<span style="font-weight: bold">&lt;&lt;OUSTIDE&gt;&gt;</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">This is not a good plan,</span>Garrus thinks to himself.<br/><br/>Unlike Alyssa, the werekin doesn't need second thoughts to tell him that he's about to be in deep trouble. His first thoughts (he would call them 'instincts') are already doing a fine job protesting the idiocy his plan as he vaults the windowsill, bounding from the low wall into the street at a ground-eating lope toward his targets. And he has to admit, they have a point. A lone soldier like him shouldn't be charging a formation, especially one led by Krura - or even a Krura lookalike, for that matter. It isn't as if he had much choice, of course. It was this or wait for<span style="font-style: italic">them</span>to charge<span style="font-style: italic">him</span>, at which point he'd be putting Mareth in harm's way - and without her magic, the entire mission would be pissed upstream. At least his idiot plan has a chance of keeping the sorceress safe, provided he can knock out the biggest threats before they can get to the window.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Starting with you, big guy,</span>Garrus decides as he rushes toward Dagnyr. In his glowing armor, the gnoll is an obvious target for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the threat that much magic could pose to Mareth's own spellcasting. Of course, the urging of another instinct doesn't hurt his decision - Garrus's palate has always been fond of hyena meat, and this one looks particularly well seasoned with nutrion magic. With the thought of a waiting meal pushing him forward, Garrus sprints just a little bit faster, his fur and swords blurring together in a streak of silver...<br/><br/>Only to have Dagnyr suddenly launch himself skyward, vanishing in a golden streak before the werekin is anywhere<span style="font-style: italic">near</span>striking range.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Well, so much for that fight,</span>Garrus thinks to himself as he watches the paladin's contrail disappear over the rooftop. A small part of him grumbles in disappointment at the loss of a nutrion, but there's not much he can do about it from down here - unless Dagnyr decides to come back for a duel later, he's strictly a Zeb and Leena problem for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, there are still two problems at street level that need tending to before they become a threat to Mareth or himself - and those, Garrus<span style="font-style: italic">can</span>do something about.<br/><br/>"Alright ladies," he says, eyeing the now-duo of Watchfolk. "I don't want any trouble from you, but I'm guessing I'm gonna get it anyway. So, which of you two wants to be the first to rumble?" The wolfman crosses his blades and settles into a guarded stance, awaiting the adjutant's reply - or, more likely, their opening gambit.<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;">Acrobatics (to jump the wall): 1d20 (13) + 11 = 24, success<br/><br/>Garrus readies an action. He's currently 20 feet from Alyssa and Larynn, and 40 feet from the house.<br/><br/>Mareth and White Fur take their actions in secret...</div></div></div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">&lt;&lt;ROOFTOP&gt;&gt;</span><br/><br/>"Take that, little minx," Zeb rasps gleefully at his perfect shot, enjoying the sound of his own voice as much as the obvious suffering of his blue-haired morsel below. The naga snickers in self-satisfaction as he watches Alyssa fight against the pain of his stinging barb, trying and failing to deliver an effective retort to his crippling attack. Clearly she won't be threatening anyone with that toy bow of hers for awhile. That leaves only the Krura and his lady friend to amuse himself with - and the rooftop stalker, of course, but Leena would tie him in a knot again if he interfered with<span style="font-style: italic">her</span>hunt. Better to stick to the unclaimed morsels down below.<br/><br/>But which one to take first? The dark-skinned morsel is tempting, at first; young and tender, her body would feel absolutely delightful squirming down his extended esophagus. However, the promise of nutrion-rich feline flesh is even more tantalizing than the woman's tenderness, and the idea of bagging a Krura  - Nemorosa's supposed top predator - is more than his gluttonous ego can pass up. Besides, it wouldn't do to have the big cat-creature sniping back at him while he pursued his other quarry, even if the Krura weren't exactly known for marksmanship.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Wait a second,</span>Zeb thinks, pausing.<span style="font-style: italic">Krura don't use bows at all...</span>Quickly sighting on the gray feline, he blinks in bedazzlement as the Krura vanishes in a flash of light, leaving a golden-furred gnoll standing in its place. Before Zeb can recover his wits from the first spectacle, the gnoll's body erupts in a second, brighter flash and is suddenly airborne, shooting upward like a glowing golden ballista bolt - straight toward the bewildered naga.<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;">Longbow #1: 1d20 (3) + 13 = 16, miss<br/>Longbow #2: 1d20 (8) + 8 = 16, miss</div></div></div><br/>Panicking, Zeb raises his bow and snaps off a hurried shot at the ascending paladin. At this distance, his aim is of little concern; Dagnyr is big and shiny enough that he should be impossible to miss. And, true to the naga's hopes, the shot is good - right up until it impacts with the shimmering chain armor and splinters harmlessly into a dozen pieces. Hissing in frustration, Zeb nocks and looses another shot, aiming for a less guarded section this time, only to have an armored forearm intervene and shatter the second arrow as well. That gaudy coat of Dagnyr's is tougher than it has any right to be!<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Impossible,</span>Zeb thinks to himself.<span style="font-style: italic">Chainmail shouldn't turn an arrow so easily... maybe they were bad shafts...</span>The naga starts to reach for a third arrow to test his suspicions, but thinks better of it and drops the weapon back into his quiver. Shifting his coils, he settles from a shooting stance into a lower, hunched posture, his arms half-crooked toward his opponent as his free hand flexes in preparation. Dagnyr's armor might be tough, but there are plenty of things that armor won't protect him against...<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;">Zeb uses a swift action to enter a stance.<br/><br/>Dagnyr can attempt a Sense Motive check to learn something about Zeb's fighting style.</div></div></div><br/>-----<br/><br/>Leena continues to saunter down the rooftop toward Kaelen's hiding place, unconcerned with - perhaps even oblivious to - the spectacle unfolding behind her. At the moment, her only interest is in the delightful smell wafting her way from the edge of the rooftop: a mouthwatering blend of nutrion magic and fear sweat, with undertones of leather and old herbs. A medicine man, she guesses from the latter, and maybe a predator sometime in the past.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">But not tonight,</span>Leena thinks to herself, grinning. The environment only has room for one apex predator, and it isn't the medicine man who sneaks around rooftops trying to avoid a werekin's nose with chimney soot. If he has any sense, he'll wise up and make a run for it before it's too late. If not...<br/><br/>Leena's tufted ears prick up in warning as Kaelen answers her challenge with a flurry of razored throwing discs, apparently still unclear on his place in the food chain. Leena's werekin reflexes are quick to react to the sudden assault, jerking her head away as the tiny blades slice through the empty space that was her eyeball a second earlier. But even her superhuman speed isn't quite enough, as three red lines across the side of her face indicate.<br/><br/>"Big mistake," Leena says, wiping the blood from her cheek. "You shoulda run away when you had the chance, tough guy. Now I don't even have to hunt for you anymore... 'cuz I know Exactly. Where. You. Are." Flicking her hand in Kaelen's direction, she launches a single droplet fresh blood from her clawtip toward the watchman's hiding place, grinning as it splatters and disappears in the empty air a foot from any visible surface.<br/><br/>"Tag," she growls, and lunges.<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;">Leena moves adjacent to Kaelen's square and pinpoints his location by scent!<br/><br/>Grapple: 1d20 (19) + 17 = 36, hit<br/>50% Miss chance: 1d100 = 77, hit!<br/><br/>Kaelen is grappled! (-4 to Dexterity, -2 to attack rolls except grapple checks)</div></div></div><br/>Before Kaelen can say or do anything, Leena is suddenly on top of him, crossing the intervening space in the blink of an eye. The werekin's hand shoots out in a golden brown blur, slamming the Watchman back against the chimney hard enough to make him see stars for a moment. Luckily for him, the wicked talons don't quite penetrate his leather armor, but the pressure on his torso is uncomfortable nonetheless - and she isn't letting up.<br/><br/>"You smell even better up close, " Leena growls. "Kinda like Snakeybutt over there, 'cept I'm not allowed to<span style="font-style: italic">eat</span>him when he pisses me off. You, on the other hand... well, I was gonna eat you anyway. But now I got a reason to make it personal." Her lips part in a toothy grin, then continue to spread even further, stretching into a dark brown oval around the wet, dagger-filled cavern of her mouth. If Kaelen doesn't act quickly, he'll be getting visiting that cavern for a one-way spelunking trip very soon...<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">&lt;&lt;STATUS SCROLL&gt;&gt;</span><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;">Alyssa HP: 54/70 (77%) [AC: 25 (+2 armor, +1 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 Int), CMD: 30 (32 vs. grapple)<br/>Dagnyr HP: 41/86 (48%) [AC: 21 (+9 armor, +1 Dex, +1 natural), CMD: 25 (27 vs. grapple)]<br/>Kaelen HP: 49/69 (71%) [AC: 22 (+6 armor, +1 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 natural), CMD: 23 (25 vs. grapple)] [1 negative level][grappled]<br/>Larynn HP: 68/68 (100%) [AC: 21 (10 + 6 Armor + 0 Dex + 2 Natural + 3 Deflection), CMD: 20]<br/><br/>Garrus HP: 100% [AC: 23 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 natural, +1 shield), CMD: 28 (34 versus vore]<br/>Leena HP: 95% [AC: 20 (+4 armor, +1 Dex, +3 dodge, +4 natural, -2 rage), CMD: 27 (29 vs. grapple)][grappled]<br/>Mareth HP: 81% [AC: 18 (+2 Dex, +2 armor, +4 natural), CMD: 15][invisible]<br/>Zeb HP: 80% [AC: 20 ((+4 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 natural, +1 shield), CMD: 28 (30 versus grapple)]<br/><br/>White Fur HP: 100% [AC: 18 ((+3 armor, +2 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size), CMD: 22 (24 vs. grapple)][invisible]<br/><br/>Goblin Hunter HP: 0% [unconscious]</div></div></div>