If it's not too late to submit, I decided to go with a martial character over an arcane one. As a Neutral Good cavalier with the esquire archetype, Edryd Calmiras will gain an aide-de-camp cohort at 3rd level to act as his standard bearer and assistant at court...which should lead to some interesting roleplay opportunities and an extra pair of eyes and ears in courtly intrigue situations. This archetype will also do away with the dependence on a cavalier's mount (and the accompanying "charge" class abilities), hopefully allowing the character to fit in better at the gaming table.
As a Child of Oppara, Edryd is from a minor noble house where his parents support the current regime, but his childhood interactions with Princess Eutropia and the younger generation of reformers have led him down a different political path. He's eager to return Taldor to the same sense of glory and prestige he studied during all his tutored history lessons. And his sense of adventure makes him a prime candidate for getting involved in the courtly intrigue to follow. Presumably, his future cohort will be like-minded and so will his adventuring companions. Since his second trait is Rich Parents (to give him extra funds for masterwork armor, sword, and shield), I'll forego the roll for starting wealth. That background is also reinforced with his Appraise skill, which I'm associating with the mercantile/economic role his noble house plays in Taldan politics.
Ok pick a door any door..... :) NSpicer, what is Jubrayl doing with the orphans, at the moment he is passing through the courtyard into the street with them....any ideas?
OOC: I'm not sure. I had intended for you to take him off-screen after getting the orphans out of the fishery. The important thing for the paladin is to save his neice (and the others) first. Justice can always be exacted upon Lamm at a later time. And, with the rest of us, already engaged in doing that in our way...it kind of frees the paladin from having to exact that justice himself.
In other words, he'd probably view Atherton as Lamm's kind of people...so if the rogue and the rest of the party manage to take down Lamm, it's like Gaedren is falling to his own, without the direct involvement of a paladin of Iomedae even being necessary. Evil turning on itself. Of course, once he gets the orphans to safety...and if we fail to hold Lamm accountable for his deeds...I'm certain Jubrayl would mount another effort to bring him to justice. But we should probably consider him out of the picture.
Aside from that, I figure Jubrayl would follow Istas' original suggestion of finding an orphanage to care for the children. And he'd make arrangements to contact his neice's family to ensure she's returned to them unharmed. He'd probably ask about locating the other children's families, if any of them still have relatives he can contact. To accomplish all of that, I suspect he'd look for the Korvosan authorities or a temple to assist him in his efforts. Make sense?
"This door at the bottom of the stairs leeds right outside, then along and back up to the yard. The other leads back to Yargin's office and the front door if you fancy it!" He grins.
Spoiler:
"I'll fancy those doors once I get all of you out of harm's way," Jubrayl states, "Trust me, Gaedren Lamm will taste Iomedae's justice today. But the more important thing is that all of you taste your freedom from his tyranny first."
He steps past the assembled children with his neice in tow. Once he reaches the door at the bottom of the stairs, he assesses it for any weak spots, testing it with his shoulder to see how well the lock holds. Then he hefts his longsword, ready to strike.
"This is the door we're taking," Jubrayl says, motioning the children to step back. He looks over his shoulder at the catwalks leading to the other doors and the rest of the fishery just to ensure no further threats have emerged. Then, he hacks at the locked door with his longsword, putting all his might into every blow...but also including as much precision as possible to make short work of the barrier.
OOC: I presume every attack can hit the door, but he needs to overcome its hardness to break it down? If you'd prefer Strength checks or something let me know...but there's no way he's going to pick the lock.
"Jubrayl? Is it really you? Are mother and father here too? Oh, I've missed you all so much....It has been, horrible here. The things we have had to do...."
Most of the other orphans mill around aimlessly, it is obvious to them from the sounds above that everything is changing for them. The tallest, and probably oldest of the children steps forward though.
"Bad people? You don't know the 'alf of it mate. Been 'ere 5 yer I 'ave, and been beaten every day of it. Bad people! huh. An 'ow exactly do you intend to get us out of 'ere? That other door just leads back to your friends and the fighting you so want to keep us away from, and this bottom door's locked."
He looks insolently at you, waiting for an answer with a smerk.
Spoiler:
Jubrayl regards the young boy with a mixture of admiration for his moxy, and pity for having endured 5 years in this horrid place. He nods toward the other doors in the room. "Do any of these lead outside?" he asks, drawing his blade again, "Locked or not, I'll smash my way through if I must."
He looks down at his neice. "Stay close, now. Your mother and father sent me to find you," he tells her, "And now that I have, I won't leave your side until I'll get you back to them...in Magnimar."
OOC: Assuming that the children can at least tell him which route could get them out of the building the fastest, Jubrayl will use his Strength and his longsword to smash through any barrier...or opposition. Even as the fighting draws out above, he figures any damage he inflicts on the building will be covered by the sounds of the battle.
OOC: I believe Malik may have missed your indication that it was his turn, since you included it in the first spoiler text.
The orphans, though street savvey, and weary, are impressed by a Paladin in gleaming mail. Jubrayl's cousin recognizes him, and rushes up the stairs to his embrace, leading the others to drop their caution, and crowd at the bottom of the stairs to see what their saviour will do.
I think we can leave Jubray's meeting with his cousin off camera so to speak! Though I do like the idea of a paladin and 15 orphans in tow...hehe
Spoiler:
OOC: If it's okay, I'd like to keep with this scene at least a bit longer, but leave off on the full escorting of 15 orphans in tow.
Jubrayl kneels to give his neice a relieved hug. "It's okay. I'm here. It's safe now," he assures her. Eventually, he notices all of the other children gathered around and rises to his feet.
"We're getting you out of here," he addresses them in his most confident, authoritative voice, "Are there any more of you?"
The fighting continues upstairs behind him. "Don't worry about that," he explains, "There's some bad people up there. But some friends are making sure Lamm's thugs get a proper dispensation of justice today. Stay close here with me and when the fighting dies down, I'll take you out of here."
OOC: Following that exchange, Jubrayl will do just that. I didn't get the sense that Nostrus was playing the paladin as particularly trusting of everyone else in the party. So, as long as we're upstairs engaging the other ne'er-do-well's working for Lamm, he'll make sure he rescues the children and gets them out of harm's way for their own good first. Then, as long as his neice is safe, he'll come back to make sure Lamm is completely dealt with...sound good?
For now we shall just assume Jubrayl moves off into the room to the East. Nostrus can change that if/when he appears again....
Spoiler:
Jubrayl does indeed move into the next room. He's heartstruck by the sight of the poor condition of his neice. He calls out to her as he puts away his sword. He also makes a motion with his hands for the other children to keep quiet and not fear him.
"It's okay," he explains even as sounds of the fighting continue behind him, "We're here to free you from this place."
