Dunzeltoff Haelcannon's page

This thread seems to be inviting the wrath of Torag's faithful.
Sacrilege and heresy.
They may be mere words, but they are poisonous daggers pointed at the heart of the good Dwarven folk.
Tolerating such vile filth is but doing the enemy's own task for them.

"Hold on as best ye can, chap! Your 'bout to be free of this fiend Lamm, so don' sweat the Gator!"
...If Coyote can't Tumble away (maybe past Lamm by the door), maybe just go Full Defense?

"Aaach!" I yell out as I hit the deck amid a cloud of rotting wood.
Looking up to see Lamm ahead of me, seemingly caught while taunting the bloodied human 'tween him and the 'gator,
I draw myself up to my feet:

"You recognize this face, Lamm? I know not if you follow the Harrow, but know that your hand is up!
And what have you gained of it all? At least the Abadarans know when to sit on their gold and gloat. Yet you wallow in filth!"

I nudge Zarak back, making it clear I need room for my Glaive.
Z: could you stand up and 5' step back w/ that attack? i'm kindof cramped where I am :-)
(I delay to see if Zarak makes room for me to move back and use the Glaive...?)

If Lamm's response is anything hostile to us or the other figure, or evasive,
I'm Readying a 5' step back to G-17, melodiously humming a favorite line from a Varisian ode to Shelyn,
swinging my Glaive in perfect balance with the harmony: Or so I thought. (5 to-hit)

If provoked (I don't think you can 5' step around corners like here), AoO: 20 to-hit (not Nat.), 4 dmg.

Dang. (8)

Phew! Thank Shelyn for Shield of Faith!

Perception: 10 (Scent: 12... UGH!)
I meant to earlier, but I now direct my Detect Poison Orison towards the tanks, here and in the first room...???

Can we see the dude with the wand here, or is that a separate room? Anyhow, will wait for map update before anything else...

"I'm tempted to search here first, to see what this Lamm is up to with this mess, but we probably shouldn't waste any time."

A new idea popping to mind, I gesture to one of the children, peeking out and watching us from their hiding place, and mime to them that they should throw some object towards the other set of doors above the walkway, as an auditory diversion... As soon as they toss some rock up against the door, we'll enter thru this one. I'll go straight thru the door (5'), and allow Zarak to go thru diagonally...

My X-bow armed, but ready to drop it and switch to Glaive if necessary. Initiative Roll = 16

Diplomacy = 19 Aid another if necessary?
I will suggest they stay at the base of the stairs while we go up, hiding amongst their blankets, or using the stairs for cover if possible.
Once it's safe, they can then follow us up, so they aren't too far out of sight/ out of our protection.

I say we both go thru the same door. (on the left side of map)
We can ask the kids if certain steps are squeaky/ one side is quieter than the other.
If you don't have a better melee weapon, you might want the Half-Orc's flail (if you are proficient?)
Stealth Check going up stairs (with all precautions taken) = 9 ...meh...
Perception (listening at top door if anything is near other side): 13 (Zarak?)
I will load my X-bow before going up the stair. If I don't hear/sense anything nearby the other side of the door, I'll arm myself with it, but holding the Glaive flush with it's stock, so I can drop the X-bow and switch back to the Glaive instantly, if necessary. If I *DO* hear something close to the door, I'll keep my Glaive armed, and the X-bow slung over my back, but loaded & ready for action.

I'll leave it up to Zarak whether we continue into the upper rooms (which presumably connect to the lower level rooms by ladders/stairs) and deal with this "Hookshanks", or take heed of the commotion going on outside, and go back out the ladder. If we continue up, maybe we should both go thru the same door, since we don't know if it's one room or separate ones... If we go back down the ladder, perhaps I go first, followed by the kids (so they aren't up here alone), and you last, covering us with your X-bow. Once on the ship deck, we can have the kids lay low against the far railing of the ship, to stay hidden...?

Also Lilith, from my backstory, I presume I'm able to recognize Lamm on sight, right?

Perception: 22
I suggest to Zarak and the kids that perhaps it's not the best idea to leave right away,
without us present to keep them safe, for all we know Lamm or his lackeys could come across them.
I tell them that we will take them somewhere safe where they will be able to play, study, & eat well
(the last part with a small frown on my face)
Do I get any more info from the kids?
Besides what I mentioned last post, I also wonder if there are any more kids. I had the impression there were more than 3...?

ALSO: CdGrace against the Half-Orc: Damage 17 (& Fort Save if not REALLY Dead now)

Stepping back to gain space on the Half-Orc (5'-> F-10), I draw back the haft of Shelyn's Glaive,
and with a quiet calm as I meet the thug's gaze, drop the blade into him (18 to-hit, 10 damage)
Hopefully that drops him...?
I glance back at Zarak, indicating the presence of someone in the upper rooms
You might want to head up there, or at least half-way & reload if you need to
Although the kids said Lamm was down below with his Croc, so we might want to skip it...?

Making sure the children are quiet, I tell them:
"Don't worry, we're here to put an end to Lamm's crimes. ...Actually, Mightn't some o you fellas play a bit o make-believe,
and pipe up like one of you'd kicked over a crate onto the dog, and that's what caused all the ruckus...???"
If the Half-Orc is down, I'd also like to nudge the kid out of the way, so the way up the stair is free...
I'm talking and generally being as quiet as possible, to keep as much surprise as we can.

Also, (I couldn't really ask them this same round, but next round) I would ask the children again what is in the upper room(s?),
and maybe even what the water is about... And then who else besides Lamm and his Croc might be down below...

Seemingly in slow motion, I watch Zarak's bolt sail across the room to where the blob of acid had shot out from. Thinking for the briefest moment, "Could we have handled this differently?", I snap back to action, eyeing the Cyclopean thug:
I kick, or shove with the butt of my glaive, some of the junk against the wall into H-10, hopefully making it 'impeded terrain'
Stepping to G-10, I swing my glaive at the Half-Orc, but he brushes it aside like a mosquite. (too bad to bother linking)
...but in case he provokes an AoO: 16 to-hit, 6 damage
BTW I think the 3.5 version of Luck's ability is alot better, applying to ALL d20 rolls for 3r, even if you can't share it. /shrug

"I don't think the boss'll be liking much at all tonight..."
Great, I understand the room better now...
As I understand it, Zarak and my Initiative are both ahead of the opponents?
If so, I'll delay to see what he does, as I don't want to leave him in a bad spot.
Actually, Zarak, were you purposefully staying in the window sill for partial cover, or did you want to step into the room last round?
BTW: anything special with that Perception check or just keeping us off-balance? ;-)

OK, a 19 on that Perception...
Could you help me and clarify about the walkway and doors?
Are ALL the doors on an 'upper' level, and the walkway is ABOVE the main floor? Is there a staircase up to the walkway (@K-8)?
I had been under the impression the 2 other doors besides above the stairs @ SW corner were on the same level as us, and thought the walkway was just continguous with the floor I'm on... &_& ???

BTW We both have Bless (+1 att/ Fear Saves) and Shield of Faith (+2 AC) up until you deem them to expire (they both last 1 min/ level).
I forgot to take those into account for my previous attack, and I presume Zarack did also...
I'm adding them to Toff's sheet next to his Combat Stats (as bonuses, not calculated in), until the spells expire, so I don't forget!

whoa, I hadn't noticed that link to the dog picture before...
I hesitate for a moment, not having a true grudge against the dog, but it seems to be guarding the children for Lamm,
and Shelyn surely couldn't object to allowing it's spirit a chance at a less revolting body...
Whispering a quick prayer to Shelyn, I aim to give a quick ending to the mutt: 14 to-hit, 7 damage...
I'm praying that does it for the mutt, and with my 5' I step to F9 as well.
(whispering) "Hush, children. You're about to be free of this Lamm. You can make your way down to the boat, but it's probably best to stay tight until we've taken care of the situation. Where is Lamm? What is up there, and thru these doors?" (indicating the upper door and the others on this level)

Toff's Init: 17
BTW, I thought I was going into the squares against the wall (G8/J8, w/ dog in Reach), but no big deal...
Could you describe the space/thing just "South" of the big round pool?
And I'm not sure about the 'walkway' part, it seems just like the edge of the room...? But the floor is more see-thru there???
Or is part of it a stair? Is there a railing? The map isn't so clear :-/

OK-doke, then...
After checking to make sure Zarak is right behind me ready to go,
I whisper a quick prayer to Shelyn, spitting and rubbing it in to myself, :-)
and slide open the window, using the back edge of my glaive.
I'll lurch to the right as I enter, and if possible take a further step in. (-->G9)
(Zarak, you might want to cover with your X-bow as I slip in, if the dog is immediately hostile)
Would I need a Handle Animal Check in this situation? I'll use the Touch of Luck then: A 16 it is!
"Here, Fella!" (quietly) "Aw... that's a good pup..." (if things go well :-)
Didn't you say fish was laying around the boat when we were scoping it earlier? I could have Zarak hand up a fish if some is nearby.
Otherwise, might I have some 'leftovers' in my beard to offer the mutt?

Hey, welcome back!
Lilith & Zarak:

Cool, just ask if you'd like that Touch of Luck later... It just needs to be used within 3 rounds. I think Lilith is a tad busy for now, but once we get going again... :-)

OK, Once the ladder is up under the first window (against the mast if possible?), I'll head up while Zarak holds it, stopping at the top, just under the window, to let Zarak follow. I'll do the Touch of Luck thing on myself, unless Zarak asks for my special ju-ju instead. Then I guess I'll go in thru the window, listening & looking at the light/shadows for clues to what's going on before I bust in.

Perception: 24 Stealth: 3 Oh well... At least since we're not talking, and our approach is wierd enough, some-one might just hear a bump outside from the deck right before we come in...
I noticed a thread in the Beta section, someone noticed how Travel's 5'/level Teleport power is a Swift action, yet all the other ones are standard... Goofy...

Well, proceeding with the plan, if we haven't done so yet, we'll climb up to the ship deck, hauling the ladder up with us, as quick and silently as possible.

Perception Check: 20 (add Dwarf bonus if appropriate), Stealth Check: 2 "quiet, Zarak!" :-)

If Zarak doesn't have another idea, we pull into the square between the barge and the cornermost pile, adjacent to the other dinghy (which we likely notice once close enough)

"Are you OK? We're all clear on the plan right?" It seems like there's no guards to overhear us

barring other events,
we climb up to the deck with the muffled ladder. Go ahead and roll perception checks for me, Lil.
-That's how I've played in person anyways, otherwise you know you COULD have noticed something :-)

"Psst... Zarak... Careful... We've got a shark under us here..."

"W-Where? What is it?"
Perception Check: 16
So we're pulling up to where we would tie off, are we doing anything else, Zarak?

plan updated for the newest maps, Lilith. I'll wait for further input from Zarak, but it looks like we can follow the plan (no sign of guards, as I took it.)

OK... updated plan (thorough-like now):
We still tie a rope to an adjacent pier, to pull ourselves away silently to safety if needed. I don't have the clearest picture of the adjacent area, but however we approach, I'll cast my spells (Bless & 2 Shield of Faiths) about 2 rounds before coming to the barge.

Now, though, we'll pull up to the front of the ship, on the side near the building... So we're between the barge and the corner-most pile, adjacent to the dinghy on the lower level. We'll tie up to the pier (knife nearby to cut & run), and might get a glimpse at the dinghy(?)

As we approach, we're silent as possible, trying to hear anyone nearby (or inside). If anyone is directly nearby, we'll try to sneak attack them, otherwise we get the ladder up quick.

Either way, we climb up to the barge, hauling up the ladder. I figure we'd try the very first window, 5' away. Hopefully we can climb onto the barge and get in position just below the window in 2 rounds or so.

I think I should enter first, since my glaive has 10' reach, and Zarak can follows with his crossbow, switching to melee if needed. Right before we enter, just below the window, I'll use my Touch of Luck on myself.

I think we're ready to go with this, any thoughts Zarak?

And when we run into Lamm, I'm planning to make sure he's surrendering BEFORE announcing our purposes. If his henchmen are taken care of and he tries something, we might want to knock him out (I think that's -2 att). Otherwise, if we can take control of the situation, there's probably some interesting stuff to discover, besides releasing the children... If it all works out, I hope to find an orphanage or homes for them thru my church.

BTW: You should bring rope to tie people up with, I don't have any weight encumbrance to spare.

"May Shelyn smile upon us, this foggy night."

OK, starting the plan, details in the discussion, Lilith
The fog is is blocking all sight, so the only giveaway would be noises, right?
So we'll try to be extra quiet... Actually, if my SPELL Obscuring Mist isn't any more obscuring than the natural fog, I'd prefer to have prepped just before launching our boat, and have a Shield of Faith I can cast on both of us right before we go up the ladder (along with Bless). I can cast them right before we leave the cover of the adjacent pier, they last 1 minute each.

OK, but should we still try to check the back dock and take out any guards there, or just bypass it, and sneak up to under the windows?

We can either tie the rope to a pile on the OPPOSITE side of the next pier, and navigate under it until we come under the windows, or tie it more at the nearest corner of the next pier, which draws us closer to the open water, but very close to the back dock (and open to roof snipers)
Up to you...

but then I think we pretty much have our plan together, Lilith...

OK, let's go with that then.
Since we don't really know what's on the boat,
(rotten fish apparently, perhaps they're smuggling stuff?)
let's just go with the minimal effective distraction, and just use one oil flask...
I *DO* have some tindertwigs, so we're in business.

If you understand what I meant about the rope tied to a piling,
then we just need to get a bit more info from Lilith on the surrounding piers, and the location of the windows.

OK, my idea was that we should bring a tall ladder so we could get up to a higher level direct from the boat if we want (better than messing with a grappling hook & rope). It sounded like the barge was moored on one side (or the end?) of the warehouse, with people milling around it last we saw... Maybe a ROUGH map would give us the best idea of this, Lilith?

I want to hear what Z says, but I'm thinking we could approach unseen, and come up to the Barge. We may have to deal with a guard or two (probably not as many people, in the dark & fog), but we deal them if they're there, and then we can cut the ropes to the barge, and set it drifting, which could be a distraction (maybe even toss a flaming oil flask onto the barge as we push it off).

Then we jump back in our boat, between the piers under the warehouse (or just row around - but anyone who comes wouldn't be looking under the pier) and tie off on the other side, climbing up our ladder to look in the lit windows, while hopefully there's some sort of distraction with the barge threatening to float away, pulling guards away from their normal stations. Our retreat option is climbing/jumping down to the boat, and rowing away, either across the bay or just into another warehouse/pier.

They'll know someone's doing something, but we can point the attention in the wrong way, to the barge... We COULD just skip the barge distraction part, and take the ladder straight to the windows... or... Z?

Finishing all his meal and some of the others' that they didn't seem to have the motivation for...

"Well, I'm all for scouting it out tonight, if ye all are.
I cannot speak for all of ye, and though I've noticed Humans are a bit blind at night in comparison to my folk, if you don't feel it'd bother you, I'm all for it.

First, if you two decide WHAT approach we want, then we can figure WHEN we can achieve it, and what may best be left for the daytime or tomorrow night. As my people say 'Knowing is half the battle'... I believe the other half involves getting sodding drunk, but I think combining the Wisdoms of our peoples might be best in this situation."

This game has gotten off to a slow start, unfortunately...
If everyone can pipe in now, we can at least get a picture of who's on board... Any thoughts, Lilith?
Otherwise, whatever we come up with I can do. I think Lilith would be happy to fastforward to whatever we can pull together (getting a boat, or when we arrive in the neighborhood, etc)

OK, both Gev and Zarak were wanting to play some deceptive role,
so if we are to go that route, we should sort out who's doing what.

That plan sounded like it was based on the street side of things, if we wanted to go in/under via a rowboat it might not apply, though we could figure out some variant if we wanted...
(We could find a fisherman at a pub who would rent us his dinghy (accompanied or not) so he wouldn't have to fish off his hangover. or if Gev has some role in the Guard, could you get a Guard port patrol dinghy that we conviently ride along in?)
This must be a strange dwarf that's so interested in a boat approach. :-)

I've said enough, so whatever you two decide on, I'll play along...

Sure, but I don't plan on staying hidden 'hind a barrel if you're getting beat on by Lamm's thugs!

But what did you intend specifically, getting involved with his guards?

I'm not necessarily opposed, but before we try 'active' tactics,
it seems we should just get an idea of the surrounding area & any comings and goings either from the warehouse itself, or the neighborhood - Things to watch out for and things we could take advantage of.

Just walking/riding around the neighborhood, even if all of us aren't trained, 4 Perception checks between all of us should be pretty good at spotting most guards, checking at every location. Observing from a boat is pretty safe & anonymous, we can row around at a decent distance and get a look at their backside from every angle, depending on what we see between the waterfront and the neighborhood, we can choose our best options from there...

If Matteos doesn't post ASAP, let's just figure out something between the 3 of us...
Lilith can decide what to do with his character/ adjust the scenario for 3 PCs...?

In the interest of getting things rolling to figure out a basic approach OOC:
I have darkvision, which could help for look-out duty, but don't have any ranks in Perception, so it's sortof a wash.

Was someone suggesting we stage some sort of event nearby Lamm's ware-house but not directly trying to enter it, to see what sort or response happens? That might be a good idea, maybe play someone stumbling home from a bar, piss-drunk... But we would need a plan how to respond if they are violent, since they could viciously attack a barely-conscious drunk even if not threatened... Maybe we should just get a reconnaisance of the neighboring area FIRST before actually TRYING to interact with any guards, even a ploy like this to learn more about them.

Perhaps for this night, we could just skirt the actual warehouse, but get a good feel for the neighborhood. It's always good to know the places you can run away to if need be. Maybe we can pretend to be looking for a dog, calling out it's name...?

Otherwise, besides a basic layout of the neighborhood, It'd be good to get a specific understanding of the adjacent buildings/ area, which would probably be easier to see in the daytime. (one thing to check out is if we can spot any of his henchmen on positions further out from his actual warehouse, like standing guard on adjacent buildings, or standing lookout down the street.)

And I wasn't actually sure: is the warehouse ON a pier, and thus sticking out over the water, or is that the just the name of the neighborhood? I'd like to get a view of the waterline as well, which should probably just require renting a rowboat, but the order we check them out in doesn't so much matter, as long as we don't get caught...

Well, 20 for that Know:Local result.
Does anyone else have any ideas for stuff?
Sounds like we'll want to check out both the surrounding streets
and the approach by boat... We could start tonight to see
what it's all like at night & early morning...

"That sounds like a wise choice. All we have to go on right now are the cards, so to speak. It'd be good to get a feel of the comings and goings to his warehouse and the neighborhood in general - he must be sending the children out to town every day, and we could see how many people enter and leave, to get an idea of how many minions he has inside guarding his operation. Perhaps we could keep an eye out for the traffic on the water too - when there are heavier flows of ships, and what kind - large merchant ships, fishing craft, what have you."

I can cast a fog cloud if we wanted to enter that way, but it'd work better if it didn't seem out of place, or was an extension of the fog already around - We can figure out what time is the foggiest, probably late night or early morning... If we wanted to take that approach.

"We can get a look at the warehouse and neighborhood from all different angles, it'd be good to know the area if we run into too much trouble.... And there might be an opportunity if we can catch Lamm himself coming or going from the warehouse, at some point further removed from his base... If he seems holed up for now, it might be worth it to rent a dinghy from a fisherman and scope out the back from the water. I think our best chance comes from Lamm being complacent, and not expecting a group like us to be out to catch him - He's probably focused as much on keeping the children under control as anything else."

"Of course, we should try not to attract attention, you know, blend in-like..." :-)

OK, I'm presuming our table is far enough from the Professor so that we can discuss things in privacy. Given what we're talking about, Toff would feel it prudent to keep our discussions private.

"Well, the children certainly are a factor, so we'll have to be careful. I wish we could rely on the justice of the Guards, but given Lamm's fingers are in as many rackets as it would seem, it would be more likely than not that he has at least a few key persons in his pocket... I'd PREFER if we could somehow bring enough evidence of his crimes to the Guard and know Justice would be done, but if we are to be the ones to strike against this evil as the cards seem to say, we must not give away our hand if we are not sure of it's outcome - If we were to release him to the Authorities of Korvosa, could he not still pull one of his tricks and escape the charges, only to then be wise to our group?"

<sigh...>

"...In these circumstances... If we could somehow reach him directly, and he has dangerous accomplices, whom I've encounted once already, but if we could reach him directly, we could force him to sign a statement of his crimes, revealing the names of those he works with... We could give that letter to the Guard, and indeed a copy to <the local news paper?> to make sure it's not swept under the rug, along with any evidence we find (like if he has a book recording those he makes payments to), and certainly the testimony of the children..."

"It would seem we either need to discover where Lamm socializes or otherwise passes his time, and 'meet' him somewhere (he probably has bodyguards), or run into him coming or going from his warehouse... Or else we'll have to gain entry to his compound while he is there... What do you think?" <tossing back another drink>

"MMM, I went to a University once, the family thought I should learn how humans think they know how to better Dwarven Engineering!!! I got in hot trouble with the professor when I disproved his theorem in front of the class - But it was his fault, that was taught in Dwarven Elementary Maths! It was a fun time though, overall, some good times, I'm glad for it...
Well, excuse me, I shant interrupt your meal any longer, indeed, our plate has just arrived..."
<stomach growling> So I give him a nod, and return to our table.

Really great food description Lilith!

I tear into our plate, not getting too distracted from the show below,
I'm trying to catch all their different moves.

"Mmm, <#)#@*>, Gentleman, <#_)#$&>, I hate to interrupt this fantastic meal, <#@$*(&#$*(#%^*($#&^>, but I would like your opinion on how things stand. <#$W*^)#$(*&(*#$(*$(>, What do you think we should do now that we know where this Lamm operates. I was not even aware the extent of his crimes, which makes it all the more important to strike against his Evil, but with... the matter of children apparently being held against their will... We must take care that the innocent, <(*&#$@*(&#$>, are not harmed."
(without Jericho I guess none of us actually have a relative being held by Lamm, right?)

After we deal with our companion on the balcony, let's discuss the situation surrounding Lamm, we can decide our approach, and I feel it would be appropriate to make a pact, of companions-at-arms as it were. After that, Toff might even be hoping to get in on some pole-arm action with the Varisian hotties if Lilith consents. :-)

Hm. I guess it's up to Lilith to figure out how to deal with these two varying approaches to friendliness with our fellow diner here on the balcony.
( I was first though, so there! ;-) )

If the old fellow is hard of hearing or doesn't respond right away...
I'll be watching the dancers, and pointing out features of their performance to everyone at our table, if they weren't familiar with the glaive-dancers already. Oh, and could I order a "family size" combo plate for everyone? Can't be acting the brave-hearted vigilantes on an empty stomach!

While Matteos orders us some drinks and gets friendly with the waitress:

After sitting down where I have a good view of the performers (Study Perform: Dance)
I cast my gaze back over to the elderly Human (how sad for them how quickly they decay).

"Elder. Not to interrupt your privacy, but has the performance been going on long? I caught this troop's performance in last night's festivities, and wanted to catch as much as I could of them, before they leave town..."

"If you don't mind, what's that you're reading? I don't suppose there's much more light enough to be reading out here, perhaps the waitress could bring you a candelabra, though?"

If the waitress comes back I'll ask her to bring a candelabra for the gentleman, unless he says otherwise.
Our group can have a toast when the booze arrives:
"To unexpected allies! To the brave hearted! To just desserts! To...?"

I was just wondering, if everyone could check in... Since this game ended up getting started some time after we all expected it to, what's everyone's ability to post in it looking like?

Every bit helps! That puts us at 26 to know about the Fishery Pier. Gev & Matt for 30!
As for my check about the glaive-dancers: 21

"Indeed, thank you Madame Zellara. May Shelyn smile upon us here this afternoon.
...And if you gentleman have no more questions, shall we adjourn ourselves to a different locale...?"

Ok, 24 for that Know:Local check
If we can 'talk it over' later, can we 'aid each other' to combine our collective knowledge...?

"...Hm, it seems the cards are saying there is an opportunity here,
but that this Lamm is indeed a dangerous snake, so we must beware..."

"Did you have any other information that might help us in this issue, Zellara?
If not, perhaps we should take our leave, and discuss our options in another setting.
How is the best way to get in touch with you, if we needed to?
It seems your cards have a way of finding those who you need to talk to,
so you should be able to contact us, if need be."

I thought we could find someplace else to discuss what to do about this.
Lilith, did I happen to know of some Varisian glaive-dancers giving a performance at a restaurant/bar,
preferably with some private booths where we could discuss things?

I'm entranced by her reading, really digging the whole Varisian harrow thing... The dwarf on the Forge card makes me excited since I'm a dwarf :-), and the appearance of the same card as my invitation (The Midwife), and her mysterious dismissal of it, pique my interest.

I ponder the implications of her reading...
"Yes... I think the cards know the reason why we have come together this evening...
But if we are indeed to take this opportunity, I think everyone here would like to learn as much as possible about this pier you say he operates from... Then perhaps we could put our heads together and see how best we could exploit our knowledge to Lamm's detriment."

Zarak, she did tell us where she thinks he operates out of: (Haven't you paid attention!? ;-)

"I sought help from the Guard, but they turned me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my Harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded - I found out where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here at Westpier 17, where he trains his abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures," she says, giving a meaningful glance at Jericho.

Lilith:

btw, Welcome Zarak!
I really liked this reading thing, too, Lilith (Harrow points don't hurt, either!)

"err... What's going on!? Demonic forces... Argh!
Jericho?... wh-wha-a???" ;-)

"Ah, please excuse me, Madame, I have so many questions for you,
but as you say, just one for the cards today:
What should we beware of to make sure that we cleanse this poison at it's root so it may spread no further?

I won't bother linking the Know:Arcana check I just tried (a 6)

...That's too bad about Stunty... His posts had been pretty minimal, but I wasn't sure if that was 'his character'.
Lilith: Is someone else interested in taking over Jericho, or else being a 'late arrival' to Zellara's soire?

I sit quietly and fold my hands as the woman tells her story.
I wonder what she has planned here and what is the will of Fate, if those could be separated.

Nodding as she spreads her cards, I say "You say that we may ask a question of the cards?"
If she says yes:
"I will ask then, what course of action will cleanse this poison at it's root, and what action would let it spread further?"
Lilith:

"And I'd also like to ask a question of you, if I may:
What do you know of Gaedran Lamm's operation: who else works for him, knowingly or unknowingly?
Sense Motive: 16, Perception: 16

Zellara's introduction probably leaving me with more questions than I had before, I nonetheless sit back down on a couch/chair opposite the fortune-teller. Questions can come later.
I gently place my 'invitation' face-up on the table directly in front of me in open view.
"Indeed, I am Dunzeltoff Haelcannon... Are you familiar with my... situation, then?"

"Well fellas... How long do you think we're supposed to wait here?"

I call out up the stairs: "Anyone else up there?!?!? We've been waiting a spell now!!!!"

Lilith: