"If Eighttoes is bobbing me, I want to know. Let's go have another chat with him, and if we catch a whiff of the cutters bringing him bodies on the way, we can have a word with them too. Now what's all this?"
She waves a hand over the possible garbage that Brendan handed her.
He winks at Rinika, "Call it a bonus for a job well done."
Rinika can see the faint outlines of a magical aura on the items.
Dirty rat charm - When consumed grants a +5 competence bonus to disable device and stealth for 1 hour. The user also becomes filthy and smells like the charm, 1d4 charisma damage.
Maggot charm - Cure light wounds CL 1, when placed on a wound the maggot animates and starts consuming dead flesh. It excretes a healing agent. The maggot will burrow into the user and a day later a fly will escape.
Charcoal charm - Resist Elements (fire) CL 3, when crushed and sprinkled over someone this charred bone will protect the user from fire.
"Thanks Brendan. I could make some good use out of this rat charm, who wants the others?"
The druid examines the proffered items.
These do emit a magical aura. Quite useful. You hold on to them and we shall use them when warranted, yes.
Vaascht looks over the group before speaking, "as much as I am intregued by this mystery, I don't work for free and," he looks around for Evie, "my primary employer seems to have vanished."
Looking once again from Rinilka to Jek to Akrynn, "if you require another blade, my curiosity would lead me to offer a steep discount to my normal rates."
"Do you work for loot?"
She extends a paw holding the grubs and charcoal.
Casting a quick cantrip and looking over the loot, Vaascht selects the maggots from the catgirls paws.
"Yes, this will work fine."
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"Back to the mortuary then? All in?"
Akrynn nods.
A mystery is entirely entertaining; I'm in.
The smoggy sky starts turning dark as you trudge your way back to the Hive ward on your way back to the mortuary. Heading down a dreary street a half-elf in black leather armor jumps down from a soggy thatch roof. Six bashers rush from the mouth of the street on the opposite end hands on their weapons to form a defensive line around him. One whispers under his breath, "Piking dramatic entrance."
The half-elf says in a high pitched voice that makes it hard to take him seriously, "You berks have been poking your brain-box in places you shouldn't. Time to pay the music."
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That was quite the dramatic entrance.
The druid looks around at the surroundings.
I swear that this alley is the same alley we got jumped last time. I suggest--after we whip these fools--that we avoid any more alleys.
Rinika moves up to the corner and shrouds herself in shadow, activating her cloak of darkness ability.
"I reserve my judgement until after we leave this lot bleeding on the cobblestones."
Jek unshoulders his lance and firms up his grip. He moves forward slightly and prepares to skewer their approaching ambushers.
"Care to introduce yourself?"
The half-elf turns his nose up at the party and doesn't; answer he begins casting a spell.
One brave basher runs up to Jek sword in hand. But the bariaur is ready and the lance pierces the warrior's lungs. He falls over gasping and bleeding out.
The rest of the warriors think better of approaching Jek so quickly. They draw crossbows and let loose a volley against the Bariaur. Some go wide wedging into the sides of nearby buildings others fall short completely. One manages to strike his shield.
The half-elf turns his nose up at the party and doesn't; answer he begins casting a spell.
One brave basher runs up to Jek sword in hand. But the bariaur is ready and the lance pierces the warrior's lungs. He falls over gasping and bleeding out.
The rest of the warriors think better of approaching Jek so quickly. They draw crossbows and let loose a volley against the Bariaur. Some go wide wedging into the sides of nearby buildings others fall short completely. One manages to strike his shield.
Vaascht, unable to get around their large companion in this narrow alley () digs a scroll from his case and starts casting it.
Deciphering the chant and gestures of the enemy spellcaster, Vaascht realizes what is about to be cast.
"The dramatic one is casting sleep!"
Luckily, they have an arcane caster in the group. The druid moves forward 40'. He then draws runes in the air.
I wouldn't finish that spell, if I was you!
Startled at not getting hit by an entire volley of crossbow bolts, Jek pushes forward to meet the enemies.
"Do I even look like Gilly? He's the one hunting for you."
Jek and Arkynn maneuver down the alley pressing their ambushers while an invisible field of force snaps into place in front of Vaascht with a static crackle. Arkynn prohibits the Shadowknave from finishing his spell but he continues to cast.
Rinika scampers into the next corner and pops a shot off at the nearest thug.
Rinika's bolt gets caught in the warrior's larynx and he falls to the ground gasping for air.
The Shadowknave finishes his spell and winces in pain in punishment for breaking the prohibition. Both Arkynn and Jek yawn loudly as their eyes droop downward uncontrollably. They lazily lay down in the noisome alley asleep. Jek has nightmares of giants pelting him with rocks on one of the earth bergs of Ysgard and Arkynn has not dreams at all.
Vaascht sees the Shadowknave starts casting sleep again.
The warriors are emboldened by how effective the spell is and two advance with their longswords trampling over Jek and nicking the catgirl through her protective shadows. The other two take aim at Vaascht but their shots are deflected by his magic shield.
Charging forward, drawing his sword, Vaascht roars out a challenge to the spellcaster.
"Once I cut down your pawns, you will bleed!"
Nearly reaching the conflict, the Gith briefly pauses and chants out a simple spell, sending a flashing Ray of blue light from an outstretched finger at the spellcaster.
Rinika drops her crossbow and starts to claw at the thugs.
Zzzzzzz.....no school today!
The Shadowknave's spell cuts through Vaasch's innate resistance to magic and past the undead spot in Rinika's brain. They both drift to sleep but right before they close their eyes they hear, "Stand back while I do the ritual, starting with the Gith."
Later
You wake up slowly and agonizingly, as if you had slept for 12 hours and still want more. Your surroundings are dark and it takes a moment or two for it to come into focus. You're bound with heavy hemp rope and gagged. Chains rattle attached to a vaulted ceiling above and to the platform that is carrying you. The pungent smell of embalming fluid assaults your nose. You're moving and then suddenly there is a bright light and roar of flame. The leathery face of a zombie with the number 223 stitched into it's forehead gives you one final push into the fire. Looking back as you enter the portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire, you see Eighttoes smile and he gives you a wink.
You find yourselves stumbling onto a wide flagstone terrace, a low curb rings it. Behind and above you, a wall of sheer rock bars the way. A set of stone stairs ascends away from the terrace along the cliff face. The platform looks out over the Elemental Plane of Fire, a raging inferno that surrounds the rocky island entirely. A bottomless gulf of flame lies beneath the platform. A single guard is snoring loudly lazing on a chair.
Jek blinks his eyes a few times to clear up his vision.
What happened? How long were we out? Hemp? Why are we not on fire?
He begins to strain against the ropes.
The ropes fall as Jek splits them in several places. Feeling a bit hungry, he picks up a small frayed piece and begins chewing on it.
Vaascht regains consciousness in a blind panic, struggling futilely against the heavy bonds without thought, just an animal need for escape.
In a short moment he begins to regain control of his faculties, realizing where he was and starting to trade panic for red rage. Just as he finally begins to control his mind, he notices that a few of his companions had better luck against their bonds than he did, and he holds is own out helpfully should they decide to help free him.
a weapon. And revenge. Maybe even in that order he thinks darkly, eying the sleeping guard.
Rinika works at the ropes for a few moments with her claws before they fall away, then she'll quietly start to work on Akrynn's ropes and then Vasscht's in that order, trying to keep an eye on the sleeping guard while she works.
Jek glances around the terrace to see if their stuff was sent through the portal as well. Then he focuses on the guard to see if he's carrying anything useful.
While Jek noisily struggles with his bonds and Rinika is just freeing herself from hers the guard snorts and smacks his lips. You think he’s about to wake up but then shifts his position and lays his head back.
Jek does not see his or his companion’s equipment. There are numerous bodies around you that appear to be dead. The guard is carrying a short sword, a short spear, a sling, a light steel shield, and wearing scale mail.
Soon everyone is free of their bonds.
So, a funny thing happened...
Akrynn's blue eyes study their surroundings immediately. The Patryn takes note of the stairs, the guard and the fiery state of their environment.
He looks to his companions. He points at himself and the catgirl while miming sneaking over to the sleeping guard; positioning a finger across his throat.
Rinika gives Akrynn an annoyed look and pointedly holds up a handful of the hemp rope and one of the gags before walking over as quietly as possible.
Both Arkynn and Rinika creep toward the guard, he mumbles, "Piking deaders... I'll... your... Imogen."
Jek picks up another small piece of hemp rope and throws it high and towards the flames to see if and when it ignites.
Smiling at Rinika and nodding, Akrynn readies to grapple the sleeping guard; awaiting hrlp from Jek.
Rinika very gingerly tries to slip the gag into the guard's mouth as he snores.
Freed from his bonds, Vaascht nods at the pair as they sneak up at the guard, frowning slightly at their apparent intent to take him alive, vengeance riding a red tide through his brain to the point he was seeing red.
or maybe that's just the plane of fire...
With an effort the Gith forces down his emotions and brings to mind a chat spell, should the assault on the sleeping guard go poorly.
When Jek tosses the piece of rope over the side it bursts into flames almost immediately after leaving the stone terrace.
As you quickly tie your prisoner up a look of fear washes over him. He tries to yell through the gag, "Havvvpf!"
After helping to secure the guard, Jek starts looking over the other bodies. Are they tied up? Were they wounded? Are they similar in some way? Has rigor mortis set in? Jek starts moving them into restful positions away from the ledge just in case.
Rinika crouches down in front of the guard to get down to eye level and whispers to him.
"Quiet down and tell us what's going on here. You've clearly messed up once today already, but if you do what we ask then you can get out of this without making it worse."
She tilts her head and pointedly glances over the edge at the inferno, then looks back at the guard.
Drawing a single rune, the druid speaks with Guidance.
We need you to concentrate, my good guard. What are you guarding exactly? And, from whom?
Vaascht glowers at the guard, "He was going to sit there snoozing while we were tossed living into the flames. I say we return the favor."
Leaning down to look at the guard closer, "Unless you behave and tell us what we need to know. Then you might make it out of this just fine."
Standing back up, the Gith appropriates the guards shortsword, looking at the group. "Anyone mind?"