Shane and Stroud fly off to scout the caravan. As they approach they notice a couple obvious things. First, the wagons are driven by Marascari teamsters, and one carries a passenger that appears to be a finely dressed Marascari merchant. The guards, however, do not seem Marascari. They are a mix of wildlander and pale men and women. They ride horses in pairs and wear white uniforms of some kind.
Teena waits until she hears back from Stroud and Shane, knowing that sneaking wasn't her best quality.
Leaving the scouting up to the others, Troxell remains behind with Teena.
Closing on the caravan Shanee discovers some details not easily noticed from a distance, and some hidden dangers that have been intentionally concealed.
The guards are too ordered and equipped for your average caravan, and they ride horses with identical brands that he has seen before on mercenary soldiers from the Company of the Star. One of the guards also carries a wrapped object, but an exposed trigger identifies it as a musket.
Examining the caravan reveals something more worrisome. In each of the four wagons are half dozen more soldiers sitting with crossbows. Ironbound chests sit at their feet.
Even if they took the caravan by surprise the Syrascari riders would be overmatched by the well armed and armored soldiers and outnumbered 2 to 1.
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Shanee says quietly to Stroud "Go tell the others about what we saw. I am going to warn the horsemen ahead I think.
Once Stroud is on his way Shanee quickly moves twords the would be ambushers muttering to himself. "I shouldn't get involved,I shouldn't get involved.....
And once he gets close you can sense he has given up on NOT getting involved.
"I'll stay and back you up Shanee, my friend!"
Leaving the caravan, Shanee and Stroud fly to warn the Syrascari riders. They quickly arrive, remaining unnoticed under invisibility.
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When Shanee is in range of the riders he quickly and quietly cast a message spell and targets what he believes to be the leader of the group and those around him and whispers.
"I don't think it is a very good idea for you to attack that caravan. It is full of mercs that have weapons ready for an attack,most of which are ranged, and you will be outnumbered 2 to 1."
Stroud looks for any markings or symbols that can identify the Syrascari Warriors more.
The Syrascari wheel about on their horses at the sound of Shanee's whispers. Many draw strings on their bows, but can find no obvious source to aim at.
"Spirits!" One hisses, trying to keep his voice low.
"Magic. Maybe they travel with a Talon." Another retorts, using the name the Kor Empire once labeled their slave wizards with.
"It does not matter." Their leader silences the rest with a cutting hand signal. "We are not prepared for this, and cannot take a chance. Withdraw and ride for the Lostlands."
With the order given, the riders break from cover and gallop east. The soldiers at the caravan notice, and some seem ready to give chase, but whoever leads them seems more interested in continuing south.
"Well, that's all well and good. Glad you fellas stopped that violence from happening. Great job. I say we keep on though...no telling how long this magic will last."
"We should continue forward towards Marascar, Teena has waited long enough to get her memories back."
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Marascar has been going through many changes since the Kor Empire withdrew from governing it 25 years ago. Since then Marascar has functioned as an independent city-state run by a council of merchants. Then, about two years ago, the Company of the Star entered the scene under the employ of one of the wealthiest merchant princes of Marascar. Shortly after there was a dispute on payment and Commander Irovetti, the elven leader of the Order of the Star, seized that merchant's assets and established the Company as a ruling house of the city. Many believe it is only a matter of time before Irovetti declares himself King of Marascar.
The presence of Soldiers on this caravan, and the lack of obvious goods, gives you the notion that the Company of the Star is taking a more active role in securing Marascar and the lands around it. This could mark the beginning of plans to expand its realm of control.
Regarding the Syrascari Nomads: this group looked pretty well armed and organized. The leader matched the description of a man named Kashim Duuar, who is the leader of a tribe called the Ajai. This setup may have been an attempt by the Comoany of the Star to capture or kill him and weaken his tribe.
Leaving the raiders and soldiers behind, you soar off north again towards Marascar. Less then an hour later you spy the walls of the city ahead. Sprawled outside the southern gates is a district of ramshackle buildings and piers occupied by fishermen, traders, farmers, and others too poor to find a place within.
Two roads lead away from the southern gates, one follows the coast south towards the Wildlands, and a second, less traveled one, stretches off east into the Lostlands.
Stroud and Shanee know that there is another, less used, gate in the northern wall of the city.
"I agree with Shanee, but I suggest we enter through the northern gate. Less people."
Stroud begins to look at his home with different eyes, realizing that Aiman Noor is more the regular rather than the exception of people within his home city of Marascar.
"Either way, it should be easier to move around the city if we make ourselves known from the beginning. Be wary though my new friends, this place is not for the timid. The Order of the Star is unforgiving at best. Don't say anything about the Syrascari we helped. Irrovetti, their commander, is a dung pile of an elf who would consider us enemies if he found out we saved Kashim Duuar of the Ajai."
Troxell looks at the city with distaste, "The sooner will get done with the business, the better. If the two of you believe entering from the gate is a better tactic, then I'll trust your judgement. If they expect me to pay a toll to get in though, I'll just change into a bird and meet you inside."
Descending to a stretch of vacant road, you rematerialize and approach the city, passing through the sprawl of buildings outside the walls. The constant passage of merchant trains supports some business here, but the majority of those residing in the outer district are those that cannot afford to live within the city. It is a place of beggars, tinkers, farmers, fishermen, mercenaries, and thieves.
As you approach the gates a few street children dart out from among the cart vendors lining the streets and approach with hands out.
"Hi pretty lady!"
"Coppers? Please?"
"I'm so hungry! A coin for food?"
"Me too! I'm hungry too! I haven't eaten for a week!"
"I haven't eaten for a month!!"
"A copper sir!?"
"My crippled sister needs food and medicine!"
"A copper and I'll show you where the best ladies in the district are!"
"I'll show you where the boys are!!"
"Coppers!"
"Please sir!!"
One child has cut free a belt pouch from Shanee.
Perception
Teena greets all the children warmly. She didn't remember if she was close to youngsters in her past, but she did feel friendly to these little scamps.
"Shanee, I believe that child there just stole your coin purse." Troxell says in a pained tone with an exaggerated sigh, to yet again underscore his dislike of cities.
"It's good to be home," Stroud says sarcastically as he rolls his eyes in embarrasment.
Teena's feelings were hurt by the scandalous actions of the children. "Run then! We aren't here to be robbed by you lot!"
Following Teena's eye, Shanee notices one urchin who has broken from the pack. He takes a breath to convince the thief to stop, but the small form has already slipped into a nearby ally.
A chase is on!
I'm using a variant of the chase rules from the Gamemastery Guide.
First, we roll initiative and resolve the surprise round. Those who didn't notice the pickpocket steal from Shanee are considered surprised and don't act in the surprise round.
In the normal initiative round you have a few options. Chases are basically broken up into obstacles to be overcome through skill checks modified by movement rate, special abilities, magic, etc.
The baseline speed is 30 for this chase. For each 10 feet slower than the chase's baseline speed a character moves, he suffers a cumulative –2 penalty on any check made to navigate obstacles. Likewise, for every 10 feet faster than the baseline speed he moves, he gains a cumulative +2 bonus on these checks. Significant mobility advantages over the baseline speed type (such as flight) grant an additional +10 bonus on checks made to avoid obstacles, simulating the character's use of enhanced movement to bypass obstacles entirely. Used properly, extremely powerful effects (such as teleportation) allow a character to instantly move forward a number of cards (use each card's distance to determine ranges).
It takes a move action to overcome an obstacle, which means you can overcome two separate obstacles in one round, or overcome one obstacle and use a standard action (like attack or cast a spell). Alternatively, you can spend a full-round action to try and overcome three obstacles by succeeding at both checks required by the current obstacle you face.
Due to the close quarters of this chase you must be within 1 obstacle (basically 30 feet) of the thief to target them with a ranged attack or spell.
INITIATIVE
Obstacle 1 - A crowd of urchins
Swarmed by begging street urchins, you must get clear of them before you can give chase.
Obstacle 2 - A blind ally
The thief has turned into a dead end ally, but slipped through a broken slat in a wooden fence.
Intimidate.
"Don't make me strike you down with a bolt of lightning, you thief!"
Stroud calls upon his knowledge of the area to see if he knows which thieves guild operates in the area.
Teena gives the urchins a stern warning, bolstered by the glare of her strange first-world eye. They disperse and she is able to chase the thief to the ally. Unfortunately, the thief is quick, and had been able to slip through a crack in a fence blocking the way forward.
Obstacle 1 - A crowd of urchins
Swarmed by begging street urchins, you must get clear of them before you can give chase.
Obstacle 2 - A blind ally
The thief has turned into a dead end ally, but slipped through a broken slat in a wooden fence.
Obstacle 3 - Laundry
A back ally is filled with hanging laundry, obscuring sight and hindering pursuit.
Obstacle 4 - Through a window
An open window on the second floor of a building provides an avenue of escape from the area.
Escape artist
"Come back, you mongrel!"
Shanee casts a spell and vanishes from sight.
Troxell casts Freedom of Movement during the surprise round. Afterwards, he attempts to use acrobatics to make it through the crowd of urchins.
Assuming his first attempt to make it through the crowd fails, he tries again.
Escape artist 1d20+3
"Come back, you mongrel!"
Teena again tries to move through the fence!
Escape artist
Stroud thinks about where the leaders of the Copper Nails hang out in the city.
Stroud doesn't think the Copper Nails has official leaders, or a place where they often meet.
Though he gets turned around for a moment, Troxell soon slips through the crowd and reaches the ally. There he spots Teena as she squeezes her way through the fence into the laundry-filled back street. There, Teena spots the thief climb through a window a short distance away.
Obstacle 1 - A crowd of urchins
Swarmed by begging street urchins, you must get clear of them before you can give chase.
Obstacle 2 - A blind ally
The thief has turned into a dead end ally, but slipped through a broken slat in a wooden fence.
Obstacle 3 - Laundry
A back ally is filled with hanging laundry, obscuring sight and hindering pursuit.
Obstacle 4 - Through a window
An open window on the second floor of a building provides an avenue of escape from the area.
Obstacle 5 - Up to the roof
An open window on the second floor of a building provides an avenue of escape from the area.
Obstacle 6 - Cross the gap
An open window on the second floor of a building provides an avenue of escape from the area.
Teena ducks under the clothesline and tries to make up time by twisting through the hanging laundry.
Acrobatics
Acrobatics
Not wanting to waste more time changing forms, Troxell attempts to climb the fence.
Assuming he makes it over, the druid next relies on his keen sight to figure out the way the thief went through the hanging laundry.
Stroud attempts to slip past the crowd!
Stroud also puts out a deadly vibe against any who would get in his way!
Troxell and Shane keep pace with the thief while Stroud manages to close distance with a shortcut. Shanee slips into the alley but gets stuck at the fence. Teena gets laundry in her face and gets turned around in the side street.
Xerexis is left far behind with Myhm.
Just ahead of Stroud the thief makes a big mistake and trips on the stairs leading to the roof of a building.
Obstacle 1 - A crowd of urchins
Swarmed by begging street urchins, you must get clear of them before you can give chase.
Obstacle 2 - A blind ally
The thief has turned into a dead end ally, but slipped through a broken slat in a wooden fence.
Obstacle 3 - Laundry
A back ally is filled with hanging laundry, obscuring sight and hindering pursuit.
Obstacle 4 - Through a window
An open window on the second floor of a building provides an avenue of escape from the area.
Obstacle 5 - Up to the roof
Stairs lead to the rooftops.
Obstacle 6 - Cross the gap
An open window on the second floor of a building provides an avenue of escape from the area.
Obstacle 7 - A locked hatch
Seeing figures approaching across the rooftops, a citizen locks a hatch leading back down.
Obstacle 8 - Guards!
A small group of guards await below.
Troxell has some initial trouble fitting his bulky robes through the window, but has high hopes on his second attempt.
Stroud leaps through the window attempting to close the distance with the young thief!
He then swings on the Thief with the flat of his Scimitar!
,
Teena wasn't giving up just yet. She again ducks under the clothesline and tries to make up time by twisting through the hanging laundry.
Acrobatics
Acrobatics