Aldebert looks up and to the left as if trying to remember something, but it's not coming to him. Just as he's about to speak, their quarry turns back and looks right at him!
He tries to blend in with the crowd.
He immediately starts haggling with the nearest shop owner over... whatever he can see. He tries to bluff his way out, making it look like he's just shopping.
Otah lags behind the party, waiting for a signal of distress or danger before making his presence more announced. He casually stops to browse a fruit stand, or some fancy trinket. He does take the time to inspect an interesting quill or two, deciding to come back and make a purchase when their task is done.
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As the man spots Aldebert he tries to duck into the shadows of the nearest stall. .
Perception:
(normal)
(low-light)
(normal)
(low-light)
(darkvision)
Ami and Yeen look at Aldebert, awaiting instructions. He longs to race ahead to give the man the claw (sword) or Sarenrae's redemption.
Pent doesn't take his eyes off the ducker, while he whispers to the half that set him off and hiding.
"He's spotted you, Aldi. No need to sneak about. Follow me." Pent shuffles over to the man still kneeling between two tent stalls, and points him out to the others.
"Here he is. Thinks he's sneaky." He turns to the man, and squints him up and down. "We need to talk. Otherwise, you're going to end up injured, and that won't do." If the man tries to run, Pent fires a Blinding Ray at him, hoping to make it difficult for the fellow to navigate the crowded walks. At least for a couple of moments.
Aldebert, sword in his sheath, quickly keeps pace with Pent and moves after the man.
Mahdi takes advantage of his thirty seconds of invisibility to close the gap as well, looking around sharply for anyone else that seems to be observing them.
Ami and Yeen break out of their cover, chasing the man pointed out by Pent. They leap carts and dash under tables in their furious pursuit.
As the man rushes to move from his hiding spot a ray of bright light bursts from Pent's hand.
Though the sudden flash of light attracts some attention as it hits, but fails to phase the fleeing man, it isn't until the second ray of light that a disturbance is created. The second ray, which flies wide illuminating a particularly dark stall attracts attention. A man, in the midst of covering himself yells, "Can't you see I'd like a little privacy here!" He is clearly intoxicated and quickly becoming belligerent. The proprietor of the stall is quickly trying to cover, what appears to be an undressed individual in the back of the stall. The man stumbles towards Pent.
Meanwhile the man, now struggling to pick up speed through the crowds is easily visible just beyond the drunken fellow.
Muttering darkly to himself, Mahdi shouts and gestures-- even though he can't currently be seen, at least for a few seconds longer.
"Remember we need his information, not his blood!"
Round 1
"...not his blood!"
Ami glares at Mahdi as he rides past on Yeen, not wanting to spare the man at all.
He rides in front of him, trying to stop him (provoking).
Yeen will try to grab the man, much like he tumbles with Aldebert.
Grapple (also provoking)
"Do not make him angry, human. You saw what he did to your friend."
The man yells, "Help. Wild beast. Someone, get the beast off." As the crowd begins to look on with a mixture of gasp, shoulder shrugs, and pointing fingers a plainly dressed man approaches. He flashes the sigil of the pactmasters, looking directly at Ami.
"Outside the city you may use your animal however you like. In the market such behavior is frowned upon. Let the man up and explain yourself. The guard speaks sternly to the pinned man. And you. You don't go anywhere until I've spoken to you."
Pent looks on, not sure what he was expecting, other than what he's inspecting at present. He turns to Otah, and shrugs. Then he turns to the drunk in flagrante delicto, and shooes him off, pointing at the guard.
"These are not the annoyed you're looking for."
The drunk turns, to look toward where Pent is pointing. Though quickly waved off by the guard, the drunk mutters the the stall merchant who seems more than a bit upset. He speaks to the guard once given the opportunity.
Pent bristles, and storms up to the guard and the merchant. "Oh, you don't think the pactmasters would be happy, do you? Think we're disrupting trade, do you? Think your business is suffering because we're running down a low-life for information, do you? Think that low-life hiding among your stalls is less trouble than us, do you? Seen us scare off customers, have you? Seen us overturn tables in the marketplace, have you? You think a burst of light to find the skulker too much for your sensibilities, do you?" The gnome snorts, and turns back to the guard.
"We're not loitering. Anything but, in fact, but this butt thinks it best to butt in where he shouldn't. We're moving through, in fact. And we'll be moving along, unless you think you need to question us further." Agitated that they had to try and follow the fellow, Pent waits until the guard gets what he needs, then leaves them be.
Ami and Yeen release the man, looking at his brother to fix things. His brother always fixes things.
We were told by the Pactmasters to fix this. They are the law? Or not? This place is very confusing.
"Calm yourself gnome. He has every right to lodge a complaint. To my knowledge no one has appointed you the one to run down anyone. Looking at the waiting thug, the guard give him a shove. It is true he's a low life. That I'll give you. Looking away from Pent. Now get up. Addressing the group. If you would, please come with me quietly so that this all can be resolved politely."
Aldebert catches up at last, and apologizes to the guard. "Sir, our apologies, but this man was involved in a kidnapping, we believe, and we have been tasked with seeking it out. We were following him when he saw us and started to take off. Now we need to question him."
"Would you like to observe? Make sure we're not doing anything untoward with this man?"
Pent looks at the guard. "Yeah, what he said."
A look crosses the guard's face, as if recalling something. He holds his hand up, "Just a moment. He pulls a scroll case from his satchel, then quickly retrieves a bit of parchment. After rolling it out he examines it and then looks at all of you. You do look right. And your story echoes what my commander relayed. I hope you understand that she'll need to confirm your identities, if you'll come with me I am sure she can make arrangements for you to do what you need to."
Aldebert is surprised by the bureaucracy displayed by the man, but he has nothing to do but go along.
"Fine, but let us hurry - a man's life is at stake."
Pent looks at the merchant, and flips his hand from beneath his chin, ruffling his beard at the man. "You can go back to laying eggs, you old hen. The foxes are leaving the henhouse for now." The gnome turns back to the guard. "If he needs help lodging something, I can show him. Just lead the way to your superior. Like the half says, you're spending time our friend can't afford to lose."
As the guard begins to quickly walk ahead, holding tightly on to the captured man, a figure in a hooded cloak standing in the shadows waves the guard over. "I'll take them from here. The guard, though briefly surprised nods silently. As the figure steps from the shadow her face is immediately recognizable, Kazim stands before you. She looks at the captured man, "I told you to stay out of trouble. She pushes the man onward, momentarily dropping behind him. She pulls folded bits of paper from her covered robes quickly handing it back to Aldebert.
Kazim moves to the man's side, grabbing ahold of his shoulder firmly. She silently scowls at the man until the group is well out of sight of the market area. Then she raises her voice.
"Now I don't know what these men think they have the right to do... But I said you could go. Now go! Don't let me see you getting into trouble again."
Mahdi looks on, unimpressed with all of these shenanigans, and fades into visibility as his spell terminates. Wordlessly, he backs into an alley and reaches inside his robes, plucking out a tiny black scorpion which he raises to his mouth to whisper to it momentarily. The little creature is put on the ground, where it quickly scuttles to the cover of the nearest merchant's booth and disappears from sight
Aloud, Mahdi throws up his hands. "Well, so much for all that," he says loudly. "Bright idea #2? One that doesn't involve law enforcement potentially arresting us?"
Ami looks at his brother confused. He doesn't understand why the Priestess Who Doesn't Understand Law is letting the bad man go, but hopes his brother does. If it were up to him, Ami would put the man to Sarenrae's question, giving him the chance to embrace the light or death...for that is Sarenrae's way.
Ami and Yeen inch closer to Aldebert.
Aldebert opens his mouth to protest as the man is let go, but he says nothing.
"Thank you" he whispers to Kazim as the man slips into the stalls.
He quickly turns to Mahdi handing him a scroll, "Invisibility. Make one of us invisible so we can follow the bloke to his lair. Quickly!" he looks at Pent and shakes his head, He'll talk too much I'm sure of it.
"Maybe you or Otah."
He watches the creature scurry after the man and he stifles a laugh, "Or do that." he grins.
He follows Mahdi, careful to stay well back (30-50'), so he doesn't interfere with the tracking or the spying.
As they're following through the market, he shows everyone the note.
As the man flees at Kazim's command, she turns to the group yelling. "And I don't want to see the lot of you taking law into your own hands again. Else you'll find that I won't be so forgiving." She winks, her back to the fleeing man, and storms off.
The dwarf, slower than the rest of the party, catches up as Kazim alludes to her cunning plan.
"I'll give chase. He won't be able to miss me if I'm running after him, and I doubt I'll be able to find him. It should sell your lack of pursuit and make him feel comfortable to go to his hide-out after he's lost me."
Otah takes a path that brings him into the man's line of sight without being seen hearing Kazim. He chases after him earnestly, "We just want to talk you half-wit son of a mite!", but being slower and having less keen eyesight than the rest of the party, loses him shortly after.
With the prompting of Mahdi's bond with his familiar the path leads to the docks district. It is clear that the man's destination is a single-story building constructed from wood. The building is in reasonably good repair, with several large doors in the main portion visible that open to the outside. From the look of the empty crates outside it seems likely that the building is a warehouse. All its doors are closed.
Ami looks to follow whomever is following the bad doer. He lopes along with Yeen, anxious to take the fight to the servants of the Rough Beast.
Ami looks to Mahdi see what they do next.
The gnome tries to keep up, less physically, and more strategically. He puzzles over Kazim's sudden appearance, then disappearance.
"You think that woman could have explained her intent back at the Villa, instead of personally following us all the way into the Slavers' Block?! That woman isn't all there, is she? Unless she is, but she's keeping part of herself from anyone understanding. Trouble with that is it's up for interpretation. She's claiming she's acting on behalf of the Pactmasters, but what if she's acting on her own? A rogue Pactmasquerader. What if she's got her sights set on the Scroll herself? She pretends to follow the low-life, but she's hoping we fall, so she can loot our bodies? Aldebert, did you look that woman up and down, get to really know her and her auras? We just met the woman. Everyone knows all about us, but we barely understand those we seek. Father Jackal? Well, we know him through his letter-writing and his actions. Kazim? The only actions we have so far from her is threat of incarceration and stalking. Well that, and the scroll to sneak unseen. All too convenient."
Pent waits to see what unfolds, now that they've arrived at a warehouse. "Do we just wait and see who comes and goes?"
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Mahdi looks a bit smug as he slides away the scroll of invisibility; that might come in handy, after all. He grins around at the others and saunters along after his tiny venomous friend-- pausing only to buy a cage full of crickets from a vendor in the bazaar, for Sa'amm deserves a treat, for his work.
Once they close in on the warehouse, Mahdi scoops up the glossy-black scorpion, petting it as though it were a cat, and sitting down comfortably across the street in order to feed Sa'amm some crickets. He bends with his ear near to the arachnid for a moment, nods, then straightens.
"The front door is guarded by a password of some sort-- perhaps magical, perhaps merely someone on the other side who listens for the given word. I am afraid faithful Sa'amm wasn't close enough to hear that-- but you did very well, didn't you? Yes, yes you did, who's a good boy-- is it you? Here's a nice fat juicy cricket for you, boo-boo-- ahem."
He clears his throat. "I suggest we wait for the street traffic to quiet down some and then try a discreet entrance in. I don't want to languish away the evening in jail-- or give Rayhan's captors reason to slit his throat. I can... theoretically... teleport several of us inside, but that carries its own risks, when I cannot see my destination clearly. And we do have that scroll, for one person to try and slip in unseen-- but opening a door is something of a clue, whether or not one is visible."
He sighs. "I wish Hazim, my brother, were here. He is good with locks, and I don't think any of us are. Either way... we might need to surround the building to make sure the rats don't bolt."
Having noticed Ami's glare from earlier, Mahdi takes pains to point out, "And, again, we are looking for information. We can't get it from the dead. Take foes alive."
Mahdi cranes on his toes, trying to ascertain if the warehouse has the little open rooftop arrangement common in the desert countries, where many will set out chairs and bedrolls to sleep, or relax, in the relative coolness of the open air. But perhaps that's mostly houses rather than warehouses.
Aldebert nods at Pent's mutterings. "You're not wrong, there is something very odd going on here, and I won't trust anyone until we have it sorted."
He also agrees with Mahdi's assessment and plan. "I'll go in on that first wave - I trust you. Unless you think I should stay here and guard the exits. I can summon Gretiem if need be for additional speed in that case."
"And, again, we are looking for information. We can't get it from the dead. Take foes alive."
Amiamble smiles and agrees with Mahdi.
"It *is* better that we take them alive, so we can offer them the redemption or the sword and claw. However, some servants of the Rough Beast do not even deserve that," Ami smiles now that Mahdi is understanding what is important in life.
I am teaching him well. He is learning from our example. Ami pats Yeen's head proudly.
* * *
"You're not wrong, there is something very odd going on here, and I won't trust anyone until we have it sorted."
Ami nods and notes that even the gnome has finally noticed how twisted and crazy this city is. Wait until he meets the Priestess that Cries, then he will really see.
"Brother, let me get the password. If there are plants by the door they will tell me all that we wish to know."
Ami discreetly looks to see if there are any plants near the door that might have overheard the conversations.
Traffic around the dock area is minimal. Other than the occasional guard looking type checking in on nearby buildings, clearly privately hired, you notice few others of interest beyond those looking for a quiet spot to sleep.
Ami's discreet look doesn't reveal much, perhaps a more diligent search would turn up something of interest.
(normal)
"Nevermind, brother," Ami comes back from his quick scout, disappointed. "What I sought that might help us was not there."
Amiamble waits to see what happens next.
From where the party has situated themselves it is clear that there is at least one set of large doors that face north, where the man the were pursuing was seen entering. In the time you all have lingered at least one wagon of crates has come toward the warehouse, passing the north facing door and turning down a path heading south next to the warehouse.
Weapon Equipped: Greatsword
Conditions: Mirror Image (3)(1/40r)
GreatSword Attack BAB +7/+2, Str +2, Magic +1, Size +1, (Power Attack -2) Damage Str +3 (1.5x), Magic +1, (Power Attack +6 (1.5x))
Summon Mount: 1/1 (full round)
Smite Evil: 3/3 (Swift, +2 attack, +7 damage, +2 AC)
Lay on Hands: 5/5 (Swift, 3d6 healing +1d6 if not fatigued or diseased)
Pearl of Power (first) 2/2
Spells (caster level 4, concentration +6)
1) Hero’s Defiance, Timely Inspiration
2)
- - -
Gretiem Lord of the Green
HP: 48/48 AC: 18 (F16/T12)
Fort: 7 Reflex: 7 Will: 4 BAB: +3 CMB: 6 CMD: 18 Move: 40’
Conditions: Hasted
Tricks: Aid, Attack x2, Come, Defend, Deliver, Down, Fetch, Flank, Flee, Get Help, Guard, Heal, Hunt, Sneak, Stay, Watch, Work
Bite Attack BAB +3, Str +3 Damage Str +4 (1.5x)
Aldebert will cast Mirror Image () the round before Mahdi casts. He draws his sword and holds it high, ready to go. ”Otah, whomever is closest to the door gets it open, right? If there are guards there, we should both try for the door - we need to get it open for Pent and Amiamble as soon as possible."
Ami doesn't like the plan because it doesn't involve fleeing the city at top speed, but agrees its second best. Also, it has an upside: they get to kill a bunch of servants of the Rough Beast and that was going to be good.
He casts Magic Circle Protection from Evil 10' on Otah and extended Barkskin on Aldebert and Yeen.
"Okay, Yeen," Ami says to his cat. "We're going to go kill bad guys, okay?"
Ami doesn't ask Yeen what he thinks of the plan.
Pent keeps his eyes out for any other Villa minions returning from their snatch attack.
He waits, as the others sort out the means of accessing the warehouse. When they sound like they want in, now, the gnome purses his lips, and continues to wait. "We have the building, we just need to figure out how they come and go, right? We think there's a word that'll get us in without the need for magics? That sounds more reasonable than blinking into black. Up to you. You want to bounce through, be my guest. It's a big warehouse, and the Jackal's a big boy with a big organization. Can't imagine not seeing someone walking up to the door you can't follow invisibly, listen to his word, then walk back and bring us all in at one time. Eh, you want to blink, have at it." The gnome tries to sound encouraging, either way.
Ever drawn to strange unknowns, the gnome's eyebrows raise, and he walks forward towards the front door, intent on seeing something with better resolution. "Hold on a hummingbird fart." He pauses a moment to shift himself into a slightly different appearance as the dwarfish gnome he currently tries to pretend to be. He thins out a little, and his skin takes on a slightly more pale look to it. His clothes shift altogether, copying the merchant so recently getting under his skin.