The necklace is definitely worth something, if anything it's gaudy and baulbous design probably devalue the precious stones and metals that were used to create it. It's components are probably worth around 200 credits.
Looking around for Demos, Kalus spots him speaking agitatedly to a tall trandoshan in a corner. After a moment he looks around the room before storming out of the room down a hall.
Things start to quiet down after the race, Darga starts talking business with a small group of Neimoidians and the room begins to thin out as people start drifting off.
Quietly, Kalus says to Taril, "That necklace is a Mon Calamari design, and quite popular with the elite of that world. I'll tell you a bit more about it later."
Kalus notes the hallway Demos heads down, as well as the Trandoshan he was speaking to, before turning to the rest of his group. "So, what of our glorious host's amenities shall we take advantage of next?"
The rest of the day passes quite uneventfully, with Darga enjoying a few more gladiatorial matches in between conducting minor day to day business that he doesn't particularly involve you in.
During the afternoon Kalus is able to surreptitiously inspect the Hallway that Demos retreated down, what he finds however is slightly confusing. A small partitioned off area of the throne room, with blank walls and no other exits.
In the evening a fine dinner is served to you in the common area of the guest quarters, a Neimoidian servant gives you Darga's regrets that he can't join you.
----
During the night a soft knock on Nomi's door wakes her, checking her chrono, she sees that it's 1am local time. The soft knock repeats on her door.
Nomi stretches and yawns. She pulls off her covers, grabs the blaster from the holster hung on her room's chair and moves to the door.
"Yeah?"
A timid male voice (probably neimoidian) replies through the door.
" Er, I am sorry to disturb you ma'am but I have an urgent message for Nomi. "
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"Who from?" She says from just to the side of the doorframe.
" From the illustrious Darga himself. "
You don't recognise the voice, It sounds nervous or frightened. You can't hear anything else from beyond the door. Just one set of nervously shuffling feet and the voice.
Nomi considers for a moment. She tucks the blaster beneath a fold of clutched shirt hoping keep it in hand while simultaneously concealed.
Still to the side of the door out of view, Nomi trips the open controls and says. "So what does his grand grandness want?"
The Neimoidian gives a startled jump as the door slides open. Coughs, apologises and then answers your question.
" He requests a private meeting with you in his aviary, away from the prying eyes of the rest of his court, he said he cannot trust anyone else with what he has to say... "
"Mind if I get dressed first?"
" Of course " he gives a little bow and begins to back away. " If you'd like to bring any of your companions I could wake them while you dress? "
Always a light sleeper, Taril's woken by the low conversation outside her room.
Rubbing her eyes, she pops her head out, blinking at Nomi, "What's this then?" she asks blearily, rubbing one of her lekku, sore from her sleeping on it awkwardly.
The Neimoidian leaps into the air, spinning around , one hand over the lower right of his torso he lets out a little squeal, " Eeek, ah, oh, I'm, er, just delivering a message... "
Everyone else is awoken by the squeal.
Kalus whips his blaster out from under the pillow at the sound of a loud squeal. Not bothering to put on pants, he bolts to the door. Slapping the control, the door hissing open, he points his blaster at the Nemoidian, saying, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Avizzi sits bolt upright in bed, slugthrower already in hand with a finger flicking the safety off. He remains like that for a moment, then rolls off the mattress onto a crouched position on the floor. Keeping the gun trained on the door, he slowly reaches under his bed and slides out the rifle. He remains there for several seconds, but when it seems things have cleared, he stands up, tucking the pistol into the back of his trousers--safety once more on--and slides the rifle back under the bed.
Finally, he opens his door and pokes his head out, taking in the scene. "Is there a problem?" Seeing Kalus's pointed blaster, the togruta reaches for his slugthrower, but doesn't draw and aim just yet.
When the Pantsless Pirate bursts out of his room and levels his Blaster at the nervous Neimoidian the alien simply faints from fright, collapsing to the ground. A few seconds later Avizzi opens his door and surveys the strange scene...
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With a frown, Avizzi stops reaching for his pistol. "We certainly do have a way with people," he comments, returning to his room to put on some more of his things--boots, jacket, concealed holster. Once that's done he comes back out to the hub area, folds his arms, and waits for the Neimoidian to recover. "Even when we don't go in shooting, they end up dropping." He snorts and gives a shake of his own lekku, apparently amused.
Kalus shakes his head at the fainted Nemoidian.
"Well, that wasn't quite the effect I was going for. I was thinking something more along the lines of him spilling everything he knows. Since apparently this isn't an assassination attempt - at least not right now - we should wake him up in a few minutes."
After Avizzi returns more completely dressed, Kalus will go and do the same. He emerges putting his hat on his head and says, "Here, help me put him on a couch." Kalus will then move to lift the Nemoidian.
" If you'd like to bring any of your companions I could wake them while you dress? "
"Oh, one of those private meetings with everyone."
She closes her door and gets dressed, not really wanting to know where Kalus holsters his blaster.
Taril comes more awake at the sight of Kalus sans pants. She looks at the half-clad scoundrel with complete frankness, one hand slowly stroking her sore lekku.
The thud of the Neimoidian hitting the floor brings her attention away from Kalus and over to the stricken servant.
With a shake of her head, she retreats back into her own room and changes into her daytime attire, joining the others in looking down at the supine Neimoidian.
Every few moments though, she glances at Kalus, a speculative glint in her eye.
After a few minutes you manage to get the Neimoidian servant come to. Then he sits on the couch for a minute taking deep breaths.
" Sorry... " he says finally, trying to avoid eye contact with Kalus especially. " You gave me a little fright I suppose. Darga has requested a private meeting, with Nomi specifically, but you're all welcome to attend if you wish. "
Once everyone is ready to go the Neimoidian servant leads you out of the guest quarters and to an upper level of the palace by a long winding route. Once there, he points to a set of sliding double doors and says
" The Aviary, Darga is inside waiting for you. "
Avizzi moves with the group, but when they reach the Aviary, he pauses and looks to Nomi. "The audience is with you. Why don't you step in first?" He flicks his eyes to the Neimoidian and gives a subtle narrowing of his gaze. We'll cover your back.
Kalus strides along as well, and nods at Avizzi's suggestion. "Yes, we'll be here, as will our new friend here." He clasps the Nemoidian's shoulder and squeezes, giving him a smile that makes it plain he will not be allowed to leave.
Taril walks along with the others, a bit grumpy from having to rise so early.
Nonetheless, she's still with it enough to keep an eye out for trouble...
Avizzi moves with the group, but when they reach the Aviary, he pauses and looks to Nomi. "The audience is with you. Why don't you step in first?" He flicks his eyes to the Neimoidian and gives a subtle narrowing of his gaze. We'll cover your back.
"Somehow I think it's with all of us. I just got an early invite." Geared up for anything this side of hard vacuum, Nomi steps in.
The interior of the aviary is dark and quiet. Shadows flicker across the floor as the swaying trees within block out the moonlight shining down through the ceiling. The occasional flutter of wings or gust of air can be heard faintly as a bird takes flight or lands on a nearby branch. The soft rustle of leaves provides a thin background noise, a dimly lit winding path stretches before you, flanked on either side by the trunks of large trees. A number of small orange lamps softly illuminate the trail.
As Nomi steps through the doors it appears as though the group is alone here...
Kalus gently pushes the Nemoidian into the room behind Nomi, looking about.
Kalus's blaster is out in a flash, pointed at the shadowy humanoid figure. "Now, I can tell you aren't a Hutt, which means you aren't Darga. Why don't you come out and show yourself? Nice and slow, now, I've got a twitchy finger."
Avizzi waits to enter the room last, but he sees Kalus draw his blaster and quickly pulls his slugthrower, trusting the human to know if there's trouble.
"Huh?"
Taril notices the figure in the tree at the same time Kalus does, drawing her own blaster.
"Someone over in the trees, there, " Taril says to Nomi, pointing with her blaster.
As Kalus calls out, and Taril points out the shadowy figure in the distance the door to the aviary snaps shut behind you all and the figure ducks back behind a tree. The Neimoidian drops to his knees.
" Please! " he begs " I had no idea! I'm just a messenger, one of Darga's dancing girls gave me the message to pass onto you! "
It would probably be best not to kill this guy - we don't want to anger Darga at all, although having this Nemoidian fool as a witness might help.
Kalus flicks his blaster over to a stun setting, then sights at the target, waiting to see if they attack - and how.
Avizzi drops into a crouch, his pistol raised and ready to fire. Unlike Kalus, he has no compunctions about killing the potential assailant--and slugthrowers don't exactly have stun settings.
It would probably be best not to kill this guy - we don't want to anger Darga at all, although having this Nemoidian fool as a witness might help.
Kalus flicks his blaster over to a stun setting, then sights at the target, waiting to see if they attack - and how.
Nomi draws her blaster, and shifts back-to-back with everyone else.
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Taril doesn't have much patience for stunning people, moving forward behind one of the trees, leaning outand firing a full effect blast at the ambusher...
Taril moves forward, firing a blaster bolt that slams into a tree, leaving a burning hole, while everyone else hangs back waiting to see if whoever it is will come out from behind their tree and play.
A long keening whistle echoes around the aviary, followed by several loud bird cries.
Four large black birds suddenly take to the air, each has a smooth, sloping head and reflective eyes, thier black-feathered bodies looming large in the darkness. Razor-sharp talons cap the end of thier claws, and the creatures massive wingspans makes them seem nearly the size of a small Human.
One of the birds swoops down screeching as it swipes at Taril with its claws.
Blood sprays from Taril's left lekku as the birds sharp talons dig deep before it swoops away!
Seeing the bird swoop in and attack Kalus and Nomi judge it to be just within their stun blast range and fire!
Blue rings wash over the bird and it sways extremely unsteadily in the air as it's flying.
Avizzi takes aim at another bird of prey, feeling exactly in his element he fires his slug thrower with a loud retort and a bird spirals out of the air thumping into the ground!
Taril: 5/25 HP
-1 condition
Red hawk: 12 Damage
-10 condition
Yellow Hawk: dead...
Round 1, con't
Taril tries to roll away from the bird-thing, but the searing pain from her lekku lets her know she was unsuccessful. As the bird tries to gain air again, Taril scowls and levels her blaster...
"Taril, get down!" Avizzi isn't studied enough in the precise science of biology to identify the creatures, but he knows a predator when he sees one--and the best way to deal with a predator is to show yourself as the apex. So thinking, he shifts his aim to the bird harrying Taril, blasting another slug.
Another bird plummets, thudding into the ground.
"Whatever they are, I bet they taste like hawk-bat." Nomi says throwing her back against the nearest tree for cover.
"Try not to kill the birds! Darga probably won't appreciate it if we do," Kalus shouts, wincing at the fact two of them were already down. "And you stay put, too," he says to the Nemoidian.
Aiming at one of the birds, he fires another stun bolt at it.
Taril leans on the tree and steadied herself
Then she fires again at the shadowy figure crouched on the far side of the aviary
The red blaster bolt burns into the tree.
As one of the birds swoops towards Kalus and Nomi they fire blue stun rings at it, the rings from both their blasters wash over the bird as it swoops unsteadily at Kalus!
It almost flies straight into him before swooping away almost crashing into a tree.
Another hawk like bird swoops in following on the firsts trail, it swoops down and attacks the cringing Neimoidian!
It's talons rip into the Neimoidian's back ripping flesh away as it flies up, blood spurts from the wounds.
The shadowy figure returns fire back at Taril levelling a blaster pistol at the Twilek
But the bolt flies wide burning into the ground several meters away. The shadowy figure darts out of sight behind the tree.
Pc Tracking :
Taril: 14/25 HP
-1 condition
GM tracking :
Blue Bird
16 stun damage
-10 condition.
Kalus fires a blast at the bird as it comes by, but his attack misses the thing because he was dodging its talons.
As one of the birds begins attacking the Nemoidian, Kalus curses. We need him alive to tell Darga what happened here. Turning, the pirate pumps a stun blast into the pink bird.
"Finish with the birds," Avizzi says, moving to look for the other individual. His pistol is extended in hand, ready to fire at a moment's notice.