Wednesday and Vuk will enter the illustrated room, taking in the tapestries but also taking into account anything else in the room.
Vuk will also keep an eye out for anything off but will probably be too focused on the food.
Gaius throws his Harrow card on the table , then stands with his back against the wall, preferably in a corner of the room that will allow him full view of the front door and any other doors leading into the room.
Well, let's see everyone's cards, then.
"I'll wait for the host or hostess to arrive first," Pyron mutters while still focusing on his task of detecting magic and looking around.
"As I stated outside, I am the Publican." Wednesday will state as he lays his card on the table.
Gritz has found the bread and drink under the table and wasted no time digging into it. Or more accurately, pulling out the basket. Yanking a loaf of bread from the collection and stuffing the entire thing in his big jowls, Gritz tries to munch the bread as he has his little drink onhand, ready to chase the food down.
Tolenn greets each of the newcomers with a polite nod, taking each's measure, meeting thier eyes without judgement.
Taking in the illustrated room, Tolenn takes a seat that gives her a good view of the room. After Pyron purifies the water and bread, she says "Thank you." and takes a single roll. and places it on the table before her, waiting as the other do for their hostess.
She places her own card face up before her : The Empty Throne.
"You're welcome," Pyron says while still concentrating on what he is doing.
Also, Pyron/Bloodluster , I'd suggest creating a new profile for Pyron, less confusing that way :)
Also, Pyron/Bloodluster , I'd suggest creating a new profile for Pyron, less confusing that way :)
*****
The door swings open to allow a woman to enter the room. From her appearance, she appears Varisian, with her hair tied back in a traditional kerchief, and in her early-to-mid thirties. She flashes all of you a smile before speaking in a melodious voice.
"I would say 'good evening', but I don't think the sun has fully set yet. My name is Zellara, and I am the owner of this small house. I'm afraid that my unconventional method of gaining your attention has left me bereft of your names, as the cards have called you here and left me without the identities of my new friends..."
She pauses briefly to pull out something from her belt to show it to you. It is a Harrow deck, and she begins to flourish it in the air. As the cards fall from hand to hand, you notice that your assigned cards have disappeared from where you put them, be it the table, your pocket, or in your very fingers. She tips @Grizzt a wink as the last card falls into place, a fully restored Rabbit Prince, sans goblin teeth marks.
"That was a nifty trick. Maybe you could teach me that." Pyron replies with a wink and a smile. "My name is Pyron Firehide. I am a Purifier and represent both the town guard and myself. I have questions, of course, but I can wait until we all have introduced ourselves."
Gaius raises his eyebrows at Zellara's comments.
You invited us here, and you don't know who we are? I'm Gaius--and I'm only here because your note said you know where I can find Ghaedren Lamm. How did you find me, and how did you know I'm looking for Lamm?
"Wednesday Daud. And this is Vuk." He'll point at Vuk before crossing his arms and waiting for the lady to continue, seemingly unimpressed with her card trick.
"Gritz is Gritz! Gritz here to cook the sheep! The big sheep! Have feast!" the goblin replied, struggling as he swallowed the mass of bread down his little neck and washing it away with the water. He watches the woman pull out her cards and perform card tricks! Lovely, but...how was that going to help them catch the sheep?
|
How did you snatch that out of my hand before my very eyes, I had the tightest grip on it? Anyway Rakdon and I'm here because someone tried to pickpocket me.
Rakdon makes a perception check without touching her to make sure she doesn't have anything hidden on her, as if he could make out the shape of an object in her pockets or whatnot just by looking, Rakdon will try.
Tolenn pushes her chair back and bows to the rest of the room and finally to thier hostess.
"I am Tolenn, Sister Soldier of the Dawnflower. In my youth, I was one of Gaedrun Lamm's..." she smiles and continues "how does Gritz say it...sheep, a runner of the rooftops and alleyways, a wastrel and street urchin imprisoned within Lamm's web of lies and violence." as she says the last , she gently traces the scars marring the left side of her face.
"I seek Lamm to stop his predation upon the unfortunate children of Korvosa; my own redemption may prove an example for him to follow, if not, he may leave us the only one other option."
Finished, she bows her head, then sits once again.
She smiles at your introductions before gesturing for you to sit down. When you have taken your seats, she takes a deep breath and speaks.
“Thank you for coming, my friends, and for putting up with my unconventional method of contacting you. I have reason to remain hidden, you see—a terrible man would see great harm done to me if he knew I was reaching out for help. This is a man you know, for he has done something terrible to each of you as well. I speak, of course, of Gaedren Lamm, a man whose cruelty and capacity to destroy the lives of those he touches are matched only by his gift for avoiding reprisal. You see, a year ago, his thieves stole this, my Harrow deck, from me. It is important to me, an heirloom passed down through a dozen generations, and also my sole means of support. When pickpockets stole it, my son, Eran, tracked them down. The thieves were in the employ of Gaedren Lamm, and in reward for finding them, Gaedren murdered my son.
Zellara pauses her to wipe her eyes before she resumes:
"I sought help from the Guard, but they turned me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my Harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I found out where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here at Westpier 17, where he trains his abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures.
“And now, I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that if I were to go to them, Gaedren would certainly know of their coming well in advance. Even if they did arrest him—what guarantee would I have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So there we are. It is time for him to pay.”
*****
@Gaius: She seems to be straightforward and telling you the truth.
@Rakon: Aside from the holster that holds her Harrow Deck, there doesn't seem to be anything hidden on her person.
Pyron responds, "I think this is the perfect time for me to address everyone about my relationship with the guards and with my sergeant. They offered me the opportunity to be a guard at all times for a meager wage, room, and board, or a chance to take my own jobs and represent the guard and have the opportunity to say yes or no when they offer me a job as a freelancer. I chose to be a freelancer.
"When I saw the Courtesan, the harrow card waiting for me, I asked the sergeant if he didn't mind if I took up this job. He granted me permission to represent the guards. I do expect payment. What I offer in addition to my abilities as a Purifier is the license and authority to keep the guards off of our skin during this event. You are my compatriots for this assignment, so the extension of safety from the guards would be applied applied to you when you are with me and don't do anything that I deem as beyond the law's protection. It would continue in the future for future assignments. Also, I can help keep them off your back when you are with me. Does anyone object or have problems to what I am offering or to having me be involved? I like to know these things up front. Also, Zellara, instead of actual money, would you be willing to teach me some of the basics of being a witch as payment?"
When offered the seat Wednesday will pull it out, but it will be Vuk who gets up and sits in it. After she is done talking he will adress those present. "Gaedren's location is all the reward I could ever ask for. Anybody else ready to go burn a mouse out of his hole?"
This mouse is too slippery--if he gets wind of our approach, he'll run, and he might escape us for good. And Lamm strikes me as a man who will be well-guarded--if we just charge in recklessly, they'll put up quite a fight. I think I have a way I can get us inside the fishery to give us a better chance, but it might take a little time. Zellara, do you know for how long Lamm will be there?
This mouse is too slippery--if he gets wind of our approach, he'll run, and he might escape us for good. And Lamm strikes me as a man who will be well-guarded--if we just charge in recklessly, they'll put up quite a fight. I think I have a way I can get us inside the fishery to give us a better chance, but it might take a little time. Zellara, do you know for how long Lamm will be there?
Zellara smirks at that.
"He's so confident of himself that he'll stay there until the paperwork in Korvosa's endless bureaucracy comes to identify his building as condemned, and given how slow that is, he's been at a location at its longest for two years. And by the time officials come to inspect the tenure, he's already got wind of it slunk into a new hole. So yes, Inquisitor, we will have time to plan, but the sooner it is done, the better..."
*****
@Pyron
The fortune teller shakes her head.
"The arcane power of witches are beyond my abilities. The Harrow deck is influenced by the divine energies of the universe..."
*****
She continues to flourish her deck before she speaks again.
"With that said, it would be wise to move quickly. But before we proceed any further, would you like me to perform a Harrowing and unlock the secrets of the past, present and future?"
"I would like a harrowing performed. Is it for the group or for each of us individually?"
This mouse is too slippery--if he gets wind of our approach, he'll run, and he might escape us for good. And Lamm strikes me as a man who will be well-guarded--if we just charge in recklessly, they'll put up quite a fight. I think I have a way I can get us inside the fishery to give us a better chance, but it might take a little time. Zellara, do you know for how long Lamm will be there?Zellara smirks at that.
"He's so confident of himself that he'll stay there until the paperwork in Korvosa's endless bureaucracy comes to identify his building as condemned, and given how slow that is, he's been at a location at its longest for two years. And by the time officials come to inspect the tenure, he's already got wind of it slunk into a new hole. So yes, Inquisitor, we will have time to plan, but the sooner it is done, the better..."
*****
@Pyron
The fortune teller shakes her head.
"The arcane power of witches are beyond my abilities. The Harrow deck is influenced by the divine energies of the universe..."
*****
She continues to flourish her deck before she speaks again.
"With that said, it would be wise to move quickly. But before we proceed any further, would you like me to perform a Harrowing and unlock the secrets of the past, present and future?"
I don't require much time--the rest of the night should suffice. By nightfall tomorrow I will be ready to strike. As for your reading--I would hear it, though the present and future concern me far more than the past.
Zeralla smiles and shuffles the cards. Nine cards are dealt from the deck and laid before the group in a horizontal row, face-down.
"All of you, pick a card, if you please. The cards have gathered you together for a reason, and it would be nothing short of a travesty if you all did not participate in this Harrowing..."
Wednesday will give a slight shrug as he draws a card.
Gritz quietly listens, taking in the information and tilting his big ears to the side at the mention of her son being killed. What kind of reward was that!? Stupid sheep man. Stupid little sheeps! Concepts of justice and righteous anger were foreign to goblins like Gritz, but retribution on behalf of another, especially with the great potential for profit, was a notion Gritz understood quite well.
Gritz looks up from his place down by the fortune teller, tugging at her clothing and hopping up to try and grab a card for himself. "Gritz will... cook sheep... and bring... back leg... for lady!"
Pyron puts his hand over the cards mystically, waiting until one resonates with him. He takes the th card of the remaining five cards.
Tolenn holds a hand, palm down over the cards, eyes closed. Her hand passes slowly over the harrowing, coming to a stop above the first card.
Opening her eyes, Tolen matches gazes with Zellara and plucks that card from the table.
Zellara smiles as she identifies the suits that you have drawn.
"Miss Tolenn, you have drawn The Dance.
"Inquisitor Gaius, you have chosen The Juggler.
"Master Gritz, you have selected The Locksmith.
"Sir Daud, you have chosen The Peacock."
"Master Pyron, you have chosen The Avalanche."
"And finally, Master Rakon. The Demon's Lantern is your choice."
She looks at you all seriously before speaking: "Remember these cards, for this is only the first part of this Harrowing..."
The Varisian takes back the cards and shuffles them back into the deck. After a few seconds of intense card movements and flourishes, she lays out nine cards in a square of 3 x 3.
"The cards not only read our pasts, present and future, but also represent the true nature of ourselves, what our alignments in the grand scheme of the universe truly is. Good? Evil? Law? Chaos? None can escape the gaze of the deck, but be warned, for not all will be as it seems."
She takes a long drought from a flask before resuming. "To understand the present and the future, we must first look to the past..."
******
All of you, add 1/one Harrow Point to your character. These points may be used throughout the adventure in three ways:
Dexterity Rerolls: Spend a Harrow Point to reroll any one Initiative check, Reflex save, attack roll modified by Dexterity, or Dexterity-based skill check. You must abide by the new result (although if you have additional Harrow Points remaining, you can use them to attempt additional rerolls).
Dodge Bonus: Spend a Harrow Point to gain a +1 Dodge bonus to your Armor Class for one encounter. You can spend up to 3 Harrow Points per encounter to increase your Armor Class in this manner.
Speed Increase: Spend a Harrow Point to increase your base speed by 10 feet for one encounter—you cannot spend multiple Harrow Points to increase your speed multiple times in one encounter.
(Nothing Here) Lawful | Neutral | Chaotic
Good |positive past | positive present | positive future
Neutral |unclear past | unclear present | unclear future
Evil |negative past | negative present | negative future
She flips the three cards in the row that represents the past and all Lawful alignments.
[Lawful Good]: The Fiend
[Lawful Neutral]: The Tyrant
[Lawful Evil]: The Vision
Zellara studies the cards with a visible smile on her face before speaking in a low voice.
"A good sign that two evil cards be misaligned, that of The Fiend and The Tyrant.
The presence of The Fiend in its misaligned state signals to us that ages ago, there was salvation to a great and terrible calamity; in conjunction with The Tyrant, whose reversal spells the overthrowing of a dark presence.
As The Vision can never be misaligned, the cards tell us that knowledge of powerful magics occurred in the past. It may not seem like much, but the cards are not to be treated lightly..."
She moves to the next pile of cards, those of the Neutral and the Present, and flips them over.
[Neutral Good]: The Cyclone
[Neutral]: The Courtesan
[Neutral Evil]: The Rakashasa
Again, she studies the cards intently before speaking in her low voice:
"The presence of The Cyclone, a destructive and chaotic force, to be misaligned is a good sign. Even as we speak, renewal is happening after a horrible trial, but what that renewal or trail may be is not for us to know...
She frowns at The Courtesan. "How this interpretation can go well is not mine to determine, my friends. Just as her physical and bodacious twin in our lives, The Courtesan represents feminine and political intrigue. Right now, such things are happening now, perhaps closer to us than we would like to expect..."[/b]
Her frown deepens at the last card she revealed. "An ill omen at last. It is only misaligned by one step, but The Rakashasa represents dominance and the breaking of minds to one's will, more often than not of of malicious intent...perhaps it is Gaedren's Lambs, perhaps not, but be warned that there are puppet masters behind the strings of their foul toys..."
Zellara moves to the last pile of cards, those of the Chaotic and the Future, and flips them over with the finality of an executioner.
[Chaotic Good]:
[Chaotic Neutral]:
[Chaotic Evil]:
CG:The Cyclone
CN:The Trumpet
"The presence of The Cyclone in a misaligned spot is a good sign, which signifies that in your future, there shall be a renewal after a blustery trail.
"It bodes ill that The Trumpet, a symbol associated with the Archons of Heaven, is misaligned. In the future, there will be power for the sake of power...whatever that shall mean.
"And finally...The Mountain Man will signify great physical power is inevitable."
Zellara pauses before she speaks. "So how did you find your first Harrowing? Oh, don't worry about it!" she smiles, waving her hand. "I'm good at telling that about my clients.
*****
Both Vuk and Wednesday will turn back and forth as they scan the room, half-expecting the walls to fall down or explode or some other equally nonsensical occurrence.
"Enlightening, yet confusing. It gave foresight without specific details. Can we rely on the harrowing? Is its foretelling accurate?" Pyron asks.
The Rakshasha must surely be Lamm--he is the worst offender of that kind, bending children to his will. It's no surprise that he is nowhere to be found in the future, for he has no future left. I don't need the powers of foresight to make that prophecy.
Gaius extends a hand to Zellara, thanking her for the information.
There is plenty of vengeance to be had, and you shall be in my thoughts when I deliver it.
Gaius throws back his hood, surveying the others assembled in Zellara's home.
If we can find one of Lamm's employees, not just a child slave, but someone higher up in his organization--I think I can get us inside before the bloodshed starts. Pyron, Wednesday, and Rakdon--perhaps you should stake out this fishery, from a safe distance. Don't draw attention to yourself, but if you can watch the comings and goings and try to determine their shifts--how often do people enter and exit? How many workers or fighters do they have? If you can get one alone and without notice, and take him alive and in secret to the temple of Calistria, we can interrogate him there.
Then, pointing to the others: Tolenn and Gritz--I've a plan to find one of Lamm's dealers. If you'd come with me, I know some unsavory places where Lamm's associates pass the time. If we pose as a potential buyer, we might be able to capture one of Lamm's thugs that way. Gaius frowns at Tolenn's conspicuous attire, gesturing to her holy symbol: You may want to throw a cloak over that--after all, why would the hired muscle of a drug dealer worship Sarenrae?
He smiles at what he believes to be his very clever plan, awaiting a response.
@Gaius:
"Sounds like a plan to me." Wednesday will say, nodding.
"I think I can get behind that idea. Two methods to get a dealer or lieutenant would increase our odds. They are unlikely to know that I am a new recruit, so when I stake out that place, then they won't be as concerned. If I have a chance to take one of them, then I could put on my uniform and find a reason to arrest one of them.
"Also, I could ask my sergeant if he has any information. I already told him that a few of us are meeting to make plans to take Lamm out. He might have a lead on one of Lamm's associates. Indeed, he might even give me authorization to take one of them in for questioning. If provides any help, then we would be able to move along the plan much faster."