T'chazzar nods and goes with Leora to give her a little guarding in case things go awry.
Davnia reaches out for the wand. "You stay here. I've got this." she moves to where Leora planned to go to. She waves for T'chazzar to stay there. "I have something that will make me move faster." she pulls out a vial and drinks it. Moving more quickly than usual.
REDROOF MARKET (7 Gozran)
The plan works to perfection: Davina uses a charge from Leora's wand to magically silence the young speaker without being noticed. Since the Delronge noblewoman seemingly has no backup plan, she stays put on her small platform, frowning while mouthing words that no one can hear. The power of her spell is broken, and the enthralled throng chat briefly amongst themselves for only a few seconds before starting to disperse. As for the priestess of Abadar, she gathers a small satchel and starts making her way through the edge of the crowd, constantly gazing to and fro as though looking for someone.
Sabrina and Falina both quickly recover their faculties; those in the crowd seem a bit confused by how long they listed to the speaker. Most seem to think she made some valid points, but still grumble about the new lord-mayor's practices at the same time.
Falina just started to discuss the speech with Sabrina, for all of aboutsix seconds, when she suddenly realized omething was wrong. She didn't agree with what the woman said, there was no way, and she suddenly felt a flare of hatred.
Falina looked to her companions and asked, "What just happened, how did I get standing here, and more importantly," she growled, "why was I agreeing with her?"
"Magic. Her voice was magic somehow. Davina silenced her." Arani says quietly.
Falina's eye's narrowed at what Arani told her and she thought about going after that noble b!!+* directly. Instead she had a thought and said, "Tell Davina to dismiss the spell," and headed towards the platform.
Falin took a moment to compose herself and then mounted the platform that b*~$* had been talking from and called out, "Citizen's of Kintargo, You have been deceived! That vile noblewoman, corrupted by her belief that the law alone should be followed because it is the law has proven how the law can be turned against the innocent! That vile b%++$ is a Thrune sympathizer and use divine magic to entrap our wills, force us to listen and believe her lies!" She looked at the remains of the crowd, trying to judge whether they were listening and then pointed, "It is because she knows the truth, with out enslaving our wills there is no way we would believe her and she knew it! Will we let her get away with this?" She began to move on the platform from one side to the other, pacing like a hunting cat, "I say NO! We are not puppets to be controlled, we are not slaves to be controlled! We have free will, given to us by the gods and no servant of them should ever take that away!" She pointed again to where the priestess was scurrying away, "Even now she tries to flee like the rat she is! I say we should make the cowardly wretch flee faster! Let's get her!"
Davina is stunned that the plan actually worked. She's on her way back to the group as she hers Falina ask for the spell to be dismissed. So she does. Then she does her best to stay out of the priestess' sight as she moves away.
She stops with shock at Falina's speech. [i]This is worse than that time at the protest with Jess. We're going to get into so much trouble.[/b] She stays a bit away from the group, and gives them looks that say spread out this could get ugly.
REDROOF MARKET (7 Gozran)
Falina's impassioned speech fails to sway the crowd to pursue and detain/attack the Abadaran. A few brainwashed citizens shout, "Look! One of those rebel-rousers the nice lady warned us about!" while others come to Falina's defense, angry at the use of magic to spread propaganda. One person helpfully points out that 'rebel-rousers' isn't a real word.
Those keeping an eye on the Delronge cleric see her look nervously back over her shoulder while Falina makes her speech and then change course, heading in the direction of a dottari patrol at the far end of the marketplace.
Jessibel and Sabrina start to slip away through the throng, heading (perhaps) back to the Silver Stein Inn by an indirect route.
Davina catches up with the girls, and grabs them by the elbows. "Back to the Inn. Let's go ladies. We have some things to do this evening, and hanging out in squares is not one of them."
Realizing that her effort to turn the crowd against the noble b+@@@ had failed Falina used the distraction of the crowd to slip away before the dotarii or queensmen could arrive. She didn't go straight back to the inn but instead went a different direction and found a place she could use to safely change form before she headed back to the inn.
Leora hangs back while Falina and Davina do their thing, not wanting to draw attention to whole group of Ravens. Once the other ladies are heading out, she waits a moment, to survey the crowd and see if they seem to be for or against Thrune after the speech. Then she also takes a roundabout route back to the Silver Stein.
Once they are all back in the Silver Stein and somewhere they won't be overheard, Leora comments "Well, we did pretty good there! Interrupted the speech and prevented her from convincing more people. Any ideas of how we want to get rid of the, uh, goods in the basement?"
SILVER STEIN INN (Gozran 7)
The split party regroups without incident at the inn. The proprietor, Alyss, provides all with food and drink to pass the time 'til nightfall. Jessibel and Sabrina split their time bickering amongst themselves and flirting with the young bouncer, Mortan. Alyss tells the adults in a terse whisper that the nearest sewer grate is located less than two blocks from the front doors of her establishment, so dumping the bodies shouldn't be too difficult, unless the timing is unfortunate and you cross paths with a patrol.
Your best guess is that the Abadaran priestess may have succeeded in swaying some citizens into viewing rebels as troublemakers, but the tactic may have backfired among anti-Thrune listeners who realize they were enchanted. All-in-all, the priestess may have added a few citizens to the Thrune side of the street but deepened the hatred of those who already disliked the regime.
"Let's make sure we're disguised before we go dump the bodies. Can someone scout and make sure the patrols aren't headed in our direction when we are ready to go?" Davina rolls her eyes at the bickering girls.
"Thanks for y our hospitality Alyss. We'll do our best to keep you out of trouble."
"I'll retouch my makeup, but I'm not exactly 'sneaky'," says T'chazzar, dabbing his lips with a kerchief as he polishes off a bit of pot roast.
"You know, the food quality up here is just so much better."
Once the group reconvenes away from prying eyes and listening ears, Arani addresses her new companions. "So given our recently shared experiences, I think it's only fair that I be forthcoming about who I really am." she says revealing her true identity.
Darkly beautiful, Arani possesses a strong and slightly stern presence, her silky dark hair cut at medium length, worn loose, her almost flawless complexion marred only by a scar that extends from the inner corner of her right eye, running across her cheek to the edge of her jawline. Rather than detract from her beauty, it adds a rakish quality to her appearance.
It is a memorable detail, one that those particularly up on gossip in noble circles might recognize as an identifying characteristic of Arani Thorindal daughter of Lord Jacoby Thorindal, a minor lord whose modest holdings includes a manor on The Greens.
Most notably though is that the hair falling across her face only barely covers a brand of an Asmodean pentagram on her forehead.
Faliina was relieved to have made her escape successful and arrived at the inn back in her real body. Even if someone recognized the clothing they would be unlikely to know it was the same woman from the stage who tried and failed to turn the crowd completely against that b+~*$ of a speaker. Needless to say she was in a bit of a mood when she came back and the first thing she sees? Sabrina flirting with the cute bouncer! Granted she had no real claim on Sabrinah and the young woman was free to be with who she wanted like Faliina herself was, but the fact she didn't seem worried peeved Faliina off.
Faliina strode over to where Sabrinah was flirting with the young bouncer and decided to express her displeasure in a different way, particularly since the girl wasn't doing anything truly wrong, and gave her...companion? a very direct look as she went. When she reached Sabrinah Faliina's grabbed a fistful of the young woman's blouse and pulled her close before the surprise wore off. "Miss me luv?" she practically purred and then pulled Sabrinah close and pressed her lips firmly against the young woman's in a firm and passionate kiss.
SILVER STEIN INN (Gozran 7)
"You were at the Vashnarstills' Vernal Equinox bash, too?" Jessibel asks Arani, parting her bangs to reveal an identical slowly-fading brand. At that moment, Falina makes her presence known, her sudden kiss temporarily shocking Jessi, Mortan, and Sabrina herself. Sabrina eventually relaxes and gives in whole-heartedly to the kiss. When she comes up for air, the redhead gasps, "I thought you...we...were...well, sort of a passing fancy. I never dreamed your interest would be so...persistent." The smile the Sarini flashes next seems much more genuine than the ones she was tossing Mortan's way.
STREETS OF REDROOF (Gozran 7)
Shortly after witnessing a dottari patrol pass by the inn, your group carries the corpses of the last patrol you met to the nearby sewer grate, as directed by innkeeper Alyss. Unfortunately, once you’ve got the grate opened, you can see that the hole drops not into the water but to some sort of stone walkway. Since it’s better to drop the bodies into the sewer water (decomposition to make them less recognizable, the possibility they’d eventually float into the river and (hopefully) out to sea, and not leaving them to rot beneath the grate where their stench might cause their discovery), at least some of the party will have to venture into the sewers. Discussions about dropping the bodies down onto the walkway generate worries that the thudding of dropped corpses might bring unwanted attention. Mortan suddenly has a great idea: he’ll run back to the inn and get some rope so the corpses can be gently lowered below the streets while the others hide (with the dead dottari) in a nearby alley. Jessibel, however, points out that the bouncer is one of the strongest members of the party and should help carry the bodies to the alley; then she says, ”I got this!” and takes off at a quick jog back toward the Silver Stein.
It seems an eternity as the rest of the party ponders the rhetorical question, “What could possibly go wrong?” before Jessibel jogs back into sight, breathing hard, a coil of rope over each shoulder. ”I never knew rope was so heavy!” she whispers rather loudly.
Now comes the assignment of jobs for the body dump. Jessibel, perhaps antsy and craving some adventure, takes charge initially, pointing out that T’chazzar, Davina, and Falina can all see in the darkness of the sewers…”though Falina’s out of spells and Davina may be too classy for a sewer excursion…. Maybe I should go below as a lookout. I can cast a light spell down there—shouldn’t draw any undue attention. Plus, I’m the only one of us to be formally trained by Kiri; I now have the eyes of a strix!” Those alleged strix eyes turn toward Davina, as if asking for her consent.
”Mortan’s strong enough to lower the bodies down,” Sabrina interjects. Then the redhead casually comments to Jessi, [b]”Maybe you should stay topside with him. I'm staying with Falina.”
"I'll go. Underground tunnels are something of a specialty."
T'chazzar pushes out his chair and adjusts his baldric. "We just need to anchor that rope so I can climb down there and figure out what's actually below."
SILVER STEIN INN (Gozran 7)
Falina was quite pleased with the reaction received, particularly when Sabrina began to return the kiss. She enjoyed herself thoroughly, taking such a demanding kiss from the young woman, and when they broke apart to get a breath she released her grip on Sabrina' blouse and replied, "I never said it was a passing fancy or fling, only that I wasn't..." her eys looked off into the distance as she tried to think of the right phrase and groaned in frustration, "Ugh! Language has changed so much on me. I don't take only one lover I take many, but few gain my actual affections."
Falina pulled Sabrina close and then said quietly, "You I like, far more than a passing fling, I don't know that it goes beyond that yet but it could." Her right hand came up and stroked Sabrina's cheek softly, "It's just not safe for me to be with only one person physically, not as my powers return..." she broke of sadly and didn't say more for now.
STREETS OF REDROOF (Gozran 7)
As they began to move the bodies Falina helped Sabrina and Jessi move one of them. When they reached the sewer grate they'd put them down she listened to the discussions and looked squarely at Jessi, "And yet you must not have learned what Kiri taught you as you still take foolish chances." she frowned slightly, "Further you don't use your head it seems. I've seen what bards can do remember Jessi, I knew the one you idolized, you may be able to sneak and see things but your true talents lie in your ability to perform."
Falina considered a moment on how better to explain and she smiled slightly as she remembered something from the past. "There was a time I saw Silverbelle try to break the magic of a priest of Hell. He had entralled all who could hear with his words alone and she broke them with her music. Silverbelle sang a counter to his sermon and in doing so broke his hold and turned the throng against him." She looked squarely at Jessi, "Had you tried that at teh rally instead you may have broken everyone free of the magic of that priestess." She raised one delicate eyebrow in question, "Does that make sense Jessi?"
"I can cast light once we get down if we need to. I'll go into the sewers." She helps knot the rope to make it easy to climb down.
"Jess I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather you stay up here and keep an eye out."
"I'll keep an eye on the alleyways for any sign of trouble." Arani says stepping into the shadows as she pulls her cowl up over her face.
"Nice to meet you, Arani. Always glad to have more friends in the resistance. Let us know how we can help, we have some hideouts and supplies and stuff if you ever need to get away and lie low."
Though she isn't up to speed in the noble's social circles, Leora connects the dots that Arani must be a noble of some sort if she were at the "party." Since the formerly mysterious archer shared her secret, Leora shares hers, if Arani hadn't already figured it out. "I was at the Vashnarstill's too but hid in the wine cellar and missed out on the brand. Jessi and the Drunken Hero were looking out for me."
STREETS OF REDROOF
"I'll stay up here as well, I can cast some spells, like silence, if things start going down and there's no way I'll be any help in that dark sewer." She offers to help Mortan with lowering the bodies once it's time, but waits for T'chazzar's assessment of the sewers before starting anything.
STREETS OF REDROOF (Gozran 7)
"Of course I thought of countersonging!" Jessibel huffs at Falina. "And Yes, it might've freed everyone from the enchantment but it also would've made me stick out like a sore thumb! Delilah's a fellow noblewoman; I recognized her so I feared she might be able to see through my disguise if I made a scene. I figured keeping a low profile was the better play." The girl glares a bit and crosses her arms but doesn't dare talk sass back to Davina when she orders her to stay topside.
Sabrina turns to Falina after staring a few daggers at her frenemy. "So...we staying up here or going down where the action is?"
You're pretty sure Jessibel's lying about having thought of countersonging, bu the 'low profile' bit might've been true. The girl's getting to be quite adept at--and prone to--lying!
THOSE ENTERING THE SEWERS
The sewers stink as only sewers can, the various smelly crap in the water augmented by streaks of blackish mold or mildew on parts of the walls and ceiling.
You notice that the walls in this section of the sewers are not uniform in style or texture. You suddenly realize that some sections were once the fronts of stone buildings whose windows and doorways were bricked over long ago. The faces of these old dwellings are connected by a wall of much larger blocks of limestone.
One bricked-off doorway about 50 feet from the sewer grate has a slightly different coloration from the other sealed doors and windows. Closer examination reveals that it’s a secret door of some sort!
Falina listened to Jessi's excuse thoughtfully and while her reasoning made sense about keeping a low profile she knew the young woman hadn't thought about trying to counter the noble woman's performance with her own. Deciding there was no need to discuss this further Falina turned back to Sabrinah just as the young woman turned back to her and asked where she was going.
It was touching that Sabrinah wanted to stay with her and Falina saw no reason to say otherwise. With no magic of any real use left to her Falina wasn't going down there and so she wasn't worried for Sabrinah staying with her for now. "We'll stay up here and help lower the bodies down, after that, well, maybe we can find a nice dark corner nearby to," her tone was suggestive, "discuss things in."
The drow climbs nimbly down the ladder and into the smelly pit.
"Reminds me of home."
"This isn't just a sewer, this is an old part of the city that was built over."
Once at the bottom of the ladder he draws his swords, in case of anything lurking in the dark, waiting for prey.
"C'mon down and take a look."
When Leora realizes that Arani, Falina, Sabrina, and Jessi are all staying topside, and only T'chazzar and Davina were going into the sewers, she agrees to go as well and follows after the drow. She pauses before going down the ladder, and gives the wand of silence to Falina, then continues down into the sewer.
After climbing down, Leora takes a look at the part of the sewer T'Chazzar points out that used to be the old city.
"Hey, look at this one! It's not like the other doors, it's kind of a different color. I think it's like a secret door or something," Leora says quietly, indicating the odd-door-out. She looks to see how it opens.
Falina took the wand and asked, "What do I do with this?" She held the wand and shook it, then said, "You know I don't have any skill with these don't you?" She looked at where Jessi was sulking and said, "Hey, Jessi, make yourself useful," and tossed the wand to the young noble.
Davina climbs down. I see it. Might be interesting to look into after we get some rest."
She looks up to the grat. "Start lowering them down. We'll drag them along once they are off the street."
STREETS OF REDROOF (Gozran 7)
Jessibel, with her arms crossed in annoyed frustration, isn't ready when Falina tosses her Leora's wand. At the last moment she reaches out and makes a bobbling catch, just before the wand can fall through the grate. Then she starts scrambling down the ladder into the sewers. Turning her head toward Davina, she asks, "What? T'chazzar said to come down! I assumed he meant me."
Hearing Leora's comments, the teen adds, "Ooh--sounds like Leora can use my expertise anyhow! Since I'm already down here...." The bard sings a light cantrip and tries to scurry in Leora's direction.
Meanwhile, Leora's found a false brick in the secret door that looks like it can be pushed in; it's likely some sort of spring-loaded opening device.
Once Jessi's out of the way, Mortan begins lowering down the first corpse while Falina and Sabrina knot the second one for its descent.
"Whoa, whoa. Someone needs to give that secret door the once-over for traps," says T'chazzar. "You don't hide something like that unless you don't want people using it."
Hearing T'chazzar's warning, Leora steps back to let T'chazzar, Davina, and Jessi look at the hidden door.
T'chazzar scrutinizes the door suspiciously.
"Got some light?" he says quietly. "In the dark I can only see black and white. Color definition is useful to spot traps and such."
SEWERS OF REDROOF (7 Gozran)
Jessi makes eye contact with Davina, pointing to the dangling corpse being lowered down with the hand of her buckler arm while simultaneously waving and pointing her now-glowing rapier toward T'chazzar when the drow calls for light. Assuming these two things are enough to keep Davina from ordering the teen back out of the sewer, the bard flits over to Leora and T'chazzar to help examine the secret door. The sharp-eyed drow spots no sign of any trap-triggering mechanism on or around the secret door.
A wet, wheezing gurgle—sort of like a black pudding passing gas—sounds from the sewer channel not far from where Leora, T'chazzar, and Jessibel stand examining the secret door. A moment later, something begins to reach up out of the mucky water not far from the trio, seeking purchase near the edge of the walkway with three or four glistening, slime-covered tentacles or tendrils. Whether the beast is a mutant octopus or squid or some sort of crawly plant monster is difficult to tell, but it’s roughly the size of an adult human.
You’re fairly certain the thing is some variation of a basidirond, a carnivorous plant that can be found underground.
A basidirond has special spore attacks. Its slam attack can infect a target’s flesh and lungs with a fast-acting, potentially fatal disease. It also sometimes releases spores into the air around it, causing hallucinations in its would-be prey.
Although a basidirond is immune to cold damage, any cold effect it is exposed to slows it for 1d4 rounds and prevents it from using its hallucination cloud or spores.
With the bodies lowered down and the others on their way Falina looked around for a dark place to keep watch from, one that preferably would leave them unnoticed by anyone not coming to the sewer entrance. When she found their hiding place she pulled Sabrina in with her and said, "looks like it's just us for now." She gave the young woman a naughty look and her tone was highly suggestive, "Whatever shall we do to pass the time?"
I was going to joke about how none of us had any knowledge of nature the last time we were in the sewers. I studied a couple of books, but I have no idea what that thing is." She continues to guide the body down so it won't thump to the ground.
STREETS OF REDROOF (7 Gozran)
Topside, Falina and Sabrina sneak off for some 'personal time.' Arani continues to keep watch, seeing and hearing nothing worrisome...yet.
"Show me all your secrets!" Sabrina replies to the question, kissing Falina passionately. Coming up for air, the redhead adds, "Including how to unlock the magic inside me!" Realizing Falina could take those words with an entirely different meaning, she adds, "Teach me how to become a sorceress!"
Falina looked Sabrinah deep in the eye and said, "You're taught to be a wizard, you study and learn, it isn't something you are born with." She tapped Sabrinah on the nose, "You are born a sorceress or gain the power from something else like I did." Her expression sobered very quickly, "But the kind of things that would give you that power are often...unpleasant and it comes at a steep cost." She thought back to the past and sad, "Looking back I was an idiot to do what I did," she seemed sad all of a sudden and her hand drifted up from Sabrinah's rear to her lower back, "the only good thing is finding you."
Falina met Sabrinah's eyes again, "What makes you think you have the magic inside of you to begin with? Have you been able to tap into it? Is there anything you've done that was spell-like in some way?"
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SEWERS OF REDROOF (7 Gozran)
"What's going on?" Mortan asks Davina in a loud whisper.
You suddenly notice that the walls and ceiling of the sewer passage are swarming with a great colony of bats! With an ear-piercing shriek the things take wing; you bat at them with your hands or weapon as a full-round action.
You’ve somehow stepped off the edge of the walkway and fallen into the nasty sewage channel! You spend a move action flailing your arms and legs as you try to swim enough to keep your head above the surface. You may attempt a DC 12 Climb check to pull yourself out of the foul water and regain your feet.
You see T’chazzar start swinging his swords at…well…nothing, in so far as you can see. Leora gives a startled cry and falls to the walkway, flailing about wildly. Jessibel is slow to react but doesn’t seem to be acting strangely…yet. Actions?
STREETS OF REDROOF (7 Gozran)
Still pretty quite topside.
Sabrina says that magic runs in her family: Her mom's a bard and her two siblings are a summoner and an illusionist. She also claims that she's had a few minor incidents where she's produced a weak magical effect.
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"There seems to be something down here. A shadowy thing. I'm going to go look at it.'
"Leora! Are you all right?" She rushes up to cleric to help her up.
STREETS OF REDROOF (7 Gozran)
While Falina and Sabrina continue their private conversation, Mortan waves for the topside lookouts to join him at the sewer grate.
"My parents thought I'd never amount to anything," Sabrina confesses. "I've managed to create some minor sounds and flashes of light to use as distractions when out doing mischief with Jessibel and some other friends. I'm not sure what I'm drawn to.... Trouble-making, maybe."
SEWERS OF REDROOF (7 Gozran)
Davina closes on the monstrous glob, which tries to climb out of the sewage, the better to attack those who've invaded its realm.
SEWERS OF REDROOF (7 Gozran)
Davina bravely moves to engage the monster. Jessibel stabs at the thing with her rapier, missing by a country mile. The lumpy creature, climbs onto the ledge, lashing at Davina with a tendril, barely missing.
You’ve somehow stepped off the edge of the walkway and fallen into the nasty sewage channel! You spend a move action flailing your arms and legs as you try to swim enough to keep your head above the surface. You may attempt a DC 12 Climb check to pull yourself out of the foul water and regain your feet.
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