Near suicidal... figures. We're expendable... even moreso now that they don't know what else to do with us.
Zayid nods. "Do we still leave in the morning?" he asks, wondering if the difficulty is the only thing that's changed.
You still leave in the morning.
It is a three level structure surrounded by two level shops that double as homes. Bounties are already placed, and have been for some time, but these bosses are of the "Lead from the Back" variety and are rarely in the open enough for a bounty to be effective.
You should expect numerous thugs and cutpurses to resist you along with the personal guards of the leaders. The gangs combined number almost one hundred strong, but most are out dealing with gang business at any given time. Still, I recommend not getting bogged down. Time is not your friend on this one.
I tried to get authorization for a direct infiltration and allow you to forgo your masks, but it was deemed too risky.
Please do try to minimize the loss of the records stored in the building. The structure itself can be repaired, but the records in the basement are of high value to the Port Authority and the city Revenue office.
Noro puts her arm around reck and gives him a kiss, whispering to him, I am the bad cop.
as she goes to leave, she looks through her things and pulls out that last bit of wine she had (a little less that 1/4 bottle) and hands it to a guard, make sure he gets this.
Noro then makes her way back to the bunk room.
She arrives just in time to hear the brief.
listening to the brief, and playing with Lou as she listens, we need to be careful, there are other groupsh waiting for ush to make a move and play clean-up, sho to shpeak. smaller gangsh looking to recuit fugitivesh from what we take down.
she turns to Sorrow Absentia, what of the town milita? should we be exshpecting anything from them?
"The militia hasn't been deployed. It is likely the residents would react poorly to members of other districts enforcing order on them. Besides, the bulk of the militia came from the poorer districts, so the riots have taken a bite out of the Militia as well. This is on us. Likely so there is a scapegoat when everything goes to peices. "
Your equipment should be complete by five bells. If there are no other questions, I suggest you sleep."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Grease is unlikely to be effective from a scroll, Halsanna. Much more useful would be a handful of Levitate scrolls to allow access to the second or third floor. Absentia, these blueprints don't seem to show the windows, do you know where they are located?"
Perusing the blueprints, Ariana frowns, trying to calculate a plan.
"Do we know which floor we can find the kingpins? If they are topside - and there is only one set of stairs - we could use the adjacent buildings to enter on the second or third floor and block the stairs ?"
"Each room has at least one window. Which ones have been boarded up, however, remains to be seen.
The Cavalier's boss typically resides on the top floor, but is fond of roaming the building. We have next to nothing on the Caped boss. "
-Posted with Wayfinder
After a long pause Absentia says, If that is all, get a good night's rest and report to the Atrium at five bells. I'll place your masks there, then you head out.
Goodnight, Tears.
As Absentia goes to leave, Noro rushes to catch up with <her?> She tries to converse privately with the Sorrow.
Noro checks to be sure they are not being eavsdropped uopn, Look, I ain't axshactly the besht when it comesh to thish kind of shtuff. Hell I can barely talk right, let alone be all diplomatic. But, consherning Reck, I mean the prishioner, I promished I would help him, Hell, I don't even know why I promished him that, I guess caushe of our pasht together, I don't know. but... Noro seems a little uneasy as she continues, asking for help is not something she is used to.
Pleashe, shee to getting him better accomodationshons or even better, offer him a shpot ash a tear. anything, I.... I... don't want..
Noro turns her back to Absentia, I don't want to shee him like that...I ... Noro can't seem to finish her sentence, unable to bring herself to say what she wants. she wipes her eyes. Goodnight. Noro goes to head back to the bunk room pauseing at the door to compose herself before entering.
You all report as ordered to find your gear waiting for you on a labeled rack. The Elven quartermaster is behind his counter and he looks to actually be loosing hair over his assigned task. He is doing less running around, so that's good, you guess. Then you notice his errands are being completed by a pack of overly enthusiastic goblins. Instinct tells you to check your gear, but everything turns out fine.
Absentia arrives minutes after you do and retrieves new masks from Sorrow Abraxas. They are of unique design, though it isn't an extreme departure in basic look. Where these do differ strongly is color. They are a dark, matte blue with softer edges than your former masks.
They still feel the same going on, however. The shock isn't so severe for the experienced, but for Halsanna, the feel of magic running around her ears and temples before shooting down her neck is new.
The trip down to the target building, or to the edge of Order territory near the building, opens your eyes to the level of devastation wrought by the Well. The only buildings that haven't suffered at least moderate structural damage are the richer merchant and guild buildings who could afford to hire experienced, and therefore strong willed, protection, and even here there are signs of significant violence in the form of blood stains on the stone streets. You don't remember it being this bad, but you weren't up here when the Well was strongest either.
Finally, the target comes into sight. It is government work with plain architecture and the approved city design paradigm. Its third floor makes it an easy landmark, and several major roads converge here as a result. The nearby buildings are your best bet in unless you want to cross the 40 ft wide streets in the open.
For Absentia's part, she is quiet today, much like she was last night, and she passes the trip in relative silence.
Any last minute questions? Absentia asks.
That is correct. Don't try to take them off.
The masks do not impede sight or movement, but in the back of your mind you still know you're wearing one.
You climb to the roof of a nearby baker's shop and continue across the rooftops toward your target. The necessary spells are cast and you scamper up the walls.
Youall find easy access along the north wall through a pair of windows. Ariana has disappeared around the west side of the building. As you enter you find yourselves in the midst of six sleeping men. They are all laying on large, important looking desks with two sharing a 20 ft. conference table in the center of the room. They also all still wear leather armor and have spears near at hand, suggesting they are not the pushovers Absentia mentioned. As you enter, they begin to stir and wake!
Your entry point is along the west wall and lands you just north of the stairs to the first level. The stairs to the third level are directly ahead of you and two rooms are available. This area is clear of clutter and looks like some kind of reception area. There are a few small tables, a chandelier, and a rug left, but everything else that must have been here is gone.
Ariana casts invisibility and unseen servant.
The groogy man on the table is nearby. Noro places one hand suddenly on his mouth with a vise like grip and she slams her other hand down hard on his chest at the heart.
--- +4 more if prone?
Round 3
The invisible wizard moves forward, commanding her servant to move to the double doors and open them. If the door is open, she commands it to move to the other door and open that one instead. If all three doors are open, she commands it to move to the the wall beside the single door and start pounding on it. She herself will move to the doorway (20' move) and cast unseen servant again. What she tells this one to do depends on what is in the room.
Freias heart pounded as she climbed up the side of the house. It was long since I climbed the outside of a building ... But then, this time she wasn't after a moment of warmth or scarps of food. And I'm not alone. She paused for a mere moment to watch Arianna disappear into the second floor. With a quick prayer over her comrade she looked up and continued. As she came closer to the window which would serve as her entrance, a strange calmness came over her. Everything seemed so clear. Let's do this!
She stepped into the room and the sight of the guards stirring didn't faze her. With swift steps she was among them, sap in hand and a spell on her lips. Casting the spell without worry and interruption was an easy feat in this stillness. Quickly infused by power she swung the chilled cudgel downwards for all she was worth at the still laying guards. As the blunt object struck flesh she gasped - the illusion shattered and she could hear the chaos of combat again. With a muffled curse she swung again.
Two cries of alarm shatter the calm of early morning as the group on the third floor is engaged.
On the second, double doors open of their own accord to reveal a room packed full of gang grunts. Men sleep wherever there is room to lay down, sometimes on top of one another. It is an overwhelming force to confront head on.
Round 3
Ariana takes a deep breath and focuses her will, she directs her magic into the near future.
That's it. She saw it in her mind's eye and took advantage. Sneaking quietly (Stealth 23) Ariana will move to one of the thugs and cut his throat with all the calculation and care of one scribing a spell. With a handaxe. damage. She is trying to do it without waking up any of the other thugs while keeping another scroll of invisibility in her other hand. Was there a hint of hesitation in her hand? A slight tremble before the brutal, cold-blooded assassination carried out? Possibly. Evil begets evil. When outnumbered commit yourself to tasks others find distasteful.
Edit: DC 22 Fort save or target dies.
Zayid motions Aboki to kill the nearest sleeper, even as he himself taps the big cat with a wand that he retrieves from his belt.
1:
2:
3:9
4:13
5:19
6:
The man dies in a quiet gurgle. There are a couple heavy thumps from upstairs, but no one wakes... this time.
The men wake with a start to find themselves suddenly under attack and half of them hard pressed at that! They all reflexively roll off their tables and arm themselves. Well, all except that one guy who finds himself glued to the table. He starts yelling, Hey! Hey som'body help me!
Party to act (group round 2 is now, Ariana is now axing a fool)
Freia thumps the guard on his shoulder as he struggles to get up and away from her.
Freia tries a follow up strike against the guard she assaulted previously, but her swing is ... not stellar. In an effort to avoid giving the man the benefit of using the table for cover, she quickly circles it before she attacks. As the cudgel connected with the resistant surface - man or table - she felt power coursing trough her and out trough the weapon. It was similar to the echantments she used to weave, but easier (and weaker). Nevertheless, the blue flames sprouting from her cudgel blazed a little extra. That was what?!
[ooc]Well, worth a shot!
Ariana Round 4
You estimate 20 at the least. Judging by their dress, both gangs have quartered here for the night. If the other room is like this one, you estimate at least 30 but as many as 45 men could be asleep on this floor. Then smell is... incredible.
Zayid and Aboki move up on one of the men, slicing with blades and claws.
The one Noro tried to silence starts to make the attempt to get up Noro indroduces her fist to his face. "snooze button."
1:(tanglefooted)14
2:
3:16
4:25 (staggered)
6:
Friea's cudgel smacks across the Tanglefooted man's skull. His cries are suddenly and awkwardly silenced.
Zayid's polearm colides with the desk, sending a few splinters flying. Aboki does what a cat does and gains the upper ground before opening several gashes on his target. Their leather armor proves little use against his claws. The man is still up, but he is in sore shape.
As the south-western most guard tumbles off the table Freia gets a solid blow in on the back of his head. He collapses into a heap on the other side.
The groogy punching sack manged to get up. Noro gives him a growl not saying much of anything.
grabbing the thug by the top of his head Noro slams his face into the table.
The man howls in pain as a fountain of blood erupts from his nose, but, through some miracle of inner fortitude, he manages to keep his feet.
1:14, (Tf)
2:
3:25
4:25
5: down
6:5
Halsanna's first arrow is well aimed and impacts the man's shoulder. Her second is a little wide and sticks in the far wall with a solid thud.
The man ensnared by the Tanglefoot bag gives up on getting aid and struggles against the sticky substance. He manages to gain a bit of leverage and tears himself off the desk, bringing a bit of the wood with him in the process.
(Provokes from Freia)
Across the room, the guard farthest from the door rounds the table and engages Zayid. He fakes and lunges, outmaneuvering the less wieldy pole arm and landing a decent hit. (Zayid takes 4)
Halsanna's target knows a lost cause when he sees one and darts out the door. (Provokes from Aboki)
The two other men, both seriously wounded, step in front of the door and level their spears at you in a defensive posture.
Aboki gives a roar as his quarry attempts to escape, and takes the opportunity to claw at the man's stomach.
Zayid steps back and takes a swing at the man attacking him, simultaneously calling out to the others, "Don't let him escape!"
Red Ramage
Choon
Benkei
