With the dog knocked out, Jerax chimes in saying, "Well, I guess I check what's left of Jabal for a key to the lockbox, among other things."
A few posts up, up at the beginning of combat, Gathrix said you uncovered a lockbox.[/ooc]
Kirk unslings his mandolin and rushes out to where the old couple is calling for guards. He strums a couple notes, casting a sleep spell.
The older man collapses on the road asleep, The older woman screams and runs away louder. A full patrol of town guard see this and run up to Kirk.
"Cease this activity at once! What is going on here?" You recognize the man as Sir Folken Van Napaciza, last year you ran into him during the vegepygmy blight.
Jerax looks up from his attempting to search the bloody body of Jabal, and recognizes his acquaintance from the vegepygmy hunt.
In a jovial manner, Jerax replies, "Hey! Sir Volken, right? I mean, Folken!"
Looking down at his bloody, literal 'red-handed' hands, the tiefling looks around and mutters under his breath, "Oh..F#<*..!"
Gazing back to his comrades, Jerax says, "Um, will somebody take this key from me, please? And see if this fits the lockbox?"
"Heroes of the whispering woods? What are you doing here? Come quietly and you will get to tell your side of this on my honor I swear it, but this lawlessness can not continue." Guards pour into the tannery and arrest you.
"Alright, Folken. We'll come quietly", says Jarex looking toward his comrades.
Kirk remembers he is a slave within the borders of Cheliax and knows to keep his mouth shut and take whatever beatings are coming his way.
The guards do not seem to notice Meridian hiding.
"Oh? I will check that personally, you have my word. The rest of you will stay in a cell tonight while I contact the sheriff."
With its unevenly mortared stones and barred windows, this
squat structure looks like a miniature fortress. Despite the
row of horseshoes hung beneath its sign, nothing can make
the plain word “Jail” look welcoming. Two wooden pillories
stand empty in front of the building.
"Thank you, Cimri. Let us do what we came here to do."
Meridian will check the main office, any other buildings, and will poke a long pole into the various vats and into the cart a few times to see if it makes a sound other than it should.
Before@ Alicia pauses on understanding jerax's message, and places her hands in a neutral posture.of course sir folken
Now@ alicia sits somewhat despondent on her rather uncomfortable bed. well this is going well.
Kirk puts both hands on the cell bars and looks out in sorrow.
Nobody knows the trouble I seen.....nobody knows the sorrow......
"Oh come now Kirk can't you sing something a little more bouncy?" Ileosa asked then smiled brightly "AH! My hearing is back! Thank The Prince!" She said happily.
"Oh, yes, Kirk", said Jerax from his cell, in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "Please regale us with one of your oh so jaunty tunes. Hey, I know! Why don't you sing that terribly good song you sung while everyone was trying , spat the tiefling.
Kirk stops singing and focuses his attention on Jerax.
Hey! Listen hear all mighty warrior, none of us would be here right now if it wasn't for you. My Mistress had everything under control before you ran in and tried to swing for the fences on Jabal. Nice job on that.
Kirk claps his hands together a few times, applauding Jerax on his decision making skills.
I'm sure the air around him was really frightened with the whistling sound your weapon made as it connected with nothing.
Jerax sneers, "Hmm. Maybe I'll save up my money, buy you from Izrail and Ileosa, and have the most expensive pig roast I've ever had! I wonder what goes best with halfling idiot. Potatoes, I imagine. Maybe some greens? Kale, maybe." The tiefling begins to smack his lips in a loud disturbing manner.
In the morning Cimri arrives with a signed letter from the Archbaron securing your release. The Sheriff is not happy about it and you can hear her arguing with Cimri in the other room about it, but ultimately you are released with all of your equipment.
"Your friend. Meridian, found something that helped prove your innocence in the matter. For now let me take you to my master to get paid and put some distance between us and the sheriff. " Cimri says her eyes clearly bloodshot from not getting any sleep either.
Meridian, looking tired, disheveled, and worried, waits for everyone outside the jail.
Well, that was an experience. Let's not repeat it. Alicia stretches out.
Breakfast sounds good
"I am fine dear. The deafness has left." Ileosa told Izrail with a soft smile then she looked to Kirk and Jerax and her expression changed to one of anger. "Kirk! Jerax! Hush! Kirk you will stop antagonizing Jerax, and Jerax you will not try to buy my slave nor try to eat him." She told them both. Then she sighed and looked at all of them. "Yes, get what sleep you can."
The next morning when they where let out of their cells, Ileosa ran over to Izrail and threw her arms around him. "I'm glad you're okay." She whispered before she kissed him. She stopped only to look at Cimri, "Yes, thank you."
As Jerax leaves the jail, he sees Meridian and smiles. Running up to her, Jerax grabs Meridian's waist in his mighty hands, lifting her up to his face, where they share a long, passionate kiss.
"You were amazing, Meridian! You kept your head down and focused like a pro! Very impressive!"
Jerax then sets Meridian back down on the ground as they make their way to Cimri's master, making sure to have his hands free if Meridian wishes to hold it as they walk.
" The house of ash, least that's what its called now. Used to be Moragatalli manor."
Manor, home to one of oldCheliax’s lesser noble families.In the decades followingthe rise of House Thrune,numerous supporters ofthe old orderlost theirlands, their titles, and—inmany cases—their lives.The Moragatallis tried toremain neutral during therevolution and, upon survivingit, congratulated themselves ontheir quiet canniness. But HouseThrune proved equally quiet andpatient with their accountings oftheir allies, enemies, and milksopbystanders, and decades later Thrune gave the Moragatalli lands to House Fex, whichhad risen in Thrune’s esteem. The Moragatallis wouldhave complained, of course, had most members ofthe family not died in their manor’s violent, midnight
conflagration. No one doubted what had happened, but
the town children’s explanations—blaming witches and
ghosts—proved far less frightening than the truth. In the
60 years since, Moragatalli Manor has been known as the
Ash House.The Ash House still stands just outside the town to the
northwest. The dilapidated structure is a dangerous site
most Longacre citizens avoid. Most of the Moragatallis’
wealth burned along with their manor, while looters
carried off what little survived soon after the fire.
Kirk rubs his chin and goes deep into thought.
House of Ash, House of Ash, where have I heard that before....Oh Yes...
He then begins to recite all of the stuff in the spoiler above to our group.
A small satisfied smile flickers across Meridians lips as her fingers twine with Jerax's, "Sounds like a fun place. Shall we go?"
House of Ash, House of Ash, where have I heard that before....Oh Yes...
"Well," considers Jerax, "whoever Cimri's 'master' is..they got balls, I'll give'em that."
"Here we are" Cimri says.
What remains of this manor looks like it could collapse at any
moment. Bearing the scars of a decades-old fire, the house
is blackened and sags under the weight of its collapsed third
floor. Shattered windows pose no barrier to the riot of ivy
scaling each gable and invading every cavity. Bent pillars and
a cracked granite porch lead to a warped door bearing a rusty
doorknocker shaped like a boar’s head.
"The front door is stuck, I usually use the broken windows around the corner." Cimri says as she goes around the corner and climbs in the window.
"Let's go upstairs to Razelago's office."
Toppled bookshelves, a table, and some chairs half-covered
in ivy suggest this room was once a library. The ashes and
pulp of burned, waterlogged books lay heaped amid fallen
furniture, creating a large nest of sorts against one wall.
A set of folding paper screens divides the room. A lantern
flickers on the opposite side, projecting the silhouette of a
desk and high-backed chair upon the thin paper.
You see Pivenzobili feeding a large cat-like creature
"Is it done Cimri?" A man sitting in the chair asks. He looks like a balding middle aged man.
"It is, but there were complications..." Cimri says.
"Oh? Razelago asks as he looks up and at the party.
Toppled bookshelves, a table, and some chairs half-covered
in ivy suggest this room was once a library. The ashes and
pulp of burned, waterlogged books lay heaped amid fallen
furniture, creating a large nest of sorts against one wall.
A set of folding paper screens divides the room. A lantern
flickers on the opposite side, projecting the silhouette of a
desk and high-backed chair upon the thin paper.You see Pivenzobili feeding a large cat-like creature ** spoiler omitted ** "Hi friends" Piven says and the cat hisses at you.
Jerax waves his hand in greeting to Pivenzobili. "Hey, Piv!" The tall tiefling glowers at the large hissing cat.
Kirk looks over the cat sitting with Piv.
Pivenzobili, it is nice seeing you. That's a Krenshar. Amazing creatures. They can pull back the skin on their heads and emit an ear piercing shriek to demoralize their prey.
Kirk bows his head to the bald middle age man and looks to Izrail and Ileosa before saying anything more.
talkative little slave alicia thought, looking at kirk, but he knows what he talks about. I wonder where he learnt it.
"He bites too." Pivenzobili says as he holds up his hand with a large gash. He casts a cure spell and winces in pain as it leaves.
"Pivenzobili, Gaurig is finished feeding. Leave me and your companions to discuss business. " Razelago says in a commanding voice and Pivenzobili gets up and makes his way out of the office.
"So you had complications, explain." Razelago says a bit demanding, but measured.
Margaletta draws her nunchucks, and keeps them between herself and the disgusting cat thing as she walks by.
"Right. Let's get to the point already. Wasn't too keen on jail."
"Well..," stumbles Jerax. Looking to the nobles in the party, and not getting any help, Jerax shrugs saying, "To be fair, half these people have never been in a 'snatch and grab' before..um..many weren't even equipped to do said 'job'. Maybe if..um..our number were given more time and..um..information prior to the 'job', we might have been able to get in and out without much trouble. ..So..sorry Cimri," as Jerax looks to the human rogue, "it was Cimri who didn't convey the job until the last minute, and therefore I'm throwing Cimri under the cart on this one."
Jerax then takes a defiant yet uncomfortable stance before who he imagines is a noble.
"It also didn't help that when I tried to lay a plan two of you got jumpy." Ileosa commented. "Once they attacked Jabal threw a thunder stone, which I fell victim to thus Izrail attacked Jabal and ended up killing him. For that I apologize on my husband's behalf. I had hoped they would follow my lead when the dog made us but I guess it was too much to ask." Ileosa said with a sigh as she glared at Jerax. "And I wouldn't blame Cimri, at least not fully Jerax."
Meridian simply stands there with her companions, silent.
Crossing his arms, Jerax addresses his friend. "Listen, I was trying to establish an scenario in which your tiefling bodyguard went mad, relieving blame from those gathered here."
"Cheliaxian authorities would easily believe the worse in a tiefling", Jerax continued.
"Besides," Jerax said with the smallest of smirks, "It wouldn't look very good if the future High Priest of Asmodeus on Golarion, had a criminal record." The tall tiefling ended his statement with a sniff of finality.
"Future High Priestess I would think." Razelago says eyeing Ileosa lustfully." Well it is good to be ambitious at least. The important thing is it is done. Had I been here things would have went smoother I am sure." Cimri looks away embarrassed.
"We have much work to be done in this city and I need ambitious capable people to do it. Can I count on you?" The man asks looking at each party member.
"Right, and while you were all bickering about it, I found the actual safe. Let's continue."
"Razelago, what in hell's name is there to do in this backwater that will actually be challenging?"
Ileosa crossed her arms as she feels Razelago eyeing her up, making sure her left hand is showing. "I have already entered a marital contract Sir." She reminded him. "Might not be wise to eye me so. No matter what ambitious I may have hmm?" Ileosa returns a respectful smile as she gives a nod. "I shall offer my help, after all it would be the least I could do after this last mission went to poorly. I would like to make it up to you Mr Razelago." She said.
"We have much work to be done in this city and I need ambitious capable people to do it. Can I count on you?"
"First things first," Jerax chimed in. "I've never seen you in town before, but you got enough pull of get us out of jail. You affiliated with Longacre, or higher up the Cheliaxian chain?"
The tiefling further ponders, "OR you got something on the sheriff?"
|
Izrail grunts a bit at Razelago's lustful gaze "Ambition is a powerful tool. And Jerax is partially right. he looks at Cimri "Had we more information about the job, we would have approached differently. But Jerax and I jumped too soon, and I overreacted at Jabal's attack.... and now a traitor is dead and the conspiration is at least partially revealed, so that's a win on my book." he rests his hands around his waist "I am with my wife on this, so you can count on me too. What do we have to do?"
Kirk silently hangs back, obediently waiting to be called upon.