In reply to Vellius, Alessio says "Certainly. The more time we spend outside in the streets, the more likely we are to meet with another mob."
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Alessio's mind reels for a moment at the computation of the loot's value. "I know of no one who would have enough gold to exchange for these goods. Do any of you?" "The Queen's brooch" he says. "Either Lamm's reach was longer than anyone thought, or there is a thief in the castle."
Zellara's appearance takes Alessio aback and for a moment he is silent. When he does speak, his voice betrays a lack of surety. His statements sound almost as if they are questions. "We found a...so then, you had already... passed on before you brought us here."
Alessio splays his fingers and slowly circles in place, scanning the room. Detect Magic
Alessio subtly recoils from the drunkard's presence. It would be unnoticed unless someone were observing him carefully. It is not safe for anyone to be about right now, it seems. The better we conduct our business inside, the better. "Ahem, perhaps we should attend to our endeavor and then assist your companion, Cassiel."
"Yes, there is good reason to return to the fortune-teller's home. Perhaps there will be some answers there."
An overwhelming sense of guilt wells up inside of Alessio as he thinks that he might possibly have aided Lamm's older minions in the past. He hands back the coin purse to the priestess of the temple, unable to look her in the eye and says "Please use it for this children instead."
Alessio turns the wand over between his finger and then turns his attention to the vial of oil. Spellcraft (wand)
Spellcraft (oil)
The oil hones the edge of a blade that it is applied to. The wand fires offensive missiles but is not of a kind that I can use. When the child yells down from the upper floor Alessio is suddenly reminded of them. "We should see to them." Spellcraft on Box
"Ye gods! How could she know so much about us? This is incomprehensible." Just to distract himself from the confusion and revulsion he is feeling, Alessio turn his attention to the obsidian wand.
Alessio is dumbstruck at Lamm's death. His lips move absently but no voice emerges and his stiffness seems magnified. Dead at another man's hand, just like that. I wanted him to know humiliation as I have known it. I wanted to drag him through the streets on a leash toward the gallows he thinks. Katrina and Cassiel's ministration for the dead wretch leave Alessio confused. Although he is not unfamiliar with the faithful of Saranrae, he cannot truly fathom their actions. Still silent, he looks for a clean place to sit.
"Your old bones don't move like they used to Lamm. Your dissolution weighs on you, makes you an easy target." Alessio says coldly while fixing his gaze on Lamm.
At the sound of Lamm's voice, Alessio forgets his trepidation and rushes headlong into the squalid room and turns sharply to his right. The sight of his tormentor leaves him sputtering for a moment until he can collect himself and speak. When he does, he explodes in a fury. "Bastard! Filth! Wretch! You will know suffering beyond what you have inflicted on innocents!" Then Alessio raises his hand and points at Lamm. "Fall now!"
Alessio draws his shoulders into a tightly clenches position, clearly unwilling to touch any of the filth down here. "If he is in the barge, he might escape while we are searching the room."
Seeing that Katrina has adroitly handled the situation, Alessio does not add anything to the effort to calm them. Instead, he asks the children "Does Lamm have anyone else with him down there?"
Alessio is disgruntled to see the brutish enemy's tenacity. Strong in body he thinks. But how strong is his mind? Alessio points a finger at the orc and whispers something.
"Your defenses look porous, master orc" Alessio says with a dismissive tone as he gives the foe another malign look.
Alessio fixes his stare at the orc and projects waves of doubt into the enemy's mind, sapping his skill at arms.
The sight of the orc's sudden assault catches Alessio off-guard. For a moment, all he can do is stand open-mouthed and silent. But he quickly gathers his composure and breathes a malevolent spell of weakness at the brute in the doorway.
Ranged Touch Attack
Strength Loss
"Perhaps it is best that they do not make the trek at night unprotected. Lamm might have lookouts now that we have made enough noise to announce ourselves." "Children, can you lock yourselves in this room and only open a door for one of us? If we are not back by daylight, then make for the guardsmen and bring them here."
"Is there any rope here to bind him with?" Alessio asks the children as he points to the gnome.
"Can I offer some assistance in subduing that miscreant?" Alessio asks while holding his walking stick in an aggressive manner.
Seeing that Velius has handled the boy, he decides to hold his magic for other threats. If the other children make any offensive moves, he will cast the spell to put them aslumber*, though. *I am not really sure if this is a real word
Alessio waits to see how the children react to Cassiel's exhortation before he acts. All the same, he quietly breathes an incantation and surreptitiously makes complex arcane movements with his fingers as we waits.
Saeranrae's blessing brings a strange tingling, not altogether unpleasant, but still surprising, to Alessio's wound. With a grimace, he climbs to his feet and stares down at his bloodstained pant leg, a frown betraying his thoughts toward his appearance. With the briefest of sounds to clear his throat and regain his composure he addresses Katrina. "I am most grateful to you; I feared that the filth animal had torn open a large blood vessel and that I would expire on this vile floor. Thank you again. And let us be about bringing justice to our foul enemy."
Alessio writhes on the floor holding his leg where he was mauled. His curses vary from one language to another, intermixed with more than a bit of whining. However, he manages to steel himself and assume a sitting position. "I need to stop the bleeding" he says in response to Cassiel's query. What a time not to have taken a healing spell! he thinks. And all those wasted on miscreants over the years! The irony is salt on the wound.
They know were inside now, the dog's barking altered them! With that thought, Alessio sprints into the room and winds his way between Katrina and Velius. When he is close enough to the dog, he swipes at it with his walking stick. It is apparent to all that his attack is unpracticed, at best. Attack
Alessio's disdain for wild animals dissuades him from attempting to treat with the dog. Instead he waits to see the outcome of his companions' efforts.
Alessio begs the pardon of Velius and Katrina as he squeezes past them to peer into the doorway. Once he can poke his head around the corner he squints at the cur and says something unintelligible under his breath.
Spellcraft
Alessio picks up the wand and examines it, fastidiously wiping a drop of the blond man's blood from it onto the latter's hair. "It produces tiny gouts of acid. This man must be a magician of some sort. Sadly, this weapon is not as readily wielded by me." When the tanglefoot bags are identified Alessio opines "Those would be most useful in apprehending Lamm and rendering him harmless."
Alessio is close on Katrina's heels when she loses her footing. This brings him to an abrupt stop and he reaches down to help her to stand again. To his familiar he says "Go spy ahead", and the small bird takes flight toward the doorway to the building.
Alessio follows along at the same pace as the others. He does spare one backward glance out of nervousness. Lamm! Finally a chance for revenge!
"Stealth is not my forte. I am most effective at some remove from an enemy."
Alessio nods in agreement but, all the same, he feels a nervous sensation in the pit of his stomach.
Alessio could not help but feel exposed in this location. Their common enemy may or may not be within the disgusting structure. If he did dwell here it seemed probable that he would have scouts lurking nearby to alert him to threats. The ball was likely in his court. Was he waiting to spring a trap? Hurry up, Ulfen brute! he thought.
While waiting for Cassiel to begin his account, Alessio takes in the details of Lamm's redoubt. The filth on the outer walls repulses him an he keeps his hands close to himself in order not to be tainted by them. Worse, the smell of rotten fish and mildew seem to have taken up permanent residence in his nostrils. Much as he wants to punish Lamm and drag him through the streets on a leash, Alessio wishes that this confrontation could take place somewhere more hospitable.
Alessio hesitates for a moment and then stiffly says "If you are comfortable revealing your reasons then the least that we could do is to lend our ears."
"Yes, I agree that now is the time to make our move against the wretch. Who knows, his spies might even have sighted one of us here and that might spur him to move again." Thoughts of dragging Lamm through the streets on a leash toward the Citadel fill Alessio's mind. Humiliation paid in kind he says to himself.
Ever the narcissist, Alessio chooses the center card of the middle row.
Zelllara's skills with the Harrow Deck and her implied powers of divination left Alessio intrigued. Clearly, he abilities with the deck far surpass his own. Without hesitation he replies to her "I would be most grateful if you would favor me with a reading." It in only after he has spoken that he realizes he is now sitting at her table.
Initially, Alessio had decided to stand until his hostess was more forthcoming with information. However, her prowess with the Harrow Deck fascinated him and moved him to sit without even realizing it. The young witch took in her story with some suspicion but that was dissolved by her obvious pain on detailing the fate of her son. For the first time since he entered Zellara's domicile, Alessio shows signs of anticipation, even eagerness. "Why are you unable to confront him yourself? While I am truly grateful for the opportunity to avenge myself, I would like to know this much."
"Lamm...stole something from me." My dignity, my reputation, my life! Alessio silently adds. "But how would this fortune-teller come to know of our individual grievances against him?"
"Yes, well, in any event, it is poor manners to invite guests and then leave them waiting for your arrival." Alessio replies to Velius "You make a good point about the folly of gathering foes rather than attacking them singly."
"Ahem, I, uh, received a card as well and I cannot say that I know the author of the note" Alessio says as he is forced into the room by Velius's arrival. "I am Alessio" he says with a nervous tone in his voice. Seeing Cassiel sit down and reach for the provisions he is struck with an idea. "Beware that the offerings are not poisoned. This could be a trap laid out to get all of us together and eliminate us all in a fell swoop."
The appearance of this new card took Alessio aback. Where could it have come from? he wondered. No one had come into this flea-bitten room while he slept, of that he was certain. The chair that he had propped against the door remained in its location the window was still secured. The thought that someone had addressed his humiliation tormented him and sent everything else from his mind. Who knows? Why is this person confronting me with ...THAT? Even if this is the bait for a trap, Alessio was driven to learn who is behind this mysterious note. It was simply intolerable that someone could hold his secret shame over him.
With a clipped goodbye, Alessio made his way toward the address. After a few steps, he whistled and, a moment later, a small gray bird landed on his shoulder and accompanied him on his journey. Every few steps, Alessio turned about to look for pursuers or potential cut-purses. Some areas of Korvosa demanded such precautions. But the walk proved uneventful until the young witch stood in front of the doorway of Number Three. A woman stood on the threshold, he back to the street. Alessio strained his eyes in examining her. Was she armed? Are her shoulders too wide to be those of a woman? Is it one of Lamm's thugs in disguise? Alessio would have stared all day if a hawk had not flown close to menace his thrush and break the man's reverie. Without thought beyond protecting his familiar, Alessio stepped inside the doorway and was then struck by the realization that, now that he was here, he had no plan.
Alessio would dearly hope that no one would recognize him and thus know of his humiliation at Lamm's hands. If Emanuel had been at the Acadamae he might have encountered Alessio there.
I am checking in also. And, like the others have said, thank you for choosing me.
I updated Alessio's to 25pts and adjusted his skills.Alessio, as I was looking over your character sheet, you have the spell web bolt chosen. As this is a spell only for Drow, I will not allow you to take it as a starting spell. I replaced Web-bolt with Ray of Enfeeblement.
Thanks for the heads up. I made the changes.
I updated Allessio's to 25pts and adjusted his skills.
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