Pharris and DM:
He happily watches Pharris try on various outfits and is quick with the compliments. He again suggests that she cover up slightly more than she normally would, but can't really help himself and doesn't push too strongly.
Once they are suitably attired, he thanks the shopkeeper and heads out of the store, making his way back to the Grumpy Hogfish while sticking to crowded areas as much possible.
Nicolai:
Alton arrives back at the Grumpy Hogfish first, where Hawthorn tells him that he has missed Laithe, Keildrithe and Stonty by only ten minutes at most. However, the innkeeper is not entirely sure where they were headed – the town gates he thinks, but which set of gates – north, south, east or west, and by which route he is not certain.
So Alton waits impatiently in the common room for the others to return as the afternoon wears on.
Half an hour later Kajetan shows up, looking fairly pleased if slightly jittery, and a quarter of an hour after him, Pharris and Nicolai return, wearing black cloaks and new masks.
Hogfish:
"We didn't find out much else of interest. How did you two fare?"
Hogfish:
Pharris nods then shakes her head as Kajetan queries, all red hair behind the white catmask.
Hogfish:
Hogfish
Hogfish:
Hogfish
Laithe looks again at the gates and weighs up Stonty's suggestions. "I don't really like our chances of bluffing our way past the guards, though you might have a chance Keildrithe?" He looks to the bard questioningly. We could try the wall later, though it might be a bit tough getting the box and knockers in. At the least we should try and confirm who or what they are looking for."
Keildrithe, perhaps we could try asking someone who has just entered? You'd probably be better equipped at a gather information check. Otherwise, Laithe will head as close as he can without being too obvious and try to listen to the talk of the guards and people passing through the gates. Listen check 17 + 8 = 25
"I think Stonty would be in a better position to ask a local passerby what the guards are looking for. I might arouse suspicion, and who knows if they might not blow the whistle on me? What do you say, Stonty?"
Laithe and Keildrithe:
Stonty sighs, but agrees to go and find out what is going on. He climbs down from his cart and trudges off towards the gate.
He returns about twenty minutes later, having spoken to several people.
“Weal, et looks lake they’re lookin’ fer ye alrate. Get a fair description o’ ye (afore t’ makeover) an yer short frien’ an’ t’ fellow wit’ t’ cloak. Askin’ ef ye’ve bin seen, an’ searching wagons a’ whatnot.”
Laithe sighs as Stonty reports back. "Thankyou Stonty. I appreciate the help you have given, despite the fact it could land you in some trouble."
To Keildrithe he says "We're unlikely to get through the gates at this stage, unless you feel we can bribe the guards? I'd suggest we head back and warn the others we are being targeted. We may then have to look at retrieving the box under the cover of darkness?"
. "We have put you in enough danger already. In any case it looks like we will not be able to use the cart to enter the city. Please consider your debt repayed."
Laithe and Keildrithe return to the Grumpy Hogfish, looking quite different in their new outfits and haircuts, but also rather down-spirited, to find that everyone else has returned, and are discussing what they discovered.
"Laithe and I have bad news," says Keildrithe quietly, careful to make sure that other patrons cannot overhear him. "We weren't able to retrieve the devil box, nor the knockers. The soldiers are on to us -- the guards at the gate are inspecting all carts and quesioning all comers and goers, so we never even got to leave town. It was clear that they were searching for Laithe, Kajetan, Alton and myself. Even with the new looks that Laithe and I now have, we were not confident enough to try and bluff our way past the gates. We didn't want to send Stonty alone to retrieve the devil box... So either we need to figure out another way to get out and back into town with the box and the knockers, or someone else is going to have to try their luck... Kajetan, I seem to recall you having the ability to change your appearance. Can you do that for others, as well? And what of you, Nicolai... do you have any spells that could aid us? Have any of you learned anything of interest while you were out this evening?"
"So either we need to figure out another way to get out and back into town with the box and the knockers, or someone else is going to have to try their luck... Kajetan, I seem to recall you having the ability to change your appearance. Can you do that for others, as well? And what of you, Nicolai... do you have any spells that could aid us? Have any of you learned anything of interest while you were out this evening?"
Laithe pipes in as Keildrithe finishes. "I potentially have access to some magic that will help us get over the walls after dark if needs be, but if either of you have magic which will avoid the need to sneak around, then I think that would be the better course."
Walls completely encircle the town. They are thick, made of stone, and average about fifteen feet tall. Except in a few areas (such as near gates) the walls are not topped by walkways and parapets. The wall has four gates with heavily fortified gatehouses, and there are watchtowers at irregular intervals along the walls. The gates close in the early evening, and are not opened again until sunrise.
A river pierces the wall at two points – the wall does not continue across the river, and there are no river-gates.
Current game time is about five in the afternoon. Twilight is just beginning to descend.
"Hmmm... what if we tried to float the devil box in along the river, under cover of darkness? Is anyone here a good swimmer?"
The river flows through town roughly south to north. The Grumpy Hogfish is towards the south side of town.
The river flows through town roughly south to north. The Grumpy Hogfish is towards the south side of town.
Keildrithe attempts to break his companions' pensive silence. "Another question we need to ask ourselves is, can we complete our task with the devil box from outside the town walls, or should we risk smuggling the box into town? If we proceed with the latter option, is the river (under cover of night) our best bet?"
Nicolai, dressed now in a black hooded cloak with a cheaply painted skeleton mask, cringes at the idea of swimming down the river. "That's not really my forte. Why do we need the box in town anyway? Do we even know what to do with it?"
"The only magic I have that might be helpful is that mist spell I cast earlier in the freak show tent. Though I fear the mist will draw attention more than anything. It might be useful to help escape if whatever spell Laithe has in mind is thwarted."
"Pharris and I didn't discover a whole lot at the Minstrel. The most relevant information we obtained was that the guards are being forced to work double shifts to try and locate you two. That's pretty much it, though it seems Alton discovered another body with devilish wounds in a nearby alley..."
Keildrithe attempts to break his companions' pensive silence. "Another question we need to ask ourselves is, can we complete our task with the devil box from outside the town walls, or should we risk smuggling the box into town? If we proceed with the latter option, is the river (under cover of night) our best bet?"
"I swim a little, and it is not a bad idea if it comes to smuggling the box into town." Laithe offers at Keildrithe's suggestion. "It seems like the demons are active in town, in which case we need the box in here with us. In any case, I fear leaving it out in the forest with the knockers, lest they are discovered and it is lost to us."
At Nicolai's comment Laithe's concern grows. "If guards are being made to work back, then they will be keen to find us. We must be very cautious. And a dead body in town confirms that the demons are active inside the walls. We desperately need to gather more information and find out where abouts the demons are hiding.""
"I am happy to attempt to get out of town after dark and bring the box back in with me. I could certainly use some help with this. Perhaps some of us though should remain and keep trying to gather more information?"
The masked cat girl watches and listens then she shakes her head.
"Why do we risk getting the box when we have no idea where to grab the demon? Plus they will be wary for the next day or so. Not so much later in the week."
She openly shrugs her shoulders, "Kajetan and I are going to examine Alton's corpse, well the one he found anyway."
"I am happy to attempt to get out of town after dark and bring the box back in with me. I could certainly use some help with this. Perhaps some of us though should remain and keep trying to gather more information?"
"I don't plan on swimming or jumping any walls, but I'd be happy to meet you in the forest. As far as I know, the guards have no reason to stop me at the gates."
"Why do we risk getting the box when we have no idea where to grab the demon? Plus they will be wary for the next day or so. Not so much later in the week."
"Actually, I think we should get the box. Even if we don't know what to do with it, how long do we really think the kobolds will wait patiently in the forest before they leave or do something stupid. Especially the fat one. Isn't he the only one who can operate the box?"
The catmask nods, "Stonty would be good for getting the box. Maybe with help. Then we need a good cache for it, so that the Church never gets their hands on such a demonic weapon.."
The masked cat girl watches and listens then she shakes her head.
"Why do we risk getting the box when we have no idea where to grab the demon? Plus they will be wary for the next day or so. Not so much later in the week."
She openly shrugs her shoulders, "Kajetan and I are going to examine Alton's corpse, well the one he found anyway."
Alton chuckle "Right. I don't plan for anyone to be looking at my corpse for a good long time. Come on, I'll show you the body."
"Why do we risk getting the box when we have no idea where to grab the demon? Plus they will be wary for the next day or so. Not so much later in the week.""Actually, I think we should get the box. Even if we don't know what to do with it, how long do we really think the kobolds will wait patiently in the forest before they leave or do something stupid. Especially the fat one. Isn't he the only one who can operate the box?"
"Hmmm, yes... I forgot all about the fat one, and his supposed key role in all this. So if we do fetch the box, do we also still attempt to smuggle in the knockers?"
"Hmmm, yes... I forgot all about the fat one, and his supposed key role in all this. So if we do fetch the box, do we also still attempt to smuggle in the knockers?"
"In theory we need the large knocker to operate the box, so we would have to smuggle him (and I suspect them all) inside. Though to be honest, I am somewhat sceptical about it. Kajetan, have you done any further thinking on whether or not you would be able to operate the box yourself?"
He turns to Nicolai with a warning. "You may be able to pass through the gates now, but if we are going to try and smuggle in, they may not let you back inside after dark?"
To Alton he says "I am not sure if I will be able to track in the city, nor if I will be able to track the demons but I wouldn't mind taking a look at the site where you found the body anyway to see if I can find any tracks. If the demons have some help within the city, then perhaps they travel on foot and I might have a chance of finding where they are hiding."
"I must be losing my touch." Pharris briefly opens her cloak again.
"Look. The soldiers were like a bunch of dead sticks, have I become ugly? This is serious. Anyway I better change into my wargear."
The bright young thing scampers up and away to her clothes and weapons. Soon she returns with her catmask and thick cloak covering the armour and sword.
"Well, that's better! I felt naked before. Come on you men, let's go see the body."
The bright young thing scampers up and away to her clothes and weapons. Soon she returns with her catmask and thick cloak covering the armour and sword.
"Well, that's better! I felt naked before. Come on you men, let's go see the body."
As Pharris returns to the room, ready to leave, Laithe nods and rises. He carries with him his sling and a dagger concealed in his new clothes, knowing that if it comes to a fight he can always revert to the wolf form in which he is most comfortable. He looks towards Alton to lead the way.
Alton laughs again as Pharris makes to leave the room. "No, you have not become ugly. Fear can be as powerful a motivator as lust though, and I imagine that Atrek has inspired more than a little fear in the guardsmen to try to make them work that much harder to find us."
"We will make them fear us!" she whispers outside.
Once in the main street, Pharris scans around for anyone paying too much attention or following.
It’s been well over an hour since Alton first discovered the body by the time everyone is back and ready to go again. As the halfling leads the group to the secluded alleyway, the afternoon shadows beginning to stretch long across the narrow streets, he spots a smallish crowd gathered near the mouth of the alley, a single watchman keeping people from entering. It seems that, in the intervening time, someone else has stumbled upon the corpse too.
Pharris turns to Laithe and Alton.
"Shall we join the crowd? I can try to distract the guard but not for long. This feels like our options are closing before us." Each can tell she is a little concerned.
Pharris turns to Laithe and Alton.
"Shall we join the crowd? I can try to distract the guard but not for long. This feels like our options are closing before us." Each can tell she is a little concerned.
Laithe's face is tense and tight-lipped, clearly frustrated by the barriers facing the group at every turn and sharing Pharris' concern. "I'd really need at least a few good minutes of searching if I have any hope of finding a trail. I think it unlikely that any amount of distraction will afford me that time now; your considerable talents in that department non-withstanding," he adds to the beautiful swordswoman.
"It might be worthwhile getting a little closer to hear the gossip - find out who the victim is. We desperately need to gather some clues before we find ourselves completely locked down by the city guard. I'd suggest we continue past without stopping, but listen to the talk of the crowd?" As he makes the suggestion he scans the clearing for any suspicious individuals.
Nicolai tags along for now. He has no real interest in seeing the body, but also doesn't want to babysit kobolds all day. In a couple of hours, say late afternoon, he'll head out to try his luck getting out of the city on his own. He won't go through the gate closest to the freakshow, just in case the guards have been alerted. And he'll remain in his newly acquired costume.
As a final precaution, he'll cast Message on Keildrithe, Kajetan, and either Alton or Laithe right before leaving, in an attempt to try and keep everyone apprised of the situation. The spell will last 30 minutes, which will hopefully be enough time to get past the guards and locate the box.
Pharris moves into the crowd and slides between people to get to the front, near the guard. She joins in the general chit chat and asks the occasional question of the guard just to gather a bit of solid news.
Laithe lurks at the edge of the crowd, watching for anyone who might appear more interested in the people rather than the thing they’re trying to see; but to no avail. Apart from the masked guard, the druid does not notice anyone watching the crowd, and even the guard does not appear to pay the adventurers any particular attention.
He keeps an ear out too, but between the language and the fact that few in the crowd appear to know what’s going on, he doesn’t pick up much. Most people just seem curious as to what is going on; they know that a bloody body has been found, but not much in the way of details, at least not that Laithe is able to pick up.
However, Pharris picks up a thing or two; it seems that language problems dissolve somewhat when a beautiful woman is involved. She manages to get the guard talking a little; although he is not exactly a boundless font of information, he does relay that a body was found – a street dweller who is known to frequent this neighbourhood. The Watch suspect foul play.
One of the onlooker’s nods sagely. “I’d say twas foul play,” the old coot confides in Pharris. “I got a look at the body before they blocked things off here – ‘is hands was tied, and ‘is face all bloated. Poison I reckon. ‘Sfunny you know, I noticed a dead dog on the way down here too, all bloated the same way … I don’t know, mebbe it took a bite of his body or sommen.”
As Pharris slips through to the front of the crowd, Nicolai, noticing the lengthening shadows, realizes that he’ll need to leave soon, if he wants to be sure to make it out of town before the gates close, especially if he is to head around to the southern gate (avoiding the eastern gate, being nearest to the freakshow).
At a suitable time he calls his companions (excepting Pharris) away from the crowd into the shelter of a nearby laneway, says his farewells, and imparts his message spell on three of them before hurrying off to the gate.
The guards there stop the Atuscan and ask him his business, but seem little interested or concerned in his hastily constructed answer – clearly he does not fit the description of the people they are looking for. They warn him that if he wishes to return to the town this night he should go about his business quickly, for the gates will be closing for the night before a third of an hour has passed.
So Nicolai finds himself alone outside the walls in the lengthening twilight, and begins to cut his way across the lanes and fields towards the copse of trees where, hopefully, the kobolds still wait…
Pharris gently asks the man where he noticed the bloated dog. Then she will take a moment to pass on the snippets of information to Alton and Laithe.
The greybeard is more than happy to lead the attractive woman to another alleyway, a few streets away, where a scrawny, flea bitten looking dog lies dead against a sagging wall, a small cloud of flies hovering over the sad little corpse.
The dog bears some small scratch marks around its mouth, and a large, red and angry looking welt surrounding a small puncture mark on its neck.
Before leaving, Nicolai casts the Message spell on Keildrithe, Kajetan, and Alton, figuring the bard will keep Laithe updated as necessary, and that Pharris will be busy mingling with the crowd anyway.
He whispers his progress to the others as he makes his way past the guards at the gate, mentioning specifically the time the guard said the gate would be closed for the night.
He begins to make his way towards the devil box, using the city wall to orient himself, but staying for enough to ward off unwelcome eyes. He calls out empathically to Wijk'An and asks him to scout ahead.
Between Nicolai’s own senses, and the empathic urges of his hawk companion, he is able to find his way towards the copse of trees safely, from time to time pausing or taking a different way so as to avoid the occasional local hurrying home through the half-light, or a clear view of one of the tall watchtowers spaced sporadically around the town walls.
By the time he reaches the tiny wood, twilight has well and truly set in, and he must strain to make out details in the grey light. All is quiet ahead. In the deep shadows under the tree canopy, he thinks he sees a hint of movement – one of the kobolds perhaps?
Pharris gets Laithe to check the dog body. meanwhile she thanks the old man for his help and gives him a silver to go get a drink.
"Well, perhaps you can track from here?"
In the deep shadows under the tree canopy, he thinks he sees a hint of movement – one of the kobolds perhaps?
Silently cursing himself for not bothering to learn the names of the 'smart' kobolds, Nicolai approaches cautiously and removes his mask.
"Lumbie, is that you?"
He continues to approach with his palms held outward and no weapon drawn, confidently rehearsing the verbal components of his more devastating spells.
There is definitely movement in the under-tree shadows now.
“Ssstay back,” comes a high pitched, hissing voice. “Who aress you?”
It occurs to Nicolai that the creatures only briefly saw him earlier in the day, and then he was masked (albeit a mask that fairly closely resembled his actual face); they may not recognise him.