Sorry guys, I am in the field for business, no net here (Nigeria), returning to Lagos (Internet acces) on Friday, will resume posting then.
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"I said it already and I'll state this again - I simply do not see how we can shadow someone at sea - they'll be in a ship, we also. It's a sea, g$# d!#n it, not much features to hide a ship behind. So I'm for option one - go early, ambush them, and then take their role, pose as them." - furrowing his brow, Porter thinks a bit and then continues: - "As to what can go wrong...well, a lots of things really. One, they may know each other from before, so immediately our surprise is wasted. They may have some codeword or password which they share before-hand, or a kind of a secret gesture or a sign. Like, I don't know, a red carnation on the lapel, a book in hand, flag at half-mast while approaching, or turned upside down. In order to mitigate that, let us apprehend them fast, expeditiously and as stealthy as possible, and then question them in details." As an added afterthought, he adds - "Ah yes, we could use some RHC or army personnel for support in the ambush, is that doable Sir Delft?"
OK for the equipment I would like to purchase the following (if allowed): - Ring Of Protection +1, 2000 Gp
This leaves me with a plan (a bit short of money now) to add alchemical silver property to my existing MW Rapier, I guess this is doable? If everything is OK with the GM, I'll be updating my PC sheet shortly.
3rd lvl Urban ranger Trapfinding (Endurance)
So far, this is what it looks like. Off to check rules on acquisition from RHC, could sure use some thunderstones and/or tanglebags. Will post more later in terms of choosing fav. community/neighborhood and equipment as well as skills taken.
I'm working on level-up, just a few questions: 1. What about HP? Roll, half plus one, something else? 2. 2500Gp which we got - is that a group salary, or per person - did each one of us got 2500Gp? 3. I'm thinking of taking Combat Expertise and slowly progressing down the Improved Disarm/Trip/Whatever tree. Are you OK with FAQ/Errata mentioned here stating that you do not need another feat (Agile maneuvers) in order to use DEX for CMB calculation ((as long as you're using a finessable weapon, of course)? Here's the link 4. How's that equipment requisition works? Exactly as described in Zeitgeist Player's Guide? Additional question, for fellow players - as an Urban variant of ranger, I get a choice of favorite community now. Although we're in Flint now, I'm still thinking should I choose Slate or Flint? Any opinions/advice's?
"This time?! Young man, your choice of words would imply that there was a time that someone did die, and may I add it sounds like someone from RHC team? Care to add some more detail to that story maybe?" - Porter turns to Johnatan, with an incredulous look on his face. Answering Cretien's question, the veteran simply shrugs as he puffs a long smoke: "I'd agree with Falko on this one - not worth the effort in my opinion. Better save our credit for something more tangible. We could put an APB for him in Parity lake through RHC, I'd say that would be a better investment. Ah, but where are my manners - cigarette anyone?" - Porter asks, offering same cigarillos to Angus, Cretien and Johnatan.
Being one of the few lucky ones not to be completely soaking wet, and seeing that the threat of fire is not anymore, Porter takes his time to straighten his suit, recovers all his weapons (his dropped crossbow) and in general makes himself as "presentable" as possible before climbing the ladder down. Threading carefully, sidestepping any puddles of water or ash and soot, he slowly but purposefully approaches Falko. Taking two rather expensive cigarettes made from leaf of Nicodemus from his inner pocket, he proffers one to bug eyed bard before slowly lightning both. "So, it is obvious where trail leads next. We should track and find this big sword-ed fella, eh? However, I believe that we should warn Lebrix as well, wouldn't you agree?"
Guys sorry for no posts during the last 4 days. My company decided to send me in the field, and in Nigeria internet is not really available in the rural areas. Just got home, tired as hell. Will go to the office in the morning and start regular posting then (10-12 hours from now). Cheers.
Being fully aware that most of his combat related abilities lies in his speed and agility, and not so much on his strength, Porter decides to try and use his weapons in an attempt to put down the water tower. Lightning fast, both his sword and his light mace appear in his hands as he attacks the structure hoping it will give away.
- Porter shouts as hard as he can, all the while triggering another shot towards the caster.
Then he finally notices the large water tower and moves towards it.
I posted (my crossbow attack) yesterday, but it seems that the boards ate my post :-( Anyway, I rolled a total of 11, so unless these lizards have extremely low AC, it was still a miss, so no harm done. Whose turn is it now?
"You are outnumbered and surrounded. Surrender immediately and we shall spare your lives!"
"OK Cretien, in that case I'll go up and you go and wake the guards" - shaking his head, Porter tries to hide a smirk while moving towards the ladder. Checking quickly of all of his equipment is properly secured he proceeds to climb up the ladder as silently as he can. Once on the roof, he prepares his weapon (just in case) and tries to see the "phantom lizardmen". After locating him, he tries to sneak up stealthily on the lizard (or if he does not notice him, he will move in the general direction Angus showed them). Just like the old days...
"I do not see anyone there (on the rooftoop), but you are younger my friend and seem to have better eyes. I will wake and discuss with the guardsmen, informing them that we are of RHC and that we expect an arson to happen'. I want them awake and alert. You guys go and discuss with other lizardmen, check their story. Can anyone climb up easily to keep tabs on the runaway lizard?"
"Any ideas Lt. Dale? Your maybe sounds like there's more behind it?"
"Working for RHC, I guess that's a part of day's job. Now, you have convinced us before, and Lt. Dale here has demonstrated quite efficiently that access to this site, from any side, is guarded. So how could this shadow man pass by your patrols/people? And even more important - why were the spirits not attacking him? Any ideas Mayor?"
Sorry for the delay - 'm here but travelling, posting from phone, will be with proper internet in about 12 hours from now.
"Careful Falko, these evil spirits can manifest themselves in strange ways. If it can enter the circle alone then OK, but do not go out for it" - Porter states readying his weapon.
Porter is visibly upset with the events unfolding, but he does his best to at least try and keep his demeanor. For a while his focus was on Nevard and Jonathan and the interaction between them, but not being very knowledgeable on the subject his gaze drifts off again towards the bizarre creatures running in circles.
The first creature that appears reminds Porter of a battle long, long time ago, and a corporal who lost his legs due to the sudden artillery attack. He was in a shock, and was using his hands to crawl around screaming for someone, anyone to reattach his legs. The wound was so severe that he was loosing blood rather fast and it was a wander that he was still alive and capable of screaming. And yet he was... Porter shakes his head as if trying to throw away the image from his mind. He grasps his amulet harder and tries to close his eyes and concentrate on something else. However, the wailing was simply too loud, too present everywhere around them, and some time later Porter decides to try and follow Angus' lead by making ear plugs. He uses one of the candles in his equipment, warming it up until the wax became soft and easy to mold and then adjusting it to fit his ears fully. He makes sure that his amulet is at his person all the time.
"All right then - I shall do my best, but I am really not trained so much in the ways of the wild, so I can not guarantee on the results" - seeing that no one else is volunteering, Porter does his best to try and setup a fire, and then to conceal it with a few stones and rocks so it is not easily spotted from far away.
Mirroring Falko's mood, Porter curses lightly several times asking himself time and again Why did I need this? Hours later with his disposition considerably bleaker than it was, looking crestfallen, Porter takes a few moments to breath deeply and calms himself a bit before he answers Falko (and the Skyseer): "Yeah, right. Very nice view. Don't know why I did not do this before...Now, if you'll allow us, we have some circles to make. Thick, blood red circles. I'd suggest we take the right summit, it is more open and it's easier to see from it. I don't want no ghosts or creatures sneaking upon us through the bushes. What say you?"
Porter smiles weakly at Falko's joke, but fails to carry the air of confidence and determination that he was aiming for. "Still, spirits can be harmed by normal weapons, right?" - he voices his concern rather clearly. After receiving an answer from the mayor, Porter signals that he is ready to go. I was always taught that it is the leaving we should be afraid, not the dead. I don't like this, I don't like it at all...
Shifting his feet uncomfortably, Porter tries in vain not to add too much weight to what the mayor was telling them. While he takes a slightly rusted iron amulet, he almost able to coerce a weak smile as a show of courage, but hearing the mention of keg's of goat blood returns him to reality. Spirits, bloody scary creatures... Leaning in towards Falko as to not to interrupt Cretien while talking, Porter whispers to the bard: "Why in the nine hells are we doing this? What is the reason?"
Guys just FYI, posting this across all my PbP's here, still in the field (my 3rd day) returning to civilization tomorrow morning, will start posting afterwards (12-16 hours from now). Sorry for delay.
"I don't know Falko. It's the first time I'm doing this kind of job. It does not surprise me a lot that we were made and lured into these...negotiations. Now..." - he turns to Cretien and Jonathan - "Do we have any idea what do we do with this smuggling operation? We can not simply track a ship on the sea. They'll spot us easily. What I'm thinking is maybe take a couple of troopers for tomorrow night, surround this small Bayou house, surprise and arrest Gale's people and this Deorn Feldman, and then force him (Deorn) to lead us to meeting with Crisillyiri /Family smugglers. Once there, strike them hard, arrest or kill as many as possible, sink the ship and confiscate the weapons if possible. Sounds logical or am I missing something?"
Stroking his beard slowly, Porter nods his head; "Yes...yes, I think we understand each other Mr. Kell"
Doing his very best to look cool at the situation at hand , Porter hesitates for a few moments, while a single drop of sweat running along his temple betrays him. Not finding any breathing space under the circumstances, he finally relents. "Seems like we have a deal, Mr. Kell. How we do our job will be our choice, and you do not get to influence whether we kill or simply maim someone. But if what you are telling proves to be the truth, then the ship at question will either be impounded by the RHC, or simply destroyed, based on the circumstances. I believe our stand in this is clear - we work for RHC, and we work as we seem fit. A smart man like you, who has the Family arrayed against him, will surely need allies, just like we might, in the troubled days to come. It would really be a shame if our interests were to collide and anyone, has to die because of it. I believe we have an understanding Mr. Kell?"
"So far, I like your story. It shows...potential. So, what would be our role in this business agreement, and what might be yours? What are you offering, and what do you want in return?" Porter listens with attention, trying to discern if they could trust this scoundrel in this specific matter.
Nice touch Jonathan, I like it :-)
Yawning slightly to feign disinterest, Porter listens to the man while his gaze seem to drift around with not a lot of enthusiasm. Actually, it was quite the contrary - aside from buying time, Porter was trying to memorize any small detail he could. The mannerism and voice of the infamous man in front of him, numbers and especially faces of his associates, potential exits, whatever they might need at a later stage. Finally, stifling another yawn, Porter responds: "Sounds...promising. Although I really could not say much before we know the extent of your story regarding our esteemed guest from the north. At the same time, I'm always entertained by a good story, especially if it conveys some family values, so please do tell."
Am I perhaps allowed to see the spoiler (which I missed by just 1) after Falko's revelation of the man's name?
DM, Angus, Falko:
Looking around, still with a (feigned) sign of amusement on his face, Porter grabs the chair with his left hand, moves it a bit towards the left and sits, stating: "Why thank you my dear. Very kind of ye." He pauses to ask Will you be serving tea and cookies also? but at the last moment decides against it, biting his lip. Next he focuses his attention at the flashy dressed man in front of him, waiting for the events to unfold.
DM, Falko, Angua: "Do we follow him?" "Ah, why the hell not, this has been a slow day so far" - Porter replies with all the cool he could gather all the while thinking With a dozen of them at our back, not that we really have a choice "Lead the way my good fellow" - veteran addresses Rufus, signalling his laconic willingness to follow him.
Mine, mine - twelve of you guys. Thirteen if we count the bravado in front of us. Quiet a lot for two poor trackers it would seem...now, do I know you Rufus?
Surprise clearly shown on his face, Porter was just about to address the man when Falko overtakes him. Seeing that his young colleague has decided to try and further antagonize the man, Porter joins in with a mischievous grin on his face: "Only a score of you? Just about enough for our sharpshooters stationed around. Your supervisor might be rather disappointed when he hears you failed him."
"Speaking of which - who is your supervisor?"
OK we either just guaranteed that we have a few of our ribs broken, or we pulled the biggest bluff of the day
Similar to Falko, Porter looks around trying to appear "out of his league" in regards to the developing situation. Noticing that Jonathan decided to pursue what he considered to be the distraction to their task, the veteran follows suite with Falko, deciding to proceed with their original task - following the boy.
Noticing the boy's deliberate shange of pace, Porter does not react when what seems to be a mugging in progress transpires. "Stay on the boy" - he whispers to Falko nearby, as he focuses all his attention on the courier in order not to loose him. We should not loose the kid - RHC pays us to solve bigger problems, they have common police for this
Watching the butcher shop and it's surroundings, Porter decides that he does not want to hide so early in the morning. Nah, it's too many of us already who should be hidden on the rooftops and in alleyways, one or more of us might just use other means. "Falko , wanna join me in this?" Deciding to "hide in the plain sight", he makes sure that he is actually attracting as much attention as possible on himself as he enters the butcher shop and starts chitchatting with whomever is present . After asking for the price of that lamb chop over there, and establishing the freshness of the beef, he recalls: "You know, this reminds me of one morning in the Archipelago. Lieutenant Tyrell was there, and also there was this crazy Korh, and that young guy, which later got killed during the defense of Shale...I always keep forgetting that boy's name. Jonathan or something...anyway, there we were, sitting on the beach with nothing to eat. Those Danoran bastards sank both of our supply ships previous week, and suddenly Tabbbito saw a cow. Man, a cow, on the beach! Just imagine the scene..."
"The night is a long way from now. We might be doing something valuable by then. Any suggestion for Falko and me, Inspector? Or would you like us to wait the results of the search of that safe, before we decide on our next steps?"
Trying hard to keep a normal demeanor, and not to show any reaction towards ACI Stover's habbits with tobacco, Porter slowly draws one of his carefilly rolled cigars, and lights it:"Monk's delight, Nicodemusis sin. Have you tried them Inspector? They seem to be quiet a lady's magnet. Especially if the one is having an interesting history behind himself, like you ser." Inhalling deeply with obvious satisfaction, Porter savors the well known aroma, before letting some smoke out and asking the next question: "So, if I get this right, we believe that Nilesa got the invisibility potion from the woman named Danisca who got away. A human woman I presume, is that right Angus? Next we have a dead thief, Nilesa, and a dead gnome, with whom Falko here might still converse in a way. Is that correct?" The tall veteran enjoys his cigar while he waits for his colleagues to response before continuing: "So, now we wait for any potential clues from the alchemists's safe, and also we might soon have a lead on this Doctor fella. OK. Plus, on top of this all, there's an...event of a sorts planned for us tonight. Good. Did I miss something?"
"Alright Inspector, what's the real story behind this? At least the parts we know of? It says here that the thief, one Nilesa Hume, was caught in the act of jumping out the window. Unless she was pushed, we can assume that she was heading out. So how come she was able to hand the stolen goods to someone else already if she was still in Embassy premises? What do we know of late Mrs. Hume, or that mysterious Dr. from Malice lands"?
"Finesse, you say...I think we could try adding some of that. Would you be so kind to give us the details?" - a playful smirk hangs on the corner of Porter's lips. A tall man, in his early forties, he wore a bit outdated, but still stylish gentleman's outfit, complemented with a sturdy polished steel pocket watch. Broad shouldered and with athletic physique, Porter already had quite a few gray hairs. He held a large walking cane made from ash tree, with a massive silver hooked head. "Consulate, you say...sounds familiar..."
Porter here, veteran of 4th Yerasol Archipelago war. It's a pleasure to join you. Btw - is there a rule that we should always use spoilers (when the party is not together)?
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