Here's Silvio Slate, a little Lamm who has worked for him to make Shiver. He's had a few false starts in other games, so if something seems off, it might be a hold over.
Background:
Silvio Slate's first memories are of being beaten in the orphanage. He grew up in Madame Origenna's orphanage, starving and having to hide food and hide himself to avoid being beaten. Arcadius and Maretha were the only friends he had. If it wasn't for them, he would have died there. Maretha was older and helped care for him, and Arcadius was stronger and could protect them. After several painful years of begging, hunger, and beatings, the three were bought by Gaedran Lamm and taken away.
Life as a 'Little Lamm' was better, but Silvio soon learned pain could come in other ways. He became a errand boy for Lamm, delivering good around the city. Soon Silvio learned what was inside the packages he would give to people. Shiver. As he grew up, Silvio moved from delivery boy to working in the Shiver labs and met Kilain. Kilain Beltran was a chemist to help Lamm make the Shiver. He saw Silvio's brightness and helped the boy become an apprentice. Silvio took to the chemicals quickly and soon began helping Kilian produce more of the addicting drug. Over time, Silvio was exposed to Shiver more and more. Cuts on his hand would get Shiver into them and he would breathe in the noxious fumes. Eventually Silvio himself was addicted, but Kilain and Lamm kept him working. Knowing Arcadius and Maretha were still in Lamm's clutches was often the only reason he could force himself to continue.
Appearance:
Silvio is a thin young man. He has brittle blond hair, a telltale sign of his exposure to Shiver, but he doesn’t seem to have the shakes that most do. Growing up as one of Gaedren’s little Lamms, he has adopted an unassuming posture to stay out of the way and he tries to remain out of the spotlight most of the time. The fingers on his right hand refuse to straighten, clearly having been broken badly in the past. He can easily still grasp things, and he’s learned to be quite deft with his broken hand, but it’s a constant reminder of the consequences of life.
Recent Events/RP:
Silvio ducks his head entering the small hovel. He slings his bag into a corner and steps quickly down the stairs. ”You’re late, boy!” A gravely voice startles him, making him stiffen. Silvio spins around and finds Kilain staring at him from the shadows. The young man relaxes just a bit. ”Kilian, damn it, you scared me half to death. Listen, I’m sorry, there was a cart that got stuck on the street and-”
”Shut up! I don’t care ‘bout no damned cart! Get to work!” The older man shouts at him and then shoves Silvio up against the wall. The man’s rotten teeth and breath make Silvio gag. ”You’re lucky I don’t beat you here and now. You’re getting too smart for your own good, Silvio. Lamm and I might just need to knock that out of you.” He pulls the blond haired, young man around and shoves him towards the back room. ”Now get to work!’
Silvio stumbles and rushes into the back room. He closes the door behind him as the familiar noxious fumes fill his nose. ”You liar, Silvio. There was no cart was there? You want him to beat you? Break your hand again? Where the hell were you?” It’s a thin voice, muffled by the mask Sasha is wearing. Silvio looks over to the half-starved teenage girl, her hands trembling a bit as she holds a lit tindertwig. The shaking was from the shiver, though it could just a well be from the fact that she probably hadn’t eaten since yesterday.
Pulling out half a roll from his pocket, he puts it on the table near her and he grabs his own mask. He had breathed in more than a lifetime of the shiver fumes, but every little bit helped. At least he no longer shook like Sasha did. Either his body was used to the exposure or it just hid it better. Sasha grabs the roll and tears into it, gulping down bites and finishing it in a matter of seconds.
”I know, I know, Sasha.” Silvio glances back and sees that they’re alone. The other two tables were empty for now, but he saw the equipment going. The others must be taking some of the product to the storehouse. Silvio and Sasha rarely went because they were more useful in the lab. ”I needed to check on Arcadius. I hadn’t seen him or Maretha in over a month. I was worried something had happened to him.”
”Well, you’d better forget that for now. I heard Kilain talking earlier. I think Gaedren’s coming to visit.” Silvio nearly drops the glass vial he’s holding. He turns around and stares at her. ”Gaedren’s coming here!” Sasha nods, trying to seem nonchalant about it, but he knows she’s just as scared as he is. ”That’s why Kilain was so nervous about you not being here. You think Kilian will work you over? Gaedren might just kill Maretha if he found you missing.”
Silvio shakes his head and tries not to think about it. ”Yeah, makes you miss the days when he just let us go hungry, huh?” Sasha laughs for a moment, but then breaks into a fit of coughing as she breathes in the fumes. He smiles and then sighs. ”Ok, if Gaedren is coming, we need to get to work. He’ll want to see the latest batch.”
Silvio Slate
Human rogue (unchained, scout, underground chemist) 6/VMC alchemist*
NE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +10; Sense Motive +9
Defense AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+7 armor, +4 Dex)
hp 45 (6d8+12)
Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +3
Defensive Abilities danger sense +2
Offense Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 rapier +9 (1d6+5/18-20) or
. . mwk cold iron kunai +9 (1d4)
Ranged Acid +9 (1d6/x2) or
. . Alchemist's Fire +9 (1d6/x2) (burns for another 1d6)
Special Attacks chemical weapons, precise splash weapons, scout's charge, sneak attack (unchained) +3d6
Rogue (Unchained) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +6)
. . At will—minor magic
. . 3/day—major magic
Statistics Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 18
Class Abilities Sneak Attack (Unchained) +3d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Trapfinding +3 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
Minor Magic (Light, At will) (Sp) Gain the chosen cantrip as a spell-like ability.
Major Magic (Vanish, 3/day) (Sp) Gain the chosen 1st-level spell as a spell-like ability.
Chemical Weapons (Ex) Can draw alchemical items as a weapon, and adds Int mod to dam with splash weapons.
Danger Sense +2 (Ex) +2 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Debilitating Injury: Bewildered -2/-4 (Ex) Foe who takes sneak attack damage takes AC pen (more vs. striker) for 1 rd.
Debilitating Injury: Disoriented -2/-4 (Ex) Foe who takes sneak attack damage takes attack pen (more vs. striker) for 1 rd.
Debilitating Injury: Hampered (Ex) Foe who takes sneak attack damage has speed halved (and can't 5 ft step) for 1 rd.
Precise Splash Weapons (Ex) Can sneak att with splash wep direct hit, but not splash (must meet other conditions).
Scout's Charge (Ex) Charge attacks deal sneak attack damage as though foe is flat-footed.
Feats Charging Hurler Can use Charge action to attack with a thrown weapon within 30 feet. +2 to hit, -2 to AC
Master Alchemist You may create 3 doses of poison in the time it would normally take to create one, and may create alchemical items 10x as fast.
Splash Weapon Mastery Throw Splash Weapons as if you had Far Shot feat (-1 per range increment). If you miss, you can add +1 or -1 to determine where a miss lands. If you hit, choose an extra adjacent square to take splash damage.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Weapon Finesse Use Dex mod to modify attack bonus for light weapons
Traits Alchemical Adept +2 to craft alchemical items and raw materials are not consumed on failed craft checks for alchemical items.
Reactionary +2 to initiative
Skills
Acrobatics +11, Appraise +9, Bluff +8, Climb +2, Craft (alchemy) +19 (+27 to create alchemical items), Diplomacy +5, Disable Device +16, Escape Artist +8, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (local) +12, Linguistics +7, Perception +10, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +11, Swim +2, Use Magic Device +9
Equipment and Misc Languages Abyssal, Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome
SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +6), debilitating injury: bewildered, debilitating injury: disoriented, debilitating injury: hampered, rogue talents (combat trick, major magic, minor magic), trapfinding +3
Combat Gear +1 elven chain, +1 rapier, mwk cold iron kunai, alchemist's atlatl, potion of cure light wounds, potion of invisibility, potion of shield of faith +2, wand of cure light wounds, acid (5), alchemist's fire (5), holy water (2), liquid ice[APG] (4), tangleburn bag[UE], tanglefoot bag (2);
Other Gear handy haversack, hybridization funnel[UE], alchemist's lab, belt pouch, bomb launcher[ARG], flint and steel, masterwork thieves' tools, silk rope (50 ft.), waterproof bag[UE], waterskin, 1,442 gp, 5 sp
Background:
Silvio worked as an apprentice for the Alchemist, Patricia Larson, in Almas. Silvio was Patricia’s cousin’s son, and the alchemist only took him on as a favor to her. While Silvio was sharp and learned the alchemy, the two other apprentices, Naomi and Gregor always seemed to get Patrcia’s favor. Each of the apprentices were supposed to sell their own wares in the shop, and it always seemed that their concoctions were displayed in the front of cases while Silvio’s were pushed to the back. Patrcia would suggest Naomi and Gregor’s creations when dealing with an important customer. It was only when dealing with the poor that she would hawk Silvio’s work, earning him a pittance compared to the others.
Since his work never sold for as much as the others, he barely ever had enough materials and looked like a pauper compared to the others. Quality materials were nearly always out of his grasp, and many of his concoctions were weak, which only reinforced the cycle. In his situation, Silvio did what many would do, he turned to crime. He began stealing items from the shop to sell on the street. At first, he sold small amounts of supplies that he could find, but soon, he was pilfering older stock which he hoped no one would miss. Soon, Silvio had developed a reputation for being able to provide the criminal elements with alchemical stock. Almas guards soon found themselves facing fire, acid, and ice when they went to arrest lowlifes. Several guards died from the unexpectedly equipped criminals. After several incidents, they began to notice a trend and soon, a name began to emerge: The Chemist.
Capture:
In the end, it was Naomi who discovered Silvio’s secret. She was a smart girl and noticed that the young man was around less and less, and when he was, his skills had improved markedly. When Naomi confronted him about his stealing and using stolen goods to create his alchemical items, she taunted him. Knowing that exposing him would completely end his hopes of being an alchemist, Naomi shared Patricia’s dirty little secret. Patricia despised Silvio because his mother had blackmailed her into taking him as a student. Silvio’s mother had discovered that Patricia had cheated on her husband with a Chelaxian diabloist, a revelation that would have destroyed her reputation both in society as well as business. The revelation suddenly made clear the years of suffering and abuse from Patricia.
Faced with the truth about his apprenticeship and being jailed for his crimes, Silvio retaliated. He hurled acid at Naomi, burning her badly. When Gregor came to investigate the yelling, Silvio turned on him too, using Alchemist's Fire and acid against him. Then he set the shop on fire, leaving Naomi and Gregor trapped in the quickly burning building. Enraged by the revelations and stoked by the murders of his fellow apprentices, Silvio went to hunt Patricia down. He found her at home. Not even allowing her to plead for her life, Silvio threw fire and acid at her, her husband, and their small child repeatedly. The guards could barely even identify the bodies afterwards. The Chemist had earned a new name: The Mad Bomber.
For the next two weeks, Silvio evaded the guards thanks to his criminal connections. But Silvo continued to terrorize Almas, attacking random people with a seemingly unending supply of alchemical weapons. Over two dozen people died from acid, fire, or ice in those two weeks, with another nearly 50 suffering burns of one degree or another. It took a squad of Eagle Knights to hunt down and corner Silvio. Even they did not escape unscathed, but in the end the Mad Bomber was captured. He now spends his days rotting away in the dungeon.
Silvio and Lars were born in Kintargo to a fishmonger’s family. Their father, Hunley Slate, was a fishmonger on Yolubilis Harbor, but he didn’t want that life for his sons. He paid a hefty fee to get Lars an apprenticeship with a local Alchemist. Silvio helped his father with the business, instead becoming good with merchant figures and selling to the locals. After he was old enough, he worked for several merchants on Bleakbridge, hawking wares and making sales. He was sharp with figures and could have been a scribe, but the bulk of the family funds went to help Lars with his apprenticeship.
Lars and Silvio were close even through Lars’ apprenticeship. Once Lars completed his training and was ready to become a journeyman, Silvio convinced him to stay in Kintargo instead and try to open his own business. Silvio was working at the Tooth and Nail at the time, helping to keep the books and serve food. He convinced their father to pool his funds with his own earnings at that point to help Lars buy a small shop in the Harbor District where Silvio and Lars could work together.
Opening day at the Bottled Sage was a great day for the brothers. They finally had something to call their own and they were convinced that with Lars’ skill and Silvio’s business, they could buy the whole city in a matter of years. While they struggled like any business, soon the Sage was popular and Lars’ concoctions were well-known. Lars married a girl named Demara and soon had a son, Emil. Silvio continued to keep the business running, even learning how to help his older brother create some of the alchemical items.
When martial law was declared in Kintargo, Silvio and Lars faced a rush at the shop to purchase items. People were worried shops would be shut down next and wanted to get their good in a hurry. In particular, Lars seemed to take the new of the Thrune crackdown especially hard. He began to leave without explanation and Silvio didn’t seem him for several days. One morning, Demara was banging on Silvio’s door yelling that Lars hadn’t come home the last night. They searched for any sign of him at the taverns, the jails, and the shop. But it was no use. No one had seen him or knew where he was. A couple of days later, Silvio awoke a second time to loud banging on his door. This time it was a friend who told him the Bottled Sage was burning. By the time he got there, the fire brigade had put out the flames, but the shop was ruined. All of the inventory was destroyed and the half of the shop was a burnt husk. A couple of witnesses claimed to have seen three armored men inside overturning items before the fire broke out. They thought the men were Hellknights, but weren’t sure. Faced with a missing brother and the loss of their business, Silvo nearly broke down. It was only the arrival of Demara and Emil which snapped him back to reality. He had to help care for them until Lars was found.
Later that night, Silvio was going through papers in Lars’ home trying to see if there were any clues to his whereabouts. In a drawer with bills, he found an odd locked box. Demara didn’t know anything about it. Using some old tool of his, Silvio managed to pick the lock, but as soon as he opened it, a trap was sprung. A vial of acid broke in the box and began dissolving the papers inside. Silvio quickly dumped out the box, noting the acid was their signature red color. Unfortunately, most of the papers were destroyed, but Silvio managed to salvage a few scraps. Among them were there words ‘Silver’ and ‘Ravens’. Silvio realized that the timing of Lars’ disappearance could match the rumored attacks against the Silver Ravens. If he was going to find out what happened to his brother, Silvio needed to contact the Silver Ravens and see what they knew.
Appearance:
Silvio is a slightly heavyset man who clearly has enjoyed his success in recent years. He wears good quality cloth with well-dyed colors, trying to give off the impression of a well off merchant. In his younger years, Silvio was a quick rascal. The success with his business has slowed and fattened him a bit, but he still remembers how to move when he needs to. He wears his hair longer in the back with a sleek and trimmed beard. He often carries a dagger and a couple of vials of acid from the shop to defend himself with if necessary. Recently he’s purchased a rapier and armor as martial law was declared.
Alright, I have Silvio's alias up now. I still intend on a narrative background and a few other tidbits, but at least you can see everything together.
I think the spreadsheet points out Silvio's strengths rather well. With his growing ability to craft alchemical items, he should be able to enable the team with the right thing at the right time (in a few levels and some crafting time).
I could see Silvio and Nissim having a very interesting relationship with similar (apothecary/alchemist businessmen) family backgrounds. The Slates business could be an up and coming rival to Nissim's family's business.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio pops the rest of a piece of bread into his mouth. "Ok, let's get going, Marial. It'll take us a little bit to get there and we need to run our clothes through some dirt at least. We go in looking like we met the queen and they'll be on us faster than an orphan on candy."
That's the plan. Get ourselves a bit dirty. Silvio will even find a beggar and trade him food for some rags. Then we go in without most of our stuff. Silvio will take a dagger, hidden in his clothes. That shouldn't be that uncommon even if found.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio shakes his head. "I wouldn't, Marial. If you don't hide it right, they'll spot it easily. We can bring a dagger maybe, but anything more will stick out like a sore thumb. If something happens, we ought to be running, not fighting."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio chuckles. "Yeah, I can do a starving orphan pretty good. We'll need you to hold our stuff though. Ain't no orphans coming in with armor or alchemy. We might need to find some dirt and mud, Marial. We've been spoiled the past few days with baths."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio yawns and picks up the letter on the table. "Hey, what's this?" He reads it over. "Looks like Em went back to the Church. She says to carry on without her and she'll meet back up with us later."
Silvio glances at Orcsson, taking a bite of pear that had been set out for breakfast. "I dunno, did you see Garvid come back last night?" He licks some of the juice off his hand. "I think Marial and I were going to scout of the butcher shop today."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Knowledge, Local to know about Aasimar:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Silvio is on his guard at first as the man approaches their table, but when it seems he knows Em, he relaxes. The more he studies the man, though, the more Silvio realizes he wasn't quite human. His eyes were too bright, his skin too smooth, his hair too shiny.
"Hey! You're...um, Asimoy." Silvio frowns. Aasim..." He frowns again and then snaps his fingers. "Aasimar! That's it!"
Silvio leans over and filches a piece of cheese from Em. "Hey, you want some food? They got some good stuff here."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
"Magic ain't a bad idea, but time might be the best. If we ain't out in half an hour, I think something prolly gone wrong. Besides, if we're just going in for offerings of meat, it shouldn't be bad. Might help us anyway later. If we do try to trick them, it'll be better if they recognize us as customers."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
"We're going to try and join them?" Silvio frowns. "I dunno. That would seem much more risky than trying to hire them and then ambush them. If someone just wandered in who wanted to join our group, I'd be suspicious. But they're actively trying to hire out."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio turns to Em to explain about the butcher shop. "I went asking around about the shop and even sat and watch it for a bit. It seems the butcher shop has been giving meat away during all the rioting. They've got quite a bit of business. Lots of people coming and going. Seems they've been helping people from starving."
Silvio bits into a roll he somehow saved from earlier. "I also heard that Verik's bunch, who call themselves the Cow Hammer Boys, do a little work on the side. If you want someone roughed up, they'll do the job. You just go in an ask about 'The Night's Special Cuts.'"
"I can draw out the shop, but I didn't go inside."
"We were thinking about Marial and me going in as orphans. Just to see what it's like inside and how many there are. See if there's any sign of Verik. Or maybe we hire them, see who shows up."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Sense Motive:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Silvio looks at Marial struggling with her emotions. "It was Terion, Em. He was...he was my best friend, my brother growing up. He and Marial meant something to each other too. But he's a liar and and a killer. He played both of us."
Silvio takes a deep breath and pats Marial on the shoulder. "I want to believe he was genuine at some point. Some of the things he did when we were growing up was real, I have to believe that. But somewhere down the line, he became a real creature of Lamm's. Maybe even worse than Lamm."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Are we all here now?
Silvio smiles as he sees Emilia. As much as things have changed quickly over the past few hours, he was happy to see nothing had happened to her. "Em, you gotta see it! Downstairs I mean. It's so nice! Rooms for all of us, and they got pretty good food here too!"
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Three Rings Inn:
Silvio looks at Marial. "You really thinking about joining the guard?" He glances at Garvid. "I dunno. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad, but I ain't much of a fighter. Half of the time I saw the guards chasing away the Lambs who just needed to find some food to eat."
He looks at Garvid. "Hey, did you know Wylie? He was one of the guards. Took payment from Lamm sometimes to look the other way when we was making a Shiver shipment. Nice guy mostly, I guess. He seemed to like us, but I know he liked the money more."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Three Rings Inn:
Silvio smiles at Marial and then at Garvid. "Not bad, eh? She's a lot smarter than she gives herself credit for. It ain't like we had all day for lessons. But she practiced nearly everyday with that slate and learning the words on papers we had around." The young man clearly takes pride in helping Marial learn her letters, though you get the sense he's had little formal education himself.
He leans in as Garvid tells his stories of being in the guard. "Did you ever find out who killed him? If you did, do you think she would give you your badge back? Sounds like he deserved what was coming to him, though."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Three Rings Inn:
Silvio smiles at the comfortable and offical look of the basement. "Wow! Look at all those maps! It really is like a secret headquarters!" He goes over to look at each one. He glances at Theandra. "Where did you get all of these?"
The young man looks over to Garvid when he asks for a roommate. "Uh, I guess I can, Garvid. Might be easier to let Cal and Orcsson room together since they aren't here yet. I won't be any trouble, promise."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Three Rings Inn:
Silvio stands to follow Theandra. "Yes, I think we should leave the common room now. I would have your man, watch him though, Theandra. He is a liar and a killer." Silvio throws his former friend a nasty look as the group follows the innkeeper down to the basement.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Three Rings Inn:
Silvio nods, turning to Theandra. "Either let's get down to the basement, or we'll need Tauk's help to remove or capture that one." The young man is feeling braver with the others with him. "He's a dangerous one, Theandra. And after we dealt with his boss, he might be looking for some revenge."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Three Rings Inn:
Silvio sees Terion trying to taunt them, and he realizes Marial is griping the slate tablet with nearly all her strength. He drops any pretenses and openly glares at his former friend. He's nearly taken off guard when Theandra approaches.
"Huh? Oh yes, uh, thank you for letting us use your Inn. And for the food too." Silvio smiles at her. "I'm Silvio. Are the beds, um, nice?" He glares back at Terion.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Three Rings Inn:
Pull on those emotional strings, GM!
Silvio leans over to see what word Marial saw. "What, you know that one, that's--" He pauses, realizing Marial was writing instructions. He stares a hole in the chalkboard, trying not to look up at the table across the room. Terion? Did she mean Terion?
"Uh, yeah, but it's 'hab-ER-dash-er.' It, uh, means somebody that sells odds and ends for tailors and seamstresses. That's what they sell there, thread, buttons and the like." Silvio takes the chalk from her. "See sound it out, 'hab-er-dash-er'" He lightly scrawls on the board.
What do we do? Grab him here?
The urge to look finally takes over for Silvio and the young man's eyes drift up to find Terion's face.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio, Mouse, Garvid, Orcsson:
"If we're just going in for a look at some of them, then we don't need Cal and Em. In fact, Marial and I can go by ourselves. The goal is to look pitifully hungry and no threat to anyone. I can manage that." He grabs a piece of cheese and begins carving hunks off with his knife, lifting the pieces up to his mouth.
"Now, afterward, that's a different story. Maybe we hire them out and ambush them? Yeah, that's smart! Hire them to attack Garvid, and we're all there to pounce on them!" Silvio glances around, suddenly realizing his excitement might have been too much. He lowers his voice. "So what do you think? Marial and I take a look first and then set them up?"
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio, Mouse, Orcsson, Garvid:
Silvio lays out what he saw at the butcher shop again for Garvid's sake. "I think there's a good chance that Marial or myself can pass as urchins looking for some handout of meat. I mean, we were until last week. Ain't hard to remember."
"But the Cow Hammer Boys hire out too, Garvid. People call them mercenaries, but probably just some tough thugs who shake people down for you. Word is you come in asking for 'the night's special cuts.' Dunno what Verik is playing at here. Maybe trying to get people's good will and establish himself as a neighborhood player like Lamm."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Mouse, Orcsson, Silvio:
Silvio smiles at Marial from across the room and quickly makes his way over. He smiles even bigger at the selection of bread,meat, and cheese. Taking a hunk of bread, he takes a huge bite of it before even sitting down and then reaching for the cheese. He chews quickly before he speaks in a low tone hopefully only they can hear.
"I found out that the butcher shop is giving out free meat to people. Verik and some others are calling themselves the Cow Hammer Boys. They give out the meat from the shop, but if you know the right thing to say, they'll also hire out to mess people up. Mercenaries, if you will." He pauses, taking a bite of cheese. "I watched the shop for a while. Sure enough, lots of people going in and out. I didn't see any signs of Verik."
GM, did Silvio learn enough to sketch out the exterior of the building showing the entrance?
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio:
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Silvio watches the people come and go at the butcher shop for a couple hours from down the street. Part of him desperately wants to go inside, acting like the street urchin he was just a week ago. But you promised Marial, you wouldn't. He sighs. At least he had been somewhat fruitful. It seems the Cow Hammer Boys had a bit of a nasty reputation if you overlooked their gifts to the city.
Even being this close was a lie to her, but he didn't see the risk in just watching. Seeing the people come out with meat though, eventually makes his stomach rumble. He kicks at a rock in the street. "I guess it's time to go back and get something to eat." He ducks back through an alley and cuts across a side street, heading towards the Inn.
Nothing fancy this time, just wanted to look around.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
I don't want to detract from the full party RP-ing, so if you want to handwave Silvio's excursion, we can. He's going to ask around about the butcher shop and Verik. I thought he might find a place to watch the shop for a few hours too, just seeing who's coming and going.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
"You all head to the Inn and get some rest. I'm going to slip over to ask around near the butcher shop. Maybe I can dig up something about Verik." He glances at Marial. "Relax. I'm just going to ask around. I ain't going anywhere near the shop itself. I'll be fine."
Sense Motive DC 16:
Bluff:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Silvio truly only wants to find out about Verik. But he might go near the shop.
Not sure if you want to RP it out, GM, but here's my Gather Information roll. Gather Info:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Knowledge, Local:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
"Right. I know the place. And Tauk helped me out of a bind once. He's a big guy. Good fellow to have when you want to put the squeeze on someone."
"What do you say we scout out the butcher shop with the rest of the day. Maybe we can spot Vancasterkin or find someone who knows what's he doing holed up in there. Then we get some rest a the Three Rings before we decide how to approach things tomorrow."
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
"I know this butcher shop. It recently reopened, but the area around it has been going downhill for a while now. Lots of the wealthy are pulling their money out of the area and heading for other neighborhoods. The past owner of the shop was jailed for tax evasion."
Silvio watches Garvid demonstrate the manacles. He looks skeptical, but nods.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
"But isn't that what she's asking us to do? Bring Vancaskerkin in to answer for his desertion. He'll be allowed to plead his case then. I mean, if we can get him to come peacefully, then everybody is happy." His voice strains a bit. If Vancaskerkin was like most of the Guard he had met, this wasn't going to be a peaceful meeting. The Guards could be stubborn, unable to look the other way even when it was a simple thing.
"I mean, she's promising a thousand gold."
Knowledge, Local on the Butcher Shop:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Sometimes for a long post I'll use Google Docs, but I've also found the Lazarus extension to be great. It's here.
For those of you privacy hawks like me, you can set it to encrypt the saved data and require a password. I also have it set to only save things in the past couple hours.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Silvio holds his coat closed as they walk the chaotic streets. He would rather no one see the bottles of acid he had, nor did he want them clicking together. They were right. This place is a powder keg. Can we really help? He thinks back to the whirlwind meeting with the beautiful Queen. "Even mourning the King, she was beautiful, wasn't she Cal?" he blurts out. The young man blushes, realizing what he just said. "Well...she was. With that red hair. I don't know if I've seen anyone more pretty."
When they enter the Citadel, Silvio tries to stick close to the others. He tries to his amusement at the Field Marshall's words. "It's bad out there. I don't know about me being a hero, but I guess I can help if you need it." He perks up slightly at the promise of being paid. Silvio had earned more money in the last couple days as he had ever seen in his whole life before. "Yeah, I guess we can try. So what do you want us to do, just break up fights and the like?"
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
How would I like to be introduced? How 'bout as the King of Faerieland and Lord of honeycakes?
Silvio suppresses a giggle at the thought, though now was no time for inane jokes. Sabina did not seem to have much of a sense of humor. The serious nature of the walk only meant that silly thoughts flew into the young man's head. Cal will know the right thing to say, he reassures himself.
Male Unchained Rogue 1 Human (Underground Chemist, Scout) [HP: 10/10 | AC: 16/13/13 | F+2 R+6 W+1 | Init +8 | Percep +5* SM +5]
Knowledge, Local:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Silvio swallows hard as they approach the rings of guards around the temple. Not just the city guard he was used to, but Hellknights and Sable Company too. He had never been this close to the palace before, why would he want to? Just follow Cal. No sudden moves. Everyone is on edge and liable to cut my head off if I even speak out of turn.
He jerks his head when Cal asks for Sabina Merrin. So that's who he knows. The street was rife with rumors, and Sabina made for fun stories. Some said she was the greatest swordswoman of all time. Others said she was nothing more than a devoted handmaiden. But they all agreed that Sabina rarely left the Queen's side.
When asked to leave his weapons, Silvio hurriedly removes his rapier. He takes the dagger out and then makes a step to leave, but stops. The young man smacks himself in the head as he realizes what he was about to forget. He opens his new coat, fringed with silver thread and lace. There on his belt sit 5 flasks of acid and one of alchemist's fire. He quickly takes them out and places them on the ground. Then he pulls 5 more bottles of acid out of his bag. "Please be careful with these. They're highly volatile. And just a few drops will eat away at your skin."
He nods to the guards and gives a nervous smile to the others. Silvio buttons his coat again and pulls out a golden, but worn monocle and fits it to his eye. He grins, obviously thinking it makes him look dashing and regal.
