Xynen's Hell's Rebels (Inactive)

Game Master Xynen

Kalem walks over to blue, grabs him by the scruff of his shirt and snarls in his face.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't throw you off this building." He demands.

Though Kalem knew the advantages to making nice with potential allies, there were only so many times he could take having comrades being almost killed. The threshold happens to be zero.

Grapple: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Kalem also drags him over to the edge of the roof.

"Let me help throw him off. I want to watch him splatter after what they did." Brask offers, crossing over to help Kalem by looking menacing and brandishing his cutlass.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"I just did what I was told!" Blue blubbers through spit and snot, the young mans feet wheel frantically as he eyes the pavement below.

"Please! Scarplume promised to save us from whatever human is killin' Tieflings in the Devil's Nursery if we did what she said! You know how hard it is for our kind here!" He eyes his dead friend on the roof again and keeps crying.

My kin...

Kalem drops him back onto the roof. As much as anger was taking him, he knew all to well how hard it was for Tieflings, the spawn of demons, to survive when oppressed.

"Here's what's going to happen." Kalem kneels down and stares the sobbing tiefling down. "You are going to help patch me and my companions up. We're going to th Devil's Nursery and fixing this killer problem, and then you're going to start doing some good in this city rather than being a street punk."

Kalem motions back to Brask.

"Or my friend here gets to test how strong his throwing arm is."

Elias kneels over Femi, using the wand to pour healing energies into him...

Femi’s eyes open and he struggles to his feet. ”Thanks Elias. Ouch.”

He looks over the congregation and their prisoner and catches up. ”We’re going to the Devil’s Nursery?”

He turns to the prisoner, "Who's killing Tieflings? How do you know it's a human? Have you seen him? What does he look like?"

The young man clings desperately to Kalems arm until he's back on the roof and as soon as his feet touch solid ground he sighs in relief.

"I'm not good at anythin' but stealin!" He whines in protest as Kalem tries to give him a new direction in life. At Femi's inquiry he just shrugs.

"I just know someone's killin' us. I used to live there but after the second tiefling was killed I got out as soon as I could. That's all I know, honest!"

"If all you're good for is stealing, then steal from the right people, the people who deserve to be stolen from."

Kalem grips the young tiefling's shoulder.

"You can be something much greater than you are right now, and the people who normally scorn you will cheer for your success."

"Work with us."

Mykhail stirs, groaning in pain but relaxed when he felt a soothing sensation throughout his body and he gave a thankful smile to Elias.

"Thanks, buddy." He got to his feet and stumbled a bit as his equilibrium adjusted. He patted himself down making sure everything was in order, making sure his pistol was in good working condition still and then turned to the rest of his companions.

"Sorry about that, not often that enemies get the better of me."

He gives the weeping Tiefling a withering stare "Right, because killing all humans is going to stop the one bastard who is hunting your kind down. Where do people get their logic?" he muttered with a shake of his head.

"While I agree we need to go to this Devil's Nursery and handle whatever is going on, I think we need to regroup back at the base. Two of us nearly died after all."

"Agreed. A rest is warranted. A greater portion of my magics are expended, and I'm sure the rest of you are not much better off."

Elias scowls at the cutpurse that helped ambush the party.

"Besides, I wish to learn more about this Scarplume character. Was his intervention here incidental? Or planned? I am suspicious about the timing of his 'help' in directing these miscreants."

"I agree, this fight has taught us that even being fully prepared, we can be up against it."

"Still, we have some time, and I plan to spend some of it in the local pubs doing a little research. Surely someone must know something and maybe we can find out what with a few drinks and some luck."

"Anyone care to join me on a pub crawl tonight? I need some rest, so we'll start early and with a fine meal."

Femi will spend the evening gathering information before he turns in and gets some sleep.

Gather Information: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23 - Looking for information about the tiefling disappearances.

"Yeah." Brask responds to Femi. "I'll go with you. I could use something to eat... Oh yeah."

Brask turns to the tiefling we've spared. "If you do, for some dumb reason, go back to whatever members of your gang are left, let them know that if they leave people alone then I'll eat the guy that's been killing them instead. At least one of them will get it."

Maybe this will help spread the word to the tiefling gangs to leave people alone until we resolve this.

Kalem relents. He was sore, and a drink with his companions sounded great.

He gives the young tiefling one last comment before leaving with the others.

"If you want to be rid of this killer, keep vigilant. We may return."

He leans in closer.

"I feel your plight. And I hope to aid you, but because of this fight I am in no state to. Guard yourself, and hope we meet again."

Blue eyes Kalem suspiciously but finally nods his head. He moves to green and starts to look him over. "We can go back to the Devil's Nursery I guess. Not a lot of work there, but if we don't get killed maybe we can figure something out that ain't mugging people in the street."

He seems genuine and the party leaves unhindered as they make plans for their pub crawl.

Femi hears a lot about tieflings, and the murders, and a lot about how the tieflings probably deserve the murders. A few compassionate folk, and a few smart ones who saw him walk in with Kalem, inform him that the murders started happening shortly after the night of fires.

There have been four murders so far, though the details are vague, most of Kintargo doesn't care what goes on in the tiefling community and it shows even in this sad situation.

One particularly helpful dwarf suggests you check out the Nursery itself. "Way they get treated, it's no surprise they keep to themselves. Maybe your red friend will have some luck talking to the poor demonspawn."

In any case its getting close to curfew and the bars are thinning out. You all enjoy a well deserved rest.

You've got one more day for this week to round out, I'm assuming the protest happened about midway through the week. Let me know of you plan to head straight for the Nursery or if there's anything else you'd prefer to do.

Naw, I think that going to the Nursery tomorrow would be the best thing. If we want to rest tonight I suggest expending all our daily healing before we rest so we can be at tip-top shape tomorrow.

Brask will spend the time along Femi, but instead of being intimidating or angry he is happily sharing good times with the other patrons. He in particular looks out for some of the people he made friends with during the protest, to check in on them and make sure they're alive and kicking.

I'm at full health but have no healing to offer - totally drained of spells today. :(

Femi sleeps soundly and lingers over his spell book the next morning. When he’s ready he seeks out the other members of their little band.

”So, shall we follow Kalem’s lead today and spend some time snooping around the Tiefling quarter? Seems from what we learned last night, there’s a definite problem there. Not sure how it helps us overall, but I get the scent of Thrune here from the timing, so maybe there is a connection.”

He takes a big bite of breakfast and chews a while.

As its a new day and Kalem is feeling refreshed...

"If you would humor for today at least. I don't like the idea of someone going around of slaughtering my kind. We deserve better than that."

"I am all for resolving this issue involving the killing of your kin, something sinister is definitely taking place and I do not like it one bit. We will bring this scum to justice."

assuming that the enemy doesn't wipe the floor with me again, also GM if Possible Mykhail would like to make a pit stop and buy perhaps half a dozen potions if that is alright?

"Everyone deserves better than that." Brask agrees. "We should try to track this killer down."

-Posted with Wayfinder

The next morning after you're healed and provided breakfast a warm breakfast, Laria points you toward a street merchant who often sells potions of various types not too fat from the bakery, getting your hands on a few is a simple task, though he does question the need for six potions he's easily mollified by the sight of your coin.

Though it's still early, when you enter the slums it almost feels as though the world darkens. Few, if any, residents are clean, none of them are smiling. Every one you pass is either noticeably a tiefling or just odd enough looking to not be entirely human.

You receive a lot of strange looks, though no one comes near enough the party to invite conversation, at one point a young boy even drops a darkness field and uses it to cover his escape. Kale and Brass watch him scamper into a poorly build house that seems to lean too far to the side, caught only be another shoddy building leaning the opposite direction.

Over all its a stark contrast from Red Roof and Temple Hill, a reminder that not all of Kintargo shines like silver.

"Kalem, maybe you can ask around and we'll hang back a bit. Seems our presence here is unnerving folks - not what we're after. We need to see if there's a hunting pattern. Maybe we can use that to pinpoint where the hunter starts, if there's a pattern at all."

Femi looks unsure about how to proceed.

Elias frowns that the thought of Kalem intentionally left alone near where something is hunting his kind.

"I mislike these risks. This region of the city has never been well-heeled, and now a killer stalks these alleys, if our new...friend...speaks the truth. This kind of racial violence is what pogroms are made of. Left unchecked, it could break the soul of Kintargo. That we must risk Kalem so directly... I am not pleased."

He turns back to his allies, "But know this. I've stayed my judgement against the thugs. Against the squatters in the temple of my lady. This person hunting the infernal-born? He shall receive no such clemency. His crimes must be answered for, and only one answer will do. I will have his death."

Kalem goes out in search for the tiefling he had words with the other day.
Should I make a roll here?

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Kale unfortunately either does not see the two from yesterday, or can't remember quite what they look like. One particularly inquisitive tiefling woman raises an eyebrow.

"What do you need them for anyway?" She tries to sound more interested than suspicious but she doesn't do a very good job. Her hand keeps rest on her thigh as though checking for something.

Femi stays well back with the others, letting Kalem have lots of room to work. He worries that he can't hear what's going on, but is confident he can close enough to cast a spell should combat break out.

Just to be clear, we're all in the area, but the party, excepting Kalem is back quite a ways - I'm guessing ~100' or so and doing our own thing. Is that right? We're basically just barely keeping Kalem in sight.

Right on my part.

Brask is chatting with some of the other citizens of the district, but he seems a little uncomfortable doing so. It's not the armor; he seems to be moving about in it just fine. It's more that something... else is bothering him.

right Femi, that's what I figured too

"Is something amiss Brask? You seem discomforted." Elias asks, as he scans the passersby as subtly as he is able. instead of chatting up the locals, he has set up in a visible spot between a pair of shoddy merchant stalls, plucking at his harp as if warming up for a performance to come.

"He's doing a small job for us. He told us about a certain problem around town, and he promised to get more information. Know where he is?"

right Femi, that's what I figured too

"Is something amiss Brask? You seem discomforted." Elias asks, as he scans the passersby as subtly as he is able. instead of chatting up the locals, he has set up in a visible spot between a pair of shoddy merchant stalls, plucking at his harp as if warming up for a performance to come.

"It's..."Brask rubs at the corner of his mouth where his tusk used to be. "It just reminds me of when I came to Kintargo. Old aches act up whenever I come back to this part of town."

The big man shakes his head. "I'll be fine if something comes. Sorry to worry you."

"Contrary to popular belief, we don't all know each other. Never thought I'd have to explain that to one of us." She laughs coldly as she steps back.

"But if you're working on something around town maybe I could help you?"

She keeps looking over Kalems shoulder in the direction he came from.

"You're the first in a long line of people I plan to ask to find the lad."

Kalem decides to avoid any further subtly and come out and say it.

"He's helping us catch the killer that's been around this part of town recently. You wouldn't happen to know anything, would you?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 11

The woman's face darkens at the mention of the murders but she does seem to relax, though not entirely.

"And am I supposed to pay you for your services? Another opportunist come here to prey on the weak?"

Her eyes narrow and she's almost shouting but just as quickly she relents. "You're lucky we're so desperate for help. Not that we have much information for you anyway."

She sighs and leans against the wall to her right. "Every couple of nights a new body is found, unidentifiable from what I hear. I've never seen one before we burn them, never had the constitution for it. The Cloven Hoof used to get rid of our dead for us but ever since they dissappeared it's been left to us."

She goes on to detail the places the victims were found. Four in all, across the Nursery, never the same place twice. Too many tieflings leave, die, or just dissappear everyday to narrow down who the victims are so no one knows if they have any similarities that may clue them in to the murderers identity.

"I'm Zhea by the way. So, now that you've got your information, what do you intend to do about it?"

"I plan to act."

Kalem turns to his companions. He speaks loudly enough for Zhea to hear, but not in a mocking or dramatic way.

"Let's go to the where the bodies were found. Perhaps we'll find more information. If the killer finds out someone's actually doing something about this, they might disappear or even worse, speed up the process."

He turns back to Zhea.

"Thank you for the information Zhea, and we aren't expecting payment. I intend to find the sick bastard and beat his face in until its as red as my skin."

Its a small attempt to show his seriousness. Though he was a tiefling, the wariness of outsiders remained. The sooner he could breach that, the faster this mad killer would be put down.

"Let's Go." he tells his companions.

"Let's Go." he tells his companions.

Femi follows Kalem deeper into the district. He wishes there was more he could do, but for now he hangs back with the others and keeps an eye on Kalem lest he get too far ahead.

Zhea smiles when Kalem threatens whoever the murderer is, it's a genuine one. "Here, let me lead you around. A lot of people around here know me and you're less likely to have trouble if I'm with you."

As she mentioned, each location is different from the last. The first place you visit is an empty alleyway that is significantly cleaner than anywhere else in the slums you've seen so far. "It's from cleaning up the blood." Zhea explains, frowning.

The next three locations are similar. An abandoned room in a dilapidated office building, a lonely roof top one a house that seems to groan under the weight of the party as they investigate, and the final location is actually right in the middle of a fairly busy street. "A little one found that corpse in the morning. It gets quiet around here at night but I never expected a murderer to be so bold." Zhea mentions, frowning.

Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

Seriously? hehehe. OK then. Not what I expected.

Femi looks down and stops. He shifts some debris away with his staff and bends down, using his staff for balance. "What's this?"

He gathers a humanoid tooth off the ground, and holds it up to the group. "This is weird. Is it large enough for a half-orc do you think?"

Mykhail is in agreement when it comes to the fate of this being who is committing these atrocities against Tieflings. Making sure his potions are easily accessible and that his pistol was ready for battle he follows Zhea and the rest of his companions to the sites.

"Bold indeed. I know this may seem harsh but can you describe the victims? Did they have any noticeable wounds? Anything you might know will help."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Ooof! So close, and yet so far! I can't make DC 20 Local checks since I'm not trained in that skill.

When they're on the rooftops Brask looks a bit pale, and if anyone's been tracking his behavior they'll notice he looks to one of the rooftops a ways away more often than the others when he scans the horizon. He doesn't say anything about it, but looks relieved when they get down to the ground level.

When they arrive at the last murder scene, Brask looks about alertly, but has not spotted anything that can help the group. He manages to stay out of the way, though.

"Middle of the street? Yeah, that's bold..." he admits. "Seeing as they've been unidentified... That's a lot of violence for such little time you'd have."

because I'm dumb n forgot to add this in
knowledge local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
"Is it just me or do we seem to be traveling in a pattern, a circular shape to be exact?"

Knowledge:Local: 1d20 ⇒ 17

"A circle you say?"

Kalem thinks about the streets they've taken and the general mapped out crime scenes in his mind. Though he wasn't smart, he could definitely see that might be the case.

Kalem turns to Zhea.

"If what my friend said is true, then what is at the center of this circle of crime scenes?"

"If what my friend said is true, then what is at the center of this circle of crime scenes?"

"I don't know," quips Femi, "but let's find out shall we?"

He grips his staff and, assuming everyone agrees, heads toward the center of the circle eager to track down this lawless killer.

Elias shrugs. The motion looks remarkably human on the elf, as if he spent some time practicing it in the mirror.

"Not that I have noticed, Mykhail. Do you have a suspicion as to why? Something in the motive or mode of our killer, perhaps?"

He stares down at the spot in the street, "I should like to know how the victims were slain? Was it knife? Axe? Arrow?

...claw?"

Mykhail shakes his head to Elias question. "All that I know is at the center is an abandoned warehouse. Perhaps it's not so abandoned as we are lead to believe. We should tread carefully no matter the case, we don't need to get ourselves almost killed again." as he says this he pulls out his pouch of potions and holds it out for anyone who would like one to take.

I have six so just let me know who all takes one so I can adjust my sheet

Kalem grabs one.

"For safety. As I have no healing capabilities, I don't trust myself to bring one of you back from the brink guessing and fumbling on what to do."

Mykhail shakes his head to Elias question. "All that I know is at the center is an abandoned warehouse. Perhaps it's not so abandoned as we are lead to believe. We should tread carefully no matter the case, we don't need to get ourselves almost killed again." as he says this he pulls out his pouch of potions and holds it out for anyone who would like one to take.

"Why thank you, that's an excellent idea! Please, let me pay for it though - no sense in you paying for all of them."

He forks over whatever coins are requested and tucks the bottle (Cure Light Wounds?) somewhere handy.

Mykhail nods to his companions. "Better safe than sorry, and after that last fight I never want to be sorry again." He returns the rest to his satchel

Mykhail waits patiently for their guide to explain to the best of her abilities what the crime scenes looked like before he speaks up. "I think we should check the warehouse, something is bound to be going on there considering it is at the center of all this."

I figure Elias can handle his own healing, unless he's out. And if he's out, it's better you have a potion to cram down his throat :)

Mykhail nods to his companions. "Better safe than sorry, and after that last fight I never want to be sorry again." He returns the rest to his satchel.

"Very good thinking, thanks!" Femi doles out 25gp to Mykhail and pockets the potion.

Brask takes one and shows which belt pouch it's in. "If we're in battle and I need this, it will be because I'm unconscious." he states. "I'm not very good at rummaging through bags when I get into that state of mind I fight in."

As the party approaches the warehouse nothing seems particularly out of the ordinary. At least, not for this area. Broken glass litters the ground below bare windows, the covering of dust suggest they shattered long ago. The front door is a large steel contraption with a rusted broken handle and a faded sign on the front door that reads Keep Out! in several common languages with a stamped crest of some government official. It's locked, likely from a deadbolt on the inside.

You can seem to hear anything from within, Zhea stays behind the rest of you, not sure she wants to be anywhere near the potential murderer of Devil's Nursery.