Play@YSDC

Scaevola's Villa- southwest of Rome, Italia
Mid-morning- March 15, 44 BC

Aricus and Spurius both scaled the wall and reached the top, but Spurius slipped and fell backwards, landing with a painful crunch. His ankle was sprained, and he would not be climbing any time soon. Meanwhile Decius and Aretmis also got to the top of the wall and were able to look over it. A single guard remained inside the gate, and when he saw Aricus, he rushed along the wall, drawing his khopesh. A long colonnade led from the gate to the villa itself, in front of which stood a huge statue of the Sphinx. Another guard had Caelia Alba by the arm and was hustling her to the front entrance of the villa, where two more guards stood. The guard holding Caelia gestured back to the wall at the men climbing over it, and the two guards began running towards Decius and Artemis, also drawing their swords, though they were still some distance away.

Elizabeth and Titus remained outside the villa.

OOC,[b]Aricus[/b]'s Climb roll (70% skill): [dice]0[/dice] [b]Spurius[/b]'s Climb roll (40 x 2 = 80% base skill): [dice]1[/dice] Damage to [b]Spurius[/b] from falling off of the wall (armor doesn't protect): [dice]2[/dice] Those of you who have climbed the wall and wish to drop down inside may do so without having to roll.

Artemis dropped the two pilla to the ground inside the villa and jumped down as Spurius fell the other way. He could hear the soldier sharing his sudden discomfort, but grabbed a pillum and turned on the advancing guards.

"Don't think that they are going to just drop to their knees and be willing to let Lady Caelia go, do you Decius?" He glanced back to his colleague and then back at the advancing guards. He readied the pillum and took aim.
=====

Decius grunts with amusement. "They're Egyptians, I had every hope that's what they'd do."

Decius drops from the wall and readies sword and shield. "The gods hate a coward."

OOC,If and when the opportunity safely presents, [b]Decius[/b] will be looking to remove the bar and throw open the gate.

"Should we try to climb over too?" says Elizabeth to Titus. "Or would we be better waiting here and hoping they can let us in?"

"It is too dangerous for you to go over the wall now," said Spurius to Elizabeth and Titus as he bound his injury, "and you would be little help in the fight. Wait by the gate for them to open it. I'll be okay, but I can't climb the wall with my leg in this state."

Aricus stood on top of the wall, drawing his gladius and his shield as the guard coming for him got dangerously close. With a ferocious battle roar, he leapt from the wall onto the Egyptian, knocking him flat to the ground with his shield while at the same time stabbing him brutally in the chest. The gladiator's stellar reputation was well-deserved, for the guard was no match for him. He fell to the ground, stunned, dropping his khopesh, but he possessed tremendous strength of will and managed to remain conscious.

Meanwhile, Decius and Artemis barely had time to grab their weapons before his enemy closed in on them.

OOC,[b]Spurius[/b]'s First Aid roll (30% base skill) treating his injury: [dice]0[/dice] HP recovered by [b]Spurius[/b]: [dice]2[/dice] [b]Aricus[/b]'s Jump roll (25% base skill) leaping from the wall onto the guard: [dice]1[/dice] Damage to guard from [b]Aricus[/b] landing on him: [dice]6[/dice] [b]Arcius[/b]'s Gladius roll (75% skill) attacking the guard: [dice]3[/dice] Damage to guard from gladius: [dice]4[/dice] + [dice]5[/dice] Guard's CON x 5 roll (65% stat) to stay conscious: [dice]7[/dice] [b]Artemis[/b], you may roll Throw to throw one of your pila at one of the guards (please specify which one). If you're throwing at one of the guards coming for you, you are at point blank range and may double your effective skill. Alternatively, you can stab one of them using your Pilum skill, but throwing it will be more effective with your point blank bonus, and you still have the second one in your other hand. It does 1D8 damage if you hit., or 2D8 on an impale. [b]Decius[/b], you may attack as well.

"The gods help those who let others help them," Titus says dryly. "We shall wait."

Artemis was a bit surprised to see the falling guard and Spurius hit the ground and then the two guards running at him and Decius were nearly upon them. Artemis flung the pilla at point blank range at the guard to his right.

OOC:   Attack with Pilla against a 75 [dice]0[/dice] Which was a hit at 35, yet I am a bit confused about regular or impaled - so will give dice rolls for both and a little schooling is warranted. [dice]1[/dice] [dice]2[/dice]

Decius takes a swing at the second guard (not being poked a by Artemis). "Mars guide my blade!"

OOC,[b]Decius[/b] has a [i]Long Sword[/i] skill of 75%, and rolls... [dice]0[/dice]

Elizabeth nods as the others speak, understanding the wisdom of what they say, but still too scared for her friends to wait calmly. She bites her lip nervously, keeping an eye on the gate.

Spurius hobbled up to the gates, joining Elizabeth and Titus. "Stay behind me when we go inside," he told them.

The guard charging Artemis leapt aside, eyes wide with horror, and the javelin soared past him. However, his attack had been disrupted. Decimus ran his enemy, who was too slow to react, through. The spatha was stuck in the man's ribcage as he fell, unmoving. Now Decius was without a weapon in hand. His fellow guard, seeing the tide had turned, started to run back to the villa. The guard who held Caelia had already dragged her inside the villa's front entrance, but they could hear her shouting something.

Aricus ignored the guard he had knocked down and sprinted for the gates, reaching them just as his opponent dragged himself to his feet and retrieved his khopesh. When he saw how things were going, he too bolted for the villa as fast as his grievous wounds would allow.

OOC,You score an impale when you roll 1/5 or less of your effective skill with a weapon that can impale. Since your Pilum skill is higher than your Throw skill, I'll allow you to use that for your throwing roll. Your skill is 75%, doubled to 150% for point blank range. However, 1/5 of that is 30, so you do not impale. Thank you for rolling damage in advance. It will really help this move faster. [b]Artemis[/b]'s opponent's Dodge roll (40% skill) to avoid the pilum: [dice]0[/dice] [b]Decimus[/b]'s opponent's Parry roll (35% skill) to block the blow: [dice]1[/dice] [b]Decimus[/b]'s opponent's Dodge roll (40% skill) to avoid the blow: [dice]2[/dice] [b]Decius[/b], [b]Aricus[/b], and [b]Artemis[/b], you may all roll Listen. [b]Decius[/b], if you wish to try to retrieve your weapon, please make a Long Sword roll to pull it out of the guard. This will be your action for the round if you choose to do it. [b]Artemis[/b], you may if you wish throw your second pilum, though the range is no longer point blank,

Artemis watched as the guard dodged his near point blank pillum throw. He looked in disbelief as the pillum sailed past the man who spun about and ran as Decius stabbed his blade deep into the other advancing guard.

"By the light, that should not have happened," Artemis said as he adjusted his second pillum and tossed it after the fleeing guard.
Artemis watched in disbelief as his second pillum went both short and hooked. He looked in total disbelief. He was a veteran of the Auxiliary, he missed. MISSED! "We have to get to Lady Caelia, come on." Artemis began to run to the gate.

Decius reaches for his longsword with a quiet sigh.

OOC,[i]Listen[/i] skill of 25% and he rolls... [dice]0[/dice] [i]Long Sword[/i] skill of 75% and he rolls... [dice]1[/dice]

Decius stepped on the guard with his boot and tried to extract his sword with both hands, but it remained stuck. He had struck too well. Artemis's second pilum fell short, landing not far from the first one. The two fleeing guards were now about halfway to the villa's front entrance. Aricus hoisted the iron bar blocking the gates and threw them open, allowing Spurius, Elizabeth, and Titus to enter.

"Where are the others?" asked Aricus.

"They went back to Rome," said Spurius. "Marcus reported that Scaevola had left for Rome some time ago, and they hastened back there to try to save Caesar."

"Then it is just the six of us. Quickly, we must reach the villa!" He pointed down the path which led from the gates to the villa's front door along a colonnade, where a large statue of the Sphinx seemingly stood guard in front of it.

OOC,[b]Aricus[/b]'s Listen roll (25% base skill): [dice]0[/dice] [b]Artemis[/b]'s Listen roll (25% base skill): [dice]1[/dice] [b]Decius[/b], you may attempt to remove your sword again by making another roll, but that will take up the next round whether you succeed or fail. Alternatively, you could just scoop up the fallen guard's khopesh without delaying yourself, though its base chance to hit is 5 points lower than your long sword, giving you an effective skill of 70%. It still does 1D8+db damage. [b]Artemis[/b], if you choose to head for the villa, you may retrieve the pila while on the move without slowing yourself down.

Cursing under his breath in Gallic, Decius gives up on his spatha (for now), grabs the khopesh and races for the villa's front door.

"Having to use one of these cursed Egyptian swords at my time of life, the indignity of it," he mutters to himself. Then to Artemis he calls, "That's one nil to me."

Titus is neither hero nor coward. He follows the sage advice of Spurius and remains behind, but is ready to defend himself and others if the gods will it.

Artemis ran after Decius, reached down and grabbed the pilla that had gone long. He continued to follow after Decius. "We need to end this and rescue Lady Cealia."

The group ran for the villa's front door, the four warriors in front and Elizabeth and Titus close behind them. They all met up as they neared the Sphinx, which had to be twenty feet tall, at the same time that the two guards ran inside the villa.

Then the impossible happened. The stone Sphinx began to move, flexing nonexistent muscles as it took up a defensive stance in front of the villa's entrance. "Halt, mortals!" it bellowed.

OOC,Everyone, please roll Sanity. Sanity loss is 1/1d10. If you lose 5 or more Sanity, you must roll Idea. If you succeed at the Idea roll, you go temporarily insane. Otherwise, you may act freely.

Titus trembles in fear at this terrifying apparition.

OOC,[b]Decius'[/b] [i]Sanity[/i] is 35 and he rolls... [dice]0[/dice]

OOC,Sanity loss... [dice]1[/dice]

"GODS ALIVE!" The cry explodes uncontrollably from Decius as the blood drains from his face. Now what can we do? Keep moving maybe?

"Everyone scatter! Ranged weapons!"

Decius frantically puts distance and shrubbery between himself and the creature before shoving the khopesh into his belt, and drawing bow and arrow.

OOC:   Sanity roll - well seems Artemis has a 20...frig...ok [dice]0[/dice] Sanity loss [dice]1[/dice]So rolling for idea against 70 [dice]2[/dice] So, Artemis is temporarily insane...

It was the roar, the movement. His mind couldn't relate to what was now a moving, talking statue before them. He froze as he tried to understand what he was seeing...his mouth twitched and he started to shake as his eyes went wide.

"I um, uh...wha..uh...wuz od uta uk.. His mind could not put the words together and neither his native tounge of his youth or that of the battle fields was there for him to use.

Elizabeth rolling Sanity (stat 56%): [dice]0[/dice]
plus if fail 1/1d10 [dice]1[/dice] and if need be Idea roll (stat 65%) [dice]2[/dice]

"Try to stay calm!" shouts Elizabeth to the others, shocked at what happened, but still in control of herself. Like Decius she moves back from the creature, trying to take a defensive position.

The Sphinx made no move to attack. It held its position, but it was still moving ever so slightly, in spite of the fact that it was a stone statue. "If you would pass," it said in a deep, gravelly voice, "you must solve my riddle: There are two sisters. One gives birth to the other, and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?"

OOC,[b]Aricus[/b]'s Sanity roll (current level 54) for seeing the Sphinx animate: [dice]0[/dice] [b]Spurius[/b]'s Sanity roll (current level 40) for seeing the Sphinx animate: [dice]1[/dice] Current Sanity: [b]Elizabeth[/b]: 55 [b]Titus[/b]: 59 [b]Decius[/b]: 33 [b]Aricus[/b]: 53 [b]Artemis[/b]: 17 [b]Spurius[/b]: 39

"I know this," says Elizabeth to the others, grateful for her classical training coming in useful at some level. "Sphinx, the answer is day and night." She waits, hopefully, wondering if the creature really will let them through.

"Correct, wise one," said the Sphinx. "You may pass." It resumed its original posture and stopped moving and speaking.

Artemis gained his senses, or seemed to at least snap out of his frozen state, and gave a sigh of relief when Lady Elizabeth answered the talking statue's riddle. He shivered and sighed in relief when the creature froze back into stone.

Titus bleakly remembers that it was Oedipus who answered the riddle of the Sphinx, and that he met with a grim fate.

Decius stared at the creature, slack jawed. He quickly stowed bow and arrow for sword and shield and edged past the sphinx, fearful of annoying it and causing it to come back to life. Decius gritted his teeth and focused on the door to the villa, next problem. With a breath, he lunged through the door...

Elizabeth nods and smiles with relief, as the Sphinx speaks. Carefully, with the others, she makes her way past the Sphinx and into the villa.

Artemis' breath was a still a bit quickend, but he followed after Elizabeth and shivered as he passed the now still Sphinx.

The small group hurried past the motionless Sphinx. It remained still, and it was hard to believe that it had ever moved. Had it truly, or had they imagined it? The door to the villa was still wide open from when the guards had fled inside, so they proceeded through the vestibule into the atrium. A fountain bubbled in the center of it, and various doors led off from it on either side. There was another door at the far end of the atrium that those who had been here before recalled as leading to the study, and another corridor led further back a short distance to the right of that door. It was down this hall that the two guards ran, though one of them was leaving a very obvious trail of blood from his wounds that would have enabled them to see which way he had gone even if they had not been within sight.

OOC,Everyone, please roll Listen.

Elizabeth rolls Listen (stat 38%): [dice]0[/dice]

"One of the guards is trying to wake the others," says Elizabeth urgently. "We need to move fast." Throwing caution to the wind she shouts as loudly as she can: "Story! Brook! Lucius! Caelia! Can you hear us? Where are you?"

Decius nods to Elizabeth. "Lady, you did well with that monster outside."

Decius quickly follows the trail of blood to the hall the guards seem to have disappeared down, but he is ready to change direction if Elizabeth's call gets a response from somewhere else. Decius is assuming the guards will rally sooner or later.

OOC,Could [b]Decius[/b] make a [i]Tactics[/i] roll at this point to gain any insights into the best or safest way to battle through a villa?

Amid the chaos, Titus hears something strange.

Decius draws breath and with his best battle cry roars, "With me, troops, they're on the run now but they'll rally if we let them! Quickly!"

Sword and shield at the ready, Decius charges down the hall after the Egyptian guards, following the bloody trail.

Even in the midst of battle, Titus tries to draw the attention of his fellows. "There is someone within the corridor speaking to one of the guards in a language I do not know. That person may be important."

He advances behind the soldiers, ready to make use of his spear if need be.

While Titus could not completely understand what the guards were yelling, he was sure they were speaking Egyptian, and it sounded like Elizabeth's translation was correct.

Artemis managed to get his breathing in check and the blood pumping in his ears was fading into an almost unhearable rythm. Suddenly Elizabeth was shouting for Lady Caelia and then also TItus was talking about someone of importance. He shook his head and things got a bit clearer.

"Should we go after that person sounding the alarm, and a few go after Lady Caelia," Artemis asked as he followed after Decius with the pillum at the ready.

Decius shakes his head and speaks with confidence. "We've got these guards on the run, we need to deal with them before they rally. And there must be enough of us that we can protect the young girl and the elder. Once the guards are sorted, we'll have more time to search properly." He keeps moving.

Elizabeth Young/Titus Iunius Philo,[b]Elizabeth[/b] and [b]Titus[/b] could hear [b]Caelia[/b] call out in the distance: "Please stop! Let me help this guard, he's badly wounded; I'm a surgeon and if he's not tended to immediately you might lose him." "There's no time," said [b]Akana[/b] in Egyptian. "Your friends are too near. Get her below. You two hide the entrance, then join the fight." Shortly afterwards, they heard something heavy being moved.

The group rushed across the atrium and down the corridor, the three cavalrymen and the gladiator leading the charge. They emerged into the peristylium, a large open-air garden. There were three doors on the right-hand side, not far beyond their current position. All of them were open. At the far side, there was a door on the left side and an open doorway on the right side. Two Egyptian guards, each drawing a khopesh, emerged from that doorway. The two guards they were pursuing had stopped fleeing and were also gathered at the far end of the garden, as was another guard. Just as the rescuers arrived, two additional guards with weapons in hand also emerged from the central door on the right, for a total of seven.

OOC,[b]Titus[/b] was close enough in his Egyptian roll that I'll allow him to understand the speech he heard, especially since [b]Elizabeth[/b] can fill in the blanks for him as they run. Only [b]Decius[/b], [b]Aricus[/b], and [b]Spurius[/b] may act before the guards do.

Hmm, seven? Not great odds. And I'm fencing with a khopesh. Oh well, the gods hate a coward.

Decius roars, "Watch each others' backs! And you guards - run now or die!"

Decius charges forward and slices at a guard.

OOC,Attack with [i]Long Sword[/i] at 70% skill... [dice]0[/dice]

Damage,[dice]1[/dice] + [dice]2[/dice] for a total [b]9[/b]

The three cavalrymen and the gladiator charged into the mass of guards, who hastily turned to meet them, with war cries on their lips. The one that Decius attacked did try to turn and run, but he was too slow. The blade caught him in the chest, slicing him open, and he dropped to the ground, motionless. Aricus and Spurius swung wildly in the melee, but their blows did not strike home. The badly wounded guard swung at the gladiator, but in his weakened state he failed to connect. Another guard attacked him, his blade cutting through Aricus's ringmail and wounding him lightly. Spurius was mobbed by two fierce guards. One slashed him in the shoulder, finding a weak spot in his armor and wounding him in the neck. The other hit him, but his scale armor turned the blade. One guard each attacked Decius and Artemis, but their wild blows were ineffective.

As if things weren't bad enough, two more sleepy-eyed guards emerged from the furthest of the three open doors on the right. They wore only loincloths, having just awakened, though they did have their swords in their hands.

OOC,Guard 1's Dodge roll (40% skill): [dice]0[/dice] Guard 1's CON x 5 roll (65% stat) to stay conscious: [dice]1[/dice] [b]Aricus[/b]'s Gladius roll (75% skill) attacking Guard 2: [dice]2[/dice] [b]Spurius[/b]'s Long Sword roll (50% skill) attacking Guard 3: [dice]3[/dice] Guard 2's Khopesh roll (35% skill) attacking [b]Aricus[/b]: [dice]4[/dice] Guard 3's Khopesh roll (35% skill) attacking [b]Spurius[/b]: [dice]5[/dice] Damage to [b]Spurius[/b] from critical khopesh hit (ignores armor): [dice]10[/dice]+[dice]11[/dice] Guard 4's Khopesh roll (35% skill) attacking [b]Artemis[/b]: [dice]6[/dice] Guard 5's Khopesh roll (35% skill) attacking [b]Decius[/b]: [dice]7[/dice] Guard 6's Khopesh roll (35% skill) attacking [b]Aricus[/b]: [dice]8[/dice] Damage to [b]Aricus[/b] from khopesh hit: [dice]12[/dice]+[dice]13[/dice] Guard 7's Khopesh roll (35% skill) attacking [b]Spurius[/b]: [dice]9[/dice] Damage to [b]Spurius[/b] from khopesh hit: [dice]14[/dice]+[dice]15[/dice] At this point, [b]Artemis[/b], [b]Elizabeth[/b], and [b]Titus[/b] may take their turns. Also, since [b]Decius[/b], [b]Aricus[/b], and [b]Spurius[/b] go before the guards in the combat order at the top of the next round, they may act as well now.

These are desperate times. Titus is no soldier, but he will do what he can to aid the brave warriors. He brandishes the pilum at one of the guards.
To his astonishment, he strikes home. Mars is guiding his hand!

Artemis pulled the mace from his belt and swung it hard at the guard that had tried to attack him.

Two more? We are going to start losing people very soon. Time to go full Roman. I hope Germanicus backs me on this if it does work.

Decius takes a deep breath. "Egyptians, listen to me! We work for Senator Germanicus! He is rich and powerful! If you stop fighting, he will pay you gold! He will pay your passage back to Egypt if you want it! We can have you enlisted as Roman Army Auxiliaries within the week if you want that instead! I am Decius Lupus and I swear this is true, on my honour as a Roman citizen and veteran auxiliary! May Mars and Jupiter strike me down if I lie!"

"No-one else needs to die, just stop fighting and wait for us at the front of the villa."

Decius punctuates this with another vicious attack at a guard with his khopesh.

OOC,Khopesh attack at 70% and he rolls... [dice]0[/dice]

Damage,That would be an impale. [dice]1[/dice] + [dice]2[/dice] For a total [b]14[/b]

Still amazed at the damage he has done without proper training, Titus prepares to defend himself with the pilum.

Elizabeth pulls out her knife, ready to defend herself if need be. But she waits to see what the guards' response to Decius's offer is, before making any attack herself.

Artemis barely nicked his opponent with the tip of his pilum. Titus stood behind the line of fighters and stabbed his spear over Spurius's shoulder at the guard that had just wounded him, piercing him underneath the collarbone. Though horribly injured, he gritted his teeth and did not fall. Decius's foe attempted to bring up his blade to block the blow, but he was just a fraction of a second too slow. Decius cleaved through his chest, and the man fell, dying. Now only seven guards stood, with two of them very badly wounded. The guards looked extremely demoralized.

"Hold, men!" ordered one of the guards who had just emerged from the open door in broken Latin. "Put up your swords!" The guards stood down, and the one who had given the order sheathed his sword and approached with his palms outstretched to show they were empty. "Hail, Decius Lupus! I am Awan, captain of the guard, and I accept your offer on behalf of all of my men. They are loyal to me and will obey me in this matter. I can offer you more besides. Scaevola is not a generous employer, nor does he treat us well enough that we should die or kill for him. Sometimes servants disappear and are not seen again. Further, the way Caelia Alba is being treated is unacceptable. She has always been a great friend to my people, and my men and I will aid you in rescuing her. Akana has taken her down a secret stairway into caverns beneath the villa. The entrance is underneath the large planter in the center of the smaller indoor garden." He pointed to the door at the rear of the garden, on the right side. "Our swords are yours if you will have them."

OOC,Guard 3's CON x 5 roll (65% stat) to stay conscious: [dice]0[/dice] Guard 5's Parry roll (35% skill) to block [b]Decius[/b]'s blow: [dice]1[/dice] Guard 5's Dodge roll (40% skill) to avoid [b]Decius[/b]'s blow: [dice]2[/dice] [b]Decius[/b]'s roll to hit was actually a critical hit, which is better than an impale in that your weapon does not get stuck in the guard this time. That Status roll was also a critical success, which will help tremendously.

Decius is breathing hard, perspiring freely and somewhat splattered with other people’s blood - but he manages a wry smile. He sheaths the khopesh in his belt and offers his hand to Awan.

“Awan, I would be right pleased to accept the help of your men. Senator Germanicus is a generous man and will look after you all, I promise you. Right now though, we must find the Lady Caelia. Help us find this hidden entrance and lend us your sword arms while we search for her."

"Praise the light," Artemis whispered as Decius accepted Awan's truce and offer of assistance.

"Are my friends held here as well?" Elizabeth asks the guards, her voice shaking, but trying to stay composed. "The Britons - the older man, Story, and the young girl Brook - and the Roman Lucius. Where are they?"

"Welcome, new friends," Titus says. "If you will allow me, sir," he continues, addressing the guard he attacked, "I will attempt to stay the wound I was forced to give you."
There does not seem to be much he can do for the injured man, but he hopes his gentle tone will help ensure the loyalty of the guard and his fellows.

Aricus managed to bind his own wound expertly, and he was almost as good as new, but Spurius's injury was too bad for his limited skills to be of use.

Awan clutched Decius's hand with a strong grip. "This way," he said, leading the group back to the indoor garden. The two badly wounded guards remained behind, but the other four accompanied him. He spoke to Elizabeth as they walked. "Your friends are imprisoned below as well. They are safe for the moment, but I worry about what Akana will do to Caelia in her jealousy."

The exedra had some of the same plants as in the outdoor garden through which they had just passed, though only the smaller ones. It was lit by torches in sconces on the walls, one of which Awan took. There was a large wooden planter in the center with a large idol of Thoth looming behind it. "Might I suggest a ruse, Decius Lupus?" said Awan. "If you and your people hide your weapons, we could pretend you surrendered and we captured you. That should let us get close enough to her to take her by surprise."

Two of the guards moved the planter aside, revealing a dark opening beneath it that had been covered by the planter. Rough-hewn stone stairs descended into blackness.

OOC,[b]Aricus[/b]'s First Aid roll (70% skill) treating his wound: [dice]0[/dice] HP regained by [b]Aricus[/b]: [dice]2[/dice] [b]Spurius[/b]'s First Aid roll (30% base skill) treating his wound: [dice]1[/dice] [b]Titus[/b] actually has 60% in First Aid, as he has points in it, but the roll still fails. Thanks, [b]Decius[/b]! I'm glad things worked out this way with your plan too, and I also love the outcome. When you roll a critical success, you should get something really nice for it. :D

Artemis nodded in agreement with Awan's suggestion. He leaned the pillum up against a wall as there was no place he could hide it. His pugio he had hidden and accessible. Too many years of having it made that easy. As he waited for Decius' response, he tried to think of a place to hide the mace he had with him.

"Thank you!" says Elizabeth in response to Awan's words to her, the relief in her clearly evident to the others, as her worries about her friends dissipate. "Yes, we must free Caelia immediately. She has been a good friend to all of us."

Artemis looked at the Egyptian mace that he had taken and then tried to find a way to conceal it.
After a few attempts, he realied that he was going to have to leave it up here. He sighed as he turned the mace about in his hands. He leaned it against the wall next to the pillium. "I am grabbing that when I come back."

The best Artemis could do was to hide it behind his back and hope nobody noticed.

Decius thinks for a second. Hmm... Well, I did accept their offer of help. And it does take us in the right direction. But is this safe? I guess so far they have done the right thing.

Decius nods decisively. "Your plan sounds good Awan. But I think we should have just myself and two others as prisoners. The rest of my companions can stay fully armed and keep out of sight just behind your men."

Decius discards his shield and pulls his cloak about his body to conceal the weapons at his belt. "Volunteer prisoners?"

OOC,[b]Decius'[/b] [i]Conceal[/i] is 15% and h rolls... [dice]0[/dice]

"I volunteer," said Spurius, "I am badly injured, and it is more plausible that I was subdued."

"As will I," said Aricus. "I too was wounded. The guards can claim they slew everyone else. The rest of you keep your weapons."

Awan nodded. "It is a good plan," he said. "I will lead, followed by the volunteers, and then my men. Then the others, after a small delay." He started down the stairs once the planter was cleared from the entrance, lighting the way with his torch. Deciius, Aricus, and Spurius followed, looking suitably beaten, and the two other guards who had not been moving the planter aside went next.

The first group soon arrived in a cavern that was anything but natural. It was rectangular, with smooth walls carved out of the earth. At the far end of the long room was an archway flanked by two torches, which were not lit. Before the archway stood a large idol of Anubis, some twelve feet tall and nearly scraping the ceiling. He held a pair of scales in one hand. Another archway led to the right, also with unlit torches on either side. Awan pointed at the archway straight ahead, beyond the Anubis statue, and began walking in that direction.

OOC,[b]Aricus[/b]'s Conceal roll (25% skill) to hide his weapons: [dice]0[/dice] [b]Spurius[/b]'s Conceal roll (15% base skill) to hide his weapons: [dice]1[/dice]

Decius nods and follows Awan.

Oh good, more giant statues...

Artemis was in the group that lagged behind. He looked at the dark set of stairs, and then back at the mace. I am going to take it with me, yes, will be needing that for sure.

He picked up the mace and followed the second group trailing after the first down into the secret cavern.

Titus follows along, murmuring a brief prayer to Anubis. It is always a good idea to seek the favor of the gods, even if they reign over other peoples.

Elizabeth tries to hide her knife before going down below.

Rolling Conceal (15%): [dice]0[/dice]

Fortunately she manages to conceal the knife. She hopes that she does not have to use it below, but would be glad to have it to call on if needs must. She follows the rest of the plan as laid out.

OOC,Everyone is moving to the thread linked below:

Sacrifice