"I know you, Raven. And this isn't your usual line. Can I expect more like this from you?
***
Jerrick eyes the blades and plate again. "I'll give you 700 in credit at the store, I'll set up an account for you. And four hundred in gold, but you'll have to wait for tomorrow for 100 of it. I don't keep that much cash here. You can send your friend for it." Jerrick looks at Zarabeta. "Will all three of you be drawing against the account, or just you, Raven?"
Waifrin: Elysium Street is on Karhal, the southernmost of the Islands in the Parego Regicona, the old noble district. It runs down to the gate that leads to the large park at Karhal's southern tip.
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"I know you, Raven. And this isn't your usual line. Can I expect more like this from you?
***
Jerrick eyes the blades and plate again. "I'll give you 700 in credit at the store, I'll set up an account for you. And four hundred in gold, but you'll have to wait for tomorrow for 100 of it. I don't keep that much cash here. You can send your friend for it." Jerrick looks at Zarabeta. "Will all three of you be drawing against the account, or just you, Raven?"
"There will be more...you can count on it..all clean and untraceable to source.You play straight with us and we'll play straight with you.."
Marius turns to Zara.."I'll be happy to escort you tomorrow my Lady.."
Waifrin: A trip deeper into the stacks reveals Koradin Rasdovain is the current owner.
Waifrin: Gil blushes and smiles, "Happy, to help, really." ~as you near the entry hall, on your way out~ "Can I see you again some time?"
Sclavos is waiting in the entry hall when you emerge from the stacks. He's holding a scroll. "I made a quick map of the old Temple and surrounding buildings. Let's get back and talk to the others."
Akorian: long heart to heart with Arael continues.
Marius, Zarabeta, and Raven:
"Bastards of Erebus, huh? I wouldn't do business with that lot. Half-blood demons, they say. They leave those wood markers with a demons face carved in it at the crime scene."
More cajoling: read spoilers up to your highest Diplomacy check.
DC 15
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DC 20
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"Happy, to help, really ... Can I see you again some time?"
Waifrin looks flustered a moment ... and almost yearning.
"Um ... things aren't easy right now," she mumbles apologetically.
She looks almost grateful when Sclavos appears.
"I made a quick map of the old Temple and surrounding buildings. Let's get back and talk to the others."
"Yes, we should ..." she says, but waves to Gil before they move out of sight.
"That's always awkward," she sighs when they are pout of the building. "He's nice, that makes it harder. Sometimes I just wish I could be normal."
Waifrin
"That's always awkward," she sighs when they are pout of the building. "He's nice, that makes it harder. Sometimes I just wish I could be normal."
Sclavos frowns. "Wish you could be normal? How's that?"
While he awaits an answer he begins walking back to the safehouse.
Zarabeta, Marius, Raven
"Oh, so fascinating. Do you think they really have fiendish blood, or is that just something they tell people to scare them?" Zarabeta says, acting like she finds the idea alternately repulsive and titillating.
Jerrick shakes his head. "Oh, they're the real deal all right. That's why the other gangs despise them. But it really makes them more dangerous."
Akorian the others should be back soon.
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"Wish you could be normal? How's that?"
"Beauty has a price," Waifrin grimaces ruefully. "I know I'm pretty ... I know that can turn heads. But it can get you a lot of unwanted attention, too. I can handle fighting off the occasional unwanted suiter, it's the ones who are ... well ... of good heart. I ... don't like hurting people. And I'm not the sort of person who sleeps around."
Waifrin "Ahh, you'd rather a bald head and hairy nose like mine? Face it, my dear. Many would trade for your looks and hair. At least you try to behave well and don't exploit your luck. That speaks well of you."
"And here we are." Sclavos turns the corner onto the street to the safehouse.
Marius, Zarabeta, Raven Jerrick's eyes narrow, but a thin smile almost comes to his lips. "Henderthane? You've expensive taste, friend, but quality comes at a price, no doubt. It so happens I have a matched set of long and short sword and a shield from that illustrious forge in that corner." He begins to squeeze around periphery of the room to the corner in question. "The finest quality. If you are looking for something else, I can get it in a day or three, I'm sure."
Jerrick is loathe to break up the matched set, but will "as a favor to you." You can take it now with 100 gp cash, leaving the 700 in store credit.
Once Akorian reaches the Henderthane estate, he spends some time researching whatever information he can learn about tieflings...their strengths and weaknesses...hoping to develop a plan for bringing down the Bastards of Erebus. Knowing his sister Pavanni has some experience in things of an arcane and planar nature, he strikes up a conversation with her about them. With her knowledge of abjuration, surely she has some insight into such matters.
Marius, Zara, Raven: "No, you misunderstand me. You may take the shortsword and 100 gp cash in lieu of the 400 gold. I will hold 700 in credit for you."
Jerrick grins. "All right. You want the 300 gold and the shortsword now and 500 in credit for later. You got it. I was just trying to save you the trouble and danger of hauling all that cash."
"Though your concern is touching, I am quite certain we can handle both the 'trouble' and the 'danger' old friend," the elf replies teasingly.
Once business is concluded, Raven offers his hand for Jerrick to shake, the gesture, as well as the sentiment behind it, genuine. "A pleasure as always Jerrick. Do try to stay out of trouble, yes? Good merchants, especially those in your area of expertise, are so hard to find in this charming little country."
"You stay out of trouble too, Raven."
Marius feels the balance of the blade...nods and slips the sheath into place on his belt replacing his standard quality blade..
"I've no doubt we'll have other more interesting trading to do in the future Jerrick"
"I look forward to it."
***
Akorian - still collating Pavanni's knowledge. I will re-read the teifling article tonight and feed you some stuff. But that's end-game tactics, so feel free to start the general planning.
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At the house, Waifrin pours over the map of the temple and surrounds, apparently thinking hard.
"A shame we don't know what lies underneath the Temple," she muses. "That might have been a way of approaching it unseen. As it is, they may well have look-outs in some of the surrounding buildings, and certainly in the tower, here," she thinks a moment. "The place to observe them safest from would be the carpenter's, here," she points at the building marked 'Coaletti'. "Or else one of the tenements - they have doors facing away from the temple which could make access easier."
Akorian:
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Marius nods...
"If we could get into the Carpenters..then someone (he looks at Raven) might be able to sneak up to and climb the tower once it's dark..take out the guard and that would let us move freely"
"Off course we can't just assume the tieflings have left all these buildings unguarded or untrapped so we'll need caution..and if we are moving at night that will mean no lights to give us away..so we need moonlight"
"If we could get into the Carpenters..then someone (he looks at Raven) might be able to sneak up to and climb the tower once it's dark..take out the guard and that would let us move freely..."
"We should definitely take some time to scout the place before we mount any kind of assault on it," Akorian agrees, "Raven? If you have any contacts who might have had cause to do business with the Bastards...or visited their hideout in the Dospera...you might want to check with them. Just to understand what kind of lookouts they might have...and where."
"Of course we can't just assume the tieflings have left all these buildings unguarded or untrapped so we'll need caution..and if we are moving at night that will mean no lights to give us away..so we need moonlight"
"Speaking of light," Akorian offers, "I spoke with someone a bit more knowledgeable about tieflings than I am. She mentioned the fiends can see clearly in the dark. And, what's more, their heritage lets them summon a darkness that'll blot out the moonlight or any other lights we might bring with us. That means we'll need to be prepared to fight unseen enemies that won't have any problems seeing us. And that may also explain why everyone's afraid to cross them."
"So, we might want to invest in something that'll help us pin them down," Akorian suggests, "That way, even if they do conjure up a bit of darkness, we'll still know where they are. And hopefully, that means they can't slip away either."
"One other thing," the priest goes on, "Tieflings are apparently pretty resilient. Just like a fiend, they can tolerate fire, cold, and other extremes better than most." He nods at Zarabeta and Waifrin. "I'm not sure what kind of spells or powers you might be able to bring to bear against them. But keep that in mind as you prepare."
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"I was thinking, they'd be easier to take on in daylight," Waifrin remarks, "and easier to see too. I mean, if dark is their friend, we need light, and if they can see in the dark this well, we may as well do stuff while we can see clearly too. We also need to find out more about what they are doing before we do anything. Make sure that building is surrounded as much as possible so they can't get away anywhere."
She glances at Akorian.
"Did your sister mention anything about lightning or sound?"
"I was thinking, they'd be easier to take on in daylight," Waifrin remarks, "and easier to see too. I mean, if dark is their friend, we need light, and if they can see in the dark this well, we may as well do stuff while we can see clearly too. We also need to find out more about what they are doing before we do anything. Make sure that building is surrounded as much as possible so they can't get away anywhere."
She glances at Akorian.
"Did your sister mention anything about lightning or sound?"
"Not that I recall," Akorian says, shaking his head.
He then ponders Waifrin's idea for a daylight attack.
"The idea of attacking during the day occurred to me, as well," he concedes, "That would carry the added benefit of not having to worry about the mayor's curfew...and presumably, the shadowbeasts. Once we're inside any of the buildings, though, I'm not sure we'll have any further benefit. The sun's rays will be unlikely to pierce any darkness they manage to conjure there."
The priest nods at Zarabeta again. "That dog you summoned to attack the Hellknights and drag them off their horses when we rescued Arael? I suspect it might come in handy against these tieflings as well. Dogs might not see in the dark any better than us. But they can certainly smell them. And, wherever the dog leads us, we could then follow. I plan on praying for a similar ally from Milani to aid us. And together, that might give us an edge on them."
"Also," Akorian elaborates, "Milani often grants her clergy the ability to sense evil in objects or creatures. Assuming these Bastards of Erebus seek to emulate their fiendish parent, I'm thinking that might come in handy as well."
"That's about all I can offer at this point," he finishes, "But we should each take stock of our resources and determine what can aid us the best in rooting out these tieflings. Arael and I were discussing them earlier today...and stopping their banditry could really lift the spirits of Westcrown's citizens. Not to mention it might make even the Hellknights hesitate on bringing charges against us, considering we're actually helping them eliminate some of the city's problems. We'll be doing everyone a favor by taking them out. So, let's do the best we can...and then hopefully Amaya's 'Children of Westcrown' can capitalize on our success by then moving in and bringing attention to what we've done as they provide an example of how others can start living their lives free of fear."
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"Tanglefoot bags..if we can pin them in place then we can take them down easily enough..I doubt they will have many heavily armoured types gangs of thugs rarely do"
"I'll also suggest that if we come across any genuine spell casters we concentrate on taking them down first..."
"We could make our approach at night then wait till dawn to mount an attack..Waif's right..we cannot let them dictate the fight"
"Tanglefoot bags..if we can pin them in place then we can take them down easily enough..I doubt they will have many heavily armoured types gangs of thugs rarely do"
"I'll also suggest that if we come across any genuine spell casters we concentrate on taking them down first..."
"We could make our approach at night then wait till dawn to mount an attack..Waif's right..we cannot let them dictate the fight"
"Those are good ideas. Do we have enough coin available to buy some tanglefoot bags? I'm guessing you and Raven would have the best chance to pick some up. And you'd probably be better at putting them to use, too."
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The priest nods at Zarabeta again. "That dog you summoned to attack the Hellknights and drag them off their horses when we rescued Arael? I suspect it might come in handy against these tieflings as well. Dogs might not see in the dark any better than us. But they can certainly smell them. And, wherever the dog leads us, we could then follow. I plan on praying for a similar ally from Milani to aid us. And together, that might give us an edge on them."
"A sound idea, although it may be important to note that the hound I summoned seemed a bit larger than what normally arrives, perhaps as a result of my specialized training. Some sort of aberration, I fear, and the dogs we call will likely be smaller, if equally skilled at scenting out the unseen."
"Well, the other gangs in the city seem to despise the Bastards, so unfortunately not much information will be forthcoming I think," Raven offers with a shrug. "And my contact -who thanks to our exotic wizardess over here offered what little information he had without asking for coin- does not seem to do business with them either. He has spoken of their rather violent ways however."
"As far as more practical matters are concerned, I believe I will have no trouble acquiring the tanglefoot bags," he adds with an almost sad look towards the coins they had just managed to get. "Almost a shame to have to spend the gold so quickly after we got it though..."
"Well, the other gangs in the city seem to despise the Bastards, so unfortunately not much information will be forthcoming I think," Raven offers with a shrug. "And my contact -who thanks to our exotic wizardess over here offered what little information he had without asking for coin- does not seem to do business with them either. He has spoken of their rather violent ways however."
"Well then..." Akorian somberly notes, "I suppose we should expect and grant no quarter."
"As far as more practical matters are concerned, I believe I will have no trouble acquiring the tanglefoot bags," he adds with an almost sad look towards the coins they had just managed to get. "Almost a shame to have to spend the gold so quickly after we got it though..."
"It's for a good cause, my friend," the priest replies, "We'll foster more goodwill by eliminating the bandits than by simply spending our gains from all that Hellknight gear. Though, both actions can certainly warm the heart..."
"How about sunrods?" Waifrin suggests, "wouldn't they help counteract darkness?"
"I'm not an expert on the alchemical compounds used to create a sunrod," Akorian offers, "But in my experience using them, I don't believe they give off light any more effectively than a torch or lantern, do they? And, the manner in which my sis--er, I mean my contact, described the tiefling's abilties, it sounds supernatural in origin. Something straight out of the hellish underworld. So, I suspect it would overwhelm torches, lanterns, or sunrods. I'm not even sure the light I can summon with Milani's aid would stand against them."
"They are brighter than torches, and I'd rather have them than not - anything that might help is worth a try, after all, right?"
"It can't hurt to have one and not need it as opposed to needing one and not have it," Akorian agrees.
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"From what I understand of magical darkness, the magic will make the area progressively darker, and ignore any non-magical illumination brought into that area. Such magic is far beyond my training, as would be any magic capable of countering it, but, as I understand it, the best tactic will be to start in an area that is brightly lit, as it would require multiple uses of the ability to make it completely dark, which makes another vote for a daylight attack."
Zarabeta's normally confident delivery is lacking, and her uncertainty about the nature of this sort of magic is apparent.
"It might be easier to create light by setting them alight with alchemist's fire, although I have only a single flask upon me..." she says, with a shrug.