"Everything okay down there?"
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The hot, noonday sun shines down on Korvosa, as Reth stalks the back allay ways, and embraces the shade.
It's been a long night, since he was woken in the dark, a uniform flung at him from a far. 12 hours give or take, since the King died. From what they were told, and 11 hours, give or take, since the general public found out. Who would have thought chaos could come so quickly?
The entire sable company was roused at a little after 1am, told the dreadful news, and given assignments, it seems the same is true of the Korvosan Guard. Everyone from Marcus Endrin, commander of the company, to the rawest new recruit, was at the briefing in the dark courtyard. Where Reth, not far from the bottom of the ladder, not being a part of the company proper, and his compatriots were given ground based duties, to be led by a marine.
Hours have passed since then, quelling riots, stopping looters, until finally, a mage gone mad separated Reth from his unit, and he has been tracing a path back to their original route ever since.
After it came light, it became apparent that the main streets were not safe, even for a uniformed member of the sable company. Doorways are now being boarded up by scared citizens, and Reth, wisely keeps to the shade of the alleyways where mobs cannot group.
As he enters the main street from the alleyway, this part of Korvosa looks relatively unscathed. Possibly because it was poor to start with, the riots and looters have moved away, leaving the docks eerily quiet. Across the way is the place his sources tell him Lamm hides out. No time for that now though, the city needs him.
He passes up the street reluctantly, keeping to the walls of the abandoned dock buildings.
He doesn't notice the man in the doorway he passes, or the next man, a little further down the street emerging from an alleyway. He does notice the third man, standing in the street with what appears to be a bat of some type, leaning casually against the wall, and he does notice the girl he is watching pass across the street.
It is when Reth is 30 or so feet from the man, that he takes a step and grabs the woman. Her scream echos down the near empty street.
Slowly and carefully Calandra follows Atherton and Istas, keeping an eye out for more troublesome spiders.
Atherton stumbles back into the stairwell, cursing "More of the damned spiders! It sounds like lots of them."
The unseen thugs around Reth hear a deep growl from him. As he approaches the man he says, "I have seen enough sewer sludge come into Sarenrae's light today. ::lowering his voice:: I suggest you release the woman and return to the dank depths with your otyugh brethren right quick before I take it upon myself to see that you are their next meal."
With his shield out he advances to within 5' while drawing his blade making sure that the man sees the badge of the Sable Company he wears on his arm.
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Well I thought I may as well get you involved sometime, and since I don't know either how long it will take to get to the point where the rest of the group discovers you, or how long they will be with Lamm, I thought we may as well start now.
The man swings the girl around with a well practiced motion, Pulling her close as he allows the bat to drop to the floor, and instead puts a dagger to her throte you hadn't even seen. He doesn't seem to think further words are necessary.
It is as you stop, but the echos of footsteps continue a second too long, that you become aware of the two men now behind you. A glance behind shows them to have stopped about 10ft away, and drawn short swords.
"I will put these nasty buggers to sleep. Then you should be able to take them out without problems."
Malik steps a bit forward and waves his hands in a lullabying pattern.
"I will put these nasty buggers to sleep. Then you should be able to take them out without problems." Malik steps a bit forward and waves his hands in a lullabying pattern.
"We're all here for a reason," Istas nods, stepping aside for Atherton to extract himself from the narrow stairwell and to allow Malik an opportunity to weave his magic.
"Can someone bring a light to bear here?" the priestess suggests to the others, "It'll help us find them...and our way to this secret access the gnome described."
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"I will put these nasty buggers to sleep. Then you should be able to take them out without problems."
Malik steps a bit forward and waves his hands in a lullabying pattern.
The noise from inside halts completely at the completion of Malik's spell, only to return a moment later, reduced, by the sound of it, but still there.
The noise from inside halts completely at the completion of Malik's spell, only to return a moment later, reduced, by the sound of it, but still there.
"In we go..." Istas states. If no one else has a light source ready, she lights a torch and hands it to Malik.
Taking note of the pair behind him ::and cursing himself for not following his own advice of scouting out a situation before engaging:: he begins to swing around the thug and woman so they are no longer flanking him while placing the signal whistle he is carrying around his neck to his lips with his sword hand and blowing. He looks toward the sky, "Hey solly ever been torn apart by a hippogriff? It's not pretty. Killing the girl will only assure your fate."
Malik holds the torch into the room. Otherwise he is very aware of any attacks going his way.
"In we go..." Istas states. If no one else has a light source ready, she lights a torch and hands it to Malik.
"Oh, joy." Atherton mutters sourly before stepping in after Istas.
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The light from Malik's torch is enough to scare the spiders back a littler, and illuminate the hold. It obviously hasn't been used in years, and is a tumble of crates and barrels, all covered over in webbing.
There appear to be two spiders fleeing to the end of the ship, and two motionless on the floor.
Malik waits for at least two others to go down the stairs, before following down into the hold.
Istas strides confidently through the hold, taking comfort in the surety of her goddess' purpose in guiding them here. Seeing the two spiders trying to sneak away from the light, she points them out by throwing her spear at one.
Istas' attack... (1d20+1 = 18 to hit, 1d6+1 = 5 damage)
Then the priestess draws her club and readies her shield to take on the next one while Malik and the others deal with the two lying still on the floor.
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Following behind everyone Calandra quietly looks over the situation before her, attempting to formulate a plan.
Istas strides confidently through the hold, taking comfort in the surety of her goddess' purpose in guiding them here. Seeing the two spiders trying to sneak away from the light, she points them out by throwing her spear at one.
Istas' attack... (1d20+1 = 18 to hit, 1d6+1 = 5 damage)
Then the priestess draws her club and readies her shield to take on the next one while Malik and the others deal with the two lying still on the floor.
The spear hits the spider dead on, pinning it's now lifeless body to the floor.
The spear hits the spider dead on, pinning it's now lifeless body to the floor.
"There's another one...there," Istas points out for Torillan as she tries to help him corner it.
"Atherton? Calandra? Malik?" she calls over her shoulder, "See what you can do about the other ones. They look spellbound, but if we have to come back this way, it's better if we exterminate them now."
Malik gulps his fear down. "I don't like spiders very much." and follows after.
Shouldn't be too difficult to kill a sleeping spider, isn't it?
"There's another one...there," Istas points out for Torillan as she tries to help him corner it.
"Got it...c'mere, ya little....."
"Dammit!!"
For Nevyn:
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For Nevyn:
** spoiler omitted **
As he finnishes his sentence, Reth notices two things, the first is that the man isn't actually holding the woman very hard, oh, he's making a good show, but...The second is the hand crossbow the woman is holding. This swings up as she getss off a shot, directly at Reth. Fortunately, in her hast, the bolt misses by a long shot....
"Let's take out the other two." Malik says at the bottom of the stairs.
Calandra gives Malik a small, sympathetic smile and places a hand gently on his shoulder. "That sounds like a good plan" She agrees before moving forward, keeping an eye out for any more spiders that may decide to jump down on them as they move towards the others.
The last spider, decides today is not a good day to die, and legs it though the nearest available crack, and presumably up the outside of the hull....
Leaving Torillan to ensure the other spider is driven away, Istas marches back to others. She gives Malik a surprised look. "What? You haven't dealt with these yet?" She proceeds to bash the first one with her club.
Damage from club coup de grace... (1d6+1=6, 1d6+1=3)
"What's the problem? No big deal. They squish easily enough. They're just bigger..." she explains.
She leaves the last one for Calandra, Malik or Atherton. Then she goes to retrieve her spear, making sure to clean both weapons before putting them away.
"Now...where's that secret access the gnome described?"
"Now...where's that secret access the gnome described?"
"I'm working on that. Bring that torch over her, I need light." Atherton says, carefully inspecting the hold's hull where the gnome described.
"I'm working on that. Bring that torch over her, I need light." Atherton says, carefully inspecting the hold's hull where the gnome described.
Istas does as the rogue asks, brining the torch close enough for both of them to examine the hold, and especially the ship's hull, for presumably that must be where the secret exit lies.
Ouch
Malik sees Istas and Aterton at the front and Calandra going by to join them. The sleeping spider is still unmoving, but Torillan makes no sign to take care of her. He begins to shiver, until a look of determination wins through the turmoil on his face... and he jumps with both feet to the last 'enemy'. "Ha! Die, arachnid!" and slams it with his torch.
Turning back to face Malik a bright smile graces Calandra's face. "See? You can do it. You should worry less" She tells him certainly.
Malik sees Istas and Aterton at the front and Calandra going by to join them. The sleeping spider is still unmoving, but Torillan makes no sign to take care of her. He begins to shiver, until a look of determination wins through the turmoil on his face... and he jumps with both feet to the last 'enemy'. "Ha! Die, arachnid!" and slams it with his torch.
Atherton looks up from his work to see Malik bash the helpless spider "Why don't you make sure it's dead?" he asks sarcastically before going back to examining the hull.
Cal rolls her eyes at Atherton "Counterproductive much?" She questions in an unimpressed tone, growing more certain by the second that the grouping around her will never present any kind of unified front.
Cal rolls her eyes at Atherton "Counterproductive much?" She questions in an unimpressed tone, growing more certain by the second that the grouping around her will never present any kind of unified front.
"It isn't counterproductive to me, darling."
Placing her hands on her hips Calandra shakes her head a little at the rogue's words. "Really? I see it a little differently. This is a group job and causing rifts surely just increases our chance of failure -right? You do what you need to do to get the job done, and in this case that's working together so we don't end up croc-food" She points out with a small smirk "And you really haven't earnt the right to call me 'darling'"
Placing her hands on her hips Calandra shakes her head a little at the rogue's words. "Really? I see it a little differently. This is a group job and causing rifts surely just increases our chance of failure -right? You do what you need to do to get the job done, and in this case that's working together so we don't end up croc-food" She points out with a small smirk "And you really haven't earnt the right to call me 'darling'"
Atherton seems momentarily surprised but quickly regains his composure. "A man's allowed a joke isn't he?" he asks with feigned indignence. "Fine. I'll go back to my searching and you go back to looking after spider-boy here, darling."
Cal gives a small mischeivous grin at seeing Atherton's suprised expression. "Oh, a man can joke, I just didn't find it a particularily funny joke." She replies easily with a shrug "And I don't think Malik needs looking after, so I'm going to be staying right here next to you sweetheart"
Cal gives a small mischeivous grin at seeing Atherton's suprised expression. "Oh, a man can joke, I just didn't find it a particularily funny joke." She replies easily with a shrug "And I don't think Malik needs looking after, so I'm going to be staying right here next to you sweetheart"
"I'm not here for your amusement. And I don't need looking after either." Atherton says with a slightly arrogant grin. Then "Where is that damned passage?! If that little gnome was lying..."
"I wouldn't dream of trying to 'look after' you" The Varisian woman replies bluntly with an unimpressed wrinkle of her nose "I've known enough of your sort to know not to bother, if you need help it will become readily apparent and otherwise you're best left to your own devices. Still, we're bothworking towards the smae end here and if I want to get my shot in on Gaedren near the front with you is where I need to be"
"I've known enough of your sort to know not to bother, if you need help it will become readily apparent and otherwise you're best left to your own devices.
Atherton's smile vanishes, and he clenches his jaw "You really have no idea." he says quitely, staring straight ahead the hull in front of him.
Calandra watches Atherton closely for a moment, her expression a little curious. "Hey.. you really don't need to be so uptight you know" She tells him with a small smile "No man is an island, unless of course he's utterly diligent in burning all bridges, and shipping routes, but even then the odd nosy explorer is going to turn up."
Smiling to herself she turns her attention to searching for the door "Besides" She adds in a low tone "people who work alone in your line tend to hit stumbling blocks without a spare pair of eyes, or maybe a good 'dancer' to distract" She continues in an almost knowing voice as she runs her hand across the ships' hull.