Ghorza's stone axe takes out one of the Crimson Cartel agents!
The remaining agents look intimidated by the blast of power unleashed by Ghorza! So they move in on her and try to take her out quickly! Three move into position while the fourth rushes up and stabs her hard in the shoulder!
Buffeted by a barrage of attacks, the already wounded dwarf barely stood. Stubbornly she refused to fall. Unable to retreat, she formed a hammer out to stone and began to fight her way out.
Zaborjca takes a quick step in and stabs the agent!
Zab studies the man as he steps towards him. Not very up to date on his armor maintenance. Tisk-tisk. That chink in the mail looks like a nice place for a sword tip.
Though not able to take advantage of the agent moving in, Aygavan takes a moment to study the agent next to him before lashing out with his whip, hitting where they least expect it.
Ghorza seriously wounds one combatant and Aygavan finishes her off! Then Zaborjca and Tocash combine to take down another! The other two agents swear vehemently and one of them shouts "Someone has to report this!" They both take off running!
Ghorza scowled as the men began to retreat. She was exhausted, bleeding, in pain, and all out of patience. With a gauntleted fist she backhanded one, and then forming a spear out of stone she threw it at him with all of her strength.
Zaborjca nods at Tocash, and reaches into his pack for materials. "I'll need about a minute to make an elixir...", he says.
Ghorza slaps a fleeing foe quite hard with her gauntlet then sends a stone projectile sailing through the air and brings the woman down!
"Don't have much I can do here, it seems. I'll keep watch in case they decide to come back for us."
Ghorza spat on the ground. Let the others try to save the murderers, she would have no part in it.
Tocash tries but you only net one more living hostage and two corpses. Still, that may be better than three corpses and just the summoner. You continue traveling back to Kortos Consortium headquarters.
Now you arrive without further interruptions. You hurry to find Madge Barrow and report. "The Golden Cartel was behind the attacks? This was better than we could have hoped! AND they confirmed it when their agents tried to break the little rat free! I'll see their barristers squirming in court and in the public's opinion!" She positively rubs her hands with glee. "This all means you get paid twice. Good work. First, you can 'salvage' from your captives anything that isn't needed as evidence. Second, the Kortos Consortium keeps its contracts." She hands you a hefty purse of platinum.
Happily, you loot your unconscious prisoners and the corpses alike.
"A good day's work. None of us died, and we got paid." Zaborjca looks quite pleased with the results. "And no lasting damage from that fire, either!"
"Quite so. Money and a lack of death is never bad thing. This seems to be a potentially profitable partnership. I look forward to seeing where it goes."
Maxy returns, her clothes dripping wet but this doesn't seem to bother her much. "I found some damage to the Underdocks supports, as assigned." she reports to your handler. Then she sniffs. "You smell like smoke." She also eyes the bloodstains on some of your clothes. "Seems your task was more eventful than mine."
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A week after the events at the dock, missives go out to each of you late in the afternoon calling for you to come to the eastern gates of the city. When you arrive, you see a small group of richly dressed people around Madge. The two on her left wear ornate clerical garb. The first is an older man with a stopped back and what would normally be pale skin. Currently, he looks angry and has a bright red flush to his normally pallid skin. The second is a younger man with a stern countenance and a darker complexion then most in the city. On the other side of Madge stands two woman and a man all in expensive and well-tailored garb. The first is a woman in her middle years who still carries the beauty of youth. The second woman is a rail thin elderly woman who is glaring at the younger priest even as he seems to be ignoring her dark look. The older woman has a variety of pouches and vials on her belt. The third noble is a man who once was likely athletic and well built with broad shoulders, but even is rich and nicely tailored clothes do little to hide the fact that he has obviously put on weight as he aged.
As your group all arrives there is obvious tension. Madge nods to you and says, ”Good evening, you have been called in because there have been…” Madge pauses briefly as she glances between the clerics and the nobles before choosing her words, “gatherings… in the graveyard. Apparently, these gatherings have led to concerns for safety and property damage. Go to the graveyard, make sure everyone is safe and then convince them that the graveyard is not an appropriate place for such an event.”
With that the floodgates open as all five people start bickering.
”No harm will come to my grandson…”
”If any things happens to my girls…”
”…desecration of the dead!”
”You are being ridiculous…”
”This behavior cannot be allowed to continue…”
”..just kids being kids….
”Scandalous!”
Madge loudly clears her throats and all five people turn to glare at her as she says, ”The Kortos Consortium hears your concerns and will see them out. If you will excuse us, I will see our agents to the gate and then they will be about your business.” All five glare for a moment more before the older woman sniffs and stalks off. Slowly, the other four turn and do the same leaving you with Madge who beckons you towards the open gate where a guardswoman is trying hard to act like she has no idea something was happening twenty feet away.
Madge leads you just beyond the gate and says in a voice that does not carry, ”So this is a pickle. You need to go out there and stop whatever is getting the clerics in a huff, but it is vitally important to the Consortium that you don’t hurt any of the little lords or ladies out there. Any question?”
Maxilara listens closely as this is all going on but doesn't have a lot of knowledge of the local politics. She definitely has questions. "So there are young nobles gathering in the graveyard?"
Ghorza felt an intense feeling of tredipation. The stone-skinned dwarf bit her lip as she thought it through. Were they any monsters in the world as horrific as bored aristocratic youth? The dearth of wisdom that came from being young, coupled with the money and power of their titles...t was a deadly combination. She truly hoped that the dead would rise. At least putting them down would be straight forward enough.
Maxy frowns. "Seems like they could get out of control. What a strange place to gather. Are they a cult or something?" She looks to those who seem more wise in the ways of the city, Aygavan and Zaborjca.
Aygavan knows about everyone but the young noblewoman, sharing his insights with the party.
He shakes his head at Maxy, ”Doubtful. Two devout priests among them, the younger’s a hardline priest of Abadar at that. Not sure what their quarrel is, but I’m of a mind to go ask. Subtley, of course, but still directly.”
Zab recognizes the young noblewoman and fills the party in. He points out that the older noblewoman is carrying material components for spells: she came prepared to cast.
"Quite a who's who of high society here. With children that are young, rich, and looking for trouble. A bad combination. We'll want to handle this as discreetly as possible. We don't want to leave any of these folks feeling like they've been embarrassed by what we uncover."
He scowls.
"I'm no talker, I'm afraid... were I to have a word with 'em, I'm likely to offend them somehow. I'm a monster slayer, not a hellion wrangler."
Zab thinks for a moment longer.
"It may make sense to go investigate during the day. We're unlikely to run into them at that time, it may help our conversation with them if we have an idea of what they're up to, and we can assess both the property for both damage and safety. They're probably just there because it's improper. I have some better suggestions for 'em if that's what they're after.
Maxy nods as her new companions fill her in. "Good to work with people in the know." Hearing Madge's instructions, she nods. "Alright then. I suppose we should get there now?"
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As you head towards the graveyard, the sun sets. As you come closer to the graveyard you can see the light of lit torches and soon here sounds of cheers, chanting, and laughter. As you reach the gates of the portion of the graveyard closest to the town you can see the crowd gathered within.
A few things you all note as you walk towards the gate. There is a fountain and a young man is standing on the rim of the upper part of the fountain holding up a wine glass as he cheers. A large man has a selection of wine and beers on top of a casket, and he seems to be serving the nobles around him. A man near as statue seems to be talking up two youths and taking wagers about something. Near where the wager is taking place, an apparently drunk noblewoman is dancing on top of an ornate sarcophagi.
Maxilara takes a look around but doesn't know much about the people here.
Aygavan studies the assembled crowd, trying to figure out who's who.
Zab knows the area well, but his eyes are a bit old and dull.
Zab reaches into his pack and pulls out some herbs and other ingredients, along with a well-worn book. He starts mixing some components in a vial.
"These places are always chock full of secret ways, and my eyes aren't what they used to be. Let me brew something up that'll give these old chunks of coal a bit of shine. Maybe I can find something interesting."
Maxy sees her brainier allies scanning the area and raises an inquisitive eyebrow to see what they make of things.
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Zab drinks his concoction as you move forward and look around at the wild gathering.
You see Jaisten's son talking to another man you have never seen before who is serving alcohol sloppily on top of one of the sarcophagus.
Another youth with a goblet is standing on top of the fountain. He is swaying and his perch does not seem very secure. You are also not sure that the top of the fountain was meant to hold that much weight.
You do not see the Seiffan twins.
Another youth with a goblet is standing on top of the fountain. He is swaying and his perch does not seem very secure. You are also not sure that the top of the fountain was meant to hold that much weight.
The group seems to be generally looking towards a statue in the park, but you can not make out anything through the group and general darkness of the cemetery.
You do not see the Seiffan girls or the Lausett boy.
Another youth with a goblet is standing on top of the fountain. He is swaying and his perch does not seem very secure. You are also not sure that the top of the fountain was meant to hold that much weight.
Near the alcohol stand you see a lad that looks much like the the nobleman who was at the gates when you were sent here.
Zab makes out that Maxy has good eyes and points into the darkness. "They seem to be focused on a statue in the park of some kind, but I'll be damned if I can see it. What do you make of it?"
Zab shakes his head. "They're reveling on some pretty brittle stone. One of 'ems is likely to break a leg or an ankle. I'm personally inclined to let 'em, but the nobles'll likely have a problem with it if their kin comes back lying on a stretcher and squalling."
Maxy's eyes narrow focusing on the group around the statue. "Looks like they're taking bets and passing out drinks over there. At least one of them is already injured." She sighs. "We should probably break this up. I can keep an eye on them and provide some muscle but I'm not very good at convincing people of much."
Ghorza shook her head. She wanted to think poorly of humans for all of this, but she knew how bad her own kin could be when alcohol was involved.
”Oi!” She shouted, her voice assertive and full of bravado. ”Whats all this then?” Her voice boomed. ”Drinking, betting and blood on the ground? Looks like quite a party. So, who is going to fill me in on what’s what, eh?”
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Ghorza walks up to the gate and calls in at the crowd. The raucous group seems mostly focused on the gregarious speaking of the man handling the gambling. The large "bartender" looks over at Ghorza with a frown as he sloshes an amber mead towards a cup and over the heavily embossed sarcophagi.
A richly dressed noble standing by the bartender gives Ghorza a winning smile as he holds up his goblet and says, "Ah..fine lady. We are having a small party. Please join in the festivities!" He then performs an elaborate bow, which he manages almost flawlessly even in his inebriated state.
As you reach the gate, the bartender gathers up some coins scattered across the sarcophagi and shoves them into a pocket.
Zaborjca isn't usually blessed with a good sense of people's motives, but he catches on this time. He pulls a bit of rope from his pack, cuts off about a foot, and fashions a quickly and loosely tied peacebond onto his blade's scabbard. Completely ceremonial, and easily removed, but it makes his intentions clear. He approaches the makeshift bar, and raises a single finger in a practiced, unspoken gesture that's clear to all: "I'd like one drink, please."
Ghorza met the bartender's eyes as she walked closer. She could tell that he was not only sober, but he was decidedly less than happy to see the group arrive. She was glad that Zaborjca was there to keep the man busy, and to investigate him. She turned her gaze to the drunk nobleman.
"An invitation? How kind!" She flashed him a smile and gave the bow back, as she walked towards him. "I'll need to get a drink. But tell me, what makes this place to fun? We were hired here on reports of a creature of the night haunting this place. Hence all the weapons. And..." She raised a hand, causing the ground to rise up to her palm. She then made a show of pushing it back down. "...for us being prepared, in general, to face it. We were told that it...well, no...nevermind." She shook her head, a casual smile still there. "It would be good to have a drink before we really get to work. Say, that lad, bleeding out over there. Doesn't match the description of the beastie, but might as well ask. How'd he get bloodied?" She asked, in a tone of voice that made clear that she didn't really care about his well being, but was asking out of a mixture of professional interest and curiosity.
Perhaps it was pushing her luck, but she tried to discreetly motion to Aygavan to keep his eyes sharp outside of the party. It was all too easy to get distracted by the drunk nobles, when the real danger might well be what was watching them. Paranoia? Possibly. But it would be good to stay sharp than to be dead.
Maxy keeps up with the bartender's train of thought and moves forward with Ghorza. She doesn't wear any armor or weapons but she stands ready nonetheless. She cracks her neck slightly and smiles to herself. These nobles probably weren't looking for a tussle but she would show them a thing or two if they tried.
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The noble waves his cup around sloshing some of his drink across the ground as he says, "No monsters around here! Bartholomew threw his hat into a game of chance and skill and fell a tad short!" The man and those around him laugh at the statement. "Hopefully, Pietr and Anthony an do better then him!"
Maxy pipes up "It's terribly disrespectful to the dead for you to hold your revelries here. Maybe go somewhere else, huh?"
But she isn't the most persuasive orator.
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A lady laughs at Maxy's suggestion and says, "Nonsense dear! We are celebrating them! How could anyone dead find this soiree upsetting?" The woman laughs with a high pitch titter at the idea as she passes her goblet back towards the bartender for more of her chosen drink.
Zab doesn't get lucky a second time and misses it. He's too busy trying to get the bartender's attention. He seems oddly fixated on getting a drink from him.