[hr][hr][center][h1][color=000000][u]B[/u][/color] [u]L[/u] [u]A[/u] [u]C[/u] [u]K[/u]   [color=000000][u]F[/u][/color] [u]L[/u] [u]A[/u] [u]G[/u][/h1][/center][hr][hr]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/W1Dx4RP.jpg?1[/img]
[sub][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft-lJyu_nuY]♪[/url][/sub][/center][hr][hr]

[hider=Group One: Ingrid and Onarr]'Somewhere else' turned out to be a small, quiet room on the upper floor. Perhaps there [i]was [/i]honour among thieves. "We been trying to do business with 'em for ages," Captain Falzon was saying. He was bald beneath his curly wig and big hat, both of which were presently on the table in front of him. "But they're in some weird spot further out down the coast. They've got a little cove or something and they keep to themselves. Don't even know who the crew is," he grumbled. 

"You wouldn't, perchance know where this inlet is located?" Onarr inquired, thinking it likely for a businessman of a sort like this Falzon to have taken an interest.

The pirate quirked an eyebrow and shook his head tightly. "I know how to recognize dangerous people and I know when those people don't wanna be messed with." He struck a match and took a moment to light his pipe. "If I knew, I'd have told yuh," he continued, exhaling. "But I agreed to help you out." Indeed, he had, and it hadn't been cheap. He lowered his voice. "I know it's northeast along the coast, down a bit past The Doge's Breeches along that beach. Might wanna pop in and save a quick ahoy for the wonderboy there: Nerio Luchessi. If anyone knows anything, it'd be him."

So it was that, a few minutes later, the odd pair found themselves on their way to the Doge's Breeches, Ingrid grumbling about not getting her money's worth from that scurvy-mouthed pirate. She had a building urge to make something go kaboom. Life was simpler that way. It was right about then that she noticed Wvysen up ahead, leaving that very same building in a hurry.[/hider]

[hider=Group Two: Trypano and Ismette]If the Mermaid's Knees had been a dead end, at least it had been an illuminating one, leaving Trypano with a mystery to solve. Of course, that could be vexing too. The two women had decided to make their way downhill to where the others would be, in the hopes of reconvening and figuring out what to do next. It only made sense to check in on La Fleur Rouge, which showed no sign of Desmond or Benedetto, before heading to The Doge's Breeches.

Their discussion over, they passed the next little while in easy silence, or perhaps it was actually loaded. For all of the time she had spent around humans, she still did not understand their cognition and doubted that it would ever be intuitive for her. The idea that one would care about friendships, rivalries, or societies. That was a very human conceit, she supposed. Things came and went. [i]Impermanence is the the nature of the world,[/i] she thought to herself as the last sliver of one of the moons dipped from view. Then, in the distance up ahead, she saw two figures running. There were others chasing them. Trypano seemed to have noticed too. Normally, Ismette would've stayed out of it - making other people's problems your own was a great way to die - but she recognized one of them: Desmond - Desmond and a pretty dark-haired woman. She gathered all of the energies that she could. Her kinetic energy stretched, the receptors in her nerves and muscles sparked, and time quickened. She surged forward.[/hider]

[hider=Group Three: Penny and Wvysen]When Penny awoke, she tried to hide it, but her eyes flashed open and she blinked. She could feel them open and yet, she saw nothing. She was on a cold, rough floor. A rope chafed at her wrists and... her foot was free at least. It had no partner to tie it to, after all.

Again, the Perrenchwoman blinked. She rubbed her eyes against her shoulder, but still could see nothing, and a cold wave of panic prickled through her veins. [color=F7976A][i]Am I blind?[/i][/color] she thought with terror. Though she had never known otherwise, life was difficult as it was with one leg. To lose her sight as well? She let out a soft moan. 

That was when she felt it: cold, foul-smelling breath upon her face. Instinctively, she flinched back, but there was a wall behind her. [color=000000][b]"HeLLo, [i]pRinCEsS[/i],"[/b][/color] said a voice that matched the breath.

[hr][color=aba000][b]"Will you fuckin' relax?"[/b][/color] Nerio was calling after her, but Wvysen was anything but relaxed. This was not what she'd signed up for. She'd wanted nothing more than an ordinary school year. Now there was a grave crisis. Time was ticking and, if she didn't warn them, her friends would all be dead before long. [color=aba000][b]"It's gonna be fine!"[/b][/color] the pirate called after her. [color=aba000][b]"The princess is safe and that's what matters, right?"[/b][/color]

[color=a3183b][i]The princess is safe,[/i][/color] she scoffed to herself. The stress of it all was getting to her. This wasn't like her. She was about to open her mouth to retort when three things happened at once. From one direction, she noticed Ingrid and Onarr making their way towards her. She called out to them. From another, she caught sight of two rushing figures. One was Desmond and another was... the princess! [color=a3183b][i]Alright![/i][/color] she thought. [color=a3183b][b]"Onarr, Ingrid, [i]this [/i]way!"[/b][/color] she shouted, skidding around the bend. She called upon her kinetic skills to lift herself off of the ground. That's when she saw the third: black clad figures. It was almost too late. It was happening! She opened her mouth to warn Desmond and the others.[/hider]

[hider=Group Four: Desmond and Amelea]They hadn't made it very far when the princess stopped, posture stiff, head flicking to one side and then the other like a meerkat peering out of its den. [color=ec008c][b]"I don't think we have that kind of time,"[/b][/color] she warned Desmond. Her eyes flicked over to his and he could feel a buildup of energy around her. It was modest, much like his own. [color=ec008c][b]"Godsdammit,"[/b][/color] she cursed, [color=ec008c][b]"I [i]knew [/i]it was too easy."[/b][/color] She started moving, and quickly. [color=ec008c][b]"Reach out with your senses. There's at least a dozen coming for us."[/b][/color] If she wasn't shouting, anxiety bled out of her voice nonetheless. [color=ec008c][b]"I'm sorry,"[/b][/color] she added quickly. [color=ec008c][b]"I should've known they'd use me as bait."[/b][/color] She glanced at him apologetically. [color=ec008c][b]"Now, unless you have a whole lot of people, right here and right now, I suggest you try to keep up!"[/b][/color]

She suited words to action and, with a thrust of kinetic power, took off at a breakneck run, her dress fluttering behind her. That's' when Desmond could sense them too: about a dozen figures converging on their position: some quickly and some slower, from virtually every direction except... no, one was in the air too. Yet, there was a small part of him that still couldn't help but think of this as little more than a convincing performance. If he was going to run, it'd be towards backup and not whatever trap she could be leading him into. Drawing on every bit of kinetic energy that he could muster, he pulled even with Amelea, reached out, and grabbed her by the arm. Penny and Wvysen were at The Doge's Breeches and it was close, if he'd remembered the town map right. Ingrid and Onarr were supposed to meet the others there as well. Desmond was hard-pressed to think of how these shadowy pursuers would be able deal with three mages with 8+ RAS levels. [color=gold][b]"This way!"[/b][/color] he shouted, and she didn't resist.

He scanned for energies again as the building drew closer. Three were unusually large for humans and a surge of adrenaline filled him. Maybe not all of the figures were enemies. There was a chance...

Then, he was there. Wvysen was out front, yelling at Nerio, who was... another friend, of a sort. Desmond was no stranger to tough scrapes in his line of work, and he might just get out of yet another. Wvysen was in the air, shouting something. Ingrid and Onarr came barreling around a corner, the dwarf struggling to keep up with his towering companion, having to boost himself as he went. Down the hill from above came Trypano and Ismette. But then came the attackers.

It was so quick that he didn't have time to react, and the others were still far away. A figure clad in black from head to toe landed in the middle of the small square by the docks, just in front of the Revidian tavern, and the impact of it sent cracks through the ground. With movements stiff and rapid as a construct, he turned his head in the direction of Wvysen and there was a surge of power so great that it nearly made Desmond sick. With a blinding flash, a beam of light seemed to pass through her and Desmond's eyes traced it back to the yawning mouth of the new arrival. Wvysen's lower body hung there for a moment by a tatter of flesh and fabric, and then it tore free and she fell to the ground in two pieces.

Amelea shrieked and shrank back, but there was no time for Desmond to mourn or cower. Ingrid, Ismette, Onarr, Nerio, and Trypano arrived. Yet, the attacker kept drawing as all five of his partners, too, joined him. Where was Penny? Where was Benedetto? It was seven on six, but that hardly mattered with this kind of power on display. It did not take a scholar to recognize that what they were up against was an Atomic Mage.[/hider]

[hr][hr]

[hider=Action Opportunities]1) There's no time to make a plan. You need to do it on the fly and you need to fight. The assailants will be trying to take the princess alive, but deadly force is in use against the rest of you.
2) One of the mysterious assailants is an Atomic mage: approach with extreme caution. Even his radiation can be very damaging. Only Ingrid has the ability to put up a shield, and she's at a novice level.
3) There ain't no saving Wvysen. She's as dead as they come.
4) Nobody knows where Penny and Benny got off to, but their power would sure be helpful in this fight.
5) You're close enough to the water that it can be a drawing source. Though an abundant source, it's currently a little far to be an efficient one.
6) The other five assailants are not as strong as the Atomic. There is one for each other type of magic. They're not trash mobs that you can kill without GM approval. However, if you're smart, you should be able to overcome them.
7) There are more assailants who aren't magic users nearby. They're cautious because you don't bang with mages lightly but, if you leave them an opening, they'll try to kill you.[/hider]

[hider=The enemies]1) Atomic mage: appears male, RAS at least 8.40 (exact number unknown), likely offspec in Kinetic.
2) Chemical mage: appears female, RAS unknown (actually 8.03), destruction chemist with a dual offspec in illusion arcane and internal chemical.
3) Binding mage: appears male, RAS unknown (actually 6.58), dedicated healer with a dual offspec in Blood destruction and defensive magnetic.
4) Kinetic mage: appears female, RAS unknown (actually 6.89), skyborn long-distance telekinetic with a dual offspec in offensive and disintegration magnetic.
5) Arcane mage: appears female, RAS unknown (actually 5.79), greyborn illusion arcanist with a dual offspec in internal chemistry and blood destruction.
6) Magnetic mage: appears male, RAS unknown (actually 6.77), thunderchild offensive magneticist with a dual offspec in healing binding and defensive magnetic. 
[/hider]