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@Rhiannon, Raikdar, Hania: Beardo flinches. "His name was Droskiev. Varisian. Sczarni. Dark hair-- that's all I know! We were here looking for a tiefling that went to ground. Used to work for him-- he pulled something and now this half-devil bastard is top dollar for the right bounty hunter. That's what I thought you were," he says, looking at Raikdar. "Not uncommon to have another member of the mercenary club take a shot at taking the ground right from under you."
He breathes hard. "No clue what he's done but it was something bad-- had Droskiev red in the face."
"And we were supposed to nab this holy symbol. I guess he wanted it, but I don't know why!"
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@Percivel, Uriel: Zachariah shrugs. "I suppose the Laughing Waves, or somewhere in town. I... did not want to bear witness to any romantic collusion between the two, and to be fair, I do respect privacy of those I find visually interesting."
With a look of inspiration, he continues. "Perhaps her home would contain more information? I saw him hand her a note in passing more than once, just outside of the theater beyond the stage entrance. A young girl like Iszanna... I don't imagine she'd be wise enough or cynical enough to throw them away."
Zachariah seems at a loss for other things to tell you. A number of useful leads have developed from the people of the Firenze, and enough time has passed that Petro no doubt has the information you're seeking about the woman's apartment in the Shingles.
"Why would you break into the room of a cleric at an inn if you were looking for a tiefling? Or did you not even try to think about how this madesense? And for that matter, does this tiefling have a name? Or anything that'll help me out or prove you aren't lying through your teeth? Because my dagger is going to taste someone's blood, and you can either set me on the path of this alleged tiefling, or I'll start cutting." She places the blade flat on his shoulder and runs it down his arm a little. "Pretty convenient to suddenly be talking about the only race the average citizen would be less trustworthy of than walking scum dressed up like a human. You'll have to give me something to prove it."
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"It was the inn room for one of his women. I don't know! Listen, I don't know, I don't know!"
Beardo huffs for a moment and says "There's a place down in the Shingles where we met. He might still be there or have someone else nearby. They were in this apartment and it weren't theirs-- some girl's. You could smell the perfume on the air. Droskiev was lookin' for the tiefling there, no doubt about it, and if you find someone there, they probably know where Droskiev is. That's everything!"
The rain continues strongly, slipping by the narrow windows of the stables in thick rivulets.
Outside, the sounds of armored hustling approach. You can hear voices-- "I saw them converge on that stable there, sir. They still might be inside."
A authoritative voice responds "Thank you. You heard the man-- to the stables, quick!"
Lanny continues to wait. Patiently. Waiting.
Hania stands and watches the whole proceeding without a sound. Rhiannon has it well in hand well.
"The guards have arrived. Do we meet them or do we hide?"
Percivel nods at the artist and turns to Uriel. "I think we ought to collect Lantana and investigate Iszanna's apartment. It seems a logical step."
Rhiannon mutters low under her breath. "There's no chance to hide with these idiots here. We should meet the guard, and explain to them who we are, which Ovidio can corroborate. With any luck we can finish interrogating this slime and then hand them off." She quickly slips her dagger back into her wrist sheath and backs away from him. Her posture and expression change, and she drops the bloodthirsty act to appear as upstanding as possible as the guards arrive.
"You'd do well to answer my questions before the guards come in. They rather like it when prisoners aren't stubborn about saving themselves."
I'm not sure we have time to deal with these guards. Raikdar frowns. "I'm going out the window in the back. If they decide to take you in, Rhiannon, I'll see if I can get the lieutenant to spring you. Either way, I'll be waiting outside."
Raikdar hands the key for Beardo's manacles to Rhiannon and with an entirely unnecessary flourish of his cape, heads deeper into the stable. From there through a window, and a nonchalant saunter across the street and down to where he can see in the stable doors.
Waiting for the boys.
"And we were having so much fun." she sighs.
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The guards burst through the door with little to no sign of caution. There are three of them-- two very average men in very average uniforms and plumed helmets, chain coifs circling their faces, and a third taller than the others. His pointed nose and sharp moustache make him appear fatherly, but the sword in his hand is definitely a warrior's weapon.
The guards take in the scene for a moment, swords in hand, before the guard captain looks you all over and says "What in the name of Abadar's abacus is going on here?" he asks, seeing two young women with a large, burly hoodlum at their mercy.
"Explain yourselves." He doesn't lower his weapon or sheathe it, and seems ready to defend himself.
@Raikdar: Outside, you can see that there are three guards-- two inside and a taller man who you can tell is higher ranked due to his cloak. You can see the innkeeper (Ovidio) speaking to a fourth guardsman by the steps of the inn, who seems to be attempting to keep him calm. You can hear as Ovidio points out towards where Worthless ran and says "One of them got away, you see? Why aren't you doing something about that?"
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You leave the Firenze Theatre behind you, having gathered the information you sought out to get. Outside, the rain has abated some, but not much-- the same boy, bored and waiting, gives you farewell as you set back out towards Bridgefront and the Shingles.
It isn't long until the trudge through Old Korvosa turns ugly as you come up to the side of the channel and head into the madcap architectural nightmare that is the Shingles. Rain water trickles down from above, and several streets are flooded. People with buckets of water empty them into the street often enough to cause concern, and as you travel through, even the natural inhabitants of Korvosa seem annoyed: an imp buzzes furiously under a window's awning as it tries to fight for the spot with a hand-sized gutter spider.
Just before you reach Petro's alley, things quickly change.
@Percivel, Lantana: As you walk, a shingle drops down in front of you and cracks on the cobble. Glancing up, the dim sun through the overcast clouds and the mess of building above catches the shadow of a man carrying a pair of sickles in his hands. A reflection of a man with a knife in a puddle in the road glimmers. Footsteps echo from above.
An ambush.
Stepping out from behind cover, one of the ambushers shouts "Carve 'em up, boys!" before charging forward towards Uriel. He lunges at him with a curved knife, a mask of cloth covering his face...
Initiative is:
Bushwhacker Gold 27
--Uriel 25 - Surprised!
--Percivel 19
Bushwhacker Blue 15
Bushwhacker Purple 2
Bushwhacker Red 10
Bushwhacker Grey 8
--Lantana 4
Rhiannon puts her hands up, showing the guards she's not holding any weapons. "Good evening, gentlemen. We are investigators, hired by Lieutenant Lukain Silvaski of the 2nd Regiment to look into the disappearances of several women around Korvosa. We were in the middle of our investigation, when we ran into these rats."
"We were here to look through the possessions of one of the women, with the innkeeper along with us, since he was kind enough to grant us access. Except when we got to the room, the window was open and it had been robbed by these enterprising men here. One of them got away, and wewe subdued these two just now and had questions for them, since they were robbing the room of a missing woman not known for possessing much wealth."
"I have no quarrel with the guard, and intended to turn them over to you once we'd gotten our answers about the associate who made off with our clue. I'm sure three justice-driven men such as yourselves can understand. If you wish to verify, the innkeeper will gladly corroborate every detail."
Percivel spins and slices his glaive at the gold bushwhacker, as soon as he hears the command to slice them up!
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Percivel spins forward, slashing at the ambusher. He lands a solid blow, but his glaive doesn't catch flesh. It rips open the front of the man's cloak, leaving a deep gouge through his leather armor. The man appears unharmed.
A pair of arrows shoot out from either side of the street, on top of the roofs of nearby buildings.
Both bounce harmlessly off of Lantana's chain mail, leaving nothing more serious than a glint of pain.
The dual-sickled man charges forward to Lantana, preparing to strike-- and at the same time, a sickly youth tumbles from the alley after the leader, leaping against the wall to spring to just behind Uriel.
Initiative is:
Bushwhacker Gold 27
--Uriel 25 - Surprised!
--Percivel 19
Bushwhacker Blue 15
Bushwhacker Purple 2
Bushwhacker Red 10
Bushwhacker Grey 8
--Lantana 4 is up.
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The captain of the guard considers Rhiannon's words for a moment before sheathing his sword. The other two look to him for guidance and then do the same.
"Vigilantism is illegal in the city of Korvosa," he says in a dour voice, approaching Beardo, who struggles against the manacles.
The captain looks the manacles over for a moment before turning back to Rhiannon. "In this case, I'm willing to let it pass. You said Lieutenant Silvaski hired you? Simple enough, then." One of the guardsmen kneels next to Rat Eyes and checks him over. The two share a quick confirmation of survival, and the captain gestures-- the two guardsmen manacle the unconscious man before lifting him up and taking him outside.
As the men leave, he speaks to Rhiannon while staring the bearded man down. "My time is valuable. I'll give you a few more minutes, and in return, perhaps you'll leave interrogation to the professionals," he says. "Investigation is one thing, but I don't think either of you investigated a blade into that other man's shoulder."
Silently judging, the guard captain turns and walks out of the stable, closing the door behind him. The crowd is briefly visible through the doors, and you can see that the captain begins to approach Ovidio immediately-- perhaps to confirm your story.
In either case, you have little time to speak to Beardo...
... who immediately spits out an address. "551 S. Garamond St., third floor, apartment with the red door," he hisses. "That's where we met Droskiev, and that's where the boy's headed right now with that symbol if he knows what's good for him. That's all I know-- except for one other thing. You let me out the window like your friend hopped and I'll tell you, but if you don't..."
"It'll be quick. Pretend the manacles is faulty and all, and I'll just take off. You can even tell 'em right after. Just give me an even shot, eh? You call bein' bedazzled by wizardry fair? 'Cause it weren't."
Beardo shoots hurried looks to the doors. "What's it going to be, ladies? Quick, quick, before he gets back?"
Lanny is delighted by the combat. She gets enraged.
She swings her greatsword at the two sickled man.
for damage
"Thank you, sirs."
As he pleads for escape, Rhiannon shakes her head, then swings her fist at his jaw. "I can't tell if you taking me for an idiot or a liar is worse." She turns to Hania and sighs. "Do we try to race that rat back to his hole?"
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Lantana spins around and slams her sword into the man with the sickles. He crumples to the floor in a spray of red mist, both weapons spinning wildly out of his hands.
The leader drops the curved knife onto Uriel, trying to aim for his face.
It misses his face but plunges into his shoulder. Uriel's armor blunts the majority of the blow, but the blade catches somewhere and drags a painful gouge along his upper arm. The ambusher behind Uriel ducks low and prepares to stab into Uriel's back, but before that can happen...
Initiative is:
Bushwhacker Gold 27
--Uriel 25 is up, followed by...
--Percivel 19
Bushwhacker Green 15
Bushwhacker Purple 2
Bushwhacker Red 10
Bushwhacker Grey 8 [deceased]
--Lantana 4
"Oh yes! I want that one. Let's move before he eludes us completely."
In a louder voice:
"Raikdar! Time to go!"
Rhiannon gives a quick kick to the shoulder and straightens out her cloak. She opens the door on her way out and strides through with her head up high. "Dreadfully sorry Ovidio, but I have an appointment to get to. Please, keep the room closed off for a few days, and I will be around again to search it properly. If you've a need to open the room, then I will pay you for the days I take to return." She smiles at the guards, then strides briskly toward the given address, not waiting for the others to catch up.
Raikdar matches pace with Hania and Rhiannon, but stays on the opposite side of the street until they are out of sight of the guards. Then he jogs up to join them.
"That's good. I was afraid those Tasseltops would want to drag us all in for questioning."
'Where now?"
"Gods have mercy on their souls, they are ignorant." With that Uriel draws his his axe, but before he swings the arm where he had been cut glows with a pure white light, sealing the wound.
Once his wound has been sealed he turns around, facing the boy behind him, "May you rest quietly." He says before swinging his axe with measured force.
"We have an address, and if we hurry to it, we might catch them."
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The thief takes a quick step back, avoiding the blow entirely, though just barely. The beard of the greataxe almost catches his hand, and he evades by less than an inch. They're all quick on their feet, it seems.
Initiative is:
Bushwhacker Gold 27
--Uriel 25
--Percivel 19 is up, followed by...
Bushwhacker Green 15
Bushwhacker Purple 2
Bushwhacker Red 10
Bushwhacker Grey 8 [deceased]
--Lantana 4
Percivel spins, looking toward the one that gave the order to attack, while stepping 5 feet to the west. "You can stop this while your men yet live. There is no need for more of them to die this day. Shelyn frowns upon this violence; there is no beauty in a corpse that can create no art. Back down and leave here. We will not pursue you."
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The man in the mask seems to fidget strongly for a moment and then shakes his head, laughing. "You think you're winning the fight, don't you? D-don't talk down to me! G-get the half-elf, ignore the tiefling! Paint the bird-lover in 'beautiful' blood stains!"
His leg tremors. The leader looks at Percivel and then at the men fighting and seems to make a decision. Gripping his knife tightly...
He looks like he's about to turn to run.
Total - 4 damage
Total - 9 damage!
The two men load crossbow bolts and fire down at Percivel-- one tags him in the arm with a bolt, that, upon moving, has simply deeply grazed and gotten caught in the seams of his armor. The other's shot bounces off of the gutter shamefully, and he tosses the crossbow aside to begin clambering down to ground level.
The man Uriel is facing sucks in a breath and uses the leader's proclamation as a distraction. His long knife draws back and he slashes across Uriel's arm and neck-- the wound that was just closed is almost re-opened, and Uriel's banded mail deflects a nigh-fatal blow.
Initiative is:
Bushwhacker Gold 27 [demoralized/fleeing!]
--Uriel 25
--Percivel 19
Bushwhacker Green 15
Bushwhacker Purple 2
Bushwhacker Red 10
Bushwhacker Grey 8 [deceased]
--Lantana 4 is up, followed by...
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Ovidio agrees. The captain looks at the lot of you and seems to want to take an action but then talks himself down-- you leave quickly, but not without the gruff shout of Beardo, who cries "You'll regret this! She-devils and magicians, the lot of you!"
Taking the most direct route imaginable, the group heads towards 551 Garamond. The rain, slowed for the most part, still trickles out from dark clouds overhead. Crossing the bridge is dreary, and entering into the Shingles is worse-- the smell of poverty and grime stains everything, seeping into even the skin of the people who live here. Rain rolls down from the rooftops hard, likely out of bowed pools on top of sagging roofs and balconies.
Rounding a corner, sounds flit up from just down the alleyway...
@Raikdar: You're certain you can hear combat-- a heavy clink of metal followed by commands to stop, then, a rallying cry, but it's hard to hear over the sound of the rain hitting the loose gutter beside you.
@Rhiannon, Hania: You can hear fighting-- a loud clink followed by the sounds of commanding speech. "... there is no beauty in a corpse that can create no art. Back down and leave here. We will not pursue you." You recognize that it's Percivel, the half-elf from earlier today. It sounds like they're fighting-- "Paint the bird-lover in 'beautiful' blood stains!" a shaken voice calls, followed by the twang of arrows. It sounds like they're being attacked!
With the set up of the Shingles, it may be possible to try to sneak up to see what's going on, but it will no doubt take longer than charging forward recklessly. What do you do?
"Someone's fighting... Probably no business of ours though." Raikdar's first instinct is to investigate, then he remembers they are after Guttersnipe. Also, there is the gash along his ribs where that shortsword had bit through his armor. The blood has stopped on it's own, but now Raikdar's muscles are stiffening, the Magus knows he is going to have a wicked bruise on his side there.
Lantana moves forward to explain to the masked man why he a) Will not flee and b) Should never ignore the tiefling.
Feelings hurt and spirit crushed she introduces him to her bestest friend in the whole world whilst bellowing "Lantana chop!" A little promotion never hurts she thinks.
for
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With a mighty swing, Lantana drops the masked leader to the dirty floor of the shingles. At first, he seems dazed-- and then, the blood.
The opportunistic thief takes advantage of Lantana's distraction by trying to plant a knife in her back. She, of course, does not care at all, and his attack overreaches when he tries to pre-empt a dodge and instead swings at empty air.
Initiative is:
Bushwhacker Gold 27 [deceased]
--Uriel 25 is up, followed by...
--Percivel 19
Bushwhacker Green 15
Bushwhacker Purple 2
Bushwhacker Red 10
Bushwhacker Grey 8 [deceased]
--Lantana 4
"It's Percivel, I recognize the voice. Gods, we've stumbled back onto something, haven't we? They've been asking the same questions, and may well have found our rat, or whomever is meeting him." She drew her bow and started heading toward the noises. [b]"You may continue if you wish, but I'm not letting anyone be left for dead in the Shingles.
"Just as well. I'm with you."
Hania says while pulling her crossbow and reloading it on the move.
Raikdar follows Rhiannon and Hania. He had not recognized Percivel's voice, due to the patter of rain and the muffling effect of the haphazard architecture.
As he moves, Raikdar draws his sword. He is slightly surprised when Rhiannon fades from view. He had understood the grease spell was magic when it manifested, but was not sure where it came from. Now he is beginning to guess.
"You have had your chance, now it's time to pay the price." Uriel still stares at the man before him. The boy that just stabbed him. He was going to die, a life cut short due to it's own stupidity. A shame.
With as much force as he could muster Uriel struck again, this time putting his weight into it.
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The thief laughs loudly and gives him a 'bring it on' gesture which is dramatically cut short by Uriel bringing him to the floor with a massive crash of his greataxe. It's not pretty. Guy probably should've ducked.
The two men on the roof pale and look at eachother for a moment. One shouts "Plan B them and let's get out of here!"
[dice="Plan B" Init]1d20[/dice]
Initiative is now:
--Uriel 25
--Percivel 19 is up, followed by...
Bushwhacker Green 15 [deceased, oh so very deceased]
--Hania 13 [moving/reloading xbow on her turn]
Bushwhacker Purple 12
Bushwhacker Red 10
--Rhiannon 9 [moving/casting vanish on her turn]
--Raikdar [moving/has a move or standard action from where he is on the map]
--Lantana 4
"Plan B"
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Percivel pauses for a moment, waiting to see what the men will do.
The man on the eastern building turns and runs across the rooftop. Without slipping, he continues on, making a jump across the alleyway and all but swiftly disappearing into the mess of the Shingles.
The other loads his crossbow and fires again-- but this time, deliberately at one of the doors. A taut rope, hidden until now, bursts-- and one of the dingy apartments of the shingles explodes open as a cadre of human skeletons burst out, carrying broken bottles and chair legs.
They clatter out into the street, staring around with eyeless sockets, and then hiss loudly.
"Chew on that," the thief says, before turning and preparing to run.
Initiative is now:
--Uriel 25
--Percivel 19 [delayed]
--Hania 13 [moving/reloading xbow on her turn]
Bushwhacker Purple 12
Bushwhacker Red 10
--Rhiannon 9 [moving/casting vanish on her turn]
--Raikdar [moving/has a move or standard action from where he is on the map] is up, followed by...
--Lantana 4
"Plan B", which we now know is the terrifying, horrifying undead
Percivel's face falls as he sees the undead burst forth. He readies an attack at the first one within his 10 ft reach.
"Skeletons!" That was not what he was expecting. Raikdar is not certain what he was expecting, but it was definitely not skeletons.
"Acidum orbem impetum." Exclaims Raikdar, as he gestures and points at the nearest skeleton. A tiny greenish-yellow sphere speeds on its way, to the shambling undead.
Lantana moves up to the nearest one and whacks him a question.
for damage
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Raikdar's glob of acid explodes forward, sailing through the empty bones of the skeleton in the lead-- it slaps into the side of the tenement behind them, sizzling away the paint. They all turn and stare until Lantana, shouting in devil-tongue, slams forward. The skeleton, surprised by her sudden assault, doesn't dodge quite quick enough-- it takes a massive blow to its helmeted skull, the helmet piercing through its entire body like a toppling tower until only a column of bone dust remains.
The skeletons quickly swarm Lantana-- Percivel steps forward and delivers a devastating blow to one of their sternums, cracking them entirely. Its body clatters against the floor, a black onyx shooting out of its eyesocket and disintegrating before it hits the floor.
Two of the remaining three skeletons barrage the furious tiefling woman with claws and cutlasses. What's apparent is that these privateer sabers aren't dull or rusted-- they glint in the low light of the alley, pristine.
The skeletons prove extremely adept. They don't hack and slash and hiss-- one grabs at her sword with a skeletal hand, pulling it back with a surprising surge of strength. The other hacks at both of her arms across the underside of her elbows, causing deep wounds that immediately bleed. As the other lets go of the sword, the first swings wild with a claw that distracts-- Lantana barely dodges a cutlass strike aimed for her jugular by twisting her arm up, taking the blow across her deltoid-- it bleeds angry and bloody as well.
After the acid splash, a skeleton barrels towards Raikdar with murderous intent. Raising its scimitar high, it screams out in a staccato hiss before slamming into the invisible Rhiannon with clicking confusion. Overwhelmed, it swings wildly at the "invisible" barrier.
Confused and unable to locate the source, it hisses again loudly, staring at Raikdar with palpable menace.
Somewhere far away, a man in a tenement shouts "Would you keep it down out there, for the gods sake!" and slams the shutters of his window shut. A child cries, as if in response.
Initiative is now:
--Uriel 25 is up! followed by...
--Percivel 19
--Hania 13
Bushwhacker Red 10
--Rhiannon 9 [invisible]
--Raikdar
--Lantana 4
The Terrifying, Horrifying Undead
Undead? These goons were more than just street thugs to have access to such abominations, or at least were backed by someone much stronger.
Seeing his ally surrounded by the monstrosities he quickly decides to move in behind them before swinging his axe. Speaking to these things was pointless and redemption wasn't an option so he simple struck.