Myriana has seen this sigul before. It is the Lady of Pain's symbol. Perhaps Zadkiel hadn't been as careful in his inquiries as he should have been
Tsun grabs one of the goblins by an ankle and yanks it out of the air, crushing it in a brutal bear hug.
Blanching slightly as she realized what it meant Myriana decided showing it to the elf wasn't the best idea. She clutched the symbol and hid it inside an inner pocket of her outfit without letting the man see it.
She turned back to the elf and his dog and said, "Sorry meow, I thought I saw something that might tell me where he Zadkiel went." She smiled and asked, "So, where was it you said you were having this show at meow?"
Day 2. 1AP. Hive Ward, Marble District
The two continue their search for Trolltoe Lane. They find it angling off Scab Way, a connecting street that arrows down towards the Madhouse District. The Slaad's Feather is a small hole-in-the-wall place with barred windows and a stout door.
Inside are lots of books, stacked on splintery bookshelves and piled in odd corners. A tall thin cutter comes around the corner. and gives them a nod. The berk is an odd-looking one, with odd antennae coming from his brainbox and skin that seems to change colors randomly. A pair of small butterfly wings can be seen on his back. He's dressed in basic Xaositect gear, with a battered scally cap perched between the antennae
"What can I do yeh for, cutters?" He inquires in a gravelly voice
“Hi,” says Alyse. “Nice place – I love bookshops. ‘Specially ones that aren’t all neat and overly ordered. Do you focus on any particular type of texts? Anyway, we’re looking for a blood name of Penska – are you he?”
"You will not cause any harm to our friends!!" Congruence takes another swing at the flying creatures, fully resolute in driving them off or destroying them.
While Alyse greets the bookseller, Tollard observes the shelves and stacks, looking for a sense of the sort of books this vendor keeps in stock.
[dice=slamPA]1d20+3; 1d6+6
[dice=grapple]1d20+9Tsun grabs one of the goblins by an ankle and yanks it out of the air, crushing it in a brutal bear hug.
Tsun snatches one of the beasts out of the air and crushes it. The small goblin squeaks and passes out
"You will not cause any harm to our friends!!" Congruence takes another swing at the flying creatures, fully resolute in driving them off or destroying them.
[dice=Longsword]1d20 + 5
[dice=Damage]1d8 + 2
Congruence nicks the one flying away from him. It drops rolling on the ground, until it stills
“Hi,” says Alyse. “Nice place – I love bookshops. ‘Specially ones that aren’t all neat and overly ordered. Do you focus on any particular type of texts? Anyway, we’re looking for a blood name of Penska – are you he?”
The thin cutter touches a finger to his scally cap
"In the flesh, as it were. What can I do fer yeh?"
While Alyse greets the bookseller, Tollard observes the shelves and stacks, looking for a sense of the sort of books this vendor keeps in stock.
[dice=Profession Librarian]1d20+6
The stacks are an eclectic lot. A lot of biographies, some histories, a few Greeny dreadfuls. Quite a few political broadsheets are mixed in as well: Thin pamphlets advocating all sorts of political and cultural reform of the Cage.
Tollard does see one interesting tome sandwiched on a shelf in a dim corner. It's spine reads Balisar's Favorite Soup Recipes but the binding and paper look far too expensive for someone's cookbook. Inside Tollard finds an alchemical treatise detailing many different formulae.
Blanching slightly as she realized what it meant Myriana decided showing it to the elf wasn't the best idea. She clutched the symbol and hid it inside an inner pocket of her outfit without letting the man see it.
[dice=sleight of hand]1d20+7She turned back to the elf and his dog and said, "Sorry meow, I thought I saw something that might tell me where he Zadkiel went." She smiled and asked, "So, where was it you said you were having this show at meow?"
The thin elf smiles
"It's at my palazzo, near Lazz's School of Vivid Unpleasantness. I have a weekly salon of various artists there. This week I have The Ettin Chorale performing as well as a few readings from several poets of the Bleaker school. Are you an artist?"
“Good to know you Penska, I’m Shade,” answers Alyse. “Do you know a cutter named Nye? He’s Swift’s man I guess … anyway, he’s trying to help Rykos the githyanki, and we’re helping him if you follow. We know the Hardheads busted up a meeting here the other peak and their trying to scrag Rykos. We want to palavar with anyone who might have seen it all go down, before during or after. Know anyone we can talk to?”
Penska nods
"Pleased to meetcha. Yeah I can find a few cutters what saw things. "
He gestures to a door in the back
"Let's not talk up here. Too many Hardheads sniffing about still. I have a saferoom "
He opens the door and leads them down a rickety flight of stairs. The basement is sheathed in dirty marble blocks with faded carvings. Penska touches a spot on one of these and a concealed door swings open. There's another flight of steps down, this one also carved of marble. It leads to a large cavernous room with a vaulted ceiling. It looks like a disused cathedral. Several tunnels lead off it, and from somewhere is the sound of running water.
In the center of the room is a large mechanical contraption. It looks like a simple printing press. Several desks surround it with various printers paraphernalia scattered on them. Along the corners of the room are old couches and tables and a few cots with blankets on them
"Make yourself comfortable, I'll go get the cutters you need"
The thin elf smiles
"It's at my palazzo, near Lazz's School of Vivid Unpleasantness. I have a weekly salon of various artists there. This week I have The Ettin Chorale performing as well as a few readings from several poets of the Bleaker school. Are you an artist?"
Myriana listened and made a note of where the place was at and found herself intrigued. As the man asked if she was an artist she perked up and the catgirl preened slightly as she said, "I'm a dancer meow! I've been doing performances at the Hornet's Inn run by Madame Greenleaf and was offered a job by Astoril at the Fallen Angel Strip Club if I wanted it." She was bubbling with enthusiasm as she spoke to the elf proud that she'd been offered a position at the Fallen Angel.
Alyse looks about with interest – but a little peery, not having expected the jarkman to be so willing to help.
Caravan ambush rd 3
Tsun: 16 (holding unconscious goblin)
Sara:12(killed goblin)
Flying goblins: 10 (fleeing)
Congruence: 3 (killed goblin)
The flying orange goblins, having encountered stiffer resistance than they expected, begin to fly away, their ranks halved. A few guards took wounds, but the caravan as a whole took relatively little damage. Tsun holds the unconscious goblin in his large fist.
Alyse looks about with interest – but a little peery, not having expected the jarkman to be so willing to help.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 1
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20
The large room shows signs of recent habitation. There is a pile of dirty crockery on a low table and rumpled blankets on several of the couches. alyse notes a very large painted Anarchist faction symbol on one wall. There are three tunnels leading off the room, and the water sound seems to be coming from the third
Myriana listened and made a note of where the place was at and found herself intrigued. As the man asked if she was an artist she perked up and the catgirl preened slightly as she said, "I'm a dancer meow! I've been doing performances at the Hornet's Inn run by Madame Greenleaf and was offered a job by Astoril at the Fallen Angel Strip Club if I wanted it." She was bubbling with enthusiasm as she spoke to the elf proud that she'd been offered a position at the Fallen Angel.The thin elf smiles
"It's at my palazzo, near Lazz's School of Vivid Unpleasantness. I have a weekly salon of various artists there. This week I have The Ettin Chorale performing as well as a few readings from several poets of the Bleaker school. Are you an artist?"
"That's wonderful! Would you consider performing at my soirée?"
Alyse looks about with interest – but a little peery, not having expected the jarkman to be so willing to help.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 1
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20
The large room shows signs of recent habitation. There is a pile of dirty crockery on a low table and rumpled blankets on several of the couches. alyse notes a very large painted Anarchist faction symbol on one wall. There are three tunnels leading off the room, and the water sound seems to be coming from the third
Seeing the strange creatures flee, Sara sends an arrow after them for good measure.
It goes wide, but she is satisfied the goblins have gotten a good send off
"Vermin." Tsun grabs the goblin by the neck in one hand, and wheels his arm in quick circles to break it's neck like a chicken. He drops it, grabs a waterskin from the wagon, and rinses his hands. "I don't think they will bother us again, but we should be on the lookout. The smell of blood might draw predators. Hopefully they will just eat the goblin corpses, but don't let your guard down."
Alyse looks about with interest – but a little peery, not having expected the jarkman to be so willing to help.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 1
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20
The large room shows signs of recent habitation. There is a pile of dirty crockery on a low table and rumpled blankets on several of the couches. alyse notes a very large painted Anarchist faction symbol on one wall. There are three tunnels leading off the room, and the water sound seems to be coming from the third
The caravan reforms itself and plods on. The goblins had 4 silver pieces each, the coinage seems to originate from Ironridge
The caravan moves on during the next few days, climbing into a series of foothills and become ever steeper. soon they are driving along a mountain trail that switchbacks them up away from the ground.
The caravan comes to a halt. Up ahead the road has been blocked by a gate. Several dwarves man it and are conversing with the caravan master
"That's wonderful! Would you consider performing at my soirée?"
Myriana, pleased at the offer, bounced from one foot to another excitedly as she punch one fist in the air and said, "Sure, mEOW!" She looked warily at the dog then and said, "Just keep the dog away from me alright? I don't get along with dogs too well if you couldn't tell, and I'll be there." Her posture shifted and she cocked one hip out, planting a fist against it as she asked questioningly, "What kind of performance would you want? What kind of gathering is it meow?"
Tsun makes his way forward nonchalantly. He stops and begins adjusting the harness on a horse just within earshot of the dwarves.
The large room shows signs of recent habitation. There is a pile of dirty crockery on a low table and rumpled blankets on several of the couches. alyse notes a very large painted Anarchist faction symbol on one wall. There are three tunnels leading off the room, and the water sound seems to be coming from the third
Alyse will just kind of poke around and look down the tunnels, but not making an active search or anything.
Tollard also peers about the tunnels, trying to make sense of this place.
He also takes a look at the contraption in the center of the room. "You can tell a lot about a cutter if you know what he reads." He tries to see what it has been printing of late.
Feeling something is out of order, Sara follows Tsun's lead and pretends to help him with the horse.
"What's going on?", she whispers.
"That's wonderful! Would you consider performing at my soirée?"Myriana, pleased at the offer, bounced from one foot to another excitedly as she punch one fist in the air and said, "Sure, mEOW!" She looked warily at the dog then and said, "Just keep the dog away from me alright? I don't get along with dogs too well if you couldn't tell, and I'll be there." Her posture shifted and she cocked one hip out, planting a fist against it as she asked questioningly, "What kind of performance would you want? What kind of gathering is it meow?"
Corey smiles
"Don't worry about Snuggles. He'll be penned up for the party."
He ponders a bit at Myriana's question
"Well, it's an artist's salon, so anything avant garde or interpretive would go over well. It's a good opportunity to meet some of the luminaries in the Lazz School, and some factotums of the Sensates as well."
Tsun makes his way forward nonchalantly. He stops and begins adjusting the harness on a horse just within earshot of the dwarves.
Tsun and Sara move towards the front. The dwarves look rather bellicose, and are arguing with the hobgoblin caravan master and his two lieutenants.
"There's a toll here now, and if you want to pass, that'll be a Hammer per cart."
"That's barmy! Why we'd be losing jink if we paid that!"
Alyse will just kind of poke around and look down the tunnels, but not making an active search or anything.[dice=Perception]1d20 + 1
One tunnel slopes down, with some well-worn steps leading further down into the darkness. The water sound comes from that tunnel. The other tunnels are straighter, and seem to go under the foundations of the current Hive tenements above.
Tollard also peers about the tunnels, trying to make sense of this place.
[dice=Knowledge (Dungeoneering)]1d20+5
He also takes a look at the contraption in the center of the room. "You can tell a lot about a cutter if you know what he reads." He tries to see what it has been printing of late.
Tollard can see that this whole area was once above ground. There are rubbled-in windows along the tunnel walls, and he can see the striping where the tunnels breach ancient house walls. From the sound of the water it is a highly-confined stream, likely running in a masonry channel. The faint smell of refuse indicates perhaps a sewer line. The walls are mostly ancient marble, which switches to a dusty pink granite in the tunnel that leads downward towards the purported sewer stream
"Quite a tunnel network here," comments Alyse. "Lots of escape routes."
Seeing the arguing and feeling embolded to protect the caravan, Congruence starts to draw their sword. Then noticing Travel Friends Tsun and Sara's calmer reactions, the modron eases up and goes back to looking around watching for danger to strike down.
Feeling something is up, Sara takes a good look at what is going on.
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The printer has been cranking out broadsheets, the kind that paper any dry spot in Sigil. The one set on the board seems to be a call to action
WAKE UP HIVERS!!
The Harmonium is trying to take your kips and turn you into slaves for their Guvner masters! RESIST!!!! Don't let the Hardheads take our neighborhoods! RISE UP!!!! The Guvners want to cut the Hive into sections do they can divide and conquer! Don't end your days chained in a cloth factory! FREEDOM FROM THE GUVNER TYRANNY AND DEATH TO THEIR HARDHEAD LACKEYS!!!
At the bottom of the broadsheet is a smaller font message
Want to organize? Stop by Quake Lavender's Mobile Pandaemonium Party and wear a red cap.
Corey smiles
"Don't worry about Snuggles. He'll be penned up for the party."
He ponders a bit at Myriana's question
"Well, it's an artist's salon, so anything avant garde or interpretive would go over well. It's a good opportunity to meet some of the luminaries in the Lazz School, and some factotums of the Sensates as well."
Myriana seemed pleased as she said "K meow, I can dow that. I'll see you there then!" With that she began to flounce off, as she smiled and waved at the elf. It didn't tale her long before she realized she hadn't a clue what she was going to do. After a moment she realized that Zad was gone and that she should make her way back to St. Cuthbert's to inform them that the pretty man wouldn't be returning. Resigned, now, to delivering bad news the catgirl turned her steps towards St Cuthbert's, her spirits suddenly flagged from happy and energetic to sad and worried.
[dice=Perception]1d20+4
The three companions notice a strange heraldic device on the shields and breastplates of the dwarves. A dagger facing down with a hilt inlaid with colored gems
"Quite a tunnel network here," comments Alyse. "Lots of escape routes."
One thing Alyse notes is a large bookshelf in the corner, stacked to bursting with volumes
She'll head over to peruse the titles and subjects of the book.
Sara studies the heraldry .
"What a strange symbol. I feel I've seen it before."
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She'll head over to peruse the titles and subjects of the book.
The bookshelf holds a lot of older tomes. Some titles Alyse notes:
- A Guide to Sigil's Hidden Highways
- A Secret History of the Cage
- Six Secret Factols
- Little-Known Gates,Portals,and Doors
- Outlands for the Cager
- The Anarchist's Cookbook
- Profiles of Protestors
- Sigilian Municipal Code Digest Vols 1-10
Sara studies the heraldry [dice=know. planes]1d20 + 3.
"What a strange symbol. I feel I've seen it before."
Sara has. It's the holy symbol of a minor Dwarven god, Abbathor. If Sara remembers correctly he is the god of greed
Sara motions Congruence and Tsun to move a bit closer to her.
"I knew I saw that symbol before, she whispers That's the sign of one of those dwarven gods. Abbathor is his name I think? He's the god of greed."
Tsun's face goes flat. "If they are sporting his symbol, I can guess what they are. Glorified knights-of-the-post. Be ready for trouble. The caravan master might not be in the mood for greasing palms."
Alye picks 'Outlands for the Cager' form the shelf and starts leafing through it, idly curious while she awaits the jarkman's return.