Without looking over his shoulder a second time, T'chazzar mumbles, "Looks like the Church has taken over Clenchjaw's. Maybe we can get that key from them."
"According to the rumors I heard. There was a small dragon in Clenchjaw's it attacked a Queensman. We need to find out if it survived. Poor thing."
"Looks like the Church has taken over Clenchjaw's. Maybe we can get that key from them."
In a similarly low voice, Dom asks, "How're you thinkin' we keep them from noticing? A sorry-I-bumped-into-you kind of distraction, or more of a my-dagger-is-in-your-kidneys?"
"If they're the only ones in there, we could just jump them right now, dispose of the bodies. Would only buy us a day, because they'd be missed by their superiors, but that would be enough time to search the establishment, at least."
Dom nods appreciatively. "Sure, we could do it that way. Right?" He scans the group, seeing if anyone agrees or disagrees.
"I dunno, it's broad daylight. Not sure which is worse, doing it with a lot of people around, or sneaking out after curfew and hoping we don't get caught by the Queensmen. Plus, I don't have any good feelings about that Saul guy. If he's in with Thrune or the Dottari, we'll be the first suspects on their $&#@ list."
As the Bleakbridge draws near, you can spot a few folks loitering around Clenchjaw's Tavern, most examining a large piece of parchment nailed to the establishment's front door. Once the other folks have examined the notice and walked off (some grumbling and cursing under their breath), you're able to read the notice
Davina has no objection to entering the building. "I'd rather just dump them in the bay alive, but what ever we need to do."
Kiri was frustrated by the lack of a means of hidden entry to the place. It was highly annoying. What guards ever thought to secure the upper floor windows? It was ridiculous. How was a snooping strix supposed to get in there anyway.
Kiri came back around and up behind them as they spoke very quietly. She didn't think they had a clue she was even there when she quietly, "All the doors and windows are locked, we aren't getting in without a locksmith or a key."
Davina grins at Dom. "Is it your turn to try the lock first or mine? I think we're tied."
"Those people that just walked in with the key might have left it unlocked, " Leora suggests.
"Should we be prepared to fight them, or do we want to walk in and play dumb to see what we can get away with?"
Davina grins at Dom. "Is it your turn to try the lock first or mine? I think we're tied."
Dom grins. "You go ahead, Sudarynya. Never stop the hot hand."
Dom does what he usually does in these situations, lookout/block people from seeing what's going on.
Davina drops her backpack, and looks around. "Cover me." She concentrates at trying to pick the lock quickly.
"Da, Sudarynya.". Dom does his best to cover the alleyway.
Nodding Kiri made another leap up onto the roof opposite Davina and kept an eye out for trouble from above.
T'chazzar heads to the street corner, lowers his hood, and loiters at the corner, looking dispassionate while sneering at people who focus on him. If the sight of a dark elf loitering on the street corner won't draw attention away from the folks out back, what could?
The lookouts don't spy anyone taking any real interest in the group's clandestine activities. Davina's initial attempt to pick the lock on the back door fails, however.
As he hears Davina struggle with the lock from further down the alley, a small thrill runs through Dom. Is it time? He looks down, and sees the pry bar in his left hand. He doesn't know when he put it there, but it's there now.
Calling over his shoulder in a low voice, dumb asks, "Does that need my touch?"
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"Hey, whichever of you is gonna break down the door, hang on a sec."
Once Dom and Davina figure out what method they will use to open the door, Leora says a quick prayer over both of them. "A locked tavern is sacrilege, Drunken Hero! Help us take down this stupid door."
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Davina gives it another try. "One more try, and then it's all yours Dom." She sighs as Leora's assistance helps. "Thanks. Dom would probably take down the entire wall with that crowbar. You should have seen what he did to the kitchen window."
"Dom would probably take down the entire wall with that crowbar. You should have seen what he did to the kitchen window."
Dom looks crestfallen. "Hey, I put everything back together, didn't I? I just have that one part of the sill I have to replace. That's on my to-do list, I swear."
Kiri heard them down there chatting about everything as they tried to pick the lock and rolled her head around in a circle on her neck in the strix equivalent of rolling her eyes. They were entirely too chatty about all of this and she was rather annoyed. She was starting to think she should have just blown the door off it's hinges and be done with it.
Davina picks the lock to the back door, revealing a dark, windowless room that appears to be half storage and half a basic lounge. An old leather sofa sits to the southwest, off-white stuffing poking out of a few tears in the upholstery. To the south is a set of double doors; to the west is a single door, just south of the one you used to enter the place. There's no indication that the Thrunies inside have detected your intrusion yet.
As Dom creeps up to the door, he mimes to Leora the motion of using a wand, following that with putting a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.
If it looks like we're all set, Dom will take the lead on the group's entry.
T'chazzar pushes himself off the wall nearby and swaggers over to Dom. He murmurs in a low voice to his compatriot, "We should go in first, since we can see in the dark."
Dom nods at T'chazzar's suggestion. "Sounds good."
Leora gives Dom a thumbs up as she grabs the aforementioned wand. She stays at the back of the line of the Silver Ravens, and focuses the center of the spell in the middle of the room. That way, the spell will cover both of the doors and maybe even edge a little into the rooms once they open a door.
Leora makes eye contact with Dom and T'chazzar, taps her foot, and looks at her wrist, although she isn't wearing a watch.
Davina moves toward the front of the group. "I can see in the dark as well." Her rapier out she listens at the south door with Dom.
With the doorway opened Kiri leapt down from her perch and entered with her companions. When mention was made of Dom and T'chazzar going first Kiri gave a whistling laugh, "I think only Leora is blind in here." She let the others enter and then came in behind Leora so that she could watch behind them for trouble.
Dom glances at his friends, gesturing to the door as he does so. If no one looks like they object, he opens it.
The door opens, revealing another large storage area. In addition to some stacked crates and spare wooden chairs, there's a wheeled coatrack featuring an assortment of large, cheap, and unfashionable men's clothing. In addition, half a dozen rolled-up bedrolls are piled against one wall, likely for folks caught out in the tavern after curfew.
There are two doors in the south wall, one in the west, and, down a narrow corridor to the southwest, a fourth that likely leads to the common room.
As the group enteres the second room, Dom waits for Leora. In as quiet a voice as he can manage, he gestures at the wand and says, "OK, if we get into a fight where we think that thing'll be useful, cast it on me and I'll rush them."
Dom points toward the door that he expects will lead to the common room, and heads over there.
Davina moves up behind Dom. "I'm ready." She has her rapier at the ready.
"Ready."
Lady Luck is rather fickle with your stealth attempt: As Dom opens the door into the common room, he beholds the Asmodean priestess--her heavy mace aglow with a light spell--looking in his direction, a stunned look on her face. Her black-clad assistant is busying himself at a nearby door to the east of the priestess and doesn't seem to have noticed the silenced intruders. On the positive side, however, the priestess is comically slow to react:
Dom rushes for the Asmodean priestess, kicking a chair out of the way as he runs, trying to bring his sword up before she can react.
Status: if I've charged, Dom will have a -2 penalty to AC until his next turn.
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Leora opens her mouth to tell Dom to wait before opening the door, but then realizes that first, he can't hear her, and second, most of her spells won't work with the silence going on anyway.
Since she can't see what's going on yet, she thumps Kiri on the back, giving her a thumbs up, and if Kiri is any any good at lip reading, she might see Leora mouth something that looks suspiciously like "Try not to spill too much beer in there!"
Kiri realized something was wrong when Dom charged out like he did. She decided it would be best to get inside and in position to attack at the first opportunity. To that end she rushed into the room and made her way around into the midst of the tables and chairs for some cover from their enemies.
T'chazzar rushes into a position to threaten the warrior, and take up a spot next to Dom.
Davina moves in and draws her weapon.
As the party swarms into the room and positions themselves for battle, the priestess finally reacts. "Intruders!!" she sputters before swinging her mace at Dom. The woman connects rather solidly , but Dom retaliates an instant later.
for
Davina moves up next to the priestess, and stabs with her rapier.
Even though he's caught flat-footed, the unarmored Thrunie somehow manages to barely dodge T'chazzar's attack. Although Davina's jab narrowly gets past the priestess's buckler, its tip is turned aside by whatever armor the woman wears beneath her red-and-black tabard.
The man in black, though unarmed, doesn't shy away from combat: He throws a quick punch, aiming for T'chazzar's head or neck, but the drow easily dodges.
for
Leora realizes the silence will end soon, so she moves forward to see what's going on.
Taking Leora's blessing Kiri shifted to get a straight line of fire to one of the thugs priestess. She pulled together the winds and sent them slamming out at the woman, careful to avoid her companions in melee with her.