"May I read it? I may of some help with it."
"Here." Albrek hands him the note.
Brother Fabitor takes the note and scans over it for a moment or two. He seems to be in deep thought.
"Again I ask why you would need a stand in? My other worry would be that whoever hired these thugs most likely has met them and you going there claiming to be them may not be the wisest of decision. I would suggest scoping out the place before rushing in with swords drawn."
He hands back the note
Chelin nods in agreement with the father. "I would not wish to put Railina in such danger as having them believe she is Phon. However, we should go and take a look at just where this building is located. Perhaps we can form a better plan then, some way to lure the enemies out. Also, not all of the thugs were killed, we could try and talk to the captured as well."
Ekard gets an unsettling grin on his face. "I've been known to loosen tongues a time or two in my day. If that's the way you want to play it, I'm game. Eyeballing the place ahead of time is good too. If its an operational warehouse, I might be able to slip in before they close down for the day and unlock a side door for the rest of the group to use."
Brother Fabitor listen intently and nods at your plans
"Its a good plan just be careful especially when it comes to the Pale Dogs and the Balacazars....both are dangerous and since you don't know exactly who is involved take things slowly, there is time enough for hasty actions in the future once you determine who is involved."
After finishing your discussion with Brother Fabitor. The group heads off to scope out the warehouse on Able Row. You leave around mid afternoon from St. Gustav's. Its take only 30 minutes to get to Able Row and another 20 to find the warehouse. It is now 2 hours before dusk. The meeting is 4 hours from now. The red warehouse is innocuous-looking rectangular wooden building with a second story. Several workers are moving boxes in and out of the building, unloading and loading several horse drawn carts full of various supplies and medium to large crates. The place seems no different than any of the other warehouses here in the neighborhood of Longbottom. A few local city watch pass by over the course of several minutes showing no more interest in the warehouse than any of the other peasants milling about Longbottom.
"Hm. Looks like a typical warehouse. Does anyone know who owns this building?"
"So, what do we do till it is time?" Railina asks after they are done scoping out the area. "Should we try and make it inside for a good ole ambush?"
Ekard will see if he can remember anything about ownership of the warehouse. Meanwhile, he'll casually observe the crates being moved about for signs of ownerships (merchant symbols, guild markings, etc.)
Knowledge(local):
Perception:
Ekard will see if he can remember anything about ownership of the warehouse. Meanwhile, he'll casually observe the crates being moved about for signs of ownerships (merchant symbols, guild markings, etc.)
Knowledge(local): 1d20+5
Perception: 1d20+5
You have no idea who owns the the warehouse and the markings on the crates have the seal of the city but no other markings of note.
"So, what do we do till it is time?" Railina asks after they are done scoping out the area. "Should we try and make it inside for a good ole ambush?"
"I don't have a clue who runs this thing. Maybe we should case the building and note where the doors and windows are. We can pick the best entry for the group, then I can try and get inside on the sly and hide out until the place closes down. Most businesses close at sunset, so once everyone leaves I can come out and open a door for the rest of you to get in. Then we can wait for our kidnappers' boss to show up."
Stealth check:
Perception check:
On the front of the building you see a pair of large doors, these are the ones the workers are coming in and out of. You move across the street and sneak into the alleyway beside the building and then back along the south side of the building where you spot another door as you circle back around the front of the building you don't notice anymore doors.
"I can be pretty sneaky too, if you tell me some way I could help", Myrp chips in. "Maybe as a lookout, or messenger"?
Railina will stay across the street and look as nonchalant as possible, waiting for Ekard to make his move.
Bluff
Ekard returns from scouting and informs the party of the exterior layout.
"Seems our best bet is the back door after closing time. I'll see if I can get in and get lost in the crates. Once the place is cleared out I'll get the door open. The rest of you should find a place to hunker down until then."
"I can be pretty sneaky too, if you tell me some way I could help", Myrp chips in. "Maybe as a lookout, or messenger"?
Ekard gives Myrp an appraising eye. "You're light enough on your feet, and small like me, sure enough. But if you want to be sneaky you're going to have to stop looking like a mouse that's sure the cat's about to pounce. Relax. Looking out of place is the surest way to get spotted."
Running his hand through his hair, Ekard thinks the situation over.
"Myrp, you'll be lookout round the back. Find a place in the alley behind the warehouse to hunker down that's within sight of the door. The rest of you find a place further away within sight of Myrp's hidey-hole. Once the place is closed down and empty, I'll unlock the back door and give Myrp the high sign. He'll flag the rest of you. Then everyone hustles in and we find a place to get the jump on our kidnapping mastermind. Sound like a plan?"
"Sounds like a good plan to me. Let's go find a spot." Railina nods at Ekard and Myrp then heads down the alley away from the back door but within line of site.
Tony will climb up to a convenient second story roof with a convenient line of sight. He will lay on his cloak and keep an eye out for the signal.
After everyone is in place Ekard walks across the street and finds the most in charge looking worker who seems to be direct the mad chaos that is the moving of these crates from carts to warehouse and back again. Ekard walks up and taps him on the shoulder. The "Foreman" turns around and looks down at Ekard and his eyebrow raises "Can I help you Lad?"
Chelin will drop Justice off at the stables of the inn before he sets off with the others. He's always a bit uncomfortable when his pony isn't around anyway and with breaking and entering being quite out of his element, even with good cause, he will let those who have spent their life more in the shadows do the planning.
Ekard's proposal sounds good to him however, and he will join the others, though he will add the suggestion "Maybe we should put someone at the front of the alley as well that we can all see, just so we have someone who might be able to alert us if you get in any trouble while you are inside?"
Ekard's proposal sounds good to him however, and he will join the others, though he will add the suggestion "Maybe we should put someone at the front of the alley as well that we can all see, just so we have someone who might be able to alert us if you get in any trouble while you are inside?"
"Good idea. With Myrp being where he is, he can do that job. If anything goes bad, I'll be screaming bloody murder, so he should be able to let the rest of you know I need help."
To the foreman: "Afternoon, guv. I've been beating feet all around the district today lookin' for work. I notice you lot have a bustling operation here and wondered if you'd need an extra hand. I'm quick on my feet and good at following orders. Whatta ya say?"
Diplomacy check:
The Foreman stares dumbfounded at Ekard and then looks over at his workers, then back at Ekard. "Ya sure, I guess we could use someone to help catalog the merchandise go in and find Gunter, he's up by the office tell him, Darben sent you to help out." He points into the warehouse.
The Foreman stares dumbfounded at Ekard and then looks over at his workers, then back at Ekard. "Ya sure, I guess we could use someone to help catalog the merchandise go in and find Gunter, he's up by the office tell him, Darben sent you to help out." He points into the warehouse.
Ekard gives the man a big grin. "Thanks very much, guv! You're a stand-up fellow, for certain."
Ekard heads off in the direction Darben points him. On the way, he'll scope out the layout of the place, and try to find a good spot to hide until the workers leave for the day. He makes a note of the back door's location as well.
Ekard
You enter the building from the front doors and ahead of you see several tall stacks of crates and boxes. Through the forest of stacks you see what looks like a raised platform that stands 15 feet above the main floor where the crates are stacked. All around you are stacks of crates some that reach as high as the ceiling some are just one or two boxes high. You look around as you enter searching for a likely hiding spot.
Meanwhile, Albrek sits near the warehouse, his helm sitting on the ground. Hopefully everyone will just assume he's a blind beggar.
Perception check:
Everything appears to be in order.
Perception
Tony quickly loses concentration as he daydreams about dancing with Ethisha Kath.
Perception
Pol tries to juggle between watching the building and hiding his oversized weapon with little success.
Ekard]
You easily spot several likely places for you to hide among the crates and immediately decide to "lose yourself among the crates" before anyone notices or knows any better. After about another hour goes by the warehouse closes down and the foreman and his men leave by way of the back exit. An hour later you hear the door creak again and this time two figures enter the warehouse via the back door. They are slight of build and no more then 5 and half feet tall, with long hair and you think you see the hint of pointed ears under the long hair. They seem to have a three dogs with them as well. Strange thing is you didn't hear a lock being thrown when they came in. Has it been unlocked this whole time? You hear the two figures talk to each other but can't make out what is being said. . As yet they have not come back to your stacks where you are hiding or seem to notice you . There is still another hour before the meeting.
Everyone else:
You watch the building over the next 2 hours, after about an hour the warehouse closes down and the foreman and his men go back into the warehouse before exiting the nearby alleyway 5 minutes later. Peasants and city watch continue to mill about for another hour on there way to and from various parts of Ptolus. About an hour after closing those who had roll 15 or better notice a pair of what looks like elves walking three vicious looking dobermans; walk by the warehouse, they pass by two more times before going down the alleyway that leads to the backdoor of the warehouse. Myrp hidden back in the alley watches them walk right up to the back door and open without even needing to unlock it and walk right in. The door closes behind them and Myrp hears some laughter and some talking although he can't make out what is being said, but not much else.
Perception check:
Stealth check:
Perception
Ekard:
Tony and Myrp:
Everyone else:
Perception
Perception: 1d20+1=21
Perception!
Pol seems to have taken a nap.
Tony comes out of his dreams of Lady Kath and her daughter, to the sound of three dogs barking below in the warehouse, however it befuddles you as to where the dogs came from as you don't remember seeing any dogs go in Tony; as you were to wrapped up in daydreaming.
Ekard
Stealth check:
ekard
You are able to climb deeper into the stacks and after a moment the dogs stop barking. One of the two figures goes up and stands on the platform and starts loading a crossbow. The other figure edges over to the door and peaks out into alley. You hear him tell his friend that the meeting is in another 30 minutes.
Tony thinks to himself; Are those dogs?. Oh well; I'm sure if they're a problem he'll yell for help.
Ekard
Tony thinks to himself; Are those dogs?. Oh well; I'm sure if they're a problem he'll yell for help.
As your thinking this to yourself the dogs suddenly go silent for no apparent reason and you notice a elvish head peak out the back door of the warehouse and look around as if he is trying to see if anyone was coming to investigate. After a moment the door closes back up.