menacing stroll that the pair of them take when they are on the move once more. He eases in close to the Duchess, speaking a few low words to her before taking hold of her upper arm and starting to march again. The travel is going to be with a weary eye.

Orathy checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 30, 15 higher than the difficulty.

"Left side, right side, split the section," Ywaine booms to the heavy infantry, "Blockin' positions, boys." He continues to scan the rooftops, lifting his bow as he comes around Tobias, to avoid aiming at the general. To Reese he says - more gently, "Scan the area. Wounded? We gotta drag 'em to a place to get 'em checked out. Check the doorways, windows. Are folks tryin' to sucker us into more of an' ambush?"

Orathy looks over the ledge of the roof top he's still crouched on, sitting over the dead Bringer. He spits to the side, hearing Ywaine from down blow, a gloved hand is lifted, saluting the other's aid. And then it's merely a matter of putting a boot to the Bringer's body to roll it off the roof... WOOOOOOOSH. THUDDD.

Orathy will clear the other bodies off roof tops too... no need for them to rot in the sun!

Gaze swinging back down when Alrec takes hold of her, Belladonna frowns for a moment. "Master Culler is still here," she points out, even as she's nodding to Mathias. "Thank you," she tells the man, bowing her head to him. And, well, she's letting Alrec start to walk her away, leaning in to reply to him quietly. She might be reluctant to go, but she'll go.

Reese looks toward Ywaine, nodding in response to his words. She then goes about, trying to help the wounded.

Leaving Ywaine to handle ground affairs for now, Tobias climbs down from his rooftop with practiced ease, before he starts to help with cleanup. "Probably more in the city." Tobias says soberly. "But we'll get em."

Ywaine guides the Crimson Blades to help secure the area, help Alrec if he wants it to help get the Duchess out, and make sure the wounded are organized together and the Mercies are called to tend to them. Of course with Orathy helping bring the bodies down there's the post-fight analysis to do - the gritty job of checking belts and pockets and tunics to see if there's any intelligence to gather from them.

Rumor spreads about an attempt on the life of Duchess Belladonna Pravus at the Ward of the Lyceum by a group of Bringers. Tales of archers on the rooftops raining arrows on civilians, and people turning on each other are sung by bards, along with the story of the survival of the Duchess thanks to the intervention of a group of brave heroes. Among those named are Princess Reese Grayson, Alrec Magaldi, Mathias Coaldus, Lord Tobias Telmar, Lord Ywaine Telmar and Orathy Culler. Word at the Hundred Cities also is that the duchess valiantly managed to keep the crowd on the streets from a full panic, while ensuring the wounded received prompt aid. The attempt by the Bringers was a failure, but with such a blatant yet coordinate attack it's become obvious that truly, nobody is safe as long as the enemy hides within us.

Orathy turns as he stands with a captain morgan pose over one of the dead, brow lifted as he watches Belladonna and Alrec head out. With a shake of his head, he laughs, "Aye Sir... Let us get some fuckin drinks!"