While the Tiefling population is subject to scorn in Cheliax, I still might be able to get some valuable information.
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While Beorns crop of the enthusiastically underemployed go about spreading dissidence and rumor among the bistros and cafes of the staunchly middle class Variel finds among them those willing to take it a step further. Those who can be trusted enough to feed information into the resistance.
Reed Shirt - A plucky young actor slightly bitter that he missed his chance at stardom when he wasn't cast for the now famous performance of the Six Trials of Larazod in Westcrown. Moving to Kintargo to remove himself from that shadow he was further disappointed to find that his opportunity was erased again by the night of ashes. He joins up with you in the hope that association will allow his star to rise and to gain some measure of vengeance.
Jaelle Brewer - A bitter and beautiful woman who was a skilled and patronized songwriter turned lowly street busker by the night of ashes. She has a knack for getting people to talk with a flutter of lashes and play of her hair.
Stella Longvietta - A tailor who looked to spend the rest of her golden years repairing and making costumes in the opera house. Unceremoniously evicted by Barzillai's imminent domain she's decided to spend the rest of her years ensuring he regrets ruining her semi-retirement.
Nayomi Plucker - A naturally rebellious Taldan woman who used to dance for the delight of her many patrons. All dead or missing now. Fiery to a fault there's never not some kind of weapon on her.
Abcott Skinple - A never was musician whose bad luck went worse when all his prospects for patronage or employment burned up overnight. He always has some tune, verse, or new way to play an instrument he wants to try most of which are mediocre at best.
Malachatti Cervagio - A choreographer famous for thrilling fight scenes and excellent training in the art of stage fighting. An unsung hero of sorts for the type of actor that wants to look good while not actually trying to harm their fellow actors. Down to earth and pragmatic he provides a cautious counterpoint to the rest of the teams naive and fiery approach.
Who's managing this team?
With that week 1 is over.
Starting week 1 someone needs to make a loyalty check and let me know if you want to put/take money out of the treasury.
Beorn spends a day looking around the devil's nursery as bad as any imagined slum and worse in all the ways that matter. The tieflings here are distrustful of outsiders at best and more than once Beorn has to duck into an alley to avoid a roving gang of chelish citizen group thigs looking for anyone even vaguely tiefling like to harass or beat up or worse if some of the rumors are to be considered true. The overall feeling of the place is hopelessness the original cloven hoof society had its leader imprisoned and shortly after the murders began, first with a missing child and then more a week later.
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Variel finds it relatively easy to secure the help of 6 other individuals who have been scorned by Thrune. As such the ability of the group to hear about what is going on in the city just got that much easier. With the help of them, especially Jaelle and her flirtatious nature with the nobles, the rebellion would know when and where to strike most effectively. Slowly Variel brought them around to the others to introduce them. It seemed that all of them knew Beorn already and he had a natural connection to them. It would also simplify things as anyone observing him and the others together could be passed off as a meeting about artistry.
That thought gave him another idea and as soon as he could he discretely went and purchased a scroll of disguise self to add to his spellbook.
When Beorn gives the intel on the Devil's Nursery it is clear that something has to be done there soon. Do you think it is safe enough for us to go and investigate the murders and the disappearance of the leader of the Cloven Hoofs?
Perhaps keep Malgar's face hidden, but I do think we can give it a go.
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Sounds like a plan then. Perhaps we travel in singles or pairs till we reach a particular destination then group up there for mutual protection and investigation. It would make sense for me to be with Litsy as we have been seen before together.
--------------------------Rebellion Week 2 Upkeep Phase--------------------
Step 1) loyalty check dc 10 success lose supporters
Step 2) Notoriety is at 0
Step 3) No treasury shortage as 360 in fund
Step 4) Still rank 2
Step 5) No withdrawals or Deposits?
I'll keep a steady hand on Malgar.
You can go to the nursery anytime in the first or second week you want and we can resolve the rst of the 2nd week when youre finished off there.
"No prob, Variel." Melancholy briefly flashes on Litsy'S face. "I hope Paquen's alright."
GM:
"Sounds like a plan indeed. People in the Devil's Nursery should be protected. I can travel together with Beorn, I have been known to visit the theatre in days past, so that wouldn't be such a stretch of the mind as well."
GM:
I suppose the only real question is how you would like to begin your investigation?
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I don't actually know if I am getting any camera time yet but if it matters I will be doing classic legwork. Finding crime scenes, establishing numbers and identities of victims, creating a spider board on the side of an abandoned building, running out of spiders, chasing Castor who is eating the spiders...you know classic legwork.
Borgan scours the streets of the Devil's Nursery and tries to find people that are still on the streets, people who might know or have seen a thing or two what goes on about.
He walks up to a few men and women who are down on their luck, putting a few coins in their hand and asks in a low whisper.
"Do you know anything about what happened here? No need to point, just nod if you do. Know where it happened most?"
Beorn coughs to help cover Variel's faux paus. In times like these, we need to stick together and help out. Especially since there are those who refuse to perform their duties.
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Litsy pairs up with Beorn to fish for information. She may be less charming than he is, but she's savvy enough to hint at suitable payment in exchange for viable pointers.
"And here I thought you didn't brush your teeth this morning," she sniffs as Variel mentions ulcers, and scrunches her face. "Maybe get that checked."
[dice=Aid Another (Diplomacy)]1d20+8
Litsy pairs up with Beorn to fish for information. She may be less charming than he is, but she's savvy enough to hint at suitable payment in exchange for viable pointers.
"And here I thought you didn't brush your teeth this morning," she sniffs as Variel mentions ulcers, and scrunches her face. "Maybe get that checked."
...
*nod*nod*nod*
After hours of searching, dodging, and trying to reconcile a diet that was quite recently and suddenly filled with far too much sugar and coffee in a place where the nearest thing to a toilet facility amiunts to "somewhere out the way" the group manages to track down some children who are not quite beat down to the point where talking to adults is an immediate non starter.
They indicate in that casual way that children often recount atrocity that someone's been killed at least once a week. Though the bodies are usually burned soon after to keep them from getting back up. They mention that a murder happened just the other night and they were looking over the body. They also casually mention another adult was asking around about the murders and was staying in an abandoned basement nearby.
Beorn hands the children some coppers. So where was the body, and the basement?
"Let's hope it was someone who also wants to take action to stop these atrocities. Or at least help us in any way to do so."
Borgan stands guard as the others question the children, his way with children was perhaps a bit too harsh in words at times.
"Did they look like a blue-skinned tiefling woman with horns?" Litsy asks hopefully. It wouldn't be surprising for Paquen to take an interest in the murder... If she didn't get into trouble herself.
Probably not.
The childeen shrug their shoulders at the mention of the body but point down the street ar a dilapidated building barely more than a burnt out frame and rubble. "He was all yellow and smelled like sour milk."
Well let us go see this fellow. Best be on our guard, but I have this strange feeling that he will be a trustworthy sort.
Litsy's gaze goes from one man to another. "wow, guys, your faith in your fellow men really is heartwarming." She gives each kid a gold coin for their efforts. "Stay out of trouble and tell us if anyone else asks you questions about the murder, okay? That'd be helpful."
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Variel looks at the gold passed to the children and wonders if they had ever seen that much before at one time. He hoped they didn’t do any thing stupid with it or brag about it to get killed. Let just say Tiny that too often the outside of a person is what is judged first and that is not the true character of the person. Take our esteemed Lord Mayor, spitting on the ground for emphasis, he is dressed in the best but his heart is cold as ice
Donations are good, but best to make smaller change. A child with copper draws less attention and no doubt some will boost to others and draw attention.
Leaving the childeen to their newfound wealth you make your way to the burned out building and see that is worse off then initial impressions. The fire seems relatively recent as many of the still standing beams still bear fresh scars from the flames. However it's not long before a noise draws your attention to a set of cellar doors near the back of the building. While rather sturdy looking its obvious that abuse and heat qarped thwm ao they barely close and the sound of a man seeming to argue with some yet unseen antagonist can be heard beyond.
"You guys hear that? Sounds like people arguing."
Borgan walks closer to the cellar doors and attempts to listen in to what is being said.
Hmmm, looks like he might have more allies with him.
A muffled and exasperated voice slips through the warped doors.
...You know if you do not practice you will not get better!
*pause*
"Yes if you do not practice you will also not know if you get worse, and while I respect your topical appeal to ignorance, stasis is not the desired end state."
*pause*
"I am well aware that stasis or as near as can be managed is the goal of most heroic tales and mystery stories and I am very well aware of the futility of action in a larger context. But I am also aware of the Sisyphean nature of existence. Pointless struggle in the face of an unaware universe is all there is and now it is time to practice."
A sound something like this but nowhere near as competent issues from the warped doors.
Litsy gives her teammates a comically puzzled look- why did it sound so much like someone was enthusiastically stomping on a squeaky toy?
She attempts to peek into the room without being seen, which doesn't go too well great when her head sticks out of the doorframe.
Beorn waits for Litsy to quietly look inside but her stumble makes him wince. Oh well, I am sure we will all be good friends.
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The person on the stool stares at you.
The bone pipe slowly comes to a stop.
The rat looks back and forth between the person and you.
The person speaks, they have a surprisingly strong voice.
"Good morning", "have you come to lie to me, or does that happen later in our relationship?"
The person hops off the stool revealing that they are rather short, though this impression is heightened by the overlarge yellow coat.
"I don't mind either way but if its too late in the evening it troubles Castor's digestion."
Making no move to close the seven or so feet between you the person in yellow extends their left hand to shake.
They are wearing a leather glove with the fingers unevenly hacked off.
Borgan is taken aback a little as he sees the man in yellow robes and the smell of old milk on him. Seeing the rat didn't bother him that much, many people have odd pets, so a rat in the city wasn't that strange.
"I am sorry... What is this about lying to you? We've only just met and you presume we lie? I think I am very straightforward towards others."
Borgan hangs his mace on his belt, then extends his right hand while frowning a bit towards the strange man. "The name is Borgan. Follower of Shelyn. And you?"
Beorn the Divine my good fellow! Singer and actor who seeks to rouse the people into righteous justice Perhaps you heard of the delightful gathering a few days ago.
The person in yellow looks between the small woman and the half orc. "Oh there is more of you..." Looking again at all of the half orc. "...a good deal more."
Taking Borgen's hand palm to back and shaking it gently. "Oh everyone lies to me, straightforward folks most of all. Castor says it's a gift. You'll see."
Still holding Borgen's gauntlet from the back and turning back to the small woman. "You came in first so that would make you Shelyn."
The strangers eyes de-focus for a moment. "Oh, you mean the Shelyn that is invisible and has all the nice houses. Thank you Castor. We stole some food from one of them. Well Castor really. They were ... distracted."
The stranger finally releases Borgen's gauntlet. There is now a pale red smear across the back that somehow avoids Sheyln's symbol. "Oh. That's yogurt.. pretty recently anyway."
The stranger shakes his head. "Sorry, out of practice with manners. Too much time talking to the dottari I suppose. This is Castor..." The stranger indicates the rat who sits up seemingly taking an interest in the proceedings or at least in the yogurt smeared gloves. "...and I am OPERA!