Tales of Neutral Ground IC

[3SecondCultist]

As you see your opportunity to pass unhindered into the next zone begin to disappear, it is once more Raz who steps forward to volunteer his services. The shifter barely breaks stride as he returns to the ground, casting forth the reagents necessary in order to disappear from sight as he has done with you all before. He makes no sounds, but you're certain that he is already striking out to slip through the narrowing gateway as you linger at the edge of the next street. Between his spell shroud and the distance between you, most of you aren't able to witness the ranger expertly avoid the first patrol, glide up to the top of one of the gate towers with the assorted coin and arrow, and begin to wreak havoc. Neither do you see the confused faces of the Karrnathi guards as coins tumble over the ramparts, or see Raz embed his unbreakable arrow into the machinery of the gate.

What you do make out is a screeching noise as the gates, formerly closing, are now forced to a complete halt with enough width to squeeze a horse through. It is, however, not the only noise you hear. Immediately following what seems to be Raz's moment of triumph come cries of 'intruder', the immediate keening klaxon of the alarm being raised across the battlements, and the stomach-sinking sight a pair of flaming arrows that go well above roof height and explode in a dazzling mid-air display. There is no time to waste, and so your horses are already moving, surging right for the gap between the gates.

"There, going for the gate," comes a cry from above, "shoot them down now!" And the archers atop the wall do their level best to follow the order, but for all that Raz was caught you have managed to catch the Karrnathi off guard here, and so their reply is a ragged thing. Errant arrows fly around you as your group bursts through the checkpoint with seconds to spare, charging forth into the final zone of your journey. As promised, Raz emerges from his hiding place on the other side of the wall within a minute of your crossing, and as one you set off once more for Thronehold Castle.

---

Forging ahead, you have found the Karrnathi Zone to be quite different from anything you have encountered thus far. Unlike the Thrane quarter that you left behind, the architecture here tends to be heavy and symmetrical, with a militaristic uniformity and lots of decorative elements. You pass more than one obelisk and monolith in your haste, stone watchers that would disappear from sight but for their size. In many ways, you reflect, the typical Karrnathi city street resembles a museum, with heavy stone buildings, ornate sculptures, and free standing statues everywhere you look.

Of course, the abstract differences in building style pale in significance to the first two most pressing changes. First, the streets are absolutely empty of civilians. Shops have been left abandoned, stalls left exposed to the day. The mass disappearance does not remain a mystery for very long, as you see faces in windows as you pass. The Karrnathi have clearly locked this place down. And secondly, just about every soldier on guard seems to have been alerted to your presence. You pass no less than three more patrols, all of whom turn to stare at the thunder of hooves. Several set after you, but you're moving far too quickly for any to catch up at your pace. Still, there is no question that the worst is up ahead.

"... they shot me," come words from behind Arimart's back. Turning around, the paladin is the first to see that Maugrim is bleeding. The wound isn't all that deep - the arrowhead having lodged its way only partially into the disguised man's upper back - but there is fresh blood dripping over his armor all the same. He's remained quiet during the ride so far, speaking only when addressed which has been not at all, yet the voice that you hear coming out of the face of the 'shifter' does not belong to a meek man.

No plaintive mewling, this, but rather an observation and only the first of those.

"This... isn't Thaliost," Maugrim continues, and his tone is anything but pleased. "This isn't Thaliost, and who are you? Where are you taking me!? Stop this horse immediately, or I'll jump!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Now you're in for a proper ride! With 4 successes and 2 failures on this skill challenge, the encounter waiting for you at Thronehold Gate is going to be an interesting one. I've started to add some reinforcements to the final encounter, which should make for a challenging fight for you all.

I've got one last challenge for you before you hit the gates, and this one is going to be a bit tricky: talking Maugrim down. Persuasion and Deception have been used by the people who are arguably the best at it, so you're going to have to find either other characters to lead the action, or use different skills. I am also going to nix the use of Suggestion for this challenge, since it's been used already.