By the time the ship manages to make it back down the river to the city, dawn has broken. The archers on the walls send volley after volley of covering fire, over the burnt and wrecked approach, as the small team basically flees pell-mell over what has become the battlefield. Two are dead before they even reach the walls. Guardsmen in Grayson livery hold up the rear guard as they make it to the gate. It's probably one of the more harrowing days that Magpie has had this week.

On the other side of the gate, there's a lot of milling around and uncertainty surrounding the refugees. Someone runs to go and get a Mercy or two. Someone else pelts off at a dead run to go and talk to somebody in one of the many refugee camps around the wards. It's a breathless, tense group, ranging in seeming aspect from blank with shock and uncertain relief to anxious to panicked. Each has carried one of the sacks of grain or dried fruit or dried meat or else something else useful in their mad flight to the gate, except one: a tall, older man in Griffon armor, but with his arm immobilized and splinted from an earlier break; nobody asked Rodric Grayson to carry anything.

Ainsley is running as fast as he can in plate-mail-- his hound close at his heels. Alejandra and Ainsley come around the corner from the Seawatch Gate to the north, and come barreling down-- Word did not get to him until AFTER the refugees managed to make it through the gate. But still, Ainsley has made it across the city in record time and likely frightened quite a few people on the way.

"FATHER!" He shouts out as he spots Rodric Grayson.

When the Mercy are called, it is only natural that a Knight of Solace bodyguard would come with the healers to ensure their safety. Knight-Commander or not, Armel takes his duties seriously, and thus it is him and his attendant men-at-arms who arrive at the ad-hoc camp. The knight keeps his eyes keen and vigilant, trailing after the Mercy as she works and keeping with arm's reach or close to it, ready to respond if any of the refugees 'try anything'. He is not unsympathetic, and their condition and state cause a frown and a wincing of his dark eyes, but he doesn't waver from his task for a moment. He glances aside to Ainsley and Rodric, but does not even think to interrupt, or come closer, letting them have their moment.

Magpie is sticking with a couple of the burlier looking guardsmen, letting them deal with defending the group from the shav, though he is gripping a knife, rather white-knuckled. As they reach the gate, the sailor calls out, "I want to thank you all for sailing with Magpie Mercantile! I hope you all had a great ride and feel free to ask for me down at the docks!" He sounds stressed, but hey, they made it to the gate! He dumps the load he's carrying with the other bags of food and wipes his brow... it's sweaty despite the winter chill in the air.

    The sound of the commotion, the sudden rush and certainly the opening of the gate to let someone through in that sudden bustle and noise, draws the attention of a figure that had been walking the area of the wall. A heavy green cloak with the hood up almost entirely covers the figures form, making it hard to tell much about the person, other than that he wears armor beneath the cloak. He moves towards the bustle and chaos, heading with purpose as he rounds a group of soldiers just in time to hear Ainsley's exclaimation. The figure pushes the hood back, Killian's visor up though he wears his helm beneath the hood. He stops short, watching in silence and looking around.

In truth, Agnarr's presence here may be chalked up mostly to serendipity. He hadn't been present to even witness the boat until now, but the commotion is indeed noticed in the rest of the city, and certainly the big Redrain housecarl would find better use present here. He doesn't try anything for now, merely watching - pale eyes drawn to Ainsley most of all, and the man he calls father.

The tall man with a broken arm and the Griffon armor definitely looks up at Ainsley's call. He turns slightly, looking behind him with a faint frown infusing his pale eyes, and then his expression lightens. "Daniela, would you put that down already," he says. "Sir Caris-- see what you can do about organizing some of these people."

Daniela gives her husband an arch look, sweeping forward with her grain sack in hand, and drops it with a certain panache on his armored boots. Whether anyone asked her to carry is immaterial: she did it anyway. She, too, looks something the worse for wear for the mad charge across the world from Bastion. Her curls have been cut short, shot with silver without any time for dye or accoutrements, and there's a healing burn across her jawline that looks like it was nasty when it first happened.

Sir Caris steps forward, a burly man with a massive greatsword strapped to his back. "Please, can someone direct us here? We've got a lot of people to help," he says.

The other of the Grayson-fealty knights, Dame Elemine with the group is in lighter armor, chain rather than plate, with dancing griffons stylized in gold and green across its surface; she's put down her load to start shepherding a couple of the younger refugees forward to find someone to take them in hand.

Ainsley /skids/ to a stop in the mud or dirt or snow; before he actually slams into either his mother or his farther. A deep gasping breath is taken and he puts his hands onto his knees, bent over trying to catch his breath. He did just run however many miles Arx is wide. "I--" gasp "--came--" gasp "-as soon as--" gasp, gasp "-got word."

He winces as his mother drops the gray right onto his father's feet. "Hallo, mother." He says, straightening up to try and reach out to hug the woman.

    There's a sudden rush of movement from one side, as Killian runs forward. He's still not to the group yet, especially as it starts to spread out, The Knight's cloak flies off as he runs up a ramp onto one of the siege platforms, his armor flashing in the dawns light as he leaps from the platform. He manages to sail over the young refugees as he draws his sword, the Bringer of Dawn flashing a sudden silver crescent of light as it is freed to drink in the breaking lights for which it was named. "TO ARMS!" he cries out in a roar as he slams suddenly and without warning or explanation into Dame Elemine, his sword flashing as he tries to put himself between her and the young refugees. "BRINGERS amongst them!" he says, free arm levelled to point accusingly at Sir Caris, "PROTECT THE GRAYSONS!"

Armel watches the scene with a twitch of concern and even suspicion. He leaves the Mercy (mercies?) to the care of his two men-at-arms and begins to approach the small family gathering a the shout from Sir Caris. "There are Mercies attending to your wounded, more will be here soon," he assures the man. "Soon, we'll take you to some temporary housing, never fear. You are safe in Arx, I swear." He snaps his fingers, summoning a runner or two from his men on the walls nearby and instructing them to run and get more Mercies and some food and water. And those paying attention might notice that he's also requested more Knights of Solace to come as soon as able as well...Until Killian speaks. There is no hesitation or delay, he is pulling his warhammer free and taking a step back from Sir Caris (or is he?) as he tries to ready himself, his face now a scowl of suspicion.

Armel wields a tactical warhammer with a brutal spike.

Agnarr wields a monstrous sword of war with a long banded grip.

Killian wields Bringer of Dawn, a shimmering alaricite long sword.

Ah, shit. Agnarr, too, is quick to react, reaching for the warsword he carries - in truth it is large enough to be a greatsword for most, but he can wear the damn thing on his hip and draw it with some struggle. It's on his shoulder, ideal for crowd control, and though he had been content to leave direction to the fancier sorts, a fight's certainly somewhere he can help. He steps in, joining Armel's and Killian's side, though his gaze isn't entirely on Sir Caris, he too scanning the ground under the cover of his armored hat.

Ainsley ,e

Ainsley wields Threnody, an alaricite longsword.

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 15, resulting in 54, 39 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked perception + occult against difficulty 15, resulting in 33, 18 higher than the difficulty.

Magpie is just milling about in the form of leaning against the wall of the gate and catching his breath after that sprint across the field. He's watching the family reunion with mild interest. As Killian leaps in wielding the sword, the sailor's blue eyes widen in shock, "What the... fuck..?" He's starting to reach for his dagger again, grimacing as everyone starts grabbing up weapons, so he thinks better of drawing one himself.

The children scream and one of them, the younger of the two, starts to cry. One of the other refugees starts backing away, looking for a place to run to, white-faced. There's a shout of "No!" from somewhere within the group. Confusion! Chaos! Killian making little boys cry!

Dame Elemine looks shocked! She quickly pulls two short, curved blades from their sheathes at her back and comes up to a ready stance. She gives ground as Killian crashes to the stones before the gate between her and the two children she was helping, kneeling. Her dark eyes are wide, her soft lips parted with a little cry-- "Ha?" she says. Her weapons gleam with the shining edge of rubicund, bloody red in the early morning.

Sir Caris, meanwhile, reaches for his greatsword, drawing it from its sheath in a fine long hiss of steel. "Stand back, Prince Rodric. My oath is to protect you from this treachery," he says in a fine, booming voice.

"What is this!" roars Rodric, almost leonine in his outrage. He had reached for his son with his one good arm, to draw him into an embrace, but now stands with snapping eyes and a jaw like rock. "Caris has served me for twenty years! Put your weapons away!"

Daniela reaches uncertainly for the light blade at her hip, her dark eyes wide. "There must be some mistake," she says. "Cooler heads must prevail. We could not have escaped the Bringers without Elemine's blades-- she's the daughter of our most loyal--"

Ainsley snaps into action when he hears Killian's words, he immediately grabs a hold of his mother and roughly yanks her behind him. The alaricite blade he carries at all times now singing as it comes free of its sheath. His steps carry him forward, attempting to get between Rodric and Sir Caris. "Mother, stay behind me. Father." He says evenly, "If Lord Ashford says they are Bringers--"

Armel is now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ainsley and Agnarr and probably Killian as well, aiming to place his wide (if not tall) armored self between the (suspected) Bringers and the Graysons and the rest of the refugees. "Alright everyone calm yourself! If they are not Bringers, then they will lower their blades and submit to inspection! No harm will come to them, should they comply." He looks around to the nobles and royalty nearby. He might be a knight-commander and trying to keep some peace here, but in reality, it's more the Lord's decision, right?

Both big, wide, and well-armored (if not to the same solid degree as the rest), Agnarr stands his ground, quietly muttering something of pay before he lets go of that thought to grip both gauntleted fists on his warsword, resting the flat upon his left shoulder in a loose sort of guard. It seems he doesn't seem to decide any of the refugees are threats -- instead his gaze flicks to the accused knights. "Best prick them with your sword, see if they starts burning up," he dryly suggests. "Once you got a fist out your chest instead, you know you found 'em."

    The young Ashford Knight growls, drawing his second blade when Elemine draws, "Three of them Ainsley," he calls out, "this and the one in the plate armor there," his eyes are focused upon Emeline as he stands at the ready. "One amongst the refugees as well, and that one that's trying to run there!" The confidence in his voice is almost palpable, just where or why he would say such things is hard to guess but he stands at the ready as he eyes the 'dame' before him.

Magpie glances around, looking to see if any of refugees trying to slink away are being detained, "Just a thought.. but maybe stop everyone from leaving while this is sorted out?..." He suggests, yet not terribly loudly. "If I were a Bringer trying to sneak in, what I'd do." He mutters that last part. He gives a thumbs-up as Killian seems to pick up on his line of thinking at the same time. Not that the sailor makes any move to help in the physical sense.

"/Ainsley/!" Daniela's outraged tone does suggest that Ainsley might be about to be ordered to go to his room as he manhandles her to get behind him.

It's difficult to get between Rodric and Sir Caris, for neither of them seem to wish to be separated. "That pup of an Ashford just drew on /my men/!" Rodric growls. It's a deep, basal growl in his chest from the old lion. He shifts, reaching for his own weapon with his off hand. Which will not go well for him. Because he has a broken arm and he's not left-handed. "What is this? I won't be ordered about--"

Elemine holds her blades at the ready, not immediately attacking, but there is pride in the lift of her chin. It's a hard beauty that marks the planes and angles of her face. "Hold," she says. "What is this that we are being accused of? What proof are we being asked to give? You think I'm one of those ... /things/?" The revulsion in her voice!"

Sir Caris's greatsword shifts in his hands. He braces, stalwart and fierce. "Step back, son," he booms. "Your father is in my charge. Honor's at stake."

The pale-faced refugee is still trying to sneak away, but one of Armel's guards attempts to stop him. Suddenly blood blossoms from beneath the guard's armor as a well-aimed dagger thrust hits right through a week point in one of its jointures, and the refugee is running as the guard crumples to the ground.

There's more screaming and panic from the other refugees, and the child who wasn't crying now grabs the first and they huddle close together on the ground behind Killian's boots.

Magpie checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 19, 4 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked strength + brawl against difficulty 15, resulting in 32, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + legerdemain against difficulty 15, resulting in 44, 29 higher than the difficulty.

"With due respect, Sir Caris--" Ainsley lunges forward suddenly, reaching out with his free hand and shoving at the knight with all of his strength, so that he can wedge himself between his father and Caris. "--you will take several steps away from my parents. I am the Voice of House Grayson."

Armel turns slightly as his man is /stabbed/ and goes down. If he was agitated before, he is absolutely /furious/ now. He levels his hammer at both the knights that are accused, though he's far enough away that he isn't poking either of them. "You are going to /stand down/! Just a week ago, Duke Valkieri was slain by a Bringer than impersonated one of his best friends of decades known. The Bringers are insidious, and I will be /damned/ if I let one into the city willingly. Period!" He's too far away to chase the runner, but he does send his other guard after the runner, and keeps himself near to Ainsley in total support of his actions.

With Ainsley intervening to attempt to put some distance between Sir Caris and his parents, Agnarr instead turns to keep an eye on the Dame Elemine, watching the way she grips her weaponry. The commotion in the crowd seems to escape his notice.

Magpie seems largely content to continue staying where he is, there are plenty of soldiers and knights and Important People around. His eyes stray back towards that sneaking refugee though, and when he sees the guard get shanked so smoothly and dropped, the sailor takes off chasing after him with another uttered, "Fuck..." He pulls his dagger from it's sheath now as he maneuvers between some of the milling people in his pursuit.

    "You may attempt to wear the guises of these good people, foul creatures, but make no mistake that in this city the Gods dwell and they suffer not your foul presence or the evil you attempt to do.." He steps one step closer towards Elemine, levelling his sword at her, "from the Silent Watcher, you may conceal nothing..you may lay down your arms and attempt to continue this charade, but the church will force the truth from you..or reveal yourself, and stand before us now to meet your fate.."

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Killian before departing.

By rights, the Voice of House Grayson should be able to shift of a simple knight of House Grayson by moral suasion alone. Ainsley's strength should be enough to move him. Sir Caris /should/ stand down and get out of the way. Instead, his hands tighten on the long grip of his greatsword. It's like trying to move a wall. An armed wall. The length of steel rises as though to fend Ainsley away -- or cut him.

Rodric starts, staring in surprise at the menace of newly silent Caris's blade. "Ainsley...?" his low voice filtered with confusion, but not yet fear, his pale gaze widens as he looks past the armored shoulder at his son.

"No, it can't be-- she risked her life to save me!" Daniela insists, her blade sliding from its sheath as she lifts it in a long gleam of pale steel in the daylight, glittering with white stones around the sheath. "Minutes ago! You must be mistaken--"

But Elemine is watching Killian. In fact, Elemine is watching Killian's sword. For a moment she stands, still as a statue, apparently hypnotized by the gleam of daylight on the shimmering alaricite blade. Then she moves. Her rubicund blades crack against the shining sword, both curved weapons dancing in a twist meant to knock it aside so that she can dive and flee.

Magpie is fast gaining on the running man, who turns to see him there and hisses a curse. He turns and runs straight at one of the buildings, starting to climb toward the roof with ... kind of alarming speed and strength.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 15, resulting in 55, 40 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 55, resulting in 33, 22 lower than the difficulty.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 59, 44 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 59, resulting in 36, 23 lower than the difficulty.

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

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 104, 89 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 99, resulting in 40, 59 lower than the difficulty.

Is not in a good fucking mood to begin with, once weapons are drawn. When his man is stabbed, and dead for all he knows? He's furious. When one of the 'Knights' /attacks/ Killian? He is fucking livid, and he begins to move at once, almost by instinct. The flat, killing face of his warhammer swings around, aiming to smash the Dame Imposter squarely in the chest, hoping to both maim and to knock her away from Killian and flat to the earth, a howl upon his lips that hopefully reaches the Knights on the walls a fair distance away. "KNIGHTS TO ARMS! FOR THE GODS! FOR THE COMPACT!"

Agnarr checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 44, 29 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 44, resulting in 52, 8 higher than the difficulty.

"GET AWAY FROM MY PARENTS!" Ainsley bellows when Sir Caris both a) does not move and b) starts to rise his sword. The Grayson Prince will be having /none of this/. His mother's protests are ignored in favor of bringing up his sword. Threnody whistles through air as it comes down at Caris, slashing at the knight with an almost divine blow.

Meanwhile, Agnarr sidesteps - he carries no alaricite and is no prime target. Instead he opens with a snap-cut aimed at Emeline's arms when she goes to attempt attack Killian, at nearly the same beat as Armel does.

"Stop, you bastard!" Magpie yells when the fleeing refugee looks back at him. Of course the runner doesn't stop. The Grayhope exhales an annoyed growl through his teeth as he sees him scrambling up the side of a building like some kind of man-sized squirrel. No stranger to a rooftop or two in his day, Mag follows, hauling himself up onto the roof with some determination. He'll try to draw his dagger now, if he has the time.

Elemine is quick. Elemine is a little too quick. She twists away from Killian, dodging past him and starting to move. Her left arm comes up, cracking aside Agnarr's blade; but she is not fast enough to defend from three at once, so Armel's hammer slams into her chest. The chain she wears rings with the blow, rubicund on steel, but while she grunts like she feels the impact, she definitely doesn't fall to the ground. She must also be stronger, sturdier than she looks. Her lips curl back from her teeth, and the beauty of her face seems lessened, somehow, as though the sneer reshapes not only her mouth but all of her skin.

Caras's greatsword crashes aside with the clean ring of Threnody singing against it. Ainsley's weapon, wielded with such force and passion, cleaves right through the heavy plate to hiss as it bites into the flesh beneath. It hisses just like it does when alaricite bites a Bringer's flesh, and ichor burbles out to limn the shining blade with an edge of black even as Caras's voice lifts in what /sounds/ like a very human scream.

Magpie's target, meanwhile, turns to face him as he reaches the rooftop in hot pursuit, and it looks it will be dagger on dagger knife fighting between the two unarmored men!

Killian's sword was batted aside, because really, Killian's not a good enough swordsman to rate that shiny sword he has. He is knocked off of his stance for a moment, and everything else erupted, before he could recover. <now to this round>

Agnarr checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 85, 70 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 85, resulting in 68, 17 lower than the difficulty.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 66, 51 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 66, resulting in 63, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 34, 19 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 52, 37 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth has rolled a critical success!
Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 34, resulting in 180, 146 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 52, resulting in 39, 13 lower than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + dodge against difficulty 99, resulting in 30, 69 lower than the difficulty.

His first blow stymied, Agnarr backsteps, using the momentum imparted to twist his sword into a swift guard. Then while she is staggered he throws his weight into another cut - this time more fully committed - aiming at midlevel to shear through the mail girding her neck and bite into flesh using the tip of his weapon where the energy is greatest. It won't be the deepest wound. He doesn't speak, or make much noise at all, unlike the rest - the sellsword fully focused on business.

Ainsley wrenches his blade back, the black ichor splattering as he does so. "Get back, mom! He /is/ a Bringer!" The Alaricite blade swings through the air as he once more attempts to stab Caris with it. Aiming to jame it between the armor somewhere.

Magpie checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 30, 15 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 30, resulting in 49, 19 higher than the difficulty.

6 Thrax Guards arrives, following Dagon.

6 Thrax Guards leaves, following Dagon.

Armel looks faintly annoyed that Elemine is still standing. He can't turn and focus on the battle between Ainsley and Caris without losing sight on the creature he faces, so he simply plants himself on the spot. "I am a Knight of Solace, Shield of the Compact. You will /not/ get past me," he says simply, as if that's the end of the argument. Then he's swinging that warhammer in grand arcs, blocking with the hardwood shaft and slamming the spiked side of the hammer into the creature's gut, aiming to two-team the damn thing with Agnarr. Fair play is for suckers and fools. Plus it's a Bringer, it's already cheating.

Ainsley checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 45, 30 higher than the difficulty.

Killian suddenly has all the aid that a man could hope for, and sees Ainsley and his parents facing what he knows to be a Bringer alone..and growls, rushing past the melee in which he'd been closest to, and charging towards. He's not fast enough really for closing the distance, but as he charges he tries to throw himself into the fray, attempting to interject his own blades into the defense of the Grayson's like a good vassal.

Magpie is winded, but the sailor faces off on the refugee runner with an exasperated expression on his face. "I really hope you are a Bringer because that was so damned stupid, otherwise! What the hell?!" He doesn't wait around for a reply. Instead he slashes at the refugee-turned-guard-murderer with his dagger (actually it's Acacia's). The others back there were talking about the blood being telling... If it's black it's Bringer? If it's ruddy it's a buddy?

Magpie checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 14, 1 lower than the difficulty.

Here is the weird thing about Agnarr's second blow: on a human woman, it would totally do that. But it doesn't-- really cut her skin. It leaves a strange groove against the column of her throat as she hauls her head back, dancing away from the worst of the blow only to take the full impact of Armel's hammer slamming her in her abdomen. Another 'whuff' of impact. No more voice. There's a moment where, blink and you'll miss it, but Elemine's eyes seem to show black. Her blades clang uselessly against Armel's armor as she seeks an opening.

Sir Caris, meanwhile, knocks aside the alaricite blade with the sweep of his greatsword, lifting high. He's slightly distracted by the lunge of the /other/ alaricite blade leaping to Ainsley's defense, slicing through his armor to burn against his arm, leaving an open groove and a black wound-- but still, the greatsword comes down on Ainsley with the full force of the Bringer's supernatural strength behind it, cutting raw and deep into his flesh until it cracks against the guarding bone of his ribs before Killian knocks it aside.

Daniela screams in outrage and panic, her dark eyes wide. For an instant she is frozen, but then she lunges forward towards the fray when her son is so brutally injured. "Get back? Why I'll--" but before she can score a hit on the Bringer and draw more attention to herself, Rodric is lunging to grab his armored wife with his good arm. "Godsdamnit, Daniela--" which is at least both of Ainsley's parents occupied before they can draw any aggro.

There's chaos and panic among the refugees, some holding each other, some crying, most trying to surge back, away from the sudden combat.

Meanwhile, Magpie's new best friend is showing himself to be -- if he's not a Bringer -- scarily quick and scarily song. He neatly sidesteps the first plunging thrust of Magpie's dagger to cut him in a quick, slashing slide of steel. It's a shallow cut across Magpie's chest that totally ruins his shirt. He doesn't even engage in any repartee; he just steps up to the fight, grim, without any sign of the fear that supposedly impelled him to flee.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 91, 76 higher than the difficulty.

Agnarr checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 47, 32 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 91, resulting in 65, 26 lower than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 47, resulting in 46, 1 lower than the difficulty.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 33, 18 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 33, resulting in 75, 42 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 21, 6 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 45, 30 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 45, resulting in 41, 4 lower than the difficulty.

Magpie checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 31, 16 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 31, resulting in 63, 32 higher than the difficulty.

Magpie checked stamina + survival against difficulty 63, resulting in 23, 40 lower than the difficulty.

Magpie checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 23, 8 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley lets out a grunt of pain as that great sword cuts into him-- and then his mother is leaping forward trying to stab at the man who almost cut him in half. "Mother!" He says outraged, but then his father is there dragging his crazy, brave mother away. He doesn't quite LEAP forward because he's currently got a horrible wound from his shoulder down to his ribs-- his armor is going to need to be repaired --but he lunges forward trying to keep in time with Killian and slash his blade hard at Caris.

The clash of blades, the pure physicality of a fight against something foul. /This/ is where Armel belongs, the Knight duelling with the beast (for that is what she must be, to withstand such damage so easily), using haft and armored forearm to turn aside the woman's blades, seemingly ungainly in his armor but with each movement practical in blocking and keeping his precious insides on the inside. "You...Will...Not....Hurt..These...People..." He growls, the howling and sound of the refugees behind him and the battle between Ainsley/Killian and Caris causing him to fight even harder on his front. Suddenly, in the middle of this clash of weapons, he turns his warhammer and thrusts the weapon like a spear, the spike on the end of the hammer brutal and sharp and aimed to impale his opponent through the chest.

"Strong and silent type, then?" Magpie quips as his slash misses, then sucks in a sharp breath as the steel easily shreds through his shirt and leaves a red, bleeding streak across his chest. He grits his teeth and thrusts at the other man with the dagger, trying to maneuver on the rooftop in such a way to hopefully push the refugee towards the edge. "Got a name? I'm... callin' you Bob. Stand down, Bob!"

The blow lands, and Agnarr is quick to get over his brief surprise when the bringer's flesh merely dents (that's really the only wat to describe it) as opposed to cutting through. He pulls back to follow up with a thrust, timing it to match Armel's, but instead of her chest he aims for her armpit.

Killian dives into the fray to aid Ainsley and his parents, and manages to try and get the thing off of Ainsley, if only briefly. His swordplay is not particularly gifted though, and he takes a deep gouge of his own from the Bringer's attack, before thrusting back forward again. "Guards, protect the refugees and Graysons!" he roars out to try and get the seemingly stunned into immobility onlookers moving, and isolate Ainsley's parents from the battle that is growing rapidly in intensity and threat.

The Bringer-Caris slashes hard into Killian after deflecting his next strike, and in his-its distraction, it takes another hissing wound from Ainsley's alaricite blade. The words, the voice, all seem to be gone, with nothing left to the Bringer's seeming but the image, in silence.

Elemine fights on, barely deflecting Agnarr's next strike, but taking a /powerful/ strike from Armel's spiked hammer. It grooves deep into her flesh, though only a little of the dark ichor dribbles forth past the thick hide to stain the rubicund point.

Bob doesn't stand down. Deflecting Magpie's strike with neat speed, he slashes again at Magpie, a much lighter nick whisking across Magpie's weapon arm as he manages to evade the worst of the blow. Their footwork over the roof will be the stuff of legend to the refugees who are watching it, assuming Magpie survives.

Agnarr checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 41, 26 higher than the difficulty.

Rodric drags Daniela a little further back, shouting, "Come on, boy, take its head off," which is a huge turnaround from what he was saying like five minutes ago, but whatever.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 41, resulting in 53, 12 higher than the difficulty.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 59, 44 higher than the difficulty.

Magpie checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 27, 12 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 53, resulting in 73, 20 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 53, 38 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 44, 29 higher than the difficulty.

Armel checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 21, 6 higher than the difficulty.

Agnarr checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 21, 6 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley grunts, "Yes, father." Dutifully as he swings his sword around in an arc, quite literally attempting to hack Caris' head from his shoulders. The alaricite singing through the air as it goes. Gleaming save where the black ichor still sizzles on the length of it.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 53, resulting in 49, 4 lower than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 44, resulting in 44, 0 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 27, resulting in 62, 35 higher than the difficulty.

Magpie checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 20, 5 higher than the difficulty.

Armel looks thoroughly pleased, in a grim and morose way, as the creature is bled from his attack. "See? You can bleed. You can die," he says tightly, even as he persists in the back-and-forth of clashing blades and steel against rubicund. Since Magpie is just chatting with Bob up there, he can't even really notice his issues over the sound of his own battle, let alone look away. He merely continues to try and stop this monstrous creature as he calls out loudly, "Where in the abyss are my knight?!" Really, he'd think they'd be on their way by now, damnit. He takes a particularly hard chop from a sword across his bracer, digging deep into the steel. He hisses, pulling his arm away and continuing the fight. Time to check on /that/ later.

Magpie is not exactly winning this fight, but he's not about to lose either. The Grayhope jerks his arm back reflexively when that steel bites into it, then ducks low to make a swipe at Bob's stomach. Forget honor. Forget Bob's possible motives. Time for serious stabbing now. "Bob... Eventually they're gonna finish killing each other down there... and... catch up and you are going to be in some serious shit... that you... you don't even know!" He's not at his most eloquent, it's been a long night.

A twist has a retaliatory blow skidding off part of Agnarr's splinted armor. The big sellsword grunts in frustration, if not pain, and he brings his sword up to grip it at the middle with his left gauntlet, holding onto the hilt with his right and stepping forward to drive a half-sworded thrust into the Dame-Bringers face. Hopefully.

Killian swings and slices at the Bringer, dancing in and out, trying to make an opening for Ainsley. He is wielding two longswords, both exquisite examples of Storied Blade's finest. He doesn't manage to accomplish any cuts of his own, but he's one hell of a distraction, or at least he tries to be as he cuts and dives to try and open a wound in the creature.

Elemine manages to deflect both Armel's and Agnarr's blows, but the skim of her blades against their armor is not deep enough to cut either of them. It is an inconclusive little shift of battle as she warily tries to keep both the larger fighters at bay. Her eyes never leave them.

Ainsley does not manage to take Caris's head on this swing. He does manage a cut to the neck, though, before the massive greatsword thrusts his blade aside. It sizzles and smokes, a black gaping slice out of what looked like it was human flesh before and now definitely doesn't. It swings another thrust at Killian, but doesn't manage to hit him again.

Again, Magpie's strike is deflected by the apparently superhuman reflexes of the thing-in-Bob's-clothing that he is fighting, and he takes another slashing jab of its dagger across his side. It doesn't smile, it doesn't talk. For a second, its eyes seem to blaze wholly black and whiteless before its disguise resumes.

Daniela puts her sword away under the persuasion of her husband, and after an intense, murmured conference, she and Rodric begin to move to help the others herding the refugees away to safety. Assuming there is any safety in this city.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 73, 58 higher than the difficulty.

Agnarr checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 93, 78 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 73, resulting in 41, 32 lower than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 93, resulting in 39, 54 lower than the difficulty.

Magpie checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 21, 6 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 34, 19 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 21, resulting in 51, 30 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 34, resulting in 72, 38 higher than the difficulty.

Magpie checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 29, 14 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 29, 14 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley brings is blade back around; cutting over and over at the Bringer's neck. Attempting to fell the creature. His gaze briefly flicks away to check on the progress of his mother and father. And then he says to Killian, "Go help with the one that ran! I think--" huff "--I've got this."

Applying himself rather better, Agnarr backsteps swiftly -- especially so given his apparent lumbering nature -- then circles to the side and grips his sword the normal way, throwing another fully commited cut at the Dame-Bringer's mail-clad neck, aiming to cleave that rip in the armor even wider. It seems his aim will be true.

Killian checked perception + investigation against difficulty 15, resulting in 56, 41 higher than the difficulty.

Stabbing works better, right? Right? Well then that is exactly the plan again, here. Armel cotninues the dance of death with Dame-Bringer, slamming and hacking and retreating not a single step from the creature. He searches for an opening and times it for Agnarr's cut, trying to slam that spiked end of his handle into the spot he stabbed before. Sooner or later, going to work, right?

There's a moment where Killian looks dubious..especially since Ainsley is bleeding..but he calls out, "Don't die, Lark would kill me!" quickly before he digs in and takes off. He doesn't even attempt the wall climbing scramble of the nimble, armorless folks..instead spotting the narrow staircase heading up along the side and tearing off that direction at full clanking charge.

"Damnit..." Magpie hisses when Bob dodges his thrust, then he hisses a cry of pain as his opponent scores a deeper jab along his side. More blood soaks into his clothing. "Shit... I did not want... a red shirt." He growls. He's gasping because he's working hard, not because he's hurt, okay? He draws back, giving up a little ground on the rooftop when Bob shows the mysterious black of his eyes. The sailor yells loudly towards the gate, "Hey!! I am not a fucking soldier. Someone shoot this guy!!" Then he slashes at Bob again, but more to keep him busy than to rush in with a risky attack.

It does. It does work. Agnarr wrenches the tear in Elemine's armor wider, and bites a groove deeper in her flesh. Bits of ichorous blood ooze from the wound visibly, even as she fails to deflect their strikes and fails to escape the second slam of Armel's hammer spike. She's still up and still fighting, but the wounds are putrid and black, seeping the dark mess across her armor. Her eyes are black as she snarls voicelessly at them, slashing and thrashing with her weapons.

The fight on the roof continues. Magpie takes another slight nick but manages to evade the worst of Bob's blows; however, he still hasn't managed to score a hit on the speedy bastard. Even as Killian charges up the stairs to come to the rescue!

The Bringer-knight with the oozing sizzling neck thrusts aside Ainsley's blade again and manages to advance on him with the crack of another bite of his greatsword into the young Grayson's side, but it's a far less impressive strike than the last one.

Magpie checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 57, 42 higher than the difficulty.

Agnarr checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 53, 38 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 40, 25 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 64, 49 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 57, resulting in 41, 16 lower than the difficulty.

Aureth has rolled a critical success!
Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 53, resulting in 140, 87 higher than the difficulty.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 64, 49 higher than the difficulty.

Agnarr checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 32, 17 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 52, 12 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 20, 5 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 64, resulting in 61, 3 lower than the difficulty.

Armel continues his assault, the Bringer surprisingly resistant to harm. The other Bringers weren't nearly this hard to slay! But maybe this one is older. He spots the Dame-Bringer shift her attention to Agnarr and catch the man off-balance, and lunges forward, trying to body-check the creature away with both steel-clad body and his hammer, no real attempt to maim made, just to save his erstwhile combat partner.

Another blow is thrust at Elemine, glancing off, skidding off the mail without renting through though that may be expected given the spatulated, less-acute point of his warsword. It leaves him briefly exposed - but thankfully with Armel's help the opportunity could not be taken. He owes Armel one - that'll be discussed later, though. For now he tries to smash the creature in the torso.

Magpie gives a quick glance around but doesn't immediately see Killian *or* a line of archers forming up to take aim at Bob. Maybe no help is coming. The Grayhope hesitates briefly, worry flashing across his face. Then the man makes a fast lunge at the refugee, wrapping both hands around the dagger and stabbing for wherever is most exposed on Bob at this point. "Bob! This is not how you make friends!"

The speed at which the young Ashford Knight takes the stairs is surprising, probably more surprising for the two battling on the roof when he leaps out to enter the fray. Or at least, he'd hoped it would be surprising..apparently, a grown man in full plate makes a shit ton of noise going up a flight of stone and wooden stairs, and so as he charges at the Bringer on the Roof, he gets a dagger to the chest. It's a well placed blow, and had it broken the armor, the Knight would have ended up with that long, cruel dagger slammed straight into his heart, and there's a moment of shocked surprise on his face. The blow caught though, right upon the crested center of his breastplate, shielded by the gifted armor given him by three Grayson princesses, his life once more spared. He staggers back from the force of it, but gasps as he realizes that he is okay, readying himself to push into the fray once more to assist Magpie. "I'll try and make an opening for you," he calls to the stranger, since really..Killian's a hell of a distraction.

Ainsley lets out a little hiss of pain as he continues to fight. The sword is swung high into the air, the alaricite gleaming in the morning light. It whistles through the air as it slashes toward Caris-Bringer. Once more hacking into the man's neck. Slashing as hard as it can into the man's neck to try and cleave his head free of it. Popa's orders!

Stabbing Bob with his dagger is a really weird experience for Magpie. He hits cuts through fabric and hits -- what should be flesh. But it doesn't give like flesh. Bob's side gives slowly like Magpie is stabbing into some kind of thick, armored hide. When his strike cuts through that layer of resistance he only manages to get a single droplet of black ichor on the tip of his dagger as the Bob-Bringer is twisting away from him and lunging into Killian's advance.

Elemine lunges at Agnarr with a sudden swing of both her blades at once, trying to knock him off-balance and possibly cut his throat by the grooving scissor motion of her slashing blades -- but Armel is there, thrusting her aside. She staggers, oozing ichor, and cracks to one knee, lifting both her curves blades defensively as she attempts to fight on from her knees.

This time, when the Bringer lifts its greatsword to deflect Threnody's singing glide, it is too slow, too late. The alaricite bites into the bubbling flesh of its neck, cleaving through what remains in a smooth, easy slice, and sends the head flying even as the armored form teeters and crashes to the ground.

Agnarr checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 40, 25 higher than the difficulty.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 56, 41 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 64, 24 higher than the difficulty.

Magpie checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 20, 5 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 56, resulting in 50, 6 lower than the difficulty.

Agnarr checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 33, 18 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 66, 51 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 20, resulting in 60, 40 higher than the difficulty.

Magpie checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 41, 26 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 66, resulting in 67, 1 higher than the difficulty.

With her pressed into the defensive, Agnarr presses his own assault and aims to cleave open Elemine's foul bringer neck, but he's parried and only the reflex of him shifting immediately back into guard keeps the blow from landing solidly, again only cutting the slightest of grooves into his gauntlet.

Ainsley looks down at the head on the ground, and then up toward Killian and Magpie. A small hiss is given and he turns up the stairs. Charging after the Ashford as fast as he can.

Killian checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 33, 18 higher than the difficulty.

The sailor on the rooftop shudders when he sees Bob's dagger viciously clang off the knight's armor, doing his best not to think about what that would have done to his unprotected torso. "Don't make an opening, just kill him!!" Magpie yells back at Killian, voice frayed and cracking. He did mention he's not a soldier. As his dagger sinks into Bob's side and seems to defy the expected physics and sensation, the Grayhope nearly stumbles and falls. He catches his balance and yanks the dagger back, eying the black smudge on the tip of the weapon. He swipes at Bob the Bringer again.

Armel is a practical fighter, when it comes down to it, really. Honor and glory and the rest are fine, but the goal is 'kill the other guy', so when Agnarr is parried aside, Dame-Bringer is left entirely open for that split second and Armel takes it. He rears back his hammer and, with every ounce of his considerable strength, brings the broad, flat face down onto the thing's head, aiming to crush it like a rather large, nasty melon.

Killian gets slammed into by the guy with a fucking knife again.. "Seriously..this is starting..to piss.." he growls out in frustration, "Me OFF!" he exclaims. He just can't manage to get an opening though..either to distract and open one or to sieze himself, as he battles futilely.

SMASH goes Armel's hammer across what once looked like a woman's head. It's the end. She falls, oozing black ichor across the stones.

That's two down!

Bob, meanwhile, is putting up a hell of a fight for a Bringer in the guise of a scrappy little weasel without any armor. The long-bladed dagger clangs uselessly off Killian's armor and then stabs, hard, at Magpie, only to clank off of something else. His lip curls back from his teeth and his eyes flash black again, but still, he fights on. It now seems that Bob-Bringer is trying to maneuver towards the far edge of the roof, where he /might/ be able to make a leap to the next roof over if only he can escape all of these weapons.

Magpie checked dexterity + small wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 24, 9 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 24, resulting in 43, 19 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 74, 59 higher than the difficulty.

Lowering his black-ichor covered sword, Agnarr backs off from the formerly-headed Bringer. He spares it a slight kick in the side before he nods over towards ARmel, catching his breath. "Owe you my arse," he tells the knight, "Not in that way." Then he looks up towards the rooftops.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 48, 33 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth has rolled a critical success!
Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 74, resulting in 105, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 48, resulting in 43, 5 lower than the difficulty.

Magpie checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 14, 1 lower than the difficulty.

Armel grunts at Agnarr, remarking aside to him, "Buy me a drink later." Apparently, that is how such things are dealt with, in the company of warriors and all. He then turns, spotting the battle on the roof and immediately heading to ascend to the neighboring roof. Little shit isn't getting away if /he/ can help it.

Ainsley charges up the stairs with his blade drawn. Attempting to get his alaricite blade into this Bringer. Blood splattered over his steel armor as he goes.

Magpie winces in anticipation this time when Bob whirls on him and makes that hard thrust at him. The dagger clanks off of something, and there's more liquid that's soaking into Magpie's scraps of shirt, only this smells strongly of alcohol as rum leaks out of the blue flask that's hanging from his belt. "Holy shit..." The sailor breathes out in a gasp of surprise, then he makes a wild lunge at Bob when he sees him maneuvering to escape, the Grayhope not quite registering all the help that's finally arriving. "Not yet, Bob!!" He yells as he flails at him.

The sound of Ainsley charging up behind him draws Killian's attention, and the Knight dives to roll to one side, opening room for Ainsley to attack, and gaining quite an advantage on his own. Unfortunately, he sees that the blow swinging towards Ainsley is going to slip through the Prince's guard before the man can get his footing and engage properly. Killian doesn't hesitate, and Hawks Talon flies from his grip, spinning suddenly and slamming into the arm that was swinging down towards Ainsley, before clattering to the rooftop..the exquisitely crafted blade having served as shield now not only for Killian but for the Voice of Grayson, leaving the Knight with only his shimmering alaricite blade left, and no shield.

Agnarr checked strength + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 33, 18 higher than the difficulty.

Armel checked strength + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 32, 17 higher than the difficulty.

"Aye," Agnarr allows back at the knight, taking a brief pause - then clicks his ichor-clad sword (corrosion worries can be had later) to start running towards the rooftops. He gauges Bob only briefly, then sets his sights on the rooftop he reckons he'll go for next. He takes off with a running start and reaches up, trying to grip at something on the walls and haul himself over the edge to intercept. Then quickly he's armed once more.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 44, 29 higher than the difficulty.

Bob takes advantage of Magpie's wild lunge to strike back, and the bite of the dagger into his shoulder is quite cruel. He spins in a pivot away with a shower of blood sheening his knife only to have his lunge at Ainsley deflected by the flying blade from Killian. The Bringer-infiltrator makes a noise. It's almost like a hiss, something strange and inhuman coming from Bob's throat. It tries, again, to back away from these alaricite-wielding maniacs that are about to destroy it, but now its route is blocked by Armel and Agnarr swarming up the other building.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 55, 40 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 55, resulting in 48, 7 lower than the difficulty.

Agnarr cannot hope to reach Bob from this rooftop, but he's armed and his weapon ready, held poised to chop Bob in mid-air should he try the leap. Finishing the bringer off is left to those rich pomps with the alaricite.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 44, resulting in 72, 28 higher than the difficulty.

Armel just keeps his post on the next roof over from the ongoing battle. "Archers ready!" He calls up toward the men on the wall, who are probably lined up to pepper this bugger if they get a chance. "DO NOT FIRE UNTIL WE ORDER!" he commands, hoping that whoever they serve, they'll listen to people who are shouting orders and look all command-y. He hefts his warhammer, which did a fine job all on its own against that thing, thank you very much.

Ainsley checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 38, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley continues his relentless attacks. His alaricite sword slashing through the air. Shifting hard and fast, attempting to get at the soft fleshy bits of this last Bringer. Grunting as he goes and hisses through grit teeth, "Come. The. Fuck. On! Die already!"

Magpie checked willpower against difficulty 15, resulting in 7, 8 lower than the difficulty.

Magpie realizes the error of his move immediately after he lunges, and he can't help but scream in pain when that dagger sinks into his shoulder, tearing through flesh and muscle. He loses his grip on the dagger and it clatters down from the rooftop to land in the street while the sailor just staggers back, clamping his other hand down on the wound as he sinks to his knees. There's no snarky comment from the smuggler this time.

Killian growls as he fights side by side with Ainsley, hacking with just the one sword now, trying to get an opening. "WHAT...HE...SAID!" he cries out in agreement with Ainsley. He backs up a bit, giving Ainsley a bit of room until the Prince gets hit, then he surges forward again and slams his sword into a mighty stab as he tries to connect.

Armel checked command + leadership against difficulty 15, resulting in 46, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Unfortunately, Bob-the-Bringer is unusually fast! He eels between their blows, managing to slam his dagger -- into Ainsley's armor, where it can't get through. It leaves him open for a moment to the slicing bite of Killian's alaricite, and finally, the sizzling hiss of an alaricite sword cutting Bringer flesh comes as Killian's strike scores true through its side, ichorous blackness seeping out of the wound to slick Bringer of Dawn's shimmering edge.

There are half a dozen archers along the wall who ready themselves at Armel's command, holding tense and waiting to not fire into melee while the alaricite warriors face off against the abyssal creature on the roof.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 42, 27 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth has rolled a critical success!
Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 42, resulting in 66, 24 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 23, 8 higher than the difficulty.

Killian has rolled a critical success!
Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 82, 67 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 82, resulting in 53, 29 lower than the difficulty.

Still tense, Agnarr spares a second to wipe off the ichor on his blade. Ach, he's probably ruined the scabbard with moisture. That's going to be a bitch to tend to later.

Armel keeps his hands raised, palm open, presumably a signal to hold fire until he does something else. The warhammer is held in his other hand easily, ichor dripping heavily from the hammer head of it. It might be Rubicund, but it's still gonna be a bit of a bitch to clean off later, really.

Ainsley grunts in frustration, as he tries once more to go after the man. His blade poking and prodding, and most likely being pushed out of the way.

Magpie checked dexterity + athletics against difficulty 15, resulting in 35, 20 higher than the difficulty.

Magpie's survival instinct is rapidly overpowering his desire to see a Bringer go down. He slides himself closer to the edge of the roof and peers over the side to make sure there's not an archer at the bottom, then drops down to the ground as carefully as he can with multiple wounds. He lands on his feet, albeit awkwardly and with no small amount of grimacing, then just leans against the side of the building still holding his hand against his shoulder. Some blood of Magpie (and some rum) smears on the wall in an artful 'The Spoils of Battle' sort of graffiti.

Killian dives and ducks, alternating in and out with Ainsley as the Prince swings in against the Bringer. His sword flashes and catches the rays of the morning sun, spilling over the walls and bathing the rooftop in warmth, and for a moment it's like a prism is scattering the light and amplifying it as that sword shines more silver than silver, the glinting distraction giving him his opportunity to connect heartily with the beast as he roars out, "EVER RISING!" and once more contemplates that Ashford's battle cry is garbage.

Armel leans over the wall, calling down to Magpie, "You alright there, friend?" He gestures (NOT WITH THE HOLD-YOUR-FIRE HAND) toward the Mercy who is huddling with the refugees over there. "Get over here, help him!" More a command than a request, despite not being the boss of any Mercies, really. He turns a bit to Killian as the man shines nad stabs. "Huh," he remarks. Yeah, that battle cry man.

"Don't yell, hew off his damn head," Agnarr retorts from the opposite roof, lowering his guard only slightly.

Bob weaves just past the thrust of Ainsley's blade, knocking Threnody aside with a practiced flip of his wrist and then almost pirouetting to stab into his armor. The armor is sturdy enough to stop most of the strike, only a little 'nick' getting through, before Bob has to move again to try -- and fail -- to defend from Killian's advance. Bringer of Dawn gores through the Bringer's chest. It's where the lung should be, sizzling and hissing as the blade withdraws, and it staggers back; yet still the monstrous thing, oozing ichor from multiple holes, does not stop trying to destroy them and/or escape; it fights on.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 40, 25 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 46, 31 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 40, resulting in 76, 36 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 46, resulting in 58, 12 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 11, 4 lower than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 28, 13 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley lets out a frustrated sound as he continues to try to stab and slash at this last bringer. He hisses and snarls, "Would you just fucking--" He stab and stab and stabs.

Armel checked intellect + medicine against difficulty 15, resulting in 31, 16 higher than the difficulty.

Killian's armor is good, but any armor has openings in it, and the Bringer slams that dagger into one of those, cutting deeply into the Knight and being rewarded with a spray of crimson blood that splatters across the rooftop. Like a ninja in a bad movie, the Knight seems to have ridiculously high blood pressure, judging by the fountain of blood..in fact though it was just the angle of the cut sending a large splatter because of the knifes travel. He groans, catching at the wound with his free hand, "FALL...DAMN YOU, FALLL!" he roars out angrily as he presses in.

"Don't worry about me. Kill Bob!" Magpie calls up to Armel. He won't chase off the Mercy that comes to help him, however, and will lean on the woman's arm to get away from the House of the Rooftop Bringer. Once they're far enough away to get a vantage of the fight still going on up there, the sailor stops and peers up, watching with a detached, light-headed curiosity.

Armel watches on, looking a little agitated as Killian is stabbed, his open hand still holding for the archers to hold their fire...For now. That /is/ a couple lordlings up there still, after all, and paperwork for shooting them would be a pain in the backside.

The Mercy of Lagoma hastens to respond to Armel's command to at least provide some immediate bandaging to Magpie's bleeding wounds.

Bob continues to fight, vicious and oozing ichor even as his blade cuts into Killian. Some of the red splatter hits across his chest and arm, mingling weirdly with the oozing black from the wounds he's taken.

The archers shift from foot to foot, but no one fires.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 38, 23 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 38, resulting in 59, 21 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 54, 39 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 54, resulting in 59, 5 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 40, 25 higher than the difficulty.

Killian checked stamina + survival against difficulty 15, resulting in 13, 2 lower than the difficulty.

Armel checked dexterity + huge wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 55, 40 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley continues to stab and slash at Bob. Not quite able to do enough damage to finish it off. A frustrated snarl is given and he drifts backward, snarling out loud, "SOMEONE LIGHT THIS BASTARD ON FIRE ALREADY!"

Aureth checked composure + streetwise against difficulty 55, resulting in 28, 27 lower than the difficulty.

Killian groans as he's stabbed again, dropping back, opening space as he drops back a moment and mutters a fast and very devout prayer. Then..well..it's hammer time. He watches in bemusement as a warhammer flies through the air..hooking his foot underneath Hawk's Talon on the rooftop, flipping it up so he's fully rearmed again as he dives in once more.

Armel is pissed off, and shit is not working, so in the end, his frustration just builds and builds until finall, he just takes his hammer and hauls it back, over his head, and /hurls/ it toward the thing. Because shit, he has Agnarr there if the thing gets angry, right? So he hurls his ungaintly weapon end over end to hopefully slap into the Bob-Bringer HARD and knock him off-balance. He looks as astonished as anyone that this works.

Even Agnarr is surprised. "Ain't got a right to call you a fool if it works," he decides, but nonetheless, faith in the lordlings somewhat low, he remains readied to potentially receive an angry Bob.

In the immediate aftermath of another slashing, leaping stabbing attack shared between Ainsley's sturdy armor and poor Killian, Bob staggers with the impact of the hurtling massive thing that just cracked into him, slipping on blood.

Killian checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 34, 19 higher than the difficulty.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn against difficulty 15, resulting in 48, 33 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 54, resulting in 68, 14 higher than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 68, resulting in 47, 21 lower than the difficulty.

Aureth checked wits + occult against difficulty 64, resulting in 30, 34 lower than the difficulty.

Nobody expects a giant warhammer to fly in. It's a weakness most people share, really. And they shouldn't, because now Armel is weaponless and reliant on Agnarr for defense. But he doesn't seem too concerned, making note of where the hammer falls off the roof so he can go retrieve it in a moment. Otherwise, eyes glued to the action.

The fury in Killian's attacks is renewed, but then he's bleeding profusely and likely knows that either the creature falls or he does. He swings in with both swords, spinning in a dervish dance that he still has not mastered, but focused as he is, it is effective at the least. He ducks a swipe of that dagger the creature wields, swinging his steel blade up to block the knife, catching the arm at the wrist before his alaricite sword slices down in a tremendous arc, all his fury and strength behind the blow, as the shimmering sword cleaves through the arm of the creature just below the shoulder, sending the arm still holding the dagger flying end over end as Bob is effectively, irrevocably and unquestionably disarmed.

Magpie just watches the fight go on, blue eyes wide as he takes in the raw endurance and power of the Bringer. He barely notices the Mercy that's pulling at his tattered shirt and pressing banding against the wounds. He hears the whooshing sound of the hammer flying by to his side, glancing over briefly before quickly looking back up at the rooftop. As the hammer squarely slams into Bob and the creature slips and falls, the Grayhope yells out, "Wow!! Nice sho-.. Ow!!" His attention is pulled away by the woman pouring antiseptic onto his shoulder. Happy feeling gone.

"Cut him in half," Agnarr recommends from his safe rooftop.

Once Killian has disarmed, literally, the Bringer; Ainsley is able to get inside of the things guard. Threnody comes up and slides through the air and sinks into the neck of the thing. He pulls it back, and then slams it forward again and, again and again. Ainsley hacks at the Bringer with a ferocity born of frustration and rage. Until he's splattered with black ichorous blood and the thing is cut nearly in twaine.

Armel remarks aside to Agnarr quietly, Admitting it in a moment of battlefield comradery and honesty, "I can't believe I fucking hit him. I mean really?" But it seems to have worked, so he shrugs, and as the Bringer is disarmed (huehuehue), and Ainsley just slices the thing almost in two, he slumps a little, looking suddenly rather exhausted and more than his thirty-something years. "Alright, that's that. Gonna get my hammer. You two see the Mercies!" He calls over to the lordlings over there, moving to get down from the roof and get his hammer back and see to his guard that got stabbed earlier.

An Unremarkable Associate arrives, delivering a message to Magpie before departing.

The broken pieces of half-scorched sliced up Bringer friccassee hit the roof. Now, the three Bringer infiltrators are all dead.

Below the rooftops, the refugees are almost all the way sorted out and in good order, some being shepherded off in other directions, some lingering to see the results of the fight -- not least of which are, of course, the Graysons.

Killian grunts as Ainsley hacks the creature into a bloody, pulpy mess, splattering the Ashford Knight no less than the Prince gets coated in that spray of black blood. Finally, he looks at him and says, "Ainsley..he's dead man..lte's go check on your parents.." he calls out, trying to refocus the young Prince.. "And..maybe find a fucking towel.."

"Don't count on it," Agnarr replies, watching Bob felled ... then he too descends the rooftop. It's all over, at least for him. Cleanup's not his job ... not that he's getting pay herre for the moment. "Don't work for free," he complains under his breath.

Armel grunts as he get his hammer back and begins to rub it down, getting the ichor off with a look of distaste. "Well, you defended the city and all of creation from destruction, that count?" But he does pass over a pouch of coin, because hey, man /did/ do a good job, after all, so getting a bit of something for his efforts isn't unreasonable. He moves toward the Graysons and the Mercy attending to Magpie. He removes his bracer after the cleaning is done and peers at the chain and heavy cloth underneath, which apparently stopped the blow. "Huh. Gild is merciful, sometimes."

Ainsley hisses a little bit when Killian tells him to stop. He stares down at the dead creature and he wipes his blade off as best as he can. It's held out still, not sheathed so that ichor doesn't go into it. He grunts a moment, and staggers his way back down the stairs to find his parents. "Mother, father... Are you alright?"

Magpie watches long enough to see the Bringer hacked apart, then turns and goes with the Mercy to sit down on a bench so she can get him better bandaged and a blanket against the cold. "I thought they turned into dust when you hit them?" He mutters to no one in particular.

Killian presses a hand to the hole in his side, pressing to try and stem the flow of blood, grunting as he heads down to check on everyone, looking around and nodding to those who jumped in to assist. "Well fought..and well disposed of.." he observes of those who leapt to the battle. Okay, not particularly well disposed of..that was arduous and brutal.

Catching the pouch with a sellsword's trained money sense, Agnarr seems to be satisfied enough with it. "Save a little of it for your whiskey," he allows, looking over towards the refugees before dusting himself off.

Armel turns toward his Knights, who he imagines are arriving now or soon, and barks out to them, "For the love of the Gods, you decide to take a Abyss-Damned LUNCH BREAK ON THE WAY? Get these bodies lined up for examination, check on the Lords up there, and make sure the rest of the refugees are checked and well-cared-for. Don't let any past without a bit of holy water and close looks, alright?" And then he's grumbling, looking agitated at how it went, really, even if they did win.

Daniela is the first to reach Ainsley's side when he emerges from the stairwell. "We are fine, /you/ need to get yourself to the healers before you fall over!" she orders with a kind of panicky imperiousness.

Rodric is a few paces behind her. "That was good sword work," he says with a low rumble in his voice. "I'm sorry I wasn't fit to stand with you. I can't believe we were so taken in -- for how long...?"

There's a lot of scrambling to be done with the refugees -- and with the food supplies to be taken off that they successfully brought in.

Killian's 'incoming questions he doesn't want to answer' sense begins to tingle, and while the elder nobles are tied up fussing over their son and looking after his injuries, the Ashford knight attempts to fade into the crowd. He scoops the cloak he'd worn originally up, as he happens near it, quickly swinging it back into place and drawing the cowl up to hide his identity if people aren't, at just that moment, paying attention as he tries to become lost in the crowds of people.

Armel watches Killian go, and while he doesn't comment toward the leaving man, he definitely notes him, and his eyes narrow for just a moment before he turns back to making sure his knights and the healers are well-directed before heading off himself to get cleaned up.

Magpie seemed entirely content to hang around and let the Mercy do her thing as long as she wanted, but when he hears Armel yelling to the soldiers about checking people and holy water and everything else he makes a face as he side-eyes all the nobility. "Okay okay, I'm good. Thank you. Really. You're amazing. All the best." He says to the protesting faith healer, standing up again and pulling the blanket over his shoulders. Then the Grayhope does his best to make a quick exit away before he gets held up for the next few hours. He'll follow Killian's lead when he spots him making the same getaway.

Ainsley grunts a this mother, and tilts his head toward. He finally finds something to wipe his blade off, and sheathes his sword. He says mildly, "Come on, mother. Father. I'm sure Ailys is somewhere near home. And I'm sure I can make my make across the city without passing out."

Magpie drops an austere steel blade with a corded hilt.

He doesn't blend in nearly as well, but soon Agnarr too is out of there, richer a good measure of silver.

The Knights of Solace would probably spot the blade and snatch it up sooner or later, so unless someone else grabs it, they would snatch it up and pass it up to Armel or Orazio.

Armel picks up an austere steel blade with a corded hilt.

"If you pass out I will be forced to carry you myself," Daniela announces with every apparent intention of carrying out this threat despite the fact that she is half a foot shorter than he is and probably not actually capable of doing so.

Rodric rests his good hand behind Ainsley's back, frowning a little restrainingly at his wife. "Let's go. We'll take it easy. I'd like to see Ailys. Your brother is in a mews somewhere, I assume."