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You don't see anything further than her occasional looks out the window.
"That's all right Jo. I'm getting up anyway. I'll be happy to grab it for you. Anyone else?"
It's still a couple hours till sundown. When Janiven gets up, you see her glance out the window. She shakes her head. She then shutters the windows and goes to the door and locks it.
"Don't worry, we'll only be here another hour, but I don't want us to be disturbed. We won't be after dark, but if any of you are concerned, I can arrange for you to spend the night here."
She pours ale for Jo and anyone else that requests it and carries the mugs back to the table.
"You seem distracted, Janiven. Is everything all right?" Alarra asks, concerned as to why their host seems to be ill at ease.
As Janiven goes to get more Ale, Jo wispers to Alarra once more.
"Summtins going on Alarra. Lady just blow off Jo's questions. Why she not let Jo get Ale? She hiding summtin. Jo's gettin nervous..."
Jo grabs the handle of his massive hammer and drags the head between his feet. He sits nervously fingering the handle rising up to his chin.
"She probably wants to hide dessert until she's ready to serve it. If you went into the kitchen now, you might see it and eat it before she was ready!" Alarra says jokingly.
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Although Ari agrees with Janiven's assessment of the noble houses, the presence of a Thrune scion and her behavior make Ari more than slightly suspicious that this could be a trap.
What was she looking for and why does she keep disappearing into the kitchen. Should I be concerned?
sense motive
Ari gets up to take a look out the window just in case.
perception
Ithad's mood darkens with the jest at Jo ”Alarra, I can appreciate your levity to lighten the mood, but in all seriousness we are talking about sedition. Anyone that is comfortable with that unnerves me, so try imaging hosting this little gathering; I would be on edge too.”
Ithad closes his eyes for the moment and steeples his fingers; he retreats back into thought.
Do my fellow dinner companions not realize the danger we are in, this is no game. Oh, Father...
Jo looks at Ithad and feels good that he was defended. Maybe pretty little guy is okay.
He sees the little begger boy get up and go to the window to peer out.
His nerves now jump. He stands, once again just missing his head on a beam, and holds his hammer firmly in one hand.
"What you see little boy. Anyone out der?
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You don't note anything suspicious about what Janiven is saying. She seems very committed and sincere. You don't see anything in the streets. It is getting later, but not late enough to be concerned about the shadow beasts.
She looks momentarily agitated at the questions, then quickly recovers, "Ithad has the right of it Alarra, at least partly. I am concerned about the possibility of spies, but I am confident about the security of this location. I also am concerned about the shadow beasts, though I should not. We still have some time until sundown and even then, we would be safe here.
She returns to the table and still standing, takes a deep breath,
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me here today. I have chosen each of you for a singular reason - everyone here, myself included, has suffered, whether we realize it or not. I have lived in Westcrown my whole life, and although I love this city, I must admit, as must you, that despite our peace and prosperity at least for some, we continue to suffer. Fear should not be an expected part of life, and yet each night brings fear to our doorsteps. Yes, Westcrown has been safe from war and famine for nearly seventy years, and yes, our businesses have prospered - but this safety and prosperity has been bought in the coinage of fear and prayers to Hell. Other lands live free from tyranny. Other cities do not fear the night. Other governments do not cede the streets to monsters of the infernal shadows. Westcrown was once such a place, and she wants to be such a place again. Westcrown is not only her buildings and canals and docks and history -she is also her people. Westcrown is our friends and neighbors, our mothers and fathers, our siblings and cousins, our sons and daughters! With but a small group of supporters and dedicated brothers and sisters, we can earn the trust and admiration of those people. A Westcrown free of these shadowy beasts that stalk our streets is one step closer to a Westcrown free of the devil that is the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune!"
Jo listens as Janiven speaks. He slowly sits back down as he tries to understand what she is saying. Things he hears ring true to him and make sense. These are some of the same things he has been thinking of late. He finds himself nodding at her as she finishes.
At the end of Janiven's speach Ithad rises to his feet with a strange expression on his face. Shadows dance across his face, his vibrant violet eyes seeming to glow in the lamp light. He raises his glass, ”To a Westcrown free of my cousin and her puppet fools! One where the only shadows that move are from a flickering candle!”
"Jo agree with pretty boy! But not too sure what his cousin haf to do with it. Jo want to help make thing right for city. Little boy right though, where do we start? Tell Jo where to swing his hammer and I swing it!"
"Finally, a chance to make things better in Westcrown, but how exactly are we going to begin this?
“Nothing will be happen overnight, but I have some contacts that have requested as much information possible about a building within the city. These contacts might have information would could use, and not just rumors and gossip but solid, factual research. So if you do not possess a plan Janiven, I think we should look into this...”, with that, Ithad reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small silver box.
”This, for those who do not know, is a wayfinder – a useful tool and a symbol of the Society of Pathfinders. The outlawed and closed branch house could have the information we seek or trade what is there for help from the Society's sages and experts. Or if you have a plan, you have my undivided attention.”
"You have to know that there will be resistance from the House of Thrune and their servants within and without the city - the Mayor, the Dottari, and the Hellknights would all oppose us if we do this. We and any other allies you may have gathered would be seen as anarchists. If you can win over popular opinion, we may even face an army. To say the least, things will almost certainly turn bloody at some point."
Alarra takes a deep breath before continuing. "Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. We need to take back the night. I'm simply not sure that doing something so likely to result in civil war is a good idea. As the others have asked, do you know of any way to avoid looking like anarchists?"
Ithad laughs at Alarra as she finishes speaking, ”I believe your exact words were 'But surely a real Thrune would have escorts, especially one so young as you!' Am I so easily dismissed. I realize Alarra that your words were meant to mock, but my presence gives this endeavor some legitimacy, at least if we succeed.”
"The throne would be quick to take credit if Westcrown was rid of the shadow beast's threat. My relations will point to my involvement on the matter, and then paint themselves as the benevolent tyrants, but the people will be safe. On the other hand, if we fail or are caught before that; we all will hang together. I fear not the mayor, the man is a fool and incompetent; who's only care is his operas. And the Dottari can be paid off, but a wise man fears our Hellknights here in Westcrown. We must avoid them at all cost.”
Ithad will take a quick peek at the window shade, gauging how much light is left. His face betrays the nervousness that most face at the coming twilight. ”The hour draws late, soon it will be dusk; and I for one care not to face the shadow beasts alone. Do we conclude our business here and set a date for our next encounters; or our host has offered us lodgings for the night?”
Jo looks from Alarra to Ithad and back again. He shrugs resting his chin on the butt of his hammer handle.
All this talk about politics, resistance and throons has him really confused. He wished someone would just give some direction so he could understand.
He also hoped that Janiven would provide shelter for the night.
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Janiven listens to the debate and speaks again, "For the shadow beasts, no, I do not have an immediate plan although I believe we may be able to find an answer in time. But for the rest, there are many things we can do. Small positive actions that can make a difference and swing the city toward the positive..."
Suddenly, you hear someone try to open the front door and a loud knocking comes from the barred door. Janiven darts to the window to look outside as the knocking continues. She breathes, "Morosino," and runs to the door, unlocks it, and opens it.
Into the room stumbles an out-of-breath, and frightened looking teenager who yells out, "They've got Arael!" and immediately doubled over in a fit of coughing.
Jo jumps up and this time not so luckily whacks his head on the overhead beam.
"Ow!" He reaches up and checks for blood rubbing the already growing lump.
He picks up his hammer and heads over to look at the fallen Morisino.
Quick to his feet, Ithad takes a quick glance out a crack in the window.
“It is not a matter of if they were followed, but by who followed him. And even more importantly, Janiven, is there a back way out of here or way unto the roof?”
Alarra stands and begins flexing her fingers. Something's wrong. "They" must refer to the Hellknights or the dottari. If they followed the boy here, we're all in trouble...
"Roof! Jo can't fight on roof!"
Jo looks at Masimo and tries to assist him with his coughing fit. He also keeps an eye on the front door expecting something to come through at any moment.
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The name is vaguely familiar, a half-elf that you think you may have heard the Dottari mention. Someone they were keeping an eye on.
Janiven's face grows grim as she comforts Morosino and asks him to explain himself; in a moment the lad recovers enough to spurt out, “The dottari nabbed Arael, and the Hellknights of the Rack are trying to get custody of him! There's a bunch of Hellknights on their way here now! I only just made it in here!"
Everyone can hear the sound of clanking armor coming toward the tavern from outside.
You look out the window and see a large group (more than 10) of heavily armed and armored Hellknights advancing down the street.
Surprisingly, in the midst of this, Janiven remains remarkably calm. She bars the door again and turns to you, "I'm sorry for getting you involved in this. It wasn't supposed to be this way. We have to get out of here."
In a confident, commanding voice she orders, "Ithad, there is a back way, but we have to get into the sewers. Everyone into the kitchen, we have a trapdoor to the sewers in there.
Hmm, sewers or imprisonment and torture at the hands of the hellknights. Tough choice.
Alarra says, "I'd rather not tangle with the Order of the Rack. Let's go!"
She follows Janiven into the kitchen.
Jo will park himself in front of the door to make sure everyone gets into kitchen before anyone breaks it down.
"Everyone into kitchen. Follow Janiven to trapdoor. Jo watch door and follow."
Hope Jo can fit down trap door
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Janiven gives Morosino and bolts for the kitchen. When she reaches the bar, she stops and reaches underneath pulling out two bags. Moondark, Alarra, Satinal, Ithad, and Morosino continue into the kitchen. The sound of an armored gauntlet banging comes from the front door and a voice from the other side yells, "Open up in there. We know you're there!"
Janiven darts back from behind the bar. Seeing Jo stubbornly trying to hold the door she cries, "Jo, get your big butt in that kitchen NOW! I want to use these in the kitchen to slow them down and I can't do that if you're behind us!"
Ithad, still holding his wayfinder, turns towards Moondark with a half-crazed grin, “You mean something like this”
Ithad holds the wayfinder high above his head, ”Luminarium!”
The wayfinder starts to glows, shedding a soft light thru the kitchen. The light makes Ithad shadow dance; seemingly stretching and shrinking with each of his movements. He looks towards Janiven, the pounding on the outer door making him impatient.
Jo jumps at the command from Janiven.
He wheels around and heads into the kitchen.
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Janiven crashes through the door. Behind her, you can hear the shouts and hammering of the Hellknights grow louder. They have discovered that the door is barred and aren't happy about it.
Janiven stops in her tracks at the sight of the wayfinder. "My goodness!" she exclaims. "Talents I didn't even imagine...
Recovering, she quickly zips to the back, throws open one of the cupboards and pulls up a trap door at the base of the cabinet. A dark space yawns below.
"Ok, Morosino, get down there. Ithad, follow with that wayfinder. Rest of you in any order. Oh, except Jo. You and I better go last. I'm a little worried whether you'll fit."
Not waiting for anyone to move, she throws the bags down and begins rummaging through them. She pulls two smaller bags out of each bag.
"Ok, these will slow them down. But first...Jo, help me pull down some of these shelves and block the door."
Jo does as she says finding the heaviest movable furniture and sliding it where she wants it.
Strength check:
"Where you want this lady?"
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Ithad, still holding his wayfinder, turns towards Moondark with a half-crazed grin, “You mean something like this”
Ithad holds the wayfinder high above his head, ”Luminarium!”
Moondark frowns knowing now she'll have to stick close to the little Thrune bastard, but that's better than being dragged away by Hellknights. She doesn't need any prompting to quickly bolt through the trapdoor after Ithad.
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"Oh my..." breathes Janiven as Jo drags the cast iron stove away from the wall. "Right in front of that door will be perfect. Knock down a couple of these shelves and we'll be good for a few minutes."
She gets out of the way while Jo knocks down the shelves. You can hear battering from the front door and now some crashing from the back of the tavern as well. When Jo topples the shelves, she drops a few of the bags strategically about the room.
"Ok Jo, now let's see if we can squeeze you down the hatch. I don't suppose you've got much practice slipping through tough spots?"
Having already descended down into the sewers, Alarra carefully looks around to ensure that there do not appear to be any nasty surprises waiting for the group.
Stupid lights ruining my night vision, she thinks, holding her nose to avoid the sewage aromas as much as she possibly can.
Jo will drag other items in front of the back entrance if he has time.
If he needs to Jo will pull up some floor boards or smash the opening bigger with his hammer.
Jo not squeeze anywhere tight lady. Jo just make tight space bigger!
Strength check for dragging more things or opening hole bigger if need be:
Ithad follows Janiven's orders and quickly moves down into the hole; disgust wrinkles Ithad's face as the ripe odor hits him. Sandwiched between Morosino and Moondark, he watches as Alarra pokes around the tunnel. He looks back towards the entrance, waiting for Satinal, Jo, and Janiven to descend.
By the Nine Hells, I would rather run the roofs than down a hole like a rat, but what choice do I have. On top of it all, does Moondark have to stand so close. I worried that one will slip a blade in between my ribs while we are down here. Oh Lord of the Ninth, please let today not be the day I meet you!
Ithad starts to move further back from the tunnel's entrance, moving back enough that it is just dim light. He draws his rapier and drops into a defensive fighting stance.
”Whatever Janiven has planned, I hope it holds them. If not, I will not be taken without a fight!”
Unsure of what the sewers hold, Alarra removes her gloves and stuffs them in her pack. Doing so reveals that her fingers end in claws. She draws a crossbow and a quiver of bolts.
"Be careful down here - we hear stories of smugglers and other unsavory types using these tunnels to move 'merchandise' and as hideouts. Plus, rest assured that those Hellknights will follow us down here as soon as they find that trapdoor. Stick together and keep a careful eye out, and we may get through this."
Jo looks down the hole. "Not sure if Jo fit" he thinks.
"Look out below" Jo drops his massive hammer head first down into the muck and mud of the sewers with an loud "Splat!"
Jo follows down the ladder to the safety of the sewers.
Jo will do what it takes to open the hole bigger for him to fit through. He will pound away at the hole sending shards of wood raining down upon the rest of the party members.
He will drop his hammer down the hole and follow down the ladder to the safety of the party.
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You can see that there is actually dim light in the sewers with the fading light of the day coming in through a grate that leads to the surface. You see nothing other than a tunnel leading into the darkness.
Everyone is the sewers can hear a cry from above that rises above the crashing, "Look out below!" Something falls from above. In the light of Ithad's wayfinder you see it is Jo's massive hammer which lands with a "Splat!" in the channel for water and sewage running down the side of the sewer. The light from above is suddenly snuffed as Jo's bulk fills the hole. Unfortunately, Jo does not follow.
The crashing from above makes it clear that the Hellknights have made their way into Vizio's and are now trying to get into the kitchen. Fortunately, a combination of Janiven pushing from above and Ithad and Satinal pulling from below drops Jo right onto the floor missing the sewage by inches. Moments later, the trapdoor closes and Janiven drops to the floor next to you.
"This way," she orders and quickly proceeds down the tunnel. Ithad's wayfinder lights a door just ahead which she quickly passes through and bars behind you.
You find yourselves in a sewer tunnel running left and right. Janiven bars the door behind her saying, "I hope between the mess Jo and I left for them in the kitchen and this door that we'll slow them down enough to get away."
Jo looks around for Alarra to make sure she is okay. He will stick close to her.
"Which way we go Lady?"
Jo looks at the sewer. The smell did not bother him. But some of the low hanging ceilings did.
Still smarting from hitting the beam in the tavern room Jo thinks, Better watch my head down here!
"Good question." Alarra says as she watches Janiven bar the door. "Janiven! You've obviously planned for this contingency. What's our next move?"
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Janiven looks to Alarra, "We have a hidden safehouse in Rego Sacero. Let's get there and then you can disperse in the morning."
She looks to Ithad, "Can you shine your light close to that wall?" pointing to the wall in front of you when you emerged through the door.
"Thanks Ithad. Do you all see that sword drawn in chalk? Good. This one points to the left. That is the direction of the safehouse."
She gets down on the ground next to the door and pushes aside a rock next to the door. "Good, they're still here." She pulls out a small satchel and begins removing vials. "These are healing potions. We stashed them here a few weeks ago in the event of an emergency like this. I have three for each of you." She passes out three potions to each of you.
"They might take a few minutes to finish searching the tavern, but some are going to follow us down here once they grab a lantern or make torches. They might even try to infiltrate the sewers ahead of us if they can guess our route. We need to keep moving. Let's get started and talk more on the way. Sorry Jo, you're really going to have to squeeze."
You look around and can see that the tunnel is only five-feet high, though it is 10-feet wide. A three-foot trench for sewage and water takes up a third of the width with the foul mix a foot or so below the level of the walkway.
"Jo can squeeze"
Jo puts the three vials in his coin pouch as that is the only place he has to store them. He really needs to go shopping.
Stashing his three potions away, Ithad moves close behind Janiven and Jo; trying his best to shine the light ahead of them and not on their backs. He does his best to avoid the worst of the sewage and the deepest areas, does not relinquish his grip on his rapier.
“Let us be quick about it, I have no desire to linger down here!”