GM Rednal's Legendary Planet AP (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

While Vincent gathered up the remaining loot, Phai dragged out the corpses of the lizards and wolves they had slain, and laid them up next to each other along the path to the temple: "There is not enough wood here to burn them, nor time to bury them. But letting them rot inside that temple is no good. Their carcasses will rot, stench filling the air and vermin all over. Lets hope birds and other animals get to eat their fill, and their death will have some purpose still."

After that, she'll be ready to set out. During the travel, if nothing else occupies here, she will attempt to take a look at the organic weaponry Ooran earlier disassembled, trying to learn more about it's function.
Not sure what to roll, if anything, so here's a generic d20 1d20 ⇒ 4
Regardless of her luck with the weaponry, she will keep watch afterwards until they arrive at their destination. While she hoped for an uneventful, calm trip, their path so far had not given them many chances to catch their breath, so she'd carefully avoid being lulled into a false sense of security. Taking 10 for 20 Perception

The weapon in Phai's hands broke a little after she started tampering with it. Baeden, meanwhile, looked over to Vincent. "We mostly deal with transportation - getting goods where they need to go. Zel-Argose isn't the only settlement, just one of the larger ones. Speaking of, do us a favor and don't mention us if anyone asks how you got to the city... the less of an association we have, the better. We can always act like we're associating for the first time if you ever need to hire us. We'll smuggle you through the guards the first time - no worries. It's pretty easy, really."

As promised, late the next day you finally reach your destination. A strange city appears on the horizon, nestled in the foothills of a large mountain range. Even from this distance, the glimmer of a swift-flowing river runs through its center, swelled to capacity as a by-product of the nearby snow-covered peaks. The city itself displays a patchwork of differing architectural styles and incongruous structures. Colossal monuments, many defying description, tower over more modest construction, but no walls surround this metropolis as it flows outward onto a vast plain of seasonal farmland. The caravan takes you in through a smaller road, greeting the guards on duty as they pass by - and finally, you're free to begin exploring the city and getting a sense for what this new place is like. That, and you'll probably want to find somewhere to stay... your coin and goods will tide you over for a time, but not indefinitely.

"Well, I thank you again for your help in getting us to the city. Let's concentrate on finding an inn, and from there we can work on offloading this gear, and getting a feel for the city. Baeden, are travelers unwelcome in the city? It seems like there would likely be many visitors due to the city being a hub of gate travel, but you seemed apprehensive of getting us past guards? And finally, if we do have need of your services, where might we find you?"

Have all the canines, the wyrd and Burner followed us into the city? How well do they fit into the crowds?

Let me answer part of that: The canines exited the temple and are gone, they took off as a pack, it was in one of the posts. Wyrd and Brenner, I'd expect to be with us. Also, I had hoped for some kind of either image for the city, or a rough map. Textual description is nice, but a visual aid helps, especially on deciding where to head. Also, the weapon was already broken, Ooran took it apart earlier, I'm mostly trying to understand its inner workings/dissect it...if that breaks it more, thats fine ;) But I guess with that roll I learn nothing new.

"Could you recommend a place to stay? One that does not ask many questions, is not too expensive, but decent enough not to be a crime den?"
After secuding an Inn, Phai would tend to first look out for an market of sorts, to try and sample some local food and drink...it's also been a while since we had a proper meal.
Also, did Baeden agree to give us some contact to sell the loot from the temple? I think it would raise suspicion if we set up a stand with looted weaponry and stuff.

Ooran shakes Baeden's hand. "Thank you for bringing us here. Your knowledge has been most useful. This city looks old. How many times has it been rebuilt?"

The two brothers snickered at Vincent's first question. Travelers, it seemed, were more than welcome in the city (although they tended to STAY in the city, and sneaking past the guards was mostly a way of helping avoid an association that other people might remember). After all, Zel-Argose was a city of commerce, and the two were able to note a few places to stay, and a few merchants that might be decent to sell things to (although carrying the HEAVY urns around might attract attention all on its own).

The Wyrd, incidentally, finally took off on its own, apparently feeling that it was time to move on. It had been rather free-spirited from the start... and would likely be fine on its own.

Did someone say "image of the city"? o wo

I'm cool with leaving the urns with Baeden, since a guy with a caravan can move them more easily. I actually can't carry them anymore unless I spend more mythic power since my ant haul would have worn off. Speaking of which did we get to rest last night on the journey to town?

As the wyrd flew off, Axis pulled himself from Vincent's arm and waved a vaguely arm-like mass of gems in a sad farewell. After the wyrd had faded from view, Axis slowly slid back into his more familiar form of stylized etchings.

It's all right buddy, maybe we'll see him again someday. Just think, he helped save us, but we also helped him escape as well. Now he's free to explore this world, just like us.

"Let's find ourselves an inn to set up as our base of operations here, and we can find our way through the city from there."

I'd like to find an inn that's comfortable and relatively safe, but not overly lavish and expensive. Preferably near the market if possible.

At the inn, Vincent arranged rooms, and chatted with the inn keeper and any friendly looking customers, guiding the discussion towards points of interest in the city.

Diplomacy (Gather Information): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Focusing primarily on asking about the markets, and what looks like the tallest buildings around: the Chapel of the Blue Radiance, Skytalon and the Auditor's Spire. I'd also ask if there are any temples dedicated to Haymot Steel-arm.

Apologies for not having posted as regular. I've been slightly ill, but still have been to work, which in turn left me Feeling very powerless and lacking energy and motivation for almost everything in the past days. As such, I was tempted to wait on Ooran to post before posting myself, also because I wanted to take time to do a proper post, rather than a hasty 2-liner as filler. Not a good practise, but one that seemed very...convenient(I still have time, no hurry...) Also not a pattern I want to fall into/repeat(which is why the apologies).

Earlier:
When the Wyrd takes off, Phai will say her farewells, with a bow of respect, and a gesture of open arms to imply it is always welcome. She feels empathy for the weird creature, and sorry that she was unable to help it more(with the ability drain), after it saved their lives twice over...while they only helped him escape once, meaning in Phai's mind a debt remains. When she records all that happened in the past hours in painting and writing during their travels, she spends several pages detailing the Wyrd and it's Actions in her Journal.

When Vincent suggests their course of action, Phai responds:"I agree, Vincent. I did ask Baeden for some suggestions based on criteria that I feel are important!"
After checking in, she'd take a Moment to talk with Brenner:"You were mostly in that laboratory...do you know anything about this place that could be of help? I doubt it, but asking is free anyway-", she smiles at the small bot:"Also, I take it you'll want to stay with us? The others took off after gaining their freedom. Do you have any plans or wishes now that we escaped?"

Later:
Wether she enjoys mingling with the crowds in the common room here would depend on the racial diversity present, with travellers from different worlds. If she feels that she and Ooran stand out, she'd prefer to visit the market, otherwise, she'd join Vincent for a drink.
Assist Gather Information: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Also dealing with illness here. Stomach bug running rampant through the house. Been spending my time taking care of the little ones. Also Paizo's site has been interminably slow lately. Haven't had the energy to put together a proper post.

Ooran takes a place a few steps behind Vincent and fills the roll of "bodyguard". He watches the crowds and tries to get a sense of the "mood" of the city.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

AND Paizo's servers are busy being on fire! 8D If posts are slow over the next few days, that's why. Fear not, I'll be responding as normal once things cool down.

Incidentally, 4 GP from each of you for your food and board.

The little robot shrugged slightly as Phai inquired about it. "Well, I might look for a mage who can fix me if I break." the small robot mused.

The Chapel of Blue Radiance is one of the few full-on temples in the city (there are plenty of chapels, including one to Haymot Steel-Arm, but they're mostly small affairs). It's dedicated to a deity known as Kytheklo - a name unfamiliar to your group.

The Skytalon seems to be some kind of large lift, as well as a staging point for flying vehicles (mostly zeppelins and the like), who find it easier to move goods from a high point in the city.

Questions on the Auditor's Spire are met with mostly-amused looks. The Auditor is the technical ruler of the city, and the gleaming needle-like tower is ancient and nigh-impregnable. The only thing it lacks is a gate off-world, but many different government functions can be performed there.

After a few hours conversing with the people at the inn, Vincent excused himself and suggested that Ooran and Phai join him in his room for a short discussion in private. Upstairs, he spoke more frankly, "Safe at last, though we don't really know for how long. We should be wary about drawing too much attention to ourselves." He tenderly touched a bandage at his side and winced slightly. "I don't know about you, but I could use a rest. Let's take it easy for today and then renew our efforts in the morning. We can spend this evening doing simple things like selling off this excess gear and resupplying, and I would like to visit the chapel to Haymot that I head about. The local clergy might have some information about the city, Lomrick, and the temple dedicated to Kytheklo. The more experienced artificers may even know how to extract data from the clockwork device we recovered from the lab. If not, perhaps tomorrow we can crank it up and follow it where it wants to go.

"Burner, if you do become damaged, I know the clerics of my god are experts at that sort of repair work. After all, Haymot Steel-Arm was the one who forged my people's new life in the shadow of disaster, and the devout dedicate their studies to improving and repairing both our biological bodies, and our constructed components."

Vincent rubbed a dent in his left arm where the panel didn't quite align properly and added, "Looks like I'm a bit overdue for some repairs myself. I hope I'm not being too presumptuous about including you all in my plans. Now that we're in the city, I understand if you'd rather try to find a way to wherever home might be for you. I'd like to find out why we were abducted by Lomrick, and try to stop him from capturing more people before I resume my own journey."

Phai addresses Vincent after his speech: "Noble goals you have, certainly. My own are more petty. I don't take kindly to being abducted and almost killed. I want revenge, and I want safety. Because I doubt Lomrick would be very happy for us to be alive and free. Usually, people conduct experiments in out-of-the-way places because they want those to stay secret...we're a security breach, and as long as he exists, we may be in danger. While our individual motivations may disperse, our goals align...finding Lomrick, and ending his project. I will gladly admit I am curious about what this whole business was about, but I am not yet certain I truly want to learn answers - I learned that some answers are undesirable, if one wants to sleep peacefully at night. But I assume we'll see where things go..."

While Vincent visits his chapel, Phai will utilize the time to get familiar with the area near their hotel. Deadends, shortcuts, back alleys, hiding spots. While she does not expect trouble, old habits die hard.

"That is fair. Capturing us deserves punishment. Speaking of which, it may be in our best interest to find out how the local government would view our situation. If we have law enforcement on our side, it may be easier to bring him to justice. If we act as foreign vigilantes... we may run into problems. Any ideas how to find out where we might land on that scale without drawing unwanted attention?"

There was always asking around, of course. You could be either fairly direct about it, or indirect as you simply learned more about the local culture and got your own feel for how the local law enforcement would react to things. The good news was that Lomrick probably didn't even know you'd escaped yet, and until things were brought to his attention, wasn't very likely to find out. At the very least, you weren't an urgent security risk (and the only people who knew were rather clearly not the type to cooperate with Lomrick any longer - not after what he'd done to them). Your supplies were limited - you could only live for so long without finding a new source of income - but you weren't in desperate need of rushing to find your foe, either.

"Law enforcement may be on our side, or they may not. I did see fighting pits. As I recall, it was not Ooran's free decision to entertain the crowd before he managed to flee. Slavery of sorts may well be legal here, and us, as non-citizens captured by a person with enough liquid assets to grease some bureaucratic gears, be considered nothing more than Lomricks property. I'm not quite willing to take that Chance. Right now, he has no idea we are free, and I'd prefer that to stay so as long as we can keep it up. Right now, surprise is on our side. But we don't need to rush things, either. We found some loot and coinage that seems accepted around here, without raising suspicion-lets take a week or so and learn what we can about this City, it's workings, the Gates, the Gate owners, and whoever may be backing Lomrick..."

Basically suggesting a week of downtime we use primarily on getting aquainted with the City, and plenty of gather Information take-10s to learn about the mentioned aspects, possibly gaining a new lead. Personally, interested(and inquiring) about Toiler's Square, Jugglers Guild, and the Water Treatment Plant...gladly interacting at any interesting Location, but mentioning all of them at once for sake of pbp.

"What you say makes sense. We could definitely use the rest, and keeping a low profile for a while is probably a good idea. I'm hoping the shrine to Haymot will have some clergy willing to help us, but other than that we are somewhat devoid of allies here. We should keep an eye out for any opportunities to make some new friends."

"But we should be careful, too. We don't know if Lomrick has any associates working for him in this city. If we are too open with anybody, friends or not, it may come back to bite us. Lets spend tonight to come up with a believable cover story, work out some details, and use that if we need it. Then tomorrow we start our inquiries...sound good?"

It certainly sounded feasible.

Roll Diplomacy to Gather Information, and roll Bluff to be discreet about it. XD No, I'm not saying what the DC is, since your characters wouldn't know. Naturally, that only applies to anything genuinely related to him - researching other issues/laws/etc. doesn't need a Bluff roll.

"I'd rather not be blatantly dishonest if we can help it, though I do admit the need for some level of secrecy here. We could just focus on the facts and avoid getting bogged down in too many details: We traveled here as escorts to a caravan, we arrived on the planet thanks to a gate, and we're looking to get a feel for the city and learn more about it before we move on. We don't need to offer up the specific details, since we'd prefer to keep our business to ourselves."

That evening, Vincent took some time to find out more about the gate network (how many gates there are, where they lead, approximate cost of using one), as well as finding a few merchant contacts that might be interested in purchasing second hand gear and any local laws that would be applicable to such a sale (any scavenging restrictions, major taxes, etc.).

Diplomacy (Gather Info): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Diplomacy Gather Info: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Bluff: 10 - 2 = 8 Take 10 - Meticulous
"Well, best of luck in your inquiries...I'll tryy my best, too.
I already wrote those areaa I was most interested in: Toiler's Square, Jugglers Guild, and the Water Treatment Plant

I did say Bluff was only needed for info about Lomrick. XD

The city of Zel-Argose had twelve active gates - leading to wildly different areas. They had different costs, but none so high that most people couldn't afford to go through. After all, they wanted to ENCOURAGE use of the gates (and tax goods going through them), and they couldn't do that if costs were too high for the majority of merchants to make a profit. The city was very big on trade, and selling things for a fair market price wouldn't be hard.

Toiler's Square was a massive, open market not controlled by any of the Coteries - who, naturally, tended to be rather suspicious of it as a result. Food and common goods could be found there, appealing to many different races.

The Juggler's Guild is a fairly large building, and grants dues-paying members a place to practice their skills, access a job board for possible performance opportunities, and share their concerns. All-in-all, a good place for performers looking for work to visit.

The Water Treatment Plant apparently helps supply the city with fresh drinking water. This is more complex than it sounds, given that differences in mineral content can actually be dangerous for some species. Your bodies don't seem to have had any trouble adjusting, but for specific types of water, that would be the place to go.

Selling the following items for a total of 1990g: Battleaxe x7, Studded Leather x2, Exotic Military Saddle, Hybridization Funnel, Noble's vigilant pillbox.

As long as everyone is ok with it, I suggest we pick up 2 Wands of Cure Light Wounds (one for Phai and one for me, since we can use them), and split the remaining 460g. If we need more money for something else, I'm also ok with selling the lesser selective metamagic rod we found, but that could come in handy later. Please speak up if you have another idea, otherwise...

Vincent had visited major cities before of course, but it had been some time since he found himself in the whirling bustle of people. The last few years, he had spent most of his time perfecting his talents and craftmanship, and beginning his search by trekking to remote outposts and backwater libraries. By midday, Vincent found his head spinning as he took in the sights of Zel-Argose.

When he returned to the inn that evening, he was bubbling with stories for his companions of the people, the creatures, the buildings and the technologies he had seen. He even spent fifteen minutes into great detail explaining how he had observed the massive cargo lift at Skytalon, before realizing that Phai and Ooran had completely lost interest.

Coming to his senses, Vincent smiled. "I stopped by the market today to offload some of that extra stuff I've been carrying around." The auttaine reached into his pack and revealed two slender wands; one looked like a small black gnarled branch, and the other appeared to be a hollowed out rib, with precisely arranged holes carved along its surface. "I figured if we're going to be sticking together for a while longer, we'd best be prepared. I'd be surprised if someone doesn't try to stick a blade in us again before we're through here on this planet. Both of these wands will patch up wounds, but they're as varied in appearance as their creators. This one was made by a chlorvian druid, and this one was crafted by a zvarr bard. You know... he wouldn't tell me what kind of bone it was... Anyways, Phai, which one would you like? Oh, and there's a bit left over!" Vincent said as he pulled out two small pouches and slid one across the table to each of his companions.

Each pouch contains 165g.

"I also visited the shrine to Haymot Steel-arm today. I'm not sure it will be of much use to us, since it's a pretty small affair. Not much more than a place to stop by and say a simple prayer really. Tomorrow we should think about perhaps looking for work. There might be people looking for a strong back and a quick mind in this city, and it might help us make a few friends in the city. If nothing turns up, we can look into finding out more about the Celestial Helix, or possibly wind up the clockwork creature we found and see if we can find out what it knows. I'd also like to find out more about Kytheklo, who seems to be the predominant deity of this city. Perhaps you two would like to join me tomorrow in visiting the Chapel of the Blue Radiance, so we can talk to the priests and learn more about their faith?"

Hm, I thought we wanted to keep the pillbox for the passives? No matter, whats done is done. I'm not certain 2 Wands is necessary, but again, fine with me. Lets just try and not see that as invitation to get careless. Also, it would've been nice if you had checked if there'd been a Wand of Infernal Healing available. A fixed 10 HP is strictly superior for out-of-combat healing.(and in-combat healing should always only happen in an emergency).

Having had a plenty eventful time herself checking out various locations in the city, Phai was glad to have some rest, dinner and a good glass of wine at the inn.
And in the beginning, Vincent's monologue about all HE learned that day was welcome, as it required little activity beyond listening. After a few hours, that became strenuous, though...with all that had gone on today, Phai's mind was at capacity for learning anything more. Luckily, the Auttaine seemed to realize that there would be more time to talk in the next few days.

It also seemed he had taken the liberty of going shopping by himself...clearly, Vincent was very motivated, but in the future, Phai would need to keep a closer eye on any valuables they found. Still, he DID come back with the spoils: "I'll take the chlorvian druids one. The branch feels more connected to the lifeflow of this place...more familiar in the kind of energy it emanates."I don't remember, did we already have that talk in this game? Is spell-on-spell-list enough, or does the item have to fit...e.g. bard makes arcane CLW-Wand, and cleric cannot use as result?

"I've been to a number of places as well, but I'm afraid I'll have to let you know after breakfast. Right now, I am mainly tired, and the time for my meditation draws close. Neither have I written down the days impressions yet, nor painted the wonders I saw. I'll have a short night, I guess, so don't expect me too early tomorrow morning. Regarding looking for work, we could well do that...but if possible, I would see if we can get work at one of the coteries. Learning more about how they operate, and what's the deal with the Gates will definitely be good for us. And if we befriend one of those, we may have an ally in regards to the Lab Gate. If you wish to visit this oversized chapel of theirs, thats fine...I have little desire to learn in-depth about their faith, but understanding some basics can't hurt. Religion tends to define the way people think...", Phai agrees before yawning heartily, excusing herself soon after and retiring to her room for the night.

The next morning, Vincent roused himself from his meditations early and excitedly made his way down to the market. Inspiration had struck during the night, and he felt compelled to begin work on his newest masterpiece as soon as possible. He stopped at the market to make a few brisk purchases, including a variety of fine blacksmithing tools, some simple iron bars and leather straps, and the key component, a large chunk of high quality mithral.

He greeted the priest as he arrived at the temple of Haymot Steel-Arm, and made his way to one of the small forge alcoves set aside for the faithful to work towards their goddess's perfection. He set aside the materials for the time being, tapped into that well of power within himself to enhance his luck and skill, and began sketching the plans for a magnificent folding shield that could be quickly and easily deployed or retracted from his arm's hidden compartment.

As he worked, Axis took notice of Vincent's fervor and excitement, and came out to look over the plans. As the design gained detail, Axis noted that the sleek elegance of the new shield just didn't match the bulky utilitarian design of Vincent's current shield arm. Vincent disagreed at first, emphasizing the arm's ability to withstand sudden shocks, but as he packed his things and began to head back to the inn, Axis's words haunted him and new ideas began to take shape in his mind. He had been so focused on the shield design, he had forgotten that the wielder of a shield or weapon is just as important as the quality of the equipment itself. He'd have to discuss the new plans with the resident priest later that evening, but there were other matters to attend to first.

Vincent arrived at the inn around mid-morning, just in time to catch Phai finishing her breakfast. Smiling, he sat down and looked about before asking, "Is Ooran still in bed? I know we've had an exhausting few days, but there's so much to do here! Anyways, I was a bit rude last night, droning on and on. Why don't you tell me about your adventures in the city, then we can go collect Ooran and see about finding out if one of those coteries might need a few capable workers."

If the spell is on your spell list, it's fine. ^^

"Ooran's not in his room...I tried knocking, but no response. I think I heard him leave in the night...no idea where he went, but I suppose he had his reasons. You weren't rude last night, I simply was tired. We fought to get here, to be free, and now we are."

Sharing her own insights into the working of the city(Not rephrasing the above...I tried, but with what little we know it basically turns into quotes, more or less), Phai then continues:"Something we had not addressed yet, and I think that bothered Ooran, was the plausability of going back home. While I definitely want to deal with Lomrick first, it would be interesting to know if one of these Gates connects back to our respective home planets. I tended to go on extended journeys, so maybe nobody even misses me, but on the other hand, I have no idea how long we've been in those cylinders. I would very much like to let my friends and family know I'm fine. We did want to go check if any of the coteries were looking for employees, so we may as well try and see if one of them controls a gate we'd want to use ourselves."

Assuming Vincent agrees, Phai would then finish her breakfast and head out into the cities, visiting the Coteries/Gate Locations, inquiring about Destinations and Job Opportunities.

"That sounds like an excellent plan. While it is quite common for my people to travel extensively while searching for our paths to perfection, I agree that it would be nice to know if a path home is available from here. Perhaps the coteries have extensive maps of the regions they service?" After Phai had finished, Vincent happily accompanied her out into the city.

In case this is relevant, looking for the stuff Phai mentioned above:
Diplomacy (Gather Info?): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Ooran seemed to have vanished into the crowds at some point, taking his things and leaving you behind. Meanwhile, as the two of you headed out, the first thing that truly attracted your attention was what sounded like a scuffle, coming from a nearby alleyway. There was clearly more than one or two people involved, though whether you'd step in to investigate or not was entirely up to you...

Hearing the sounds of conflict, Vincent stopped Phai and pointed. "Sounds like someone is in trouble. Ready to make a new friend?" he said as he hurried toward the alley ready to intervene if someone needed to be rescued. While he was willing to use force to defend a victim if needed, he was unfamiliar with the city's ordinances and hoped to resolve the problem peacefully if possible. The last thing they needed was to draw the ire of the local government.

"The same as making new enemies. But sure, let's take a look.", Phai clearly was not keen on the prospect of drawing attention to themselves. But then, the alleyway was out-of-the-way-enough for whatever was happening there to seemingly go unnoticed by officials, and it seemed the proper thing to do, from a moral standpoint. While Phai was not inherently a do-good person, she DID believe in a form of Karma...

As you turn into the alleyway, you see four figures - all with red bands wrapped around one of their fists - circling what look like a pair of fairly normal laborers.

"They got the goods, so it's time to pay up!" One of the red-fisted figures said, punching one of the laborers in the side. "Cough it up already and maybe you'll actually get to go home tonight!"

Stepping forward with his empty hands spread in a nonthreatening manner, Vincent called out to the one who spoke, "Hey now, there's no need for such violence. Surely your dispute can be resolved with words, instead of fists?" While he presented himself peacefully and honestly, Vincent was well aware of the danger. As he approached, he watched carefully for the attackers' response and mentally ran through possible scenarios.

Four all together. Perhaps muscle for some kind of criminal organization? Red bands on their fists, they might be concealing some kind of simple weapon, such as brass knuckles. Going to need to take this one carefully.

Hopefully they'll all be willing to talk so we can hear both sides of the story and perhaps piece together some truth.

Phai keeps her distance from the group, not trusting in their willingness to be talked down:"What he said. I figure the right words from the right people is what you ARE after. But if it's so important you start punching people, I'm getting curious what this is about."...after a short pause, continuing: "I mean to say I've already made this my business, by getting involved, in case you intended to say anything to the contrary"

Standing seemingly relaxed, Phai scans the red-fisted guys with her eyes...any weapons one can see? Just thugs intimidating Civilians, or guys expecting trouble and coming armed and armored? And did they bring backup or someone standing watch while they do their thing...?, Phai glances around to find answers to her questions to the best of her ability.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

The shorter of the two men backs slowly away from the nearest thug, hands at his side—and, while the newcomers distract the thugs for a few seconds, he pulls a gently-shimmering veil out of the air, and as energy flows around him, his right arm grows into a massive, glowing fist.

Can cast Minor Metamorphosis silently, though there is a material display—will do so either during conversation, while they're distracted, or as a surprise-round-type thing maybe? It's silent, etc. (If not, this will be the first part of his first action)

When he speaks, his voice is soft, and calm, but not overly quiet. "Careful now, friends," he call out, "It seems you're rather outnumbered now. There's four of you, but... one of him," and he points at Isen, "two of them," pointing at the newcomers, "And seven of me." And he smiles innocently.

Child of Planes is still unarmored (AC 13, Init +2)

EDITed above: When I saw that he was unarmed AND unarmored, I changed my first (or surprise) action to casting Metamorphosis as a standard action to gain a 1d8 Slam attack. Hope that's alright.

Rubbing his side slightly from the punch, Isen watched with some interest as the newcomers distracted the thugs. Why do people always think beating me up and taking my things is such a wise plan? The Elf shook his head slightly in sadness, and watched Child-of-Planes delightful intimidation of the thugs. Even without his sword or his armour, Isen made sure he had silver on his person, and would pay the cost.

"I am ever so sorry," Isen replied with a smile, "My dear friend here is terrible at the subtle arts of mathematics, as you can see. There are four of you, obviously, or you'd never had been brave enough to try anything, and two of them, which I think is rather nice, and of course there are seven of my friend here, as he says, but there is none of me."

With a small nod to the newcomers, Isen vanished.

"Always with the wise guys." one of the thugs said, clearly angry - even as two of his friends faced Phai and Vincent.

"Why don't you mind your own business?" he said. "These gits are interfering with trade, and we aren't gonna take that lying down. You try the same, and the whole city will turn against you." Even as he spoke, quite a lot of daggers were abruptly being flashed.

"Words work better than weapons as tools of trade. While a blade might end a dispute, it also severs friendships and ends business opportunities. What did these people do to draw your ire? If it is such a legitimate offense as you claim, I'll happily go on my way." Vincent said calmly, still hoping for a peaceful solution, though the men's proclivity to draw steel hinted that any chance for that was rapidly diminishing.

The two laborers were turning out to be not quite as defenseless as they had first appeared. Perhaps they could handle these thugs themselves and intervention would not be needed.

Child-of-Planes shrugs. "You say 'trade,' I say 'getting poor children hooked on drugs.' Sure, the other guy's a bit angrier than I am. But your gang has met my polite requests with unwarranted violence, and if there's one thing I can't abide, it's banditry."

To Vincent, "We'd appreciate your help, but this is a fight I don't think either of us expected to lose." And, turning the closest thug, he pats his fist, "So, last chance; take three steps backwards, or I let my brother handle this."

Initiative?: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 Welp, guess I'm getting clobbered. Flat-footed AC is currently 11.

It was tempting to taunt people when you turned invisible, but Isen was generally not of a mind to be stabbed because he was too busy revealing just how clever and powerful he was, and getting an axe to the skull because his voice led them to him. Instead, he bolstered Child's defences with a Ward Hex, figuring that he was more likely to not die with the bolstering.

Haha thanks! I can boost my AC by summoning armor, but they probably get to attack before I'd get a chance...

Ward Hex is a deflection bonus. Should stack with armour and shields.

Oh, right. I just meant "I won't be super vulnerable once I get to summon my armor," which I assume I can't do until my initiative if these guys are itching to fight.

"Friend, you got things all mixed up. We don't interfere with trade, we interfere with a brawl on the street, simply civil courage, really, because we don't like that sort of thing. Alas, if you are in the right, surely you can present arguments, right?"
Still standing relaxed, Phai shifts ever so slighty, subtely showing the bow she wields:"Nobody would want this to turn ugly, right?"

Studying the one closest to me and Vincent

"Ugly for one of us." the thug said, raising a hand and showing the red cloth there. "You really don't want to piss off the Redfists, off-worlder." he told Phai. "Not unless you want to land in an early grave. Vigilantes don't do so well in this city."

The other one glanced scornfully at Child-of-Planes. "I can assure you, they're not poor." he said. "They want it, we sell it. You're the idiot who decided to get involved in something that's none of his business."

Well, that's more than six seconds of talking, from everyone involved.

As the thugs continue to menace, Child-of-Planes' mind wanders briefly to the Astral Plane, and a veil of fire weaves out of the air around him—orange, hard as stone, and glowing too faintly to shed light, it forms itself into the rough outline of a breastplate.

Summoning offensive armor as a move action that requires only mental effort. Not really directly hostile, but I figure Child is a bit more imposing now, if the thugs want to attack.

"Well, they're children, and they're not wealthy," he replies. "And your men attacked me last time without even the explanation you're attempting now." No longer unarmed and unarmored, his right arm has doubled in size, covered in stone; a faintly glowing breastplate of flames flickers across his chest, and veins of fire run across the muscles up and down his bare arms. "So, my absent companion may have his own motives, but I'm giving you the chance to walk away. Take it."

AC currently 20, though it drops to 18 after the first successful hit when Ward hex falls apart.

"It would seem that I misjudged the situation when I heard the shouting." Vincent said, before motioning at the rapidly changing laborer and chuckled. "It would seem that this is a much more fair fight than I had initially thought. Don't bother asking for our help now, since you've already made it perfectly clear you don't want us to interfere."

Well, I should let Isen speak for himself—but these thugs are talking about how they'll hunt down anyone who gets in their way, and it seems a terrible inconvenience to inflict on strangers. o.O

Just in case I was confusing, I meant to imply that the thugs are going to have a rough time of it now that you're all powered up. I had been talking about trying to help mediate your conflict, but since they want me to stay out of it...
For now just going to watch from down the alley, but if it looks like you need help I'll still be here ready to provide aid to your side.
Mostly I'm hoping they see you all powered up and reconsider the need for violence today, without me having to directly make new enemies (we've got plenty already).