I am going to have to withdraw from the game. My power was restored only recently and I missed about three pages of gameplay. It does not feel like I am in the game anymore at this point. Thanks for the experience while I was there and good gaming all.
I was one of the lucky ones. Of course I am out of luck for finding a heavy extension cord or gas canister. I only have the one gallon one that I use for my lawn mower. Thankfully, a guy at a gas station was also willing to fill an empty cranberry juice container.
It's better than being in a Westcrown sewer, though.
When Hal sees the reactions of the others who looked inside the room he decides to forgo the experience himself. "If it is not a way out then let's keep going" he says quietly.
Mentally he attempts to take stock of his new companions and what each one of them can. If the Hellknights had not showed up this could have been quite a fun party.
I might be unable to post this evening. If I don't post before 7:00 PM EST then Hal intends to keep his eye on Morosino for any treachery. In combat he will look for flanking opportunities.
Devil's question strikes a chord with Hal. With it in mind he maintains a position behind Morosino just in case he needs to put a knife in the youth's back.
The shock of massed combat in the tunnels throws off Hal's usually sharp senses. This carnage is exactly the kind of thing he strives to avoid. But when the others warn of Hallknights approaching he quickly realizes that it is time to move quickly.
He hears Janiven's offer to lure the pursuers away and thinks she is foolishly sacrificing herself. But her rationale is unassailable; the group has a better chance of making it if they do what she says. Her insistence that Morosino get through safely is curious, though. What is so special about him? Hal wonders.
When Janiven makes her bid to lead the Hellknights away Hal mutters a blessing of good luck to Desna on her behalf. He does not waste any time in putting distance between himself and the Order of the Rack.
Hal steps past Kyle and advances to within throwing distance for a dagger toss. The fact that Brandon now takes up most of the tunnel will present a problem, though. He slaps Morosino on the shoulder and yells "Drop back."
Until we can advance Hal's position will prevent him from doing more than waiting. Did we pass any other intersections on the way to this room? If so, Hal will watch out for enemies creeping up from behind.
The cramped tunnels stymie Hal's movements and the poor lighting hinders his perception. But when anything small, green and toothy gets near to him he strikes out with his shortsword.
Attack
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Damage if it hits
1d6 ⇒ 3
Additional damage if the target is flat-footed
1d6 ⇒ 1
Frankly, the confusion about who is where adds to the fun. A group that has just been thrown together and now has to make an escape through the sewers would be in a disordered state.
Hal taps Devil on the shoulder and then points to his own ear. Then he flicks his finder against the blade of his sword while holding it up to his ear again and then points up ahead toward the direction they are headed.
When Hal hears Devil singing he loses his focus on the corridor and the danger he is in. That voice, it's the one I heard from the man burying the bodies by the riverside. And he knows this fellow, Brandon, who seems to be the one who eviscerated the cu-tpurses the other night. Either one of them could have lead the Hellknights to us! What kind of company have I gotten myself into?
Suddenly, the fact that Hal is running through raw sewage away from a company of Hellknights is not the most disturbing part of this day. He wants to know how much farther they must go but decides that silence is best for now.
"A moment... Hal?", Devil says, pausing to seemingly fish under the back of his cloak for something. "Can you use a chakram?", the tiefling asks, not drawing forth the weapon. Having gained enough distance, (he hopes), Devil then says very softly to Hal, "I don't trust the boy. He now has the sword sign. Watch, and if he tries to get away, he needs to not."
Hal draws his sword and wonder about how such a mass of people will be able to fight in these cramped quarters. He had heard of people traveling in the sewers before but never believed it. Now he just tries to keep up and discern what direction they are headed in.
As far as how I know you. Well, some of you I saw promise in you myself. Whether it was one of you fighting a shadowbeast in the street to save another...
The only reason I saved him is because he is a business contact who tells me when valuable things are being loaded and unloaded at certain warehouses. Hal thinks in reply to Janiven's allusion about the shaowbeast.
GM-JCServant wrote:
For others, such as yourself, let's say I have plenty of friends here in Westcrown and beyond...
Hal draws in his breath so as to reply to Beppo for calling him and the others fools. But he comes up short with the realization that the Galtish man is right. I walked right into a meeting of people I do not know for reasons that I do not know. Innocencio would have my head for doing this. After all he taught me...
He waits expectantly for Janiven's reply to Beppo's question.
Corellon sizes up Hal for a minute, having watched him make his way from the street into the tavern. There is something of the familiar about him, through has not seen him before ... its his gait, his mannerisms ... they are smooth and finessed, though quite deliberate. He cased the room and the people in it much like he himself would do. 'One can't help but pick up on the traits of others that ply a similar trade, would be the same with carpenters or blacksmiths I guess'.
Corellon smiles at the thought of such a motley crew assembled here, if there were to do something about the malaise that affects this place they'd have a hard time doing it on the up and up.
Looking over at him, he inquires, ”Hal, is it? Have you been in town long?”
"Yes, have we met? I have been a fixture for a few years here. Hal searches his memory for Corellon, wondering if they made deals or such when Janiven starts her speech. The climax of it nearly causes Hal's jaw to drop.
How many did she invite? A group this size might as well be a cry from the battlements of the Korradath. Surely someone will have notices a furred tiefling, the other tiefling and some openly armed men all converging on a tavern.
Hal: fair trade for me not making a perception check when you tailed me. :) But I'll give you this: If you hear him sing a sad song (and he's only singing sad songs these days), do me the favor of recognizing the sorrow, and then the man.
D'oh! I meant to do just that but forgot while I was editing what I wrote. The boards have been so buggy that I rush to post things before they get eaten.
Hal enters a moment after a silent bar patron leaves, he is pale, of average height and build and dressed as a workman but for the long dusty cloak that he wears. His head is covered with an improvised cloth head-dress that one often sees men wear to keep sweat out of their eyes. Sharp-eyed observers will note a short sword at one hip and the contours of some kind of armor under his loose shirt.
He sweeps the room to take in the occupants before greeting Janiven. "It is good to see you. This looks like a festive occasion." He takes up a mug and nods in the direction of the others before sitting down.
What in the Hells is she Janiven thinking! he wonders silently. Her offer of the other night sounded of conspiracy. And now she gathers a pair of tieflings who could not go unnoticed anywhere. Perhaps this was a worse idea than I thought.
Anyone who make a Perception 12 check:
Spoiler:
Bluff1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Hal is initially unnerved at this gathering but tries to play it off.
Devil, I am assuming that Hal never got close enough to see your face when you buried the dead from the Unlit Lantern and does not recognize you yet.
When he sees Brandon Hal's mind races. That one fits the description of the man who slew the thieves in Jael's account. What have I gotten myself into?
Are the shadowbeasts anthropomorphic, quadruped or do they move fly around like shadows? Would Hal have gotten a good enough look at one to tell? I am trying to figure out if Hal thinks they are intelligent or not from what he could tell of them. If you don't want him to know I will assume that they are just vague dark shapes that come out of the shadows.
Hal sits with Janivan and listens in disbelief to what she says. What kinds of person talks to a total stranger about conspiring against the Royal Family? It seemed like an obvious trap but, at the same time, it did not smell like one. People who want to remain unnoticed don't do things like buy drinks for everyone in the bar, even though this only came to about ten people all together.
"Vizio's at 4? How could I refuse an invitation from a beautiful woman like yourself? Hal does his best to seem charming but is careful not to push things. He noted the sword at Janivan's waist and had no idea how well she could wield it. If it is a set-up I can always claim that I was simply playing along to get her into bed. he thinks to himself.
Sense Motive 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
I wonder if anyone else heard me curse the Thrunes. Hal excuses himself for a moment to check on his friend and takes the opportunity to see if anyone in the bar is paying them undue attention.
Has Hal ever heard of Janivan or the people she alluded to? Knowledge (Local) 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Jael was never the most reliable source of information but what he said matched up to what two other, more reliable, sources had said. Hal did not question Jael's skill at finding things out but his ability to accurately describe what he saw was dubious. The thief was prone to exaggerate or leave out important details. Sometimes he did both. But not this time; everything he said was in accord with what Hal heard from the others.
"Four, no five of them surrounded the mark. They had him up against the wall, no where for him to go. They sent in a green kid but the mark knocked him aside. All the time the pigeon is asking all nice 'Leave me alone, please'. He even threw some coin on the ground for them to take. It was pitiful."
"Anyway, the crew was trying to break in some fresh recruits. They pushed them at the victim again. This time they drew blood. The pigeon did something I could not see and then he just grew. All big and ugly and loud. His voice was real deep and loud and scary. And then there was blood all over the cobblestones and on the wall. I never saw five men go down that fast. Gutted them like fish, he did. And I don't remember seeing a weapon."
When he was done Jael helped himself to two loaves of break and a half-filled wineskin then let himself out through the kitchen door. I sat there and made plans to visit the street with the brothel of the unlit lantern. It must be soon. Any longer and too many others will come nosing around and getting in the way.
I'm not sure how BIG that cart is, except that BD is pulling it, loaded. So I'm not sure how many bodies, and I don't know it serves any purpose to set a number. GM might make a call, or not. I had thought BD took them near a river, reasoning that there's always a river, and that "by the waters" begged for it.
So, you're stealthed? He's preoccupied. You can follow him back to where he stole the cart, where he leaves it, with a coin in the back. Then back to where he stole the shovel, where he leaves it, too, with another coin. Then back to the brothel, with its red lantern unlit. He doesn't latch the door when he goes inside. The dog follows him.
I hope this stuff is OK w/ the GM
Hal followed the man at a safe distance from the riverbank to the brothel. He noted the stops that the man made and the coins left with each tool. Initially this was confusing but he quickly realized that the mysterious man was making payment for using things that did not belong to him. Not many men in Westcrown have a such a conscience when unobserved. I wonder who these people were.
When the man turned onto the street with the brothel Hal hastened his pace a bit and then stopped before he reached the corner. It was not wise to turn around a blind corner in the dark as he knew well from experience. So he listened for a moment and heard the dog's nails treading on the cobblestones. After a quick peek he stepped partially around the corner and saw his mark go through the door under the red lantern.
The street was empty but the sun was now starting illuminate the sky enough that there were few shadows to move around in. Many of the second floor windows were opened but still shadowed enough that Hal could not see into them. But the occupants would be able to see him, he told himself.
Too risky for an unplanned trip into this area. Better to come back when I have some idea what this is all about. I'll make some inquiries, he thought. Then he headed back the way he came turned toward his meeting place with his appointment.
But on the way he stopped at the riverbank grave site in the hope that there would be some clues as to who these people were and why they were now dead. The ground was undisturbed but for faint prints from the gravedigger's feet. If not for the low mounds over each body there was nothing unexpected for such a place.
The sound of footsteps on the road alerted Hal to the approach of more than one man. It was time to leave before anyone saw him here. The last thing he wanted was to be blamed for something when he was actually innocent for a change. After ducking behind some overgrown weeds Hal circled around the passing men and made his way back to the main road. Once there he blended in with the trickle of citizens beginning their day.
Good stuff, /BD, it really gives and insight into your character.
Going through the posts now...answering questions as I run across them.
Stray Hal wrote:
I forgot that humans get 1 extra skill point per level. Hal's Perception is now +5 instead of +4.
I already show you with a rank in perception in Perception for a total of +4. You'll need to pick something else as you cannot have more than 1 rank/lv in any given skill.
Yes, I forgot about that. I added it to Sleight of Hand instead.
Hal heard the singing as he watched from a distance. Not likely an assassin he thought. Otherwise he would just dump them in one area without ceremony. He is not just a gravedigger either. No, he cared about these people.
Usually Hal would only linger a bit at a chance encounter like this. But there were a lot of bodies even for dawn in Westcrown. This was not something that could pass unnoticed. He had to know if this were something that could concern him even if only indirectly. What happened? It must have been recent because he had heard nothing about any massacres by either the Guild thieves or by the Hellknights.
He decided that his meeting with Aldern would just have to wait. When a mild breeze sprung up he moved from his hiding place behind the shrubs so that the wind would not carry his scent to the dog. The only other cover was behind a small mound of earth farther away from the gravedigger but it would have to suffice.
I am not used to playing the "face" role but I will give it a shot if need be. Hal always seemed to me to be more the guy who introduces people to other people and facilitates deals. But maybe I will like a new role in this game.
At 2nd level an inquisitor gains a bonus to Intimidate that scales from there on. This probably is even compensation for the loss of the tiefling bonus there.
I am a fan of swarming foes and dispatching them with sneak attacks so having a third character with that ability could help us do that. However, JCServant will certainly use flanking against us as much as we use it against NPCs.
JCServant:
I forgot that humans get 1 extra skill point per level. Hal's Perception is now +5 instead of +4.
Everyone:
What do you see as the group's ambition, being heroes or becoming a powerful gang to rival or supplant the Council?
"You all meet in a derelict whorehouse" could become a new cliche beginning for adventures.
Hal could have had a arranged to meet with an associate there to discuss the doings of a rival employer. Naturally, his contact will not be present and Hal will not be able to complete his assignment. This failure will cause him to lose his position as operative for his boss.
I like the idea of most or all of the characters having had some connection to the brothel or another aspect of a character's backstory.
Fire? Did I have a fire? :) But hey, if a fire is helpful, spark it up. Anything that helps us meet/know/trust(or distrust in a plot-helpful way) each other, is fair enough.
But I didn't expect a fire, tho I can see how it's read that way. My intent, though, was that BD walked through, and they were all killed quickly, suddenly, by surprise. A fire doesn't work with the dog still being behind the front desk.
And if the house is still there, it's also useable in future.
But whatever serves. The play's the thing, the Bard said. :)
I just re-read it and saw that there was no mention of fire. Where did I get that idea from? Also, it probably would have killed your dog as well. In any event a slaughter like that would be talked about around Westcrown in a very short time.
The idea of turning an old brothel into a base of operations is intriguing. All sorts of people would show up at the door until word spread that it was no longer operational. Of course, that assumes that we would not want to open the doors again ourselves.
You're all welcome to this, but mostly OOC, so it's spoilered.
Kyle, you should read it.
** spoiler omitted **...
That is an interesting backstory. I liked that it leaves the perpetrator's identity open and even implies the possibility of corruption among the ranks of the Hellknights. News of the fire would probably be fairly widespread and could give the other characters a common touchstone.
