Turn 90 The ransom

Thoros goes to open the chest...and nothing happens. "What trick is this!" he says obviously quite agitated. Arylin looks over to Thoros and says calmly, "Thoros, if you come here, I will show you how the chest can be open." Lowering her voice she continues, "I am certain that you would not want any of your men to learn the secret."
Arylin whipsers the secret to Thoros and Baldwin is brought forward.
Baldwin grasps the lock, and it automatically opens at his touch. Impatiently, Thoros pushes Baldwin aside and grasps the lid. With pure greed in his eyes, he pulls the lid open. Suddenly, the greed is replaced by puzzlement. Thoros stands abruptly, anger in every plane of his face. Livid with rage, Thoros kicks the chest over, spilling thousands of coins on the ground...

Coins made of worthless lead and iron! The treasure is fake!! Reynald seems to have betrayed you and abandoned his son. Thoros shouts at you, "Where is the REAL money? What do you do with it!? THIEVES!!" Thoros pulls his sword and advances on Arilyn.

As Thoros advances on Arilyn before she has a chance to draw her blade, she recieves a wicked slice to her arm rendering it completely useless. What stopped the blade from decapitating her? The sneaky little gnome Keldar reappears from invisibility right behind Thoros, and stabd him in the back, wherein he falls to the ground gasping and watching his lifeblood drain away. Wulfgar flies several arrows, but it's hard to tell if they were hits or misses as the bandits on the wall continue to fire back. Jahl flies a bolt, misses and losses another one as Vincas comes to his side and together they take down 3 of the bandits on the wall. Barbaxle pulls reggie onto his horse, (taxing several muscles from the weight while doing so) and blocks the gate so no one can leave from this direction. Cole waves his hands madly in the air, chanting something you cant quite catch, and bright blinding lights appear above the heads of each of the bandits. Once your vision adjusts, you'll have perfect targets. For his efforts, Cole falls from his horse unconscious, but his spell lives on. Gareth heads for Arilyn and Baldwin just as Thoros slumps to the ground, and unable to stop in time, Emporer tramples the bandit squishing what life remained from his body, before halting a few feet away. Baldwin in the confusion seems to be missing, or at the least out of site.

There are still 7 archers on the wall, and 12 men on the ground arrows loosed and reloading. The only party member currently injured is Arilyn

While Gareth dismounts and quickly gives Arilyn the life saving potion, Keldar searches for and finds Baldwin by a crumbled tower, and drags him back towards the gate and the only cover availible. Jahl, Vincas and Wulfgar let arrows and bolts fly at the perfect targets Cole created with his spell before falling prey to unconsciousness. With the bandit archers falling left and right, the men on the ground look stunned, and someone shouts retreat causing all men still on the ground to take off running towards the back of the building and out of your line of vision. Caoimhin goes to Cole's side, but finds no means of reviving him, as Cole slumbers blissfully unaware.


Turn 91