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Alayna takes lunch at the Goblin and then dips out to make sure she is going to be ready for the evening. She finds a dress shop in a none-too-good part of town and spends a few silvers to get a used dress, shorter in front, long in back. A few shades lighter than the original red, too. "Thanks m'Lady, you're a treat" and she heads on back to the Goblin. Once there she takes over one of the siderooms and gets to work. She cuts down strips of cloth here and there, slits open parts of the skirt so she can get under it quicky. Then she sews in a couple of scabbards for her knives and shakes the dress to make sure none fall out. She gathers up her project and heads upstairs, throwing the ruined gown across her bed.
This night aint no fun. I need ta be where I can see somethin' other than drunk groping chimpanzees. Regardless, she stands her watch on the catwalk, alert for trouble. Or not.
Later, she is grinning broadly as she goes to her room and with nary a wash throws on the shabby dress, What a mess! She puts her daggers into the concealed sheaths under her skirt. Alayna tight laces her bodice until her tracts of land are presented closer to her chin than her navel. She musses her hair, using some old Tien chopsticks to kind of hold it up. She smears some grime from the fireplace onto her neck, breasts, cheeks and hands. Looking into the mirror, "Oi, it'd be only two coppers for a'touch and a silver if ya' wan' me ta touch ya back!"
Dressed for her night's labor she goes looking for Nessa. When she finds her she asks for some advice, "I thought it best ta ask for a strong eye here. Will I pass for a low-end doxy?"
Fortunatly, the day at the Gold Goblin is relatively quiet, so you have time to plan and prepare your trap.
Having stayed for her first night in Caithlin's house in a long time Nessa woke and prepared for her day. She ate breakfast, played with Sylee, and the two, with help from Caithlin's servants, managed to move Nessa's stuff over to their new home. Once that was all accomplished it was time for her to head into work at the Gold Goblin. She held Sylee close and said, "I nee to be heading to work now honey, I'll see you later tonight. I'll be running late since Aunty Alayna's going to try and help us trap the bad guy so he can't hurt anyone anymore." She kissed the child's forehead and said, "I love you Sylee." Having bidden her daughter farewell, and fed her snake, Nessa went tot he Gold Goblin for her shift.
The day wore on, and they finished up for the day, then began their preparations for that nights hunt. She worked at wheedling and cajoling the patrons and at one point got their bard to play a tune which she danced to for some live entertainment.
When the shift drew to an end Nessa went upstairs to help Alayna prepare herself for the night. When all was said and done Alayna came out looking like the very model of a modern amateur street walker.
Cameron had been discussing with the others how best to watch discreetly, Izkrael had chosen to watch from the roof and he planned to loiter round a cul-de-sac within earshot of Alayna. He says,"I suppuse we're ready, unless anyone has any last minute suggestions? "
Alayna, with the help of Nessa considerable expertise, is ready to pass for a lady of the night, showing more flesh than usual.
You walk out to the docks, and the blonde piratess waits for any potential client, while Cameron and Izkrael keep an eye on their partner.
There are a few sailors, asking for Alayna's favors, with more or less skill and gentleness. None of them seem too dangerous, and those who try something are quickly stopped by Dolgrin.
There is an awkward moment when a busty, dark haired woman asks Alayna's prices and specialities, but fortunatly Nessa comes forward to her recue and soon Nessa and the woman disappear in a dark alley.
The whole night pass without too much incidents. Whoever, or whatever, kills the prostitutes didn't strike that night.
The moon is rising, and so is the water.
"Aayawn!!" Alayna takes shelter out of the wind for a moment, "Gads, could be a mite more borin' but it'd be a hard twist o' sail to make it such." Still, she feels this is a better way to pass the time than blindly watching Saul lose money at the worst job she'd ever had.
Having returned from the alley with her lust sated for the day Nessa rejoined the group and said, "Seems like this night was a bust huh? I guess we'll just have to try again tomorrow."
Izkrael cannot hold back a sense of dissatisfaction for the negative outcome of their ambush. The elf is even more silent than usual, his head frowned in discontentness. «This city is too quiet of late», he whispers to himself.
______________________________________
Between yawns Cameron nods, "Yeah lets try again tomorrow. Time to sleep now, perchance to dream."
That night Cameron has no dreams at all and awakens with the dawn feeling tired. Out of habit he shuffles and cuts his harrow deck three times before looking at the top card.
The Paladin, he nods it was an auspicious card representing one who stands resolutely against trouble, without backing down. It was apparent that Densa approved of their plan, they just had to stand firm and see it through no matter how long it took.
Nessa makes little money of her nightly sexcapade , and you all get back to the Gold Goblin for some rest.
The morning after is quite harsh...
The gambling hall is buzzing with activity, as the servants are polishing, sweeping, cleaning the place among shouts from your boss.
Izkrael is asked to check on every hole in the ground, and Alayna is sent with him with planks, saw and hammer to block any hole big enough to "steal" money from the Gold Goblin.
You hear that last night, as you were away, one roulette game got strange again, and the Goblin lost some money again. Fortunatly, it was near the end of the night, so the consequences weren't too severe.
Upon hearing of yet more shenanigans, Cameron whispers a prayer before investigating, "Oh Great dreamer! If it pleases you, help your humble servant track down those who defile the sanctity of this gambling hall."
He asks those who where on duty, "So what's all this about a roulette game gone strange? Was somebody cheating?"
Nessa arrived slightly late to the Goblin that morning due to moving her things over to Caithlin's house. The commotion caught her slightly off guard and so she went around and asked the girls about what was going on. In particular she tracked down Liry and asked, "So what exactly happened last night Liry, I figure if any one is going to know the rumors it's you? All I've picked up so far is that more money was stolen or something?"
From different sources, you hear that no one was cheating- or at least was caught cheating-
One of the girls tells Cameron that she felt a cold drift, and some kind of presence.
Liri tells Nessa that the first hour of the roulette was normal, but that the losses started to pile up. Strangely, when the staff proposed a game of cards, the house won back some of the money. Of course, sometimes we lost, but not more than usual. Maybe if someone with mechanical skills took a look at the roulette, they could spot something weird?
Cameron muses, "A cold draft and a presence. I wonder if some joker is running around invisible? Anyway we should probably check the roulette has not been tampered with. Krucina, would you mind helping with that?"
Cameron has a close look himself, although he doesn't really know what to look out for.
Krucina spends some time under the table with Cameron, looking at the roulette mechanisms. She points at different parts of the game
Nope, there's nothing strange, or that seems out of place....and I won't touch it more. Whatever it is, it's not a mechanical problem, and so it's not in my range of skills. I wonder what it could be. Did Desna give you some info?
A few minutes after Cameron and Krucina get out from under the table, someone enters the Gold Goblin, with an angry look.
No one else than Clegg Zilcher. And he's not alone. There are a few dangerous looking goons with him.
The sudden arrival of Zincher was not a good sign, it was adding a nasty surprise to what had already happened and Nessa was not pleased to see him here. She quickly moved to the others and said, "Trouble, it's that bastard Zincher," making sure she was quiet so he wouldn't overhear her. With that accomplished, and hopefully back up, she stepped forward and asked, while keeping a definite distance between them, "Can I help you in some way Mr. Zincher?"
Cameron watches Zilcher enter impassively. Desna had given them the opportunity to save the sailors last night and he had a feeling she wasn't done yet. Zilcher was no doubt pissed but it would pass.
So he's that Zilcher guy they've been talking about, thinks Izkrael as he looks at the man with a sense of superiority. I'd expected more than...that.
Krucina's hands slip to her weapons, fingers resting on the pommels of her short sword. She sizes up the goons, eyeing the slowest looking of the bunch.
Zilcher has a quick look in the gambling room and orders his goons
Check the place.
Looking at Nessa
I'm looking for someone. Is your blonde girl still with you? The one with the whip?
From the catwalk, "Aye. I am. But I don' need ta come ta work for ya, I 'ave a fine crew 'ere." Alayna is smiling, but feels like the winds have just changed.
He turns to Alayna
I have no particular interest in you. Haven't you seen the half orc that was with me the first time I came here?
Meanwhile, the thugs start looking inside the gambling hall, pushing the staff around
"I dinnae like the look o' his top sail. Mayhap he found a better payin bit o' leg breakin'? An' besides, don' ya think I'd 'ave a mark or two if we 'ad a bout?"
Nessa took some umbrage at Zilcher's thugs storming in and causing havoc and said, "Why would we have seen that brute? Even more what makes you think he'd be here? I'd check the ally's where he likes to eat people before here. I can tell you that he's not here, we'd have kicked him out if he showed up so take your thugs and leave, your not welcome here and we're denying you service."
Under his breath Cameron whispers, "Song of The Spheres, have mercy and send this vile man away..." He thought on saying something, but the ladies had it covered, Zilcher wasn't welcome here.
Because I know that Tuyp has a ..taste for blonde girls.
He looks at Alayna and lets the word sink in...and then Nessa speaks.
Furiously,Zilcher tries to slap the girl, but the slender Calistrian manages to dodge his hand
Beware, girl. I'm not Saul. You might be one of Mistress Padomae servant but I won't tolerate this kind of attitude. You are nothing. I got one word to say, and you will suffer. In fact I already have an idea. I know a thing or two about getting my revenge too. You'll learn that in your flesh, scum from Hell.
The thugs are ready to start a fight, their weapons already half dragged.
After a few seconds, one of them speaks.
Tuyp isn't there, Boss Zilcher.
With a last, arrogant glare, Zilcher gets out, followed by his thugs.
Nessa was furious, the attempted slap drew a hiss from her as her fangs popped out, her anger evident but temporarily restrained, the threats and insult angered her even more and she began to see red. The promise of some revenge from him was nearly more than she could take, but the final insult, of being from Hell, was all she could handle. Fortunately it took a moment for that one to sink in and he was already gone before her rage bellowed forth.
Nessa held her rage in check by the thinnest of margins though it was evident that she was hanging by a thread and anything would set her off. Thoughts of Sylee kept her in check as she attempted to find a safe way to let her anger free. She wanted to rage, to scream, to destroy, and she didn't care against what.
Cameron bites his tongue and shakes his head as Zilcher and entourage stalk out. One day there would be a reckoning.
Doing his best to sound jovial, Cameron bellows, "Alright the excitement is over. Who is in for a game of poker?"
Long practice means that despite his nerves, Cameron is a dab hand when it comes to being a croupier...
Nessa stormed to a room where she could be alone to vent, she'd used it before, and had put items in it that she could destroy to calm herself down. Safely inside she let loose a scream of utter rage and flung a glob of acid at one of the cushions she had left in here for such reasons as this. Had anyone been in the room they would havehthought her a true demon. She then lunged at it and grabbed it with hed claws, ripping the thing to shreds in seconds. She pounded on the outer wall where it wouldn't be heard in the casino, and drug her talons down it creating sparks as she did. She turned and began a general destruction of the things she had in here and then finally broke down and cried once she had calmed. Looking at the havoc she'd wrought Nessa despaired at her lack of control but proceeded to make the room right once again. The whole thing took maybe thirty minutes and when she was done she felt immensly better. She set herself to rights, gathered the remnants to be thrown away, and took them to the trash before returning to her duties.
As soon as Zilcher is out from the Gold Goblin, you hear his voice screaming.
Somebody seems in trouble.
You hear sounds of a fight... Or more precisely, a beatdown, just outside.
Two thugs have started to punish a young blonde man, while Zilcher, escorted by the remaining thugs, walks away casually.
"Nessa! There's somebody outside who needs our help! C'mon it'll be therapeutic for you..." Cameron had noted that look in her eye, such pent up anger needed a release lest it fall somewhere closer to home.
Cameron for his part grabs hold of his longspear and rushes outside, the goons had it coming and this was the excuse!
Well, this isn't how I hoped to meet her again.
All he wanted to do was pay a visit to the Gold Goblin and see how an old acquaintance of his was doing. It sounded simple enough--getting directions to the place was easy. Unfortunately, it appears that the Goblin was having a spot of trouble with a customer.
A customer and his armed, beefy entourage. So perhaps not really a customer after all.
If he had more sense, he'd have let the... man (because from the sounds of things, the leader of this merry little band of thugs was not at all a gentleman) finish his business here and leave. If he had more sense, he would have backed off after two of the man's cronies told him to "Piss off, blondie. Or you'll get yourself in a world of hurt."
Of course, he refused to budge. And now they were taking swings at him.
To his credit, Therric never drew his scimitar as they advanced on him. He thought he could give them a chance to leave peacefully, at first. But today, he was beginning to learn a hard truth about Riddleport--if you don't appear strong, it's all too easy for you to paint a target on your back without realizing it.
Like just now, when one of their knives *clanged* against the backside of his banded mail.
"Well, if that's how this is gonna be, then fine." The young man gives a resigned sigh and draws his blade. "I didn't want to kill you, but I guess that's that."
Nessa was about to go wreck a private room for a bit when she heard Cameron call out to her that there was trouble outside and that she could kill, maim, or otherwise destroy it. She made a beeline for the door still wearing her work outfit of a barely there set of panties and a bra that barely covered her assets which were dangerously close to coming free as she stormed outside, her wings mantled and fangs out. She spotted the thugs beating on the new arrival and realized that Cameron was right, she could vent off some steam, and wouldn't that bastard Zilcher be pissed about it.
Nessa chanted and made a pushing gesture with her hands causing a spray of colors to fan out and plaster the thugs.
Nessa realized that getting both thugs at once wasn't viable for now so with a few words and gestures a glob of acid appeared in her hand, one wich she threw at the nearest thug.
the thugs seems happy to see Cameron and Nessa coming
Look, the Gold Goblin Gang.. Do they look tough to you?
Nope, let's bleed them. Zilcher would give us a bonus.
Seeing Nessa
I had a girlfriend once.. Never had a fiend girl. We shouldn't touch her, the boss has plans for her it seems
Before Cameron or Nessa can act, one of the cutthroat viciously attacks the Desnan, impaling him on his blade
While the other attacks the unknown young man, but is less successful
Welp. That's it. Stab at me all you want, but getting them involved in this is going too far.
Therric's eyes narrow as one of the thugs attacks the two people that came out of the Goblin to help him. "You know, I was considering leaving you alive. I'd say it was nice knowing you, but Mama raised me to not be a liar."
He swings his scimitar at his attacker!
Before Cameron can act one of the thugs charges towards him. By reflex, Cameron brings his longspear to bear!
The thug bypasses Cameron's defences and tries to evicerate him, but the hand of fate intervenes. The wound, which should have been fatal, is merely a shallow slice!
Prerequisites: Human.
Benefit: Once per day, after you roll a natural 1 on a saving throw or a critical hit is confirmed against you, you can either reroll that saving throw, or force the creature that confirmed the critical hit against you to reroll the critical confirmation roll. This does not stack with other effects that allow you to reroll a saving throw or an attack roll. You may only make one reroll.
Hearing the sounds of a dustup, Alayna jumps down from the catwalk onto the suspect routlette table. May'ap I fixed wot was broke! From there she leaps off the table and runs to the front, pulling her whip off of her hip as she runs. Clearing the door she sees that adorable rube she had helped, or maybe he helped her, standing in this brilliant armor between two of Zilcher's thugs. When one of the thug's blade eviscerates Cam her vision goes a bit red and she joins the fray. Her whip hisses into life and comes down hard with a crack at the man that just gutted Cameron.
AS she reels back her scourge she seems Cameron stand straight, a bloody rent across his coat, but not nearly as bad as she was sure she had seen at first. Oi, Cam, stay back ya bloody git! She looks past the bloke she just went after and says, "And fancy meeting you in a fight again!"
Therric blinks in surprise as a familiar voice calls out to him. "Hey, Alayna! Did I catch you at a bad time?"
"Nay, I been waiting to talk ta these louts for a moon's turn!"
Alayna's whip trips the man easily, making him look like a fool.
Nessa can't get the two thugs inside her spell, but choose to target the blonde man and his foe. A colored arc fires from her hands
The thug is now blind and incapacitated, but how will Therric react?
"ARGHLBLARGHLACK"
Therric gets blindsided and dropped to the street by the sudden burst of colours.
Izkrael doesn't shows himself, maybe he thinks you can handle just one last thug.
Krucina positions herself near the last thug, but can't totally manage to get an advantageous angle
The weapon draws some blood, infuriating the last thug.
Alayna also steps forward, her rapier glittering in her hand. "Oi, cutter. Wot's the dif working for us rather than Zilcher? We won't kill ya' for bein' a damned fool. Leave yer knife and go, ya can take yer mate too. Or, stand up and be put down."
The thug hesitates a few seconds, as he didn't expected the odds to be stacked against him-and so quickly
So let me go and I won't harm you..
Therric continues to lie on the streets of Riddleport.
His banded mail is currently cycling through a variety of garish colours.