The troubador looks like he's vacillating between continuing and stopping but a loudly yelled "WRECK 'EM ALREADY!" from the crowd causes him to shrug and drop his crossbow. He continues to sing, draws his rapier and attacks Gram!
for piercing!
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"Alright dear - going to have to finish this!"
◆◆) Non-lethal Strike x2
◆) Perform
Triple spinning twirl of semi-lethal blades! Tao then whirls on the crowd "Send out the Next Pin Cushions for the Slayers’ Guild to stick their Needles! Is it you?" pointing at a random fan "Or maybe you lot" across the way another group - settling her scarves over her boyish clothing now, she grabs the blade and draws it across her neck feigning a cut - scrunching her face into an expression of performative malice.
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HP 23/23
AC 18 (20 with shield raised)
Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +5
Hero points: 1
Effects:
Grams lets her shield take the rapier, guiding it off to the side as she swings her axe to try to bring this fight to an end. Still, she doesn't want to kill the poor dirge singer, so she aims to spare his life.
Tao's bladed scarf hits the man once, twice and he reels before Gram's axe fells him like a tree, knocking him down and out on the rooftop while the crowd goes wild, booing and cheering the spectacle!
The orphan child pipes up, her voice clear over the furor. "PAY UP! THE GANG O'SIX WINS!" The child disappears into the crowd, reappearing a few moments later at Vionnia's side, whispering a conversation with her. Vionnia nods and replies, then heads toward you with a small purse in her hand. "Nicely done! And you left the competition alive. Well done indeed! They'll fight another day but the odds will be against them. Might make for a good payday for a shrewd gambler. Now, let's be on our way. Some of the crowd might want a word with you about losing their money." She leads you out of the Narrows and you have a chance to chat with her on the way!
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Jesselle produces what she managed to lift from those spectators around her "These are my winnins ya see!" intentionally within view of Jack♢ "They wuz bettin' against the Slayers’ Guild anyhow so they hed it comin' ya know!"
Tao is absolutely aghast - and looks to be about to scold here when she adds "Cousin takin' things in this dress'o'yers is so much easier cuzza all these lil fabric sleeves wavin' this way an' thet!"
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After the fight, the elven gambler picks up his belongings, sheathing his sword and tucking away his bow, and goes back to performing complicated card shuffles. "Outplayed."
Jack♢, or rather "Five from the Slayer's Guild", sneers and harrumphs, downplaying Jesselle's pickpocketing skills. "Cute. Prefer my winnings a bit bigger."
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Nikebei lips her lips, as she goes to her backpack, "Yous know that fightin' always makes mes thirsty, Vionnia. Doos it you? Is can makes us a bitter sweet cockytail, has mes some rum, some pineapple, some orange, yous wanna try some?" She mixes several liquids together, crushing fruit to extract even more flavour, before with a violent motion she shakes the liquids into a dark orange coloured drink.
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Miladistra stabilizes the singer. "I'm sorry darlin', this was a bad idea from start to finish. Maybe I'll recommender some better services for ya."
"Now now everybody, calm down. Money comes and money goes. If you bet right on one match you can earn all yer winnins back." Miladistra tries to calm the crowd down.
"Besides, I don't like fightin' anyway. Ya'll should do entertainment contests instead- much more fun. My opponent was quite the singer, too bad he wasn't a fighter. Probably a great lover, but no one wants to bet on that." She winks and cracks a joke, hoping to use comedy to calm people down.
"Now then, Vionnia. We can fight, yer see, but I'd love to talk. Let's start by learn more about you. Surely you wouldn't mind talking to me for a bit?" She tries to get on Vionnia's good side.
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Grams seems a bit unhappy after their so-called victory. She normally enjoys the thrill of victory and adventure, but this felt ... hollow, somehow. She knows the gravediggers chose to be there, but it felt like they didn't really have a choice, based on what the singer had said.
Slightly subdued, she follows Aldonza's lead and waits to see how Vionnia reactions.
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The little cousin pulls out a handful of coins, jewels, and loose objects and beams at Jack, and starts boasting at him, and it seems he lets the con ride a little, feigning surprise and defeat, until he turnabouts on the lass, producing from his effects two handfuls of coins and jewels, and Jesselle's face goes from gloating to frowning...
Tao rolls her eyes.
"So Vionnia - where are you from?" Tao asks. If her guide insists of hearing Tao's story first, she immediately takes her ear and spends minutes sharing "Grew up traveling and dancing and playing my flute" she Conjures her implement here "Would you like to hear a tune we sing when we meet strangers the first time?" the question is rhetorical as she plays it anyway "Got involved with being a Pathfinder as a way to travel and support myself and my extended family" she grabs a slightly dejected Jesselle here and gives her a hard knuckle-to-head rub to which Jesselle protests "OW!" and letting her go continues "And now we are on this assignment!" she tells poor Vionnia about the last missions she went on, when they were, what they did, how she felt, who they met, what they accomplished... until her listener's ears practically fall off...
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Once Jack♢ has sufficiently outplayed Jesselle to settle their friendly rivalry, the card master moves on to smooth talk with Vionnia. To strike up a conversation, he performs the classic "pick a card, any card" routine.
"... is this your card? It is? What're the odds. You see these kinda tricks in Oppara, hun? ..."
This den smells weird. From the tobacco mud to the sweet alcohol to the... are those people mating? Deroff keeps his nose clean and stays near the missus. Her nose is quite sensitive to all of these scents.
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You can use Undeerowlrd Lore, Oppara Lore, Performance, Diplomacy, Deception and Intimidation to Influence
"That was quite the sport," Grams says. "Are there a lot of those fights? They seemed to attract a crowd, but I hope there's someone there to help tend wounds. Just so people can fight again, of course."
Considering that, she looks around to make sure none of her companions took any hurt.
You discover Vi enjoys vigorous arguments, but any direct threats make her clam up immediately. She is also very open to name-dropping, especially of powerful nobility.
You discover she's from a noble family who has fallen on hard times. Because of this, she hates all nobility. You discover Vi enjoys vigorous arguments, but any direct threats make her clam up immediately.
You discover Vi is interested in powerful people with noble connections who may be able to help her family. You also discover she doesn't like being dismissed because of her noble upbringing and will cut short any conversation that include any such implications.
Vionnia chats as you move and you get the impression she's starting to really like you guys.
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Nikebei slips over to Grams, "You know any posh people Grams. That Vi is one o' dem poshy people, best talk to her nicely. She likes dem politey people, and wants to know dem real poshy poshy lot, yous knows lordy and ladys." she asks. "Maybes our lady wiv dem scarfs knows poshy poshy people. She dress nice."
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"I don't think that's true, dear" Grams said, frowning as she realizes she must have misspoke at some point and the other woman doesn't seem interested in talking anymore with her. Though to be fair, she's not sure what she thinks of the other woman herself. "I in fact got the exact opposite impression..."
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Eventually Nikebei goes over and attempts to influence Vi some more, "Lady Vi, yous a nice lady, yous got nice hair and clothes. I has idea to impress yous friends." The smell of grease intensifies around her chef's hat, as though Nickbei's spirits have given her the inspiration and the consuming desire to cook something special for this lady. The red and browns, dried and new blood, colouring her apron seem to brighten as she speaks with conviction. I's could make yous a menu of exotic food for slaps up meals. Fried battered fishy is mes specialility of great renown amongst me friends. I's doos a chocolaetely saucey for droppin' on really really cold milky cream for pud puds."
She continues to outline with intense enthusiasm a menu for Lady Vi, listening to her preferences and making alteration to the menu to accommodate them, although it sounds like the changes are a somewhat bizarre interpretation of Vi's requests. The goblin giving her best broad smile, as she presents her various well kept and shiny cooking knives, blades sharp and ready to cut through fish skin, scales and flesh.
Nikebei tries her best to impress the woman by conversing with intent to cook.
Vi leads you from the Narrows to a new neighborhood - Crownsgate. Crownsgate is in somewhat better repair than the Narrows, and the buildings have sturdier bones—though most have been picked clean. The one thing the districts have in common is that the law seems equally disinterested in both. Crownsgate is filled with old industrial buildings and warehouses, and whatever wealth it might have had has long since been pilfered by the rest of the city, right down to the cobblestones. Cutthroats and criminal gangs hold sway over the shadowy alleys, with the occasional desperate beggar trying to eke out a living.
In fact as you move through the streets, an old woman in shabby, worn clothes obviously much patched and repaired and still worn out, steps into your path. "Please sirs and madames, please spare a coin for an old woman?"
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Miladistra walks through the neighborhood with a frown on her face. Cities refuse nature, and this is what they replace it with. So much struggle for buildings, and taxes, and markets. They should tear all of this down and raise a garden. The food alone would solve so many problems. She adjusts a flower in her hair just as a woman comes about, asking for aid.
Deroff stays by her side as she moves towards the old woman with a copper coin in hand. "Here you go, ma'am. Don't spend it all in one place. Have you seen anything interesting lately? Any missing persons?" Miladistra tries to get the lady to talk, maybe she knows something about the mission.
Deroff follows the missus, and notices her walking towards a complete stranger. Is this a predator in disguise?
"Bless yer hearts, ladies and lords! Truly ye are blessed! I ain't heard of no'un missing, no. But so's many go missing on the streets, it's nothing new."
Neither Aldonza nor Deroff spot anything untoward, but they do see Vi's face soften when the party gives the woman coin. She slips the woman a silver coin as you move away.
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Entering Crowsgate, Tao gives Jesselle a stern glance, and reluctantly, the young thief duffs some of her "winnings" in the lady's bucket.
"C'mere Jack" she cleans and wraps some of his cuts and scrapes.
"There ya go" and pats him on the head like she was his mum before suddenly remembering to keep her "fierce" facade up "Ahem - good as new" in her low voice.
The roof of this crumbling bridge lets shafts of light from the afternoon sun pierce its dusty interior. The rundown houses lining the bridge have been boarded up, and rubble and detritus lie scattered on the floor. A broken chain and rotted warning sign stick out of the debris near the entrance.
Vi smiles at you. "Keep the fighting to the bridge area. No looting the opponents. I'll be watching! Listen for the whistle, that's when the battle kicks off. Good luck!"
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To Jack "Ahem FIVE yes, hold still" Tao opens up a channel and invites the young man to meet Jesselle's great grandfather, who sizes up the rogue with a shrewd expression, walking around him to take his person in "So this is the one that's been impressing upon my great granddaughter?" to which Tao nods "Hmmph!!" he says, and watches to see how Jack responds to his apparent disapproval, allowing him some words... and after he has had a chance to defend his honor, he shakes his hand after some consideration - and hands Jack back his wallet! "Yeah they never see me coming, ain't that right great grandniece?" he winks at Tao, and Tao just shrugs back at Jack as he disappears "I can see why she likes you"...
...Jack wakes from his reverie to discover his wounds further healed! - Tao refocuses the the rest of the walk to the next fight, arguing with the man that Jack can no longer see...
Opening the Channel sets Tao's Base Ancestor @ "Skilled"
Rolling initiative sets Tao's Ancestor to "Martial" for the beginning of round one!
She will prepare for this battle much the way she did last fight - Bladed Scarf in hands with Bane pre-Cast standing at the center of her party!
"Let's see what they got coming for the Slayers’ Guild next!" she whirls her blades at the crowd as her ancestors begin to take on a visible form - great fighters with starknives and bladed scarves (like her) and saps and slings, harrying the attacks of any foes who get close!
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Nikebei repairs her javelin, sharpening it's blade and makes her way forward. She finds a little place out of the way, "Sees Gran, mees waits here and sees what happens, I can scout out this ands makes it easier for folks. Yous take a look Gran." she says to the nothing that is to the right of her. "Wees sneaks up here with our kitchen knives and wees ready" Nikebei stands with a Khopesh in one hand and a bola in the other, "Wees make dem fall before des get me, hee hee!"
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Grams pulls out her axe and shield again, flustered to be having to fight a second time against what seems like poor souls, instead of for some heroic purpose.
"Don't go too far, dear," she calls to Nikebei. "You don't know what's out there."
She slips forward, trying to keep an eye on the goblin ... not to mention Jack -- Five, she corrects herself -- as the lad seems likely to get himself killed again.
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Aldonza's enthusiastic rhyming inspires the male elf to join in. The card shark adds a few rhyme verses of his own, punctuated with various card tricks:
"Folks of Crownsgate, meet Five of Locks!
To beat me, think outside the box!
And the rest of this crew
means business, too.
Mess with us and you are through,
'cause down the bridge, is quite the view!
Where there's a fight, count us in!
The Slayer's Guild plays to win!"
Jack: 17
Aldonza: 15
Round 1:
Seeker
Grams, Jack
Keepers
Aldonza, Tao, Nikebei, Miladistra
The whistle blows loud and clear, and almost immediately four people step onto the bridge from the south. It must have been a hard birth, for the man has three identical twins who copy his every move! He holds a mace and makes a rude gesture at the Slayers, sneering. "Come on and meet your doom, Player's Guild! The Mercenaries of Pain are here to wreck your day!" He and his three twins makes a strange gesture and an arrow made of acid arcs toward Grams!
for acid damage!