Urthona takes a last look at the mayhem they leave behind (again), shrugs with his shoulders and leaves after Hamathin.
Gaz shoves the box under his arm, and the party heads out, down the stairs and via the back entrance that Gaz pointed out. They make their escape fairly easily, though some of the more battered members draw the odd curious look fram passers-by.
Gaz gave fairly clear details of where to find the temple of the Flame, and a walk across the bridge from Menthis to Northedge puts them in the right vicinity. Northedge is one of the less louche parts of Sharn - its inhabitants are typically honest and hard-working. The temple is in High Hope, in Middle Northedge, one of the older temple districts and now somewhat superseded by Sovereign Towers in Central. But there is a quiet sincerity about most of the passing worshippers - dwarven devotees of Onatar, carrying polished hammers and chisels and wearing leathern aprons and gloves; a procession of human, halfling and shifter women in the honour of Boldrei, bearing sugar-glazed sweetbreads which they pass on to onlookers with a smile; a serious-looking knight of Dol Arrah, dressed in plate mail and hurrying to some rendezvous.
The temple to the Silver Flame is large, but not especially well-maintained - pigeons and spire drakes squabble on its pediments and archetraves and their droppings stain the stonework. The immediate aspect of the place is a forbidding fortress, but the heavy wooden doors are ajar.
Inside, pews form concentric circles around the central altar, where a brazier with a silver Continual Flame burns silently. Slightly faded banners hang from the ceiling, depicting various saints of the Church, amid dust and shadows. A few worshippers sit in silent contemplation, while a young, female acolyte sweeps the stone flags by the flower arrangements.
She glances up as the party enter, and gasps, "Gaz! By the Flame, where have you been? We've been so worried!"
Being in the presence of so many temples and priests made the changeling slightly uneasy. He knew his heritage and knew that, if anyone around here possessed the ability to "sniff out" his kind, he could very well be in deep trouble. Still, he maintained a cool veneer of aloofness as the group made it's way to the temple and, upon reaching the threshold, immediately leaned against the inside wall. His characteristic smirk flashed across his face as the acolyte greeted the minotaur.
"Some halfling ringleader decided to use your boy here as an entertainment piece. Unfortunately, it took us a bit to realize he wasn't part of the organization. That scorch mark there... yeah, that's my fault. Sorry about that."
Shagraat too is uneasy around the decadent trappings of organized religion. He retreats further into his robes and tries to remain discretely behind the speakers. Let the others parley with the crusaders, the hobgoblin is content to listen and learn.
Hamathin does not seem particularly uneasy, but does seem somehow irked, scowling at the trappings of the human religions.
"Er, please wait here," says the girl, and hurries off, entering a door on the other side of the main chancel. She emerges moments later with a man, about fifty, big and hale with salt-and-pepper hair and beard, and they both hurry over to Gaz. He wears a red robe and his silver holy symbol is prominent, glinting in the light from the stained glass windows.
"Gaz, by the Flame, I thought you were gone for good! What happened to you? Who are these people? By Tira, you are hurt!"
"Father Tana, it is good to hear your voice," murmurs Gaz in his understated way, but he clasps the priest's hands in his own shaggy paws. "These people rescued me - I was kidnapped and forced to fight, but they helped me escape. After an initial misunderstanding, that is."
Father Tana turns to the party. "Thank you so much. When Gaz disappeared two months ago, we were beside ourselves. Gaz is like a son to me, and to get him back... It is the most wonderful thing. I... I see some of you are wounded. Please, accept our hospitality. It is the least we can do."
He turns to the girl, who is patting Gaz affectionately on the arm. "Brenuf, we should call the Watch. These kidnappers must be apprehended."
He turns to the girl, who is patting Gaz affectionately on the arm. "Brenuf, we should call the Watch. These kidnappers must be apprehended."
Bluff (with action point) (1d20 7=19, 1d6=5) I make that 24
"That won't be necessary father Tana, we made sure the watch were showen exactly who the culprets are, and they have been sevearly dealt with.
"your offer of healing would be greatly apreciated though, and as I was saying to your assistant here," Colvare smiles at Brenuf "a quiet room where we could relieve ourselves of this box and examine its contents would be much apreciated"
Father Tana gives Colvare a look of intense scrutiny. "Hmm, I suspect you didn't get those wounds without flirting with lawbreaking. I guess we got Gaz back, and that is something to be thankful of, so maybe we don't need to involve the Watch. But I'm afraid that if you wish to examine any items you may have... acquired... along the way, I'm afraid you will have to do that off these premises. This is a place of worship, not a safe house.
"But I don't wish to seem churlish. In the meantime, I will attend to your wounds."
Father Tana gives Colvare a look of intense scrutiny. "Hmm, I suspect you didn't get those wounds without flirting with lawbreaking. I guess we got Gaz back, and that is something to be thankful of, so maybe we don't need to involve the Watch. But I'm afraid that if you wish to examine any items you may have... acquired... along the way, I'm afraid you will have to do that off these premises. This is a place of worship, not a safe house.
"But I don't wish to seem churlish. In the meantime, I will attend to your wounds."
Colvare smiles widely, "You are very astute father, and your discretion is worth more to us than any safe house. We are very much in your debt."
Mirra reassures the older gentleman "Don't worry we will soon be gone and the only members of the Watch that will care too much about this affair will be the ones bribed by the people that held Gaz in the first place." Mirra drags the box next to her, "Thanks Gaz for leading us out and enjoy your freedom."
Mirra steps back ready to leave.
"Take care, Gaz. Call on me, if ye ever are in trouble. Ah Owe ye one... fer not goring me on the spot fer calling ye names..."
Benedetto nods respectfully and backs away with his hands clasped behind his back. He can be heard to ask, under his breath, "So, anybody got an idea 'bout where we can find a quiet place?"
Shagraat steps forward warily to accept the priest's healing, the face beneath the cowl plainly troubled by mistrust.
"I will accept your offer of succor priest."
"Please - you are always welcome here. I cannot thank you enough for returning Gaz to us."
Gaz inclines his head. "I too thank you. You have saved me from a nightmare and returned me to my family."
Should we return to the Sea Devil's Reef and seek Alidaber yet? We were to meet her again this evening, correct? She may be able to suggest a private place to examine what we've found. In any event, I have no particular attachment to the Gutter Rat where I stayed last night.
Should we return to the Sea Devil's Reef and seek Alidaber yet? We were to meet her again this evening, correct? She may be able to suggest a private place to examine what we've found. In any event, I have no particular attachment to the Gutter Rat where I stayed last night.
"That sounds like a good plan to me."
As Benedetto follows his comrades out, he turns to Shagraat with confusion on his face, and asks quietly, "the Church there was givin' out suckers?"
Hamathin accepts the healing with grace, but is clearly pleased to be leaving.
Rayne made a dismissive hand wave in Gaz's direction. "No need to thank us. Saving you was a matter of convenience. It would've been an intentional cruelty to leave you there and, well, that's just not our thing." Rayne winked at the minotaur, though the creature could not see him, and smiled a sort of half-sarcastic smirk. It was as if the changeling himself couldn't decide if he was serious or not.
As Benedetto follows his comrades out, he turns to Shagraat with confusion on his face, and asks quietly, "the Church there was givin' out suckers?"
Shagraat possibly mistakes Ben's question as a jest. His troubled expression breaks into an uneven grin that shows off his oversized canines.
'Aye, friend. There's sweetmeats aplenty in the houses of the holy.'
Mirra nodes at the cleric and minotaur, picks up the box and follows that rest of the group.
"Should we check out the addresses for harmal and Varren before meeting with Alidaber?"
"My vote would be chest, Varen, Harmel, in that order."
"My vote would be chest, Varen, Harmel, in that order."
"Agreed. Varen will likely lead us to Harmel. Though if we don't find Varen in short order, we should try to find Harmel directly -- Varen likely took the notes for him."
"Yeah, let's get this box open first. If it doesn't provide anything useful, at least it should give us something valuable. I don't particularly like sticking my neck out for free, y'know? We can follow up on the addresses after that. I could use a drink anyway."
"Someplace far enough away from the temples that they ain't insulted, and close enough so's that, when that elf-fella ambushes us and steals what's in the chest, we don't have so far to wander back to get all fixed up."
(off-topic comment:)
"Lets just get some where that we can have a little privacy and see what we have here." Mirra hefts the box and continues to follow everyone. "Some where close, I don't like carrying this around. Some one else might want to see what's inside too."
"I agree, a drink about now would be good, and I don't fancy trailing accross the city for it, I take it we are far enough asway from that den of inequity, that we won't find guards looking for us around here?"
The party find a quiet tavern nearby, which doubles as a shrine to Olladra. Hiring a private room, Mirra is able, after a while, prize open the box. In it are 200 platinum pieces and 500 gold pieces .
The changeling's eyes go wide at their find. "That's more money than I've seen in my entire life! Even split between all of us that's a king's ransom! What kind of business were these guys running?!"
The changeling's eyes go wide at their find. "That's more money than I've seen in my entire life! Even split between all of us that's a king's ransom! What kind of business were these guys running?!"
"A very profitable one....."
"Also means, that others'll be looking for it."
The changeling's eyes go wide at their find. "That's more money than I've seen in my entire life! Even split between all of us that's a king's ransom! What kind of business were these guys running?!"
Mirra tries not too let the shock show on her face and looks at the changling.
"Oh come on, don't be stupid Gaz probably made half the money we are looking at fighting in that ring. The halfling couldn't have be some thug to get those rings in your pocket or over half the people in Sharn would be wearing them."She pulls out the dagger to look it over again, "I am guessing that we are up against a guess with a lot of wealth and power. That assassin was well trained and equipped. I think we got lucky."
Shaking her head she puts the dagger in the chest, "I would say Shagraat should get the dagger since it has his blood on it but you don't look like you have a lot of use for weapons."
Mirra tries not too let the shock show on her face and looks at the changling.
"Oh come on, don't be stupid Gaz probably made half the money we are looking at fighting in that ring. The halfling couldn't have be some thug to get those rings in your pocket or over half the people in Sharn would be wearing them."
"That is true, although I doubt either Gaz, or the Father will accept any of this money. I would still like to make sure they get a cut of it, perhaps one of our more stelth inclined members could leave a little donation safely within the church?
"As for my share of this, I would take it in cold hard cash, there are a few items I could not afford beofre that I could help us along the way that I would like to purchase.
"I take it you would be interested in keeping the hand crossbow?"
"Yeah, I'd take my cut in cash too. The dagger won't do me much good and the crossbow I couldn't even begin to get used to. The box is too heavy to be carting around, so I recommend pawning it as soon as possible. Especially since someone is probably going to come looking for it sooner or later."
After a moment of smirking, Rayne spoke again. "As for Gaz and the Father, they've already had their share of our generosity. We freed Gaz from his captivity and returned the prodigal minotaur to the Father's church. He healed us in thanks. We're even. No sense in pointless charity. I'm sure the Church of the Silver Flame's got cash to spare. We don't."
"I take it you would be interested in keeping the hand crossbow?"
Mirra pulls out the small crossbow, "Yeah, I have always wanted one of these. They can be handy for delivering a quick dose of poison or a knockout agent. I will have to 'shop' around for something appropriate."
She hooks the crossbow back on her belt, "So what is everyones share equal?"
"Well, the dagger and crossbow are enchanted, so whoever claims one of those is claiming their share. We should divide the money between those of us who aren't getting shiny new tools." Rayne gave a slight smirk and winked at Mirra.
"Well, the dagger and crossbow are enchanted, so whoever claims one of those is claiming their share. We should divide the money between those of us who aren't getting shiny new tools." Rayne gave a slight smirk and winked at Mirra.
"In that case, I'd say the 5 of us not taking a weapon, get 500 Gold each, and the change goes in the pot for healing potions and the like....That suit your less charitable side rayne?" The last said with a grin, and obviously not meant to be insulting!
"Well, the dagger and crossbow are enchanted, so whoever claims one of those is claiming their share. We should divide the money between those of us who aren't getting shiny new tools." Rayne gave a slight smirk and winked at Mirra.
Mirra nods, "That sounds fair, lets gather everything up and sell the box and hunt down some people. I would like to find someone that can tell us more about the enchantments on these weapons some time too."
Cash works for Shagraat.
"I'll be fine if I never touch that weapon again. I'll take enough out of the pot to purchase a couple of standard javelins, then contribute my share towards a wand of Mage Armor when possible. I think such an item (along with a friend to use it), would adress my most pressing need in combat."
"In that case, I'd say the 5 of us not taking a weapon, get 500 Gold each, and the change goes in the pot for healing potions and the like....That suit your less charitable side rayne?" The last said with a grin, and obviously not meant to be insulting!
"That sounds fantastic. As for Shag's wand, I think I can accomodate him... unless you'd rather?" The changeling raised an eyebrow at Colvare. "I figure you may have some use for the wand as well."
Hamathin's eyes widen at the treasure, and he listens to the others' plans for division.
"Speaking of wands -- an investment in a curative wand might be worth pooling money for, as we don't know when we'll have such a sum in one place again."