Gabriel makes a free action groan.
Elhona stands and makes her way across the rooftop a bit more slowly to not fall again.
Not being able to to do much against the rats kibur decides it best to go for the piper.
turning into the building he is in front of Kibur be-lines it to the roof
Chandra take careful aim
I think we lost our +2 because Kibur moved away if not add +2 please
Chandra take careful aim
[dice=sling]1d20+2-4 I think we lost our +2 because Kibur moved away if not add +2 please
[dice=damage]1d3
Chandra's sling stone impacts amidst the rats and kills some of their number, enough to send the remainder of the swarm around the unconscious Gabriel scurrying away.
Yves, runs towards the last swarm w all his ferocity.
The last mass of rats boils over from Denenor's unconscious form onto Yves, who swings fiercely even as the creatures nip at him from every angle! His prowess sends dead rats flying every which way and the remaning few flee squealing into the abandoned houses once more.
"Well damn, let's call it a draw shall we fellows?" The piper calls to Elhona, [b]"you go your way I go mine. Otherwise I'm going to have to use the pipes again. You might take me, but does it matter if another lot of rats eat your mates down there, some of them ain't doing so good are they?"
Ooooh, you rotter!
Elhona is torn! To have to decide between completing a job for which she was hired, or to keep her fellow mercenaries from dying. She glances at the downed forms of Denenor and Gabriel, then turns and studies the halfling's face as carefully as possible.
"Not my call - Yves, Chandra Kibur, do I let him go, or do we take him down? Just say the word and I'm on him."
"I think if we dont let him go we may be over come. I am sure we will meet again." Chandra says
I say let the bugger go, we will see im agin, bet me beard on it. we got comrades dat need tendin to.
Kibur goes to check on the status of his fallen companions.
Once there a quick release of his earthly powers and a wave of dust covers them healing their wounds for
Elhona points her sword at the halfling, "Best get to running, then. Off with you!"
"Right you are folks, no hard feelings hey?" The halfling says, before carefully lowering himself down on the far side of the roof and dropping down out of sight.
The group limp to Tin Hill without further incident where the dwarves tend their injuries after hearing their tale. An ancient dwarven woman, who can barely stand and who does not appear to speak common channels the power of Torag and restores all to full health before being led off with the aide of two younger dwarven maids.
"It seems our enemies had better watch on us than we thought," Ozzit says, "if you are willing we would make your payment in the goods we have, and better prepare you for another confrontation at the same time. We have masterwork weapons and armour of most types, potions, and other supplies, you may choose freely from. I ask that you take no more than one weapon and suit of armour each, but otherwise select what you may."
The interior of The Boar is a construction site, with dwarves industriously repairing the damp ruined floors, and the water filled former fighting pits being drained by a bucket chain of younger dwarves while some sort of strange mechanism with hoses is being tinkered with by the side of one of the great pits. All told there must be some seventy dwarves present, though most appear old, poorly dressed, or very young.
Ozzit leads you up to a new made wall, and through a door with steps, which you realize lead up to the former stage, which has been walled off and turned into an impromptue armoury. Gleaming weapons of a dozen varieties are carefully hung upon the new walls, with fine armour hung upon crude, but practical wooden dummies, vaguely dwarven in size and shape. A door behind the stage leads to a cupboard sized room where racks of shelving contain various carefully labelled vials.
"Armor and weapons. I don't suppose you have anything for a monk eh? Although I must admit, after being vigorously beaten and then eaten by rats, I'm seriously reconsidering my chosen vocation."
"I have no need of armor but this light crossbow will prove to be very helpful, Thank you!"
Chandra says as she pick up the bow. She walks over to the potions and takes two of each.
"These will come in handy againts any swarms we run into as well. By the way I found a wand in the blacksmiths shop, was it his?" she asks?
"I would like a warhammer, and instead of an armor, two or three javelins. Would be very useful for me. Thanks"
Yves picks one of healing potions.
Kibur seems a bit out of place among this clan. If his family could see him now, associating with these dwarves.
No matter now. I've already mucked up our traditions already by trusing these non-dwarves in the first place. I's fer the best I hope
Kibur muses to himself. Well I am at a tavern, might as well 've a drink at the least
Kibur enjoys his ale as this Ozzit character explins the situation. Kibur what 'ave you wrapped yerself up into now? he thinks to himself.
while here he tucks away any evidence of his noble birth not wanting any of these fellows knowing his connections nor his family name and rep in the dwarven merchant alliance.
he follows them to the armory, and is rather impressed at the collection. He picks up few of the pieces looking them over for the smith's marks looking to find out where they were obtained from.
The dwarves are happy to supply Kibur with a drink, though it is poor fare compared to what he is used to - The Boar may once have been a tavern, but its clearly not one any longer, more like a small barracks.
After some discussion a female dwarf steps enters with Ozzit and passes Gabriel [url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/belt-of-tumbling]a roll of black cotton cord]/url],
"I used this in my younger days, but I am not moved to dance any more. It has some small magic I think, Ozzit says you might find it of use. Truth I do not even know if it helped me dance, but the elders said it had an enchantment of nimbleness."
"Well thank you miss!" Gabriel will exclaim in delight. "I've wanted one of these ever since I first saw one."
Elhona gets to work immediately, swapping out worse parts for better, cleaning a spring here and a gear there to bring her pistol up to a higher quality bore and trigger. In the meantime, she also shrugs into a masterwork chain shirt that has sunbursts emblazoned on the shoulders.
Looking among the equipment Kibur finds a a nicely made heavy shield. checking the markings he seems to recognize the mark. a well known craftsman clan. he never met the actual maker but he knows of the clan.
Along with the shield Kibur is playing with a heavy crossbow. as he is examining it <thunk> a bolt flies across the room embedding in the wall. Kibur looks around with a touch of embarrassment. He sets it down and grabs a light crossbow instead. little less dangerous.
Most of the equipment bears the marks of the late smith whose murder got you involved, the remainder is obviously far older.
"Your substitution is agreeable." Denenor didn't like the terms of his agreement changed on the go, but seeing the healing the Dwarven woman provided him with was worth more than metal, he provided no contest to the change.
He hefted a well-crafted shield and warhammer from their supply. Their hammers are supposed to be the very best...
"This seems to be quite the amount of work put into affronting you. What would garner such malice?"
Gabriel will also pick up a potion of cure light wounds and two flasks of alchemist fire.
Ozzit looks uncomfortable,
"We have found an ancient dwarf hold, no Sky Citadel, but a place of our people from ages long past that we believe we can reclaim. I made the foolish decision of giving its location to some suppliers and now it seems someone wishes to prevent us claiming it. We would know why, and who we face, all I can tell you is they are wealthy and unscrupulous and have already cost us many good lives."
"Which suppliers? To find out who's responsible we may have to chase the gossip."
Chandra informed the dwarfs, "Before the piper took off he started to name his employers then stopped himself. The name started with Cons... if that is any help in identifying them."
Kibur sits quietly running through this information in his head. trying to recall all of his family contacts, the various organizations and clans his father had dealing's with.
Elhona is busying herself throughout the day with the upgrade of her weapon.
Ozzit provides the group with a list of suppliers, but they all appear to be small businesses within Absalom, with the exception of a half dozen transport companies. Ozzit explains that he had never had dealings with any before and that he was no expecting any trouble and so did not concern himself over much with secrecy,
"I cannot see what use the place would be to anyone else. It is a dwarven place, humans would do poorly there, it occupies no great position save that the lands around suit goats and there is a good source of iron. But iron is not difficult to come by. It seems to be connected to the deep tunnels, and most of our efforts are to be spent sealing those off and slaying the dark denizens that have crept up there, but it would seem strange that such creatures could have a hand here in Absalom..."
Late in the afternoon the next day, once all the group have finished their preparations a terse note is delivered to them from their employer, reading simply, "Report in - Jacq's"
"Terse, ain't she." Gabriel says, reading the note. "Well, let's be off then, though we should watch our step. We'll probably be attacked on the way out."
Chandra looks around wishing she could do more to help.
"I guess we should check in. Maybe we will find a way to help you more later. Good luck" she says as she prepares to leave.
"May His balanced scales find you justice." Denenor didn't like being tugged around from one goal to another, but such was duty. And there seems to be a greater vendetta afoot here than we know. What end the opposers had, he could not say, but there was plenty of time to find out.
Enjoying the rest of the day to drink with the dwarves and rest, Yves thinks about his life in this "civilized world" Humm, finally, the first time I feel more comfortable since I arrived in this place, Absalom... maybe here could be a place to live...
The group make their way back to Jacq's a relatively short distance and are immediately greeted by the halfling proprietress who looks deeply disgruntled,
"I don't need a briefing, I know what's gone on - you did fine. Trouble is I've, we've, been offered a great deal of money to leave things well enough alone. Now I don't like being bought, its different to being paid if you take my meaning, but its a lot of money for no work and I'm no paladin. So I'm putting it on you. Two thousand gold pieces each if you agree to a geas to leave the dwarves alone and not seek to aide them in any manner, same for me so no more hires from here. Talk it over and give me your decision, I'll have more work for you either way."
Elhona is stunned by the offer. "2000?! Why that's... But a geas? These dwarves were wronged, their kinsman slain. I have little loyalty to them, but it seems not right that we should be preventing justice for them. And yet, with those funds, I would need little more for my life and livelihood..." Elhona begins to think of her aging mother, and the comfort that such funds will bring.
"It´s inacceptable, not everything has a price, especially when dealing with the honor´s dwarves like them" ...after a pause to a deep breath, "There´s no way to accept this condition, I don´t need an exorbitant amount of gold to survive, I´m off."
"Life is not only about money. We are better than that, hope. I can not let others die while I profit from it" Chamdra says shaking her head.
Kibur sitting silent pondering his choices.
Finally his mind made up. No, My answer is no. These are dwarves we're talking about. I will not be bought to to not offer what I can. You all do as you wish. but no amount of money is enough to convince me to betray be fellow dwarves.
Kibur will hear no more of forced to ignore his kin. he heads outside for some fresh air.
"I think we are all in agreement then. I don't want to betray their trust in us either. Shall we tell Jacq of our decision?"
Watching the group from the other side of the room Jacq prowls back over,
"Looks like you've made up your mind, and I think I can see which way the wind is blowing. I'll take a light conscience and a light purce over the alternative happily enough. Now I think I've got something that might help you discover the murderer of our unfortunate Ambassador, its got to be connected to this stuff with these ragamuffin dwarves I'd think. The man who came trying to pay us off thought he was nice and anonymous, but I am sure I recognized him of old, used to do some business with his father. His name is Simon Slantern, and his father Arcus Slantern runs The Shackled Bird over on Misery Row in the Coins district. I don't know how the lad turned out or what he does specifically, but the father is a greasy money grubber albeit with a certain oily charm. Don't cause any trouble if you head for Misery Row, or you'll end up for sale yourselves, you can't handle that kind of trouble I promise you."
Denenor's faith is restored in the good of humanity as the group turns-down the buyout. "Misery Row, hmm? Aptly named, no doubt, but I've never been. And I hope I needn't return once we're done." Hiding like rats in the sewers, they are. Time to flush them out.