Yes, Cormick. I had better begin at the beginning. Cindy is going to relate all she can recall about this but I do not have time to research how it all happened and will do this mostly from memory. So Please correct or add where necessary Gm Ascension.
Mr Jumai is a skilled glass blower and sculptor in the city and his works are in high demand. Is is what I would call upper middle class and could not be expected to have to much in the way of magical protections or heavies as guards. Like all merchants that pay their dues though, he expects some level of protection from our guild. Cindy looks at the group to make sure everyone is listening.
His shop was attacked back X(?) weeks ago. My understanding is that a group of relatively new thieves in the city had set up a guild, or maybe joined an existing guild that was certainly not the only guild. These guilds seem to always be bickering and splitting up and such, and that will become important later. Anyway, my team was dispatched to investigate the crime. It seems that this group of 5 or 6 thieves had cased the place well and knew how many guards were there. I expect they used invisibility and stealth and strong skills in gathering information and intimidation to learn all they needed to commit the crime. It is likely that they have paid or blackmailed informants throughout the city and perhaps within the guard or even merchant's or wizard's tower itself. She pauses to let this sink in.
I understand that Mr Jumai's guards were taken out by some casting of a spell and after encountering the group I suspect it was their divine caster's work. Some subset of the thieves entered the shop and shook down Mr Jumai taking cash and valuables then and demanding a monthly payment of XXX. They threatened to harm or even kill the man's family if the payments were not forthcoming. Yes these thieves are willing to kill even children for financial gain. I believe them to be evil and without honor, with the possible exception of one monk in their group. In my thinking he differentiated from the others when we fought.
Cindy takes a moment to breath and asks for a glass of water. So, Mr Jumai did not stay intimidated and called for help. In our investigation I started by looking for thieves in the city. Using my ability to disguise myself I appeared as a young girl and managed to be recruited by a young rogue cutting purses in the market - just a girl really. I had hoped that would lead to the rogues that were guilty of our robbery and assault. But fortune smiled on me and instead it led to a rival gang that I think we must try to contact again. When I discovered that these were rial rogues I dispelled my disguise to their leaders, explaining who I was and what I was after. An alliance was formed where they agreed to leave the merchants that are members of our guild alone and they fed us critical information about the thieves we sought; explaining where they would be as they prepared for an upcoming caper. They asked us to take the group down and agreed to back up our assault, which they did quite honorably. I have a way to contact this group IF it is still active and healthy. Perhaps the Wizards will know and I am sure we can gather some information on the street about them as well.
Cindy continues. They were gathered at an inn. I believe some were in the common room and some were up stairs in rented rooms. We had the drop on them and were as prepared as we could be. But I will not lie to you it was a close thing and the fog of battle hampered us greatly, even though we used the message spell well. Without it I fear we would have lost the fight. It can be said that no plan survives a first encounter. This proved to be true and our plan went out the window as the fighting started. We were too spread out when it all happened. I was around back with our monk if I recall correctly. Our caster was on the rooftop of a nearby building. And two of our group, a barbarian and a rogue(?) wend inside, sad town and ordered drinks. I do not recall that being part of the plan.[/b[ She fills the group in on the name of the Inn.
[b]The fighting started inside. To this day I am unsure who drew first blood. We had buffs and the element of surprise but the enemy rallied quickly. somehow they got a sniper out and hidden inside a barn. They had a grappling monk who I fear could have taken any one of us down. They also had wickedly armored syth. summoner and a melee cleric that even along would have challenged us. I managed to get off a very tactical stinking cloud that took out both of those last ones, nauseating them for what seemed like half a minute. Their sniper made a mistake and came out of hiding. Maybe we chased him out, the details are blurred to me. But with a great effort we managed to bring him down and kill him. Remember the other thieves were helping us as well and provided covering fire and even melee support. I think their rogue, no he was a ninja with the vanish and shadow image tricks, came out to try to help the sniper while two or more of their number were nauseated. We took him down, but by then the enemy was acting more as a unit and somehow the summoner healed him back up. We had summoned creatures prowling about and it was quite a chaotic sight. citizens were running scared and calling for the guard so we had to hurry. The fight developed in to a running chase with our monk carrying the sometimes conscious/sometimes unconscious ninja through the streets with me flying overhead for support and that Synth summoner chasing after us. That ninja got away from our monk more than once but in the end we got him down and away from the summoner fellow and got him to guild HQ. I was sure that the thieves would try to get him back so we decided to turn him over to the Wizards.
Cindy signs with relief at the telling of the tale. The wizards agreed to question him and share what they found out. But I got the distinct impression that they did not trust us or want to work with us. This surprised me as we had previously gotten along well with that group but, like us, there had been a change of personnel and the new members did not know us. They treated our gift of this thief as just us doing our civic duty.
Well right now what is asked of us is rather simply to provide some shadowy security for a short time. This is our primary mission. Mr J might be the target of the same group and then he might not be. Maybe we can provided that while one of us goes out looking for information in order to specifically find that group. We can try to get more information in order to drive our point home to the Thief guilds operating in the city. Also we should be careful we do know that there is someone working in alliance with the drow. I can take care of the Surveillance of Mr J without being seen. All we need is to stay within Message spell range for a rapid response should he need back up
We can't let merchant be killed or ransomed by thieves like that.
As I said before, I can make a divination about the week to come.
As for the drow, I'm not sure they work with someone inside the city.
You can count on me for this mission. said Issa before adding when his friend screech.
And Innulamane, of course !
ok let's start with with that divination
Addressing Raseb Cindy asks Would it be possible to keep your guards in place for just a day or two longer while we get the lay of the land, so to speak? I'd like to know who we are up against if possible and who might be allies. That will take some foot work and some time. [ooc]What time of day is it now?[/b]
To the group she adds I want to warn you that just as our team has changed in composition, our enemy might have a number of new members too and would have had to replace at least their sniper and maybe the ninja. They had sniper, cleric, monk, ninja, fighter, or barbarian, and the eidolon wearing summoner at that time. Any intel we can get on their current composition would be quite beneficial. Cormick, perhaps this is your mission? I would like to contact the rival guild but we better first check word on the street carefully to see if it still exists and is still in opposition to the other group. Thoughts?
Sound good to me. I can set up shop on surveilance easily and prodide some light muscle if there is some back up from issa and Hezrog.
Muscle I can certainly provide. I feel that we should move our charge and his family if they are to be unguarded while we carry out this investigation.
Raseb nods, "Of course Cindy. We'll keep the normal guards around for the time being while you collect some info. Would you like me to get a message to the Tower, or would you like to handle that yourself?"
"Hezrog, Mr Jumai will need to be watched over both at home and at his shop. He has cut short his hours at his place of business in order to not be out on the streets at night, but as you can imagine he's complained a bit about lost business as a result." Raseb smiles. "We'd like to get him back to his normal business hours."
"I can tell you some of what has been going on in with the crime here in the city. The mages did track down one group of thieves, and a rather bloody battle ensued. To my understanding several of the mages employees were slain while the thieves got away. They got pay back the following evening though when they tracked the thieves again and returned the favor. I don't have more specifics than that though. Whether or not the mages are likely to provide additional details...."
"As for the thieves themselves, word on the street is that there are two primary rival gangs involved in some kind of street war, vying for control of crime in the city."
Our primary mission is to protect the merchant for the next ? she looks at Raseb
So that the merchant guild can pull out its heavy security. We are here to provide stealthy protection and see is the combined effort cindy and the previous team paid off.
Cindy wants to get more info on the thief guild via a possible contact she made not that long ago. Cormick can go with her, go by himself to gather information or come with me as i will be watching over Mr Jumai at home and at his shop as it is our primary mission. Issa and Hezrog can come with me or do something else
"I can go gather information about that has been occuring, and get more information on these two rival gangs. It shouldn't bee a problem. Where do you want to meet up at later? And no one had better say The Crow." He finishes with a chuckle.
Cormick will cast Honeyed Tongue (70min duration, 4/day) has he attempts to get information on the two rival gangs, if anyone other merchants is getting muscled in the local area, and the general feel of the area of late. He spend 100gp in drinks, palm greasing, and payouts to help gather the needed information.
"It shouldn't be more than a week."
Cormick heads out to gather what info he can, while Aerin heads to Mr Jumai's shop on Merchant Street.
The shop is a single story building, about 600 square feet, catering largely to those of the upper class, though there are a number of smaller pieces that someone of middle glass might be able to afford.
Mr Jumai, his wife, and their only son work inside, assisting the small number of customers that enter the shop, answering questions in a friendly and polite manner.
You gather that the street war is not between two rival gangs, but rather a failed coup attempt within a powerful crime organization.
A drow priestess by the name of Ilvaria attempted to take over, but was killed in the initial fighting that broke out. Another drow, by the name of Zov, is reportedly being held prisoner by the city guard at the western gate, was one of her allies. There was an attack on the gate a few days ago, rumored to be an attempt to free the drow.
The current leader of the coup attempt is a drow by the name of Firyin, and by all accounts is losing the battle. The other side is believed to be led by a female drow, but very little is known about her.
Radgar the Butcher, a mass murderer who escaped ten years ago, is rumored to be working with Firyin, but the substance of the rumors does not seem to support that idea very strongly.
A man by the name of Rosuc was taken by the mages recently and branded for sedition, but not much credence is given to the reason for him having been taken. Many believe the man Rosuc has ties with the underground. He can usually be found at a tavern called The Silver Spirits near the south gate.
Location: Shop with Hzrog + Issa
Lets find a place close by where you gus can be on the lookout for sign of threats or that he is under surveilance. I'll deal with the close protection. I'll keep up guys posted she pulls out a small switle
Before beggining their mission, Issa will use his power to make a divination about the event about to come.
Gathering incense and a feather from Innulamane as an offering to his god he began braying.
10 mn later, he asked, with a dehumanized voice, a question.
Oh Horus, Ruler of Sky and Sun, hear my prayer, please answer to your humble servant Issa.
What will happend if we protect Mr Jumai's shop on Merchant Street ?
As Issa completes his spell, a bodiless voice intones, "Mr. Jumai, nor his shop are in any danger."
Never the less Aerin will set up her surveillance of Mr J as per her orders
Bird-God says Mr Jumail is safe. Maybe we are being tricked. Or maybe thieves guild are planning something else while we are distracted here.
Or it could be a way for the rogues to either gather information about us or even strike at us. We must be prepared for such situations. I assure you they have not forgotten having their noses bloodied by the Merchants.
The first half of the day passes at Mr Jumai's shop without incident or anything unusual or out of place.
Aerin using her new hat of disguise will keep her "watch" over Mr J
Cindy did want to set up a meeting with the mages to discuss the status of the city, the information gained from and the fate of the prisoner we turned over to them, and the idea of forming a more formal alliance between our two groups. She is also quite interested in Mr. Firyin and his group and wonders about the pros and cons of trying to meet with him. What do you all think? If he is loosing he will grab onto any chance for our help, but if we are careful we should be able to make any arrangement with him mutually beneficial.
Cormick will pass on the information he learned during the day to the rest of the group when they meetup.
You gather that the street war is not between two rival gangs, but rather a failed coup attempt within a powerful crime organization.
A drow priestess by the name of Ilvaria attempted to take over, but was killed in the initial fighting that broke out. Another drow, by the name of Zov, is reportedly being held prisoner by the city guard at the western gate, was one of her allies. There was an attack on the gate a few days ago, rumored to be an attempt to free the drow.
The current leader of the coup attempt is a drow by the name of Firyin, and by all accounts is losing the battle. The other side is believed to be led by a female drow, but very little is known about her.
Radgar the Butcher, a mass murderer who escaped ten years ago, is rumored to be working with Firyin, but the substance of the rumors does not seem to support that idea very strongly.
A man by the name of Rosuc was taken by the mages recently and branded for sedition, but not much credence is given to the reason for him having been taken. Many believe the man Rosuc has ties with the underground. He can usually be found at a tavern called The Silver Spirits near the south gate.
+Library
Quite a bit of information is available on drow culture on customs: their penchant for associating with demons, their view of other races as lesser than themselves, and their frequent infighting to gain advantage over one another in their own political power struggles. The coup is really no surprise, it really was more a question about when such a thing might happen rather than if.
A message is dispatched to the Tower with a request to meet in the afternoon if possible.
Lots of drow in the thief guild leadership. Could the attempt of the failed coup be connected to the war attempt by a pro war faction while the regular leadership had no ties to the secret war beeing waged recently i wounder ?
Hearing all this information, Issa said
At the Light of all this, I could make two other divinations. One about us, to know if we are the targets and one about the drows and the connection between what we seen in the mountains and what's going on here.
I would certainly like to know if we are, and particularly if I am a target.
Again, the second day, after his prayers to Horus, Issa prepared his spells.
The first question he ask was about his new friends.
Oh Horus, Ruler of Sky and Sun, hear my prayer, please answer to your humble servant Issa.
Is Aerin and Cindy the target of the thief group they fought the first time they help Mr Jumai.
The second question he dare to ask was about the drows.
Oh Horus, Ruler of Sky and Sun, hear my prayer, please answer to your humble servant Issa.
Did the drows we fought under the mountain are connected to the fights between the Thief guilds ?
Cormick prepares himself for the meeting at the tower, having his clothes cleans and pressed.
Aerin will continue on her appointed task. To Protect Mr J
In response to Issa's additional divinations, the answers are given:
"Neither is a target for retribution."
"The drow of the underdark seek to strengthen their brethren in Coran."
Until otherwise instructed, Hezrog will continue to protect Mr J as well as Aerin and Issa, though he still thinks we are somehow being set up.
As the divination about vengeance come back negative Cindy wonders for a moment before vocalizing Perhaps those that had reason to seek vengeance against us are no longer in the city or active in the guild. Like our group has changed its personnel perhaps their number has as well. The more information we can safely gather on the rogues in the city the better I will like it. And since we have some time before the meeting with the wizards perhaps I'll make use of that chance to learn a few more spells.
See i was right about a "relationship" between the drow she simply says
Being he has some time before the meeting at the tower, Cormick will once more go out seeking information about the Thieves Guild, Drow leadership and pulse of the city, but this time as an influential merchant representative. (different set of people to rub elbows with.)
With the street war going on, crime in the city, other than a number of murders, has gone down overall. But it has left the populace feeling uneasy, and their are grumblings about the government being inept.
Regarding drow, their was a female drow, reportedly close to Firyin, killed by the rival gang. And within the right circles, their is a bounty on the head of a cripple by the name of Anthony, for being involved in the woman's death. The bounty would be illegal under the law of the land.
The day passes without incident.
Cormick is going to meet with the mages.
As part of her reward from the Tower Cindy learns 3 new 4th level spells. She takes 10 on these rolls for a 23 on Spellcraft. She learns
Dimension Door
Crushing Despair
Confusion
She also buys scrolls for and and learns
Hex Ward (First Level)
Mask Dweomer (First Level)
Delay Poison (Second Level)
(200 gp cost)
Before Departing for the meeting Cindy will cast a few long lasting buffs: Mage Armor, Hex Ward, Delay Poison, and Mask Dweomer on her Hat of Disguise effect. She will appear as a man at arms, at least for the walk into the tower. She has no intention of deceiving the Mages. When she dismisses her disguise she will maintain only an illusion to hide her hex mask, showing her normal face. Her Mask Dweomer spell should prevent that from showing up by a simple Detect Magic.
Indeed aerin will keep on the Watch around mr J
Issa will stay with Aerin to continue watching the Merchant.
You don't know anything about Rilumin or Ian.
Leo has a heartbreaking past. Disowned and abandoned by his mother, he was left in the care of the church of Nethys by his father - never knowing his mother or siblings. His father would visit occasionally to see how he was doing.
At the age of 16 he was trampled by a horse, and lucky to recover.
At the age of 22 he met his mother again, and what few rumors there are about the event suggest it was a tense moment, but since that time Leo has been dedicated to protecting and preserving life.
The name Bellafini belongs to one of the minor merchant houses, once prosperous but now nearly destitute. Her father ran a thriving business which, much of the operation he turned over to his daughter Serelina. She was very apt in the trade, but fell in love with a name by the name of Trevor Vordan from a rival merchant house. Thinking love stronger then greed the two courted for a time. When Serelina became pregnant Trevor public mocked and denounced her, and his intimate knowledge of the Bellafini business allowed him to take over much of it. The experience left Serelina a cold and sometimes cruel woman. She turned her attention to her magical aptitude and became a student of the tower, rising quickly among the students as one of the best. Most striking though is that she was once human, but is now clearly elven.
Roland La Vallette, yet another gifted student of the tower, is of a charming and easy going personality, and among those of a more sober nature considered to be to carefree. He at times is insulting to those he considers either beneath him or a true rival to his own abilities. He man is a summoner, making him a dangerous opponent in combat, when he isn't off wooing women or idling away his time in a tavern somewhere.
Two more days pass with the watch on Mr Jumai and his shop. Each day his wife and son leave around 6 in the evening, and an hour or so later Mr Jumai heads home. On the second day Issa realizes that as the wife and son leave and man with a composite longbow and a greatsword appears from a side street, watches them briefly, then disappears again. The man wears no armor, but his clothing is of fine quality.
Watching the man looking at the wife and kid of Mr Jumai a chill went through his veins. May be the target is not directly Mr Jumai nor his shop but simply his family... how wrong we were.
A few moment later he catch up with Aerin.
Aerin, we may have been wrong, it could be Mr Jumai's family the target not him or his business. I think tomorrow I will cast Status on them, just to be sure.
I've seen a man with no armor but with longbow and greatsword.
Well done issa. Take over protecting Mr J. I'll deal with the man. Hopefully i can at least follow him a bit
Aerin tries to catch up enough to be able to follow the unknown figure, but the crowds of people on the streets as shops and businesses begin to close and tavern goers start their evenings keeps movement on the streets at a crawl. She finds herself unable to locate the man or determine where he may have went.
I have lost him Issa. I'll try again tomorrow with better preperations
I will prepare some spell to be able to follow him more easily.