Domitian of Razmir |
Domitian again tries to advance stealthily.
Stealth: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
GM Hiyami |
Very nice!
Completing both tasks on the same day gives you some time to rest, relax, and make any other purchases you might need as you've yet to hear back from Delroya. Congrats! Get a night’s rest and a bit of time to make any other purchases/replenish supplies/whetstones, etc!
Around noon on Fireday, Captain Zendrani calls a meeting on the deck of the Sixwing Drake. “An urchin boy delivered this note just a few minutes ago. I tried to keep him here so we could talk to him, but he slipped away without a word and ran off into the city. I haven’t looked at the note - but it seems to be from Delroya.” She hands over the note. “Best you be off - these types don’t do well when left to their own devices for too long.”
Following the directions, you find the spot without any problems. A large warehouse looms into view at the end of Gull Street. Its main level sits at the edge of the street above a ten-foot drop to the harbor’s waters below. A door in the western wall of the warehouse opens, and a woman clad in simple leather armor steps out. Her features display a blend of Taldan and Mwangi heritages, and her crisp accent is difficult to place. “I am Magali Delroya. You must come quickly, Pathfinders. We do not wish to be seen.” Delroya moves briskly, waving off protests or interruptions, and speaks with the rhythm of her steps. “Questions later. Much is at stake. First you must listen.” Her outward display of authority does not entirely mask her fear.
The small room through the warehouse’s western door features a round table and several chairs. “This room is for the guards. They are all too busy dealing with our disruptions, so no one is here for now. That door leads to the docks below,” she says, indicating a door in the southern wall. “Come this way. I will show you the warehouse.” She opens a door in the northern wall, revealing a cavernous storage room. Haphazard stacks of barrels and crates almost reach the ceiling twenty feet above. Two large skylights in the ceiling provide ample light during the day, and a dozen unlit lanterns are spaced around the room. To the east, a wide opening in the southern wall looks out over the loading bay ten feet below. A freight elevator platform rigged to a complex set of pulleys and ropes and a staircase both lead down to the loading bay.
“As you can see, the Aspis Consortium maintains a sizable operation out of this warehouse, which they rent from the Kortos Consortium’s Locosta family in exchange for alchemical goods. After tonight, I hope that the relationship between Aspis and Kortos will be irreparably damaged.
“We may have delayed the shipment, but my sources tell me that both the Kortos and Aspis consortia are likely to investigate the warehouse later tonight. I had hoped for more time, but I will not be able to move the goods until after midnight. I need your help in holding off the agents until everything is in order. They are not likely to work together, so you should prepare for multiple groups of agents. While I have no qualms about fighting the Aspis agents, if possible we should avoid further antagonizing the Kortos Consortium. Their agents may be willing to look the other way.
“Because the agents are on high alert, you should stay at the warehouse until they arrive. We wouldn’t want anyone spotted or attacked out in the city before we’re ready. That gives you several hours to prepare. Most of the items in the warehouse are simple trade goods designed to make this outfit look legitimate. You may want to take some time to look around, though - you never know what the Aspis Consortium might have stowed away here.”
She pauses for a moment. “I can stay here briefly, if you have questions or need assistance.”
Slides updated!
Menarul |
Menarul stares around the warehouse, half listening to the woman's words. He just nods at the realization that they would have to handle a few incursions by the enemies. It was probably going to be inevitable there would be some fighting, this is the Aspis Consortium after all, and they love a fight, probably with some horrid grandiosing about how wonderful they are. But his attention is rivet back on her as soon as she talks about looking around the warehouse.
:You mean we can look through all of these? Can we reorganize them? put them in alphabetically order with a secondary weight based organization?" With out really waiting for an answer, the half-elf's eyes light up and he scrambles over to the nearest set of boxes. Prying open the lid, he pulls out his notebook again and starts taking meticulous notes about what the contents.
After a few minutes of burying his head in the supplies, he pops his head out of the growing mound of things. "Wait, I almost forgot, is anything in here extremely flammable? I have a few elxposive fireworks I like to toss in fights, but I'd hate to set off more explosions and inadvertently blow the place up."
Son of Cayden |
"Magali, you think we should display our Wayfinders openly on this one?" jokes the Son of Cayden. "...or do you think we can find some Aspis uniforms lying around here somewhere?"
The happy man tries the elevator, seemingly enjoying himself. Once at the bottom, he calls everyone over, "HEY GANG! if we jam these double doors, rig the elevator in the UP position, and lock the door at the top of the stairs, we should be able to prevent any Aspis or Kortos groups to come from there... controlling the battle somewhat. I'll put a sign outside on the double doors saying 'ELEVATOR AND LOADING BAY OUT OF ORDER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE - USE OTHER ENTRANCE' "
GM Hiyami |
"The warehouse and many of the goods inside it belong to the Kortos Consortium, not the Aspis Consortium. We do not want to make them our enemies, if possible. Just be careful about where and how you use your, ah, fireworks." Delroya says, trying to be helpful.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you could find some odds and ends to try putting some sort of costume together," she nods to the Son of Cayden.
She pauses before looking towards the door, pretty apparently ready to leave. "Any other questions?"
---
Once all the questions are over and done with, Delroya slips away to handle the other preparations she needs to attend to before she can move the drugs later.
After some quick canvassing, the party finds two disguise kits in the larger portino of the warehouse, a potion of invisibility in the guardroom, three doses of black adder venom atop some crates in the south part of the warehouse, and learn that the platform in the loading dock is unstable. It would take a bit of work to arrange, but if the platform is set up to collapse, it could cause a bit of damage from creatures on the platform.
Penumbra' |
"Sadly I cannot help much - other than bashing it with my hammer - but let us disable the platform? And good idea, Son of Cayden, about trying to funnel them in through a specific entrance".
Son of Cayden |
She pauses before looking towards the door, pretty apparently ready to leave. "Any other questions?"
"One more thing: you said the Aspis Consortium operates here but the goods belong to the Kortos Consortium. Do you know which part of the warehouse is used by the Aspis Consortium, specifically?"
GM Hiyami |
Delroya shakes her head and explains, "The Aspis Consortium's goods are thoroughly mixed in with the rather large sum of goods that belong to the Kortos Consortium. It would take days to sort through all these crates - something I intend to do later, once they're moved to a secure location. Do your best to minimize any damage - there's no telling what effects the drugs might have if they were, say... accidentally burned wholesale."
Menarul |
Menarul gives a sigh when he's told not to completely reorganize the warehouse and starts repacking the few things he'd unpacked.. "Given the amount of things here a full sort and count shouldn't take three people more that six hours, but if you say we should wait, then wait we shall. But it might be useful to know what the drug does when burned, though it should be in controlled doses with willing participants."
"Now how should we rig the elevator and loading dock? And do we want to try using disguises, causes someone is going to have to help me there as I have no experience whatsoever with disguising myself."
Son of Cayden |
"I think we may end up hurting ourselves trying to 'rig' this thing to hurt 'them'. I say we just cut the ropes on that darn elevator making it useless. Then we block the doors with good old boards, nails and hammers! If they manage to get into the loading bay, then up the stairs, I can grease 'em while you all shoot 'em."
Son of Cayden |
See the map for an illustration of SoC's plan; if you click on the map features, you will see the corresponding comment on the right side of the screen pop up
GM Hiyami |
Satisfied that you know what you're doing, Delroya will slip away.
That said, once you've decided upon a plan in its completion, I'll go ahead and move forward again. c: I know this bit can be a little tricky to organize.
Son of Cayden |
"I'm done pretending today. This is the Aspis Consortium. Time to break some noses."
Son of Cayden puffs his chest majestically. You realize for the first time that he's quite brawny!
Then he adds, "...but with Kortos agents use diplomacy... tell them we're the repair crew... Ok ladies and gentlemen: while I hammer a few nails, one of you need to buy caltrops, one of you need to rig traps in the office, and the rest must search the warehouse for something useful. Let's go team!"
Garzen Marbleface |
"Tell them we're the repair crew? That sounds more like an awkward bluff than a diplomacy." Garzen exhales from under his beard, either disappointed or entertained, or perhaps both. "We could give them the truth, straight to the face. They shouldn't want to ally the Aspis Consortium. I bet my beard those snakes will betray them, take the money and leave as soon as it fits them."
Penumbra' |
Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Penumbra searches the office, to see if anything there can be used to help set traps and such... or give information on the Consortium.
GM Hiyami |
2 disguise kits
potion of invisibility
3 doses of black adder venom
wonky platform
Despite Penumbra's search, there's not much in the way of information here - there's random pamphlets, pages, and texts, but a lot of them seem relevant to storage and building ownership or other goods in the building, leading you to believe they might belong to the Kortos Consortium rather than the Aspis Consortium.
Domitian of Razmir |
Domitian will look around to see what items of interest he can find aside from what Penumbra has already found. Razmir will provide
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Penumbra' |
"So, if the place belongs to the Kortos Consortium, let us try to destroy it the least possible".
Not being a great trap build, Penumbra will take guard duty while those who wish prepare the place.
GM Hiyami |
walks of life... Examining it further, you see - ah, no. Not the tears, then, but certainly something illicit. But you know, those vials? If they were shattered, those shards might function as caltrops.
Domitian of Razmir |
Domitian finds a few glass vials. Could we smash these in an entry way to slow someone's entrance or exit?
Son of Cayden |
"Why, yes! do you require assistance with smashing vials, O Masked One?"
GM Hiyami |
Please mark the map where you use items! c: Also, there's loads of heavy crates around, so you can also move them around to rearrange the map to your liking. I added some to the slide c:
Domitian of Razmir |
Domitian smashes the vials inside the warehouse at the door green-blue-grey square. He then takes up position behind a stack of crates when the time comes to wait.
Menarul |
I'm going to assume the things posted on the maps by Son are actually what he's doing...
Menarul, recognizing that Son is trying to funnel the men in through a single entrance, starts taking time to drag the boxes from around the door, and using them to block doors around the building and piling a few of them on top of each other to create a good high ground to be able to shoot from while still providing cover for the shooter.
I don't know how much of this he can do, but mostly, Menarul is going to move all of the boxes in the green box on the map away from there, allowing him a clear shot of the door and enabling him to use his bombs with out exploding cargo or drugs or actual fireworks.
Penumbra' |
"Fireworks in here? Mmmhhhh..." thinks Penumbra, but she lends a hand to Menarul as best she can, knowing when people are smarter than her.
GM Hiyami |
Okay, I'll be advancing later today! Just giving you a few more hours to get anything else in. c:
GM Hiyami |
Time passes quickly as the group works on the passable strategy and prepares to assault enemies from high above. Around dusk, you hear someone fumbling at the front door. There are voices. Though no one can quite catch the words, it's apparent that the tone is one of confusion.
A door opens, and there's a confused, "Why are there shards everywhere?"
"The Aspis Consortium wasn't fooling around this time, it seems," says another, more serene voice. "Perhaps they're taking our negotiations seriously, then."
"Or maybe they're just looking to pull some prank," a third snarls. "Whatever - let's get this sorted out. We're gonna need to get this cleaned up. No sense in havin' 'em complain about a mess later."
"We've also got to find out why the main door was barred," notes the serene voice. "Security and all," he adds.
Penumbra' |
Penumbra whispers: "Careful, these must be Kortos people, we do not wish to harm them... too much", as she hides around the corner.
Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Menarul |
Menarul glances at Son hoping he'd take the lead on reaching out to the men, but when the man doesn't move, the half-elf gives a small sigh. He carefully picks his way through the glass shards and moves through the first smaller door to the other entry way. He hails the men, "Hello there! It's be a great favor if you didn't clean those shard up, we put some effort into getting them laid out and we'd rather not have to reset them. We're expecting to be attacked tonight, possibly a couple of times, and we'd like to keep the place as defensible as possible. Security and all that."
______
I'm contemplating letting them know we aren't part of the Aspis and just telling them to, politely, bugger off, but I couldn't think of the right way to introduce it with out it sounding aggressive or liable to induce conflict. So there's this pseudo-bluff attempt instead.
Bluff: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
GM Hiyami |
Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 10
When Menarul steps forward, he finds himself face to different looking faces with four men, each of which looks a bit puzzled by this, though the last looks particularly grumpy. "Weren't you lot the idiots that called us out to check on the building to begin with?" he demands, scowling. It's apparent from the way Menarul has spoken, he's of the understanding that he's speaking with a member of the Aspis Consortium.
"I hope you're planning to clean this up once you're done," the serenely voiced, robed man says. Still, he exchanges looks with one of his fellows, apparently disgruntled.
"Let us leave for now - let them sort out their trouble and we can ensure the safety of our own goods later," another pipes up.
"Do try to keep from destroying our goods," the serene man says, shaking his head as the group steps away.
As they leave, Menarul hears them speaking in low tones - they're obviously unhappy with the Aspis Consortium.
---
About a half hour later, though, a splintering of glass nearly covers the sound of people swearing as they enter the only open path into the warehouse. From the sound of it, they've noticed the caltrops. Behind you, a single man slides down on a rope from above.
1d20 ⇒ 2
1d20 ⇒ 10
Domitian : 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Menarul: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Son of Cayden: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Penumbra: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Garzen: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Enemies: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Combat Round 1
Effects none
Terrain caltrops!
Those bolded below may act.
Dio
Penumbra
Domitian
Son of Cayden
Garzen
Menarul
Red
Blue
Green
Purple
Menarul |
I'm going to work off the assumption that Menarul is still where he's standing right now.
Glad the men are leaving without a fight, Menarul doesn't try to correct their misconception. He stays out in the entry way to try serving as an early warning system and to talk off any other Kortos agents who come through.
When he hears the other men trying to beraing in he gives everyone a sound of warning before slowly moving back to a safe distance and preping one of his 'fireworks' to toss at the men when they move past the entry way.
_______
Move at half speed to get back and standard to ready a briar bomb to toss when the men get through the door
Readied bomb, PBS: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 3 + 1 = 22
DC 15 Reflex save for the main target to avoid being glued to the floor and only be entangled, and the same for everyone else in the splash radius to avoid being entangled. The bomb's splash area is also dificult terrain for those four rounds. If needed Menarul will exclude areas with allies from the splah area.
Son of Cayden |
[move action to go up north next to Little Dio and Marbleface]
[swift action to activate Arcane Strike - rapier and whip begin to glow with a light that alternates from blue to purple to golden yellow]
[standard action to Inspire Courage: +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls]
Seeing the man rappel down from the roof opening, the Son of Cayden cracks an inspiring joke! "What was the climber's last words? 'Interesting, what kind of knot is it?' ha ha!"
Garzen Marbleface |
It is incredibly unclear whether or not Garzen enjoyed the Son of Cayden's humor, as he doesn't react to it in the slightest, but the increased vigor is apparent when the unarmed dwarf psychically fashions an intimidating axe from the warehouse's floor and attacks the Aspis with it, the weapon neatly dissolving back into the ground when the kineticist lets go of it.
Kinetic Blade: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14, Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
GM Hiyami |
Caltrops (Blue): 1d20 ⇒ 3Caltrops 2: 1d20 ⇒ 12 Caltrops 3: 1d20 ⇒ 3 Caltrops 4: 1d20 ⇒ 8
Reflex: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
STR check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Impressively, Garzen's axe is neatly dodged before it dissolves and the man takes a swing of his own with his longsword as soon as his feet hit the ground.
In the room, another man advances - a burly looking fellow with a longsword in his hand as well. His eyes detail the bloody murder he's planning even as he advances towards the door. He stomps through the shards without so much as a pause, trusting his boots to keep his feet safe.
He makes it through the door just in time to duck the majority of Menarul's bomb - it causes him to be entangled, but he otherwise growls, frustrated. I'm assuming this is the blue-ish box?
Please note the range/size of the area you've just made difficult to traverse. c: He attempts to burst through his bonds, but is unsuccessful! From what Menarul can see through the doorway, the other two people with the... rather brutish man are moving slowly, carefully picking their way through the mess rather than rushing.
Combat Round 2
Effects Inspire Courage +1 to attack and damage rolls & vs charm and fear effects
Terrain caltrops!
Those bolded below may act.
Dio - in delay
Penumbra
Domitian
Son of Cayden
Garzen
Menarul
Red
Blue - entangled
Green
Purple
Domitian of Razmir |
Domitian moves toward the black clad enemy and makes some hand gestures. A ball of acid appears and moves toward the black clad enemy.
RTA Acid Splash, Inspire: 1d20 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 1 = 6 Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 2
Menarul |
I think that was where the glass shards were being set up. Menarul had been trying to get as many people as he could, but I think this prevents me from being attacked or taking an AoO, so it works as well. I set up the splash radius, but I'm assuming the walls don't allow it to spread like it should.
As soon as the first man is thorugh the door, Menarul takes a thimble-sized glass vial and what could best bes discribed as a large peeled orange made of metal. He pushes the vial into a hole in the top of the orange with a click and lobs it at the man in blue. As soon as it strikes the man, a small sound of glass tinkling rings out as the ball starts to violently shake. Before it hits the ground te segments of the 'orange' flys open with a boom. From inside the ball comes a variety of small green sparks as well as a multitude of streams of burning material that rapidly expand and sparkle as they burn. The streamers expand over everything in a good fifteen foot area and harden as they cool, creating a mishmash of concrete hard materials.
Watching the whole thing with a critical eye, Menarul gives a sigh as the display ends. "That's the effect that I want, but it should be a larger, more grandoise explosion. This is just too small to be all that appealing. I might have to tweak the formula, after all."
Menarul then looks up and gives the man in blue an apologetic look. "Sorry I wasn't able to show you my best fireworks display. Oh and nothing personal but I'm going to have to knock you out..."
Still shaking his head over the failure of his firework, Menarul draws out his lucerne hammer and tries to bat at the man in blue.
_________
Lucerne hammer, IC: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 3 + 1 = 18 Damage: 1d12 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 1 = 12
GM Hiyami |
Oh, dang - I totally ran that as though there were just shards all over that entire meeting room. <_< Wups?
Son of Cayden |
That's where Domitian and Son of Cayden put them, so I agree with your interpretation! :) Q: should I wait for Dio a bit more or post Son's action?
Penumbra' |
Penumbra moves around the one Garzen attacked, and swings at the enemy with her lucerne hammer...
Bash: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 211d12 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
...and bashes him on the back of the head, caving the man's skull in!
Crit' dam'?: 1d12 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Crit' Confirm?: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Double 20, oh! 28 damage
Son of Cayden |
"Wow! remind me not to make her angry again!" says the happy man, strolling back to his original position now that Penumbra has cut down her opponent in half.
[move action to go back down south and step unto a crate - +1 to melee attacks for high ground]
[swift action to activate Arcane Strike - rapier and whip continue to glow with a light that alternates from blue to purple to golden yellow]
[free action to maintain the inspire courage]
Pointing at the man stuck by Menarul's hardening mixture with his glowing rapier, the happy man says, "You work in a concrete factory? That job must be getting harder and harder!"
[standard action to demoralize the man]
Intimidate vs. Blue Man: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
"...I think your friend over there will need a few sick days!" concludes the happy man, smiling at the stuck Aspis Agent.
Note to self: don't make THEM laugh...
GM Hiyami |
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Domitian's ball of acid goes just to the left of the enemy, but the introduction Menarul makes of weapon to torso is quite audible. The man grimaces when the blow lands. He promptly begins to start suggesting things Menarul might do with various mammals. He pauses only to stare at the happy man incredulously before returning to insulting the alchemist. Dio makes quick work of the poor fellow that had come down the rope - his skulls caves in so thoroughly that it's effectively shattered. It's gore galore, but the fellow probably didn't have any time to feel pain before going out like a light.
Hearing his companion go down enrages the man and he bursts out of his bonds, glares at the growing number of people, and takes a few steps back. You can hear him talking with his companions. If the excessive use of expletives can be considered talking, anyways.
One of his companions peers through the door and points at Son of Cayden. You briefly see over his shoulder that a third man is moving just past the door.
Combat Round 3
Effects Inspire Courage +1 to attack and damage rolls & vs charm and fear effects
Terrain caltrops, difficult terrain
Those bolded below may act.
Dio - in delay
Penumbra
Domitian
Son of Cayden
Garzen - in delay
Menarul
Red - so, so very deceased
Blue - entangled, 6 damage
Green
Purple
Menarul |
Menarul puts a semblance of a shocked look on his face. "Shaving a monkey's bottom would be pointless, and rabbit ears aren't lucky it's rabbit feet, but still I object to being told to cut them off. Finally, have you ever met an enraged house cat? If you have you probably know some of my feelings about ticking off tigers!"
While correcting the man's statements factually, Menarul takes a couple of steps into his own fireworks after effects ending up I the doorway across from the man he'd been swinging at and takes another.
________
Lucerne hammer w/IC: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 3 + 1 = 17
Smack,w/IC: 1d12 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 = 6
Son of Cayden |
Saves:
Will Save vs. DC 14, Inspire Courage: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 = 11[FAIL!]
"I'm out of here!" yells the frightened man, preparing to climb to the top of the crates to get to the other side, heading for the main double doors... which are the only doors not nailed and boarded shut! (i.e. the party's escape route if something had gone bad, which it did, according to the frightened man...)
[Son of Cayden sheathes his rapier (move action) and sheathes his whip (move action) knowing that he'll need both hands to climb the mountain of crates in order to escape]