Thema: "A simple escort," she said ...

[Mikayla]

Kylara looks at Xune coldly.  "Either you take orders, or you do not.  The choice is yours, as are the consequences."  Turning to the others she says, "now, pick a group..if you can crawl or fly stealthfully, come with me and we will position ourselves above and below the enemy.  If you are a caster or if you cannot fly or crawl stealthfully, then go with Xune.  Once my group is in position, above and below the enemy, then Xune's group will approach the bridge as if to cross peacably.  When Xune's group gets within striking distance, the casters will let loose their spells upon the enemy.  After the initial casting, my group will descend from the ceiling, or crawl up from below as the case may be, and attack the enemy leaders and casters.  Meanwhile, Xune's group will then engage the enemy and fight their way towards us."

She pauses, looks back at Xune and then addresses everyone again.  "I don't care about holding the bridge.  I don't care about these derro to tell the truth.  What I care about is find out how well each of you fights.  I care about us learning to fight as a team, and I care about find out who among you will follow orders, and who will not.  I care about finding out who among you is deadly...and who among you is just dead.  This battle is a test, as are most things in life.  That is Lolth's way; continual testing.  Now, pick your group and lets kill."

[Fabius Maximus]

The githyanki nods, then states: "I will go with Xune 'til her group bombards the sods on the platform. Right after the first attack, I will jump on the platform and engage the enemies there."

[Zanan]

Khalas draws nearer to Kylara while casting a couple of spells on himself. Then he draws his cloak around him and waits till the priestess takes him over to the platform.

In the meantime, the scout unsheathes a long and thin dagger and signals towards Szordin that she will move along the left side of the bridge.

[Sheiriya]

"I think you could find such a place there." Sheiriya answeres Xyranma's question before she tells the yathrin: "I'll go with the unhidden group." She gets a ring out of a pocket indide her belt and puts it onto a finger. The next moment she is invisible in the darkness.

[Korach]

Xyranma addresses the yathrin, too. "The sneaking group is the one I prefer. If you give me a minute or two I'll be ready to strike on that platform."

[Zanan]

"So much for 'unhidden'," Tavia mumbles at the disappearance of Sheiriya. "So I take it that those able to do so sneak up to the derro, my sister and some others approach openly and once we are near, we strike them dwarves down?"

[Romaal]

Tarinyon is quiet for a moment and overthinks the issues. Than he raises his voice.
"I'll go with Xune and cast some spells which. But everyone should try to not disfigure the derros to much. I wanna raise them as zombies."

[Draezen]

"I'll get into position as soon as someone cast a spider climb spell on me," Szordrin says, looking to the party's obvious casters.

"If not, I suppose I'll go with my shimmy method, but that will be much slower."

[Phaerven]

Before walking into view Zhadristan will cast a protective spell on himself.

[Zanan]

Hearing Szordrin's words, Khalas removes a few little pieces out of one of his pouches. He mixes what looks like a little spider and a piece of black substance before handing it to Szordrin. "Eat that when I tell you! Once done, you can use your feet and hands to walk like a spider, but beware that each time you touch a flat surface, your hands will be somewhat sticky. Might be something of a hinderance in a fight." The wizards utters a few arcane syllables and adds gestures to the casting. Just before he is finished, he nods at Szordrin to swallow the mixture in his hands.

In the meantime, Tavia draws her cloak around her and fastens it close to her body with some small leather straps. She smiles at the procedure Khalas does and looks towards the bridge. See you there, she signals. Half a moment later, she simply vanishes into the shadows and is gone.

[Narzen]

Seeing as the plans have more or less been drawn, Gaess walks to the near end of the bridge in swift gait, there drops on all fours and proceeds across the bridge on its underside.

[Fabius Maximus]

Noticing that everything is said, Farviaan draws his huge weapon. Because he doesn't want to appear to threatening he cradles the blunt side of its blade in the nook of his left arm while folding his hands around the hilt.

[Zanan]

The groups part and Kylara, Xyranma's chain in Khala's hand teleport over to the platform. The others approach the bridge and the derro on it. One of the crossbow-wielder note them almost instantly once you enter the viewing field and mumbles something to the savant. Having his hands up to the elbows in the corpse of the poor human, the derro's head turns to regard you. Very slowly he draws around, arms dripping with blood and entrails. Hissing something to his bodyguard, he makes a steps behind them while raising his arm, pointing at Xune.
"You pay the toll, 50 gold per head. Else you end up like them two!" The derro points to the dead humans ... and halts in mid-movement, as a blade comes through his cloak and neatly slashes his arm. It croaks in surprise and the nearer of his bodyguards wastes no time whatsoever, losing two bolts from his strange looking crossbow at Zhadristan, though both whiz past the drow. Zhadristran returns the favour with a shot from his hand-crossbow, neatly hitting the derro above his breastplate. The wound does not seem to be serious though, nor does the poison show any effect. Farviaan disappears from view and materializes in shadows of the platform, just below an opening to the upper floor. He instantly spots Kylara and Khalas, who chose not to incinerate him on the spot, for now. On the bridge, Xune watches on as the battle unfolds, while the second derro warrior, inspired by his comrades boldness, aims at the second mail, loosening two bolts in quick succession as well. The first one punches cleanly through a semi-visible shield in front of Tarinyon and hit the drow male in the left shoulder. The mage is more hurt by the poison taking effect than by the hit itself. (-2 HP, -1 Con) He levels a hand at the derro and four dark black arrows stream towards his attacker, three punching through the dwarves magical resistance and drawing blood. Half an eyeblink later, Tarvia jumps over the railing of the bridge and buries her blade into the derro's side before assuming a goading, yet defensive stance right next to him. The savant withdraws half a step, not sure about his apparently invisible attacker. He casts a quick spell and can almost feel Szordrin's blade again, but the drow misses by a quarter inch. With a speed and grace hardly describable, Gaess appears right next to the savant, jumping cleanly over the railing in one fluid movement. Without wasting any time, the female hammers her foot against the back of the derro's skull, causing him to fall unceremoniously onto his belly. Like a prowling cat, Gaess is above him in a flash, hammering her right fist into his kidneys. The derro cries out for his bodyguard, who only now become aware of the danger to their charge. A bolt flashes through derro and drow alike, causing a few sparks from the bridge's floor as it hits the ground 30odd feet further down the way. As you watch that, a coolish gray something seems to explode right on top of the half-lit platform, causing cries of pain and dispair. Only Kylara and Farviaan heard Khalas saying: "Here comes the Cold!" moments before the magical display.

[Romaal]

Tarinyon screams as the bolt hits his body. He feels the poison running through his veins. But instead of suffering, he gets even angrier. He put one of his hands on his robe and takes a bone out of it. Then he throws it onto the bridge and shouts some weird words in Abyssal.
Within red and yellow smog the degenerated figure of a ghast appears.

[Narzen]

Gaess is breathing heavily, yet it is obvious she is excited rather than exhausted. The woman bares her teeth, her wolf-eyes flaring up with bloodlust.