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As the Pathfinders start to argue with the farmers, who claim to not know anything about why the chickens are on ground, suddenly the air fills with a tingle of magic. The keg keepers suddenly feel the Keg change. It starts to shrink suddenly until it is the size of a beer mug!
As the Pathfinders try to discover what happened, a lady appears behind the group and casts a spell towards Lhug.
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Lore, who had moved up to help lure chickens back to their cages turns around and peers back down the alley, surprised to see the keg shrunk down and a woman standing there...
She doesn't want to make it seem like they want the keg stolen, but she doesn't want to kill the woman either. As a result, she puts her best effort into an attempt at diplomacy. She steps through the ranks of the party and addresses the woman. "You're making a big mistake, trying to steal our party keg. Perhaps you should consider trying to buy your own"
Now, she knows for real that the woman isn't after just any old keg, but she's doing her best to resist the woman's involvement in the theft, without harming her overtly, so this seems the safest route to doing so.
Just looked at the map, I was supposed to be 50' in front, but its all good.
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Lhug draws his katana and then suddenly falls to the ground, sleeping. Long deep snores rattle off of the walls of the alley.
A female appears from nothingness (I-15). She appears to be a spell caster and has pale skin.
Fleetwood prepares a spell while Lore moves forward to help gather the chickens in.
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The witch queen's head flies from her body and suddenly bursts into flames! A bevy of young ladies cheer and rush forward to lift the conquering hero high into the air. An impromptu parade forms as he is carried through the streets, lifted high on an ocean of strumpets. His dragon horn drinking vessel is refilled endlessly with the finest stouts from tiny flying cherubs lifting many times their weight in beer. His friends follow closely behind, cheering loudly, except oddly Eadie appears to be some kind of half goat creature, meeping along with the cheers. A loud rhythmic snorting appears to be keeping pace, is that someone snoring?
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Eadie sees the look on Lore's face and the apple falls out of her mouth. She exchanges looks with Grim.
Oh we're in soooo much trouble ... unless ...
Eadie staggers around a bit like she's in a daze. "Oh I'm so confused, like someone bewitched me."
She looks down at her morning star and *gasps* "What am I doing with this? Grim, what just happened?"
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Grim looks at Lore, then to Eadie and then back to the woman lying on the ground.
"Oh oh."
He will cast stabilize on her.
"Ok, new plan. Everyone lay down on the ground. I'll run an' get some of that thick red Chelaxian steak marinade sauce and we can splash it on ourselves. When she wakes up she will think she killed us all. Problem solved! We can start with Lhug-mor, he is already on the ground!"
Wait, what are you thinking Grim? You cannot run! Ok, wait for someone else's plan
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Looking away in disgust and wondering why anyone would concern themselves with this woman who attacked us and tried to steal the artifact.
"Concern yourselves not. This deplorable woman attacked us and is defeated."
Looking at the mug-keg artifact then at the two 'farmers', Fleetwood grabs the mug sized keg, puts it into his pack, draws 'Rose and states admonishingly,
"Now, back to business at hand...Gentlemen, kindly remove your cart and get out of our way. Now."
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Eadie picks up the apple she dropped *shrugs* and rubs it on the tasset hanging from the front of her belt.
Ten second rule applies I think.
She strolls over to Grim standing over Lhug-mor and takes a bite out of her apple.
"Don't think my apple'd be poisoned just from lying in the dirt."
A thought strikes her.
"Say, Grim. This is like that fairy story my Aunt Alix used to tell me. You know ... Poisoned apples, dwarves standing watch over one of the sleeping heroes, who will not wake until they get kissed by their one true love!"
She exchanges a hasty look with the inquisitor.
"How are we going to get that chicken he's cuddling to kiss him?"
Upon spying the rapidly escaping cask.
"We need to get him up so we can follow the keg."
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"No! No more beer! I've had enough!" he rolls to his feet. "I had the worst nightmare! I dreamed we killed the thief by accident and then someone stole the keg so they tied us up and dripped beer on us so we couldn't drink it. It was awful...and Eadie was a goat, but that wasn't unusual..."
Seeing the escaping keg, he sprints after it, pulling out his sap. "Someone's got some splaining to do!"
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"... and Eadie was a goat."
"... and Eadie wore a coat."
"Did it have a tail, Lhug? They look so much better when they have tails and they're becoming more and more common in Absalom these days."
I would have thought Dragons would dream of grander stuff than that. But, whatever ...
"Now, where's Cayden's keg got to?"
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Grim looks on in amazement as the keg flies off on its own. He looks at the others as if they expect him to do something too.
"What, Eadie? I ain't no birdy. I cannot chase flyin' kegs. Exceptin' of course in my dreams."
He shrugs his shoulders and proceeds over to the unconscious woman and hefts her onto his shoulder, walks to the cart and plops her down in it. Grabbing the handle.
"Well, where to? Woody, you got any idea on where it is headin?"
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Lore and Lhug go chasing after the floating keg. As they round a corner, they glimpse an image of female magic user. Her features are strikingly similar to that of the one that lies dead in the street. The last they see of her she is casting a spell which causes her speed to increase significantly.
Lhug is able to cut her off at a nearby intersection but her speed is simply too much. She disappears into a crowd and becomes lost. Lhug continues to follow her, making ground in the crowded market.
After a few minutes, Fleetwood comes walking by calmly. The scroll leading him without error.
The trio eventually come a run-down warehouse that is rotting, and the roof is clearly sagging in places. Any paint that once coated its walls has long since flaked off the parched-looking gray wood. The windows are boarded firmly shut, and both pairs of loading doors appear to be jammed closed. There is no sign of the female magic user, but the scroll clearly indicates that the keg is inside the warehouse.
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Lore, winded and breathing heavily, sees Woody walk by calmly, led by the knowledge given him by the spell, and leading the others... she does her best to catch her breath, takes a sip of water and follows along behind the others.
When they arrive at the warehouse, she gladly stops for a moment, glad of the respite... trying to keep up with all the longshanks can be tiring.
"Well, what now? Should send a couple of people to check for other exits or entrances before we try to storm the main doors?"
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Even though she is conscious of being outpaced by the others, Eadie takes a moment to search the body for loot and also anything that might identify the casualty or the organisation she belongs to.
Once finished, she hustles to catch up and begins to despair when she can't spot Lhug or Lore anywhere. Then she spies a familiar silver head moving calmly but deliberately through the crowd. It is then a simple matter for the warrioress to follow the good vibes given off by Fleetwood and she arrives with the cleric.
"So Woody, do you think experience and shrewdness will always overcome youth and enthusiasm?"
Anything about the warehouse's appearance that indicates what it is/was used for?
She sees the others have already scouted and have entry protocols well in hand. If a light source is needed, she activates her Wayfinder, clips it to her belt and hurries to catch up with Lhug, so the Chelaxian does not have to make the initial entry on his own.
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Grim, stops huffing and puffing from the job over.
"So what is the plan? Kick in the door assault or be all sneaky like? Woody, is the keg in there? Can you tell if it us still small? And more importantly, can you tell if it is half full or half empty? . "
Grim grips his axe and cast prot v evil on himself once the decision is made to enter.