Calandra takes the note back from Atherton and passes it to Reth. "Midland" She agrees with Ath with a nod of her head and a small sigh "The question is which way to get there quickly, especially with others heading that way that we need to beat. The shingles are risky but may be our best bet.."
"I thought a bit of order has been reinstated in the city. You can always count on my protection when trouble might come a'calling. Let's go through the Shingles then."
"I thought a bit of order has been reinstated in the city. You can always count on my protection when trouble might come a'calling. Let's go through the Shingles then."
After reading the note, "While I think we should take pains to avoid the Hellknights and Grey Maidens, I don't relish the idea of jumpin from buildin to buildin or fallin and breakin our necks. I think I'll be faster on the ground usin the most direct streets."
Atherton shakes his head "There isn't a faster, quieter way than the Shingles. Its a favorite of pick-pockets and thieves for a reason; easy to move quickly and keep a low profile."
Atherton shakes his head "There isn't a faster, quieter way than the Shingles. Its a favorite of pick-pockets and thieves for a reason; easy to move quickly and keep a low profile."
Reth shrugs, "Ok, Shingles it is. We best get movin."
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The group follows Ath through the streets of the city, moving through back alley ways until eventually Ath stops and gives everyone a boost onto low roof, from here, the path follows a slightly circuitous route, climbing as much in some places as the route actually takes the team forward.
Moving slower than Ath expected, since only he is familiar with the Shingles, you finally get into (above) the area known as Midland...
Your view from on high gives a unique perspective too, and though you see mobs of Maidens, Hell Knights and rioters ransacking buildings, the general area they are centring on, and the building they will eventually close on, becomes clear.
With just a few more hops and leaps, you make it into a back street behind the building, hopefully ahead of any of the other groups.....
Reth straps his shield to his back to free his hands and signals for everyone to halt, he turns to the others an whispers, "I think Cal, Ath, and myself should scout the building quickly to get a feel for it's layout and possible entrances."
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Reth straps his shield to his back to free his hands and signals for everyone to halt, he turns to the others an whispers, "I think Cal, Ath, and myself should scout the building quickly to get a feel for it's layout and possible entrances."
From what you saw before you dropped to street level and from the increasing noise, you don't have much time before the other armed groups show up.
Reth straps his shield to his back to free his hands and signals for everyone to halt, he turns to the others an whispers, "I think Cal, Ath, and myself should scout the building quickly to get a feel for it's layout and possible entrances."From what you saw before you dropped to street level and from the increasing noise, you don't have much time before the other armed groups show up.
Tilting his head to listen, "Ah, by the Hells! Scratch that, it looks as if we will have company soon. We better get her and get out quick."
Atherton nods grimly, loading his crossbow. "Let's go then."
There are no windows on the lowest level, and barred windows on the floors above. There are no doors on this side of the building, but a large communal doorway stands to the front, with a small group of residents standing watching the streets, looking worried.
Reth nods toward the residents and leans in close to Cal whispering, "Could you be ready to knock these people out with that song of yours if they should prove unhelpful?" He then recalls the songs effect on himself, "Can you do it without puttin us too sleep also? Of course, I suggest we try talkin with them first." He motions with his hand for her to take the lead, "After you."
Cal gives a tiny smile "Lullabys are rarely accurate, so you may wish to quickly cover your ears this time if it comes to it" she replies with a little wink at Rethvian's suggestion before looking to Atherton. "Could you stay up here? It may be worth watching the building as a whole in case she has another way out that we aren't seeing. The last thing we need is her fleeing straight into the arms of a mob of some description" She requests, her tone a little long suffering.
Afixing a sweet, helpful smile to her face she carefully makes her way towards the small group of residents clustered around the communal doorway.
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Afixing a sweet, helpful smile to her face she carefully makes her way towards the small group of residents clustered around the communal doorway.
As Cal moves forward the crowd moves slightly, forming a semi-circle in the doorway, blocking it quite well, and going ominously quiet.
A woman steps forward, in her mid fourties and human, almost as round as she is tal and wearing a stained apron. Her hands are too soft for her to be anything but a wash-woman. Her voice is deep and commanding, "What do you want, girl?"
Cal smiles gently, clearly genuinely a little touched by the display of support by the group. "You're a good woman" She gently tells the washer woman before continue "My name is Calandra, I'm here to help someone I believe lives here. I'm working with a group not swayed by rumour and wanting to see innocent people safe so real justice can be served" She explains swiftly and as calmly as she can all things considered. "Please, you have to trust me, surely I'm a much better option than the mobs and he hellknights that are approaching."
Atherton nods to Calandra's request; remaining hidden in a spot where he can watch the building.
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Cal smiles gently, clearly genuinely a little touched by the display of support by the group. "You're a good woman" She gently tells the washer woman before continue "My name is Calandra, I'm here to help someone I believe lives here. I'm working with a group not swayed by rumour and wanting to see innocent people safe so real justice can be served" She explains swiftly and as calmly as she can all things considered. "Please, you have to trust me, surely I'm a much better option than the mobs and he hellknights that are approaching."
Could I have a Diplomacy check please?
Ward' keeps an eye on the ends of the street to stand ready in case a mob comes round the corner, "I'd listen to the lady our purpose here is really no more than the pursuit of justice."
for Cal,
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Diplomacy (1d20+6=16)
for Cal,
Diplo plus assist (1d20+11=25)
The woman smiles warmly, "I believe maybe it is. Who exactly do you persue? and why here? and how will you bring this justice?"
Perception DC21:
Perception (humans in urban environment) (1d20+10=23)
Reth casually leans in to Cal and whispers, "Small lad just ran inside to alert our quarry." He then tries to follow the lad hopefully through a gap in the crowd. If not, than he will move someone who looks fairly lightweight and/or timid to the side and move by.
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Perception (humans in urban environment) (1d20+10=23)
Reth casually leans in to Cal and whispers, "Small lad just ran inside to alert our quarry." He then tries to follow the lad hopefully through a gap in the crowd. If not, than he will move someone who looks fairly lightweight and/or timid to the side and move by.
As Reth moves forward, the crowd moves forward as one silent mass, with no obvious person to move. The "ranks" are at least two deep all accross the doorway.
The woman turns to Cal "Is this what you call justice, pushing and shoving because we are not quick enough for you? Answer my questions, please, and we shall decide if you should pass."
Reth shrugs and stands off, "Lady, I just want to keep myself and our charge ahead of the mobs and Hellknights who won't stop to allow you to ask them questions but will instead resort to violence. I, however, commend you on your loyalty but suggest you come to a decision soon lest that freedom be taken from us all very quickly." He glances meanfully down the street to where the din of unfriendly people moving in this direction is getting steadily louder.
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Reth shrugs and stands off, "Lady, I just want to keep myself and our charge ahead of the mobs and Hellknights who won't stop to allow you to ask them questions but will instead resort to violence. I, however, commend you on your loyalty but suggest you come to a decision soon lest that freedom be taken from us all very quickly." He glances meanfully down the street to where the din of unfriendly people moving in this direction is getting steadily louder.
The woman follows Reths gaze, and sighs.
"That's as may be, and they may very well be as bad as you suggest, but I will ask the same curtesy of them, as of you, even if all I get from it is a sword in my gut. Answer my questions, and my friends will move, as sure as eggs is eggs."
Cal smiles gently "Dear people, we here looking for Trinia. I apologise for how short and urgent we are being but this really is a dire situation. We plan to take her somewhere safe, to get her side of the story and to protect her if that is what is needed. We don't believe everything we hear." She explains as calmly as she can manage "And my companion only rushes and pushes a little because he's scared that the young woman will try to flee, and straight into the arms of either a brutal mob or men who will hand the poor girl straight into the 'justice' of the queen"
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Cal smiles gently "Dear people, we here looking for Trinia. I apologise for how short and urgent we are being but this really is a dire situation. We plan to take her somewhere safe, to get her side of the story and to protect her if that is what is needed. We don't believe everything we hear." She explains as calmly as she can manage "And my companion only rushes and pushes a little because he's scared that the young woman will try to flee, and straight into the arms of either a brutal mob or men who will hand the poor girl straight into the 'justice' of the queen"
The woman smiles warmly, "Now you see girl, that wasn't so hard, was it?
"Her room is on the fourth floor, the first door after the stairs."
With that, the crowd moves to the side, leaving a small passageway for you to move single file, into the building. Inside the door, the short corridor is split in two by the flight of stairs to the right.
As Reth passes by he gives the woman a very serious look, "Your mission of protectin Trinia has been accomplished. We'll take it from here. Keep your people safe and out of the Hellknights and mobs way if possible." Not waiting for a response he continues up the stairs.
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Reth:
Ath+Ward
Nevyn, Cal, and maybe Malik:
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** spoiler omitted **
Nevyn and Cal:
1d20+10=12
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Nevyn and Cal:
** spoiler omitted **
Reth:
Reth 2:
Come on people.....
Ath's group:
Ath's group 2:
Nevyn and Cal:
Reth's hand passes right through the woman on the bed and he snatches it back as if burned. "What in the...."
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To simulate this rooftop chase, you’ll need to do a little bit of prep work. Take 15 small pieces of paper—pieces the size of playing cards or sticky notes work perfectly. Each one of these papers represents a section of the Shingles the PCs are chasing Trinia through, and each one presents a different set of obstacles the characters must navigate in order to move on to the next card. Mark each card with a number from 1 to 15, and then pick two obstacles from the Shingles Obstacles sidebar and write them (and their skill checks to navigate) on the card. It’s okay to reuse obstacles, but try to vary the obstacles between cards so that you aren’t unduly punishing or rewarding certain skills. Once your 15 cards are ready, line them up on your gaming table.
When the Shingle chase begins, place miniatures (or other markers of your choice) representing each of your PCs on card 1, and place a miniature representing Trinia on card # (the abstract nature of the chase allows you to start her here no matter how long it takes the PCs to notice her attempt to flee).
At the start of the chase, each PC and Trinia makes an Initiative check to determine the order in which they move. When a character moves, he decides if he wants to attempt to move one, two, or three cards. A character can move one card as a move-equivalent action (scrambling under laundry lines and across open rooftops) automatically, or he can attempt to move two or three cards in his turn by taking dangerous shortcuts as a full-round action (leaping from one rooftop to the next, clambering up a drainpipe, swinging along a line, or balancing along a narrow walkway, for example). If a character wants to move two cards, he must select one of the two skill checks from the card he starts his turn on to make in order to move two cards. If a character wants to move three cards, he must make both of the current card’s skill checks to progress. If a character fails any of these checks by 5 or less, he only moves one card forward. If a character fails any of these checks by more than 5, he cannot move at all that turn, and if he fails two checks by more than 5, he falls 1d4×10 feet to the street below, taking the appropriate amount of falling damage.
A fallen character has two choices—he can either make a DC 15 Climb check on his turn to return to the card from which he fell, or he can find his way through alleys and over fences and through mobs to continue the chase by making a DC 15 Strength or Dexterity check (his choice)
to move one card—a fallen character cannot choose to attempt to move two or three cards until he climbs back up into the Shingles.
A character can also choose to make a ranged attack or cast a spell during his turn. If the action is a standard or move-equivalent action, he can still chose to move forward one card. If the action is a full-round action, he can’t move at all. For purposes of determining range, it’s easiest to assume that each card represents a distance of
30 feet.
Shingle Obstacles
While a character’s speed doesn’t directly affect how far he moves during the Shingle chase, it does affect how quickly he navigates obstacles. For each 10 feet slower than speed 30 a character moves, he suffers a cumulative –2 penalty on any skill check made to navigate these obstacles. Likewise, for every 10 feet faster than speed 30 he moves, he gains a +2 bonus on these checks. These checks also assume that a character isn’t using flight, teleportation, or other magical methods of travel to chase Trinia—if your PCs have access to these effects already, you can simulate the advantages these grant by giving a +10 bonus on skill checks made here, simulating the character’s use of enhanced movement to bypass obstacles entirely and allowing him to move up to three cards per turn with ease.
Cluttered Rooftop: Tumble DC 10
Crumbling Rooftop: Tumble DC 20
Gap in Wall: Escape Artist DC 15
Hidden Shortcut: Spot DC 15
Narrow Hole in Wall: Escape Artist DC 25
Narrow Rooftop Leap: Jump DC 15
Narrow Walkway: Balance DC 15
Tightrope Shortcut: Balance DC 20
Very Hidden Shortcut: Spot DC 25
Very Steep Roof: Climb DC 10
Wall: Climb DC 20
Wide Rooftop Leap: Jump DC 25
Atherton stands in the shadow of an overhanging roof, shifting a little nervously as he hears the sounds of the hellknights and mobs approaching. He doesn't especially like the idea of being caught between them and the focus of their anger.