Dai examines the obsidian blade gingerly, turning it over and holding it up to the light to better perceive the poison.
"Hmm. Gold scorpion venom. I've heard about this in the arena - for when you want a gladiator to take an ignominious and lucrative fall. Mostly used by professional killers, and it does take quite a bit of skill to apply. We should take extra precautions tonight - sleep in shifts, shut the windows. We don't want a repeat of the inn-fire debacle."
Rahger is interested in making sure their contact reaches her destination safely. He is also curious to see where she is going.
Rahger will follow, blending with the crowd.
Ragher follows the woman through the streets of Tyr. She takes a circuitous route through the city, doubling back several times. On one such loop, she walks right up to the halfling’s vantage point and makes direct eye contact. “Oh, it is you. If you please, I have enough to worry about right now without being shadowed. It is best if we part ways for the moment. I assure you, I’ll answer any questions tomorrow at the Golden Inix.” She heads around another corner.
The woman finds a vacant lot in the brickyards. She shakes her head in your direction, then gets to work. Mud is daubed onto her face and a piece of detritus expertly balanced under her cloak to give the appearance of a hump deformity. She then ambles off with a noticeable limp. Where a strong, forceful woman entered the cul-de-sac, a crippled beggar now exited.
* * *
That night, during the second watch at your inn, a heavy *thump* sound from behind the door to your room breaks the relative calm of the evening. Those of you on guard are able to quietly rouse their fellows without issue. It is quite dark at the moment. The inn’s hearth has burned down to embers hours ago.
Rennoc will awaken and cast both the shield and mage armor spells...
Grumpy from having taken first watch and then been rudely awakened by what are becoming usual circumstances, Dai dons her armor and casts magic weapon on her gouge.
She then looks out any windows to check the surrounds.
"What might it be this time? A body? Alchemist's fire in a pot?"
Not wanting to give what ever may be going on to long, he quickly wakes a couple of the others and then summons his maul before moving over to listen at the door.
Daishata busies herself with the fittings on her breastplate without sufficient light.
The street through the window is much as you remember it by day, only empty and dark.
Chumani can hear a very faint clicking from behind the door, but even that noise stops after only a few seconds.
Chumani looks over at Rahger and Dai trying to get her in to her armor and whispers to them, "Who ever it is seems to be moving away, shall I wait for you?"
Chumani awaits their answer at the door with one hand on the handle the other holding the earth breaker.
Lucian awakens, conjuring a dagger-like card. Then he waits to see what chumani is planning on doing.
"Go! Go!" snarls Daishta somewhat irritably to Chumani, then, realising her untoward manner, somewhat less harshly to Rahger "Vesh tu-kai aporay deska."
"Go with the tall-meat if you like."
At Dai's affirmative Chumani swings the door open and steps in to the hall, bringing his weapon up in both hands ready to swing.
You open the door, ready for battle, but no one jumps out in ambush. Rushing out to engage unseen foes in the dark, Chumani nearly trips over a large hide sack, not quite Rahger’s size sitting on the stoop.
The inn’s interior is silent, no targets present themselves.
While you do not spot anyone in the hall, you do notice that something or someone inside the bag is moving.
Chumani steps over the sack that almost tripped him and waits to make sure someone is not just waiting for them to lower their guard. He slowly scans the area, looking for movement or anything that may seem out of place.
Chumani doesn't see anything out of place, save the quite obvious sack. Through an unsecured window, a breeze down from the mountains kicks up a squall of dust, but nothing you can detect is stirring.
Dai's impatience and frustration returns as she and Rahger fumble with her breastplate buckles in the dim light.
"Damn this! What's going on out there Chu?" the Gulgite hisses at the Half-Giant.
"Chu, the bag! Something is moving in that bag!" Lucian shouts as he spots the movement, readying for anything.
Chumani spins around and looks down at the moving sack. "Looks like someone left us a present, and it moving."
Looking up at Lucian he hefts his earth breaker and gestures at the sack, "You open it and I'll crush what ever it is, if it tries anything?"
"Sounds good to me." Lucian says, moving to the bag and opening it when everyone is ready.
Open the damn thing, if it is hostile I will incinerate it.
attack, damage
Full Round Action: Donning breastplate hastily.
Free Readied Action: Gasp in surprise at the horrible, horrible monster/cute fluffy thing/our employer as it emerges from sack in dim light. ;)
Gideon will draw his dagger and wait, cautiously.
Rahger readies a grapple attack.
Opening the bag yields an unpleasant surprise as four ornery scorpions with yellowish, glimmering carapaces, each the size of house kivits burst out. Their stingers strike wildly at all present. Chumani’s hammer squashes one into paste right off the bat. Rahger grabs another. It’s tail flails wildly at the halfling. Rennoc’s bolt of fire goes wide. The remaining two scuttle to sting at Lucian and the half giant.
Chum, Lucian get out of my way... I have a solution to these pests, it's called "electrocution"...
Rennoc will wait till his comrades have gotten out of the area and then use the this spell...
Init
burning hands (electric version)
Dai moves to the doorway to see the scorpions. She calls on her divine patron for aid.
Move action: Move to doorway.
Standard Action: Cast true strike.
Chumani steps back to give him space to swing at the scorpion scuttling around his feet and then slams his earth breaker down on it.
Lucian steps back, attempting to avoid the scorpion's sting. Then throws his conjured card at the enemy.
[dice=""Dagger"]1d20 + 9;1d4 + 11[/dice]
Chumani squashes another. Lucian's card goes so wide it nearly strikes Rahger.
Gideon will move toward the scorpions, if necessary, drawing his dagger, and attack.
that attack was directed at any of them, just whichever
The remaining two arachnid's thrash widly with claws and stingers. Unfortunately for them, your defenses are a little too solid. Despite not attuning herself to the pattern of vermin, Hamailii's blast dissipates the bug near Lucian's feet. Gideon stabs the one held by the halfling, spilling ichor everywhere.
Dai leans back and then makes a horrifyingly accurate swing with her gouge at the scorpion held in Rahger's feral paw.
[BAB, Str, Weapon Focus, Masterwork, + true strike]
[Strength]
Not wanting to hit the halfling Chumani calls out, "Rahger, toss it this way."
Daishata's strike finishes off the last scorpion. The night is once again silent.
That was awfully suspicious
Adrenalin coursing through her, Dai almost chuckles at Gideon's assessment of the situation.
"Yes. I didn't order scorpion. I didn't even know it was on the menu!" she says with rare, if morbid mirth.
As she calms down, the Gulgite becomes more reflective.
"Let us scout the inn and see if anyone saw anything. On the morrow I think I might have a few questions for our elusive employer..."
Rahger was quite busy holding onto the scorpion as the group killed it swiftly. "Woah! Big bug!" Since what little threat they had has dissipated, Rahger grins. "Can I eat?"
Scorpion is actually fairly tasty... I advise frying it first and cutting off the stinger and tail... The rest is good if it isn't burnt...