Both of them climb on deck. Neither see anything, but both have the feeling something is living here. There are little trails through the clutter, and just the sense of habitation. But nothing moves, no voice is heard. Just the creaking of the old ship, the wind among the old mast and the gaping hole leading to the hold.
Flori tries to discern what sort of creature(s) made these little trails.
Lefty casts Invisibility on Flori, Fly on both of them, and Vanish on himself. Flori casts Lead Blades on herself.
They float on in, looking carefully.
Lefty isn't sure what makes the tracks but as he examines them a seemingly normal bit of rope garbage tightens around his ankle and jerks him to the ground. With a whizz of spinning gears and rope he is dragged, ankle first, up the mast.
Flori is left on the ground.
Out from behind two boxes comes two figures. It is a ratlike creature that has tiny human hands in place of its front paws, and an unnerving human face with a toothy mouth. The screech and shout, in bad Common, "We feed!"
Lefty calmly casts Fly on himself, then moves up, righting himself and removing the rope with his dagger, if the slack doesn't release him.
Lefty easily frees himself from the primitive trap. The two ratlings advance on Flori, one of them casting a spell.
She easily shrugs off the spell and faces the two ratlings who are trying to flank her.
Flori draws Chopstick and grins menacingly at the ratfolk. Come here.
Lefty identifies the spell before starting his turn.
Flori's words obviously shakes one of the ratfolk.
That one hesitates to attack but the other circles around, manage to get around Flori then rush in to attack.
The yellow jaws snap on empty air.
Lefty makes sure he's in range, and fires a snowball at the hesitant rat.
Missing, he dives down, drawing Hornet, and flanks the other rat. If he's going to miss, he can at least do it without wasting spells.
The ratling Lefty shoots at steps back, hissing and snarling. It tries Cause Fear on the trickster.
Lefty just manages to throw off the sickening fear of dread and terror.
The other ratfolk, harassed by both Lefty and Flori bares its teeth and tries again.
Again it misses, Flori's armor defeating it.
Flori gets a turn.
Lefty will flank, too, if Flori hasn't killed it.
Flori's powerful blow split the ratling from head to tail into a pile of gore and body parts. It barely has time to scream.
The other ratling runs screaming, shouting, 'Awake, awake, awake!" as it makes a break from a pile of old boxes and barrels.
He'll blast the scaredy-rat with something that won't miss.
Then, he'll look carefully for any other traps laying about.
Flori will draw her dagger while moving and throw at it.
They advance warily. Wanna fly? the elf asks.
The magic missiles blast the ratling, and Lefty can hear bones breaking from across the deck. It keeps moving though,still shouting. lefty spots two more traps, one a clumsy net device and another, trickier, that would magically make the deck sticky.
Flori's dagger misses and the ratling ducks behind some battered wreckage. As they see that, they hear a weird crackling and rumbling sound from below-decks. They hear no voice or call but beneath the old and battered deck, something is moving.
Flori hears the movement below. Yes. Let's be free to move.
He casts the spell, and points out the traps before they both rise 20' in the air.
I bet Skaler is loving this, he says.
Just as Lefty and Flori rise off the deck, a shape enters through the gaping hole to hold below. A larger-than-life wooden carving of a mermaid holding a spear clambers forward, the vibrant paint coating her frame encrusted in many years' worth of sea salt. A quiver of more spears rests on it's back, ready to be pulled and used.
The creature heaves the spear at Flori, who is floating above the deck.
The spear goes wild, splashing into the sea behind them. It makes no noise while it withdraws another.
Lefty tries to identify this strange construct. Then, he'll take his turn.
Let me try to soften it up a bit before you go at it, the elf says. Chopstick's fine.
He casts Invisibility on Flori, then flies up, knowing he's the best target for the sentinel's spear. He'll go invisible next round, if possible.
Flori floats closer, and stays silent.
Flori vanishes into thin air and easily sneaks up on the construct. Floating above the ship, she is less then a breeze.
Lefty is all too visible however, and a spear flies toward him.
The salt encrusted spear stabs Lefty hard, and the wound aches with pain as briny saltwater fills his flesh.
He casts Vanish on himself, making him invisible.
Flori does nothing. She knows what to expect.
The creature is struck by fire, but can see the elf again. Lefty moves, trying to see where the little ratling is hiding.
The rays of scorching fire torch the wooden construct, causing sections to blacken and crack in the heat. It does a massive amount damage, burning much of the face off and leaving the torso a charred ruin.
But it still tries to attack Lefty with the spear.
Lefty can't spot the ratling.
Ow! You're gonna pay for that, you freak! Latharien screams in pain.
Flori takes a 5' step and does what she does best.
Lefty goes for the sure damage, then flies a bit closer.
Flori works like a lumberjack, slicing into the wooden body of the construct with careful, strong strokes. She hacks off a whole arm with her blows. Lefty's magic hits the construct hard, shattering much of it. It is barely still standing after, but it is standing.
It turns to Flori and instead of using the spears tries to slam her to the deck.
Lefty will fire a Ray of Frost, changing it to fire.
Flori will keep power attacking
Flori's final blow turns the construct into so much kindling. The shattered remains add their own pile of wreckage to the trash on deck, lifeless and unmoving.
Then Lefty hears a splash and sees the ratling swimming away from the boat as fast as it can.
He'll fly within range and fire Ray of Frost at it until he hits.
Once more, with feeling. He knows those things are bad news.
They'll float about the boat, making sure there are no other creatures on it, then look for goodies.
Lefty's magic attack soon leave the ratling a floating corpse, soon to be eaten by sharks or other fish in the bay.
They find no other foes but they do find a sealed lead chest in the hold, covered with salt and grime. It is firmly attached to the ship and is locked tightly.
Lefty will check it for traps.
Flori can, too.
He'll attempt to disable the trap, if there is one.
Lefty disables the trap and then undoes the lock. It is well-made and crusted with salt but he manages. Inside he finds a pouch of 50 gold coins, and two magical items.
A Pirate's Eye Patch and a Hat of Disguise.
Lefty remembers the other magical trap, and disables that, too, from 30' away.
Flori casts Pass Without Trace on Lefty for the hell of it. She has it up all the time.
They fly back to the dinghy and tell Skaler the ship is ready to be salvaged.
Flori will dress Lefty's wounds. Lefty will make a show of identifying the items.
Skaler laughs a bit when they show up saying, "I enjoyed the bit where you dangled from the mast." Then he sobers, "Is that was the worst you got from fighting that thing, then you are a tougher pair then I expected. Any objections to heading back? The Boss will want to speak with you."
Okay, but I have to get back to my cat soon. He gets restless.
The half-orc shrugs and rows with a will. Again, he pushes the little craft with little effort through the waves and busy harbor, dodging boats and wrecks both.
Soon he hustled them back to the fine offices of Rodgam and Son. They wait a bit in a small antechamber, elegantly laid out before being ushered into the executive suite again.
Skaler nods once and the old merchantman beams, "Excellent! Then we can get to business.'
He grows a bit serious and adds, "My daughter is being married in three days, here at the Docks. I am concerned about security. There have been several murders among the rich in Absalom. The wedding is an obvious target. I need you," he points a meaty fist at Flori and Lefty, "To prevent any trouble. You will have full command of security. I trust you can handle it?"
They've both heard about the recent murders. It's scary. If they fail this job, they could fail to live much longer afterwards.
Lefty looks at Flori, who as always, is delighted by uncertainty.
If we do this, we must start right away. It would take Flori and I three long days, maybe more. I wish we had a week. We'd need the full cooperation of all your staff.
The elf rises and straightens his cloak. What are you prepared to pay for such competence and dedication, Sir Rodgam? You're asking a lot.
Lefty recalls the last two murders happened in public places. The murderer used a wand of boneshatter on the victims then fled the scene, using magical means.
Rodgam eyes Lefty carefully, nodding, "I want the best, I'm willing to pay for it. What do you think is a fair price?" he asks, putting the ball in Lefty's court.
"You of course have my full cooperation." He holds up a finger, 'But this is a wedding, not a war. I won't have a battalion of troops surrounding the wedding hall. This must be done effectively and unobtrusively."
Five hundred gold a day. We've earned more, but the first two days are the easy ones. Sort of.
Lefty nods.
"Three hundred." The old merchant says, smiling behind his bushy beard and mustache. "I have to feed my family, after all.'
Riiiight... We'll take three hundred, if we can add expenses. Flori says, almost laughing. We may need some new magic for this venture. That gets expensive, quick.
You have no idea, Latharien adds with a grin.
"With reason, yes." The old man says, sitting down behind his desk. "Skaler will introduce you to my staff and the site of the wedding and all that. He will be your main contact. I look forward to work with you." he stretches out a hand to both Flori and Lefty.
The vengeful duo both shake his hand with utmost courtesy. Flori shows real understanding.
We're on the job, as of now. I shall return on the morrow, and will probably need to retain Skaler for the entire day. Lefty may or may not be here, too.
Not, Lefty says. Just so you all know.
They will return to their flat, and discuss their plans until bedtime.
The night passes without event.
The next day, Lefty will alter his appearance slightly, and canvass the markets and taverns of The Coins, Ascendant Court, and the Petal District. He may appear to just be having a good time, but there's a reason for it.
Spells:
Per Day:(CL 5, Concentration +10)
0: 4, 1: 5+1, 2: 4+1, 3: 2+1
Prepared:
0 (DC 16) Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Read magic, Ray of Frost
1 (DC 17) Magic Missile, Shield, Vanish x3
2 (DC 18) Alter Self, Clairvoyance/Clairaudience, Detect Thoughts x2, Scorching Ray
3 (DC 19) Fly, Gaseous Form, Scorching Ray
Between the spells and his keen mind, he will try to learn more details of the murders and the murderer. He'll gather info thrice.
He seeks to find any pattern in the murders, and any connections between the victims, other than just being rich. Were they in similar businesses? Social circles? Religions or schools? Did they have rivals or enemies?
Who saw the killer? Any more details on him/her?
Flori will take Shadow and spend day 1 with Skaler, going over the venue, entrances, assessing existing security personnel, etc. She'll be thorough to the point of exhausting before returning home.
She'll meet with Lefty and cast Pass Without Trace on him and Shadow, before they wander away and stay in an inn somewhere.
F:
L:
Lefty buys and learns Dispel Magic, Summon Monster III and Displacement. 270gp.
Lefty:
The murders are the talk of the upper classes, so it isn't hard to gain information, although the stories seem to clash, like all gossip. The parts they all agree on though are as follows.
The other two victims were also rich. An older noblewoman and a young spice merchant. Neither traveled in the same circles, had the same friends or even worshiped the same gods. The only thing they had in common was they were tough to kill, due to security and wealth. Both were killed in public with witnesses.
The killer appeared to be humanoid, although dressed in some magical gear to hide the face and other feature. They were too tall to be a halfling or gnome. The killer was not afraid of collateral damage and most murder scenes had multiple guards or bystanders killed in brutal fashion.
Flori:
Flori spends a long hard day examining the room. It is a long, large warehouse converted to a hall for the occasion. It is a nightmare to secure.
It has two sets of massive doors, big enough for ox carts to roll in, at either end. On the long ends, each side has two normal sized wooden doors. In addition there are huge glass windows, which let in alot of light but are also obvious weak points.
She meets all 12 of Rodgam's men. They are all good fighters, cautious, professional, capable with blades. One is a druid, and long served on Rodgam's shipping fleet but posted here to help with spell casting.
None of them are very bright however, and even Skaler is more of a fighter then a thinker.
The guest list runs into the hundreds, as is fitting for a major social event by one of the richest families on the Docks.
Neither of them see any hint of a tail that night. Both are very tired after the long day.
Lefty comes the next day and drills the guards on firing, then running to engage. He learns all their names, including the druid. He casts Message, letting them get how the spell works.
He explains what he knows about the assassin, urging them to be alert. It could attack any wealthy person, so Rodgam or his daughter aren't the only potential targets here.
It may arrive invisibly (and he'll have contingencies for that), or in disguise, or it may arrive using teleportation magic, like it uses to leave. They have no magic to prevent that, so everyone must act fast.
However it shows up, they have to kill it before it can kill anyone, or get away using magic.
He explains spell coordination. He wants to know what the druid can do in case the assassin shows up.
He wants the side doors locked and barred, so they only have to watch the big entrances.
He and Skaler will watch one end, while Flori and the druid will watch the other. The 12 guards will be placed so at least one of them can get into the fight right away, wherever it may start.
He'll scribe a scroll of Invisibility Alarm for tomorrow (25 gp), and use it, even if it doesn't help.
For her part, Flori does combat drills with the guards, always being positive and encouraging, to make sure they feel confident in their abilities for tomorrow.
It is another long day. Rain clouds roll in, letting a haze of light rain, but the day is productive.
Lefty and Flori get to know all the men and well. Most of them are guards from Rodgam's shipping company but a few are hired mercenaries just for this event. They get used to Message, trading information back and forth on it.
The druid, M'kellid is a thin Gardundi woman willing to take his advice.
Lefty does run into a bit of problem with the doors. The small side doors he locks and bars but the second large doors at the back Rodgam insist must be left open for waiters, cook staff and the bridal party.
Lefty was going to cast Detect Thoughts on some of the mercenaries, but I doubt it would reveal a mole.
I assumed the druid had a 16 wisdom. Here are the Druid's spells:
0- Create Water, Detect Magic, Guidance, Stabilize
1- CLW x2, Faerie Fire, Snowball
2- Barkskin, Bull's Strength, Flame Blade
We'll enter early with the whole crew, perceiving the crap out of everything, Message and Detect Magic spells constantly going. Lefty includes Flori, Skaler, M'kellid and 3 of the guards in the Message.
Once people start showing up, Lefty casts Invisibility Alarm at each end (1 hour).