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Seconds before Garret shreds the frog demon, the creature's spit hits Fera full in the face. He raises a hand to wipe off the disgusting goo, then stares at his hand in fascination as it seems to grow smaller and smaller and fade into the distance. With a puzzled groan, Ferabras crashes to the ground, asleep!
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Zora moves to shake Ferabras awake, her blank white eyes fixed on the crowd.
"Will you be slaves to your addiction even to the gate of death?" she asks, her voice carrying out over the crowd.
"Greeley promised Shiver to these men too." Zora helps one of the water-logged addicts to his feet. "It was a lie: he merely wished to use them, to hold us while this monster drowned both us AND them. Why do you think Greeley will deal more fairly with you? There are many of you. Do you think he has enough Shiver for all of you? Or is he simply using you, knowing he won't have to pay corpses?
"Even if you do as you are told, there is no Shiver for you. And even if he gave you the Shiver, there is no peace for you. You will only crave it again, and again, and again, until its grip on you destroys your bodies as well as your minds. And then you will stand, each and every one of you, before Pharasma."
Zora turns fully to the crowd, gesturing at the simple wooden spiral that hangs from her neck. "Take it from one who knows: there is no Shiver to be found, in the Boneyard.
"Go home. All of you. You have this chance to be something other than slaves to your sickness. Take it."
The mob seems to pause in their mobbing, listening to the pale cleric's words that ring with hard truth. There's a lot of muttering and murmuring, but the mob just sort of disperses, as individuals slink off to rethink their lives. In a few moments the pier and docks are quiet, just the sound of gulls and the rhythmic sound of nets being folded in the distance.
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"Well done" comments Karnhia as she steps up besides the cleric. "I can only put one giorgo at a time to sleep. Speaking of which..."
Turning back towards the sleeping paladin, the Varisian gets down to her knees, and grabs onto his head to place it on her lap. Caressing the handsome visage with the tip of her nails, she leans over and blows into his ear. "Wake up now, demonul-născut" she whispers softly, softly shaking him awake.
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Ferabras stirs a little when Karnhia lifts his head, but settles down quite contentedly in her lap, a surprisingly gentle smile crossing his otherwise fierce face as she strokes his forehead. He does not wake when she whispers in his ear, such is the power of the demon's effect on him. When Riddywhipple alights on his chest and lets loose the roar of some sort of wild creature, however, Ferabras jolts awake, sitting bolt upright and startling the fairy dragon into flight! The tiefling's clawed fingers flail about and he bares his obsidian teeth, ready to return to a fight that has already been ended by his halfling companion.
"Wha...?" he says, his confusion robbing him of any ability to be more articulate. Looking up at his companions as they stand around him, Fera observes, "I believe I missed something. My apologies for lying down on the job. Is everyone all right?"
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Karnhia chuckles at Ferabras' words. "I do not know what we are dealing with, but that man is likely beneath the red oliphant. Maybe returning to the Rook's Roost might help. Or we could ask around in general. But the Roost might give more than just the information we are seeking" she says, smoothing her skirts over as she gets back up.
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Fera wonders briefly if the 'red oliphant' could somehow be a jab at him, as he lays a hand on his broad nose on his red-skinned face. No, that doesn't make sense. And if I had this Greeley near me, he'd be dead.
He assists Zora in asking around to see what they can learn about this crimson pachyderm.
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Realizing she's the only one hurt, and that there's something ironic about that, Zora quirks a grim smile before touching herself with a wand she carries for such mundane moments.
"Mm, yes, it is time to once again 'put an ear to the ground', yes?"
Looking to see any stragglers from the group -- or those who might have watched warily from windows or doorways at the mob while not being part of it-- Zora once again calls Pharasma's power to suffuse her words. With Ferabras at her side lending his own presence, she sets out to do some talkin'. 'Bout a red oliphant.
"Sir? Ma'am? We're seeking to see a man about an oliphant..."
You ask a passing dock worker, who grins when you ask. "Aye, 'tis a Night Market landmark — high on the wall of a towering building is a faded depiction of a large tusked and smiling oliphaunt that once advertised a tavern. 'Tisn't a tavern there any longer, but the mural remains. Look up high and you'll spot it straightaway." Heading to the Night Market, sure enough, you spot it, a faded painting now mostly gone. Under the sign are two windows, through which you spot a furtive face peering out, almost like a lookout. Th only door into the building you see is located in a narrow alleyway.
The door opens at Ferabras' knock, swinging inside with a loud rusty creaking. The door opens to expose a hidden courtyard hosting rusty wrought-iron chairs, a half-rotted table, and lots of trash. A partially covered wooden spiral staircase climbs for 3 stories up and an outhouse sits against the western wall, which abuts the huge stone wall that forms a part of the Old Wall which encircles this part of Old Korvosa. Four men look up from chatting and throwing dice in the courtyard. They have the hard cold looks of hired thugs and bear the scars to prove it.
"Private. Property. Get out." One of them says in a clipped voice, putting his hand on a small compact crossbow hanging loaded on his belt.
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Though Fera is still a bit embarrassed to have been asleep in the middle of a fight, he’s got the good grace to laugh at himself as Garret pokes fun at him.
Once the party steps through the door below the red oliphant, Ferabras eyes the men inside a moment before speaking. ”You’re going to want to take your hand off that,“ he says simply, gesturing with his chin at the man’s crossbow, though with little hope of avoiding a fight. ”We’re here to see Greeley.“
"Oh, in that case..." the man drawls... and draws!
Round 1:
Mikail and Garret and Karnhia
Foes!
Ferabras and Zora
Surprise Round!
The four men all draw their crossbows and fire at Ferabras!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
The volley of bolts ding off the paladin's thick armor, making the mens' intentions very clear!
The first fellow goes down and with a hurk, is stabbed and stomped, albeit nonlethally. His eyes roll up in his head and he's out!
The nearest thug to Karhnia suddenly drops to the ground, snoring. His buddy looks down at him in horror.
The ruffian by Garret drops his crossbow, draws a sap and attacks!
for NL damage!
The northernmost thug reloads his crossbow with a quick motion and fires at Karhia! for damage!
Zora's blessing rolls over the group, while Ferabras cuts the northern most thug like a hot knife through butter! He looks down to see many of his internal organs spilling onto the ground. His eyes start to glaze with shock!
Round 2:
Mikail and Garret and Karnhia
Foes!
Ferabras and Zora
Garret knocks the man down and stomps him into insensibility as he goes!
The courtyard is silent, but from the room up above, accessed via the spiral stairs, you hear the sounds of movement and the sound of arcane syllables being cast!
This simple apartment is sparsely appointed from the ill-gotten gains of a drug trade steeped in street-level bartering. Garret is the first through the door, and its him that the two thugs hiding on either side of the door attack first!
for nonlethal damage!
for nonlethal damage!
Two more thugs fire their hand crossbows at the halfling!
for nonlethal damage!
Two more thugs fire their hand crossbows at the halfling!
for nonlethal damage!
Round 1:
Mikail and Garret and Karnhia
Foes!
Ferabras and Zora
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Karnhia, seeing her companions begin the ascent up, ponders as to why they are in such a hurry. But such things are for time where action is not of the essence; and follow is what Karnhia does.
Arriving around the last bend of the stairs, where her companions seem to be heading, she does hear the sounds of saps and crossbows going off.
Looking around the corner, she assesses the opposition. More giorgo fools. Let us send them into the Dreamlands.
"YOU! In the back!" she yells from around the corner. Having caught his attention, she smirks and adds: "Desna calls". And with that she once again makes a strange symbol, and wills her target to slumber away.
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Mikail suddenly catches up to the group at the top of the stairs, chest heaving and panting as he tries to catch his breath. "That took WAY too long!!!" he gasps. "I couldn't just leave those addicts to scamper off and die in some alley, but it took a while to find a temple willing to take them in!! Then I had to find you again.." his voice tapers off as he realizes the situation.
He waits for Karnhia to get her spell off before he throws himself into the room, past Garet and Ferabras to tumble past the thugs on either side of the door and come up on the bed, his rapier jumping gladly into his hand.
His rapier jabs out at the man in the corner, coming back bloodied in the tip. Grinning, he steps closer to the wall and readies himself for the retaliation.
The thug wavers, but doesn't fall asleep!
Mikail dances past the thugs, and stabs the man in the corner, causing him to grunt with pain!
The crossbowman goes down as Garret trips him. Garret has little time for satisfaction as a gaunt man with pale skin suddenly appears from thin air! for damage! It whizzes past Garret's head, and he gets the odd impression of a spider's leg with a pointed claw at the end instead of a normal sickle blade. The man grunts and screams aloud in frustration as he misses. "I TOLD YOU TO KILL THEM, NOT LET THEM IN!" The men look sheepish and cowed by the pale man's anger.
Ferabras' swing barely misses, while Zora finally arrives at the top of the stairs to see the room full of enemies!
Round 2:
Mikail and Garret and Karnhia
Foes!
Ferabras and Zora
Garret knocks down the man next to him with a sweeping leg! The next couple of stomps leaves him unconscious on the ground!