Faded from sight Drazek dashes across the rooftops at a full run heading towards the guards that spotted Bethany.
Drazek pounds across the mossy slate shingles of the mildly-pitched roof, jinking among the many chimneys poking out at odd angles. Confused yells follow him; the guards are perplexed by his disappearance. Across a gap is the building where two more crossbowmen are scanning the skies for a glimpse of Bethany.
Acrobatics
Picking up speed Drazek races up a chimney, running at a diagonal ascent and launches himself into a tumbling somersault at a bizarre angle, his body shooting across the distance in a twisted spiral, to come up against a corner on the opposing roof, only to vault off that hand and land behind one of the guards.
Picking up speed Drazek races up a chimney, running at a diagonal ascent and launches himself into a tumbling somersault at a bizarre angle, his body shooting across the distance in a twisted spiral, to come up against a corner on the opposing roof, only to vault off that hand and land behind one of the guards.
Drazek sticks his landing behind one of the crossbowmen taking a bead at the fog-shrouded Bethany. The guard is so distracted looking for the harpy bard he doesn't even realize that Drazek has landed near him.
'Everyone. If you can hear me. I think we have a good idea what the number of guards are. And WHAT they are. We need to get out of here if we want to avoid getting seriously embroiled here!' Justin hastily whispers to Ekuur, Karrin, Merle, and Swire. (Fervently hoping that his previous casting is still running). He turns and dashes down the alleyway. When he gets to the first corner, he swings right and screeches to a halt, doing his best to blend in with the wall.
Justin breathes through his open mouth, trying not to pant, when he realizes that, somehow, he has managed to find the ONE back wall in this district where someone keeps an everburning torch running that hasn't been stolen yet. HE shakes his head.
"Worst. Hiding spot. Ever." He grumbles to himself. He risks a quick glance around the corner, trying to see if they are following him, and moves swiftly down the alley looking for a better spot to hide. He keeps his fingertips stretched out, barely touching the wall, trying to make sure he stumble into a hole or something worse.
'Everyone. If you can hear me. I think we have a good idea what the number of guards are. And WHAT they are. We need to get out of here if we want to avoid getting seriously embroiled here!' Justin hastily whispers to Ekuur, Karrin, Merle, and Swire. (Fervently hoping that his previous casting is still running). He turns and dashes down the alleyway. When he gets to the first corner, he swings right and screeches to a halt, doing his best to blend in with the wall.
1d20+3Justin breathes through his open mouth, trying not to pant, when he realizes that, somehow, he has managed to find the ONE back wall in this district where someone keeps an everburning torch running that hasn't been stolen yet. HE shakes his head.
Justin swiftly follows Merle into the darkness. The pitch blackness envelops him like a sack over the head. Suddenly he stumbles into something which topples with a crash. A shout from the main road lets him know that the Athar have heard him.
As the guard's eyes comb the skies Drazek' stike seems to materialize out of the mists.
1d20+8
2d6
Drazek's glowing glaive punches into the back of the guard, causing him to yell in surprise and pain. Drazek feels the buzz as his glaive absorbs some of the lifeforce of the hapless guard. His comrade twists about, a look of fear in his eyes. He raises his crossbow.
Justin swiftly follows Merle into the darkness. The pitch blackness envelops him like a sack over the head. Suddenly he stumbles into something which topples with a crash. A shout from the main road lets him know that the Athar have heard him.
"Worst. Day. EVER." Justin hisses with a curse as he barks his shin painfully on something unseen that clatters noisily, and smellily, to the street. He hobbles a little more carefully down the alley, not willing to risk a light for fear of his friends close behind.
"My kingdom for an illusion charm!" He mumbles as he flattens himself against the wall once more,...
As the guard's eyes comb the skies Drazek' stike seems to materialize out of the mists.
1d20+8
2d6Drazek's glowing glaive punches into the back of the guard, causing him to yell in surprise and pain. Drazek feels the buzz as his glaive absorbs some of the lifeforce of the hapless guard. His comrade twists about, a look of fear in his eyes. He raises his crossbow.
"Worst. Day. EVER." Justin hisses with a curse as he barks his shin painfully on something unseen that clatters noisily, and smellily, to the street. He hobbles a little more carefully down the alley, not willing to risk a light for fear of his friends close behind.
"My kingdom for an illusion charm!" He mumbles as he flattens himself against the wall once more,...
"Coming up" Merle pipes up as she pulls out a scroll and casts it on Justin
Merle then trys to slink back into the shadows
1d20+6
Nari was so distracted by Justin's tripping over rubbish in the alleyway that she didn't pay attention to where she was going and followed suit.
Distracted by the crash of Justin's collision, Nari also hits a pile of stacked refuse, causing it to tumble down into the alleyway with a resounding *CRASH*.
Merle casts her invisibility spell on Justin, and he vanishes into the darkness. The waifish elven psionicist struggles to maintain her balance. Merle slinks deeper into the pitch-black sodden alleyways, using her vision to avoid the puddles and pitfalls of the narrow maze-like tangle. Justin and Karrin hesitate, looking back to Nari and the rapidly brightening lantern light at the main road.
:)
"My kingdom for an illusion charm!" Justin mumbles as he flattens himself against the wall once more,...
"Coming up" Merle pipes up as she pulls out a scroll and casts it on Justin
Merle then tries to slink back into the shadows
Justin jumps, stifling a yelp of surprise, as Merle seems to step out of a nearby shadow with scroll in hand.
Justin clutches his chest. "Don't do that! What'r you trying to do, give me a heart attack?" He grumbles in obvious relief as he realizes who it is. He squints, trying to see what she is doing as he hears her softly chant in the darkness. He sees a slight shimmer as he feels the magic gently settle over him like a soft blanket. He grins as she steps back into the shadow she came from.
"Thanks Merle!" He whispers to the shadow. Not able to see that she has already moved and he is talking to a wall. He jumps once more, unable to stifle the yelp this time, as Nari follows his excellent example of how NOT to sneak down an alleyway.
"That's it. No more Kafe' for me. I'm switchin' to herbal tea!" He declares softly as he reaches for Nari's shoulder to steady her.
"Let's go Nari! I can't see in the dark, but you can!" He whispers. "Just give me a moment here, I'll leave them a temporary distraction,..."
Nari can hear Justin chant a simple charm, almost like a nursery rhyme, under his breath. Her elvish eyes can see a slight shimmer on the refuse they tripped over in the alley. He murmurs again, and a small, candle-sized ball of light flickers into existence, and moves slowly down the alley, Justin tugs Nari in the opposite direction.
"Right. It won't slow them down long. But in the dark it might distract them for a few seconds." Justin breathes in her ear. She can almost hear him smile as he places his hand on her shoulder. "Lead on nighteyes! Slow and steady."
;P
1d20+3
1d20+6
Nari manages to remain on her feet, although her legs are splashed with rancid rainwater raised up from the collapsing pile of junk. She dives after her friends, hurrying after the swiftly disappearing Merle.
Shouts and oaths echo from the alleymouth they had been peeking out of. The group hurries deeper into the tangle as a voice calls out:
"They're in the alleys! Spread out and find out where they're headed! 'Ware the dazzler!"
Isaac slips away from the rear of the building, heading toward the sounds of combat and pursuit. He'll get a quick assessment of where he's needed most to draw heat off before deciding to act.
Stealth: 1d20+11
Swire, being a wise little knight, does likewise.
The two quickly scuttle off to the nearest building behind the church. The sounds in front of the church make clear that they don't want to be near the crumbling building. Sure enough, a squad of plate-clad guards round the side and begin searching about, looking for interlopers. The two fade into a nearby alley and draw to the main road.
Out on the road is a scene like an overkicked anthill. Plate-clad guards scurry to and fro, looking in corners about the church. The bulk of them seem to be in a pitched battle with a trio of golden spiders.
The two see a massive form in the darkness among the guards, just visible by the wavery lanternlight. The eight-foot-tall being has two distinct heads and they seem to be barking out orders independent of each other. One voice is a giantish basso profundo, another is a deep almost feminine contrallo.
"Secure the building, or by the Gods that Aren't I'll have your skin for a rug!" The basso voice bellows.
"Search the alleyways! That dazzler can't be too far! I want him in talking condition if possible!" The deep contrallo shouts out a second later.
The two voices all of a sudden synchonize, saying the same thing in an eerie stereo:
"FINISH OFF THOSE DAMN SPIDERS!"
Cast Prestidigitation. (Was thinking OLD definition, when it could create 2d images.) Using power to lift 1lb of dirt/debris/etc from the ground in a hump, like an invisible person might have stumbled into it and is covered by it. And(/Or, Time permitting,) also a candle light going down the alley away from us. I'm going to let both effects go as soon as I think they can see them, so they will fade before they actually reach them. I'm hoping to keep them chasing red herrings until we get out of here! ;P
Justin chants a few clipped Draconic phrases and a small ball of candlelight appears. He sends it down another alley than the one they hasten down. A shout behind them shows that the light has been seen.
"They're over here! Quick! Take them alive if possible!"
The group can hear the clanking of plate as the four guards hasten after the bobbing candlelight. Their lanterns illuminate the dripping brown-stained bricks of the alley.
The group ducks down several intersecting passageways, trying hard to put a little space between them and their persuers. Aside from a snoring bubber or two, the alleys seem to be empty. The sounds of the guards fade as they emerge into a small plaza.
The plaza is a typical Sigilian space, a small courtyard fronted by time-worn tenements. A small fountain sits in the center, and a few small rickety shuttered wooden kiosks surround it, advertising kava, bread and fresh fruit. five different alleys branch off of it, twisting in many different directions. A few candles can be seen burning behind shuttered windows, but the plaza is uninhabited at the moment.
Justin chuckles softly to himself as the plate-wearing guards clang noisily after the bobbing ball of light. "Always keep it simple!" He murmurs.
He follows Nari carefully through the darkness, trusting her to warn him of obstacles to avoid. When they reach the plaza, he breathes a small sigh of relief, but stays alert and wary. He squints through the darkness, looking for signs of his friends.
'Ekuur, Swire, Karrin, can you hear me?' He whispers, the spell echoing oddly in Nari's ears as well, giving her a stereo sensation as she can also hear the words coming from the air slightly behind her.
'I think Nari and I have lost them. We're in a plaza about half a dozen blocks from the temple. I think. We took a lot of turns. Where are you?!?'
Justin takes another look around the plaza. 'Hellooo,...?' He adds.
"Zee sneaking of dees peoples is indeed laughable," Karrin says, "I am saying this correctly? That their inability to sneak is so pitiful as to be humorous to all? It is schadenfreude in the mother tongue. We gain laughter at your failures. Is good no?"
Justin is grateful for Merle's Invisibility scroll-spell, as it prevents the need for him to hide his smile at Karrin's antics.
"Hey, whatt'ya want?" Justin's disembodied voice drifts to the two women.
"I'm a Wizard, not a sneaker!"
"And speaking of sneakers,... I wonder where Swire, Ekuur and the others are? I hope they aren't out of spell range."
'Ekuur, Swire,... can you hear me?'
Drazek's quick eyes take in the guards ready to fire and he grins. From the Warlock's mouth spills a deep rhythmic stuccato growl that hammers at the far guard's consciousness with unrelenting force. Unlike Bethany's melodious vocalizations the only word to describe this powerful chant is brutal.
"Zee sneaking of dees peoples is indeed laughable," Karrin says, "I am saying this correctly? That their inability to sneak is so pitiful as to be humorous to all? It is schadenfreude in the mother tongue. We gain laughter at your failures. Is good no?"
"Karrin you can drop the disguise now. Anyway I think we may need a new plan to get in there."
"Zee sneaking of dees peoples is indeed laughable," Karrin says, "I am saying this correctly? That their inability to sneak is so pitiful as to be humorous to all? It is schadenfreude in the mother tongue. We gain laughter at your failures. Is good no?"Justin is grateful for Merle's Invisibility scroll-spell, as it prevents the need for him to hide his smile at Karrin's antics.
"Hey, whatt'ya want?" Justin's disembodied voice drifts to the two women.
"I'm a Wizard, not a sneaker!"
"And speaking of sneakers,... I wonder where Swire, Ekuur and the others are? I hope they aren't out of spell range."
'Ekuur, Swire,... can you hear me?'
"We're on the main road. You going to be able to get past the giant, or want us to teach him his place?"
"Zee sneaking of dees peoples is indeed laughable," Karrin says, "I am saying this correctly? That their inability to sneak is so pitiful as to be humorous to all? It is schadenfreude in the mother tongue. We gain laughter at your failures. Is good no?"Justin is grateful for Merle's Invisibility scroll-spell, as it prevents the need for him to hide his smile at Karrin's antics.
"Hey, whatt'ya want?" Justin's disembodied voice drifts to the two women.
"I'm a Wizard, not a sneaker!"
"And speaking of sneakers,... I wonder where Swire, Ekuur and the others are? I hope they aren't out of spell range."
'Ekuur, Swire,... can you hear me?'
Ekuur whispers back, "I hear you. Where are you Justin? I am headed back towards the church; Drazek and Bethany and Isaac were still there. The Athar were getting quite nervous, and I do not want to leave them there."
:)
'Ekuur! Swire! Great! I'm not sure exactly where we are,... in a plaza a few blocks away. We didn't go that far, but we went the way the guards didn't. Wait,... What?!? You're going where?!? No! Don't go back!' He hisses in surprise and frustration.
'We just kicked over the whole bloody Ardorwesp nest! And you want to go BACK!?! The others can use the fact that the guards are chasing after us to make a clean escape. Swire, please tell me that your clear?' Justin Whispers.
The three ladies hear the sound of invisible flesh striking the nearby wall. Whether it is the mage's hand, or head, is unclear.
:)
'Ekuur! Swire! Great! I'm not sure exactly where we are,... in a plaza a few blocks away. We didn't go that far, but we went the way the guards didn't. Wait,... What?!? You're going where?!? No! Don't go back!' He hisses in surprise and frustration.
'We just kicked over the whole bloody Ardorwesp nest! And you want to go BACK!?! The others can use the fact that the guards are chasing after us to make a clean escape. Swire, please tell me that your clear?' Justin Whispers.
The three ladies hear the sound of invisible flesh striking the nearby wall. Whether it is the mage's hand, or head, is unclear.
"Lead me to your location. We can meet up and discuss what we should do. I do not want to leave the others if they are in trouble."
Ekuur will use any directions Justin whispers to meet up with them.
'We're clear' Justin whispers. He gives the general directions they took, (as best as he could tell), to Ekuur and Swire.
'All the ladies are with me, and you two. Who else is with you, and who's missing?' Justin Whispers.
'Don't worry Ekuur, We're not leaving anybody behind. I just don't want you walking back INto trouble if they're already out!'
Justin whispers a few directions, and they all decide to meet at the foot of the Zaddfum Trestle by the Ditch. The church is swarming with guards, a cranium rat would have a tough time entering it now.
As the first hour of After Antipeak begins to wane, the group reconvenes by the black-streaked stones of the Ditch bridge. The roads are quiet, save for the ubiquitous barmies wandering about and the occasional cloaked figure hurrying against the rain.
It seems that none of the Defiers have followed the party to their rendezvous. The party is tired, wet and sore. Issac is covered in mud from his tunnel wriggling, and Justin and Nari's clothes are spotted with various garbage stains from their ill-starred flight into the alley maze.
Justin sighs with relief as he sees the others start to drift into the rendezvous spot. He raises an eyebrow when he sees teh state of Isaac's clothes. Then he takes a look at Nari, and then himself. (As the spell of Invisibility gifted to him by Merle wears off.) Justin wrinkles his nose, and casually begins using his prestidigitation spell to clean himself off. He waves his hands near Nari, (being careful to watch where he's placing them, as he's sure the crystal is watching him, and he imagines it's glaring),and cleans off the proof of her own mis-step in the alley.
Justin ambles nearer to the others. "What took you so long?" He asks with a cheery smile.
"And what in the name of powers-that-might-or-might-not be happened?!?" He adds in a hoarse whisper. "I know that we took a little longer than planned, we,... got sidetracked helping a couple of people that needed assistance. But really, were you guys so bored that you couldn't wait for us to start the party?!?" He asks incredulously.
He is trying to sound his usual, flippant self. But you get the feeling that he is either upset that he might have missed out on the fun, or he was worried about you,...
Isaac seems unaware or unconcerned about how filthy he is. He takes a swig from his flask and casually pulls a centipede from behind his ear before dropping it on the ground.
"Well, cutter, we didn't wait since I reckoned a smaller distraction was better'n a big one. Just enough to keep the bashers away from the bolt-hole Barmy Kank lanned us to while you cutters were out pursuin' other business. I slipped in under the razorvine in the back, that hole just bein' large enough fer one o' us at a time. Temple's sodding empty and creepy as a Night Hag's tit. No bodies, so signs o' struggle, no footprints. Like our client's crew were never there. But I always felt... watched. Like someone was givin' me the eye."
"No statues or carvings or nothin', either. No idea what Power the place was dedicated to but the way the place was built was powerful strange. There were these vertical blocks of glassy green stone, smooth like basalt and warm to the touch built into the walls. Never seen a thing like 'em. If we ken get the Dark o'where those came from, we got a lead."
The half-elf rubs his chin in a thoughtful fashion.
"If the Defiers moved the crew's bodies, there would have been a trail to see. To me, it looks like the poor sods on the work crew either went through a portal... or got Mazed. Disappearin' without a trace is pretty sodding easy in the Cage, if ye haven't noticed. If they got Mazed... well, that gives me a theory on who that temple was dedicated to..."
He shivers, but brushes it off.
"Anyhow, the stone's our likeliest lead. And another thing: we picked up a tail while lookin' fer Kank, three bloods, professionals- I'm guessin' Faction bloods, likely Signers though there's no way o' knowin'. And I think our pals in the Illuminated have hired some Anarchist hushmen, the Sons of Anarchy, to take us out. That's the chant from the Hardheads at least, though the berks didn't give us a sodding green fer doin' their job for 'em. Berks..."
Justin raises an eyebrow at Isaac's tale, and another at the mention of possibly being on someones hit list.
"Great. For a minute I thought it was just me that was easily distracted by other business. Maybe we can set these two groups up, if we get lucky, they'll take each other out and we can get some work done." He shakes his head.
"I'm interested in this stone, if it was used as the foundation for the church,...sounds like the place to start. Let me rattle that around for a bit, see if I remember anything. That the old crew was Mazed is certainly possible, but even then you should have seen signs of their having been there. Hmmm,..."
Justin ponders for a bit,...
While he ponders, he starts talking again.
"Oh yeah, while we were trying to track down the other lead we ran into a couple that needed our help. Seems that there is one group of Kashtaa using a magic device that drains beauty, and turns it into a potion. One of the attacks had just happened, so we trailed the lizards to an alley Gate and kept about half of them from going through. Unfortunately the leader got away. We didn't kill any of them, just put the scare into them and let them go. Then we followed them to a lizard watering hole. Swire spooked them again, and I went in in disguise. Seems that they really don't know the gate key, so they have to wait for the leader to return. So they are gonna hang out with another gang leader until he gets back. They did mention a base, but not where it was. But, We know that they have to meet there boss, and I can track one of them through his jewelry, so when we're done with this investigation, I plan on finding this gang leader and taking away his toy." Justin fills in the others as he pores over pages read long ago in his memory.
"We gave them the laugh, as long as you all *points at Ekuur, Drazek and Bethany* stay out of the district, we should be able to get back in later. Of course, that assumes there's something in there worth looking at. Isaac?"
"On the other hand, Mr. Swire, the three of us going back to 'sneak' in, and getting discovered, could be an even better distraction than the first time, yes? They would certainly remember us and be looking for us. We could draw them off again with a second appearance."
After listening to Isaac's tale, Ekuur racks his brain to see if he recalls anything that could be relevent to these stones.
knowledge (religion) & (planes):