Map of Fort
This thread will hold the action for the gate and the walls. Initial post is visible by all; visibility-limited posts follow.

The four of you approach the walls and hail them (not many alternatives). At your plea to be admitted, Soldier Doom replies, "I got orders from Mako. He said, and I quote, 'Doom, if you open those gates after dark, I will skin you and use your hide to tie them back shut."
After your natural protest, he continues, "Now wait, wait. I din't say I wouldn't let you in. It's obvious the girl your carrying is hurt. Give us a moment to rig a sling and we'll pull you up like we did Red and Bandit."
A few anxious minutes pass, then a rope harness is lowered. You notice that there are two archers trained upon you. "Come on up," says Doom. "But be warned, we are currently under attack. Anything funny and we'll put holes through you." He, as always, looks deadly serious.
Assuming you agree, you are pulled up and may resume posting from the top of the wall.
OOC: Rath, I am assuming that you have taken heed of Celeste's comment, and are again wearing your bulky shirt.

Celeste will let Beka and Rath go first, so Beka can be tended to as quickly as possible. She reasons that she has a better chance of holding off any attack that comes at them, since Beka is ill and Rath would be trying to protect Beka and fight at the same time, so better they go first and quickly. Falchion is drawn and she keeps her back to the wall, watching the edge of the forest and waiting for the rope.

Celeste, you are almost positive you hear Houma's voice from the darkness of the jungle. He is shouting some kind of order, perhaps berating his troops. Arrows begin to whistle in your direction. That rope is a long time coming down. Several of the shatter against the stone wall behind you, one almost pierces your foot.
Finally the harness comes down. Now you see your danger. In the harness, you are a perfect target. But you have no other place to avid arrows, so as they pull up, you begin swinging left and right, kicking of the wall to give you movement.
Finally, they pull you over. Beka and Rath are up there, as well as Peaches. Doom looks angry or upset, hard to tell which. He asks the party, "What the Kings went on out there?"

"Doom, we have some serious trouble brewing. Master Ash is the one responsible for all the Reaver and Riven attacks. He is somehow controlling the Reavers. There is no protection against them now. That cockroach looking one is the field leader, some of us need to go take care of Master Ash while some take out the cockroach. I'm volunteering to go after Ash. The Adept that came in with us has been corrupted by Ash, so don't trust him either."

"A skeletal looking female who goes by the name of Bones. She's stronger than she looks. She's also incredibly hard to hit, and she sees in the dark.OOC: Why am I suddenly picturing Master Ash as looking like the traitor android "Ash" from Aliens?

Doom says to Rath, "Whoa now, big fella. That's a hefty charge! You better have something better than hearsay to back it up. I ain't about to go accusing a Highmaster of treason, especially on the say-so of a stranger. He's been Master of the Fort, and done a decent job too, for nearly two years."
The soldiers looked disturbed by this accusation, and some have frank looks of disbelief.
Doom continues, "You have any proof?"

To Celeste, another soldier says, " 'Bones'? Ah, poor Sandra. She's still alive, then. She was one of our linemen."

"That they would have the world today, not tomorrow, and that I could be a part of it. She said, 'Just play along, it isn't so bad.' I think she would rather be here, but she feels she has no other choice now that she is riven."

"Look, I was spying on the group I heard them talk about Ash being the Master of the Riven. You have a choice, you can believe me and take care of the traitor, or you can watch as you and everyone in this town is turned into Riven. The walls will not protect you and the chain at the harbor is probably not working either. The reavers will come right in, directed by Ash. If you choose not to believe me, then I will do everything I can to get my party out of here before it's too late. If you don't believe me then we can't win, and there is nothing the party can do to help you."

To Doom and the assembled guards, "Look at what's out there, Riven and Reavers...you know Bones, Sandra as you call her. Do you think she is powerful enough to control a reaver? And not just one but three? You know it has to be someone strong. And you know it has to be someone inside this fort, why else would they be attacking? The real question is not 'who' but 'why?'."

Doom remains solid. "Why? That's what I'd like to know, too. Why don't you tell me why the Master would want reavers and riven to destroy his own fort? It doesn't make sense.
"Who told you this? A riven? They're either addled or fiendishly crafty. Sounds like something they'd tell you so's that you would come in here and ruin morale.
"Besides, not even the Master could control multiiple reavers. No one can. No, you've been lied to. I'd drop that kind of talk. It can get you in a world of trouble."

"A riven that had no idea that I was spying. Who had no reason to lie or to make things up since he thought he was only talking to his troops. C'mon Celeste it's obvious that they aren't going to believe us, let's see if we can gather the others and get out of here before it's too late. We can come back and collect the wagons when it's all over."

"Wait a moment," says Doom. You can gather your folk together, but without word from the Commander, no one is leaving this fort. It's certain death out there."
At this moment, a runner comes racing toward the wall. He bounds up the stairs, taking three at a time.
"Reavers! Reavers!" he is shouting. "Reavers beyond the harbor!"
He finally arrives at the top, and addresses Doom. "Ruh--Reavers beyond the Harbor. We've got reinforcements sitting out there, but the reavers have them pinned. I can't find the Commander anywhere!"

"Well Doom, it's certain death in here too if you don't take care of the tratior. Just have someone go look after Ash, make up the excuse that you are sending extra guards. Where is Mako isn't he the commander?"

Rath turns to the runner, "Where are the rest of the people that came on the caravan with us?"

"The Fox and that Raccon are down by the harbor. I haveno idea where the rest of your people are." He looks obviously stricken.

in the jungle come back to Celeste, .oO(Demon King artifact...) She looks quickly at Beka, (in no condition to speak?) and back to Doom..."Beka said something about Ash having a Demon King artifact to control the reavers." Looking back at Beka, she says, "We need to have her seen to, is there anyone here who can treat her besides the adepts?"

"Demon King artifact? Your story gets harder to swallow all the time. Nevertheless, take your friend to the infirmary. Lt. Stout can see to her. He's not a healer, only a doctor."

"He's never going to believe us, not until they have all become riven. Let them join their friends out there for all I care," Celeste gestures to the area outside the fort walls. "Do you want to take Beka to the infirmiry? I'll go check on Ricco and Faliol." Summarily dismissing Doom from her thoughts, she turns to go down the steps and make her way over to the sally port to check on the harbor crew.OOC:Third time's a charm

[EDITED on Mon February 10, 2003 @2:34 PM (PST)]

[EDITED on Mon February 10, 2003 @2:37 PM (PST)]

"Yeah I'll bring Beka to see the doctor. I just wish there was something
we could do to make them see"

not a healer, just a doctor. Poison, cold...

OOC: OK, I've had a cold and been on the couch for 3 days. Horrible way to spend a long weekend off. Totally not fair! And I missed all this stuff too! AAUGH!

OOC: Ash is corrupted, and Nuyok may be co-opted, do you really want either one of them mucking about with your morphia?

Doctor, not adept.

Rath is taking you to see Lt. Stout. He is a doctor.

Vagrant is huffing his way down the hill toward the gate. His expression is, as always, unreadable.
Coming up the hill from the opposite direction are Rath and Beka. Both are wounded and Rath is carrying Beka, who looks tired and sick.
This is plainly visible, even by the meager light that comes from the quarter moon, hanging midway up the sky. What is slightly less visible (Make a perception roll on thehonor system) is a boat in the waters well beyond the harbor. It is surrounded by reavers.

On the map, you are at the crossroads directly east of the long Stable building between the Trader and the Blacksmith.

OOC: Rolled an 8 on PER"Vagrant we are in trouble...Master Ash is responsible for all the trouble in the town, but we can't get anyone to believe us. I think Ash has done something to Nuyok too. We need to gather up the caravan and protect each other. The the people of the fort don't want to believe us, then let them fend for themselves. I think Beka has been poisoned by one of the riven...Look over there in the harbor a boat with...by the gods..."

You are fairly certain you saw the characterisic glow of Nuyok's lumina shining from one of the tiny figures down on the dock.

"I vote we take down Ash. His exhaltedness deserves a
little attention. If anything I'll cough on him. He
won't be prepared for that."

"I vote we take down Ash. His exhaltedness deserves a
little attention. If anything I'll cough on him. He
won't be prepared for that."

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LOOK! (pointing at the harbor)
Rath, put me down, we need to go help them! Or get out of here! Or get our friends together, and get out of here!

We need to get to Ash's place and find him and whatever is controlling these things.

Let's go!

OK, I am going, I just need to take it a little slower... (stupid poison).

"WAIT!"
I have a plan, Rath, lets go to Ash's manor house. When we get there, you hold me up by the arms, I'll dangle uselessly. When they answer the door, show whoever it is your other arms. Just a peek. Tell them you've come because Master Ash wants someone to protect him. Act all... enthralled.
OOC: Im-ho-tep, Im-ho-tep
If they ask about me, tell them I'm with you and you're going to see me riven so we can be together. THEN, when we get inside close to Ash, GO FOR HIM! But, do it slowly enough that he has time to pull out whatever he's using to control the Reavers. Maybe he'll try to use it to control you. Once we know what it is, we can destroy it!
If we see any of our friends, we should take them with us. (Only if they'll come QUICKLY, no time for discussion or arguments).
How badly am I poisoned? Can I focus for one good blow? Am I fighting it off with all the adrenaline? Am I getting worse?
How's that sound? Let's go, looking at Rath and Vagrant...

OOC: You are at approximately half stun and half con, as well as injured. You can fight, but you won't last long.

Lets go!
I go...

"When I suggested nearly the same thing, you all said that it was a bad idea
because Ash is a Master, now that Beka says it it's a good idea?"

"Rath, my friend, I doubt I was the one that shunned
your opinion. Generally, I have little to say on
these things,instead, leaving decisions to those that
understand the workings of things a bit better then a
simple peddler like me. However, I am getting quite
fed up with the extent of this wayside stopover and
from the way people talk of Ash. I think he deserves
to loose a notch or two regardless of whether his acts
are good or evil."

=====
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"Well then let's go pay a visit to Ash,"

OOC: Unless someone disagrees, I will try Beka's plan, if I meet resistance, well I still have my ax

and it was the right one. I didn't know how bad things would be here, I was hoping we could find our friends and assess the situation. I don't think we have much chance against a Master, but now that I see what's going on I think he will have to divide his attention and we may get lucky. You were right the first time. It was your idea and it looks like the only hope we have. Before we do this, I just want you to know, you were right, I'm counting on you, and I love you Rath."
.oO(Rath know what I mean, Vagrant might be confused but oh well...)