Dom nods grimly at tengu weaponsmith. "Master Chulko, of course we will see to Miss Korva. For your interest, of course, but as Falina said, if we do not do right by those who have stood by us, we deserve nothing." He looks over at Falina for a moment, then is lost in thought...
"What's it gonna be, Dom? Eradon manor, I think," suggests T'chazzar.
...until T'chazzar snaps him out of it. "Do you think?" Dom asks, chewing his lip in concentration. "Gods know I want to, but it almost sounds like the worst is over there. If Master Dekamund will accompany Kiri to see to Maggie and Treep, I'd figure Miss Korva to be the top priority. Then," Dom's fist tightens in front of him until the knuckles whiten, "Then I settle up with the ones who attacked the house."
"I think my house is all right for the moment. Getting roughed up a bit, while not a good thing, isn't as bad as being hauled off to prison. I care that my books have been taken out of the Manor, but lives are more important. Let's take care of Miss Korva."
"I agree with Davina. The lone person, possibly wounded, in the enemy stronghold should be our top priority. We've seen what they do to captives they want information out of." Arani says, her voice steel. "Every moment there leaves her possibly at the mercy of one of those torture devils or worse."
Falina was relieved to see that Kiri made it away in one piece, that was one less worry for them, but was shocked when the tengu with her approached and offered her a gift of a whip. Her eyes widened as she took the weapon which she uncoiled with a gentle shake of her wrist. she moved it carefully, not cracking it like she would if she were trying to attack someone, and nodded in the end as she said, "It may not be as good as the one I once had," there was then a smile on her face, "but it is a start and I can make it better given time." What she did next was unclear but she flipped her wrist oddly and shifted her arm and caused the whip to flip around her waist several times before she tucked the handle and end in behind the rest turning it into what looked like a fancy sash.
Falina's gaze went back to Chuko and she leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on his beak, "Thank you for this gift, I will put it to good use." With that Falina stepped back and listened to what all was said.
As they determined what to do next Falina gave Davina an apologetic look and said, "I am relieved that you feel that way, I am sure it must be a hard choice to make but it is the right one." She sighed then and said, "Besides, they are probably watching the Manor for you to return anyway. Giving them time to get bored and give up is probably the wisest course of action."
At Davina's words, Dom chimes in. "Oh, let them try again, as long as they make the attempt when I am around."
"So, how shall we approach the Pitchfork? A fresh round of disguises, then step in for a drink? Do we pose as CCG ourselves?"
Good questions Dom. She thinks for a while, and pulls out her notebook to take notes. Finally looking up she says. "What about a side entrance? We can pose as "help" or "delivery people". We can also disguise ourselves and pose as patrons. I don't like posing as CCG in one of their dens. Too much chance there's a password or something we won't know. I like the delivery person idea myself."
"Makes sense. Service people tend to become invisible....like furniture. Barely worth a second look." Arani says with a nod.
Domitius nods along. "To pose as delivery people, we need something to deliver, nyet? We will have to put something together that looks plausible. Miss Setrona, may I poke around your storeroom for a moment? I swear I will break nothing," he smiles.
Falina considered the situation and asked, "What would make a good delivery for them? Are we talking food or gifts or something else? Do they even let others deliver to them or go send their own to retrieve what they need?"
TOOTH AND NAIL (22 Gozran)
Setrona gives Dom permission to scour her storeroom for potential props. She even offers to let your party take a large sack of flour, saying she can borrow from Luculla next door until she can get it replaced.
"Thank you very much, Miss Setrona." Dom turns to his friends. "Okay, we're delivery people. Get a look together, and don't bring anything with you that can't plausibly be concealed in an outfit like that." Dom looks over his starter arsenal, and strips it down to just the sap and the mithril knife.
[dice=Disguise]1d20+9dice]
"Got it."
T'chazzar's disguise is... passable, but not great. He looks kind of like an elf in some stages of a blotchy pox.
"Thank you Setrona." Davina grins and heads to their rooms to get ready. "This should be fun. Come on. Let's get everyone disguised as delivery people. or should we be half guests and half delivery people so we can go in two different doors?"
Arani is able to throw together an adequate disguise. though by no means her best.
THE PITCHFORK & FLAGON (22 Gozran)
Inside the front doors is a relatively spacious room. Only two six-foot-diameter circular wooden table are set here, and each is accompanied by three stout chairs. A small, unattended bar is set against the north wall. A narrow flight of stairs to the northwest leads up to an elevated chamber, likely the main tavern, as you can hear singing and some conversation coming from that direction.
Another wider set of stairs is to the east, leading down to another eating and drinking chamber. To get there, however, you’ll likely have to go through the three armed and armored Chelish Citizens Group members sitting at the table near the top of the stairs. Indeed, all three men glare at your group as you enter. One growls, ”No rooms available” while another points to the northwest stairs and adds, ”Main tavern’s up there.”
In the lower chamber are another four men clad in the black-and-red studded leather distinctive to the Queensmen. These men are playing cards and barely look up when you enter.
Falina adopted yet another new shape for their most recent meeting, this time a seemingly plain looking chelaxian woman with blonde hair, and joined her companions in their mission. With their cargo to deliver they made their way to the Queensman's base to attempt their rescue operation. She was prepared to distract people if necessary and her outfit was one that would conceal her beauty until and unless she needed it.
When they were directed upstairs and it seemed their disguises held Falina knew this was likely the last place they would find the Fushi Sisters they were looking for. They would need to go downstairs, she was sure of it, and that meant finding a way past the guards. Falina considered what to do and felt confident that she could get access but it would only be here and that might not end well for her. For now she would wait and see what would happen.
”Main tavern’s up there.”
Dom shifts the weight in his arms. "OK, but where's the storeroom? Don't want the patrons trippin' over boxes, eh?"
THE PITCHFORK & FLAGON (22 Gozran)
"The flour can go in the kitchen," the first speaker replies to Dom. "Put everything else on the corner table for now."
Falina was disappointed in the results of their efforts and knew there ploy wasn't going to work out like they had hoped. She supposed they should have known it wouldn't be this easy which just meant they would have to improvise. Following the instructions Falina set her load down where indicated and then turned to leave the establishment. When she got outside she waited for the others to arrive so they could make a decision on what to do next.
THE PITCHFORK & FLAGON (22 Gozran)
Realizing that they'd taken the ruse as far as they could, Arani waits until Falina is at the door before acting. In a single smooth movement, she turns, drawing her bow and firing an arrow into the nearest guard
Dom catches Arani's intent, and as she goes for her bow, he pulls his orcish war mask out of the delivery crate, slipping it over his face. "We do have one more thing for you," he says, as the mithril dagger gleams in his hand.
THE PITCHFORK & FLAGON (22 Gozran)
Arani's sudden arrow takes the Queensman in the chest but doesn't drop him. Dom's follow-up stab with the dagger, however, sends the man bleeding out to the floor.
Quiet through this trip, T'chazzar silently produces a pair of swords and lays into the other queensman.
THE PITCHFORK & FLAGON (22 Gozran)
T'chazzar gets the drop on his foe, scoring a quick hit on the man's forearm.
Having ended up back outside the inn before the fighting started Falina was initially unaware of what had happened.
THE PITCHFORK & FLAGON (22 Gozran)
The Queensmen seem stunned that anyone would dare strike at them here in what amounts to their stronghold; they are very slow to react to your party's ambush.
Davina draws her extract of Shield. She drinks it and moves forward drawing her rapier as she goes. "Here goes nothing. I think we can do this. It's certainly going to gain attention."
T'chazzar thrusts twice at his opponent, hoping to keep his momentum.
With the sudden onset of hostilities before she could even make it outside the room Falina felt a tad irritated. Quickly though she realized this could be used to her advantage. Adopting a hysterical look Falina ran to the guards at the stair going down and cried out, "Pleasehelpmyco-workerswerekilledbytheterroristsandtheymademecomeherewithth emforsomereasonbutnowthey'rekillingeveryone!"
Adding to the sudden chaos, Arani fires a pair of arrows, each trailing a plume of smoke as they fly at two separate targets, erupting into a cloud of smoke as they strike.
The fury on his face concealed by his mask, Dukkan kicks the table aside, lashing out with his knife at the man who had been at the other side of it.
Dukkan also turns back to Falina, and snarls, "You?! We'll deal with you soon enough."
THE PITCHFORK & FLAGON (22 Gozran)
It's a bad day to be a Queensman....
T'chazzar's double strike drops his foe and Dom's dagger finds the jugular of his target, sending the man slumping to the floor with a surprised gurgling gasp. Arani misses with her first arrow but the second flies true, hurting her target and covering the man in a cloud of smoke. Davina readies herself for a long fight while Falina tries (unsuccessfully, it appears) to mess with the remaining Queensmen's minds.
The four CCG fellows still standing after the party's ambush scream out an alarm, calling that the place is under attack and urging some unseen allies to "Guard the prisoners!" One positions himself before the entrance to a couple of staircases at the back of the lounge; another rushes up a set of stairs, raising the alarm in the main tavern area. The other two draw light maces and advance upon Davina and Dom. Dom's foe misses badly. Davina's, however, leers as his mace closes on the woman's face...but then his look becomes befuddled as an invisible force deflects his blow at the last instant. The guy's so shook up that he's unable to defend against Davina's quick riposte!
for
for
"Prisoners." Plural?
A bit distracted by that call, even as Dukkan takes his foe's measure, this strike with his knife isn't as sure as the previous ones.
Rather surprised that his double strike actually did the job, T'chazzar steps up next to Dom to help him as well.
THE PITCHFORK & FLAGON (22 Gozran)
Dom and T'chazzar go to work on the two wounded Queensmen guarding the way deeper into the building. All their strikes connect, but the two men still stand after the attack...although just barely.
Falina, deciding that what she intended just wasn't working, said, "Abyss with them," and cast a spell. Immiediately a pair of magical projectiles lanced out, one at each of the wounded guards. Advancing as they flew she moved closer to the actual fighting.
Arani is deathly silent amid the chaos, looking past the furious melee to nail the last guard to leave his seat to the wall behind him.