As you watch you see the gnome and the halfling and the wolf the door opens and a human woman, with a sword at her waist invites them in.
Perception:
You spot some insignia. She definitely is a member of the guard. You also spot a holy symbol of some kind which you think is of an evil god...but you aren't sure.
Bazzle regards the woman. A little nervous feeling like she knows more about the situation than he or his new friend. "So you are not our host?" Bazzle looks around suspiciously. "Guess we will wait together." Bazzle enters the home and looks around.
You make your way inside.
The cozy chamber within this small home is filled
with a fragrant haze of flowers and strong spice.
The haze comes from several sticks of incense
smouldering in wall-mounted burners that look
like butterfly-winged elves. The smoke itself seems
to soften edges and gives the room a dream-like feel.
The walls are draped with brocaded tapestries,
one showing a black-skulled beast juggling
men’s hearts, another showing a pair of angels
dancing atop a snow-blasted mountain. A third
tapestry on the far wall depicts a tall hooded figure
shrouded in mist, a flaming sword held in a skeletal
hand. Several brightly-colored rugs cover the floor,
but the room’s only furnishings are a wooden table covered by
a bright red throwcloth and several elegant tall-backed chairs. A
basket covered by blue cloth sits under the table.
On the table is a note which reads.
Had to step out for a while. I will return later. Thank you so much for coming. There is a basket with bread and wine under the table. Please make yourself at home while you wait. Should anyone else arrive please let them in.
You see the gnome, halfling, wolf and woman go back into the house
Bazzle sniffs deeply seeming to like the smell. "Mmmmmmmm, pleasant enough incense." He looks about the room studying the tapestries curiously. "Aren't these some fancy tapestries for such a modest building. I mean its like stained glass window on . . . on an outhouse."
"Don't get jumpy all I am going to check for magic." Bazzle says a few words and touches his eyes, he looks to be casting as spell.
Darry stared at the tall woman for a long moment a little frown on his face. She looked like a city guardswoman. He wasnt the most fond of them at the moment, after all, they accused his Da of murder most fowl based on the accounts of a drunken fisherman who was obviously a no good sort. Now she was here where they were supposed to meet up with someone who had information on Lamm.
He certainly didnt plan on chastising the man and letting him off with a warning... so the law being there well... It already didnt sit well with the halfling what he wanted to do to Lamm.
Beggin' your pardons m'am. So uh... the owner of this nice place in trouble or something? We dont want no trouble do we Sebastion?
He finally asked her bowing his head in an suplicantantal manner, taking off his leather cap to show what he hoped was difference enough for the guard.
Kazadarin slips from the shadows and holds his great clue by his side utilizing his cloak to cover it. The ranger makes his way the the door and knocks before stepping away and to the side of the door.
Three people gnome, halfling, human woman. The human woman is the guard with the holy symbol which you, in all your lack of religion think is unholy.
Before you are able to speak much at all, you hear yet another knock on the door.
Upon opening it you see a large human male, with a massive club at his waist.
Ah then, so he's got to you too somehow then. I wonder whom our benefactor is, This doesnt feel like a trap somehow.
He said nervously patting atop Sebastion's head. He paused as the man with the massive club arrived, His eyes boggling for the moment at the very size of it. It was almost as tall as he was.
"nice tree you're carrying there friend.
He said feeling his mount and friend tense just a bit under his hand.
When the stranger with the big club enters Bazzle looks up, "whoa . . . that's a big club."
you recognize that Kara is a member of the guard. You see a holy symbol. roll religion
you know nothing about the others. Also please put your skills in a spoiler in the stat line for me.
Bump
Bazzle looks at the table. "Hey there is some wine and stuff here and maybe some of us need to take the edge off. Or put their edges back in scabbards and find out why we are all here. Lets face it if were a trap wouldn't it have made more sense to bring us here separately."
There is, in fact, wine and bread in a basket under the table. The wine, if you drink it, is middling, while the bread is tasty, if a bit stale
He stood mouth agape with Sebastion while the tall folk had their little stand off. Of all the silly things to be argueing over. He did edge off to the side in case they both decided to fight it out in the room. No sense in getting hurt while they had their spat. He pulled out his and Sebastion's card just in case they decided a card was a requirement.
Both of you have spent your day gathering info and supplies and you both make your way to the house and actually meet on the stoop of the door.
Donnen sees the other Varisian in front of the door and blinks carefully. Apparently, another man invited here - this whole Lamm story is getting more complicated by the minute.
Howdy... - he greets, trying to look friendly.
ok moving on. No Gene post so here we go.
Everyone inside has come to the conclusion that no one is evil, and everyone was delivered a card. The food and wine is edible and nothing special, but it is fine. After several hours there is another knock at the door and two humans stand outside, Kara recognizes one as the one that ran away from her earlier, and Kaz recognizes him as well. No one recognizes the other young man, who has a pistol at his waist.
Shortly after the door closes it opens again and a middle aged Varisian woman stands there.
“Thank you for coming, my friends, and for putting up with
my unconventional method of contacting you. I have reason to
remain hidden, you see—a terrible man would see great harm
done to me if he knew I was reaching out for help. This is a man
you know, for he has done something terrible to each of you as
well. I speak, of course, of Gaedren Lamm, a man whose cruelty
and capacity to destroy the lives of those he touches are matched
only by his gift for avoiding reprisal. You see, a year ago, his thieves
stole this, my Harrow deck, from me. It is important to me, an
heirloom passed down through a dozen generations, and also my
sole means of support. When pickpockets stole it, my son, Eran,
tracked them down. The thieves were in the employ of Gaedren
Lamm, and in reward for finding them, Gaedren murdered my son.
“I sought help from the Guard, but they turned me away.
And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my Harrow
deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I found out
where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery
north of here at Westpier 17, where he trains his abducted
children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures.
“And now, I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man
on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that if I were to go
to them, Gaedren would certainly know of their coming well in
advance. Even if they did arrest him—what guarantee would I
have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for
decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on
the street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So
there we are. It is time for him to pay.”
Very well. - the rogue says - How did your deck give you such an accurate location of where he is?
He moves a little closer to her.
Forgive me, I don't want to sound like I don't believe it but... - he pauses briefly - ... It seems like a lot of information. And how do you know he wronged all of us?
The cards have always been particularly honest with me. Especially since it involved someone so dear to me to begin with. I asked the cards to find me others wronged like me and they found you for me.
Bazzle has sort of enjoyed the interactions with the others. Passing the time over some bread and wine. When Donnen continues with his questioning dancing around the issue if the whole situation was a trap.
"Really if it was a trap why not kill us when they planted the cards or instead of planting the cards. Why summon us all on the same day? Makes no sense. If all of us are in on it just to get to you . . . why have we waited this long before we get our business done?"
Turning his attention to the hostess. "Curious how did your Harrow Deck return to you if it was stolen and your son murdered in its recovery. Clearly it is more significant than an average Harrow Deck? Does you skill with the Harrow provide a strategy to take Lamm down or what we might expect."
Bazzle looks a little sheepish like he knows he did something wrong, "Oh and I am sorry to hear of your loss."
She nods at Bazzle's question and Donnen's paranoia
Though I am not capable to taking him down on my own, I am not exactly a fighter, I am not without any resources. I was able to retrieve my deck from him, but that was only because, it is, after all just a deck of cards to anyone without the skill.
Then she continues
As to my plan, I intend for you to go through the front or side door of his hideout that he is currently using and then take care of business.
All manner of henchmen. There is nothing special about Lamm, other than he has been highly effective and being an all around bastard and cancer on society. I suspect there are probably some traps in the place as well.