<div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">EDIT: spellchecking  <img alt="&gt;.&gt;" src="./images/smilies/shifty.gif" title="Shifty eyes"/></div></div></div><br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Dagnyr wrote:</cite>"With all due respect watchman Niberos, an ale tent really isn't much cover. If we're going to get anyone to safety we'll need a solid building, preferably stone, to shelter them in. An ale tent won't stop anything that catches the scent or sounds of those inside."</div></blockquote><br/>"I agree," Alyssa says. "But at least the tent will keep them out of  sight while we search for a defensible structure." She scans the edge of the square in dismay; nothing but open-air stalls and glass storefronts, built for showiness rather than security. They'd be no better protection than the tents against a determined attacker, and far more visible besides. It looks like they'll have to leave the square to find anything remotely secure... but where?<br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Dagnyr wrote:</cite>"I don't really like the idea of simply falling back though. Surely there much be a larger, organized element of the watch or paladin orders we can regroup with and attempt to retake the dais..."</div></blockquote><br/>If he'd lit a sunrod over Alyssa's head at that moment, Dagnyr couldn't have been more illuminating. Of course, it should have been obvious to her of all people from the beginning- where else would an adjutant of the watch go for aid?<br/><br/>"The Old Prometa Watchhouse," she answers. "They'll have mobilized their garrison by now. If we head down Mercy Lane, we can meet them halfway, send the civilians on to the watchhouse under guard, then rejoin the battle with reinforcements."<span style="font-style: italic">Which only leaves the evacuation route,</span>she thinks, surveying the battlefield. It looks as if getting out won't be quite as simple as she'd hoped- even staying on the fringes, they'll have to dodge several of the larger demons to reach the Mercy Street exit. She might be able to slip by alone, but moving a group of civilians will be much harder. If only they had a distraction...<br/><br/>And at that moment, Rubin provides.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Knowledge (planes) to identify demon: 1d20 (13) + 20 = 33, pass<br/>Knowledge (planes) to identify celestial: 1d20 (15) + 20 = 35, pass</div></div></div><br/>The scene that appears before Alyssa now could have been one of the woodcut prints from her theology books: a balor, champion and overlord of the Abyss, locked in mortal combat with its heavenly counterpart, a star archon. For beings this powerful to join the battle, it must be serious indeed- all the more reason to move, and move<span style="font-weight: bold">now</span>, before she and the civilians are caught in the crossfire. And yet, when Alyssa tries to turn back to the ale tent to gather her charges, she finds that her body simply refuses to respond; be it from sheer terror, or awe-inspiring majesty, she can't tear eyes from the battle unfolding above. So she stands, and watches, her breath catching with each clash of Heavenly and Abyssal steel...<br/><br/>But while her body may frozen in place, be still her mind is still moving at a frantic pace, and keeps coming back to one question: where are the other Celestials? An invasion of this magnitude should have warranted an entire host of archons, not a lone defender- how will she deal with an entire demonic horde once their commander is felled? More importantly, can she even defeat<span style="font-style: italic">him</span>alone? More and more, it looks as if the demon may actually have the advantage over his Celestial counterpart- and then, in one dreadful moment, he removes all doubt, dragging the archon into a fiery final embrace. Alyssa finally finds her strength again, just in time to utter an abbreviated cry before her world explodes in white light...<br/><br/>Slowly, Alyssa's vision returns; blurry and painful at first, but gradually improving as her pupils readjust to the darkness. Through half-seeing eyes, she scans the square, fully expecting to see a renewed demonic assault, but only corpses and confused watchmen greet her.<span style="font-style: italic">No, that couldn't possibly be right...</span>She closes her eyes, shakes her head, and then looks again. Still no sign of the demons- it's as if they simply went up in smoke along with their Abyssal master. The first demonic incursion since the Age of War, ended in less time than a sparring match...<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">And thank Rubin it's over,</span>she tells herself... but she doesn't believe it for a second. The demons may be gone for now, but without the renewed Sealing wards, what's to keep them from returning at their leisure? For that matter, how did they break through the wards in the first place? And why haven't the Celestials responded? It's impossible to say for sure, but all signs so far point to foul play on a massive scale... and everyone present is a witness, and a potential suspect.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Well then... I suppose I'd better get started.</span><br/><br/>Alyssa slips her hands into the pouches on either side of her belt, and thinks:<span style="font-style: italic">Notebook. Pen.</span>A second later, she feels the weight of both items come to rest in her hands, and draws them out, flipping her notebook open to the first blank page in a practiced motion. "Pardon me," she begins as she approaches Celaire and Mina. "On behalf of the Prometan City Watch, I'd like to thank both of you for your assistance in defense of the city. If it's alright with you, I'd like to collect some information for the watch's investigation of the incident. If you could begin by giving me your names..."