Mulling over the idea of a 'flaming bolt' Gilbert continues to walk until he comes to the gate to the fence, and he opens it up. After a few steps onto the property, he stops and looks around.
"Are you guys coming or not?"
Giuseppe flinches, as if punched, at Mender's comment. With a pained look, he nods and hurries to catch up to Gilbert, Right beside you, my friend. Let us call upon this wizard!
The young warrior opens the gate and walks right up to the door. He looks back to his friends and knocks on the door.
With a whispered prayer to Mishakel, the cleric follows.
Shae waits beside the others, ready for trouble.
This wizard better be worth it. He cost me my mark tonight, if he’s responsible for the fire.
Watching the others do basically what he was going to do, Mender follows along, bringing up the rear.
Ionnis peeks under the drapes of the Thayan's lair...and spies a middle aged man, shirtless, eating chocolaty crepes dancing poorly but with heart while humming the chorus to Skippin' Twinsies with an Orc's Entrails as if he hadn't a care in the world.
At Giu's knock, he startles and moves for his robe, and a napkin to wipe the crumbs from his chin and hairy, sweaty chest.
Meanwhile, the front door creaks open slowly...to reveal no-one. Er, or wait...down there...what the hell? Its a little pink chameleon standing on its hind legs "Er...yes? Ah, you must be here for Master Azak I mean." it concludes.
Uhhh... Yes, 'allo. We are here to speak to your Master, indeed, Gio stammers.
"Naturally. He's been expecting you." the little creature squeaks before leading you down the corridor, somehow the door closing behind you.
"Wh...what? What is the meaning of this intrusion, I wasn't expecting anyone." Azak certainly looks Thayan, the Mulani ethicity...the pale skin and regal eyes. His head is shaved, but his skin doesn't appear to have any of the legendary tattoos youve heard so much about.
The little lizard giggles and skitters off, delighted at the mischief it caused its master.
"You have between 30 and 60 breaths to explain satisfactorily the reason that you were involved in the enchanting of paintings that cause people to set fire to things. You may begin speaking, and I will count your breaths for you. Should you fail....Well, I hope for your sake that you do not fail."
"You may begin whenever you are ready." Mender crosses his arms and seems focused on the Thayan's face.
He becomes flush at the hostility, curling his fingers into some kind of gesture then holding them to his side "What in the blazes...? Ah, the Wave and Wink you must mean. So what if I was there? Kata is an acquaintance of mine, a fellow art lover. I had nothing to do with that...incident...now you could at least take off your skuzzy boots, that's my imported rothe-hair carpet!" under his breath "...really tied the room together..."
"...21...20..." mutters Mender to himself.
Io looks around while the Thayan babbles. At the Thayan's comment, he does instinctively check the bottom of his shoes to make sure they're fairly clean, apparently he's heard that complaint before. This prompts him to check out the Thayan himself more carefully.
As Mender and Ionnis bully the wizard into telling them his part in these events, the mercenary scopes out the house.
Investigate:
Perception:
Giuseppe, stepping aside as Mender takes the front, merely watches the wizard for signs of guilt...
Gilbert, the man seems to have good taste with his home decorations...except for an unfortunate little porcelain statue of a cartoonish child with wings holding a puppy that screams cheese. And of course it majorly clashes with the open top human skull serving as his cookie jar. As you try to sneak further peeks into his mysteries, the little lizard returns, seemingly always a step ahead of your gaze...blocking you from uncovering anything noteworthy.
With Io's further menacing glare compounding with Mender's impending doom, he offers "I...painting? Yes...one of Andrik Gos'...of course I've heard of the most famous painter in Faerun, but I've never met the guy..."
Giuseppe scowls, Tch! That is no Rothe-hair carpet. It is fake, like everything you do... I am willing to bet that, you aren't even Thayan! I mean, you are not even able to be truthful about knowing the artist!
The man winces visibly "...sir! You come into my home and insult my 12th century Ched Nasadian carpet?! What kind of a sick, twisted creature does such a thing! Just who are you...you...enemies of taste! Look, perhaps I was aware of the peculiar effect his paintings had, an effect that might have any number of interesting...applications. But I am no accomplice! In fact I lost track of Andrik some days ago...I've been visiting his displays, hoping to chance into him..."
Oh, so you DO know the man? Who was the nobleman that was with you? Giuseppe goes deadly serious, Kata will not hang for you. I am sure that di Cloaks would love to know about a wizard that has been magicking up murder in their city... And I doubt even di Thayan Embassy will be able to keep you from vanishing in di night...
Persuasion
Perhaps if you started at the beginning we might be able to make sense of what is taking place the cleric suggests.
"...12...11..." Mender continued to sporadically count as the man blabbered on.
"What?! What 'nobleman'? What the devil are you on about? Perhaps you would enlighten me as to how any of this affects the lands of Thay?
And what happens at 1, planetar-born? You'll show us all your true nature?" a burst of black energy forms in his clenched fist, as he takes a defensive posture.
Giu calmly asks, I think you made di mural in di ghettos to start another fire... do you think di Cloaks or di Hawks would appreciate such things? You can help us and save yourself much trouble... Do you really care a whit for Kata? Prove it. Help us clear her name.
"Me? Ha! And what evidence do you have of that, eh? I can paint a baked potato with butter half the time...and if I had the money to commission something of that size well...I wouldn't be so worried about my Rothe-hair carpet! And I'm a bloody member of the Cloaks so I know damn well what they appreciate!" with a little rub of his other fingers he seems to be implying: its coin.
After a few moments of some silent rage fuming, he softens a bit at the thought of Kata "Kata is...unfortunate...but I think the prosecutor will swiftly prove she was enraged by Urdun and Tiega's scandalous proclivities...half the upper district told tales of their encounters. Truly, I have little to offer you in the way of..."
*ahem* Comes a little squeak from the chameleon, now perched on top of a taxidermied rodent near the window.
"Bah, what is it now, Twinkles?"
There is awkward moment of silence...then...
All hell breaks loose as some kind of masked, trained commando force assaults the small home with you right in the center. 2 guys front flip right through the glass windows and another repels from a rope down a trap door on the ceiling. 2 more storm through the door to your rear, and finally a 6th man reveals himself from a back room he must've been standing in the entire time. They draw clubs and look about to beat the crap out of everyone for whatever reason...
The Thayan screams "Aiiiii!"
Initiative
Mender doesn't respond to either the man's question or his mystical threat; instead, he seems focused on his task.
Io will try to get into a better position as he readies a dagger from under his cloak.
Time seems to slow down for Gio as he draws his sword and readies his buckler!
Are they here for us? Or for him? the fighter muses, Come and meet your maker, ruffians!
Giuseppe salutes with his blade and awaits the attack!
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The masked men near the Thayan and Giuseppe appear to move in to quickly subdue them...
bludgeoning to Giu
As Giu prepares his shield, the masked man nearby gambles to close distance, throwing his body against the inside of Giu's arm granting himself an opportunity for a downward thrust with the hilt of his black baton.
On the opposite side, another grips the two ends of his baton like a garrote, coming around the Thayan's neck from behind. However, the Thayan's tall collar seems to have had some hidden stiffness in its Weave to guard against just such a maneuver.
Meanwhile near the entryway, Shae prepares to fend off 2 other advancing men...
Shae Prone
bludgeoning to Shae
...in a coordinated takedown, the man on the left spins forward with a heavy foot sweep, knocking the monk down. The other advances and pummels Shae on the ground, sure to leave a mark.
The two on the eastern side of the house draw small darts and fling them into the crowd from across the tables, almost indiscriminately...
piercing to Gil
...the first glances off Io's pauldron and sticks with a *twang* on the far wall. The other finds Gil's lower neck near the clavicle, somehow snaking its way through his coif.
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Giuseppe, cursing himself for leaving an opening for his opponent, acknowledges his opponent's strike, Now it is my turn!
Sliding his blade up along his buckler, the swordsman thrusts at his assailant (Magenta)!
The fine rothe-hair carpet shifts under Gio's weight, causing the young man to slip throwing his thrust off-aim!
Mender draws his holy symbol and casts Sacred Flame as a "divine" spell.
The man was about to redouble his attempts to strangle the Thayan, but a burst of pure radiance flashed throughout the corner of the house, like the visitation of some greater being, scalding the masked intruder's eye holes until the skin blisters red.
Hungry from all of the days events, Gorum had stopped briefly by a vendors stall shortly before arriving at the Thayan’s house. Due to his mouth being full, he figured it best not to mention involve himself in the conversation. An attack by a clandestine group of of masked baton soldiers is a different story though.
Sir Gorum spits the turkey leg bone he’d been sucking the marrow out of onto the floor and draws his hammer. ”Identify yourselves or be warned, I’ll cave your faces in!”
The Paladin moves to defend his friend until she can defend herself better.
With the sting of the dart radiating from his neck, Gilbert aims and fires at the closest enemy (Yellow).
Attack:
Damage:
Gorum steps down into the fray Shae has found herself within, striking the intruder with a heavy blow...breaking the skull in weakened by Mender. But the half-orc was not without mercy, it seemed...and pulled back before the spinal column was irreversibly fractured.
Elsewhere in the tight corners of the house's east wing, Gilbert snaps off a bolt from his risers but an uncanny backflip from the glassbuster sends the projectile into what is no doubt a priceless vase, shattering it into a billion tiny chips.
Io stabs out at Magenta, still trying to figure out what's going on.
,
As magenta disentangled himself from Giuseppe's shield arm to prepare parrying the Amnish longblade, Io siezed his chance and rushed the masked man...cupping his chin with a hand and pushing his eyes up while delivering rapid *stab stab stabs* to his gut, completely eviscerating him...the man staggers but still stands on death's door.
Shae launches herself up from floor with a staff strike aimed at the man's chin (blue), and follows up with a kick, aimed at his temple.
It seems we aren't the only ones seeking the truth here!
The half elf will go up to one of the fallen baddies and cast spare the dying to make sure they dont die.
The Thayan's charged spell finally cracks near the back of the house, 3 arcane viper skulls hiss before burrowing into the masked man's face and ear-holes. (green)
Small chunks of the man's face blast out the back of his skull from the force, spraying the Thayans own home with blood.
Magenta slashes out of Io in retribution for the terrible sneak attack...
...but Giu trips the man on his forward swing, foiling the attempt against his ally.
Black scrambles across the table to meet Sha, the new challenger with blood on her fists...
While yellow in the far corner sends another nasty dart towards Gilbert...
Quen races back to the entryway to triage the man felled by Shae's assault.
Mender again points his holy symbol at one of the intruders and holy fire streams down on him.
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When it is my turn, if Magenta is still there. If not, I will strike at the one trying to grapple the wizard (if he is still alive as well!)
Giuseppe, cursing himself for leaving an opening for his opponent, acknowledges his opponent's strike, Now it is my turn!
Sliding his blade up along his buckler, the swordsman thrusts at his assailant (Magenta)!
Longsword: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
There it is.
The fine rothe-hair carpet shifts under Gio's weight, causing the young man to slip throwing his thrust off-aim!
EDIT:
Gilbert take aim once again at the bandit firing at him. (Yellow)
Attack:
Damage: