They don't seem swayed by Fondo's eloquent words, but a few are clearly shifting. None the less one of them calls out, "Casting spells and trying to divide us huh? I guess a walloping is what you need!" They gather confidence in their numbers as the fight begins, but it likely won't last…
Dandilion has no line of sight to begin her spell, so I'll presume she began to move closer upon Majenko's warning that another squad had been sighted along with the others in the party. The party has caught up with Barael and are 1 double move away from the battlefield and everyone has line of sight (~20' away from the edge of the map to the north (top)).
Now up, Briar, Dandilion, Fondo and Laori.
Barael
Briar
Charlie
Dandilion
Fondo
Nikolay
Majenko
Good Guys
Laori Vaus
Round 1, Init 18
AC 25 (18 touch, 19 flat) (10 +4 dex +5 mithral shirt +1 ring +1 buckler +2 nat armor +2 expertise)
CMB +11 CMD 26 (10 +7 bab +4 dex +2 str +1 ring +2 expertise)
HP = 59/59
Weapon equipped Sap
Shield equipped none
Bardic performance used 1 of 11 rounds
Inspired command used 0 of 9 rounds
Spells used 1st: 0 of 4
Challenge Ready
Tactician Ready
Wand of CLW 46
"In trying times will thugs their threats purvey,
but bullies cannot fore'er rule our hearts.
Tis time to cast off fear and oust this Pilts.
Today its Emperor, tomorrow Queen."
He readies an action to attack any of the thugs that come for him, shaking his head as a caution as they approach.
Round 1, Init 26
Briar hisses his disappointment to Fondo.
"See, Varisian? Your kind are neither logical nor patient."
Briar turns and begins to walk in air up to D14 (double move, 20' up).
"Are we still wanting to let them live? Or just some of them?"
Round 1, Init 7 (after the "good guys")
Nikolay double moves to the conflict.
Fondo shrugs. "You there." He points to one of the men who are dithering. "I've no desire to hurt you, but the elf here's less careful. And he's very good with that bow. So stand down."
Round 1, Init 10, likewise following 'da good guys'
AC = 21
HP = 66/67
Weapon Equipped = Lesser Short Bow
Condition(s) = Not yet Inspired
Barael draws his short bow, and readies to tag one of the thugs from a distance should they advance on earthbound Fondo, to let them know that it's not really two they need to intimidate. So often, he's got his head in the clouds. It's like Briar is his guardian angel.
Inspire Courage (Su): A 1st-level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard's performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. Inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
You can hear, you're only ~60' away and Fondo is, as he says, a loudmouth. :)
It turns a miss into a hit too I think.
Oh - Briar, that building is 30' tall, plus the roof line so you cannot be on top of it as part of your air walk climb. Where else would you like to move?
Charlie double moves to combat with a flailing awkward jumpy move.
"Hiya!!!"
"It looks like they're starting without us... Dandi says with a sigh. She twists the strand she'd been preparing a different way and sends it drifting out along the wind. It grows on the way, spreading out like a white sticky net to cover the lot of them, with stands touching as far as the wall behind them.
Briar climbs to a better vantage point and prepares to fight. Dandilion webs the lot of them. Fondo inspires courage and readies an attack which never goes off. Laori shouts "Ahh perfect girl! Absolutely Delicious!!". She dances a little as she moves a bit closer, and she positively shudders with glee as she casts Flame Strike hitting all but G3 & G6 with . As they are also in a web (which burns away) they take an additional damage.
Web
vs DC 15
vs DC 15
vs DC 15
vs DC 15
vs DC 15
vs DC 15
vs DC 15
Flame Strike
vs DC 18
vs DC 18
vs DC 18
vs DC 18
vs DC 18
G3 looks around at his companions cooking in the webbing and flees dropping his weapons and likely his bowels. G6 is trapped by the web and must suffer through the smell of cooked meat combined with burning hair... All the other thugs are dead - cooked by combination of Laori's flame strike and Dandilion's webbing.
Fight's over and we are out of initiative unless anyone wants to take a potshot at G3 hanging in the web.
Laori rushes over to Dandilion and pats her on the back, "We make a simply wonderful team! Can you do that web thing again in the next fight?! I have one more flame strike."
Dandi looks at the inferno and to the Elven beauty, "uhhh, thanks. I think were supposed to talk to them, though. Not sure whether to be pleased or disturbed by the praise, Dandi flutters between a smile and a frown.
"And uhm I don't... I mean, you know, have another spell like that today."
She seems to ignore Dandilion's concerns, "Ahh that's too bad. We girls have to stick together after all!"
She leans in and whispers,
She winks at Dandilion and trots up to the poor thug still hanging in the web.
Oh, I think Briar is pretty impressed already. she thinks, watching the purely Elven magic killing machine trot up towards the group.
"Hey! Don't kill that one!" Dandi calls after her, following at her own pace.
She dances a little as she moves a bit closer, and she positively shudders with glee as she casts Flame Strike hitting all but G3 & G6 with 10d6.
Spellcraft
Briar smiles inside. Oh...that's hot...that's so hot.
All the other thugs are dead - cooked by combination of Laori's flame strike ...
Briar looks at the pile of smoldering thug-varisians with a mixture of pride and disappointment.
She could have left me a few to shoot...but that was still hot. Elf hot. Which is the hottest kind of hot.
"Well done, Laori. You are a credit to our race."
Perception
Sweet. I'm totally going to score.
* * *
Briar looks down upon the rest of the party from his vantage point, deciding to go higher and scout around from the air.
"Give me a moment to see what I can of the Emperor's domain. Maybe I will find a way in where you could not."
Take 10 Perception = 28 Perception
I didn't want to know, either...
"Bloody..." Barael pats his forehead, checking to see if his eyebrows are still there. "That's a lovely way of announcing our arrival, that is."
Barael tucks away both bow and arrow, and starts drumming his fingers on the pommel of Black Tooth. He starts looking over the charred, forces himself to take in the scent. Any obvious keyrings, or macabre insignias will attract his attention.
"Get away from him, you $&^@$." Fondo's face contorts at rage as he positions himself between Laori and the surviving thug. "While you're getting, get out of my sight. Leave us. We shall deliver Salvatore to you, but I will not abide your bloodlust in my presence." He has his sap in hand. He will attack her if she moves any closer to the man.
The locals are not going to like this turn of events.
"Um. Yeh, OK. Direct approach it is. Let's go in while they are still soiling themselves."
Charlie make a bee line for whatever door or road may lead to the "palace."
Briar rolls his eyes at Fondo's declaration and air walks closer and lower (15' up).
First, he addresses the Elven 'maiden'.
"See? I did warn you that they were rude...but until now he's not been a dealbreaker. I apologize for his outburst. Not sure what exactly is setting him off. I never can tell what he expects to happen."
Then the Varisian:
"Varisian, she did nothing that I wouldn't have done. As you did not answer my question, I was about to use lethal force as well. You've failed twice to talk sense into these patrols. What makes you think any are going to listen? Seems to me that if we follow the Halfblood inside, we're just begging for more bloodshed."
Briar ponders before talking down to Fondo again.
"I guess if you really wanted to avoid blood, we should surrender our weapons. If you're still confident about talking Salvatore free. If not, expect blood. If you wish, I'll surrender a bow."
Well, I'm trying reason.
"Oh, like you said before, we lead this group jointly...you alone do not decide whether she stays or goes. I, for one, want her help."
...And other things.
"Give me a moment to see what I can of the Emperor's domain. Maybe I will find a way in where you could not."
Take 10 Perception = 28 Perception
Briar catches a glimpse of a third building connected to the other two before coming back down to address Fondo and Laori. In the middle a structure has been built - looks a little like a playing field. At the middle on the far side from where you are is a throne looking down on the proceedings and a large guillotine off to one side.
There is a fairly large crowd of folks sitting on the roof just in front of you watching two teams, one apparently carrying a pig, playing some sort of game in the open field. No one seems to notice you as you duck back down.
"Get away from him, you $&^@$." Fondo's face contorts at rage as he positions himself between Laori and the surviving thug. "While you're getting, get out of my sight. Leave us. We shall deliver Salvatore to you, but I will not abide your bloodlust in my presence." He has his sap in hand. He will attack her if she moves any closer to the man.
No fool, and not wanting to fight Fondo, Laori stops advancing. She smiles at the Varisian, "Something vexes you? You'd rather us lay our lives on the line to beat them more fairly with steel? I stopped them with Dandilion's help - and left you one to question besides. Seems to me it's an ideal outcome." she hesitates, "Well, one did get away..."
Barael grabs Charlie. "Settle down, you. Your years should have told you not to stick your foot in a hornet's nest. If what Briar tells us of the rooftops is true, there's diversion aplenty still left in there." Barael looks back and forth between Fondo, Briar, and Laori. Plenty of diversion here too.
"Once the loose thug gets back to his superiors, we'll see another group show up, and maybe they'll give us a better welcome, seeing as how the 'emprer' is two mobs down." Barael doesn't look interested in moving into the tenements any time soon.
"Like Briar said, we run in now, they have no choice but to think we're there for slaughter."
"I...I was hoping some would listen to reason. More than one." We should have just gone to the ship. Of course, she probably would have just blown it up. And then I'd have to kill her, and Briar would *still* be mad.
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Fondo grits his teeth at Briar's words.
"Brother Rose, if you cannot understand my reasons for being upset, then perhaps you should spend some time studying the common tongue. Or shall I speak to you only in the native tongue that you besmirch with haughtiness?"
He turns to Laori. "Mayhap I was unclear earlier. I should have presented my words as a contract. Well let me present them to you now. And to all of you. We. Must. Show. Mercy. Not stupidly. I'll not go unarmed to parlay with madmen. But if we can avoid killing our countrymen, then we must."
He looks around, as though speaking to an audience that includes all of Old Korvosa. "Tis true, we'll come to blows with other folk of Korvosa. Our city has villains enough, and desperate folk who let brutes like this 'Emperor' muddy their better natures."
"I feel for the latter. No doubt, the Emperor's threatened their families. Their children. They feel they have no other course. And our Queen and this pretender do their best to prove them true."
He looks at the non-elves. "It's for us to prove Ileosa and Pilts wrong. To offer a path of mercy to those who've been brutalized by bullies. Start with kind words. If those don't work, use your saps or bludgeoning arrows, and more kindness when fighting's done, gods willing we haven't killed one of the poor fools. Do it long enough, and mayhap Korvosa will unite against the injustice that drives so many to desperation."
"But fire? Unholy fire, at that? On common folk who've little chance of besting us? Use such lethal force again on our people without desperate need, and we're through. Is that clear?"
Finally, he turns back to Laori. "Is. That. Clear?"
Laori smiles at the angry Fondo, "So no more fire unless we're actually threatened. Got it. Such passion. I love that in a man." She seems to be treating the whole thing rather lightly, but she does acquiesce to your demand to reign in her bloodthirsty nature. It is clear that she wants to speak to her painter, and she's willing to 'behave' a bit to do so.
"A man once said that you could trust a scorpion to do one thing, and that's sting. Same man also said that it's for us to judge." Barael keeps his head to the wind, trying to sense another approach.
"Are you meaning to depose the 'emprer' today? And how you going to show Swastal mercy, Fondo? A quick death? With his own guillotine?" Barael takes a second to look directly at Fondo.
"Can you change the nature of a scorpion?" Barael looks directly at Laori.
Fondo gives Laori a look that's meant to convey both disgust and the kind of can't-help-himself lust she's looking for.
He leans in a bit, perhaps close enough for her to feel the heat of his breath. Then he pulls back and laughs derisively.
Turning to the surviving thug, he takes out his own wand and applies some healing.
"There you go. Tis a pity your friends met such an end. I would see you live a much longer life. Have you family? Return to them."
Trying to surpress a smirk at the antics of the Varisian, Briar will walk up higher and try to count the number of followers watching the pig game.
Never can figure out what he's going to do next.
"Well, Varisian, you seem to have all these rules about what we can and can't do...what did you want to do next? Oh...and I can't promise to keep too many alive they keep attacking. I only have so many blunt arrows."
Fondo gets a pained look on his face as Barael speaks. Much has happened since Gaedren Lamm passed at our hands. I've grown no more fond of killing, while you seem to've gotten ever more thirsty. I worry. Turning to the were-rat, he says, "You misapprehend if you think these are scorpions. These are men. Complicated men. Some with rotten hearts, and others with too much to fear."
"What men? I see no men here." Barael points to the palace. "I'm talking about Swastal the Scorpion. I'm asking you, at the moment his life could be taken, should it? I got no apprehensions about that. Do you?"
"Best as I figure it, you cut him down, and you cut the rest loose."
Briar, are you trying to stay somewhat hidden? I presume yes, but if not let me know. You see maybe 100 people watching the contest below. There are two teams playing the game, one with 6 players and one with 7.
There is a man looking very much like the Emperor sitting in a throne of sorts on the other side along with a small looking sidekick and a handful of guards. They seem to be watching the game and don't immediately notice you.
You see two smaller buildings connected by wooden ramps on the other side as well. If you were to guess, you'd guess the main entrance likely lies there - it would be easy to defend from the ground.
"Could be he'll need to die. If I'm right, the man's reign won't outlast a beating. Men like him rule by bullying others."
As requested, here is a map (link). You folks are on the right side of those buildings.
Fondo turns back to the man in the webs. "Tell me, friend: did you take up with Pilts of your own free will? What exactly does he do to those who say 'no' to serving him? Turn them into frogs? Slice their throats?"
Briar tries to swallow a scoff at the Varisian's plan.
Blackjack? Him? We all have our delusions and our dreams. I am closer to being Nethys.
"Are you sure we just don't want to turn over our weapons? Or hide them discretely discreetly? It might be more believable."
Briar peeks over again.
"You know...the Emperor is right there. I could just talk to him from here. Or we could all come to the roof to talk to him. Or a volley of arrows might just do him in. *Or* we could just relinquish our weapons and talk to him peacefully. *Or* one or two of us could do that, the rest waiting outside for rescue as necessary," Briar offers helpfully now that he sees lay of the land.
Briar scratches his chin in the air.
"How about this plan: Fondo and one other goes in to talk...maybe Nikolay. Those of you that can join me here on the roof watch...and ready to aid if something goes wrong. I'm sure we can raise quite a bit of havoc should things go south."
Briar's eyes go to the Waif. She should be up here.
Then to Barael. He should be invisible and on the ground. We have potions.
Then to Charlie. By the door, ready to go.
Then to Laori. By my side, of course.
Once he finishes talking to the surviving yahoo, Fondo ventures, "Not a bad plan, Brother Rose. My aim'll be to drive a wedge between the crowd and Pilts. That's why I mentioned Blackjack. If anyone'd be heard by the people here, it's him."
"On the other hand, I'd hate to erode the weight of his word if someone should see through the disguise. Mayhap you have some other... nonlethal means to contain the crowd."
"In any case, I'd feel easier about going in if I knew we had the bearer of our special wand with us. Mayhap you could join us invisibly, Charlie, and focus your efforts on things that'll keep you hidden. Your elemental friends, for instance, or healing."
Barael looks back and forth, from Fondo to Briar. "Is the roof sound? If I head up there, invisible, a single arrow strike could be quite painful. If I hit. I should hit, likely. Yeah, likely."
Barael keeps watching both sides of approach around the main building.
"I'm comfortable from the rooftop."
"A good view could be helpful, I suppose." Dandi says, eyeing the roof dubiously.
Fondo turns back to the man in the webs. "Tell me, friend: did you take up with Pilts of your own free will? What exactly does he do to those who say 'no' to serving him? Turn them into frogs? Slice their throats?"
You have to chase him down a little as you let him loose, chatted a bit, and then turned back to him as he was fleeing - but I'll say you catch him before he got too far.
He does however freak out when you catch him and put your hand on his shoulder. He is clearly far more motivated by fear of you than friendship...
"Those who oppose the Emperor are beheaded - everyone k-knows that." He goes on to tell you that those who seek to speak with the Emperor must first earn his respect by providing him with entertainment - of late, the Emperor’s favorite entertainment is a violent game he invented called Blood Pig. He’s converted a large rooftop inside of his palace into a playing field for this game, and the howls and screams of those playing and watching can be heard throughout Old Dock every afternoon and evening.
- - -
Dandilion, the roofline is 30+ feet straight up, and on this side it looks quite unstable. From what Briar observed it looks as though they tore apart some of this side of the building in order to build the playing field on the other side of the building. That left this side in a horrible state of repair. Even if you were able to jump up the 30'+ you'd likely hit something unstable and come crashing back down again bringing part of the building with you.
"I'm not so sure I want to run a maze just to get to speak with Swastal. I'm ready to get past this gatekeeper. Salvator is our point of information, we need him, we have no choice but to enter another pit, where our scorpion has his hand on the rope, with our precious dangling at his whim." Barael looks at Fondo, with a tinge of sympathy.
"Shall we just go knock on the door? Throw in a little Vanish, make our numbers look a little less imposing?" Barael fiddles with his potion of invisibility.
"If Briar can hover above, he'd make a great distraction. I can take to the roof and wait for a good moment to get up on Swastal. Maybe Fondo's arrival in Swastal's presence could be the sign for Briar to swoop in." Barael looks at Laori. "Is there any way for you to stay close to Briar?" And away from me.
"I'm ready I think. Charlie, if you go in with the Vanish, stay close to Nik, since he makes so much noise as it is."
If there's no argument, Barael consumes his potion of Invisibility, moves to the southern aspect of the tenement, west of the roof line, and climbs upwards.
There are a couple buildings to pass through, but yes, Fondo is basically correct. (map).
Laori lets the party know that she too has Air Walk memorized today and is willing to cast it on one of you if that makes more sense. She also offers to cast it on herself and carry Dandilion up to the roof. "We can blend into the crowd and strike from obscurity when the rest of the team is in position across the way!" She looks at Fondo and bats her eyes slightly as she pleads, "Can I use fire on the Emperor? Please?!"
"If your fire doesn't hurt any those who may be innocent. Perhaps we should all blend with the audience. Charlie, Nikolay and I can then make our way down to the edge of the playing field and then make our presence known. No fire on the emperor, though, until I've a moment to speak with the people."
Fondo gets out some rope for Briar to secure to the roof.
/clink /clank
I will blend right in I'm sure.
"Okay, but I will not be using the flat side of my blade if things go bad."
"If you can agree to give quarter to those who're hapless lackeys, I can live with that." Fondo waits for Briar to secure the rope and climbs up.
Dandi hesitates, but then accepts the Laori's help up onto the roof.
Briar secures rope. Waits.