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Ambriel sighs. They should have gone to get a ladder, maybe some wooden planks as well.
Instead we're starting a conflict most of us can't even get to. This will be harder than it needs to be.
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Meanwhile, Anansi the Spider begins looking outside the building for a ladder....
Sure she had thought that it could be a trap, but curiosity got the best of her. And sure enough, it has her surrounded with multiple archers aimed at her head. She raised her hands above her head while thinking of a plan to get out of this mess... and got just that. Hearing what Ragnar had said, Krystal decides to add on the praise.
And she would do just that, first by pointing at the hole. "As my... boisterous friend as told you, there are others below us at the moment. Only I was able to even attempt to approach your climbing skills."
That's right,stroke her ego. It may be the thing to save your ass right now.
With a flourish, she proceeded to go down on one knee before the Pathfinder. "I only ask that you help my friends to meet up with you. Then we can bask in your glory as you take over the city."
Double post.
Meanwhile, Anansi the Spider begins looking outside the building for a ladder....
Inside, Ragnar's sycophantic speech initially causes Natalya to smirk. Krystal manages to add enough genuine deference to persuade her.
"Indeed. I shall receive you in the middle of our current headquarters. Go through the door behind you and look to me at the platform."
Ragnar moves into this room, midly wondering where Anansi ended up.
He has his shield up but does not have a weapon drawn at the moment.
My, my, what a pickle we have here. We are Pathfinder's sent by THE Lodge to interview a former/current employee that may (or may not) have been involved with whatever the Ten says they were involved in.
The shaman shrugs.
Bosses, am I right?
Anansi the Spider then looks directly at the blonde woman with a pistol crossbow.
You work for the Scnazi? Apologize if I pronounced that incorrectly, but not from 'round here.
One of the thugs looks up. "Hey boss? Why don't we set the building on fire? Smoke them out? Just pesh heads and lepers on this block, who cares if it spreads?"
The woman shakes her head in the negative. "Too great of a risk the building collapses. But, we could lure them out by making their halfling here start screaming. What do you say halfling, yell for your comrades voluntarily? Or do my boys here need to break a couple of bones first?"
Caroliss heads off to the other room, eager to see if the woman would simply walk to them in the face of such exaggerated flattery.
Nothing from Krystal that would arouse suspicion, but she would stand close to Natalya while thinking of what to do next.
Anansi the Spider takes a look at his fingers. He looks back up at the bullies, gangsters, violent 4H troope with a grin.
Not certain, but, breaking each other's fingers would be ideal. The Ancestors have spoken!
The Shaonti then listens to the Ancestors, before nodding and withdrawing into the building.
Once inside the halfing hides by diving into the muck!
Interlopers?! Alright, lets show our Might!
Ragnar draws his last throwing axe as part of his move action, moving towards the position indicated in roll 20 and readies to throw it at adversaries.
Looking for Anansi as he does so.
"We'll keek you safe my lady."
Krystal drew out her bow, ready to stick an arrow into whatever may drop down.
Note to self: move Cyvis.
He is utterly unprepared for the narrow plank and falls forward and to the left, face first into the muck.
"Idiots, wait for me to go first! Natalya was a Tower Girl," the blonde woman shouts before lightly hopping down to the street with some rope and a grappling hook in her hands.
Natalya turns red with rage. "You fools! You were followed! Redeem yourselves by defending me! I am too important to be brought down by assassins now! I am destined! Honor Guard, shoot anyone coming through that door." Natalya barks out the order to her remaining loyal goblins before pulling a scroll from her sleeve and reciting the spell. A shimmering shield of force appears in front of her, adding more protection to her defensive position.
Anansi the Spider decides that if he gets out of this muck alive, the halfling may kick Ragnar in the balls for making the muck look fun!
And again for not having a ladder...
.
Wait, we were followed? This is madness! thinks Caroliss. She stays in the back, deciding she'll try shooting whoever comes through that door!
; .
NVin 21
Gobin 20
ac - 19
k - 14
VTin 12
TSin 12
Cyin 10
r - 7
Anansi watches as the blonde woman swings the grappling hook and throw it at an exposed ceiling rafter just over the door. She swings across the open pit, ignroing the plank altogether to burst through into the room where the Pathfinder recruits and Natalya's band both wait. The goblins fire their bows but miss the barging intruder entirely.
Ragnar and Krystal are more fortunate. Both deal serious blows to the new comer, who is rather startled that her attempt to take the building's occupants by surprise has failed entirely despite her flashy entrance.
The rope swings back into the hands of one of her hired goons who looks ready to try the plank while using the rope as a crutch.
Natalya begins chanting softly and fiddles her fingers. The blonde woman's eyes flash with a white glow for a moment and she suddenly breaks into a huge smile. "Natalya, my sister! I found you! They wanted me to bring you back, will you please come home?"
"In time, Terisha. Call off your goons, please dear friend. Tell them they're working for me now."
The blonde calls back to stand down. "We must go to the other sisters, Natalya, but make them understand."
What just happened, some type of charm spell? These generally dont work that well while in combat, also that girl is tough, damage received would have knocked me out! Ragnar thinks.
Direct attack would result in us fighting all of them at once, that would be unplesant. Lets see if the new-comers grunts actually stand down, also where is Anansi?
Undecided, Ragnar draws his battleaxe and readies an action to defend his actual comrades should someone get aggressive against them.
Anansi the Spider looks up from the muck to view the strange happenings above.
Well that went quite well.
The halfling calls out,
Now that no one is murdering anyone at the moment, may I, perhaps, receive a bit of assistance?
Anansi the Spider grins.
Well, my Ladies, allow me to pass if you would? Ragnar demonstratably sheathes his battle axe, slowly walks past the female newcomer and joinks Anansi out of the smudge, before casually walking back to his original position, dripping halfling in hand.
As he lifts both Anansi and the unfortunate hired muscle out of the sludge, he offhandedly remarks to him in hushed tones:
You could have told me that is such a delightfully
I am certain would be fully !
Caroliss suddenly breaks out a pleasant smile despite having tried to shoot Terisha just moments before. "What good fortune for you all to be reunited. I take, Terisha and Natalya, that you two know each other?"
The filthy, smelly, disgruntled halfling shaman nods in gratitude to Ragnar.
Wouldn't say no to a bit of Prestidigitation.
The goons look at Ragnar with confusion for a moment, especially the one standing up and wiping foul gunk off his face. One of their eye's goes wide and the man nods at Ragnar before whispering to his companions. One pulls there companion up from the basement and they all have a short conference.
"We don't need some witch controlling our minds. Come with us, we could go get a job out of town until things with the Tower Girls cool down. You look like you can fight good." one tells Ragnar before they all get ready to scatter into the slums.
Back in the room with Natalya, the blonde woman implores her new best friend to return to the Tower Girls. "We can explain it to them, Natalya. It will be alright, Ayala will forgive you! That's why I am here, to bring you home."
"Oh, dear, sweet, bloodthirsty Terisha. Ayala lacks the brains to run the show. You know that, you told me that before. But I do have the smarts. And the will." Natalya absent-mindedly toys with the shard of metal around her neck. "And now, with you and my elite guard, and these new recruits here, we will show them what a mastermind like Natalya is truly capable of!"
Slight retcon.
Name is Ragnar, not that many Sarkorian mercs in the city.
He quickly whispers while easily lifting Anansi.
Bodyguarding the rich looking one, cant abandon her because contract is contract. May have employment for you later, lets keep in touch.
Ragnar whispers back at them before transporting Anansi to the party.
What followed in the next few seconds was a whirlwind of emotions. First of all... they were followed? Should have known they weren't the only ones after her. Thankfully, the halfling gave them ample time to get a shot on her. Thus, she was ready for a long, drawn-out battle.
Until a single spell ended things. It was at this point she whispered to no one in particular. "Maybe she is destined."
It was time for some quick thinking and she shook off her funk to address Natalya. "Yes... with our combined forces, we can take on the Tower Girls!. Let us go now and bring Ayala to heel so they will know your power!"
Whatever Krystal was up to--getting Natalya outside, perhaps--Caroliss decides to roll with it. "Indeed, we should move quickly. I'm sure Ayala will be expecting Terisha back soon, so the timing couldn't be more perfect!"
Military strategy strongly agrees with this!
have another Krystal +2!
"Ah! Some initiative, very good! Yes, we should visit the Crow in the morning. Terisha, go and tell Ayala I was killed. No, tell her I was pinched by the guard. More believable and explains why you didn't return with my body or anything to identify me. Sleep early, and meet us at the entrance." Terisha nods and quaffs a potion from her bag before departing. "The rest of you, get some rest and setup a watch. Goblins, with me."
Anaansi the Spider (gently) kicks Ambriel.
That was meant for you if you could before it stays permanently caked to my backside.
The halfling smiles at the arcanist.
As soon as Natalya mentions going to "the Crow" that she is saying the Tower Girls are hiding out inside the Irespan piling carved with crows, also known by locals as simply, "The Crow." The piling is off shore.
Krystal waited until Terisha had left before answering.
"That all sounds good to me," Krystal nods enthusiastically. "Yet I would like to know about your wonderful plan to take over the Tower Girls before we strike tomorrow. Could we talk in your throne room?"
"Initiative, indeed! Follow me." Natalya says to her new protégé after telling her honor guard to see if any of their tribe survived. She scurries easily up the wall to the rafters. "You, big man!" Natalya pokes her head out through a hole in the ceiling and points to Ragnar, "You're in charge of security."
The goblins walk about the hideout and poke the downed goblins with the ends of their bows. They only declare two, "Not dead!"
"The plan is simple," Natalya tells Krystal once they are alone. "Fewer steps means less chance for error, but this is easy. The Girls love me. They respect me. Ayala uses the illusion of a united front to maintain her strength, but you saw Terisha. We get close and lure them out, one or two at a time. Then I simply tell them we will be going forward together behind my leadership. If they don't fall in line right away, I have other methods of convincing them. I only expect trouble from Ayala and maybe one or two others. Try not to hurt anyone, except Ayala. Take her out on sight, she'squite deadly."
Ragnar opts to show off and makes a mini moat in front of the door (outside of it).
Using his expeditious exvacation, before covering it with a random piece of dirty fabrik he probably joinked from ded goblins.
He informs his companions about his most cunning trap.
Anansi the Spider just frowns at the silent elf before going outside and jumping in a barrel of water for an hour!
The sounds of the halfling cursing and sputtering can be heard inside quite clearly.
Stupid goblins and their muck and shit! Hope Ragnar demotes every f&+%ing one of them. Ha! Head of security!
It was a simple task of following Natalya into the top of the rafters. After all, she has done similar work. Once she was there, she listened intently on the plan that the caster was listening in on.
"What is it about Ayala that makes her so dangerous?" It was one of genuine curiosity, given she hadn't heard much from the Tower Girls herself.
"An excellent question. Know anything about the curse of lycanthropy? Because she has first-hand knowledge. I don't suppose you or your companions have silver on you?"
[Spoiler=Sense Motive 15]She could see Krystal fidget a bit at the mention of lycanthropy]
Krystal crossed her arms in response. "Not at all. Had no idea we're dealing with werewolves. Do we have to worry about skeletons too?"
Picking up the throwing axe he threw at Terisha earlier,
Ragnar makes use of his promotion.
You there, Baloon head He adresses a Goblin.
Get my f&$*ing throwing axe ya git, yeah, the one I threw after you. Lady said she wants some silver weapon and that be one.
Natalya grins. "Ayala is not a werewolf. She's a rat. And none of the Girls is a necromancer, but we also didn't explore the piling too deep. Who knows what is lurking. That's why we need to strike fast, get as many allies and ad much loot as we can before we take over the Pathfinder Lodge. That will be the key. They've got expertise and artifacts and plenty of filthy lucre."
Ragnar's manner is leas threatening to the goblin now that they're supposedly allies. He responds with a full tongue-out raspberry. One of Natalya's honor guard kicks the goblin and sneers. The berated goblin walks off to retrieve the axe while grumbling and swearing under his breath.
Wererat? That's new. At least there's no chance for any undead. Krystal put that fear in her back pocket as she received word of Natalya's next goals. The prospect was tempting for sure. But she decided to keep up appearances instead, feigning a gasp before grinning evilly as she placed both hands on the Tower Girl's shoulder.
"Of course! That place is bound to have powerful artifacts we can use to our advantage. With their loot and folks, the city will be yours! Say, how did you get so confident and power my lady?"
Wererat erghh, well, at least not a werecockroach Ragnar thinks.
Hoping for a female werecat Nyaah, eh? Comes up an almost unbidden but very predictable thought.
Good thing I hit hard enough to blow past most damage resistances, as long as it isnt a ghost, these things suck. He thinks focused on the task.
So, here is the plan, you do righteous battle against wererats, and maybe a cute werecat spontaenously appears Nyah! And falls for you because you fights its natural enemies! the unbidden thoughts continue
Would she not conversely be pissed because I fight her natural food? Or perhaps she reciprocates, and gifts me some food from my natural enemies, so at one point I find a half chewed Schir in front of my bed or something, like, this is how cats actually act, if they kind of like you that is. Ragnar applies logic and reason to deal with his subconciousness.
Chewed up Schir? Man Rag, you got some weird preferences As his subconcious leaves him alone, getting the last word in, as always.
Ragnar is otherwise waiting for things to happen.
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"Okay, a little too far with the compliments,' Natalya laughs, clearly happy with the praise in spite of her words. "Simple, I recently pulled off a series of feats I didn't think I was capable of. It resulted in a sort of awakening for me. I should be more proud of my abilities, and I should use them to achieve even greater heights. Yes, the Lodge will hold power that Society never likes to use. Always with the, 'this doomed the Azlanti' and 'this item curses all who touch it' nonsense. Hoarders, thays all they are. But first, the Tower Girls. One step at a time. So go, rest. If we are fortunate, low levels of resistance. If we are less fortunate, we must be ready."
Oh. Of course." The rogue takes a step back to let Natalya get some more room to state her piece.
Once that was done, she nodded and climbed down the rafters to meet up with the others. Afterwards, she motioned the others away from the goblins before talking in a hushed tone.
"Looks like the Tower Girls won't be the only ones getting attacked soon," she shook her head. "The Lodge will be whacked soon too."
Anansi the Spider returns toweling his hair. The shaman looks at the goins-ons, scratches his head and returns to sit outside in the guard shack.
On the way back outside, he whispers
Aren't we tasked with returning the shard/her to the Society? Are we detouring to the Tower Girls first? And helping her?
Caroliss shrugs. It sure seemed like Natalya had an insane plan to face off with her former allies in the Crow. "Why don't we all chat about it tonight? If you ask me, I think we set up an ambush and bonk her while she's on her way to the crow."
Caroliss thinks about whether there's a bridge or something along the way that Natalya and her goblins would have to cross where they could set up the ambush.
Caroliss shrugs. It sure seemed like Natalya had an insane plan to face off with her former allies in the Crow. "Why don't we all chat about it tonight? If you ask me, I think we set up an ambush and bonk her while she's on her way to the crow."
Caroliss thinks about whether there's a bridge or something along the way that Natalya and her goblins would have to cross where they could set up the ambush.
"Nah, too risky." Krystal shook her head. "We tried that last time, and most us us won't be able to get up there. If it's gonna happen, it'll be once everyone's together on the same floor... hopefully with Terisha doing her part for us."