In the darkness it stirs, plotting and planning. It ponders the black between even as it covets the knowledge kept secret by others. It will be soon now. Soon enough. It can wait. It can wait just a little longer.
The city of Widewaters sits like an alabaster jewel strung on the silver thread of the Damas River. One of the few bridges that spans the mighty river, Widewaters is a bustling hub of trade and commerce. Many merchants name the city as their home, and many more pass through it in their travels. The famed Eastern and Western Markets, connected by the mile-long Narrows Bridge, are riots of color and famed for their variety of goods. Patrols and farming villages reach out for a hundred miles and more, making travel within about a week's ride safe for the many travelers, merchants, and adventurers that come seeking markets for their goods, or places to buy what they seek.
Despite your enthusiasm and special talents, the Sheriff of Grundy, Francis Mirth, turned you down when you approached him about being a deputy. Among the reasons he cited for his decision was the fact that you had little experience and he needed more seasoned people to help keep the peace. Undaunted, you began looking for ways to prove yourself. One merchant passing through mentioned that a lot of adventurers get their start by heading to Widewaters looking for those that need help navigating the wilds. It sounded as good a plan as any and after a tearful goodbye from your mother and an encouraging embrace from your father, you made your way north along the Border Road.
The city is far larger than any town or village that you've been to. It's high walls and guard towers grand compared to the wooden palisade that protected Grundy. You have made your way to the Western Market across the Damas River on some advice from the caravan that you traveled with for the last leg of the journey. There, you hope to find some work, or at least something interesting to look at.
Shortly after you and Ithus parted ways, Jeram, you met Senna just south of Roosem on your way to Widewaters. Agreeing that traveling together would be safer, you have gotten to know each other a little along the journey. About two weeks out from Widewaters, you joined up with a group of mercenaries heading for the town to sell their plunder. On their recommendation, you've crossed the Narrows Bridge and have begun to explore the Western Market.
Widewaters is a magnificent city to behold with shining white walls and tall towers throughout the city. Senna remembers passing through when she was still a little girl, but even that memory pales beside the splendorous reality. Jeram sees that the city is much larger than remote Roosem, and the people more colorful and varied than in his hometown.
Some time after leaving home, you joined one of the Sraelani caravans that roam the countryside. They found your jovial attitude refreshing and many nights were spent with you and them telling each other tales and singing songs by the campfires.
Now that you are in Widewaters, you feel an itch to move on. After saying your goodbyes to the folk of the caravan, you make your way to the Western Market where you have a feeling something is about to happen that will lead you on a grand adventure.
As Jeram browses the various stalls of the marketplace he is nearly overwhelmed by the chaotic streams of the other various denizens of this city. Ever mindful of the threats of pickpockets, he keeps one hand upon his money pouch while his eyes rove the immediate area looking for any possible thieves...well other than the merchanteers, he reflects wryly.
Some cities never change!
During a relatively quiet pause he glances over to Senna making sure she was not being accosted here. While the young woman had been remarkable closed-mouth concerning her past, a quick glance had revealed one of what he must be sure of are many tattoos that must cover her body. Fortunately no one else had noticed...yet.
She must have some tales to tell....too bad she has not opened up her book yet...perhaps given more time...
Moving up behind her he yells over the bustling crowds, "Senna! Do you see anything that catches your fancy here? I am getting famished!"
The riot of sights and sounds in the market is a bit overwhelming for the small Sraelani woman... but she enjoys it nonetheless. She winds through the stalls with interest, eyeing odd bits, delicacies, and more mundane purchases. Senna chats up a couple friendly Sraelani traders with an eye to learning the layout of the market, the costs and hazards of getting a spot, and what palms needed grease to secure a good location.
She turns at Jeram's bellow, her grey eyes smiling more than her mouth. Clearly, she was enjoying the controlled chaos of the market. "My fancy remains uncaught," she quips lightly. "but I could eat. Have you ever tried these?"
She holds up a set of skewers neatly piercing some sort of smoking, curling, meat. Her smile is innocent. "Sand Serpents, probably from the edges of the Creeping Desert. They're a bit gamey, but tasty. Want one?"
Durok moves through the market with the eyes of a toddler at his first harvest festival. Moving quickly through it all, as if they might pack it all up any minute and leave some treasures unfound.
When he has finally had his fill of trinkets and morsels, he turns his attention to the other patrons. Looking at the crowd, he searches for others with the same look of wonder and curiosity he has. He sips his third mug of ale as he tries to make eye contact with anyone who looks like they might have a story to tell.
The riot of sights and sounds in the market is a bit overwhelming for the small Sraelani woman... but she enjoys it nonetheless. She winds through the stalls with interest, eyeing odd bits, delicacies, and more mundane purchases. Senna chats up a couple friendly Sraelani traders with an eye to learning the layout of the market, the costs and hazards of getting a spot, and what palms needed grease to secure a good location.
She turns at Jeram's bellow, her grey eyes smiling more than her mouth. Clearly, she was enjoying the controlled chaos of the market. "My fancy remains uncaught," she quips lightly. "but I could eat. Have you ever tried these?"
She holds up a set of skewers neatly piercing some sort of smoking, curling, meat. Her smile is innocent. "Sand Serpents, probably from the edges of the Creeping Desert. They're a bit gamey, but tasty. Want one?"
Jeram looks over to Senna, his mouth beginning to water at the smell of the skewered meat. Taking one of the kebobs from her he quickly takes a bite from it, noticing that indeed while the meat was a bit stringy the flavors were enhanced by the exotic mix of spices that covered the outside.
"MMmmm...I don't think so Senna. These are probably the typical desert variety. You and I could find these roaming outside the nearest sand dune, or even a garden. Don't believe everything you see with your eyes."
As he continues munching on the snake his eyes rove over the marketplace idly wondering if anything out there could indeed match her fancy...
As she expertly strips snake flesh from the ribs, Senna gives Jeram a sidelong glance. "Never let mundane facts get in the way of better myths."
She wasn't a snake expert, of course. But she had been on the road since she could walk. She had spent time in the Creeping Desert while Zarzanna communed with Gods-know-what spirits or entities that guided the old woman. She bit into the snake again, trying to recall the exact flavor of sand serpent... If it's not a Sandy, it tastes close enough.
She polishes off the snake, wipes her hands on her pants, and looks for... "Hat!" is the only warning Jeram gets. Senna is off, sliding through the crowds, heading toward a fountain with a curiosity worthy of inspection. Senna cautiously takes a seat along the fountain's rim, well outside the other woman's threat range. She pulls her waterskin and washes down the snake while observing the hat and, secondarily, the woman beneath it.
The old woman gives Calli a sour look that turns into an outright glare as she sees the distinctive hat she wears.
"Come along, Nathalie," the woman says in a creaky voice full of venom directed at the Grundian, "we don't stay around [i]its[i] kind. Too strange it is, girl."
The little girl obeys, still smiling at you as her guardian, likely her grandmother, pulls her away.
"Bye bye funny lady," she calls out before she and her grandmother disappear into the crowds.
Meanwhile, Senna is reminded of the Creeping Desert far to the west and the many wonders she had experienced on that trip. The ride on the ship was exciting, but not nearly as much as the sights, smells, and sounds of the even more colorful markets that filled the towns and cities of the Al'marik Caliphate that controlled many of the major ports of the Golden Coast.
The memories fade, however as Senna sees a distinctive style of hat bobbing through the crowds. Practically dragging Jeram along, the young woman sees the owner of the hat sitting at the fountain that dominates the Western Market of Widewaters. Statues of heroes long dead fighting a great wyrm stand proud at the fountain's center, surrounded by nearly thirty feet of water that is feed by the dozens of water features incorporated into the artwork. Several others are using the wide rim as a bench to rest their legs or watch the crowds milling about. Even as crowded as the market is, there's still plenty of room to sit, and Senna finds a place out of reach of the strangely dressed young woman but not so far as to make observation difficult.
Durok finds that the best place to watch the crowds in the Western Market is the fountain at the center of the massive square. He sees dark-skinned humans dressed in silks and adorned with fine gems and precious metals perusing wares that were, to them, exotic while burly men with scowls on their faces watched the crowds warily. He sees noblemen looking for the latest fashions mixing with harried middle-aged woman shopping for food with their children. Beggars, peddlers, merchants, mercenaries, adventurers, and more mill about in a glorious, chaotic display. Curiously, you also see several people giving a young woman not far from where you sit a wide berth while making signs of warding over their hearts.
Senna's attention is torn, eyes shifting to and fro between the curious hat and the shunned woman. In most cases, the hat would win. But, as Sraelani, Senna had faced unreasoned suspicion too many times to count. She knew how shunning felt and it compelled sympathy. She watched the woman closely, looking for a cause that might explain it... fairly tempted to go comfort the woman regardless of the cause. She speaks quietly to Jeram, "Do you understand this? Why do they shun her?"
Jeram turns towards Senna the juices from his snake skewer still dripping from his chin. Hastily wiping his face with his forearm he then focuses his attention upon the young woman.
Hmmm...interesting, he thinks as his gaze travels over her, She is Taleni but she is definitely not from the city. Probably a villager...but that would not explain it...
For the life of me I cannot place the clothing...still she reminds me of a rabbit sneaking through a den of wolves.
In reply to Jenna he simply shakes his head and decides simplicity is the best option here. Quickly appraoching theyoung woman he nods to her in the standard greeting, his hands well away from his weapons.
"Greetings miss,' he motions to the bench area around the fountain, "You look like you are...lost? Do you need any help?"
The town of Grundy has a reputation among many folk in the western half of the Kingdom of Talendar as a place filled with strange and weird folk best avoided or left alone. Many of the townsfolk wear clothes that are distinctive to the town, marking them while traveling outside of Grundy and the immediate area. At best people leave the Grundians alone. At worse, well, more than one lynch mob has formed to kill a travelling Grundian.
You believe that this woman must be one of those adventuring scholars that you've heard about in tales. She must have picked up a curse while on her travels that causes many to shun her. Perhaps it'd be best to leave her alone. After all, you might get cursed as well.
Durok drinks in the sights and when the crowd parts for the woman, he sees an opportunity to get a good story. But, alas, in the time it takes his to scoot his bulk off the bench at the fountain and refill his mug, the woman is approached by a few other market-folk.
Not wanting to seem rude, but by no means a master of his curiosity, he move close to the pair, trying to overhear any juicy bits.
While you don't spot much of interest to you, there is a stall where several interesting wooden trinkets are being sold. All of them seem to be of birds and the way they are painted makes them look as if they are made of storm clouds. An old woman with steel grey hair mans the stall and is helped by a small girl that's a little chubby. Both of them are dressed in styles you haven't seen before with dyed feathers and more carved trinkets adorning their simple clothing.
Among the stalls and tents and wagons, you spy a few people moving about in the shadows. You lose them shortly after, but you do see them moving with a purpose.
You see a colorful and glittering set of tents off to the northern side of the Western Market. The people around them have the dark hair and skin of the people from the Creeping Desert and are dressed in a wild and vivid array of colors and patterns. You see a couple of young women swaying and dancing in outfits made of layers of sheer silks that bares their bellies, much to the enjoyment and consternation of the crowd.
Out of the corner of your eye, you spy a black-clothed figure gesturing while talking to a few other similarly attired individuals. When you look back after looking away at Calli's yelp, they are gone.
Jeram is about to reply to the young strangely clad woman, when something catches his eye. He stares off that way for a moment before Calli's yelp startles him.
"Hey, did you see that figure over there..." his eyes widen as he looks about, "Where did he go?"
With the shunned woman not in distress, Senna finds her attention drawn by a peddler. I'll get to the hat in a bit. She gives the old peddler and the child an open smile and looks over her wares, examining one of the birds closely. "Clever painting! Is this an art of your people?"
The old woman chuckles, a dry, dusty sound that makes her seem even more ancient than she looks.
"Yes, child. They are the spirits of the storms. Hold one close and you'll find shelter and protection no matter how dire things may seem" she tells you in a creaky voice.
The market continues to teem with people as they mill about. Calls imploring people to be amazed and arguments are layered over laughter and the general thrum of ten thousand conversations happening at once. The sun disappears behind some clouds rolling by overhead. The splash of the fountain and the cool mist that comes from relaxes those around it, resting before another foray into the stalls or simply watching the people as they go about their business.
But something picks at the backs of your mind. Something raises the hair on the back of your necks. There's an uneasiness in the air as the tension grows, and the crowds thin as if everyone on some level knows that something is amiss. You see a man with large belly on him accompanied by a waspish looking woman and two younger women that could be their daughters with two guards chivvying people out of the way. Their clothing and jewelry mark them as wealthy, probably a merchant or noble family. Out of the corners of your eyes, you see shadows moving towards them in the dark places between and behind stalls and piles of goods in sacks and crates.
Before you can discern their nature, the shadows rush towards them, overwhelming the guards before they can react. A woman screams from somewhere in the market. People stand, frozen by shock, as one of the guards lets out a deathcry and blood flows freely.
Jeram jumps to his feet a look of horror on his face. "By the Gods that family is getting slaughtered! We have to stop them!" Without wasting another moment's breath he quickly heads towards the scene, grunting and squeezing his way through the crowd. As he gets closer he draws his trusted blade...well almost trusted, as he had never drawn it in anger against another person.
Startled, but quick to act first and think later, Durok moves as close to the fray as his legs will carry him.
"Yes, child. They are the spirits of the storms. Hold one close and you'll find shelter and protection no matter how dire things may seem." she tells you in a creaky voice.
Senna spends another few moments with the peddler. "I'll take one - later." Then she spins on her heels and races through the crowd pell-mell after Jeram.
Calli's quick thinking almost catches the assassin by surprise, though her aim wasn't good enough to injure the man, only his honed reflexes saved him from a costly fall. The merchant that had been sitting on the stool was already standing when the aetheric force grabs the stool to fling and is soon running off.
Jeram is the fastest of the four would-be heroes to act. His speed gets him within a few strides of the assassination. He can only watch helplessly as he sees two of the assassins stab the last of the guards over and over again until he falls and bleeds from several mortal wounds. The older woman is next, her throat cut in a single clean stroke that sends blood splattering over the two younger women, the youngest not more than sixteen years old and the eldest no more than eighteen years. The older man's belly is ripped open before another dagger is rammed up into his neck, killing him. The assassins see you and one of them, likely the leader, calls out.
"Let this go, boy," she says, her sex revealed by her voice, "ain't no concern of yours. No need to die today."
All around people scream and scramble to get away from the violence. Some have the presence of mind to shout for the watchmen
Jeram feels all of the chaos around him yet his focus is completely on the enemy in front of him. Her sex being unimportant at the moment here, the fact that she revealed herself to him meant that he was also marked for death. He could almost hear Ithus speaking to him now, calmly explaining that the only option here was to fight.
Plus he knew the two young girls did not stand a chance here unless he acted.
So be it!
Raising his sword up to the woman assassin he shakes his head. "No, I will not step away here. You will face the justice of my blade today!" He then moves into melee, an aggressive stance yet not allowing all his defenses down.
His blow is a clumsy one, easily parried, yet it did serve its purpose...to draw their attention away from the helpless victims, if only briefly.
Senna keeps pressing forward through the crowd.
Duron scurries forward with little grace, but surprising speed, positioning himself 5' behind the defending young ranger.
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Jeram's blade is easily parried away as Senna and Durok come charging up, getting close to the fighting. Seeing that they are outnumbered, the assassins begin turning to flee, but not before one of them has a sack of apples, crab apples to be specific, bounce off the boiled leather of his armor.
Calli can hear the merchant peddling produce she procured without payment for repurposing as a projectile scream, "NO! My Crabapples!"
The leader of the assassins takes a quick swipe at Jeram with her sword before turning to flee. She leaves a nasty cut on his forearm, but it just stings more than anything. Another of the assassins stabs at the two young women, who have grabbed a hold of one another to offer each other what little protection they can to the other. One of them cries out in agony as the blade of the sword dives through her bicep, and lodges there. The other two, rather than staying to finish them off, run into the crowds as the clomp of watchmen's boots and their bellows for order sound throughout the market.
It's clear that the assassins are running, but are the four who rushed to help willing to let them potentially escape? Who knows what misery these thugs will bring if not stopped here and now.
Round 1
Section 0: The Crabapple Merchant
Characters: Calli
The angry crabapple merchant turns his glare on you as he sees you waving your arms about as his merchandise goes sailing into the back of one of the assassins. His face is turning an alarming shade of crimson and his eyes are bulging out as he comes stomping over in your direction. You could run, but that might invite him to give chase and provide a distraction you can ill afford. You might be able to calm him down if you talk fast enough. You could also try to lose him in the mess of stalls to the east that you spy. You need to decide quickly though, you only have a few more seconds before the merchant is upon you!
Obstacles:
- Run for it! (No check, but there are consequences. Uses a move action)
- Lose him in the stalls! (DC 13 Stealth Check)
OR
- Calm the Crabapple Merchant. (DC 20 Diplomacy Check)
Section 1: The Scene of the Crime
Characters: Durok, Jeram, and Senna
Despite the violence that you've just witnessed, the Western Market is teeming with people. Gawkers and gossips try to see who it was that did the doings and to whom the doings was done to. Watchmen try to shove and push their way through while shouting for order. Merchants pack their goods, not wanting looters and thieves to take advantage of the commotion. It is mayhem and bedlam and it'll take guile or agility to make your way through.
Obstacles:
- "Make way! Heroes comin' through!" (DC 15 Intimidate Check)
- Slip through like a fish shooting the rapids (DC 15 Acrobatics Check)
Section 2: ???
Characters: N/A
???
Obstacles:
???
Section 3: ???
Characters: N/A
???
Obstacles:
???
Section 4: Shortcut through the Half-Pint
Characters: Alpha Assassin (Moves on), Assassin 2 (Moves on)
Shouts of halfling and gnomes arguing, laughing, and singing echo from this stone tavern, famed for its brews, entertainments, and twice daily bar brawls
Obstacles:
- Weave through the common room (DC 12 Acrobatics Check)
- Get directions to the special door (DC 17 Intimidate or Diplomacy Check)
Options to lose the pursuit:
- Start a fight (DC 13 Intimidate or Bluff Check)
- "They drink dwarven pisswater!" (DC 15 Bluff Check)
Section 5: The Street of Colored Veils
Characters: Assassin 3 (Stuck), Assassin 4 (Moves on)
Sunlight filters through a thousand veils of every color as they hang between buildings. Here clothes of almost any style can be found or made.
Obstacles:
- To the rooftops! (DC 13 Climb Check)
- There! A shortcut! (DC 15 Perception Check)
Senna practically growls her frustration. Hunting assassins felt worthwhile... but getting the watch on the right path and making sure they know who not to arrest was probably a better task. She waves Jeram on sharply, "Go get them! I'll handle the constables. Go go!"
She doesn't spend any more time on him, instead she pulls a clean bandana from her pocket and tends to the wounded woman. "Sit down - you've lost a bit of blood."
She keeps pressure on the wound and tries to calm the young woman until she sees the constables. Senna yells to them, "Help! We've got victims over here!" When they are close, she adds, "I saw most of what happened. Four assassins set upon these young ladies and their relatives." She continues with: the direction of the assassins' retreat, what they were wearing, and a description of the people who gave chase.
Durok knows his place is with the injured. What would I even do if I did catch up to them?....
Letting energy pour out of him and into the injured and frightened, he tries to look over the fallen as well as the obvious survivors.
Trying his best, Durok reassures the frightened ladies, "You're safe now, those cowards have fled! The Watch will get to the bottom of this!"
Though, his words seem hollow and belie his own fear.
Senna steps aside at the dwarf's display of magical prowess and clearly superior skills as a healer. She contents herself with keeping supportive hands on the women's shoulders, blocking their view of the dead, and dealing with the guard.
Jeram nods quickly at Senna's words, "They won't get away from me!" He then dashes quickly after the group of assassins, noting the woman with the odd clothing has joined the chase before she seemingly vanishes!
There is more to that one than meets the eye...
He sees the crowded mass of people flowing all around him and quickly picks his way through the crowd. As he makes his way around and through the masses he sees his quarry not far ahead of him.
Just like Ithus taught me!
The young woman who'd been stabbed lets out another cry as the sword is pulled from her arm and starts sobbing in pain and grief as Senna and Durok patch her up. The watchmen come stomping up and thanks to Senna's quick words behave in a neutral if not friendly manner.
"Thank you for your aid, Miss," the leader of this group says as he motions for some of the others to begin investigating. "I'm afraid we need to ask you some questions, starting with what happened here?"
The two young women, no older than their late teens, start sobbing as the deaths begin to sink in. A couple of the watchmen hover nearby, wary of more attackers. The elder of the two looks up at Durok, her face streaked with blood and tears.
"B-but they're dead," she whimpers. "Our parents are dead!"
You slip past the merchant and into the streets beyond the Western Market. You catch a glimpse of two of the assassins going into the rowdy Half-Pint Tavern. Inside you can easily see the two taller assassins tumbling through the tavern with haste just before slipping out another door.
Behind you, the Crabapple merchant gives a shout for you to halt as he spots you and begins pushing his way through the crowd after you. He won't be too far behind you and you have a feeling that you'll have to make another choice.
You easily move through the crowd and make it to the edge of the square. You've lost sight of the assassins and Calli, but you can hear some commotion up ahead and know which way the assassins had gone. You break free of the press to find two dwarves, backed by grim-faced, snarling kin, arguing over whose fault it was that their wagons full of ale and beer are now in a tangled heap. You really only have two options, around or through.
Round 2
Section 0: The Crabapple Merchant Passed!
Section 1: The Scene of the Crime Passed!
Section 2: Dwarven Feud
Characters: Jeram
Two dwarves stand in the middle of the road you are running down. They are arguing over who's at fault for the crash that had occurred between their carts. an numerous kegs of ale and beer lay scattered about. Things seem close to coming to blows between the two dwarven parties.
Obstacles:
- Find another path (DC 12 Perception Check)
- Bull through (DC 15 Strength Check)
Section 3: ???
Characters: N/A
???
Obstacles:
???
Section 4: Shortcut through the Half-Pint
Characters: Calli (Being chased by the Crabapple Merchant)
Shouts of halfling and gnomes arguing, laughing, and singing echo from this stone tavern, famed for its brews, entertainments, and twice daily bar brawls
Obstacles:
- Weave through the common room (DC 12 Acrobatics Check)
- Get directions to the special door (DC 17 Intimidate or Diplomacy Check)
Options to lose the pursuit:
- Start a fight (DC 13 Intimidate or Strength Check)
- "Round on him!" (DC 15 Bluff Check)
Section 5: The Street of Colored Veils
Characters: Alpha Assassin, Assassin 2, Assassin 3
Sunlight filters through a thousand veils of every color as they hang between buildings. Here clothes of almost any style can be found or made.
Obstacles:
- To the rooftops! (DC 13 Climb Check)
- There! A shortcut! (DC 15 Perception Check)
Section 6: The Warren
Characters: Assassin 4
Past the Street of Colored Veils is the Warren, a maze of closely packed buildings that house the less affluent citizens of Widewaters.
Obstacles:
- Find a guide (DC 15 Diplomacy or Intimidate Check)
- Where's the path? (DC 17 Perception Check)
Senna keeps her hands on the girls as she explains, "Well, I didn't see everything... I was over by that fountain near Jeram and this other woman. I didn't catch her name. I think they saw something odd around the carts - like skulking figures that vanished. Jeram said something like, 'Where'd he go?' Then all of a sudden there was a scream as these shadowy figures pounced on the girls, their parents, and their guards. It was very fast. The guards were first and they fell immediately. Jeram and the woman were shouting about helping the family. We all came as fast as we could but there were so many people in the way... The parents were attacked next." She pointedly doesn't provide more details on that. "Jeram was almost on the assassins at that point. I didn't hear exactly what he yelled at them but he was trying to stab one of them and got slashed for his troubles. Maybe it was his sword or all of us closing in on them but they turned and fled, after stabbing this poor girl. We didn't want the assassins to get away but these girls were also injured... so the good priest here and I stayed to help while the other two chased them down."
Jeram briefly considers trying to barrel his way through the dwarves then remembers one of their qualities is their stubbornness...so he glances about for a way around them...
...and finding a gap between two overturned barrels of ale, he is off and through the gap!
You easily find a path around the dwarves, but you can also hear the commotion of the fleeing assassins getting further away from you. As you try to figure your best course, you nearly trip as something wraps around you legs. Around your legs is now a gnome dressed in rumpled robes and grinning up at you stupidly.
"Good ssshhhhir! I hafffff made a mosssssht marveloussssh deevishe," he slurs.
You practically dance through the crowded tavern to the bar and hop onto it. As you begin to squeak out your demand, one of your feet slips and you nearly topple into the top shelf.
"Whoa! Whoa. Alrighty honey," the bartender, a halfling woman nearly as wide as she is tall with arms more like thick, stubby branches, says as she steadies you and begins walking you over to one of the other doors, "just be careful and don't get too drunk where the Snatchers can get ya."
She slams the door behind you, but before you can complain, you sense more than see a flicker of movement and follow it. Soon you find yourself on a street covered in a kaleidoscope of color from the many, many veils that hang between the buildings to either side of the street. In one dark alley you also see three of the assassins. Two of them have already scaled the wall and run as they spot you, leaving the third to your mercy.
Round 2
Section 0: The Crabapple Merchant Passed!
Section 1: The Scene of the Crime Passed!
Section 2: Dwarven Feud Passed!
Section 3: Drunkle Gnome
Characters: Jeram
A drunken gnome tries to cling to your legs as you move past. The clingy gnome apparently wants to tell you about his newest magical creation.
Obstacles:
- Break free! (DC 10 Strength Check)
- "What's that?!" (DC 12 Bluff Check)
Section 4: Shortcut through the Half-Pint
Characters: Crabapple Merchant
Shouts of halfling and gnomes arguing, laughing, and singing echo from this stone tavern, famed for its brews, entertainments, and twice daily bar brawls
Obstacles:
- Weave through the common room (DC 12 Acrobatics Check)
- Get directions to the special door (DC 17 Intimidate or Diplomacy Check)
Section 5: The Street of Colored Veils
Characters: Calli (Being chased by the Crabapple Merchant), Alpha Assassin
Sunlight filters through a thousand veils of every color as they hang between buildings. Here clothes of almost any style can be found or made.
Obstacles:
- To the rooftops! (DC 13 Climb Check)
- There! A shortcut! (DC 15 Perception Check)
Section 6: The Warren
Characters: Assassin 2, Assassin 3
Past the Street of Colored Veils is the Warren, a maze of closely packed buildings that house the less affluent citizens of Widewaters.
Obstacles:
- Find a guide (DC 15 Diplomacy or Intimidate Check)
- Where's the path? (DC 17 Perception Check)
Section 7: Party Crashing
Characters: Assassin 4
A thriving party fills the streets around one of the buildings at the edge of the Warren. Dozens of partygoers mill about in a half-drunken stupor as they sing offkey songs.
Obstacles:
- Keep your feet (DC 14 Dexterity Check)
- Make a hole! (DC 14 Bluff or DC 16 Intimidate Check)
The man's visage turns into an iron mask as he listens to Senna's tale, but he forces himself to adopt a sympathetic tone as he speaks.
"Well, thank you, Miss, for all your work, and that of your companions. I hate to ask this of you, but would you mind coming with us? This will have the guilds in an uproar, especially the Merchant's Guild," he says before letting out a sigh. "I think you'd be more comforting to them," he adds with a nod to the sisters, "than we would. Can you get them on their feet and help them to the watch station we'll be taking all of you to?"
Jeram curses under his breath as the gnome wraps himself around his leg. What am I a puppy dog?
He decides guile is a better option here and points off to the side, "Hey someone's offering free rounds!"
The instant the drunken gnome lets go he is off in a flash, knowing he is losing his quarry...
She kneels in front of the girls, catching their eyes. "Ladies, my name is Senna. I'm very sorry we've met under these terrible circumstances... but I'm here to help you. We need to go with the Guard now. If you're feeling shaky, you can lean on me while we walk." She does her best to get the girls up and moving, and keep them from looking toward the forms of their slain parents.
Jeram puts on a burst of strength as he moves to gain some distance back on the assassins...