Shackled Sundabar

[Sean Mahoney]

DM: Let's see if we can get this started

DM: I am going to have to go over a little bit of background for each of you...

DM: Actually... let me jot down some notes so I know who is who

DM: Everyone identify yourself real quick in this format "Scott - Kalishan - Rogue"

Vaukarn: Karl - Vaukarn - Fighter

Marilon: Des - Marilon - Bard

Coranth: Paul - Coranth - Wizard

Daphy GrimBeard: Trevor - Daphy - Ex -Drunk ... found Jesus... Priest

Borzak: Jason - Borzak - Monk

DM: Alright... I will start by giving you guys your starting locations and if you need more background (and several of you I have not given everything to like I promised) I will whisper it

DM: So...

DM: Kalishan you are beginning your meeting (shouldn't need anymore background... let me know if you disagree in a whisper)

Kalishan: (I'm good with that... I know what you are referring to)

DM: Vaukarn - you are observing your mark (I will give you some additional background as it comes up... if you think you should know something just ask)

DM: The rest of you I will whisper to...

DM: ((Marilon, Coranth and Borzak will comprise the main group and we will start the action with them and switch off shortly to the others.))

Borzak: Borzak's outward physique displays his personality as a perfectionist. His body is more than ready for rigors of travel: it is ready for the trials of battle and prepared for the most critical of physical tests. Standing poised and always alert, he attempts to hide his muscles beneath the loose, free flowing, gray and green outfit he wears; however, his strength continues to show through the garb. Borzak's physical stature merely demonstrates the hard work and constant determination he has in improving himself.

Borzak: His face, clearly having seen the hardship of being outdoors, is common in appearance. His shoulder-length light blonde hair hangs free and slightly unkempt. The sun has painted his body tan. Borzak's face is considered common by everyone who sees him, with only his pale green eyes ever possibly standing out. Aside from his lack of facial beauty, those who see him certainly must respect him for the toned appearance he has achieved, the strength he exhibits, and the agility he displays in the subtlest movements.

Borzak: Above all goals in life, Borzak is concerned with his own constant self improvement. His ultimate goal would be to use his training and knowledge of life and even more extensive knowledge of death to achieve true perfection within an extra-planar body. From his experience within the Order of Everlasting Death, Borzak learned that such a goal is attainable, and he has since then dedicated his life to reaching this epitome of greatness.

Borzak: Malicious in no sorts, Borzak is quick to befriend strangers. The - at times overwhelming - confidence he asserts in his own strength and ability gives him the understanding that no feat is too great for him. This strength of character, which many would consider a weakness, is what makes Borzak who he is: fearless, uninhibited, determined, and strong-willed. A challenge to overcome is just any other rung on the ladder to self improvement.

Borzak: Borzak's understanding for life, he has a profound respect for death. Having experienced so much death throughout his life within the Order, Borzak has studied it and respects it for its beauty; yet at the same time, he cherishes life. He is not quick to take another’s life without reason, but to stand in the way of his defined path is to embrace the afterlife.

Borzak: Borzak is certainly characterized as a take action type of person when it comes to his work, but moves to more of a follower position much more than a leader when traveling with his friends. When it comes to battle though one would do well to look to the front of the line to find him

** Marilon is strikingly handsome: soft blonde hair, emerald eyes and a dimple. He's slightly short, though. He's clad in a brightly-colored outfit and a studded leather jerkin. **

Coranth: Description: Appears as a young, male Sun Elf with close-cropped copper colored hair and dazzling green eyes with flecks of gold. He is wearing a light, dusty tan robe, secured around the waist with a dark brown, leather belt, and a pair of soft, light brown shoes adorns his feet. Over this, he is wearing a hooded, dark brown, sleeved cloak.

Coranth: He is holding a stout, wooden quarterstaff, which he uses primarily as a walking stick, and a rapier in scabbard can be seen on his left hip. A small pouch on his right side can also be seen, along with the head of a small weasel, as it peeks out at the world.

** Marilon is standing outside the government office, idly cleaning his fingernails and checking his breath. He glances over to the wizard and the monk in close proximity to him. **

Marilon: "This ought to be lucrative, wouldn't you say? It's not Silverymoon, but it'll do."

Coranth: "This is pretty exciting, isn't it? I wonder what sort of mission we're to go on?"

** Borzak glances at his friends Marilon and Coranth, wondering what type of work they're going to get. **

Marilon: "Caravan guarding...monster hunting...maybe a bit of both, I'll presume."

Borzak: "As long as I don't get stuck walking that one nobles dogs again, I'll be happy."

Marilon: "As long as they don't stick me in one place to patrol. That's why I left Waterdeep in the first place; I hate staying still."

Coranth: "Well, staying still isn't that bad, is it? You can learn a lot by staying in one place for a time."

Marilon: "Oh, you'd love Waterdeep then. That's the general opinion there. Its fine for a while...but I need to find songs elsewhere. And create my own."

DM: (Marilon, Coranth and Borzak) You have registered in the front office and were told to wait outside until your appointment became available. Fortunately the dampness has not yet given way to rain (though you feel it likely will and hope something happens before that) and you have waited about 15 minutes.

DM: A small, thin, balding man with a nasally voice who you registered with opens the door and says, "Lord Vhalantru will see you now." Then looking you up and down adds, "Do be on your best behavior, won't you?"

Marilon: "Always."

** Marilon mutters, "About time." **

Coranth: *Smiles.*

DM: Just as you begin to collect yourselves to head to the door and the small, balding man ducks back in, the door is flung wide and parade of adventurers you can only describe as appearing imperious, parades out the door. Smug smiles seem to grace every face and the look at you as if enjoying some private jest you have not yet been made a part of.

Marilon: "What's the good news, gents?"

** Borzak says in hushed tones "I'm not fond of that look they had on their faces" **

Coranth: "Maybe they got a plum assignment."

Marilon: "I'd settle for a ripe peach, myself."

Borzak: "They were looking at us with knowledge in their eyes . . . hmmm"

Coranth: *Smiles and nods at the adventurers that just came out of the building.*

Coranth: "Well, I know that they've been doing this for a while, and doing quite well."

Marilon: {in elven} That will be us one day, rest assured.

Coranth: *nods his head.*

Borzak: "So we need to compete with other groups?"

Marilon: "I'm sure there's work to go around for everyone, my friend. Things are bad around here. Would you believe the road from Everlund to Silverymoon was blocked by brigands?"

DM: The woman in the lead is tall and strikingly beautiful, with smooth dusky skin, long black hair braided into numerous cornrows, sharp features, and a great sense of fashion.

DM: An amused expression passes across her face as she catches site of Coranth.

** Borzak looks on - waiting to be addressed. **

** Marilon puts on his most seductive grin. **

Coranth: *Gives a resigned sigh as he continues to smile.*

DM: "Look at this! The Alistaire boy seems to have found himself some friends! And how precious, they even think they have what it takes for the adventuring life."

DM: The others chuckle at the comment

Borzak: "I suppose you all feel better for laughing at his expense. Wonderful people you all are . . . . . . "

Coranth: "Well, you seem to be able to handle yourself, so it can't be that bad."

Marilon: "I'd retort in your native language, but I don't speak Ogre."

DM: "Well, sorry boys." She goes on, "We just got the last of the work round these parts... don't worry, I am sure more will come after a while... I just wouldn't count on getting them. They like people who can get things done and the Stormblades," she motions to herself and her friends, "are it."

Borzak: "Keep hiding behind those blades . . ." Borzak says under his breath.

DM: Her mocking expression turns to a cold sneer at your comments. "Don't get me wrong Coranth, I am sure your servants will do just fine... but this isn't the type of job someone soft, like you fellows, should get into. Oh well, it is your skin! Best of luck to all of you!"

Marilon: "Luck won't factor into it, m'lady."

DM: With that she motions for her chuckling crew to move off with her.

Coranth: "Ta-ta. Have a nice day." *calls after.*

DM: She seems to ignore your comment Marilon as if your thoughts were below her somehow.

DM: The small clerk clears his throat as he holds the door for you

** Marilon dismisses the group from his mind with a wave of his hand. **

** Marilon bows with a flourish and enters the room. **

DM: "Right this way. As I said, Lord Vhalantru is waiting."

Coranth: *Turns and looks at the clerk.* "Sorry for that." *Heads through into the room.*

** Borzak follows the others **

DM: He leads you through a small office complex and knocks on the door of an office in the back. Once a call comes from inside he opens the door, allows you all in and closes it behind you.

DM: Sitting at a massive oaken desk, situated in the center of this plush office sits an elf with a regal bearing.

Marilon: {in Chondathan, the noble language of the North} "Lord Vhalantru, it is indeed an honour."

DM: He stands as you enter and a warm smile plays across his face.

Coranth: *Bows his head and continues to smile.*

DM: "The honor is mine my friends; it is nice to see that there are those interested in helping more than just themselves."

Marilon: "What do you require of us, m'lord?"

** Borzak sighs at Marilon's constant use of the elven tongue. **

DM: "Please, have a seat." He motions to a semi-circle of plush chairs arranged in front of his desk and sits himself

Coranth: *Finds a seat and sits down.*

DM: He waits for each of you to be seated and then continues

** Marilon sits and crosses his legs almost effeminately. **

** Borzak reluctantly sits - choosing a chair that affords him a view of all entrances and exits. **

DM: "As I was saying. It is a very rare time indeed for this office to have been so fortunate and blessed with those willing to share their time for the good of folk of this city."

DM: "In fact I would say that this is the only time we have ever found ourselves in our present situation!"

DM: "It seems that for once we have more interest in the greater good, for a reasonable compensation of course, than we have contracts to pass out."

Coranth: *My smile seems to falter but doesn't disappear.*

DM: "I am very sorry to inform you that while your application has been accepted we do not have any work to give you as of yet."

** Marilon scratches his neck idly. "Then the answer is obvious. Lower the compensation until it balances out." **

DM: "Alas... I wish that it were that simple."

DM: "You see the demand for this kind of thing raises and falls with regularity."

DM: "If I were to lower compensation we would soon find ourselves with greater need and no groups willing to risk a change in compensation or even to stop by to inquire what might be available."

Borzak: "Are there any other groups you could put us with? Perhaps we could work together?"

DM: "Unfortunately this office has found the best practice is to allow groups to form on their own. In the past our meddling in... hrmm.. 'Group Dynamics' has not met with the success that we hoped."

Borzak: "Understood . . "

DM: "I am very sorry gentleman. At this time I have nothing for you. Please, though, I do encourage you to check back with us once a week. We will fit you in as soon as something becomes available."

Coranth: *Gives a slight nod of his head.* "I understand."

DM: Standing up he says, "Unless there are any other questions then?"

** Borzak waits for the others to stand before doing so himself." **

Coranth: *Stands up.* "Thank you for your time."

** Marilon stands and shrugs. "I suppose I'll earn a living some other way...the bard school at Silverymoon is quite stiffly priced." **

Borzak: "Well. looks like it's back to the tavern for me. At least bouncing pays for my meals and a place to stay when I'm not at Temple"

DM: "No. It is I who should thank you. Please... Mr. Farris will show you out. I do look forward to working with you in the future."
DM: With that he sits back down and seems to become enthralled with a stack of papers on his desk.

Coranth: *Turns and looks at the others.* "Well, I suppose that I can continue to work for Maavu."

DM: You all make your way back to the front office when Mr. Farris (the thin, balding man) stands with a large smile, "The job fit well then?"

** Marilon snarks at Mr. Farris, "Like a moleskin glove." **

Coranth: "Not a job this week, it appears."

DM: "What?!? I could have sworn they had one available for you when I sent for you!"

Coranth: "Apparently the last group got it."

Marilon: "I do believe the totty's group got it. Can't imagine HOW."

Borzak: Sense Motive Skill Check: [1d20+3] -> [2,3] = (5)

whispering to Borzak, He seems earnest to you

DM: "Oh." He says looking down at the paperwork on his desk, "let me see..."

DM: "How odd... just before Lord Taskerhill came, Lord Vhalantru told me this was available and waiting for you..." then it dawns on his slow mind "... and his daughter just left with the last group."

DM: "I am terribly sorry about this folks... I wish there was something I could do."

Marilon: "She's a lordling! Well, this just gets better and better."

Coranth: "Not much that can be done. No available jobs means no available jobs." *Shrugs his shoulders.* "Thanks though. That explains the expressions on the faces of the previous group."

Borzak: "Yes indeed"

DM: As you exit the office it seems only fitting that as the sun has begun to descend that the rain has returned in a slow, grey drizzle.

Marilon: "My friend, does your inn need a singer?"

Coranth: *Raises up the hood of his cloak.* "What a glorious day. So, what shall we do now?" *Looking at the others.*

Borzak: "I could put in a good word for you Marilon"

DM: ((any problem with us switching to Kalishan? Any last words before I do?))

Coranth: (Go for it.)

Marilon: ((nope...it seems like a good time for a jumpcut.)

DM: ((Kalishan - you ready?))

Vallus: (and willing)

Kalishan: Description: Before you stands a female just a bit over 5 feet in height. She has a slender build and wears a deep-hooded ashen gray cloak with a burgundy interior (the cloak is reversible) over her armor and weapons. Her pale milky skin can be seen from beneath the usually drawn hood of the cloak, as can her fiery red hair. Her black leather breeches can be seen when her cloak is not pulled tightly around her, as can her knee high burgundy leather boots. She wears a long-sleeved ash gray tunic and often concealing her appearances by the long cloak and her features deep inside the hood of the cloak. When her cloak is not wrapped so firmly around her, the glint of her sword's pommel can be seen at her left hip. Over her studded leather armor she has a criss-crossing bandolier that houses a dozen or so throwing darts. Adorned around her head is a silver tiara with a blood red gem in its center. She in everyway looks like a human female, no elven slenderness to her face or pointed ears, nor is her hose slanted upwards like that of one descended from the orc breeds.

DM: Kalishan - The bar seems packed, Revus is has always been good at picking nights that are, and you see him sitting in the normal booth you have set up for meets.

** Kalishan takes a deep breath, not quite sure what fate might be in store for her, as surely Revus has already heard the news and is here to deal with her. She palms the handle of her blade concealed under her ashen grey cloak as she crosses the floor towards Revus. She resists the urge to acquire a few coins as she passes through the crowded bar, as her thoughts are focused on other more life-threatening matters. **

DM: As you slide into the bench across from him you see from the serious look on his face that he, and his employers, are well aware of what you hoped they may have missed.

DM: Or least hoped they had a hand in

DM: His words are curt and with none of normal jovial, half flirting tone that you are used to, "What happened?"

Kalishan: "I am uncertain Revus. The child was left sleeping in his chambers along with the others. I was just down the hall and heard no sounds to indicate that something was amiss." *she keeps one hand on her weapon under cloak as her eyes quickly dart to the sides to see if Revus had brought company with him.*

whispering to Kalishan, roll a spot check

whispering to Vaukarn, roll a hide check

Kalishan (whispering): Spot [1d20-1+4] -> [16,-1,4] = (19)

Vaukarn (whispering): Hide: [1d20-3] -> [13,-3] = (10)

Vaukarn (whispering): armor checks a b+$~@

DM: You see a very large man who seems to have taken an interest in you... ((Karl go ahead and describe yourself))

Vaukarn: : Vaukarn is a tall and powerfully built individual with arms and shoulders corded with muscles almost ogre sized. Lumpy nodules of bone, almost like small pebbles, protrude from his pale gray flesh which is marked by dark brown markings covering his entire body, almost like tattoos. He wears heavy boots and breaches under a suit of well worn chain male armor, markings on his armor mirror those on his body (think huge frikkin birth marks). A finely crafted great sword hangs from his belt and a heavy shield is strapped to his back. His brow is slopping leading down to a square jaw and murky brown eyes that avoid eye contact with others at times, almost in a sense of shame. His head is hairless and has the same markings as his body does and scars from battle

** Kalishan makes note of the large individual and keeps track of where he is in the bar and watches for any glances/looks exchanged between Revus and this man. "I know that I really messed up Revus, though I'm certain I can make it up somehow?!" she professes in an almost pleading tone. **

DM: Revus' eyes follow yours "Damn! We're being followed." He starts to stand up, "Fix this! Fix it now or both of us are dead. Do it fast and leave me a message at the drop by the lake. You know the place." Glancing back at the man watching you "And do what ever it takes to loose them... I would suggest the roof... he doesn't look like he could follow too well."

DM: With that Revus storms up the stairs as if he has a room he is returning to... the truth is you have no idea if he does... you always have left first

** Kalishan nods to Revus. "I will try my best to fix this." ... waits for a few moments for Revus to make his get-away and then quietly, yet gracefully rises and heads in the opposite direction to get out of the bar and lose my fan in the vast crowd as I do so. **

** Vaukarn tries to keep up with the little minx. **

Kalishan: (it is dark outside? or quickly getting that way is it not?)

DM: (It is starting to get dark... dusk)

DM: As you exit the building you cross the street and glance back as you reach the other side. Just as expected the brute exits shortly after you do, his eyes searching to find you again.

** Kalishan moves to a darkened street and looks for a route up the wall as she attempts to blend into the shadows **

** Vaukarn wishes he hadn’t been spotted in the first place...frikkin gigantic self **

DM: Kalishan, you realize that you are not yet far enough removed to hide and doing so would mean to remain stationary.

DM: You do see a set of outside stairs leading up to a shop that has a low hanging roof just above the landing

** Kalishan utters a curse as she starts to pick up her pace, though not yet at a run and starts to dart down the side-streets she knows like the back of her hand, trying to lose her pursuer. **

DM: (are you heading up the stairs or down an alley?)

** Vaukarn picks up the pace trying to keep within site of the thief **

Kalishan: (down the alley, I do not wish for that big lug to find me so quickly)

DM: (Alright... let's run us a little race...)

DM: (Rules as follows)

** Marilon cues up the Benny Hill theme **

DM: (Both of you roll a 20 sided and add your dex)

Vaukarn: [1d20+2] -> [14,2] = (16)

Kalishan: [1d20+4] -> [6,4] = (10)

** Vaukarn gets after her, using his long legs (sexy yes?)) **

DM: Kalishan furtively ducks down an alley and as quickly as she can around the next bend, but as she looks over her shoulder the hulking man seems to be gaining ground. She realizes she will need to pick up the pace if she is to loose him

** Vaukarn keeps after her in steady strides grinning. **

DM: ((roll again when ready))

** Kalishan takes off at a dead run, no longer wishing to see what the hulking stranger wishes of me, attempting to lose him in the winding and twisting alleyways of the lower part of town. **

Kalishan: Dex [1d20+4] -> [7,4] = (11)

Vaukarn: [1d20+2] -> [7,2] = (9)

DM: Kalishan - as you round another corner you feel you might be far enough ahead to scramble up a pile of crates, hide behind said pile or just pick a route he might not guess.

Vaukarn: ((can i do a jump to get closer? hell my standing long jump is equal to a running one))

DM: whisper the answer

Kalishan (whispering): I am gonna throw up a globe of darkness up by where these crates and alleys meet and look to the right as if I'm gonna take the right passage and as my darkness comes up, I will quickly change direction to the left alleyway (when I'm in the darkness) and try to find a place to hide in that direction.

DM: Kalishan - whisper me a hide check, move silently check, and bluff check; Vaukarn whisper me a spot check and sense motive check

DM: They don't all matter, but I don't want to give things away by what checks are made

Vaukarn (whispering): Spot Check [1d20+1] -> [8,1] = (9) Sense Motive [1d20+0] -> [5,0] = (5)

whispering to Vaukarn, nice

Vaukarn (whispering): yeah, I’m straight retarded

** Vaukarn is going to get so yelled at by his sarge for all this... **

Kalishan (whispering): Hide [1d20+4+4+2] -> [11,4,4,2] = (21) ... Move Silently [1d20+4+4] -> [2,4,4] = (10) ... Bluff [1d20+1+4+2] -> [11,1,4,2] = (18)

DM: Vaukarn just as you round the corner you think you saw your prey start to zig to the right before everything in front of you goes black as if the very night itself was concentrated in the alleyway in front of you.

Kalishan: ((how ya like me now?!) :)

** Vaukarn does a standing leap through the darkness (f##! fighting in pitch black) Jump [1d20+7] -> [16,7] = (23) **

DM: ((Um... standing leap?!? Alright...))

DM: You land and listen to the silence around you... you can see nothing but the absence of light...

Vaukarn: ((well I woulda prob stopped for a second after hitting complete blackness. I don’t want to run into someone’s sword))

** Vaukarn continues down the alley way with one hand on the right wall trying to find this horrible, horrible mark **

Vaukarn: ((maybe I’ll clothesline her...))

DM: Kalishan, out of breath from your sprint, you listen intently after rounding several corners. You do not seem to hear the sound of pursuit...

** Kalishan continues to skulk in the shadows to return to her safe haven before she relaxes. **

** Vaukarn climbs up one of the buildings once out of the darkness deciding on the higher ground. jumping between buildings when needed **

Vaukarn: ((350 lbs of me dropping onto someone is also a plus))

DM: Vaukarn, finally, after what seems like forever, but you realize could only be a few minutes, you pass out of the nearly tangible field of darkness

Vaukarn: ((that is if I don’t see her once I’m out))

DM: (Vaukarn, climb check please... DC 10)

Vaukarn: [1d20+5] -> [3,5] = (8)

DM: The rain, along with everything else tonight, including the sergeant, seems to be conspiring against you and you can't seem to make it up onto the slick roof with overhang just in arms reach (no fall damage... just annoyed)

** Vaukarn gets his run on and keeps looking for that damn thief **

DM: (spot check please)

DM: (Vaukarn that is)

Vaukarn: Spot [1d20+1] -> [19,1] = (20)

DM: As you round yet another corner looking for the small, cloaked runner, you almost run straight into a ladder. With your luck who knows if it will hold you though.

** Vaukarn sighs and gives a try at this aerial excursion **

DM: (climb check DC 5)

Vaukarn: [1d20+5] -> [6,5] = (11)

DM: You climb up the overly rickety seeming ladder onto the roof and test your footing. After a few moments you are feeling comfortable again and begin to scan the skyline for the outline of your missing prey.

DM: (Vaukarn spot check, Kalishan hide check... whispered please)

Vaukarn: Spot [1d20+1] -> [2,1] = (3)

Kalishan (whispering): Hide [1d20+4+4+2] -> [11,4,4,2] = (21)

** Vaukarn does the Tick thing and jumps from roof to roof looking down into alley ways for an annoying ass thief who he is going to drop cannon ball style on **

DM: You (are you surprised?) see nothing, but you figure maybe if you make some distance in the direction you last saw her go you might get lucky (yeah right... on a night like tonight that is going to happen?!?!)

** Vaukarn continues off in the direction he last saw her heading thinking about getting fired **

DM: ((Alright... time for another switch... then we'll wrap up with a setup for next time))

DM: ((Daphy you ready))

Daphy GrimBeard: (( yep ))

DM: As you make your way back to the temple the night has taken a turn, as it so often does here in the north, to a slow, depressing drizzle.

DM: ((you wear a cloak or something with a hood I assume?))

** Daphy GrimBeard mumbles as I kick at the water pooling in puddles before me **

Daphy GrimBeard: (( nope... rain falls on my face))

DM: ((k))

Daphy GrimBeard: (( its the only time I get a bath ))

DM: The night grows darker and you begin to soak through when you decide a more direct route than the main road (which circles just inside the outer wall) will serve you best in getting you back to dry quarters.

** Daphy GrimBeard as I start to feel the cold of the rain on me finally... I take out my shield and hold it above me like an umbrella **

DM: You pass into the alleyways that are just starting to become familiar to you in your explorations of the city, when a muscled figure steps across the intersection in front of you. His face is painted half white and half black, like a laughing jester.

Daphy GrimBeard: (( like he's blocking my way? ))

DM: (yes)

DM: He is quickly joined by another similarly clad and equally muscled fellow. Glancing over your shoulder you notice two more are approaching from the rear.

Daphy GrimBeard: "Scuse me there kid... Mind given a grumpy man a bit of room?"

DM: "You've got a lesson to learn my little friend." The first sneers as he slowly walks toward you.

Daphy GrimBeard: "I've taught more lessons then I've learned I'm afraid"

** Daphy GrimBeard looks up into his eyes with a stern glance **

DM: A small smirk crosses his lips, "I was hoping you would you say something like that!" and with those words he pulls out a sap.

DM: (init time)

Daphy GrimBeard: (( Good thing I have my shield out ))

Daphy GrimBeard: Init [1d20] -> [2] = (2)

DM: [1d20] -> [13] = (13) [1d20] -> [3] = (3) [1d20] -> [6] = (6) [1d20] -> [9] = (9)

DM: "Hylum, make sure we get our.... privacy." The first man says as lunges at you with his sap

DM: [1d20+1] -> [5,1] = (6)

DM: He over extends his reach and you find it almost instinctive to step inside his swing and shoulder him to the side, throwing him momentarily off balance

Daphy GrimBeard: "Are you sure you shouldn't still be in school..."

DM: You hear foot steps rushing up behind you and turn to see a man leaping to tackle you.

DM: (AoO)

Daphy GrimBeard: (( I get one? )

DM: ((Yes... he is attempting a grapple))

Daphy GrimBeard: ((do I do anything special to slam him with my shield? ))

DM: ((Let me check))

Daphy GrimBeard: (( I really don’t wanna pull out my axe on a couple of street punks ))

DM: ((no... but if you use it you loose the AC bonus this round))

Coranth (whispering): According to the Improved Shield Bash feat, if you don't have the feat, you can make a shield bash attack, but lose your Shield's AC bonus.)

Coranth (whispering): I just happen to have a copy of the 3.5 PHB right next to me. LOL

whispering to Coranth, thanks!!! I appreciate people who help look up rules a lot!

[editor’s note: hint, hint to all you reading this]

** Daphy GrimBeard takes a step back whirling his body around just enough to introduce the attacker to my shield **

Daphy GrimBeard: Shield Bash [1d20+1] -> [1,1] = (2)

DM: [1d20+1] -> [6,1] = (7) (this is a touch attack... so against your touch AC)

DM: While you fail to bring your shield to bear, your slip also cause him to glance off your side and he regains his footing beside you.

DM: The last punk (the fourth seems to have taken up guard near the end of the alley) pulls out a whip and strikes for your feat from a distance

DM: [1d20+1] -> [11,1] = (12) (trip attempt, also touch)

Daphy GrimBeard: (( I have a +4 to save vs tripping ))

DM: His whip wraps around your ankle and he tugs with all his might to remove your feet from the ground

DM: ((he doesn't really know dwarves too well))

DM: ((Opposed strength check... factor in your bonus for being a dwarf))

DM: [1d20+1] -> [12,1] = (13)

DM: ((d20 + str mod + 4 dwarven bonus))

Daphy GrimBeard: [1d20+1] -> [3,1] = (4)

Daphy GrimBeard: (( so 8 ))

DM: Your feet are pulled out from under you. As you hit the ground on the flat of your back you let out a loud grunt.

Daphy GrimBeard: "Oy"

DM: The leader (at least the one who has spoken so far) leans over you saying "Stay away from the orphanage, you got that!"

Daphy GrimBeard: "You got a thing for little kids do ya "

DM: ((and that is where we will end for the night... it is your init when we return))

DM: There will likely be a chance to everyone to join up at the beginning of the next session

[Sean Mahoney]

DM: Steady drizzle falls from the ash-gray sky. The crowded, rain-slicked buildings seem especially bleak and frightful this evening, hunched together beneath the tireless rain. A few lights burn in their eyes, but mostly their shutters have been closed for the night. The scent of chimney smoke fills the air, and you hear the din of water trundling from the rooftops, splashing into dark alleys, and turning street gutters into rivulets.
DM: A sudden, gruff 'Harumph!' and the sounds of a scuffle split the evening air. It seems to come from somewhere down the nearby alleyway.
DM: ((That is nearby to each of you even though you are in different locations))

Coranth: *Looks at the others with me.* "Should we check it out? Someone could be in trouble."

Marilon: "That sounds like trouble. And we've got nothing better to do, my friends, so let's get to it."

Borzak: "I'm all for making the day a better day by busting some heads."

** Marilon pulls his cloak tighter around him as he makes his way towards the alley, periodically looking back for his companions. **

Coranth: *Starts heading towards the alley that the sounds came out of.*

** Vaukarn is still looking around from the roof tops for that gods cursed cut purse **

DM: ((Vaukarn - are you ignoring the sound while doing this or moving to look for the cut purse there? Either way is your call, I just need to know))

Vaukarn: ((moving to see if it’s the cut purse.))

** Vaukarn doesn’t want someone else snatching up his mark **
Vaukarn: ((how many floors up am I?))

DM: ((on the roof of a 2 story building))

Kalishan (whispering): I will sneak in the shadows to see what the noise is about... I'm hoping its not that big guy after me some more.

DM: You follow the noises to the mouth (or roof in one case) of a mist-shrouded alley, wherein you see three figures assaulting a fourth, who lies on his back on the wet cobblestones. One of the attackers leans over the victim and growls, “Stay away from the orphanage, you got that!”

** Daphy is lying on his back in an ally ... and its raining **

Daphy: Description: Short and stocky as only a dwarf can look. Daphy's Features seem worn by a blend of smoke and self abuse... though no scars show. The skin is rough with all the cracks and imperfections seeming to stand out. His armor seems to carry the same worn look of chain mail that was never polished, and a backpack fits... covering most of a dim metallic shield. The Axe at his side is wrapped with leather along the whole handle and only the glint of the blade in the sun shows that it could be an actual threat. Even for a dwarf his head hangs a little low with an unseen weight on his shoulders. His Beard carries the same look of soot, it is well groomed just seems to fluctuate in color from the natural auburn to black in splotches that play with the shadows.

DM: ((Daphy... it is your initiative))
DM: ((Remember that standing provokes an attack of opportunity in 3.5))

Daphy: (( so I have a man leaning over me? ))

DM: ((Correct... he is leaning over you))

Daphy: ((close enough to headbutt?))

DM: ((Sure!))

Daphy: Headbutt while lying on my back [1d20+1] -> [3,1] = (4)

DM: As you reach up to head butt the Jester faced knave, he backs up and readies his weapon.
DM: ((Everyone else who is there please roll initiative))

** Daphy struggles fruitlessly **

whispering to Kalishan, You can whisper it

Vaukarn: Initiative: [1d20+2] -> [10,2] = (12)

Marilon: init [1d20] -> [14] = (14)

Coranth: Init [1d20+2] -> [12,2] = (14)

Kalishan (whispering): [1d20+4] -> [3,4] = (7)

DM: ((tie breaker d20 for Marilon and Coranth please))

Marilon: roll off [1d20] -> [19] = (19)

Borzak: Initiative [1d20+7] -> [17,7] = (24)

Coranth: [1d20] -> [5] = (5)

Marilon: (man, we're blowing all our good rolls on inits and stuff. Let's hope it's not like last week's rolls)

DM: ((Alright... let me write down the whole order then))

DM: ((Alright... Borzak is up))

Borzak: I'll move to one of the jester looking people and attempt a grapple
Borzak: Improved Grapple: [1d20+6] -> [11,6] = (17)

DM: ((Borzak, Marilon and Coranth... spot check please))

Marilon: Spot Skill Check: [1d20+0] -> [18,0] = (18)

Borzak: Spot Skill Check: [1d20+5] -> [13,5] = (18)

Coranth: Spot [1d20+4] -> [5,4] = (9)

DM: ((nice all!!!))

DM: Borzak, just as you are about to charge you notice yet another painted thug hiding in the shadows not far from you... just as you notice him he shouts "We got more trouble makers!!!" But you have the jump on him before he can do anything else.

DM: ((Marilon saw him as well... Coranth will be flat footed against this one thug just for this round))
DM: ((You can change your action if you would like Borzak... attacking would take you through his threatened area))

Borzak: (Alright - I'll attack the guy hiding in the shadows then)

DM: ((Alright then... Borzak we will use your attack roll to grapple the thug who was guarding the entry to the alley... ok?))

Borzak: (Yep)

DM: As you rush at the newly found menace he begins to swing at you, were it not for your intense training he would have likely foiled your attempt, but as it stands it makes it almost too easy for you.

DM: ((Everyone make another spot check)

Borzak: Spot Skill Check: [1d20+5] -> [20,5] = (25)

Daphy: Spot [1d20+3] -> [15,3] = (18)

Vaukarn: Spot (wis): [1d20+1] -> [8,1] = (9)

Marilon: Spot Skill Check: [1d20+0] -> [16,0] = (16)

whispering to Kalishan, Spot for you as well

Kalishan (whispering): Spot [1d20-1+4] -> [7,-1,4] = (10)

Vaukarn: ((the dice doth hate me much))

whispering to Marilon, You notice another shape clinging to the wall just under the cover of the roof, watching...

whispering to Borzak, You notice another shape clinging to the wall just under the cover of the roof, watching...

DM: ((Alright Borzak... opposed grapple check... BAB + STR mod + size mod + misc))

Marilon: (so who's next up?)

DM: ((Marilon will be))

Borzak: "There's another on the wall!" Borzak motions with a jerk of his head.

DM: Everyone looks up at the eves (except Vaukarn, who is at a bad angle to see) and notes the shadowy form of a fifth figure clinging to the wall and watching the melee below.

Marilon: (k, I'll set myself up then.)

DM: [1d20+1] -> [16,1] = (17)

Borzak: Improved Grapple: [1d20+6] -> [12,6] = (18)

DM: Your practiced moves are all that allows you to gain control of the muscled thug, but it is enough.
DM: ((Unarmed damage then))
DM: ((and do you want to do normal or subdual damage since you are a monk?))

Borzak: Grapple Damage: [1d6+2] -> [3,2] = (5) btw

DM: He responds to your submission hold with a grunt but continues to fight
DM: ((Marilon, you're up))

** Marilon stays well back of the mummers and begins a driving and uplifting song to get everyone inspired. **
Marilon: "History repeats itself, try and you succeed! Never doubt that you're the one, and you can have your dream! You're the best...around! Nothing's going to ever keep you down! You're the best...around..." (etc.)
Marilon: (inspire courage)

DM: ((Go ahead and post the effect for everyone to consider in on rolls))

Marilon: (+1 to attack, +1 to damage, +1 to morale against charm and fear)

DM: ((Coranth you are next))

Daphy: ((maybe I should cast bless now))

Kalishan (whispering): did I see the guy up on the wall watching?

whispering to Kalishan, Once it was called to your attention, not before.

Coranth: *Moves to one side of the alley, giving a clear exit if people want to leave and starts muttering in a low chant while moving his hands in circling patterns.*

Coranth (whispering): Does the alley turn at any point or is it a straight shot?

whispering to Coranth, Straight shot for the affected area... though there is a downward grade from right to left on the screen

DM: ((How do I unlock them?))

Coranth (whispering): Okay, so I'll do Ghost Sounds and make it sound like a small group of guards marching towards the alley from the street near the entrance where we are.

whispering to Coranth, DC for save?

Coranth (whispering): It's a DC 15 Will save to disbelieve, if they interact with the sound.

DM: Thug 1 = [1d20-1] -> [5,-1] = (4)
DM: Thug 2 = [1d20-1] -> [8,-1] = (7)
DM: Thug 3 = [1d20-1] -> [15,-1] = (14)
DM: Thug 4 (grappled) = [1d20-1] -> [4,-1] = (3)
DM: Wall Climber [1d20] -> [16] = (16)

Kalishan: (kill spider-man)

DM: You all hear the jangle of armor and clomp of boots... it can only be a group of gaurds coming this way (from the direction of the alley opening nearest Marilon and Coranth)

DM: ((Thug 1))
DM: Looking about quickly, "Damn! We didn't sign on for this..." he breaks into a run toward the opposite end of the alley

whispering to Kalishan, Towards you

** Daphy is gonna trip, claw and grab at anything I can **

DM: ((AoO for Daphy if you have a weapon in hand... shield?))
DM: ((or if you have improved unarmed))

Daphy: (( my shield I guess ))
Daphy: AoO with Shield [1d20+1] -> [17,1] = (18)

DM: As he attempts to turn tail and run you are able to swing you shield at his feet and connect
DM: ((Damage please))

Daphy: [1d3+2] -> [3,2] = (5)
Daphy: "Not going any where yet"

DM: As the thugs begin to flee, the shadowed figure on the wall reaches back and pulls back her hood... for it is a she. Her face is also painted white and black transforming it into a grinning harlequin's visage.
DM: "Well done!" She coos, "But the cleric lives because we wish it so, not because of your misplaced bravado."

Borzak: "You're soon to meet Kelemvor if you don't get out of here."

DM: She then points a baleful finger at Daphy, "Take these words back to your temple, Priest! The children are lost and are no longer Helm's concern."
DM: She then moves quickly up, grabs a hold of the roof and swings up on top... only to come face to face with a hulking, lumpy giant of a man.

Daphy: "Misplaced bravado is better then none at all"

Marilon: "Helm? Curious."

Daphy: "Ye Coward"

Kalishan (whispering): Do I recognize the markings they wear? Obviously they are some sort of gang or cult ...

whispering to Vaukarn, Very well... they are the markings of the last laugh... the thugs are the markings they give to their hired help as opposed to full members, but it keeps them from being easily recognized since they are often locals

Kalishan: (yikes)

Vaukarn: ((can i take an action? oh plz oh plz! =), ))

DM: ((Vaukarn has next action... the inits are working out perfectly for me!))

** Vaukarn looks at the b*@@% with a wide smile "Lo There!" and grapples her [1d20+1+1+5+4] -> [19,1,1,5,4] = (30) **

Borzak: (AoO)

DM: ((Do you have improved grapple?))

Vaukarn: ((large size is swell))
Vaukarn: ((nope, +1 bab, +1 bard song, +5 str, +4 size))

DM: ((alright))

Borzak: (Better hope she doesn't cause damage)

DM: As you reach in to embrace her in a huge bear hug, she lunges at you with a short sword you didn't see in her hands before.
DM: [1d20+6] -> [1,6] = (7)
DM: ((NOOOOO))

Vaukarn: ((alright))

Borzak: (Whiff!)

DM: (LOL)

Marilon: (bwahaha)

Vaukarn: ((look ive got a new pet))

DM: Her warding swing does nothing to dissuade you and your attempt to envelope her in your grasp
DM: (alright opposed grapple check... is there a rule for using escape artist?)
DM: ((er... I'm sorry... you make a touch attack first))

Vaukarn: Touch Attack [1d20+1+1+5] -> [2,1,1,5] = (9)
Vaukarn: ((son of a b~@!#!))

DM: You just feel cloak as she rolls out from under your grasp

DM: ((grappled thug))
DM: ((Attempting to break free of grapple))

Vaukarn: ((can i go after her?))

DM: ((Her move is over so she is still right next to you, you used your standard action and have a move action left))

** Vaukarn hexes her! **

DM: ((LOL))

Vaukarn: ((come on wammies! ))
** Vaukarn jumps ontop of her (if i can) **
Vaukarn: ((or is it a move action to put manacles on her? hehe im reaching here =) ))

DM: ((You already used your standard action.. unless you want to move away from her you will need to wait until next turn)
DM: ((Did you want to move? Or use the move action for something?))

Vaukarn: ((ill wait then))
Vaukarn: ((no ill stay close to her and say screw the movement))

DM: ((Borzak.. .opposed grapple as he attempts to break the grapple))

Borzak: Improved Grapple: [1d20+6] -> [20,6] = (26)

DM: ((yikes))

Borzak: (Muahaha)

DM: Grapple [1d20+1] -> [2,1] = (3)

Vaukarn: ((w00t for Borzak!))

** Borzak think he just heard something crack **

DM: Despite the mans struggles he is like puddy in your hands

whispering to Kalishan, Your turn... do you want to take an action?
whispering to Kalishan, Or even hide I guess

Kalishan (whispering): Nope... I don't think I need to give myself away... I don't suppose I recognize the people (from what gang/sect?) I will just stay hidden.

whispering to Kalishan, You don't recognize them... do you want to hide so they running thugs don't see you as they pass?

Kalishan (whispering): yah ... I don't want them to know that I'm here, so maybe I can shadow them when they flee.

DM: The other two free thugs take one look at their friend who is being manhandled, quickly glance at each other, then turn and bolt toward the far end of the alley.

Daphy: (( is that including the one I hit in the leg with my shield? ))

DM: ((Yes that is... you hit him and he kept running))
DM: ((Daphy, your turn))

** Daphy gets up **

DM: ((Well, it was kind of a gimping run... what with his shin and all))
DM: ((move action... anything with the standard?))

Coranth: "The thugs are easily frightened, but will soon return, and in greater numbers I'm afraid. We should get to someplace safe."

Kalishan: ((Thanks Obi-Wan!))

DM: ((If you would like to chase you are absolutely welcome to though))

** Daphy stands there and shouts "Don't let them Get away!" **

Coranth: "Why?"

Borzak: "We'll be taking this one with us wherever it is we go - that is . . . once he's out."

Daphy: "They are tied to the missing children!"

Coranth: "What missing children?

DM: ((Borzak... opposed grapple check to make sure you can dmg if you would like... can also pin if that is the preference))
DM: Thug grapple [1d20+1] -> [5,1] = (6)

Daphy: "No time for a conversation... didn't you hear that b~+%@... Act now!"

Borzak: Improved Grapple: [1d20+6] -> [16,6] = (22)
Borzak: Grapple Damage [1d6+2] -> [1,2] = (3) non-lethal on the Thug btw

Daphy: (( ... Didn't you hear that b*~@%... not I didn't you hear that b+@+# ))

DM: ((you want to dmg or pin?))

Borzak: (Damage - non lethal)
Borzak: ((Just until he passes out)

DM: ((k... 3 nonlethal recorded))
DM: The thug grunts seem to be growing weaker but he is still attempting to fight you.

DM: ((Marilon?))

Marilon: (Are there any thugs in my range?)

DM: ((The thugs who ran are well into the darkness and fog, but you can shoot for them... what is your range? They will have concealment))

Marilon: (I can't shoot them, I only have a rapier)
Marilon: (I meant in my move range)

DM: ((oh... you can give chase... if you are not encumbered by weight or armor you will have the same move as they do and we will have to go into a chase scene))

Marilon: (hmm...)

** Marilon draws his rapier and stays on the defensive in case any more freaky wall crawlers show up. **

Marilon: (and that's me done.)

whispering to Kalishan, By the way... roll a hide check

Kalishan (whispering): [1d20+4+4+2] -> [11,4,4,2] = (21)

whispering to Kalishan, You don't believe any of the three that passed you saw anything... of course the one of the roof and the prisoner aren't likely to be looking

DM: ((alright... Coranth?))
DM: The sounds of the approaching guards seem to fade off into the distance as quickly as they appeared.

Coranth: "Why should we go running off after a group of thugs? We've already got one and can turn him over to the city watch, or your temple, and they can handle the situation, or we can get more information out of him."

Daphy: "and what if that one" points "Doesn't know anything"

Coranth: "Well, he should, definitely who hired him."
Coranth: (That'll be my action.)

Daphy: "What if he's to dumb to care "

DM: The first thug to bolt gimps off into the darkness as quickly as his injured leg will allow

Borzak: "I'm sure the Priests at the Temple have ways to get the truth."

DM: On the roof, the darkly clad woman rolls almost quicker than you would imagine possible (successful tumble to avoid AoO) and sprints off across the rooftops leaping farther than you would have thought possible.

Vaukarn: ((she got away? f%+~ that I’m chasing after her ass))

** Vaukarn ran over mountain passes, he isn’t giving up that easy **

Kalishan: ((Chasing another rogue ... and female too boot... when will ya learn Karl??!)

DM: ((Vaukarn... your move... she tumbled 10 feet then miraculously made a 25 foot jump across the street))

Coranth: (He must be very desperate for a woman. LOL)

** Vaukarn thinks he can make that jump and hauls ass after her (jump check?)) **

DM: (yep... if your trying it)

Marilon: (cue the Six Million Dollar Man sound effect...ch-ch-ch-ch-hooooo)

** Vaukarn sprints and steps on the ledge and hurls himself into space after her Jump: [1d20+2+5] -> [20,2,5] = (27) **

Marilon: (WOO HOO)

Vaukarn: "Your mine WHORE!"

DM: ((WOW!!))
DM: ((How far will that make it?))

Kalishan: (27 feet)

Vaukarn: ((you cant stop this, you can only hope to contain me.,...))
Vaukarn: ((I’m 2 feet closer now to =P ))

DM: ((Wow... you had barely any chance... nice job!!!))

whispering to Kalishan, Alright... I will call for a random spot check in a little bit... when I do, roll a hide... I will modify both

Kalishan (whispering): k ... should I roll a spot check too? or just the hide?

whispering to Kalishan, Hide... it will be be to spot you, but they won't know that... at best they will get a "you feel like someone is following you" but remember distance modifies it as well... so stay back

DM: ((Daphy?))

** Daphy brushes some of the mud clumps off himself and puts his shield back on his back... and takes a Swig from a jug of ale **

DM: The pinned man begins to plead, "Damn it man! I give already!!!"

Borzak: "Ask questions quickly" Borzak says to his friends.

DM: ((Alright... is anyone other than Vaukarn going to attempt to follow the rooftop woman?))

** Daphy wipes the drink and other debris from his face and recaps the jug walking over to the grappled thug **

Kalishan (whispering): can I see what direction the group of thugs went that ran?

whispering to Kalishan, They split up and ran down several alleys... from the sounds of it you would guess they know this area very well and are ducking back and forth to throw off pursuit... then the sound of running suddenly stops... not quite at once... but close.

Kalishan (whispering): yep... they slowed down when they were sure they were no longer followed and went into the shadows to move ... damn..

DM: ((Alright then I will continue with just Vaukarn for the chase))
DM: A look of shock and respect registers on the woman’s face as she glances back and sees that you made the jump. "Impressive... I would love to stay and play with you, but I have other pressing matters"
DM: As she continues to run from you she pulls out a wand and with a word muttered under her breath, simply vanishes.

** Vaukarn keeps after her "A Watch Jail cell!!!" **
Vaukarn: ".....you b%**&!"

** Vaukarn looks around in a circle to see if she has reappeared anywhere." **

DM: Spot check

Vaukarn: Spot (wis): [1d20+1] -> [9,1] = (10)

DM: You see nothing but the people you just left behind starting to walk toward the grappled thug.
DM: (climb check DC10 to make it down safe... can take 10 if you like)

Vaukarn: ((ill do it, and i do it fast =P take no penalty for excellerated climbing))

DM: ((combat is over at this point... speak freely...))

** Vaukarn curses again and works his way to ground level and back to the alleyway where those other people where fighting. **
Vaukarn: ((I make it to the others?))

Coranth: "So, do you have a name?" *Looking at the dwarf.*

** Marilon salutes the dwarf with his rapier before retiring it. **

Borzak: "Hey Silvertongue - shouldn't you be asking this guys the questions" Borzks motions to the grappled man in his arms.

Marilon: "Right. Okay, you villain, who do you work for?"

DM: As you all approach the captive, the large man on the roof, with agility surprising for his size, makes his way down to the ground and approaches

** Vaukarn is a tall and powerfully built individual with arms and shoulders corded with muscles almost ogre sized. Lumpy nodules of bone, almost like small pebbles, protrude from his pale gray flesh which is marked by dark brown markings covering his entire body, almost like tattoos. He wears heavy boots and breaches under a suit of well worn chain mail armor, markings on his armor mirror those on his body (think huge frikkin birth marks). A finely crafted great sword hangs from his belt and a heavy shield is strapped to his back. His brow is slopping leading down to a square jaw and murky brown eyes that avoid eye contact with others at times, almost in a sense of shame. His head is hairless and has the same markings as his body does and scars from battle. **

DM: ((You using diplomacy or intimidation for your questioning?))

Marilon: (Diplomacy. I can't intimidate.)
Marilon: "Tell us who you work for. We can do this the easy way."

DM: ((Sure you can! just not well))

** Vaukarn finds his way back to the group of adventurers and flashes his Watch Badge. "City watch, I see you got the bastard eh now?" unclipping a set of manacles from his belt **

DM: The captives eyes shift to the ground as he refuses to make eye contact... but he remains silent

Kalishan (whispering): Hmmm... the city watch is after me? I wonder what in the hell for?! I haven't stolen anything anyone knows about! *thinks to herself*

Borzak: "You had better talk" Borzak says as he tightens his hold.

Marilon: "Listen, pal. It's not our intent to kill you."
Marilon: "Just tell us what we want to know."
Marilon: Diplomacy Skill Check: [1d20+7] -> [7,7] = (14)

DM: The captive turns his face away from Vaukarn, but makes no other move.

Vaukarn: "Mind if I give a go at this?" prepared to snap the manacles onto the prisoner

Borzak: Sense Motive Skill Check: [1d20+3] -> [11,3] = (14)
Borzak: (On Vauk)

DM: ((alright... I guess make a bluff check Vaukarn))

Vaukarn: Bluff [1d20-1] -> [2,-1] = (1)

DM: ((Alright... Tell Borzak your life story...))

Vaukarn: ((you learn that my intention is to beat information out of him and then turn him over to the watch))
Vaukarn: ((and the badge is legit))
Vaukarn: "Hah, that wont help you boyo." *looks over at Daphy* "If I hold him up can you use his ball bag for punching practice?"

Daphy: "I don't know if I have the accuracy it would take"

Borzak: "Alright - shackle him"

Daphy: "anyone seen that Thing on the walls before?"

Coranth: "Can't say that I have." *Extends his hand towards Daphy.* "By the way, my name is Coranth and you are?"

Daphy: "Daphy..."

Daphy: *shakes hand*

Marilon: "You've had trouble with the ladies too, have you? How coincidental. Why, not long ago we lost work because of some totty lord's daughter."

Daphy: "Stick to the subject at hand "

** Vaukarn shackles him up and lifts him by the shackles off the ground. "Now noble dwarf...care to give me a hand in this? Well more like fists...and to him really." looking to the prisoner "This ends whenever you open that trap of yers boyo. I’ve had a shitty night and little minxy b%&&!es making me run all over the place." **

DM: ((make an intimidation check Vaukarn))

Vaukarn: Intimidate [1d20-1] -> [18,-1] = (17)
** Vaukarn whispers something into his ear. **

Vaukarn (whispering): "I was one of Triel’s favorites, do you know what that means?"

DM: His eyes go wide, "By Bane’s black balls, Vaukarn!!!" then he slams his mouth shut and quickly looks at the ground.

Borzak: "How does he know your name?"

Vaukarn: "A lot of people know my name, you don’t see many like me in these parts, or at all."
Vaukarn: "Well I guess that means I’ve gotta show you what she taught me since your so damn tight lipped. Anyone have a torch, a sharp knife, and a bottle of iodine... or I can just use my sword."

Marilon: "I have a torch and a rapier...what's iodine?"

Daphy: "Let’s take him to the others, Vaukarn"

Vaukarn: Intimidate [1d20+5] -> [1,5] = (6)
Vaukarn: ((my first one was much better...))

DM: ((Hrm... well no matter then...))

Vaukarn: "Substance that hurts like hell. But it’ll disinfect the wounds he receives from me cutting off all his nut hair with a red hot dagger."

Marilon: "Ooh, I like the way you think."

Coranth: "That sounds like a very painful operation and something that will take quite some time."

Vaukarn: "Nah, faster just hurts more."

Vaukarn: "Now tell me who hired you, it can only get worse and I want to find those children."

Daphy: "This isn't our place Vaukarn! Let me take him to the authorities"

** Vaukarn grins "Yer in luck, I’m one of those authorities." **

** Marilon scratches behind his ear and looks over at Borzak. "Do you have any more idea about what's going on than I do?" **

DM: The man keeps his face away from Vaukarn as much as possible but has no response to the threats (real or not)

Borzak: "Not an inkling" Borzak replies to Marilon. "I'm about ready to leave"

whispering to Kalishan, His behavior seems right in line with your experiences with the watch

Daphy: "I ask Vaukarn that you release him into my custody so that I may turn him into The authorities at the Church of Helm"

Vaukarn: "Let me think about that..."

whispering to Coranth, His behavior seems a bit out of line from your limited exposure to the watch.

Marilon: "Listen. There's an easy way to get information out of anybody if you really need it."
Marilon: "I'll need a pint of oil."

Coranth: *Looks at Vaukarn.* "I think it would be best to take him to the Church of Helm."

** Vaukarn balls up a huge fist and slams it into the suspects arm hard enough to shatter bone. "Alright, but I want a copy of whatever information he divulges. I want to find those missing people as much as you." **

** Daphy looks away in disgust at the brutality **

Marilon: "Ah, well that's settled. Listen, what does the church of Helm have to do with all this?"

Coranth: "Are you sure you are an active member of the watch? You certainly don't act like one."

DM: ((Roll dmg... non-lethal or lethal?))

Vaukarn: ((non-lethal))
Vaukarn: [1d4+5] -> [1,5] = (6)
Vaukarn: "My blood gets a bit hot when bastards like this kidnap children out of their cribs."
Vaukarn: "And keep complaining and I’ll trump up charges on you and toss ya in a cell."

Coranth: "Well, I'm sure that you can come up with a long list of offenses, all of which of course would be fabrications and falsehoods."

DM: The man seems to be only barely able to stay conscious by focusing on the pain.

Daphy: "I was just asked to look into the disappearances at the Lantern Street Orphanage... I was returning when these goons tried to scare me off"

Marilon: "Disappearances at an orphanage? And these poor excuses for mummers are behind it?"

Borzak: "What are they doing with these children . . . . ?"

Vaukarn: "Oh there’s been more then just those orphans gone missing these past months."

** Marilon turns to Borzak and Coranth, grinning. "Sounds like we don't need Lord Vhalantru after all." **

Vaukarn: "Who knows, but I pray that they will be alive when we find them."

Marilon: "Listen, my large friend. I am willing to offer my blade and my voice towards this worthy cause, if you'll have me."

Borzak: ?me looks to Marilon "Looks like we've found some work after all."

Daphy: "All your questions are appropriate... but I have no answers to any... If you will accompany me back to the Church of Helm we might be able to delve further into the matter"

** Borzak looks to Marilon "Looks like we've found some work after all." **

Vaukarn: "Lead the way noble Daphy." *he says in all seriousness*

Marilon: "So you're a Helmite, are you?", he asks, looking at the dwarf.

Daphy: "No... they are offering hospitality to me while I am on my own quest... I was asked to look into the Lantern Street Orphanage" *starts walking back to the temple*

DM: ((So I see that Marilon and Vaukarn seem willing to follow Daphy to the temple... what is everyone else doing?))

whispering to Kalishan, You as well, if they begin to move off...

Coranth: *Looks around at the streets for a moment and then follows Marilon and Daphy to the temple.*

Borzak: "Well I guess it's a party" Bozak says as he follows Marilon.

** Daphy keeps looking over his shoulder making sure the prisoner is still in tow **
Daphy: "Lets get out of this rain"

DM: ((looking over your shoulder... everyone make a spot check...))

Marilon: Spot Skill Check: [1d20+0] -> [18,0] = (18)

Coranth: Spot [1d20+4] -> [6,4] = (10)

Borzak: Spot Skill Check: [1d20+5] -> [15,5] = (20)

Daphy: Spot check [1d20+3] -> [4,3] = (7)

Vaukarn: Spot [1d20+1] -> [16,1] = (17)

whispering to Kalishan, Tough rolls to beat...

Kalishan (whispering): Hide [1d20+4+4+2] -> [17,4,4,2] = (27)
Kalishan (whispering): Not that tough :)

whispering to Kalishan, Good enough!

whispering to Marilon, You notice that the prisoner seems to be doing everything he can to keep Vaukarn from seeing his face.

whispering to Borzak, You notice that the prisoner seems to be doing everything he can to keep Vaukarn from seeing his face.

Borzak: "Stop a minute!"
Borzak: "Wait!"

** Daphy stops **

** Vaukarn puts on the breaks swinging around with his heavy burden **

Coranth: *Looks at Borazk.* "What?"

** Borzak motions to the Thug "Look at me!" **

DM: The prisoner keeps his eyes firmly on the ground

Marilon: "Vaukarn, do you know this man? He seems to know you and is determined for you not to see him."

Borzak: "I agree"

** Vaukarn sighs and grasps the prisoners hair and lifts his head **

DM: He resists as best he can...

** Daphy watches the group **

DM: [1d20-6] -> [14,-6] = (8) opposed str check with a minus for just head

Vaukarn: "He knows the reputation of my boss is all."
Vaukarn: [1d20+5] -> [15,5] = (20)

DM: You force his face into view, there IS something familiar about it, but it is hard to tell through all of the paint

Marilon: "Your boss? And who's that then? It might be nice to know who I'm working for, if indirectly."

whispering to Vaukarn, His name is Nilas Varkazi... he is a member, or was, of your squad.

Vaukarn: "Well ex boss...."
** Vaukarn takes out his flask of water and pours it over his face and wipes at it with the prisoners own shirt **
** Vaukarn gapes at the prisoner "Nilas! What in the gods name are you doing working for those trash?" **

DM: The man responds to the rub-down with what you can only interpret as fear, but still says nothing...

** Vaukarn raises a fist almost ready to crush the mans skull but stops. "So you went with Triel did you? Swine!" **

DM: He tries in vain to stare at the ground, but says nothing... his eyes are turning to rage.

Borzak: "I have a feeling we're getting ourselves into something much deeper than we anticipate"

Marilon: "Indeed. So you're loving it as much as I am, then?"

Coranth: "I think it would be much safer, and wiser, to question this man once we've reached the safety of the church."

** Borzak shakes his head **

Vaukarn: "He's no more then a beast. But let’s move, I don’t want his "friends" finding us..."

Marilon: "That, and I'm getting wet."

Daphy: "yes let’s keep going"

DM: You continue to drag the man along against his will, but his fight seems to be seeping out of his beaten frame...
DM: The rain continues to pour, now almost in sheets, as you make your way to the Temple of Helm.

Daphy: (( I was gonna talk more once we got out of the rain ))

Marilon: "Interesting thing about the Temple of Helm. I met up with their head on the way over here, and some fighter in their service as well."

Daphy: "They are under a temporary leadership while Sarcem Delasharn is away on duty"

Marilon: "Yes, I hear he's in Silverymoon...duty? Oh, I heard different."

Coranth: *Thinks about something that Vaukarn said then looks at him.* "What did you mean by Ex-boss?"

Vaukarn: "My old watch sergeant, she lost her shit and massacred a group of gang members. This idiot *shaking the prisoner* must have joined her when she disappeared.

Coranth: "So, you were working for someone that became a murderess? Lovely."

Daphy: "Was that Her Vaukarn... I assume you ran into on the roof?"

Marilon: "Did you know her well? What would cause her to go berserk?"

Vaukarn: ""I couldn’t tell from what I saw of her. But I wish it had been so I could catch her."

Coranth: "Must you man-handle the prisoner so violently?"

Vaukarn: "As much as anyone knows there boss, it was random as all hell."
Vaukarn: "Yes."

Coranth: "Why? You get some sort of perverse pleasure out of harming those weaker than you? Did you used to pull the wings off of flies and torture rats with a dagger?"

Vaukarn: "And Triel wasn’t the sneaky type, full figured, red headed. That other one was small and dark haired."
Vaukarn: "No I just like to take advantage of Watch betraying-child-kidnapping-killers whenever I get the chance."

Coranth: "Well, if you are an example of what your group was like, I can understand how your commander could have turned to murder. You are only two steps away from that yourself."

Vaukarn: "By the gods your a mouthy bastard!"

Borzak: "I suggest you step back a moment and not speak to my friend like that"

Coranth: "I'm sorry. Did my not agreeing with how you handle a prisoner offend you?"

Vaukarn: "If it’s such a problem then you can carry him."
Vaukarn: "Do you tell the beer maker how to brew? I didn’t think so."

Borzak: No - I tell Kelemvor he has a guest waiting to join him… care to be next?"

Coranth: "No, but then again, a brewer doesn't go around and juggle his kegs or shake up his hops."

Daphy: "I'd tell the bastard how to brew if he wasn't doing it right"

Marilon: "Whoa, now, friends...relax."

** Vaukarn is completely relaxed **

Marilon: "Vaukarn, we're almost at the doors of the Helmites here. Would they appreciate seeing your criminal unnecessarily bloodied? It'll lend less credibility to your charges."
Marilon: "I say let's just give him to them as is right now."

Vaukarn: "Well technically he should go to the watch house, I’m just being nice. And I’d hate to think a man I trusted could stoop as low as this one."

Daphy: "Lets just hurry so we can get out of the rain and have a drink"

Vaukarn: "Aye to that."

Marilon: "And maybe I'll give the tavern patrons a song or two."

Borzak: (So - were we followed? I did a look around earlier)

Marilon: "I've never really seen eye to unflinching eye with the Helmites...but work is work."

DM: ((I'm sorry Borzak... I guess I kept missing that... not so far as you know or saw))

DM: Ahead of you looms the two-story Church of Helm, its white marble walls suffused with veins of vivid blue, stands in stark contrast to the buildings of bare black stone that flank it on the north end of Obsidian Avenue. A pair of white marble statues depicting armored warriors standing guard flank either side of the temple’s heavy oaken door. Each of the statues raises a great mace to the darkening sky. Above the door’s marble architrave are boldly inscribed the following words in Common: ONLY THROUGH VIGILANCE ARE WE SET FREE.

[Sean Mahoney]

Vaukarn: Recap: Last session adventurers came out of the wood work to save a dwarf being ruffed up by ruffians wanting him to quit his questions about missing children the temple of Helm had asked him to look into. After capturing one of the thugs the rest fled into the night along with one purched on the roof which Vaukarn gave chase and lost her a few roof tops later. Upon interrogation (see: beating) of the suspect he was tight lipped and an ex member of the watch, possibly involved with a large group of ex-city watchmen. After reaching the temple of Helm...well thats when we ended"

DM: The two-story Church of Helm, its white marble walls suffused with veins of vivid blue, stands in stark contrast to the buildings of bare black stone that flank it on the north end of Obsidian Avenue. A pair of white marble statues depicting armored warriors standing guard flank either side of the temple’s heavy oaken door. Each of the statues raises a great mace to the darkening sky. Above the door’s marble architrave are boldly inscribed the following words in Common: ONLY THROUGH VIGILANCE ARE WE SET FREE.

DM: Rain is beating down in a never ending reminder that the autumn has come.

Kalishan (whispering): Where is the nearest tavern to the church? Since I did overhear them saying something about wanting to get a drink ... I'd start to head there instead of standing in the rain.

whispering to Kalishan, The Tipped Tankard is a few blocks away

Kalishan (whispering): I will work my way there in the shadows and shake out my wet cloak once I get there and try to find a secluded place in the corner of the establishment where I have a view of the door, but hopefully a bit of concealment/darkness for privacy.

whispering to Kalishan, You are able to find what you consider a perfect vantage point, out of the rain, well shadowed, out of the normal path of traffic, and directly in view of the front door

Kalishan (whispering): excellent I will order a glass of wine at which I will sip at for awhile, waiting for hopefully one of the group to arrive. If not then I guess I will start resorting to asking questions (try to gather some information) :)

Vaukarn: "So shall we go in? It's bloody wet out here and this bastards getting heavy." *jerking a thumb at the manacled thug draped over his shoulder*

DM: Daphy leads you all in through heavy oaken doors into the vestibule beyond.

Vaukarn: "Thank you good sir dwarf."

** Marilon wrings out the tail end of his cloak and enters the temple. **

Daphy: "Take rest while I inform the Church"

DM: Two acolytes standing guard start at your entrance and one looks at the other and says, "Ruphus, go fetch Jenya, I think she will be needed." Looking then at the Dwarf, "Daphy we expected you back some time ago. Is everything ok, who are these people?"

Daphy: "These are the fellows who came to my aid after some ruffians attempted to scare me away from my inquires of the orphanage"

DM: The second acolyte, apparently named Ruphus, hurries through the back doors and into a chamber beyond, shutting the door behind him.
DM: The first acolytes face turns red with rage, "Who would do such a thing?!?!"

** Vaukarn looks at the guard and says wryly "Ruffians I suppose." **

Daphy: "We have one of the ruffians that might be able to supply the answer to that question"

** Marilon nervously straightens out his clothing, obviously uncomfortable. **

Coranth: *Looks at the acolytes, trying to wring the excess water out of his cloak.*

** Borzak stands idly by - almost as if bored **

Daphy: "If we could be shown a place with a warm hearth maybe to warm our bones?"

DM: The acolyte gapes for a moment then says, "Of course, I am sorry, I have no right to question you... please follow me, I have a fire going in the next room and you can dry out while I get you all something to drink."

Marilon: "Ah, drink, excellent. You Helmites aren't as stuck-up as I thought."

Daphy: "That would have been my next request..." *smiles at the mention a hearth and a drink*

Coranth: *Looks at both Vaukarn and Marilon and then just smiles at the acolyte.*

Vaukarn: "And a place to put this bastard." *jerking a thumb at the thug*

DM: The acolyte sounds a gong hidden behind one of the pillars in the room and two armored warriors come out a side passage. "We'll take that one for you sir." The lead warrior says crisply.

** Vaukarn hands over the thug and takes back his manacles snapping them onto his belt **

Coranth: "You may want to see to his wounds. This city watch was rather rough with him during his questioning."

** Vaukarn glares at the mage "I take pride in my work what can I say." **

Coranth: "It looked more like sadistic pleasure to me." *Looks at Daphy.* "Yes, a nice warm place to dry off would be good."

Daphy: *To the group* "Let us have that drink and proper introductions"

Vaukarn: "Aye, I could do with a pint."

** Marilon grins at the prospect of the drink. He stands and follows with a spring in his gait. **

DM: The acolyte leads you all into an adjoining chamber in which benches have been positioned in a semi-circle around a well burning hearth. At the same time the warriors lead away their newly acquired captive.
DM: He takes each of your soaking cloaks (if you have them) and hangs them where they can dry then leaves to fetch the drinks.

** Vaukarn wipes water off his bald plate and flicks it towards the hearth **

Coranth: *Finds a place to sit near the hearth and strokes the furry head sticking out of his pouch.*

** Daphy takes some time to un-strap his armor and check his belongings for dampness **

Coranth: "Well, this is a nice room. Are all the temples constructed the same?" *Looking up at Daphy.*

Daphy: "As I said before I am not a follower of Helm... only a guest of theirs"

DM: Just then the first acolyte reappears arms laden with towels and hands grasping at six mugs of frothy ale.
DM: He passes one of each to each of you.

Daphy: "Much appreciated"

Coranth: "Thank you." *taking the offered mug and towel.*

DM: "Jenya, our acting high priest, should be along shortly. Is there anything else I can get you?"

** Marilon sniffs the ale and closes his eyes, sighing, then takes a sip. "Thanks much." **

Marilon: "No, this should do nicely."

** Borzak passes on the offered drink **

DM: The acolyte bows curtly and takes his leave.

** Vaukarn takes a mug and a towel nodding in thanks and dries himself and gets to work on this mug. "So have you got a name Sir Dwarf?" **

Daphy: "My Parents named me Daphy... and it is the name that has stuck with me"
** Daphy has now got a frothy beard **

Marilon: "You make it sound unusual for your birth name to be the one you still use."

** Vaukarn offers his hand clasping his wrist in the Dale fashion. "Vaukarn, good thing we kept those bastards from cracking your head in half." **

Borzak: "We . . . . ?" Borzak mutters lightly.

Daphy: "Things change a lot in ones travels... and my head has met more chance of cracking at a nursery then it did in the alley... but your assistance sped up the process and for that I am grateful"

Coranth: *Looks at Vaukarn.* "We? I do believe that my friend Borzak had one of the thugs and I scared off the remaining ones with a clever use of a little used spell."

Vaukarn: "I seem to remember chasing one over roof tops thanks."

Borzak: "You mean the ‘woman’ that got away from you?" Borzak replies with mirth.

Vaukarn: "You try keeping up with someone who jumps 25 foot gaps and can turn invisible."

Coranth: "Interesting."

Vaukarn: "Gonna feed that wand to that b*#~&."

Borzak: "Next time I'll catch her for you" Borzak says.

Marilon: "This isn't the time to argue over who did what," he says, sipping again. "I've already pledged my blade and my voice to you, Vaukarn is it? I'm Marilon Daveor. Waterdhavian by birth, but I'm a traveler now. I do some of this, some of that. Sing, mainly."

Vaukarn: "A damn fine song it was Marilon, thanks." *raises his mug to Marilon and drains it*

Marilon: "I know a nice dwarven drinking song if you're in the mood."

Coranth: "Let me guess. Is it Gold, Gold, Gold? Or perhaps it's Gold, Gold, Gold." *Smiles.*

** Marilon raises an eyebrow at Coranth. **

Coranth: "I've heard a couple dwarven drinking songs myself, and the group that was singing them was just singing about gold."

Vaukarn: "Sir Daphy, I was wondering if we could compare notes? Those kids aren’t the only ones that have gone missing lately."

DM: As you wait, two figures approach from somewhere deeper in the structure. Ruphus is accompanied by a young woman with premature streaks of grey in her rich brown hair; she steps forward with her hand outstretched in friendship. She wears a brown robe with golden trim and the symbol of Helm around her neck.

Daphy: "I know only a little Vaukarn.... " *turns my attention to the new persons*

** Marilon holds up a finger. **
Marilon: "Well hello, hello!"

** Vaukarn pulls out his note pad, but stops it down as the new church members appear **

DM: "Hello friends! I am Jenya Urikas, acting High Priest of the Temple of Helm here in Sundabar.”

Daphy: "Lady Jenya" *gives a small bow*

DM: “Ruphus here tells me that you were all able to help Daphy here. He is a very handy fellow in a fight, but I am sure he appreciates the assistance none-the-less... as do I.”

Daphy: "May I introduce those that assisted me"
Daphy: "This is Borzak.... Marilon... Vaukarn... and Coranth"

** Borzak nods in Jenya's direction. **

Marilon: "Hello Jenya Urikas. A nice setup you've got here.

** Vaukarn gives her a quick bow before sitting back down ((wish she was =P )) **

Coranth: *Bows his head to the high priestess.*

DM: Jenya nods to each of you in turn
DM: “By any chance are you an adventuring group?”

Marilon: "I guess we are now."

Coranth: "Aspiring to be one, yes. Unfortunately our first job was given to another group of adventurers to handle."

Borzak: "The three of us are" Borzak nods towards Coranth and Marilon.

DM: “Then perhaps you will stay to entertain another offer of employment. And Daphy, when you learn what I have learned in your absence I believe you will want to accompany them as well.”

Marilon: "Offer of employment? You just said the magic words."

DM: “I'm sorry, you are not all together?”

** Marilon looks indignant. "Of course we are. Why, we rounded up that criminal together, after all." **

Coranth: "Marilon, Borzak and I are an adventuring group and Vaukarn just sorta dropped in when we were assisting Daphy."

Vaukarn: "I'm an officer of the Watch madam."

DM: "Then perhaps you," she says turning to Vaukarn, "will have as much to gain from joining as Daphy here."

** Marilon looks at Coranth and mouths the words "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" **

Coranth: *Looks at Marilon with a confused look on his face.*

** Vaukarn raises a rocky eyebrow "Oh? How so?" **
Vaukarn: "Well we do seem to want the same things."

DM: "Well, I suppose the business at hand first...”
DM: "I am willing to give each of you involved a potion of healing as an advance and will then pay your group 2,500 gold upon successful completion.”

Vaukarn: "Each?"

Marilon: "She said our group. Clearly not each."

DM: A flicker of annoyance passes across her face, "The church has limited funds and I AM asking you rescue capture orphans! But I am getting ahead of myself."

** Vaukarn can’t be blamed for trying **

DM: "Last night, as some of you already know, 4 children vanished from the Lantern Street Orphanage."

Vaukarn: "Just trying to understand is all. And it’s more then just the orphans. 25 people so far in the past few months."

** Daphy nods and drinks **

DM: "These are not the first disappearances that have occurred over the past several months, but they were too much for this church to bear."
DM: Jenya nods to Vaukarn in agreement
DM: "As a result I have felt compelled to offer the people of Sundabar the Church of Helms assurance that the culprits will be found and brought to justice."
DM: "I would like your group to bring this about. Are you willing to accept my terms?"

** Vaukarn shrugs "Same job, more help, better pay, I’m in." **

Borzak: "What are these "terms" ?"

DM: "Bring the children back alive and I will pay your group 2,500 gold as well as the promised potions up front."

Marilon: "How is that that two dozen people have gone missing and nobody can find them? Is there any similarity - anything to go on whatsoever?"

** Vaukarn flips through his note book. "Diverse Races, Ages besides the orphans have been 20-30's, except for dwarves and gnomes in their 70-130s different occupations..." **

Borzak: "What if these children are dead?"

Coranth: "Let us just hope that none of the children have been harmed."

DM: The acolyte who has been standing near the door this whole time brings forward a tray holding 5 potions labeled with the symbol of Helm and places it on a bench in the center of your group.

** Marilon senses that the meeting is nearly at an end and drains his glass. **

DM: "That would be a travesty, but if you can stop the kidnappings and bring those responsible to justice I will uphold the bargain."

Marilon: "So there is evidence that there are kidnappings, then...as opposed to say dimensional doors. Hey, don't look at me like that, it could happen!"

DM: "They are believed... hoped... to be kidnappings as no bodies are ever found."

Marilon: "But no ransoms."

Daphy: "I would feel that a slaver or such would be the first place to start looking"

DM: "If you all are in concurrence then, let us share what information we have. Daphy will you start by telling us what you discovered at the orphanage?"

Borzak: "If it was the children’s time to die then it was their time - Kelemvor does not make mistakes."

** Vaukarn pauses with the rest of his information for Daphy to go on **

Daphy: "The orphanage had only a little information... the children just were missing.... locked in their rooms, to prevent mischief at night, and in the morning... they were gone"

Borzak: "Why kidnap orphans though?"

Coranth: "They won't likely be missed as much? They are easier to get to?"

Borzak: "But what do they have to offer . . . ?"

** Vaukarn mutters grimly "Maybe the time table moved up." **

Coranth: "Bodies needed for some activity? A slave market, like Daphy suggested? Could be any number of reasons."

** Vaukarn raises an eyebrow "Or sacrifices." **

Borzak: "I haven't heard of any slave market."

Daphy: "I have noticed that in some form they exist in most major cities"

Marilon: "Maybe not around here, but the Thayvians are famous for it."

Borzak: "What time table are you talking about Vaukarn?"

Vaukarn: "Just my suspicion, I’ve got some more notes here, one second..." *flips through his pocket pad he keeps his detective things on* "All individuals Low to middle class, taken at night during new moons and over cast nights...Seems the locks are picked and a few individuals, two to six from the tracks, probably humans, halflings or elves. And they seem to take place within less then 2-8 days of each other. Only the people in the domicile where taken."

DM: "I see..." She pauses in thought, listening with a distressed face at all your conjecture as to what happened to the children, "You say you were also accosted upon your return? Do you believe this connected?"

Marilon: "Perhaps you should get that from the horse's mouth."

DM: "Right... the captive... yes, when we are done I will turn my full attention upon him and see what information I can gather before turning him over for trial. His crimes shall not be excused."

Daphy: "I know it is connected... they told me to drop any interest in the missing persons"

DM: "I see. This is grave news indeed."

Daphy: "He seemed to be but an underling though... their leader got away"

Vaukarn: "Uh Madam, see if he knows anything about an individual named Triel while you’re at it. We in the watch would love to have a long talk with her."

DM: "Triel?! Yes, I remember her. Do you believe SHE is involved?"

Vaukarn: "Well that prisoner was one of my fellow watch officers and since I worked under her, I am always suspicious?"
Vaukarn: "It’s possible she could be, maybe he knows."

DM: "I will certainly ask then, but my prime concern will be the children."

Marilon: "Is it overcast that often in the area? Convenient that nights when the moon is obscured happen so often. There must be a magical influence. Possibly Shar's hand in this."

** Vaukarn shrugs "I don’t keep up to date on what the gods do, so anything is possible." **

** Daphy looks at the bottom of his mug and eyes one of the acolytes **

DM: Taking the *subtle* clue from the dwarf (of whom he has served many times) Ruphus disappears momentarily only to return with a pitcher to refresh those who wish their drink to continue.

DM: "While you were gone, Daphy, I was not idle."

** Marilon holds up his mug and nods. **

Daphy: "I wouldn't expect you to be"

DM: "The Church here in Sundabar is the custodian of a powerful artifact. A mace that allows us to commune with Helm himself for a limited duration."

** Vaukarn holds his own mug up **

DM: "Historically the power of this mace can only be used by the High Priest of the city, but I felt justified in using it in this instance."

** Daphy refreshes the foam in his beard **

** Vaukarn raises an eyebrow wondering what Helm told her **

** Daphy nods listening to Jenya's words **

DM: "I asked of Lord Helm, 'Where are the children who were abducted from the Lantern Street Orphanage?' The response was cryptic."

** Marilon snarks, "So they're in a crypt, then?" **

DM: "The locks are key to finding them."
DM: "Look beyond the curtain, below the cauldron,"
DM: "But beware the door with teeth."
DM: "Descend into the malachite ‘hold,"
DM: "Where precious life is bought with gold."
DM: "Half a dwarf binds them, but not for long."
DM: She recites these words with a reverence and her eyes closed. As she finishes, she looks at each of you as if judging if the words of her god sunk in.

** Marilon widens his eyes. "May I use that for a song?" **

DM: She chuckles and smiles warmly at Marilon, "If you find them, you will have as many songs as you can make of them."

whispering to Kalishan, You make your way across he rain slicked streets back to the orphanage. You try the door and find it chained. After knocking it is shortly opened by the familiar, leathered face of the headmistress, Gretchyn. Her dour expression soon turns to happiness as she sees you. "Kali, good to see you again, people have just been knocking down our doors to find out what happened to the poor children!"

Kalishan (whispering): "Really? Even more than earlier today?! That's horrible. I want to check the children's rooms once more to see if I can't find a bit more of an idea to what happened to them." *smiles charmingly at the headmistress*

whispering to Kalishan, "Of course dear! Yes, a dwarf stopped by from the church of Helm. It seems they have publicly decreed they would find whoever did this and bring them to justice... I just hope they find the children too!"

Kalishan (whispering): "Well hopefully they can get to the bottom of this and return those darling children." *scoots inside and makes her way down to the children's rooms and first starts to check the locks for the familiar tool marks on the locks. After that, she enters their rooms and starts to almost literally turn it upside down while searching for any other exists out.** (I'll take a 20 on a search check if I can))

whispering to Kalishan, You start with a careful inspection of the locks, looking for tool marks, scratches, ANYTHING that migh indicate they were picked, but you find nothing.

whispering to Kalishan, Remember taking 20 is time consuming but thorough... I will wait a little bit for you while you search the rooms

Coranth: "Look beyond the curtain, below the cauldron. Hmm. Sounds like underneath the city to me."

Vaukarn: "That’s gods for you; they can’t ever just give you an address and a name."

Daphy: "Where precious life is bought with gold.... so even if the kidnappings are not being used for slavery... it seems that the acquisition of slaves is still a part of it."

Vaukarn: "Thank you Madam and tell Helm thanks for us."

Marilon: "A door with teeth could be a portcullis. A malachite hold could be a mine."

Coranth: "The idea of half a dwarf is disturbing."

Daphy: "Below the earth is definitely where the arrow points"

Vaukarn: "The locks could mean the locks that where picked. I think we need to find a friendly thief for some help."

Daphy: "Does this city have locks... to deal with flooding or such?"

Vaukarn: "Hmmm good point Daphy."

Marilon: "Send my regards to your church's leader and to Alek Tercival. I hear they've got some rituals to perform in Silverymoon."

DM: A moment of nervousness seems to pass over Jenya at Marilon's comment as if she is reluctant to speak of it, "Thank you I will. They will hopefully be back soon and with all speed."

Marilon: "Daphy, I don't think so. Locks are used for rivers. They control floods with wands of control water, or so I hear."

Borzak: "I remember hearing of a Malachite Hold before . . . "

Vaukarn: "Oh?"

Borzak: "Something to do with invading hordes of the underdark . . . below Sundabar"
Borzak: "We need someone specialized in Dwarven Lore"

Marilon: "I've heard of the same thing, but I can't add to what you're saying, Borzak."
Marilon: "If there's one thing a singer knows, it's about verses. We have to start at the start; that's how a riddle goes. Solve the first line and the next will fall into place, and the next, and so on."

Daphy: "We need someone to examine the lock of the orphanage then"

Vaukarn: "Wish I would have caught that other thief from the tavern, maybe give her a better sentence for a hand."

DM: "Very well then... it looks like I have given you what help I can. I will leave you all to your work. I would agree that you need to find out what locks are being spoken of first. From there you may have your next clue. Do not hesitate to request more of us, and feel free to continue the use of this room."
DM: "Work together, pool your resources and know that I will be praying for you."

Daphy: * to Vaukarn* "Well I'm sure your job would put you in a position to ... dig up ... a locksmith of some kind" *turns to Jenya* "Thank Helm for us"

Vaukarn: "I might know a guy, I’ll have to go and talk with some people."

DM: "Go with the vigilance of Helm." The bows and takes her leave of you. She is quickly followed by the acolyte at the door.

Coranth: *Pulls out a sheet of writes down the verses as stated by the high priest.*

** Marilon sings gaily in front of the fire. "The locks are key to finding them. Look beyond the curtain, below the cauldron..." **

Daphy: "Considering I only know two definitions of the word lock... and since one doesn't seem to apply and I was told that the lock seemed not even tampered with at the orphanage... we start there"
Daphy: "Does a curtain or cauldron mean anything to those that know the local geography and lore?"

Vaukarn: "Who makes those locks?"

Daphy: "That’s not a bad idea... question the local locksmith... or smiths if there be that many..."

Marilon: "Cauldron is what they call Sundabar around these parts. But you all probably know that."

** Vaukarn makes some notes in his note pad **

Vaukarn: "Well we just need to find out what the curtain is..."

Borzak: "Curtain, veil . . . . . something hidden?

Daphy: "I would assume the curtain hides our entrance into the earth below"

Coranth: "What does water do when it cascades down?"

Marilon: "It falls?"

Coranth: "Yes, but what does it look like?"

Daphy: "Ahh... a curtain of water"

Marilon: "Hmm, very clever metaphor."

Coranth: "Just thinking out loud about the various verses."

Borzak: "Why don’t we also, while we're at it, try and find some old maps of the city and find this Malachite hold"

** Daphy finishes his second glass and gets one last refill before retiring **

Marilon: "Or the curtain could be the absence of the moon."

Coranth: *Picks up one of the potions of healing and places it in his pack.* "This is a very interesting puzzle indeed."
Coranth: "The verse makes me think of a physical curtain that can be moved or looked through."

DM: ((The potions are labeled and are Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds))
DM: ((Each bears the symbol of Helm on the seal to the flask))

** Marilon takes the potion and places it gingerly in his backpack. **

Daphy: "I see it as something to hide our entrance.... so what ever it could be... I think it leads to our door underground"

** Vaukarn slips his into a belt pouch **

DM: ((Alright... are you guys ready to head out somewhere or do more talking?))

Marilon: ((Yes please, let's go))

DM: ((Where are you going?))

Daphy: (( is it night time... ?))

DM: ((it is about 9 pm))

Vaukarn: ((lock smith/black smiths shops are probably closed then))

DM: ((Alright... so I have heard 3 suggestions... an inn, the orphanage and a locksmiths))

Daphy: "Is it still pouring outside?"

Daphy: "Vaukarn... what are the timeframe of the disappearances... are they aligned with a new moon... or any other event... or are they random seeming?"

Vaukarn: "The kidnappings have happened from two days apart to eight. And it's always on over cast or new moon nights."

Coranth: "I think our first question should be, ‘where are we going first?’ We going to head to an inn to sit and talk, going to investigate the orphanage, or seeing if we can't find a locksmith?"

Marilon: "Borzak, would you like to go to your inn and put in that good word for me?"

Borzak: "Sure thing Marilon - let's get going."

Marilon: "Inns aren't just for talking. They're for LISTENING."
Marilon: "No locksmith will be open at this hour...and visiting an orphanage at night is liable to cast suspicion on us."
Marilon: "We'll go to a locksmith's and the orphanage in the morning."

Daphy: "So it seems we are to drop out ear to the dirty drink and vile encrusted floor of the local taverns"

Vaukarn: "Well the watch has the thieves staked out that they can keep an eye on. slippery bastards."

Daphy: "The seedier the tavern the better"

Vaukarn: "Sounds good to me Sir Daphy."

Marilon: "Then it's settled."

** Daphy finishes his drink as he goes about donning his armor and gear again **

Coranth: "Okay. So we're off to a tavern."

Marilon: "Borzak, lead the way."

DM: ((You find that your gear has dried by now, but you can still hear the patter of rain through the stain glass windows))

** Borzak moves to the door. **

Borzak: "We go gentlemen to the Tipped Tankard. You should at least enjoy the drink Daphy . . . . . "

Daphy: "I usually do"

** Daphy double checks his shield and axe **

Borzak: "Oddly enough . . . the owner has been missing for a couple months." letting his friends mull that information over, Borzak moves through the door.

Marilon: "Oooh."

** Marilon follows Borzak to the inn **

DM: Borzak leads you all down several of the alleys that cut between the main streets down closer to the central lake until you reach a seedy looking bar. He enters with a calm authority.

Vaukarn: "Yeah, he’s on my list."

Marilon: "My kind of place. Well not really, but no need for the patrons to know that."

** Marilon enters the bar. **

DM: Inside the Tipped Tankard is a chaotic jumble of locals of all stripes, visiting merchant, 'friendly' ladies and an odd assortment as others. They buzz of the nightly fervor is well underway.
DM: ((Alright... what is your plan for the bar?))
DM: ((More talk (which is fine) or something else?))

** Marilon makes his way here and there looking for the loosest lips...about to Gather Information(TM) **

Vaukarn: "Lovely place."

Coranth: *Enters behind Marilon, while looking around at the patrons.*

** Vaukarn is out of nifty facts and information but is mulling things over **

Daphy: *To Vaukarn* "Let us find a stool and a pitcher"
** Borzak leads the other to an empty table **

** Borzak taps Marilon on the shoulder then motions to a raised platform of sorts in the corner. "There you go my friend" **

** Vaukarn walks with Sir Dwarf to the bar and looks for two empty spaces ((also I’m keeping my badge firmly in my pocket)) **

Coranth: *Sits at the table, looking around.*

Marilon: "Ah, these guys don't have anything too useful," he says to himself quietly, getting up on the platform.

** Marilon clears his throat. **

** Borzak takes his usual spot along the wall, close to the bar and his "stick" hidden under it. **

** Marilon sings a loud and bawdy song about the problems between a tall wench and a gnome. **
Marilon: Perform Skill Check: [1d20+9] -> [13,9] = (22)
Marilon: "Thank you! Thank you very much!"

Borzak: "Where shall we meet tomorrow?"

Marilon: "We'll meet in front of the Helmites' temple, I guess, and then off to the orphanage?"

whispering to Kalishan, You finish a thorough search of both rooms but find nothing other what was there when you lived in those rooms yourself. No exits and still firmly barred windows.

Kalishan (whispering): crap! which means they were likely taken out of the doors. Do I know where this locksmith who made the locks lives? And is he a respected man .. or kind of sleezy? :)

whispering to Kalishan, Keygan Ghelve, the propietor of Ghelve's locks is the most respected locksmith in town. In fact, it is widely known that he made most of the lock in town.

whispering to Kalishan, What is your plan now?

Kalishan (whispering): well then I'm assuming he's closed for the night... so I'm gonna try to go to a not-quite-so-sleezy tavern bar (where the guards usually go after work) and see if I can't pay for some drinks and such to get one or more of them to loosen their tongue about Vaukarn and where he hangs his hat at night. I'll dress in a bit sexier attire (no armor, and only bring a dagger I will conceal) ... trying to look more like a barmaid almost than a rogue. :)

whispering to Kalishan, Do you have the disguise skill and are you wanting to use it?

Kalishan (whispering): nope... never put anything into the disguise skill ... just not walking around in armor, with a sword and all that jazz, trying to be flirtacious and such and less secretive and concealed about my appearance :)

whispering to Kalishan, I am thinking you would go to the same bar as them and want to give Vaukarn a chance to spot you... What is your disguise skill then as it stands? (you will notice him with out much of a problem)

Kalishan (whispering): I would have a +1 from my cha mod .. that's about it ...

whispering to Kalishan, k

whispering to Vaukarn, whisper me a spot check

Vaukarn (whispering): [1d20+1] -> [20,1] = (21)

Kalishan (whispering): didn't they go to a dive though? some seedier place? I want to go where guards could be found ...
whispering to Kalishan, You change and make you way back to the Tipped Tankard after you bid Gretchyn goodbye and stop to quickly change you clothes.

whispering to Kalishan, There is really only three places, but this one would be closest to the Gaurd Barracks (just against the wall... will highlight it in green)

Kalishan (whispering): okay... well if there are more off duty guards here... that's where I'll head.. I'm not concealing myself with my cloak... in fact I'll have it turned inside out (to the burgundy side and not the ash gray side) :)

Marilon: "Not bad. Here's to the start of an illustrious musical career!"

Marilon: (You betcha...I'll already do a song about "the time we talked about a riddle in a temple")

DM: Vaukarn, you are just about ready to leave and stand up from your table. As you stand and turn you come face to face from your little mark from earlier in the night. She is all prettied up but you are positive it is her (she looks more like a barmaid now). Both of your eyes go wide as you realize immediately who the other is.

** Vaukarn almost breathes in half his beer "Oh gods not you again." **

** Kalishan flirtaciously (maybe sarcastically) blows Vaukarn a kiss from the table she's at **

** Vaukarn stands and nods to her and walks over to her standing a good distance away from her to keep her from bolting this time. "Buy you a drink?" **

DM: Yes... others are around... but no one else has seen her before and so wouldn't take note (other than she is hot)

Coranth: *Looks towards the woman that Vaukarn approached and back at Vaukarn.*

** Kalishan raises her eyebrow looking at the rocky giant of a man. "I suppose." **

** Vaukarn takes a seat across from her and waves for the bar wench for another round on him. "You led me a damn marry chase earlier. But i was just told to keep an eye on you, so i guess my jobs done. Mind helping me out with some information?" **

Kalishan: "What do you want with me!? I have not committed any crimes Mr. City Watch Vaukarn."

Vaukarn: "And that’s why you’re not in manacles right now...but I guess that would be harder then I’d like either way."

** Marilon pops over to Borzak. "Got a minute?" **

** Borzak motions for Marilon to follow him. "Sure thing" **
** Borzak leads Marilon to a more private area. **

** Marilon follows Borzak to a quieter booth and says "Word is, the owner of this bar and one of his best friends are two of the missing 25." **

** Borzak keeps his voice low. "I knew that Gryffon went missing about two months ago, but until tonight I never gave much thought that all this was related." **

Marilon: "I also heard some bunk about a magical disease that's making people vanish and it nearly laid waste to some gnome village. But let's face it, that can't be true...can it?"

Kalishan: "Just cause I have not committed any crimes is generally not enough of a reason to *not* be jailed by one of your city watch ..."

Vaukarn: "It pains me to say this, but I need help on a case."

** Kalishan raises her red (finely plucked) eyebrow at Vaukarn again ... "Help? Help with what?" **

** Vaukarn slides her his pad of paper with his notes. "This mess, twenty five people missing in the past 3 months. Notice the new bar tender here? It wasnt much of a priority...but the bastards grabbed four kids." **

** Kalishan looks through the pad, while keeping an eye on the large man and slides the pad back. "And what is it that you think I can help you with? Who told you to keep an eye on me?" **

Vaukarn: "You’ve got contacts I don’t, and maybe can take a look at the locks that got worked over. And there could be good money involved, damn good."

DM: ((The pad contains a comprehensive list of the missing and a short bio of each))

Daphy: "Ah... piss for ale... You got some goblin in the back room peeing in the tub and serving drinks" *random spouting*

** Coranth orders a small order of cheese and some fruit. **

Daphy: *is now talking to what ever is next to him on the bar stool* "Why in my drunken years I drank gutter water that had more of a kick to it"
** Daphy looks around the bar for the racial mix... looking for kindred dwarves **

Vaukarn: "The sarge wanted to find out what you’re up to. And if you tell anyone I told you all this its your ass." *grinning into his beer*

Kalishan: "You seem to know, or think you know, quite a bit about me. But somehow it has slipped your fine detective skills to know that I'm merely the handywoman at the Lantern Street Orphanage?!" *raises her eyebrow once more, this time with a slight smirk on her face.*

Vaukarn: "Hey nobody told me who you where, just to keep an eye on you. It’s a big city, I can’t know everyone."
Vaukarn: "But I assumed things because of the company you kept earlier tonight...he didn’t look like any golden orphan."

Kalishan: "And your sarge has reason to believe I would somehow be connected to some under the table, shady dealings then?! I am shocked ..." she says in a tone that seems she perhaps may indeed be shocked.

** Vaukarn snorts "I’m just a sword swinger; I leave the skull sweat to others." **

Kalishan: "You said there was some monetary compensation in this if I help? Cause as a handywoman in an Orphanage I don't see large amounts of coin throughout the year. Thankless business that it is."

Vaukarn: "And if you weren’t...why where you there for that meeting with unsavory types." *using his turn to give a smug grin*

Marilon: "So Borzak, who runs the inn now?"

Borzak: "No one really, I've been keeping an eye on it the best I can - when I can."
Borzak: "Although I technically don't work for Gryffon anymore - unless he comes back that is - I still feel like it's my job to protect this place."

Daphy: "Where does someone go to get something to drink that'll grow yar whiskers?" *is getting loud*
+
** Borzak motions to Daphy and says to Marilon, "I think we need to get out new friend out of here before he causes trouble." **

** Marilon looks over at Daphy and nods wordlessly, getting up. **

** Borzak moves towards Daphy **

** Vaukarn shrugs "Id have to ask our bank roller, but she might be helpful. The priests of Helm seem to want this problem solved damn quick." **

Kalishan: "Was merely having a drink with an old friend of mine." *smiles at the rocky giant* "So I've heard, and many of you, priests, guards and the like have all been stopping by the orphanage and putting the dear headmistress in quite a state."

Vaukarn: "Old friend?! Hah! Doesn’t look to be the friendly type, that’s for sure."
Vaukarn: "Are you going to stop making me feel like an ass? Any help… well, it would be helpful."

Marilon: "Hey there, pally. What's the matter?"

** Daphy breaks out his flask and takes a shot and starts offering it to those around him **
Daphy: "Will knock that damn stool right out from under you... dammit... anybody in this can handle a real drink"

Borzak: "Hey Daphy, why don't we get some fresh air - what do you say?"

Coranth (whispering): I'll feed my familiar a little bit of the cheese and fruit as I sit at the table and look around.

Daphy: "You Borzak... Join me for a drink.... " *offers his flask and bangs on the bar* "Barkeep... more piss for my friend"

** Borzak motion to the door. Putting his hand under Daphy's arm to help him stand> **

DM: The man you hired to tend bar, looks at you expectantly Borzak.

** Borzak takes the flask and puts it in his belt. **

** Daphy isn't fighting being directed **
Daphy: "Hey If your not going to have a drink... give it back at least... thats the good stuff"

Kalishan: "Friendly enough, to those that don't wrongly imprison his associates." ... "Well that depends on if you are merely talking out of your lower orifice, or truly desire my help. I see your friends have not come to join, so are they aware you are having this conversation?"

** Vaukarn looks up from his beer with a smile "Oh and by the way...thanks for not running again, I’ve spent half the night chasing after pretty ladies but so far I’m throwing craps." **

Kalishan: "Saved me the trouble of having to locate you later in the night, when I had the advantage to ask you these questions. You didn't charge after me this time, so I didn't see a need to run if I was to get the answers I sought."

Vaukarn: "Probably not, I didn’t want to take my eye off you incase you disappeared...again. And a few seem to be busy with their own devices." *looks up to see if Marilon is done playing, if so waves him over*

** Marilon nods. **

Kalishan: "Well the locks show no signs of tampering, so they were highly professional or possibly had a key. Though I think that with the reputation of the locksmith, it is likely they were just damned skilled."

Marilon: "Daphy, I think that's quite enough. We need a clear head tomorrow."

** Borzak asking the nearest barmaid. "Are there any open rooms tonight?" **

Daphy: "And that’s Tomorrow... "

** Borzak whipsers to Marilon. "I'll be finding him a room upstairs if you can help me" **

DM: The barmaid quickly replies, “Yes, Borzak, I think there are... several actually... most the caravans pulled out when they saw the weather coming earlier today so there are plenty of open rooms.”

Vaukarn: "Sorry again, in my line of work you chase when they run."

Daphy: *to marilon* "You come here for the piss often?....Do they... Theys got a goblin in a tub in the back, huh?"
** Daphy pats himself down looking for his flask... **

Marilon: "Nope...if I find bad ale, I make it taste good."

Daphy: "Where the hell... Thieves!...Thieves!... They stole Drink"
** Daphy is starting to struggle to go look for his flask **

** Kalishan glances up rather quickly at the shout of "thieves" and looks in the dwarf’s direction, almost coming out of her chair, and then she calms and sits back down. **

Borzak: "I have it here Daphy" Borzaks says offering the flask back. "Let's get you upstairs though.

** Marilon takes Daphy under an arm. "Come on, friend." **

** Daphy snatches it back... and is easy to lead again **

Vaukarn: "Id still like someone with a keen eye to take a look at them, maybe from the same manufacturer..."
Vaukarn: "So I’ve showed mine, have you got anything to share with me?"
Vaukarn: "Unless your busy being a "Handywoman" "

Kalishan: "You doubt my vision? I know where the locks came from; I know what they looked like before I installed them ... They have not been tampered with."

Vaukarn: "Not at all, just wondering if possibly all of the locks came from the same manufacturer. It would be easier for them to break one type of lock every time, faster I’d think."

Daphy: "That’s the good stuff you know... the last bit of the stuff I made.... made it before that damn stranger came and woke me up..."

Marilon: "Alright, Daphy...uuuuuP you go."

** Marilon picks up Daphy and brings the dwarf upstairs with Borzak. **

** Coranth watches as Marilon and Borzak lead Daphy upstairs. **

Daphy: "Damn Stranger... Calling me away...Those poor kids..."

** Coranth continues feeding the small furry animal in his pouch. **

Daphy: "You know... Marlin...Bozak.... Orphans don't deserve that type of shit..."

Borzak: "We find them Daphy . . . I'm sure we will"

** Daphy pats his flask again.... feeling safer with it there **

Marilon: "I know, Daphy. Tomorrow, we'll find out all sorts about them."

Daphy: "I hope we ....we'll find them... We will"

** Borzak crosses his eyes and make a drunk face at Marilon. **

** Marilon rolls his eyes and smiles. **

** Daphy Starts humming a tune and mutters a word now and then **

** Marilon listens at the words. **

** Daphy is muttering in dwarven... though not much makes it past the beard **

Vaukarn: "I'm looking for anything to get those people back."

Kalishan: "Well you weren't kidding when you said you left the thinking to others ... surely you know Keygan Ghelve ... he has supplied the locks to most of this city."
Kalishan: "And the children couldn't have snuck out of any other way from inside that room, so the door had to be how they were gotten out. Unless somehow magic played into the factor and the kidnappers magically appeared in a locked room and out again before anyone could scream."
Kalishan: "Seems your Dwarf has reached his limit on drinks for one evening."

** Vaukarn shrugs "He's had a hard day, looks like a hard life also." **

Vaukarn: "So far all the kidnappings had the locks picked and the people taken by others, what we can find its two to six people, medium or small sized. No ogres or anything like that."

Coranth: "The locks are the key to finding them. Hmmm."

** Vaukarn points at the notes at the bottom of the note pad about the information gained from Helm "That part at the bottom is what the priestess of Helm
learned from communing with her god, Helms a tight lipped one." **

Kalishan: "Well that sounds like a real problem you have on your hands Vaukarn."

Vaukarn: "Damn straight, this is one tough nut to crack."

** Kalishan glances down at the paper... "Seems you're gonna need to pay good ol' Keygan Ghelve of Ghelve's Locks a visit when its light out then ... He has likely supplied all the locks for the places the other victims went missing." **

Kalishan: "Amusing little phrase lock and key...”

Vaukarn: "That’s what I was thinking. Might be nothing...but I want to run down all the leads."

** Marilon sets Daphy down on a pallet and finds one for himself. **

Borzak: "You may stay here with him, or find another room for yourself. Looks like there aren't that many staying here tonight."

Borzak: "I'm going to go back to the others and make sure all is ok"

Marilon: "You do that. I'll keep a watch on him."

Kalishan: "Looks like once ya find this tunnel to under the city yer gonna run into some traps ..."

Vaukarn: "I warn you though, from the looks of this it's going to be a dangerous job. Traps eh? You wouldn’t happen to know your way around one of those by chance would you?"
** Vaukarn grins "Not that I’d imply that a simple house woman would know such things." **

** Kalishan offers a smile to the city watch across from her. "I happen to know my way around a trap or two. But if you say this is where the missing children are, then I'm afraid I must insist to be brought on board with you and your companions. Sounds like you're gonna need one with my skills." **

** Borzak moves back to the main room of the inn. **

Daphy: *seems to snap out of it for a bit* "This isn't my Room!... Where’s the temple"

Marilon: "The temple's right where you left it."

DM: ((Borzak, as you reenter the main room, you see Coranth at a table studying something in front of him. Vaukarn is at a table chatting up an attractive young red-head.))

Borzak: "I see you've finally caught one . . . and willingly it seems." Borzak laughs.

Vaukarn: "That’s why I’ve been hoping to run into you, aint destiny grand?"
** Vaukarn waves Borzak over "She gave me a good chase earlier tonight. This is Borzak he’s on the case with me and the others." *pointing out Coranth who is studying something* **

Borzak: "Nice to meet you." Borzaks says to the woman. Looking around, Borzak moves to Coranth.

Kalishan: "Seems more like Tymora's blessing upon you to have found me again than any destiny." *looks up to the new companion that has approached.* "Evening Borzak."

** Daphy is sitting up against the wall... on the pallet **
Daphy: * it all appears almost too natural for Daphy *

Marilon: "How are you feeling? You were deep in your cups, my friend, and making quite the scene."

Daphy: "That’s cause there no real drinkers here..."

** Coranth looks up from the paper he's been studying, a furry paw snatching a piece of cheese from the table and returning to the pouch at his side. **

Marilon: {in dwarven} "I see there is much to learn of the cultural differences between human and dwarf that mere language cannot resolve."

Daphy: "Culture is just shared history of the masses.... it matters only as much as people care about it." (is Marilon human?)

Marilon: (yeah he is)

Vaukarn: "You know...I never caught your name I don’t think."
** Vaukarn offers his huge fist "Vaukarn Tholkani, of the watch...till they fire me." **

** Kalishan smiles at Vaukarn "That's because I never threw it. I'm Kalishan, you don't plan on arresting me after I've helped ya now are ya? Cause I can still make it to the door before you can catch me." **

Vaukarn: "I bet you could, and as an officer I give you amnesty for whatever the hell I was supposed to be chasing you for."

Borzak: "Quietly, Borzak lets Coranth know what room the others are in if he wishes to join them.*

Coranth: *Nods his head.*
Coranth: *Looking up at Borzak.* "Well, if we are going to be meeting up in the morning at the temple, I can always meet you there."

Borzak: *Borzak takes a step back towards Coranth* "That is fine if you wish. I'm just offering a room to you if you need it."

Coranth: "That's alright. I've got a couple of rooms available to me already." *Smiles.* "Thanks for the offer though."

Daphy: "We longer lived races develop independent culture.... so no.... no two dwarves drink the same as the saying goes"

Marilon: "Well alright. I won't judge you, but let's try to just keep things discreet, shall we?"

Daphy: "We aren't hiding."
Daphy: "discreet my ass.... we don't accomplish things by hiding from them"

Marilon: "I suppose not, except with people disappearing...well, I don't want any of us to be next."

Daphy: "We'd have a lead then wouldn't we?"

Marilon: "I see I'm not going to win this."

Daphy: "We fighting?"
Daphy: "Lets drink"
** Daphy pulls the jug that hangs at his side **

Marilon: "Do you enjoy that? I can make it taste better."

Daphy: "This is the normal stuff.... better then the piss downstairs but won't kill the lesser races"
Daphy: "You got a mug?"

Marilon: "Nope."

Daphy: "Well then don't spit it up...." *takes a swig and passes it to Marilon*

** Marilon sniffs the jug and takes a swig. **

** Kalishan nods and smiles. "So, what are your other companion's thoughts on the missing people?" **

Vaukarn: "I’m thinking slaves or sacrifices."

Kalishan: "Or perhaps slaves to be sacrificed. That painted gal in the alley sure didn't sound like she wanted anyone snooping around about the missing children..."

Vaukarn: "Oh you saw that did ya?"

** Vaukarn puts on a big ol smile "Did ya seem me jump? I'm proud of that jump, learned that in the mountains I did." **

Kalishan: "That I did, heard it too. I didn't recognize the markings on those street thugs though ... is there a new guild that is emerging in your fair city?"

Vaukarn: "I hope not, one of em was a former watchman. I’d hate to think a bunch of kidnappers where ex-coppers."
Vaukarn: "Our reputations bad enough as is."

Kalishan: "One belonged to the City Watch?!"

Vaukarn: "Yes, that’s what I said."
Vaukarn: "The surprised part of it mean. Keep that under...well your hair since you don’t have a hat."

Marilon: "I think it's time to turn in. Thanks for the ale. Tomorrow will be a big day, I'll wager!"

** Marilon returns the jug. **

Daphy: (( I'd like to walk my way back to the temple ))

DM: ((all right...))

Kalishan: "That would've have happened to be the thug that your friend, what was his name? Borzak caught would it? And it is quite disturbing knowing that your very own city watch is responsible for the kidnappings going on. What's this city coming to?!"

Vaukarn: ""Hey it was only one of them, the others ran away. But when they come after us we can check the rest."
Vaukarn: "He's more of an associate, trussed him up like a spring ham."
Vaukarn: "Must be a real brawler having moves like that."

Kalishan: "You ever think that this matter might be totally internal and you're being played the fool?! Running a fool's errand, your superiors knowing that you will never be able to think enough to link it back to them?! I think you are just so they have a presence in the city that the city watch is trying to do something about it, afterall yer hard to not notice."

Vaukarn: "I try to have a positive outlook."

** Marilon can't sleep. The dwarf snores like ripping canvas. He goes back downstairs. **

Kalishan: "I'm sure something your kidnapping city watch is counting on ..."

Vaukarn: "Well if it does lead back to them...they better hope they planned for a mean ass Vaukarn."

Coranth: *Gets up from his table and walks over to see Vaukarn and his friend.* "Well, I'll be seeing you in the morning at the temple, I guess."

Vaukarn: "Gnight Coranth, sleep well at the temple."

Coranth: *turns and heads out the door, heading for the family estate.*

** Marilon hears the argument and stares at Vaukarn and Kalishan, walking slowly towards them. He says nothing, just looks at them blankly. **

Vaukarn: "Care for a chair Marilon?"

Marilon: "Hmm? Oh, yes, that'd be nice."

** Kalishan glances to the newcomer at the table and smiles sweetly. "Good evening kind sir." **

Vaukarn: "Meet lady Kalishan, Lady Kalishan meet a renowned minstrel, Marilon."

** Marilon has a seat. "Well hello, hello! What are you doing with Vaukarn here? He looks like Mount Waterdeep in a jerkin. No offense." **

Vaukarn: "Mount water deep was my grandfather." *grinning*

** Marilon laughs heartily. "I like you." **

Marilon: "Anyway, Lady Kalishan, are you about to join our ragtag band?"

Kalishan: "I was discussing this problem of the missing children and others with the large mountain of a man as you put it Marilon."
Kalishan: "Well I think that's what your companion had in mind."

Vaukarn: "I hope she does."

Marilon: "So the riddle was posed you then? Did you have any thoughts?"

Marilon: "Quite, quite. What were you arguing about?"

Vaukarn: "More of a heated discussion."

Kalishan: "I have many thoughts, but they are mostly just ponderings and theories than any conclusive evidence at this point. But I think that the first place that you should start is at Ghelve's Locks when light is in the streets once again."

Marilon: "Vaukarn?"

Vaukarn: "I think the same."

Marilon: "Remind me to speak to Lord Vhalantru and your city watch folk about installing streetlamps. They'll lower crime."

Vaukarn: "You think so? Could be a good idea...but they don’t really listen to me, you might have better luck."

Marilon: "Ghelve's Locks...it's as good a place as any, I suppose. Do you know this Ghelve, m'lady? And more importantly are you married?"

Kalishan: "You do not know Keygan Ghelve Marilon? You must be new to Sundabar, Ghelve has supplied the majority of this city with its locks for quite awhile. He is of the highest character and standards, so far as reputation that is." *smirks a bit at Marilon's question* "Awfully forward are you not?! I'm sure you probably have 6 wives, all spread out from here to the Sword Coast."

Marilon: "Actually, I've been in Waterdeep for all my life save this new trip. And it's a big enough city to hide half a dozen, let me tell you! Er...not that I have any at all."

** Kalishan smiles again. "Well I can assure you that there are no signs of tampering on the Orphanage on Lantern Street's locks. And your riddle says that the locks are the key, so the locksmith who makes them, so surely the first place you should check is there." **

Marilon: "No signs of tampering? Are you suggesting wizardry?"

Kalishan: "Well that is an option, though likely the culprits are well-versed and skilled and picking the locks without harming the surface of the mechanisms. Such as the individuals you battled earlier tonight with the warning to the dwarf."

Marilon: "Vaukarn, do we know any more about these Bloody Mummers?"
Marilon: "These low-brow poor excuses for entertainment?"

Kalishan: "And further down your riddle the beware the door with teeth, surely means that you will find the doorway to this Malachite Hold behind a trapped doorway."

** Marilon turns back to Kalishan. "Or a portcullis." **
Marilon: "After all, is not a castle sometimes called a hold?"

Kalishan: "Why would you need to beware a portcullis? You just open it and move past ..."

Vaukarn: "I think that’s what they call the smaller sized ones. Nobles wouldn’t like just anyone having a castle..."

** Marilon rubs his chin. "Hard to say. I think we won't know the truth of the riddle until we actually get there." **

Kalishan: "Either way, sounds like there will be danger at this door with teeth."

Marilon: "Well, I think it's time for me to retire. I may have to roll the dwarf over to prevent his snoring. Good evening you, m'lady"

** Kalishan nods, "I too must be heading out, where is it that you were all meeting?" **

Marilon: "The Temple of Helm. Nice place, but a little too lawful for my tastes."

[Sean Mahoney]

DM: Our heroes had taken the captive thug to the Temple of Helm. There they met with the acting high priest, Jenya Urikas, who offered them employment through the church if they would find the missing townsfolk, most specifically the children. Information was shared and Jenya provided you with a riddle she received in a divination from her god:

The locks are key to finding them.
Look beyond the curtain, below the cauldron,
But beware the door with teeth.
Descend into the malachite ‘hold,
Where precious life is bought with gold.
Half a dwarf binds them, but not for long.

You then decided to meet up in front of the Temple in the morning and, as Vaukarn says, follow the clues...

Vaukarn: "The group learned of a nifty bunch of information form Helm through his mouth piece on Toril, after lots and lots of skull sweat we figure it will involve jumping into the tunnels beneath the city. Vaukarn was able to finally catch(?) the woman that he was supposed to follow for the watch and has gotten her on their side because she has some needed skills and hopefully information. She and Vaukarn planned to go the next day to the Lock Maker, Keygan Ghelve.

DM: Morning seems to come all too soon and you all find your various ways back to the front of the Temple of Helm. The constant drizzle seems to have given way to a drab grey, but you could have had worse weather. Never-the-less, you now have information to investigate and a direction to head in...

** Coranth has a quick breakfast at the family estate before heading out to meet the others at the temple. **

** Daphy wakes groggily and dunks my head in the nearest pool of water... (I used to use a rain barrel) **

** Marilon walks over to Daphy and says, a little too loudly, "How Are You Doing, Daphy! Did You Sleep Well!" **

** Borzak chuckles at Marilon **

Vaukarn: "Well where does everyone want to have a look around at eh? Oh, and for those that haven’t met her, this is Lady Kalishan, she has offered to help us."

Conrath: "Okay." *looks at Kalishan* "Sorry that I didn't meet you last night, I was busy working on a little puzzle. My name is Coranth."

** Kalishan nods a bit to Coranth. "Pleasure." **

Marilon: "While the locksmith is important, I really think we should start at the orphanage first. People won't suspect anything if we visit one in daylight."

** Kalishan steps out of the shadows to look to Marilon. "Why do you need to go to the Orphanage? There is nothing there that will help you." **

Kalishan: "Investigating the orphanage I'm afraid is a waste of time, and the mistress of the orphanage isn't put at ease each time a new group of you show up to scour the same evidence as the last six groups ..."

Marilon: "You don't think that people who have witnessed the disappearances firsthand can't help us, my good lady?"

Kalishan: "You won't get any further information from those at the orphanage that your two friends here have already learned." replies to Marilon as she readies to head to the locksmith's place*

Borzak: “I'm sure there are no witnesses”

Vaukarn: "I'm planning on the Lock Maker, Keygan. He might know something, or he might be a part of this conspiracy."

Vaukarn: "No one’s witnessed the disappearances."

Kalishan: "Nobody witnessed the disappearances ... they vanished in the night from a locked room."

Vaukarn: "All we have is empty beds."

Vaukarn: "After twenty five people missing I guess the kidnappers have gotten really, really good at their job."

Daphy: *shakes head and beard... spraying Marilon on purpose* "Aye... no witnesses have been reported... or come forth"

Marilon: "Bah, you know what I mean. And they'll have to account for those disappearances until we discover different. But if you want to visit Ghelve, I shall accompany."

Daphy: "Or people are too scared to come forth... I doubt the group that tried to warn me off was committing a virgin act"

** Kalishan looks to Vaukarn with an arched brow, but doesn't say anything **

Vaukarn: "Well if they keep trying the strong arm tactics, once we kill a few dozen they'll learn."

** Vaukarn gets up from his seat on the steps "Off to the smith then?" getting ready to follow Kalishan **

DM: The doors of the temple split open and Jenya appears between them and approaches you. "Good Morn to you all. I have come to wish you luck and to give you what information we could get out of the captive before we turned him over to the gaurd."

Marilon: "Oh, what news then?"

** Vaukarn perks up at hearing that the dirty cur gave something up **

Jenya Urikas: He was indeed a member of the guard, though adamantly off-duty. He and a few of his fellow guardsmen accepted a commission to scare off the dwarf. They were to rough him up a little but do no actual harm. When they heard the guards coming they tried to run.

Jenya Urikas: "He says he was hired for fifty gold by a woman named Jil, and was quite put off that neither she, nor his fellows, stuck around to help him."

Jenya Urikas: She looks wryly at Borzak, "And he now has a definite hatred of a certain monk."

** Vaukarn mutters "So that’s the b###*es name...” **

Vaukarn: "Have you reported this to the watch?"

Jenya Urikas: Responding to Vaukarn she says, "Yes, all of the information I currently have has been shared with the watch and he was turned over. I was promised by a Sergeant Skylar Krewis that he would be brought up on charges."

** Daphy finishes scrubbing up as the information is revealed... and then dons his chain mail and prepares for the outing **

Daphy: *to Vaukarn* "How common is corruption among the watch?"

** Vaukarn thinks on it **

** Kalishan mumbles "too common" **

Vaukarn: "A good amount of the men are good upright people. But we do have our bad apples. Paid to look the other way, things like that. I wouldn’t expect something as large as being hired out though."

Kalishan: "Thieves with badges ..." *spits on the ground* "We ready?"

Coranth: "Did he mention as to whether or not the others that were with him were also part of the city watch?"

Jenya Urikas: Responding to Coranth she says, "That is the impression I got, but he would name no names."

Marilon: "Oh, not all corruption is bad. If there's a value high enough that warrants going against the watch, where's the harm in that?"

** Vaukarn shrugs "It happens." **

Daphy: "So you support the golden rule then Marilon?"

Vaukarn: "Anything else M’lady?" *looking to the priestess

Vaukarn: "I prefer Eye for an eye, but that works also."

Coranth: *Looks at Daphy.* "What's this golden rule?"

Daphy: "The rules are made by those that have the Gold"

Marilon: "It's 'get as much gold as you can'. And no."

Kalishan: "Those with the gold, make the rules."

Marilon: "Oh, I heard it different."

Coranth: "I see. Hmm."

Kalishan: "You don't have to support it to know that it’s true dwarf ..."

Borzak: “So what is our next step?”

Marilon: "Let's go to the locksmith," he says disinterestedly, fixing his hair.

Vaukarn: "Off to the lock maker methinks. Sit on him and see what comes out."

Coranth: "Well, I imagine that if he had a big breakfast, you'd see partially digested food."

Daphy: "I know its true... and I don't support it. So we have the locksmith to question... and were any other leads discovered"

** Vaukarn grins at Marilon "Plan on seducing him?" **

** Vaukarn didn’t have much else to go on except for to enquire with his watch people to see if they might know anything **

Daphy: "Do any of us have working information of the city under this city?"

Marilon: "I'm sure I could if I wanted to. But that's not a good plan, I don't think."

Marilon: "You're the dwarf, you tell us."

Vaukarn: "I haven’t been down there. They police their own."

Daphy: "This is also my first time here, Marilon."

Borzak: "There have to be maps of the undercity."

** Marilon puts his hand on his rapier, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "First things first. If I wanted to spend my days in one place I'd have stayed in Waterdeep, so let's see the locksmith already." **

Vaukarn: "Agreed. Let’s be off."

Daphy: "I was just wondering if it would be the best use of time for all of us to show up at the locksmith"

Marilon: "I think it would. We have no idea if there'll be danger."

Daphy: *to Jenya* "Does your temple have an open relationship with the dwarves under the city?"

Vaukarn: "Kali, you seem to know this city best, care to lead the way?"

Marilon: "Daphy, the Mayor has an open relationship with the dwarves. They don't call him Dwarf-Friend for nothing."

Vaukarn: "From what i hear Sir Helm is a good man."

** Kalishan nods to Vaukarn. "I can do that, though I'm sure even on this miserable morning we shouldn't have too much excitement just reaching the locksmith's place. No guarantees about what we find inside." **

Marilon: "Indeed. Lead on, ba...er...my lady."

Daphy: "Well then we have another lead to investigate"

** Vaukarn smiles brightly at Kalishan "But the excitement is what makes us adventurers." **

** Kalishan takes the lead and starts to move down the street towards Ghelve's Locks. **

Jenya Urikas: "We have a good relationship with their temples, but they have distanced themselves from the city. So much that they consider themselves an autonomous city who are close trading partners with Sundabar."

** Marilon moves sprightly behind, almost skipping. **

** Vaukarn sticks close to her...not trusting her not to flee into an alley way and sick evil bastards onto us just yet **

DM: You all make your way through the labyrinth of streets to Ghelve's Locks

Daphy: *finishing to Jenya* "Well the train seems to be moving... thank you again for your hospitality and hopefully I will come back with better news"

Daphy: *quickens the pace to catch up*

** Kalishan looks back to the hulking city watch breathing down her neck and the prancing dandy ... "Ever heard of personal space Mr. City Watch?" asks over her shoulder to Vaukarn. **

** Borzak looks up from his day dreaming to notice the others have left **

** Borzak moves along hurriedly **

** Vaukarn looks down at the wee one "Sorry, im still waiting for you to bolt into an alley way and make me chase you until i lose my morning feast on the cobbles." **

** Vaukarn gives her some space **

Kalishan: "If I wanted to lose you, I would never have met up with you at the temple."

Marilon: "You have to expect women to make you chase them, my friend. It's called playing hard-to-get."

Vaukarn: "Not when your planning to put hand cuffs on them...well unless they are of the kinky sort."

** Marilon coughs nervously and raps on the door. **

DM: A small turret dominates the facade of this two-story black stone building. Iron bars are embedded in the thick window frames. Beyond the turret’s ground-floor windows, you can see a lovely display of locks, from large to small, simple to complex. To the left of the turret, above a heavy oak door, swings a simple sign that reads GHELVE'S LOCKS.

** Vaukarn says grimly "And do not let them put them on you, its how you end up attached to a bed frame while they pilfer your wallet and leave you." **

Vaukarn: "You know this fellow Kali?"

Daphy: *shakes my head at the conversation*

Kalishan: "Only by reputation ... "

Vaukarn: "Well then lets fill his ante chamber with our bulk."

** Marilon tries the door. **

DM: You all filter into the store and find yourselves in a comfy room that seems to be made to replicate a living or sitting room.

** Vaukarn follows the dandy through the door ducking under the frame so as not to smack his for head. **

** Kalishan looks around for Ghelve **

** Daphy stays outside to check the grounds before coming in **

DM: This store front smells of wood and pipe smoke. Two padded chairs flank a hearth containing a small yet lively fire. The fireplace's carved mantle bears a tinderbox, a small vase of dried smoking leaves, and a finely wrought collection of pipes.

** Vaukarn keeps his badge pocketed incase needed for leverage... **

** Marilon warms his hands by the fire. **

DM: A burgundy strip of carpet leads from the entrance to the wall across from it, where you can see dozens--perhaps hundreds--of keys hanging from tiny hooks. The keys come in all shapes and sizes.

** Kalishan pulls her ash gray hood down and shakes out her fiery red hair as she moves around the room, sizing up the room and the things that adorn it (and which might be most valuable and easy to pocket). **

DM: A handsomely engraved mahogany counter stretches along one wall. Behind it hangs a red curtain that neatly hides the rest of the store.

Marilon: *calls out* "Hello? Mr. Ghelve?"

DM: Standing behind the counter is what looks like a gnome, but he is approximately 6 feet tall. He has salt-and-pepper hair and a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee. His bushy eyebrows, creased face, and graven frown make him look dour and frumpy, but as you walk in a wry smile splits his face betraying this facade.

Marilon: "Good morrow to you, Goodman Ghelve."

Keygan: "Customers!" He says clapping his hands, then his eyes widen in surprise, "and a lot of them to boot! What can I do for you all?"

Marilon: "Well, we've heard you've done some work for the Lantern Street Orphanage recently."

** Vaukarn waits for him to bolt as all the others he questions do...even when asking the time **

Keygan: "Orphanage? I wouldn't say recently... maybe I sold them stuff a few years ago... yeah, I remember, gave them a good discount... you know, on account of their good work and all."

Vaukarn: "Elethor Ashstaff also mentioned you i think i remember as being a good person to come to."

Keygan: "Is that what you are here about? Those kids that went missing? Well, I can assure you that if they were locked in by MY locks that wasn't the problem."

Keygan: He leans over the counter conspiratorially, "Remember locks aint no good if you don't lock 'em... and everyone always says they do, but I think you and I both know the truth."

Kalishan: "You don't happen to keep duplicate keys around for sold locks would ya Ghelve?"

** Vaukarn always locks his doors but grins conspiratorially back **

Keygan: "What!?!? Now *that* would be an ethical violation in the extreme! And I didn't earn my reputation by making people feel unsafe!"

DM: The locksmith mood seems to be darkening quickly with this line of questioning

Marilon: "We're not accusing you, goodman. But we need to rule out certain things. Under the assumption the door was locked, what would it take to get past your locks? Sorcery?"

Kalishan: "Well ya know, keep an extra key around in case the person loses one and needs another or they sleep on the street that night." *she says to the man offering a smile.

Kalishan: "You ever hire apprentices Ghelve?"

Keygan: "Well, there are always people who can pick locks, and while all my locks are quality, the orphanage didn't have the money to purchase those we can put a tamper proof gaurantee on."

Keygan: "No, just me here in the shop... suppose I should take one on someday, like my father and uncle who taught me, but I still have many good years before I should need to worry."

** Kalishan nods as she continues to smile and look around the establishment, allowing the others some questions. **

** Vaukarn glances over the mantle "Their locks show no signs of tampering or picking good sir." **

Keygan: "Of course they don't! And if they did it would only be someone TRYING to pick the lock!"

Vaukarn: "Has anyone else come to question you about your locks?"

Vaukarn: "A few months ago say?"

Keygan: "No! The rest of this town understands that I run a reputable business and that this shop has been in operation for over 100 years." He seems to be getting angry now, "You have NO right to come in here and accuse me of complicity in... in... whatever the hell it is that you think is going on!"

Kalishan: "I assume someone with your specialized talents that you have never had unwanted guests enter your establishment either ..."

Borzak: "I've been trying to tell them this is a waste of time" Borzak mutters.

** Marilon rolls his eyes at what's going on and tries to diffuse this. **

** Vaukarn walks over to the counter and slaps down his badge. "Actually sir, i do have a Right to come here and accuse." **

** Marilon is about to say something but quiets up after seeing Vaukarn has played the Watch card. **

Borzak: "I'm leaving before he gets more offended" Borzak walks out of the shop. "Of all the idio . . . . . " you here as he leaves.

Vaukarn: "Now do you care to have my folk tromping through your store tearing it apart or you can clean your conscience up."

Keygan: "Evidence! Then show me your evidence if you have it! You have none and I would kindly ask you to leave" He is yelling now.

** Marilon sees that this is going poorly and decides to play good cop. **

** Kalishan places a hand on the large brute of a man. "I don't believe this man has anything that can help you. I think we should let him get back to his business, it seems we have angered him." *looks to Ghelve* "I am deeply sorry for our brash actions Ghelve, we are just worried for the children that have gone missing." **

Marilon: "Goodman Ghelve, if you kindly calm yourself, we're merely trying to solve a difficult situation concerning this town. All we need to know is how those locks were bypassed. You said there was some extra tamper-proofing you provide? What's that exactly?"

Marilon: Diplomacy Skill Check: [1d20+7] -> [9,7] = (16)

Keygan: He seems genuinely taken aback by Kalishan’s words and looks down

** Vaukarn looks to Kali in mock anger "But gods knows whats happening to those poor younglings." **

** Vaukarn is thankful to marilon, its hard to do the good cop bad cop with only one person. **

Keygan: He seems to be very nervous now and his eyes flick from you to somewhere over his shoulder as he speaks, "Look, I want to help the children, I do, but there is nothing I can do!"

Kalishan: "I know" *she says as he pats Vaukarn on the shoulder comforting him. "Seems we are once again at a dead end, I suppose it is a good thing they are only orphans, at least we don't have to inform their parents of their disappearances and that we have no leads. Come on guys, leave this good man to do his work." **starts to pull Vaukarn towards the door out as she turns around to go that way herself*

** Marilon leans in close and speaks quietly. "We can guarantee your confidentiality and aid in your personal safety if you're worried about someone coming after you for your knowledge." **

Keygan: His eyes seem desperate as he jerks his head over his shoulder, almost as if signalling, but his voice is firm and business like as he says, "I told you, there is nothing I can do or say to help... but if I can interest you in some locks perhaps others would be more safe?"

** Vaukarn silently slides his sword out. "Well Sir, the watch thanks you for your cooperation." *gestures for him to get the hell out of the way and for Kali to back him up* **

** Marilon draws his rapier and raises an eyebrow, jerking his chin forward behind Ghelve. **

** Kalishan glances to the direction he jerked his head towards, trying to see if there is anything more to this man's behavior. **

** Marilon whispers to the group, "There might be some thugs in the back." **

Keygan: His eyes seem frantic as if he is torn now.

** Kalishan nods and heads out of the shop (so the door bell rings) once outside I look for Borzak and Daphy and for a way up to the roof to sneak in through on the windows and come down the stairs into the shop) **

** Vaukarn glances at his gigantic sword and then at the shop keeper and then gestures him to move away from the curtains again **

Coranth: *Looks at the shop keeper and points up at the ceiling.*

** Marilon gives Ghelve his most comforting smile, then jerks a thumb at himself. **

Marilon: "Vaukarn, after you."

DM: ((The shop is two stories and has barred windows (see description) additionally you can tell there has even been protection inserted on the chimney... you would guess if any house is barred from a break in it would be a locksmiths))

** Marilon whispers to Ghelve, "Pretend you're speaking to someone buying locks. We'll get them." **

Keygan: Looks almost ready to bolt, but sees Coranth’s gesture and nods frantically.

** Vaukarn shakes his head no and continues to wait for the others to get ready to burst into the back room and see whats going on **

Coranth: *Puts his finger to his mouth and looks at Vaukarn and points at him and then at the ceiling.*

Keygan: "Well, we do have many options to choose from," He tries to remain steady but his voice has begin to crack.

** Vaukarn says for the benefit of any listening "Right behind you Marilon." **

** Vaukarn slowly works his way around the counter and to the edge of the curtains **

Kalishan: "There seems to be a bit of trouble in there, you boys wanna come in and act like perspective buyers to get the good locksmith out of the way so I can sneak around and see who might be around?"

Keygan: He presses himself against the wall, too afraid to speak anymore

Coranth: *Walks up to the counter while the other two are headed towards the curtain.* "I was interested in seeing about some of your finer locks. The manor is being remodled and I wouldn't want to have any cut throats or rogues attempt to steal my most prized possessions." *Speaking in a very snobbish tone.*

** Marilon walks past the curtain. **

** Vaukarn rushes through the curtains cutting to the right **

Borzak: "I'll join you around back."

Daphy: *whispers* "no need looking around... I found them" *louder... while standing up* "No... No... I wasn't sleeping... I was... I was just um... you know the armor gets heavy"

** Kalishan turns not awaiting their reply as she pulls her rapier and opens the door again and enters, though moving alot slower and quieter. **

** Kalishan looks to Daphy to see what he means he found em? **

Daphy: *tilts my head in their direction while I stretch*

DM: ((Spot check Kalishan & Borzak))

Kalishan: Spot (wis): [1d20-1+4] -> [6,-1,4] = (9)

Daphy: "No ma'am I wasn't drinking"

Borzak: Spot Skill Check: [1d20+5] -> [19,5] = (24)

** Kalishan continues to look at the dwarf, not knowing what he's talking about. "Get up ya lazy drunk. We gots work ta do!" **

Daphy: "Yes Ma'am"

** Kalishan continues to scan the area a bit, hoping they aren't watching us, and if they are, trying to not give away that someone knows they are around. **

Borzak: Borzak begins to moves, not looking where he is going (on purpose) and stumbles into Kalishan whispering in her ear. "The roof"

Borzak: "I'm sorry, dear"

DM: Black curtains partially obscure a window niche that face the street. Ornate locks and complex locking mechanisms are neatly displayed in the niche.

Daphy: *takes the time they are standing there looking like he's straightenening his gear and getting ready to leave*

Coranth: *Looks at the shop keeper and mouths "How many."*

Borzak: "While disengaging himself from Kalishan, Borzak quickly whispers. "Down the street, behind me."

DM: The room itself looks tidy, but lived in. Carpets cover the stone floor, and a broom leans against the railing of a wooden staircase leading up to a second floor balcony. Three wooden chests rest in the middle of the floor, their lids bound shut with sturdy iron padlocks.

** Vaukarn glances through the curtains to his right (i guess thats south on the map)) **

** Marilon steels himself and hopes for the best. He's not keen on battle but he'll do what he can. **

Kalishan: "You clumsy buffoon! Watch where you are going!" yells to Borzak and starts to look for a quick way to the roof.

DM: Small tables, shelves and benches hold various knick-knacks, and a framed portrait of a silver-haired gnome hangs next to a tall wooden box at the base of the stairs. The wooden box contains an intricate array of ticking gears, cylindrical chimes and is surmounted by a circular face that bears the numerals 1 though 12 on tis circumference

** Vaukarn backs out and moves to the stairs glancing up quickly for any sign of someone at the top **

** Marilon follows Vaukarn and stands by the stairs. **

Kalishan: "Come on, we have business to attend to!" *starts to move away from the building, hoping to get to another building close by to climb onto the roof*

DM: Alright... lets hit some init

Daphy: "Yes Ma'am " *starts to move and follow around to the front*

Marilon: init [1d20] -> [13] =

Daphy: Init [1d20] -> [17] =

Vaukarn: Init: [1d20+2] -> [1,2] =

Coranth: Init [1d20+2] -> [12,2] = (14)

Borzak: Initiative: [1d20+3+4] -> [19,3,4] =

Kalishan: Initiative: [1d20+4] -> [4,4] =

Borzak: (I'll move towards the person in the alley)

DM: ((Roll a bluff check... mod +5))

Borzak: "Bane's Black Balls! I forgot my appointment this morning." Borzak says frantically (acting). "I need to meet them. I'll be back"

Borzak: [1d20-1+5] -> [11,-1,5] = (15)

DM: The figure quickly turns, pulls his cloak’s hood up and starts quickly walking down the alley in the opposite direction.

DM: ((You notice the one on the roof pull back as well - Borzak and Daphy))

** Daphy moves to the front of the building **

** Daphy and will go inside **

DM: You see the others just entering a room behind the red curtain.

** Daphy will take in his surroundings **

DM: ((You saw someone in the alley turn and start to walk away when Borzak walked that way, but you didn't see anyone on a roof, Kalishan))

Coranth : *Peaks through the curtain and looks at the room beyond and up towards the ceiling and the balcony above.*

DM: ((The balcony is straight above you... see the second story map... make a spot check))

Coranth : Spot [1d20+4] -> [1,4] = (5)

DM: You don't see anything there either...

Marilon : I'm going to climb the stairs.

DM: ((When you reach the bottom make a spot check))

Marilon : Spot Skill Check: [1d20+0] -> [18,0] = (18)

whispering to Marilon , You see a black cloacked figure hunched and peering over the side just on top of Vaukarn.

Marilon : "Vaukarn, above you!"

** Coranth places one hand into a pouch on his belt. **

Marilon : "Go go, get 'em get 'em! Go go, get 'em get 'em! Kick some ... yeah! Okay, it's just a little inspiring, what do you want."

Marilon : (+1 to attack, +1 to damage, +1 to saves against fear and charm)

DM: The dark figure launches itself up into the air and detaches its cloak at the apex of its jump... at that point only the shine of its rapier is apparent as you can make out little but a vague outline of a humanoid, it's colors shifting rapidly to match those around it.

** Coranth will step into the room, through the curtain, that I was only peaking through to begin with. **

DM: ((Vaukarn roll a spot, +2 for the warning shout... DC: 22

Vaukarn: [1d20+2+1] -> [10,2,1] = (13)

DM: Your eyes are drawn to the floating cloak and not quickly enough to the hazy shape of a man that lands hard next you and attempts to ram its rapier through your gullet

DM: [1d20+3] -> [12,3] = (15) (attack against flat footed AC)

DM: The creature seems to have lost some of its momentum from the hard fall (you heard a distinct grunt as it hit) and its aim is ruined by your armor.
** Vaukarn glares at his scratched armor. "No you f@%!ing didnt..." **

** Kalishan starts to climb up the Locksmith's building to get to the roof (I hope)... Climb [1d20+2] -> [4,2] = (6) **

DM: The locksmith seems to have, in his attempt to foil entry, filled up each of the hand holds you would have expected to find on his building.

DM: ((Vaukarn?))

** Vaukarn spins and cuts the bastard who tried to shank me in half. [1d20+7] -> [20,7] = (27) **

** Kalishan mumbles crap, and decides to head towards the building with the outside stairs **

Vaukarn: Confirm [1d20+7] -> [9,7] = (16)

DM: (confirmed)

Vaukarn: [(2d6+5)*2] -> 34

DM: Your oversized sword cleaves down into the hazy creature before you and bits deep; it crumples to the floor

** Vaukarn spins away from the hacked apart corpse and uses his move action to get next to Marilon **

Marilon : "Remind me never to get on YOUR bad side."

** Vaukarn grins through a face full of blood and joins Marilon at the stairs **

DM: The body lies bleeding on the floor and at first it's colors match exactly with the floor, but as it life bleeds out of it so does the color and left in front of you is a grey non-descript humanoid... devoid of all facial features but a lipless mouth and midnight black eyes that have lost their luster.

DM: ((Borzak?))

Borzak: (I'll run after the person in the alley)

DM: You take off at a run after him and are on him before he gets too far away (tackle/grapple?)

Borzak: (grapple)

DM: Roll a touch attack

DM: AC: 12

Borzak: [1d20+2+4] -> [19,2,4] = (25)

** DM confiscates all dice but Kali's **

DM: You hit him from behind before he can even pivot to face you (Opposed grapple check)

Borzak: [1d20+2+4] -> [8,2,4] = (14)

DM: [1d20-1] -> [8,-1] = (7)

DM: You are able to quickly manhandle him as you wrap yourself around him.

** Kalishan smirks at the scene as Borzak manhandles the figure who tried to escape, sure they will at least have 1 informant that lives and continues to head to the building with the outside stairs (I know not my action but still) :) **

DM: You hear the light landing of a body drop from above and look up to see the blonde elf, now you can tell his features are not fully elven, level a longsword at you. "Let him go and back away." He says calmly.

Kalishan : (oh... maybe I don't head for the ledge... he's aiming that at Borzak?)

DM: ((Yes he is leveling a sword at him... a half-elf with golden hair pulled back in three braids and wearing leather armor))

DM: ((Daphy))

** Daphy hops the bar and pulls out my shield keeping keygan safe.... **

Daphy: "How many are there?" *to Keygan*

Daphy: ** pulls out axe as well **

Keygan: The shopkeeper's eyes are saucers. "Ju... just the one.... oh gods... what will they do!?!"

DM: ((Coranth))

Coranth : *Takes a quick look up at the balcony again and then go to examine the corpse, touching the skin.*

Coranth : "I wonder what this can possibly be."

Marilon : "Search it."

Daphy: *Shouting inside* "There is only one in here... I saw two outside though watching this place... Borzak ran after one of them!"

Coranth : *Gives a nod and searches the corpse, carefully.*

** Vaukarn glances at the one he cut into pieces "oops..." **

Marilon : "Are you sure? If so, that one is dispatched."

Coranth : Search [1d20+7] -> [12,7] = (19)

DM: You find the skin resilient, but not that different from a humans other than its dull gray color. You find that it is completely nude (and devoid of sex organs), it's only possessions seem to be the rapier beside it and the cloak that just now flutters to the ground.

DM: ((Marilon))

Marilon : "Interesting. I have no idea what that is...however...whatever is on his person strikes me as interesting."

** Marilon mutters and makes a few motions with his hands. **

Coranth : "Hmm. Doesn't seem to be wearing anything at all and it's definitely not human."

Marilon : Marilon Daveor casts Detect Magic ( level 0, "Detects spells and magic items within 60 ft." )

Coranth : "There also appears to be no gender, although that may have been destroyed by Vaukarn's sword blow."

Daphy: "Our Compatriots might be in trouble outside!"

Whispering to Marilon: As each of the times you have invoked this spell before the world suddenly hazes blue as you attune yourself to workings of the weave. The only concentrations of the weave you are seeing come from the various bags or pouches you saw your friends place their potions in.

** Marilon exhales deeply. "His rapier and cloak aren't magical...nor is he. Well, I'm stumped." **

DM: ((Kali))

Kalishan : (does that elven thief seem to realize I'm there? ie can I sneak up to him and shove my blade through him? and get my sneak attack?)

DM: ((Borzak and the other half-elf are between you and him and he does seem to be keeping an eye on you))

Kalishan : (well f&%+ him) I'm gonna slice his b#@*% ass up with my Rapier!
Kalishan : Melee Attack: Rapier [1d20+2] -> [14,2] = (16) (crit 18-20/x2)

DM: You pull your rapier as you run towards him and he readies a short sword for your attack. Your lunge quickly changes directions and he isn't quick enough to parry, laying open a section of his thigh.

Coranth : "Well, I might be able to figure out who or what this creature was, but I'll need the resources back at my masters home, and it will take some time. Maybe more time than we have left to us."

Kalishan : "Continue to do what yer doing there buddy, I got this child-snatching shitbag." *says Borzak as she moves past to slash at the other rogue*

Kalishan : Damage: Rapier [1d6+2] -> [6,2] = (8)

DM: ((Vaukarn))

** Vaukarn rushes up the stairs after saying "Put another blade in it Coranth, make sure." **

** Vaukarn looks around on the second floor **

DM: Vaukarn, you rush up the stairs to find the balcony relatively clear of debris other than a crossbow and quiver of bolts sitting where the creature had been hiding

DM: ((Borzak))

Borzak: Instinctively Borzak rolls over while holding on to the thug, placing their body between him and his new assailant.

Borzak: Grapple: [1d20+2+4] -> [10,2,4] = (16)

DM: Escape Artist: [1d20+4] -> [18,4] = (22)

DM: You tighten your grip but find that it almost aids in his escape, instead of fighting your movements he uses them to propel himself out of your grip.

DM: The dark haired half-elf (formerly grappled) seems to be very wary of those around him watching for overt attacks as he begins to chant a prayer to either his god or nature herself... you are unsure

DM: Concentration [1d20+2] -> [3,2] = (5)

DM: ((Unless you cast defensively... which is what he was trying but failed... ruining the spell))

DM: "Stop! We did nothing to you, why do you take arms against us?!?!"

DM: ((Readies action to attack Kali if she moves at him))

DM: ((Daphy))

Daphy: *to Keygan* "I'll do my best to keep you safe and if you cooperate I'm sure the temple of helm will assist me in this process"

Daphy: *shout out* "If the inside is clear get out to the streets and help Kalishan and Borzak... I'll Keep Keygan safe"

Keygan: Looks at Daphy in horror, "Oh my love, what will they do to you!"

Daphy: "They have your wife... or child?"

Coranth : *Steps through the curtain.* "The body is definately strange and will need further examination to determine what it actually is." *Heads towards the door out.*

Daphy: "Don't let the scouts get away" *shout as they all dart out the door* "It could spell trouble for more innocents"

DM: You make it just outside the door and are able to make out the standoff that seems to be developing between Borzak, Kalishan and two half-elves

DM: ((Marilon))

** Marilon exits the curtain, hopping on the counter and over, standing by the entrance. "Wotsallthisthen?" **

DM: ((Kali))

Kalishan : "That's horse shit! Why were you skulking around the Locksmith's rooftop!?" **readies her action to attack if they try to get smart and run away*

Golden Haired Elf: "Skulking?!" He says, wincing as he shifts his weight off his bleeding leg, "We were following you to find out why and how you came to be so wrapped up with these orphans. Convienient that you who have been there watching are now with those searching after them!"

Kalishan : "Following me?! That's a good way to get yourself killed. Why would you follow me? You are those two who are investigating for the Ruling Master?!"

Golden Haired Elf: "I am not answering questions at sword point! Lower your weapon!"

Kalishan : "You lower yours first!"

Kalishan : "Or I can finish the job and you won't be dancing anymore."

DM: ((Borzak?))

Borzak: (I'll try and grapple the guy again that I had)

Borzak: Grapple: [1d20+2+4] -> [14,2,4] = (20)

DM: ((Then the grapple if successful))

Borzak: Grapple: [1d20+2+4] -> [10,2,4] = (16)

DM: Escape Artist [1d20+4] -> [3,4] = (7)

DM: Borzak quickly takes hold of his victim again preparing another hold, this time ready for his slippery tricks.

** Kalishan glances to the wrestling pair and back up to the other half-elf to see what he intends to do now. **

Golden Haired Elf: "Your friend attacked mine, but I stayed my hand. You then unprovoked, attacked me and still I try and reason. I need a sign of good faith from you. Lower... your... weapon."

Borzak: "I'll break his neck if you don't come clean NOW!"

Kalishan : "You are at a disadvantage, if you don't wish my friend to put yours into a coma I suggest you drop your weapon, or we can continue this, until you lay bleeding on the ground and we question your friend there. Maybe he'll be a bit more cooperative!"

Coranth : "Oh, come on now, is it really that necessary to spill more blood this morning?" *Looking at the two groups of individuals.*

Kalishan : "Silence" she barks to the mage.

Golden Haired Elf: "Come clean with WHAT!?!?" He flares with anger, "You have attacked us unprovoked. I will see you brought on charges for this! GAURDS!!!" His yell echoes up and down the alleys.

Coranth : *Cocks his head to one side, looking at Kalishan and then back at the elf.*

Kalishan : "You followed me unprovoked, sounds like you came looking for trouble. Call the guards, you'll find yer still outmatched sucker!"

DM: Vaukarn exits the house, wiping his blade on a black cloak an is confronted by Borzak wrapping himself around a half-elf and another half-elf who is holding his sword point at Kalishan and she is reciprocating.

Marilon : "Kalishan, you're accomplishing little."

** Vaukarn grins down at the sword wielding half elf "Lo mate, If your calling for the watch you’ve found one and id be pleased to cut your ass in half." **

** Marilon turns to the golden-haired elf. {In elvish} Please just state your business and we can settle this calmly." **

Kalishan : "Hey this jerkoff pulled a weapon on your friend there Marilon, I could've let him gut him, but I thought perhaps you might want your friend returned to you alive."

Coranth: *Steps a little closer to the two with drawn blades.* "Can we settle this peacefully?"

Kalishan : (in common) "He won't state his business, cause he is just a hired assassin."

** Vaukarn grins, "Doesnt look like." **

Golden Haired Elf: He glances at the others as they approach, "On the contrary, your friend chased down and attacked *my* friend... I was simply then and continuing now to demand his release."

Coranth: "If Borzak releases your friend, will you lower your weapon?"

Kalishan : "Lower your blade elf, and I will do likewise .... Perhaps you would like to explain why you were sneaking around on rooftops then to the city watch here friend?!"

Golden Haired Elf: "If I lower mine, will the rest of you keep this maniac in check?" He asks motioning to Kalishan

Vaukarn: "Was your friend hanging about this building? Which is known as conspiring in the kidnapping of over twenty individuals?"

Kalishan : "What does the Ruling Master want with a couple of bastard children?!"

Vaukarn: "Maniac? Shes the nice one. What do you say friend Kalishan?"

Coranth: "Well, he's the one that is bleeding." *Looking at Vaukarn.*

** Vaukarn is ready to cut this half bastard elf into hunks of rape victim spawn any second **

Kalishan : "You pulled your blade first elf, you defended your friend, and I defended mine. Our methods vary as I don't typically take prisoners, and I don't take kindly to being stalked ..." *lowers her weapon as she backs up, so he can't lunge at me to finish me off with his blade*

** Vaukarn shrugs "so is the being inside, doesnt make him not guilty. Identification and information might clear you though." *flashes his watch badge* **

Daphy: "Keygan Get any personal effects that you need and we will get you out of here... and then we will get your loved one"

Golden Haired Elf: He pauses for a moment and then lets both his blades clatter to the ground. "We are friends of Elethor Ashestaff, a half-elf wizard who disappeared some time ago. Now let him go!" he says motioning to the other half elf.

** Kalishan nods to Borzak to release the other helf-elf **

Keygan: He seems to be frozen in terror and falls to his knees. It is then that you realize this is almost a 3 foot drop for he has inordinately long lower legs and the rest of him is gnome size.

** Kalishan sheaths her weapon after she wipes the blood off her blade. **

Borzak: Borzak releases the half-elf reluctantly

Daphy: "Are you alright?"

Marilon: "Keygan...I mean no offense but...what are you?"

** Vaukarn lowers his blade but keeps it drawn "Seems we are kindred spirits." **

Vaukarn: "We would appreciate anything you could tell us on the situation."

Kalishan: "So, what does the Ruling Master what with a couple of bastard kids? He ran out of adult playthings? Or does he favor young children?"

Vaukarn: "And another twenty one individuals..."

Golden Haired Elf: "My name is Fario Ellegoth and this is Fellian Shard. After we went to the Orphanage posing as investigators but came up empty, we followed the dwarf from there and saw him attacked by thugs... We were about to jump in when you attacked... we have been following you since."

Kalishan: "Sounds like a convenient excuse now that you are caught and in the open ..."

Marilon: "So you've been following us for saving the dwarf?"

Coranth: "Oh, so you weren't just following any one specific person, per se, but us as a group. Can you tell us what you know of these kidnappings?"

** Vaukarn glances at Marilon "Find anything on whoever it was i cut in half?" **

Golden Haired Elf: "We were following him for his association with the church. We figured they would have the best chance of solving this..."

Coranth: "So, what is your stake in this case?"

** Marilon says to Vaukarn, "A rapier and a cloak, both ordinary. He didn't wear any clothes...and from the looks of it, he had nothing to cover modestly, if you get me." **

Vaukarn: "Oh so the watch cant solve anything...."

Vaukarn: "Well then he should have been glad he died by my blade. Bastard."

Kalishan: "Posing as investigators?! So you are saying you have no interest in the missing children then?!"

Golden Haired Elf: "The watch hasn't solved this in how long?" his temper flaring again as he winces in pain, "How long has our friend gone missing with no resolution? The church at least might have been on to something we didn't know... we were beginning to give up hope."

Golden Haired Elf: "Of course we feel for the children, but we CARED about the kidnappings long before that."

Marilon: "The church has given us a vital clue. Do you know what a malachite hold might be?"

Vaukarn: "Hey now, you can f!@# off. I'm busting my ass to get to the bottom of this and im with the watch."

Coranth: "Vaukarn, you honestly aren't really helping matters here."

Daphy: *to Keygan* "Are you alright?" *trying to shake him back into reason*

Vaukarn: "Like some of the watch have."

** Vaukarn glances at Coranth "Well then next time you can handle the half invisible rapiers to the spine then." **

Keygan: "I... I am a gnomish locksmith... oh... these..." he sobs as he takes off a pair of stilts that were covered by his very long pants

Kalishan: "You actually want to solve something?! That's a unique perspective among the City Watch ... I notice that you are alone in your search though. Why do you think that is Vaukarn?"

Keygan: "They... they made me do it... they took starbrow... my familiar!"

Daphy: "Well lets get you out of here and safe and then we'll worry about your familiar"

DM: The darkhaired half-elf moves slowly to his friend, "I must heal him before he bleeds to death."

** Vaukarn glances at Kalishan "Because some of us are worst bastards then me?" **

Coranth: "Please, by all means." *Looking at the other half-elf.*

** Marilon goes up to the dark-haired elf and hands him his Helmite potion. "Then here, as a gesture of good faith. Get it? Faith? Oh, never mind." **

Kalishan: "Well I don't think the city has much interest in solving these issues either, unless some royal snob gets nabbed."

** Vaukarn snickers at Marilon’s joke **

Vaukarn: "Exscuse me? Im here and i work for the city."

Fellian: He places his hand on his friends leg and they begin to glow as he chants. As he draws them away the only wound left is a large red welt.

Kalishan: "OOh, they sent one city watch, I'm impressed all the hell now ... One that is more known for bashing the shit out of his targets than asking questions ..."

Keygan: "They're here! They're under HERE!!!" He says as if he feels it is the rest of the world that is going insane.

Marilon: "Impressive. So I guess you don't need the healing potion?"

Daphy: "Even more reason to get you out of here"

Fellian: "Thank you, no."

** Marilon bows and retreats, putting his potion back in his pack. **

Coranth: *Glances between Kalishan and Vaukarn, rolls his eyes, and then turns his attention back to the half-elves.* "So, you had a friend that disappeared as well? This is all relatively new to me. Can you elaborate on what you know?"

Vaukarn: "So i suppose you take blades to the back when attacked wee one?" *looking to Kalishan*

Fario: "We have little to share that your watch friend here can't likely add as we got most of our information from off-duty officers."

** Kalishan heads into the locksmiths to see if the dwarf and Ghelve are alright. **

Coranth: "Well, he hasn't been too talkative about what the city watch knows. He just gives us a brief summary, which I believe is leaving out some of the important details."

Vaukarn: "Any questions you have Fario i will try to answer. I try to build trust...but hell if its working."

Marilon: "Have you ever heard of a malachite hold?"

Fario: "The best clues they have is that no doors seem to be forced, there seems to be several assailants, both human sized and gnome or halfling based on tracks. Other than that pretty much everyone is at a loss... the Orphanage was the same story as the others."

Fario: "Malachite hold... I can't say that I have. Why?"

Marilon: "It's one of the clues we were given...indirectly by Helm himself."

** Vaukarn snorts "Thats the same ive heard Fario **

Fario: "Well, I suppose my biggest question is why did you come here? We heard nothing about a missing person here."

Marilon: "The locks are the key."

Marilon: "Another piece of the riddle."

Kalishan: "So Daphy, what did ya find out?"

Coranth: "So there are multiple races that are involved and none of the locks have been tampered with. These tracks were found where? Outside of windows? Near entrances to the grounds of the buildings?"

DM: Kalishan enters the building to find Daphy leaning over a sobbing Keygan who is pointing at the ground and sobbing, "They're in here! Don't you understand?!?"

Vaukarn: "All ovre the scene form what ive seen."

** Kalishan looks to Ghelve, ""Who's here? Did you give keys to some people to break into places?" **

Daphy: "It seems that the criminals we seek are... here"

Daphy: "Look for a secret entrance underground"

Fario: "I guess the only other thing I can add is that most of the time the home they disappear from is cleaned out...

** Kalishan starts to look around the room for any hidden passages or covered doors to underground **

Vaukarn: "of valuables?"

Marilon: "If locks aren't tampered with, the only thing I can think of is that they were entered magically."

Fario: "Yes... like they wanted everything in there as well.. .but why take the people then?!?"

Coranth: "As if the people simply unlocked their own doors and left with their possessions?"

Daphy: *prodding Keygan again* "Please anything you need get and we will get you to a safe location... where we can converse without the sense of urgancy that seems present here"

Keygan: He seems to try and pull himself together. "They came out of the secret door in the back room. It is the last entrance to Jzadirune. They had Starbrow before I knew it and I had no choice to do what they said... they... they made me make a key... a key that worked in every lock I have ever made!" he goes back to sobbing

Marilon: "Coranth, an interesting theory. But if they're kidnapped or left of their own volition, the big question is, where are they now?"

Vaukarn: "Would you happen to know of any thieves guilds who opperate undergound, or of "the curtain below the culdron"'

Coranth: "That is what we are attempting to find out, now isn't it Marilon?" *Smiles.* "I do so love a riddle."

Fario: "No... none of those things sound familiar. The only thieves I know of are the Last Laugh, but I hear they are war with others."

Daphy: *smacks him* "Dammit your no help to us or to Starbrow in that stat"

Marilon: "The Last Laugh? They don't happen to dress up in motley do they?"

** Kalishan nods "We will try to get your friend back Ghelve." *moves to the back room and looks for a secret door* **

DM: Search check

Vaukarn: "We ran into them a night ago, but the members except one were all watch members. except the leader. The b++~@ had magic to spare also."\

Kalishan: Search (int): [1d20+3+3] -> [20,3,3] = (26)

DM: You find a secret door hidden un the wall of the staircase, right next to the red curtain.

Kalishan: "Stop beating on the gnome Daphy. He is distraught, let him be for a moment, I found the secret door though. Should I tell the others?"

Marilon: "You're absolutely right, Coranth."

Marilon: "You wouldn't believe what I heard in the bar the other day."

Marilon: "Regarding their location."

Marilon: "Some mug in the bar told me that it's a magical wasting disease just like wot happened some years ago to some gnomes in a place called Jzadirune. But honestly, that couldn't be true...right?"

[Sean Mahoney]

DM: Last time the team met outside of the Temple of Helm where those who hadn't met up with Kalishan, the newest member of the group

DM: From there the group moved off to the shop of Keygan Ghelve, a well-known and respected locksmith.

DM: The party ended up splitting with those on the outside having a pair of half-elves who were watching them pointed out to them by Daphy

DM: Those on the inside confronted Keygan who cracked and motioned that someone or something was in the back behind the curtain

DM: Two fights broke out almost simultaneously as Borzak chased and tackled one of the half-elves and those inside passed through the curtain.

DM: Those who passed into the back room where ambushed by a creature who seemed to blend in to his very surrounding, even when moving very quickly. Unfortunately he was dispatched with a huge cleave from Vaukarn.

DM: Those outside got into a standoff when Kalishan charged in and attacked the other half-elf who had come to rescue his friend

DM: It was revealed that the half-elves had been following the group since the attack in the alley as they had followed the dwarf from the orphanage.

DM: They were also investigating the disappearances as their friend, one Elethor Ashstaff, was one of the missing

DM: Keygan broke down and revealed that "they made me do it!" in reference to creating a key that would open any lock he ever made

DM: Apparently "they" had taken his familiar hostage

DM: He also said "They" were below you... in response to this Kalishan searched the back room and found a secret door just under the stairs.

** Kalishan found the secret passage in the room when we last left off **

DM: I believe Daphy and Kalishan were the only ones inside, the rest were watching or participating in the converation with the half-elves, Fario Ellegoth and Fellian Shard.

Marilon: "But let's put aside this silly talk of a magical disappearing disease from Jzadirune and start entertaining some REAL possibilities."

Coranth: "So, you were saying that some of the people that have gone and disappeared left behind empty homes? Is it possible that they just decided to leave?"

** Vaukarn raises a brow (doesnt have eyebrows) "And businesses?" **

Coranth: "Well, some of the disappearences could be kidnappings, but all of them?"

Marilon: "With all due respect, we could play what-if all day, but that's not progress."

Vaukarn: "We usually find bodies to go with our dissapearances."

Coranth: *Looks at the big guy.* "You've found bodies?"

Vaukarn: "Or parts atleast..."

Vaukarn: "Not from any of the ones involved in this case."

** Keygan seems to be calming down... his sobs have stopped, but he is still shaken badly. **

** Fellian and Fario are listening intently to the discussion. **

Coranth: "Jzadirune, huh? Wonder what that translates to."

Marilon: I speak many a language...gnomish isn't one."

** Vaukarn thinks back to if hes ever heard of that language... **

** Vaukarn nods to the half elves. "Anything you two could tell us?" **

** Kalishan pokes her head out of the Gnome's shop. "Guys ... I found something ..." **

** Marilon turns back to Kalishan. "Oh, what have you found?" **

** Vaukarn grins "A clue maybe..." walks inside the building following Kalishan **

** Fellian and Fario look at each other and then quickly follow Vaukarn into the building **

** Marilon shrugs and enters the shop once again. **

Coranth: *Walks after the others and re-enters the shop.*

Borzak: follows the others

Kalishan: "Well our small friend here has divulged some information that someone took his familiar and forced him to sell them a key to his locks. There seems to be a passage behind this bookshelf." (it was in a bookshelf right?)

DM: As you all walk in you see that the gnome, Keygan is squatting on the floor looking very distressed with Daphy leaning over him

Vaukarn: "Giving him the nine hells Daphy?"

Daphy: "are you going to go to the temple of helm where I can assure greater saftey or are you going to stay here and wait for them"

Marilon: "You going to be alright, Goodman?"

** Keygan looks up at Daphy in horror. "You mean my choice is to be judged for my crimes or face certain death below?!?!" **

Daphy: "I didn't mean judged in any way... "

Daphy: "If you cooporate I'm sure it can be seen that your hand was forced"

Keygan: "But... but... with what I have done?!?! The children!!"

Daphy: "And if you help us with what you know.... you have a chance to redeem yourself"

Keygan: "I... I... will tell you whatever I can... please... just, just find him!"

Marilon: "Or you can always join us and say 'bugger the helmites with a rusty sword' if you so desire."

Coranth: "Find who? Your familiar? What does he look like?"

Keygan: "He is a beautiful rat. A shining silver patch of fur on his brow! All... all I can tell from him is that he is within a mile of me for I can still feel him. It is dark... and he is very hungry and afraid... trapped..."

Kalishan: "Ewww ... a rat? You can't be serious ... I'm not touching it!"

Keygan: "Go?!? Into Jzadirune? Are you crazy? It would mean my certain death!"

Vaukarn: "Kidnapping victims rises to 26 then..."

Daphy: *looks at Kalishan with a sense of humor and "go figure" on his face*

Vaukarn: "Whats that mean anyway? Jzadrirune that is?"

Coranth: "We'll rescue your friend."

Kalishan: "I suggest you find a populated place to stay for awhile, one where we can find you ... in case we capture the rat."

** Marilon stares at the lockmaster. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" he whispers harshly. **

Daphy: "Go to the temple of helm... let them be your confessors... and if you do all you can to help them and us... then you actions should warrent the saftey of your rat"

Keygan: "Haven't you heard of Jzadirune? It is a great legend these days!" He says almost proudly, though sad. He clears his throat and then continues, "Gnome architects and artisans designed and built much of the upper city of Sundabar. One of these architects, a gnome wizard named Jzadirune, also found time to carve out a secluded enclave beneath the city for himself and his kin. The enclave, which was named after its creator, became a sanctuary for gnome spellcasters and mastercrafters. Jzadirune became known as a place to build or acquire wondrous magic items."

Keygan: "The wizard Jzadirune died of natural causes a few years after realizing his dream. Meanwhile, the enclave continued to churn out new magic items. Its forges spit out magic rings by the handful, it weavers spun magic clothing to pack a hundred wardrobes, and young gnomes were taught the fine arts of scroll scribing, wandmaking, and potion brewing. The gnomes of Jzadirune were also known for their way with machinery, creating an assortment of mechanical automatons.

Keygan: "Seventy-five years ago, the gnomes of Jzadirune fell prey to a magical plague called the Vanishing. The origin of the plague remains a mystery, although some scholars speculate that the gnomes’ unorthodox methods for creating magical items spawned the disease. Other hypothesize that an unscrupulous competitor or a dissatisfied customer created the disease to put the gnomes out of business. All that is known for sure is that the Vanishing was born inside the gnomes’ magic items and infected anyone who handled them.

Keygan: "Several gnomes succumbed to the Vanishing, fading away into nothingness. Unable to eradicate the disease, the gnomes destroyed all the contaminated magic items and abandoned Jzadirune. Many continued plying their trade on the surface, without misfortune."

Marilon: "Is there any possible way that this Vanishing is a contagion that made its way to Sundabar?"

Keygan: "I... I don't know. I was told it was only from Jzadirune... that it was cursed."

Marilon: "That what was cursed?"

Vaukarn: "Or its not a contagion but some horrible bastard...unless they actually saw people fade away that is."

Keygan: "Uh... um... how else can I help you... I KNOW!"

** Keygan leaps up and tears off into the back room through the curtains **

Kalishan: "Sounds like a lovely place to visit. Should a few of us not go with our small friend to make sure he makes it to the temple in one piece, and doesn't fall victim to any assaults like the dwarf here?"

Marilon: "Who would have thought that the wag in the bar was actually right? Well I suppose even a blind squirrel can find a nut now and again."

Borzak: watches Keygan make his hasty exit.

** Vaukarn follows after him **

DM: You hear the sound of him pounding up the stairs and then the rattle of keys being put into a lock

DM: Just as Vaukarn is reaching the top of the stairs, he comes back out of the room at the top holding up a tattered leather scrap and waving it like a prize.

Daphy: "what of those fellows outside?"

Marilon: "A belt?"

DM: ((Fellian and Fario are standing in the back of the group listening))

** Keygan hands Vaukarn the scrap as he makes his way back out the others. Vaukarn looks down and realized it is a map. **

** Kalishan motions to the 2 half-elves to the dwarf who stand behind him. **

Kalishan: "They have been following you though Daphy, and may not want to stop their pursuit of you ..."

Daphy: "I was wondering if you two bare on ill will towards this gnome that you can excort him to the temple of helm where he may aid the efforts of halting these kidnappings"

Marilon: "That's some cartographer. How did he manage to fit all those little squares on it?"

** Vaukarn glances down at the map and studies it while returning to the others. "Keygan has found us a map." **

Fario: "We can escort the gnome to the temple and will then return to guard the upper entrance if your plan is to go in."

** Vaukarn holds it up and hands it to the others for study **

Vaukarn: "That was my plan."

Marilon: "I'm worried. What Ghelve did might not have followed the letter of the law, but he did what he thought was the right thing. Those Helmites won't see that."

Fario: "Hrm... I see your point."

Daphy: "I feel our haste into the tunnels below will keep them from having a chance to seal it and keep us away from bringing them to justice"

Fellian: "But without him our friend... the children... they would all still be safe. Now? Who can say?!?!"

** Vaukarn nods "Agreed Sir Daphy, care to rush into the gates of hell with me?" **

** Kalishan looks to Vaukarn, "Your plan is to charge headlong into who knows what? I will need time to gather my things if our intention is to go down." **

Marilon: "One has to keep in mind in the legend, that these people are vanishing into nothingness. But for all we know, it could be some fancy teleportation and they could yet be alive."

Daphy: "Then don't be standing around wasting time with it Kalishan... we have half an hour and then we go in"

Vaukarn: "Well i planned to push you infront and make you do the stealthy things." *grinning*

** Kalishan nods, "Then perhaps the rest of you can come up with a better place to put our gnomish friend where he will be safe, until we can clear his name or die trying ..." **

Coranth: "Or it could be something similiar to what that guy was doing." *Points to the corpse.*

Keygan: "Oh! The doors!"

Vaukarn: "Doors?"

Borzak: "I have an idea - please let me take care of it" Borzak motion Keygan to follow him.

Kalishan: "Well I shall return shortly, someone should probably remain here at the entrance to make sure that nothing else comes in or out of there."

Daphy: "Vaukarn... if you have your gear... you and i will watch this enterence"

Keygan: "I just remember. You see, it has been 75 years since I have been down there. My father used to take me as a child... Anyway, the doors are like giant cogs, they are designed to roll to the side. Many of them bore traps that only a gnome was said to be able to bypass!"

Vaukarn: "Im always prepared."

Marilon: "Ha! I knew you'd change your mind!"

Keygan: "Me?!?! Change my mind?"

Marilon: "About accompanying us to Jzadirune of course."

Borzak: "I'll be back shortly my friends" Bozak says. "Come Keygan, I think I know a place you can feel safe for a bit."

Keygan: "What?!?!" he realizes what he said, "Oh, um... no... no... I couldn't possibly... there are so many of them... we would never, I mean, I couldn't..."

Borzak: Borzak walks away, hopefully with Keygan in tow.

Marilon: "Listen, if you can open the doors, you've got six or maybe EIGHT (looking at the elves) people who can handle whatever we find down there."

Keygan: "Safe? How could I be safe... I made it so they can get in anywhere!"

Kalishan: "I will do my best to bypass your people's traps Ghelve."

Keygan: "And the short ones? The tall ones? What will you do about them?"

Vaukarn: "Maybe youve got something that could help us Keygan?"

Borzak: "If they don't know where to look for you, then you may feel safe."

Vaukarn: "Short ones and tall ones?"

Keygan: "Yes... The short and tall kidnappers, the ones who did all this!"

Vaukarn: "Could we get a better description then that?"

Keygan: "The tall ones, their... their like naked, hairless humans... like the one in the back."

Vaukarn: "And semi invisible?"

Marilon: "If we find out they're the ones who did this, then I'll give you their ears personally."

** Kalishan moves to the back to see what creature the gnome is talking about **

Keygan: "The short ones are sinister gnome-like creatures with pallid skin, large noses and soft black hooves instead of feet! They all hide themselves in black cloaks"

Vaukarn: "Watch out Kali...its a mess back there."

Kalishan: "What an ugly thing, they always look like this?"

Marilon: "I've heard of those short ones before. Dark ones? Live in the Underdark? If they're working on the surface, that's a bad omen indeed."

Vaukarn: "Well before it blended into its suroundings...but then i cut in half and spoiled that."

Keygan: "They seem to be able to change the color of their skind to match whatever is around them. When they come up they look like that, but when they come back... well from "outings" their skin is the color of a humans!"

Kalishan: "Good job. Alright, I'm off to get ready, I shall return shortly." she flashes a smile to the group as she turns and heads from Ghelve's Locks.

** Vaukarn stands around like a stooge with Daphy...all stooge like **

** Daphy finds a chair and double checks his gear **

Keygan: "They can speak... but, most of the time I couldn't understand them."

Daphy: "wish I had time to refil my jug before we went a wandering"

Vaukarn: "They feel pain?"

Marilon: "What doesn't feel pain?"

** Vaukarn claps Daphy on the shoulder. "Maybe we can both find something good to sip on down below." **

Keygan: "Uh... I don't know... they, they surprised me and... well, there was nothing I could do. You seem to have shown they can be killed though!"

** Vaukarn gestures with his sword "That ugly bastard that jumped on me. If it feels pain...well it can talk...." **

Daphy: "Yea... I'm sure we'll just stumble into a good dwarven pub"

Keygan: "One of the tall ones has the key I made. You have to get it and destroy it! It has caused enough mayhem!" His eyes plead with you as he says this.

Vaukarn: "Ive heard the underdark people can put out some poweful drink."

** Vaukarn nods "Anything special about that one so we can recognise it?" **

Marilon: "Which way did he go from here?"

Keygan: "He... he went back down..." he looks down in shame, "with the children."

Vaukarn: "We'll find him, and slit him up the middle."

Marilon: "That's all I need to hear," he says, fingering his rapier.

Coranth: *Shudders at Vaukarn's statement.*

Marilon: "Right on, Vaukarn."

Fario: "Fellian, go and collect the rest of our things." Turns to the rest of you, "How can we help?"

Vaukarn: "Taking word to the temple of helm would be nice...and watching our arses."

Fario: "I will return shortly then. Fellian will get our gear and I will inform the temple." With those words he spins and marches out the door on a mission.

Borzak: returns to the Tipped Tankard.

** Keygan Follows closely on Borzak's heels **

** Vaukarn takes the time to put a new edge on his blade pulling out his whet stone and running it down his blade rhythmically **

** Vaukarn reaches deep into his pack and pulls out a water skin and takes a slug of it and hands it to the dwarf (meade) **

** Marilon hangs out. **

** Vaukarn grins as he sharpens his sword "Damn good singing Marilon. Feel free to keep it up." **

Marilon: "Oh, thanks very much. It's good to be appreciated."

** Vaukarn flicks him a gold piece. "For the song." **

Marilon: "Hey, classy."

** Marilon bows. **

Daphy: *takes a taste of the skin*

** Coranth sits down at the counter and begins studying his spell book. **

Marilon: "Vaukarn, want to go back to the information booth and drinking headquarters?"

Vaukarn: "No, ill wait here incase something else comes out from that door" *jerking his head towards the passage theyve found*

** Daphy proceeds to have a swig **

Marilon: "Yeah, good idea. After all, those 'tall ones' probably want to know what happened to their naked friend."

Vaukarn: "Well if they come, they will find an angry dwarf and a almost as angry me waiting for them." *gives him a smile*

Daphy: "Aye"

Marilon: "Not to mention a singer who's not so much angry, but who wouldn't mind seeing them cleft in twain all the same."

** Vaukarn grins "Then your in the right place." **

** Vaukarn gnaws on some dried beef offering some to Marilon and Daphy. Along with his small wine skin of mead **
Marilon: "Ah, dried beef, well done."

** Marilon chews softly and looks out the door absently. **

Vaukarn: "Its no noble vitles but it will do for our wait. Might have to take you with me shopping though when this is done and the nobles are bowing to us in love and respect...have to look nice and all."

** Daphy grabs some nodding **

Marilon: "Speak for yourself. I've already had nobles bowing to me in love. Okay, maybe not respect."

Daphy: "gonna eat all your rations now?"

** Vaukarn bows in respect to Daphy for sharing in his food **

** Vaukarn shrugs knowing on a chunk "At this point I can buy more, or ill be dead." **

Marilon: "Enough of this morbid talk."

Daphy: "So why do you think they are kidnapping all these people...?"

Vaukarn: "I'm thinking Slaves or sacrifices to some dark god."

Vaukarn: "Theres very little reason to kidnap so many for any other reason...but the younglings would make sour labor."

Marilon: "Slow down there. They might not all be kidnapped. After all, this "Vanishing" thing could in fact be part of it. We've only confirmed the kids were kidnapped."

Vaukarn: "Possible, but i keep my ideas closer to the non-magical and malicious."

Vaukarn: "I'm hoping just slaves."

Marilon: "Maybe the kids were part of a spell to make the adults vanish."

Vaukarn: "Thay came last."

Daphy: "Just something to get the head a buzzin... and maybe prepare us for what we encounter"

Vaukarn: "So id think not."

** Marilon puts a finger to his lips and stares at the ceiling. "Well that's me knackered." **

Vaukarn: "Either way its all the same when they are dead and whoever we can save are safe."

Daphy: "I'm just wondering if its some recruitment drive... soldiers tainted by magic and manipulation"

Vaukarn: "Im no finger twiddler. So hell if i can help if its evil priests and wizards." *says the last part in eary quavering tones*

Marilon: "And isn't it strange that this happens right when the Helmite's head and his champion leave town?"

Vaukarn: "They left town? When?"

Coranth: "Maybe the adults were the first attempts to cure this Vanishing and that didn't work out well, so they went after children thinking that they would have better luck with them?"

Marilon: "On my way here. I was at this bar called the Wolves' Den. They were there. They claimed they were going to Silverymoon for some rituals. But it's true that it happened after the first kidnapping, so maybe it's unrelated."

Vaukarn: "Well all twenty five show the same M.O. So i think its all kidnappings."

Vaukarn: "Explain please Marilon."

Daphy: "havn't the kidnappings been going on longer then their absence"

** Coranth notices that he is once again being ignored at the shop and just shrugs his shoulders and returns to his studying. **

Marilon: "Yeah, that's what I said, right? They took off after the first of the kidnappings."

Vaukarn: "Kidnappings have been going on for almost three months." ((it is 3 right? havent checked my notes for a bit..))

Daphy: "No... the kidnappings were going on before they left"

Vaukarn: "The earliest was 88 days ago."

Marilon: "We could really use the help of Sarcem Delesharn and Alek Tercival...so why did they leave? I'm not buying it."

Vaukarn: "That they want to help? Neither do I. But i have no proof against them."

** Marilon nods solemnly. **

Vaukarn: "Until then i agree on keeping an eye on them."

Daphy: "Let them go first"

** Marilon stares at Coranth. "What are you studying, friend? You're awfully quiet." **

Vaukarn: "I think we make one go first, the other we leave top side. If they care for each other...well then they will do all they can to keep the other alive."

Coranth: "I'm trying to decide on which of my spells might be the most useful."

Coranth: *Looks at Vaukarn.* "Who are your refering to? The two half-elves or to the two religious people that left town?"

Vaukarn: "The elves."

Marilon: "Anything that can attack will be helpful. I have a feeling the next few days could get ugly."

** Vaukarn looks around a bit. "I guess thats me then, dammit." **

Daphy: "I feel the things that don't attack will probably be the most trouble"

Vaukarn: "Do you mean traps?"

Marilon: "Doors with teeth?"

Coranth: "Unfortunately, Marilon, I do not possess attack spells. They weren't high on my study list."

Daphy: "The magic and traps laid below in ruins and caves are usually what catch you by suprise"

Vaukarn: "Why do ya think i convinced Kalishan to join us?"

Vaukarn: "She seems to know how to opperate."

** Marilon slaps a hand to his forehead loudly. **

Marilon: "So what was high on your study list?"

Coranth: "Divination, mostly."

Vaukarn: "Well divine us some answers."

Coranth: *turns in the chair and looks at Vaukarn* "Okay, but I'll need a loch of your hair."

** Vaukarn looks left and right. "Is pubic hair ok?" **

Marilon: "Depends on what she looks like.

Coranth: *Laughs*

Coranth: "Well, you would be the one getting that hair, I'm afraid."

Vaukarn: "Hell, we have two chunks of body in the next room."

Coranth: "That will require further study and a lab equipped with the right materials to do it justice."

Marilon: "You think Cauldron has an apothecary or a sage who'd know what that ... beast... is?"

** Vaukarn heads into another room and you all hear a "Ahh!!! Dammit!!!!" and he returns with a hand full of hairs and gives them to Coranth **

Coranth: "It is a possibility, provided that they aren't one of the people to have disappeared."

** Marilon groans. **

Coranth: *Takes the cares and lights a candle, says a few arcane sounding phrases, and then drops the hairs into the flame of the candle and peers at the smoke.*

Coranth: "Hmm."

Marilon: {in chondathan} Oh, you must be joking me.

Coranth: "I can see three doors before you, Vaukarn. One leads towards danger and your death. Another leads to your ultimate desire. The last door leads to an adventurous path, but to a lonely end."

Coranth: *Looks back at Vaukarn.*

Vaukarn: "Ill Take door number two...and i hope that son of a b~!!$ is ready."

Marilon: "That's your ultimate desire? Pfff."

Vaukarn: "Ive got a score to settle is all..."

Marilon: "My ultimate desire involves that lordling's daughter from Lord Vhalantru's place...and a leather thong."

Coranth: "Kinky."

Daphy: "not chainmail?"

** Fellian and Fario both return together with packs ready. "I have informed the priestess, Jenya. She is praying for your success." **

Marilon: "What do you take me for!"

** Daphy has been trying to rest up for what will surely be a test of everything he has **

Marilon: "Oh, hello again. That's excellent."

Daphy: "Niether of you brought a leather thong did you?"

** Kalishan enters Ghelve's Locks as she secures her pack (which she happened to have with her before) **

** Fario looks at Fellian who returns his quizzical expression. "Um... sorry, no. Should I have?" **

Daphy: "Guess maybe another time Marilon"

Vaukarn: "Down we go then? Kali could you check the door over for us just incase?"

** Coranth extinguishes the candle that was on the table. **

Kalishan: "Interesting conversation you boys are having ..."

Coranth: "We need Borzak here."

Fario: "Shall we accompany you then?"

Marilon: {in elvish} Please do.

Marilon: {still in elvish} After all, we share a common goal.

Kalishan: "Should I check the door? Or are we waiting for your other companion to return?"

DM: Both half-elves bow to Marilon

** Kalishan glances towards Marilon with an arched brow **

Borzak: At the mention of his name - Borzak appears. "Ready folks?"

Coranth: "I think that would be a good idea."

Marilon: "Your timing is impeccable, Borzak. You should be a monk."

** Daphy hops to his feet... lead they way down... **

Coranth: *looking at Kalishan as he puts his leather bound tome back into his pack.*

Daphy: "Lead the way down... and mind your steps"

Borzak: "I've often thought of the calling - but I don't think I have it mindset"

DM: You all follow Kalishan through the curtain and watch as she begins to examine the door embedded into the wall of the stairs.

DM: ((Search check Kalishan))

Kalishan: Search (int): [1d20+3+3] -> [11,3,3] = (17)

Daphy: "Watch out... it bites"

DM: Kalishan reaches out and depresses a stone to the side of the door. It lurches for a moment but doesn't move. Locked.

Marilon: "How underwhelming."

** Kalishan will attempt to unlock the door ... Open Lock [1d20+4+4+2] -> [1,4,4,2] = (11) **

Vaukarn: "Am i going to have to beat it down?"

DM: Kalishan works a pick into the cleft between the door and the wall, but seems to be having no success

Daphy: *whispers to Vaukarn* "Was this thief in the discount bin?"

** Vaukarn whispers back "Dont piss her off..but yes." **

Marilon: "Can it be magicked open?"

Kalishan: "Perhaps it could be, I have not had much practices with such a complicated locking system. Afterall I am merely the handywoman at an orphanage."

Marilon: "Where's Keygan Ghelve? He said something about gnomes only being able to open the door"

Daphy: "So think short"

** Marilon cocks his head and stares at the much shorter dwarf. **

Kalishan: "Give me a moment guys and try not being so noisy back there, doesn't help me concentrate at my task."

Coranth: "It more than likely can be opened by magic, when more mundane options have failed, but I have not progressed far enough in my own study of magic to uncover the secret."

DM: Kalishan hunkers down and unrolls a leather satchel full of tools, she begins to try each in each and every crack in the door

DM: A few minutes pass and her thorough efforts are rewarded with a hollow "click," followed by the door swing into a blackened passage

DM: A stone staircase, its steps shrouded with cobwebs and dust, descends twenty feet to a 10-foot-square landing, then bends to the right and plunges into darkness.

Vaukarn: "Care to find us any unwelcome presents down below while your at it?"

Marilon: "Oh, there we go."

** Marilon draws his rapier and cracks his neck. **

Kalishan: "That I leave to the more battle ready, but I will be close behind to find and disarm anything that may be a threat to us all."

Daphy: "Kalishan and Vaukarn take the lead.... "

Marilon: "I'll take the rear guard."

** Kalishan bundles up her tools as she puts them back on her belt as her waist and pulls her cloak over her body and prepares to follow Vaukarn. **

Daphy: "Borzak take rear... marilon and Coranth stick with me"

DM: ((Fellian and Fario take up a position just behind the lead))

Marilon: "Okay, that's fine."

** Vaukarn rushes down the steps falling the last few sword drawn looking all about **

** Marilon lights a torch. **

** Daphy casts Light **

Marilon: "Okay, no torch then." *blows it out.*

Daphy: "Watch your step people"

DM: The staircase descends another 20 feet before opening into a room. From this landing, you can hear strange sounds emanating from the chamber below, specifically chirping birds, rustling leaves, and cheery giggles. The landing itself is bare save for an empty iron torch sconce mounted on the south wall.

Marilon: "These sounds make no sense down here. It has to be a trap," he whispers.

Daphy: "glad you were quick to realize that"

Marilon: "Hmph."

** Kalishan follows behind Vaukarn, keeping her eyes and senses open **

DM: The staircase ends at a 40-foot-square room with a 10-foot high ceiling. A slight draft blows into the room from a 10-foot-wide open passage in the far wall, directly across from the stairs.

DM: Two 4-foot-diameter circular doors are set into the middle of the south wall. Each door is made of wood and framed with a ring of mortared stones. The westernmost door is closed and inscribed with a strange glyph. The easternmost door bears a different glyph but rests half-open. The half-open door reveals an iron rim of gearlike teeth, and dim light spills from the chamber beyond.

DM: Mounted to the walls of the rooms are twelve tarnished copper masks. The masks are 2 feet tall and cling 4 feet above the floor. Each one depicts a smiling gnome’s visage. The soft giggling, chirping, and rustling noises seem to pour from the very walls.

Marilon: "Doors with teeth! Why didn't I think of it before. It's not a trapped door. It's a COG."

Daphy: "I doubt we are to beware a cog... so something is amiss"

Borzak: "Makes sense to me" Borzak replies to Marilon

Coranth: "Look at the runes."

Marilon: "Hmm...you're right...those glyphs..."

Marilon: "Coranth, what can you make of them?"

** Vaukarn drops his lamp so as to illuminate the immediate area and grips his sword looking around **

Daphy: "These runes are dwarven...Dethek"

Vaukarn: "Translate quick then."

Daphy: *points at the western most one..* "That one is J... and that one" *pointing to the eastern one* "A"

Marilon: "They're just letters. But what do they stand for?"

** Vaukarn has no idea as he looks down the long corridor **

** Marilon tries to peer inside the half-open door. **

** Daphy stands tapping his foot looking at door J and door A **

Marilon: "Odd. Bedding and chests along the walls so it's likely a barracks. There are two tunnels, spiders everywhere, and some sort of device in the middle.

DM: As Vaukarn approaches the far corridor a voice breaks the dark silence...

Marilon: "It looks like the tunnels are freshly dug."

DM: Welcome to Jzadirune—behold the wonder!
DM: But beware, ye who seek to plunder,
DM: Traps abound and guardians peer
DM: Beyond every portal, behind every gear.
DM: The voice seemed to come from one of the masks on the south side of the hallway

** Vaukarn braises himself **

Marilon: "You call that a rhyme? I've come up with better rhymes on the privy. A lot of them involve the word 'pit.'"

Marilon: Marilon Daveor casts Detect Magic ( level 0, "Detects spells and magic items within 60 ft." )

** Marilon waves his hands around and chants softly. **

Coranth: "Interesting use of a magic mouth spell."

Daphy: "What can you tell about these doors thief?"

** Kalishan looks to Daphy ... "Am I a thief? I see you still have your money pouch there ... dwarf ..." **

Daphy: "Cause I spent all my money on booze long ago" *chuckles to himself*

Coranth: "My mentor used a similar spell on a couple of the doors in his home, to alert him to people going where they shouldn't. Those ones didn't speak so much as shriek like a banshee."

Marilon: "These masks seem to have some sort of enchantment on them...and that device in that room over there is also likely magical. Daphy, can you squeeze through that half-open door and investigate?"

Kalishan: "Quick, everyone pat yourselves down, if I'm a thief, I've been close enough to all of you to have taken something of yours surely ..."

Marilon: "Well it would also seem that there's some overarching magical presence surrounding us as well. Quite interesting."

** Coranth checks to make sure that his little thief didn't add anything to his possessions. **

** Kalishan glares at the dwarf and then moves towards one of the doors to search it (I'll take my time and take a 20) **

DM: ((Which door?))

Kalishan: (guess the lower right hand side one according to the map))

Coranth: "Skitter, where did you get that?"

Coranth: *Looking into a pouch on his hip.*

DM: Kalishan approaches the half open door and begins closely inspecting it and it's inner workings

DM: ((What are you total modifiers?))

Kalishan: (+6 for search)

Marilon: (isn't the lower right hand door the half-open one?)

DM: ((yes))

** Coranth pulls out a weasel and looks at him for a minute and then puts him back into his pouch, after removing a small tuft of lint from the bag. **

Marilon: "Those doors have some kinda mojo on them too, so watch out. Yeah, I know it's late notice. What are you going to do."

Daphy: "Id imagine this whole place is crawling with... mojo..."

Kalishan: "Well my short hairy drunken midget companion, this door is a solidly built door and well designed. As you can see the door is gear shaped and is made to roll into the wall from a nearby cavity in the opposite wall. I would guess it is about as wide as you are tall and is made of wood about six inches thick and encircled with a ring of molded iron teeth. The door seems to be encased with a double-frame of beleved stone. That is what I can tell you about this door ... should I move on to the next one?"

Daphy: "Please do... but his time compare it too Borzak"

** Vaukarn is waiting impatiently for the others **

Marilon: You know, if I were to start exploring this place? 'A' sounds like a good place to start. You know, alphabetical order. Mind you, It might be spelling out "Jzadirune" and we'd have to go through "J" first.

Kalishan: "This next door looks much like the other, so I'm assuming it works the same, and like Borzak there it is generally silent and unwavering until you are least expecting it and it too will open into a volley of death ..."

Daphy: "Well then lets try door number one... Roll to the side you said?"

Borzak: *chuckles*

Kalishan: "Sure, but beware that rock that blocks open, if ya remove it the door is going to lock and trap itself with something of a magical nature..."

Vaukarn: "Damn magic, screws up all our plans."

DM: You one by one pass through the half-open door. The larger of you having to squeeze to get through

DM: A small cots and chests line the walls of this 10-foot-high dusty room. Cobwebs blanked many of the cots and chests, and tiny spiders scurry about. Two rough-hewn tunnels, each 5 feet in diameter and tubular, breach the eastern and southern walls. Stony rubble covers the floor near each tunnel.

** Daphy checks to see if there is a layer of dust on the floor **

Kalishan: "Oh and the room beyond looks empty ..."

DM: A 1-foot-long iron rod lies in the middle of the floor, its golden tip shedding enough light to cast lurid shadows on the walls.

Vaukarn: "Maybe something in those chests."

Marilon: "What is that rod?"

Borzak: "It isn't ours to take even if there is."

Kalishan: "Looks valuable, maybe the dwarf should pick it up."

Coranth: "Looks like a sunrod."

Daphy: "I listen to warning about tampering with treasure"

Borzak: "Might I suggest not taking anything that isn't ours . . . "

** Kalishan searches the area near the rod to make sure its not attached to something (a trap) Search [1d20+3+3] -> [15,3,3] = (21) **

Marilon: "Well then let's use it. No sense having it wasted here."

Marilon: "Borzak, that sunrod will extinguish sooner or later and it was clearly abandoned.

Borzak: "I have sunrods to use should we need them"

Kalishan: "Probably from rather large spiders from those tunnels ..."

Marilon: "Big spiders? Let's do this. This one opposite the door looks promising."

** Vaukarn doesnt want to run through rough hune tunnels if he can help it **

Daphy: "Are we chasing spiders or people?"

Vaukarn: "Maybe both?"

Marilon: "Yes. Yes we are."

Marilon: "If those spiders are as big as I think, they just might have some human corpses with them."

Daphy: "No stone unturned I guess"

DM: As you are discussing things 4 shapes suddenly seperate themselves from the walls... you have difficulty making out their forms, but can clearly see the rapiers they just pulled from behind their backs.

Marilon: "You guys again!"

DM: And I suppose we will leave it here for the night!

[Sean Mahoney]

DM: Last time the party finished interrogating the two half-elves and Keygan. Before heading down though several people felt the need to get their gear and the half elves went to alert Jenya about what was going on.

DM: Once everyone returned, the party made their way down into the abandoned tunnels of the gnome hold of Jzadirune

DM: The party first came to a room with masks attached around the perimeter and sounds of nature and laughter spilling forth from them

DM: You then moved down into the Southeast room (with blue marks showing dug tunnels) and were just all entering the room when 4 creatures seemingly separated themselves from the wall to attack

DM: A small cots and chests line the walls of this 10-foot-high dusty room. Cobwebs blanked many of the cots and chests, and tiny spiders scurry about. Two rough-hewn tunnels, each 5 feet in diameter and tubular, breach the eastern and southern walls. Stony rubble covers the floor near each tunnel.

** Vaukarn uses Kalishan as a mine sweeper following up to cut things in half always **

DM: If you find yourself bored in the future, it would be nice to differentiate

Marilon: I'm hanging out by Vaukarn

** Vaukarn glances around grinning "Five gold to who collects the most blood?" (goliaths love competition) **

Marilon: "Sounds good. I'll use the first skull I cleave off as a cup."

DM: The first creature seems to materialize out of the west wall and lunges for Kalishan

** Vaukarn is all surprised and shit **

DM: [1d20+3] -> [15,3] = (18)

DM: His rapier pierces deep into her leg [1d6] -> [3] = (3)

DM: Another 'phases' in from the south and closes with both Kali and Vaukarn

DM: Vaukarn catches out of the corner of his eye, yet another has he strikes at him [1d20+3] -> [7,3] = (10)

DM: Not quickly enough as the giant-like man parries the thrust

DM: Finally a last creature, it's entire body blurring as it moves, runs at Vaukarn

** Kalishan screams out as she is sliced into **

DM: (Surprise round finit; please roll init)

Borzak: Initiative: [1d20+3+4] -> [10,3,4] = (17)

Marilon: Dex check: [1d20+0] -> [19,0] = (19)

Kalishan: Initiative: [1d20+4] -> [16,4] = (20)

Daphy: Init [1d20] -> [16] = (16)

DM: Zs = [1d20+2] -> [13,2] = (15)

Coranth: Initiative [1d20+2] -> [6,2] = (8)

DM: Felian = [1d20+2] -> [8,2] = (10)

DM: Fario = [1d20+2] -> [14,2] = (16)

Vaukarn: Initiative: [1d20+2] -> [20,2] = (22)

** Vaukarn slashes at the one infront of him [1d20+7] -> [3,7] = (10) **

DM: (Kalishan?)

DM: The creature ducks under Vaukarn’s massive swing

Kalishan: (I can take a 5 foot step back (beside Marilon and above the far right z without the z below Vaukarn to attack me right?)

DM: yes

Kalishan: (K... I'll take a 5 foot step there and attack the z (btw what do they look like?) below me)

Kalishan: Melee Attack: Rapier [1d20+2] -> [13,2] = (15) (crit 18-20/x2)

DM: ((The creatures are eerily reminiscent of the one fought in Keygan's shop. Their bodies seems to quickly blend into the colors around them like some insanely fast chameleon. They are naked and bearing rapiers)

DM: ((Hits)

Kalishan: Damage: Rapier [1d6+2] -> [3,2] = (5)

DM: Kalishan dances to the side and pays back the creature in full

Kalishan: "Take that you ugly freak!"

DM: The creature squeals from the stick, holds it's gushing wound with it's left hand and fights on

DM: ((Marilon?))

Marilon: Marilon backs up to the entrance and warms up his pipes...

Marilon: "If I was invisible...I could just watch you in your room...."

Marilon: (bard song: +1 to attack rolls, +1 to damage rolls, +1 against charm and fear)

DM: ((Borzak))

Borzak: I'll try and grapple the one directly east of me.

Borzak: Touch Attack: [1d20+2+1] -> [2,2,1] = (5)

DM: The agile creature dances away from Borzak, keeping it's rapier between itself and the monk

DM: (Daphy)

** Daphy Takes a 5ft step into the door way and with shield in one hand grabs the wooden symbol dangling from a chain around his neck and whispers a prayer **

Daphy: ** Dumps Bless to instant cast a equal level healing spell Cure light wounds on Kalishan [1d8+1] -> [5,1] = (6) **

Fario: pulls out a longbow and takes careful aim at the skulk struck by Kalishan [1d20+3+1-4] -> [16,3,1,-4] = (16)

DM: [1d8+2] -> [4,2] = (6)

DM: The arrow flies past several heads and takes the creature in the face. It spins to the ground in a spray of blood

DM: The creature south of Vaukarn stalks to flank him and strikes

DM: [1d20+3+2] -> [16,3,2] = (21)

** Vaukarn takes it **

DM: The distraction of watching two foes is enough to create an opening the creature exploits damage [1d6] -> [6] = (6)

Vaukarn: "You didnt just blood stab me!"

DM: The creature on his other side uses the moment its ally strikes to try the same [1d20+3+2] -> [7,3,2] = (12)

DM: This time Vaukarn bats the swing aside, rage in his eyes

DM: The last creature bears down on Borzak, keeping just out of reach but stabbing with its weapon [1d20+3] -> [10,3] = (13)

DM: Its feeble attempts to stab him are met with a cold resolute stare

Fellian: draws his weapon but sees no opening to exploit.

DM: (Coranth)

Coranth: *Takes a 5-foot step to the side to see into the room*

Coranth: *Seeing the two at the far end, pulls out a small pinch of fine sand from one of his pouches, says an arcane phrase and blows the sand their direction.* (Casting Sleep, it's a 10-foot burst radius, Will save DC 16 to resist. The center is in the blue "X")

DM: Creature 3 [1d20-1] -> [2,-1] = (1), creature 4 [1d20-1] -> [17,-1] = (16)

DM: The southernmost of the two creature is overwhelmed by a sparkling cloud of motes and collapses onto the ground

Coranth: "He should be out for at least a minute."

DM: (Vaukarn)

Marilon: "Kill that thing and rip into the other one, big man!"

** Vaukarn spins bringing his sword into the one that hit him hard (or if asleep the one to his right) [1d20+8] -> [19,8] = (27) **

Vaukarn: (confirming)

Vaukarn: [1d20+8] -> [6,8] = (14)

DM: (Confirmed)

Vaukarn: [4d6+5+5+1] -> [4,4,6,2,5,5,1] = (27)

DM: The creatures body is actually sliced in twain from the force of the powerful blow (3x HP)

DM: (Kalishan)

** Vaukarn spins around cleaves into the other one that is still standing [1d20+8] -> [7,8] = (15) **

DM: (Nice... forgot the cleave)

DM: (Hit)

Vaukarn: Damage: [2d6+6] -> [6,6,6] = (18)

Vaukarn: "Take that you filthy bastards!"

DM: The last creatures eyes go wider than you would have though possible as it attempts to hold in it's entrails and topples over sideways

DM: ((Combat finit; you may move about the cabin freely))

Coranth: "Well, we've got one you can interrogate."

** Vaukarn looks around. "So who’s paying up on that bet?" as he nudges the sleeping one with his foot sword ready to impale it **

Marilon: "Hunh. At this rate my rapier may stay unsullied."

DM: The bodies of the three dead creatures seem to coalesce into grey skinned creatures like you saw above laying in pools of their own blood mixed with the copious dust in the room. The sleeping creature is almost difficult to make out... you are sure that if you didn't know it was there you would miss it.

Marilon: "You win. Take the first five gold we find on these corpses."

** Marilon chuckles. **

DM: ((Room description again))

DM: A small cots and chests line the walls of this 10-foot-high dusty room. Cobwebs blanked many of the cots and chests, and tiny spiders scurry about. Two rough-hewn tunnels, each 5 feet in diameter and tubular, breach the eastern and southern walls. Stony rubble covers the floor near each tunnel.

DM: A 1-foot-long iron rod lies in the middle of the floor, its golden tip shedding enough light to cast lurid shadows on the walls.

** Marilon picks up the rod and aims it at the eastern tunnel. **

Kalishan: "Take it from Marilon's cut of the treasure since he agreed to such an endeavor while the rest of us did not."

Marilon: "Take it from Daphy's. He'd just *mocking tone* give it to the chuuuuurch."

** Vaukarn nods grinning keeping a hand over the large gash in his chest. "Aye, if i live to get it." **

Marilon: "Ooh, that'll be a mighty fine scar."

** Fellian and Fario sheath their respective weapons and keep a wary eye out around them. Fario seems to be nudging Fellian with a grin on his face. Fellian for his part looks non-plussed. **

** Vaukarn lifts the edge of his chain mail and dabs at the wound with a bloody cloth **

DM: The 5-foot diameter, roughly hewn tube leads off to the east descending as it goes

Marilon: "I can see naught but a downward slope."

** Kalishan shields her eyes from the bright light shed by the rod. "Maybe if you pull that back out of the way Marilon I can have a real look into the darkness." **

Marilon: "Um...er...right?" (switches to the southern passage)

DM: The cave continues to descend as far as you can make out, but then climbs again just as the light fails

Vaukarn: "Well do your noble thing to those chests if you would ma'lady Kalishan" *trying to stop the blood from ruining his jerkin*

Coranth: "Umm, do you got any rope?"

** Kalishan moves a little ways into the rough hewn cavern, to get away from the light at her back so she can see into the passage better/easier **

DM: (The descent isn't sharp... maybe goes down 10 feet over 60)

** Vaukarn stays at the mouth of the passage ready to run to Kali incase she is accosted **

Coranth: "Vaukarn, you planning on leaving this sleeping humanoid up here?"

Marilon: "I agree with Vaukarn. M'lady Kalishan has a noble chest."

DM: ((The Eastern passage as well Kalishan?)

Kalishan: (Does there seem to be any other passages? or light coming from further down the cavern?)

** Vaukarn flips Marilon his manacles, "Lock his filth ridden self up, we can question him once Kali returns." **

Kalishan: ((Yah I will look down them both, not going all the way down them, just looking))

DM: ((they descent and ascent make it so you can't seem much farther even taking a few steps in... you see no light down the tunnel)

Vaukarn: "And go through their things, they might have a coin or two."

** Marilon flips the sleeping one on his back and snaps the manacles on the arms behind its back. **

** Kalishan moves back into the chamber, "Well they are twisting caverns to be sure, but they might be used by these things and their kidnapped victims." **

** Marilon begins searching the corpses of the .... mriswith or whatever they are. **

** Kalishan moves to look at the chests to make sure they aren't trapped (being footlockers of sorts I'm sort of doubting they are) **

Vaukarn: "Friend Sir dwarf, could you do a little for this gapping wound in my chest?"

Daphy: "I'm wondering if your worth the spell or the bandage"

DM: Marilon finds the creatures were indeed nude, only carrying their rapiers

Coranth: "Don't you still have your potion from the church?)

DM: All of the chests seem to have been smashed open and their contents looted

** Vaukarn looks at Coranth in annoyance "Oh yes, use up my emergency potion when we have a dwarf full of magical healing he can recharge standing over their." **

Kalishan: "Seems there is nothing of value in these chests any longer ..." *points to their smashed remains and looks to the others to see where they wish to head next.*

Marilon: "Whatever these things are, they're stark nekkers save these cloaks and these rapiers."

Daphy: "Well its either ask Gorm to cure you now.... to fix that flesh wound... or to wait till your near death to save you"

Fellian: "Allow me. After I heal him, Fario and I can escort our new friend up to Jenya... we will return as quickly as we can."

Coranth: "Just making a suggestion." *Turns and looks around the large room that everyone left from.*

Vaukarn: "Thank you Fellian."

Marilon: "Right, I say let's keep moving. East looks good.

Fellian: Clutches a leaf shaped symbol and chants in a soft voice as he reaches out and places his hand on Vaukarn's chest. [1d8+1] -> [8,1] = (9)

** Vaukarn arches his back as his wound closes. "I thank you yet again good sir elf. I owe you one." grinning **

** Fario approaches the bound creature and lifts it by its arms. This seems to wake it and frantically looks about in confusion. **

Kalishan: "I think we may want to question that thing before you go running off with it there ..." *looking to the half-elves*

** Fario shrugs at Kalishan and remains in place, grinning at the captive. "Go for it!" **

Vaukarn: "Unless he wont be waking anytime soon....Coranth?"

** Daphy goes to look about the walls as only a dwarf can look **

** Kalishan looks to the pale naked creature, "Where are the childen?!" **

Vaukarn: "Hey if you others would join me in the other room ill help put a better edge on our weapons."

Marilon: "I've got a better question. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?"

DM: The creatures expression registers nothing as it stares at Kalishan.

Vaukarn: "Some half invisible thing, with bits in."

** Kalishan pulls a dagger from her belt and takes a step closer to the thing ... "What have you done with all the people you've taken?!" **

** Marilon asks "Who are you?" in every language he knows. **

DM: ((Roll an intimidate check Kalishan))

Kalishan: Intimidate (cha): [1d20+1+0] -> [18,1,0] = (19)

DM: It continues to stare at you with no expression in it's pupiless black eyes

** Marilon tries the velvet glove. "Just answer our questions; we won't hurt you if you comply. We're just looking for missing people." **

Marilon: Diplomacy Skill Check: [1d20+7] -> [3,7] = (10)

Kalishan: "I don't these things have any brains, or at least no way to communicate verbally. I can try bleeding him to see if it screams ..."

Daphy: "you didn't hear the scream from those that fell?"

DM: The creature turns and spits at Marilon

** Vaukarn tries Gul-Kaa, Dwarven, chondathan, and illuskan languages and dialects **

** Daphy is examining the carved out tunnel to check age... method of tunneling... and possible uses **

** Marilon reddens and gives it a backhand slap across the face. **

** Kalishan stabs the creature in the arm "WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN!?!" **

DM: ((Roll Damage))

Kalishan: [1d4+2] -> [2,2] = (4)

** Vaukarn looks down at the creature. "Its not when your going to die little man, its how long your going to suffer." **

DM: The creature screams in pain and turns a vivid shade of red. It attempts to lunge at Kalishan it's mouth gapping open to bite her, but it is held back by a struggling Fario.

Marilon: "Look at that. It's like their colour changes according to mood."

Coranth: "I don't think that he'll answer any of our questions, but I think that the priestess would have better luck with her interrogations."

Vaukarn: "Well...i guess he’s pissed."

Marilon: "Let's just bring him with."

Kalishan: "Well that's not very nice. You obviously have a mouth and can make noise ... perhaps the priests will get more from you!"

Vaukarn: "Yes, it seems he doesn’t speak anything we know."

** Marilon pulls the thing to its feet and leads it by its neck down the eastward passage." **

Marilon: "Nothing else for us here."

** Kalishan pulls her blade from the creature's arm and shakes the blood off the blade **

Coranth: "Umm. Where are you going?"

Marilon: "What, you don't want to go down this passage?

Vaukarn: "I think we should send him along with Fellion and Fario."

** Marilon turns back. **

Marilon: "Yeah, okay."

Daphy: "I agree... who knows if they have a hive mind or not "

Fario: is struggling to keep the captive under control and is joined in this effort by Fellian as he says, "Your call, but I would imagine his howls would let anything and everything know we were coming."

Marilon: {in elvish} "We trust you to deliver this prisoner to the Temple of Helm."

Daphy: "My point exactly Fellian "

** Vaukarn moves to the tunnel entrance Kali went down and waits for the others **

Fellian: , also in elvish, returns, "And so shall it be my friend." Then in common. "We will be back as soon as we can. Vaukarn, might we aske the watch to cover Ghelve's while we are down here so nothing sneaks out behind us?"

** Vaukarn glares at his blade and wipes the blood off on his cloak making a note to get a new one but leaves it drawn **

** Vaukarn thinks for a moment (anyone i trust in the watch completely?)) **

DM: The creature rears it's head back and lets out another shrill cry only to have a rag from Fario shoved in it's mouth.

Vaukarn: "Thank you." as the rag is inserted

whispering to Vaukarn, I would think the other surviving member of Triel's patrol, your saergent, Skylar Krewis

Marilon: "Just once I'd like to see an interrogation go well. Just once."

Kalishan: "We going to check out the caverns here? or the hallway and other doorway?"

Vaukarn: "Ask for Skylar Krewis, he can probably be trusted. And thank you Fellian."

Marilon: "Well I'm ready to go east. Have been for some time."

** Fellian nods, then he and Fario lead the creature, kicking and attempting to scream, out of the room and up the stairs. **

** Vaukarn looks over how fresh the caverns are **

DM: Vaukarn, all you can tell is they have been here for some time

whispering to Daphy, Relative to the rest of the hall, they are very new... you would guess a year and a few months

Vaukarn: "Well personally i think we should continue on the way we were going. To the west (left?)"

Daphy (whispering): these are the carved out tunnels?

whispering to Daphy, Yes, they seem to have been dug by something and seem symmetrically round... whatever made them is used to tunneling.

Daphy: "These carved out tunnels are far newer then the rest of this dungeon"

Marilon: "If that's what you want, Vaukarn, I'll follow. Just as long as we go somewhere apart from here."

DM: ((So Vaukarn are you leading them back up into the hall of giggling masks and to the hallway to the west?))

Vaukarn: ((yep, but letting Kali do her trap looking for thing))

** Kalishan I will move towards the hallway (back the way we came) and take a 20 on a search for traps within the hallways **

DM: So it will take about two minutes a 5'x5' section to search then

** Vaukarn stays 20ft behind her unless horrible things happen **

** Daphy is taking his time with the area while he waits for the thief to clear the way **

DM: So not quite a half hour to make it all the way down the hall

Marilon: "Lead on, boss."

Kalishan: (unless someone tells me we're in a rush)

DM: Kalishan moves slowly and deliberately down the hall, checking every nook and cranny as she moves along

Coranth: *Starts studying the masks as Kalishan makes her slow and steady progress down the hallway.*

DM: She seems to be making steady work of it though and a little after 20 minutes you find yourselves in the intersection of another hallway

Kalishan: "Direction gentlemen?"

Marilon: "North looks good."

DM: The round door in front of you bears yet another rune

Vaukarn: "Check these rooms as we go if we could."

DM: As you glance down the hallway there are more doors lining the hall, all with different runes

** Vaukarn looks at Coranth "These symbols mean anything to you?" **

Coranth: "Well, the other two doors they were just letters."

Vaukarn: "Check this one ahead of us out. If there arent any traps ill kick the damn thing in."

Kalishan: ((this door have the same magical mechanisms as the other 2?))

Marilon: "A zed, you say? I'm really starting to wager if there's some pattern to spell out the letters of Jzadirune."

Kalishan: "Probably so, perhaps there is a precise order in which to open up the doors so the traps aren't set off."

Marilon: "If that's true maybe someone should go back and pop open the J?"

DM: Kalishan kneels in front of the door and begins to inspect it

whispering to Kalishan, this door is indeed trapped. But the magic that is bound to it seems very different than the last two)

Kalishan (whispering): Hmmm... in a way I can tell? (and can I disarm magical traps?)

whispering to Kalishan, You are unsure what it would do, and yes you think you can by scratching out part of the glyphs that you THINK are holding the enchantment together

Kalishan: Disable Device (int): [1d20+3+4+2] -> [4,3,4,2] = (13)

Daphy: "I'll go open the J if that seems to be the course of action... though those carved out tunnels are the freshest thing I've seen in these catacombs"

DM: Your hand was not as steady as you had hoped and you hold your breath, ready to leap to the side, but nothing seems to happen.

Marilon: "Hurry, Daphy."

Marilon: "If any more invisible nudists show, yell."

** Daphy hurries **

** Kalishan exhales. "Well somehow the magic on this door is different than the others, but I'm not wizard to be able to tell you how. I am pretty sure it is now inactive though." **

Marilon: "Not wizard enough, eh?"

Vaukarn: "Lucky us."

** Marilon smiles at Coranth. **

DM: Daphy, You make your way back to the door labelled with the J rune and study it for a moment to determine how to open it. Ascertaining it rolls to the side you push with all your might, but something seems to be holding it shut.

** Daphy looks for what the locking mechanism would be **

DM: In the center of the door, right in the middle of the glyph, you find a rectangular hole

Coranth: "Well, I suppose that I can use a minor spell to see if there are any magical auras on this door and the others in the hallway."

Marilon: "Sounds pretty good."

Coranth: "Okay." *Moves his hands as he mutters some arcane quote and casts his spell.* (Casts Detect Magic.)

whispering to Coranth, The world hazes over with a blue glow as you attune your senses to the weave. After a moment you begin to make out that magic seems to cling to each of the doors in the hallway

Coranth: "It appears that there are still magical energies on each of these doors, including the one that you just inspected Kalishan."

** Vaukarn knows f%%# all about this magical bullocks **

DM: ((Alright... go ahead guys; Daphy, what next? Kalishan?))

Marilon: "Okay, so they're magicked up. But these gnomes are tricksy folk. There has to be a way in without bypassing the traps. What did Ghelve say about only gnomes could open the doors?"

Coranth: *Continues to examine the mystical energies on the door, attempting to decipher what type of energy it is and how potent.*

whispering to Kalishan, There is a small rectangular hole in the middle of the door that you assume is the key hole

Kalishan (whispering): and I haven't found anything rectangular that would fit in said hole have I?

** Vaukarn stands around watching our mystical people do their un-understandable thing packing the bowl of his pipe with cheap tobacco. **

whispering to Coranth, As you stare at the "Z" door you begin to recognize distinctive patterns in the weave that all of your practice tells you is minor illusion

whispering to Kalishan, not as of yet

Coranth: "I think that the magical aura from this one is fairly harmless. It appears to be from the school of illusion."

Coranth: *Indicating the door in front of the group.*

Coranth: "Of course, if it's a bellowing voice, it will alert anyone or anything else on this level."

Marilon: "Illusion? On the lock?"

Kalishan: "Well there must be some sort of key to fit the small holes in the doors that unlock and bypass the magic on them, otherwise we might not get them open anyways."

whispering to Coranth, do you want to walk down the hall while the magic is active and check the others or previous ones?

Coranth: *Slowly heads up the hallway, examining the other doorways in a similar manner.*

Daphy: ** Well that sucked the rightous sucking **

Vaukarn: "Lets check the other rooms on this hall then. Sound good?"

Marilon: "Daphy should be back any second. Let's wait to see what he's discovered."

** Kalishan moves up the hallway to do a quick search on the other doors before Coranth reaches them **

Borzak: "Perhaps that's what the new tunnels are for - bypassing the doors that can't be opened. . . . "

whispering to Coranth, You stare at the next door for a short time waiting for the weave to come into clearer focus. You think back to all of the years of practice and recognize the pattern as a minor evocation

Marilon: "A D?! An I?! Come on, people, it's obvious what this spells."

Coranth (whispering): continue to the next door in the hallway.

whispering to Coranth, The next comes into focus also as evocation, but seems somehow subtely different

whispering to Coranth, That was the D then the I

Vaukarn: "Jzadirune?"

Coranth (whispering): Okay.

Marilon: "Congratulations, Caption Obvious."

Kalishan: "That may be... but what is its significance?!"

Marilon: "Opening the doors in the right order."

whispering to Coranth, The E seems to also be invocation but once again a new pattern

** Marilon cups his hands around his mouth. "Daphy, halloo!" **

whispering to Coranth, And the last, the N, is summoning

Kalishan: "Well unless one of you is carrying a small rectangular key figuring out that the symbols on the door spell Jzadirune are still pointless."

Coranth: "D, I, E appear to be different types of evocation magics and N is a summoning magic."

Vaukarn: "Which way do you think we should go Kali?"

DM: There is a small key hole, rectangular in the center of the door

DM: That was for Daphy

Marilon: "I might not....but let's see....now WHERE could we find a guy who knows anything about gnomish keys? Think, think, think."

Kalishan: "Well we can continue to head down this hallway and see if any of these doors are normal and open, and if that fails we always have those caverns to explore."

Coranth: *Points at the ceiling.*

** Marilon suddenly looks up. **

whispering to Coranth, About this time the blue haze flashes bright and then fades as your spell expires (1 minute right?)

** Daphy seeing that it would require a thiefs hands to gain entry he returns to the group **

whispering to Coranth, However, as your site returns to you, you notice the the wall of the northern end of the hall seems to have minute seams... a secret door that would be hidden from lesser creatures

Kalishan: "I think that if Ghelve had a key for these doors he would've given it up to us before we came down here, don't you?! You can always waste more time and go up and ask him, in the meantime I plan on continuing the search down here. For all we know these doors are storage lockers for clothes."

Coranth: "What's this?" *Looks at the northern wall.*

Marilon: "What's what?"

Coranth (whispering): Do I know how to open the secret door?

Coranth: "It appears that there is a secret door here, built into the wall."

** Kalishan moves to the northern wall and begins to Search it (this I'll take a 20 on) :) **

whispering to Coranth, you can tell that there is a cleverly hidden stone that pushes in

DM: Kalishan once again seems to focus on here work, her normally flippant nature put aside while she focuses on her task

** Vaukarn waits impatiently for the others to do their thing **

Coranth: "I found the trigger stone to open the door." *States as Kalishan begins her search.*

whispering to Kalishan, There is indeed a secret door... it does not seem to be trapped and you believe depressing a stone on the right hand side of the door will cause it to pivot open

Daphy: "well it seems these are all locked... and that those newly carved tunnels might be our targets method of handling it"

** Marilon mutters something about mighty fine clothes to be locked up with evomacation kajiggers and trails off. **

** Kalishan steps back after examining it and nods to Coranth, "Well it is not trapped, so lets see what is behind the wall shall we?" **

Marilon: "Why not? Maybe it's a rectangular key."

Coranth: *Nods his head and pushes the small stone in the wall to open the secret door.*

DM: The wall seems to pivot on a central access and reveals...

** Kalishan pulls her rapier and steps beyond the door into the room **

Marilon: "Wow, would you look at that..." he says generically.

** Vaukarn follows after Kali once she is inside 8-10 feet **

DM: An acrid stench fills this chamber, which contains two large tables draped in cobwebs. Alchemical apparatus clutters one tabletop, while the other table has been flipped on it's side, spilling its contents into the middle of the room.

Coranth: "Must be the maids day off?"

DM: Amid the fragments of shattered glass lie some broken candles, some spent tindertwigs, various sundry utensils, and a pile of rags.

Daphy: "I thought thats why you were here Coranth"

** Marilon licks his fingers and searches through the floor contents. **

Marilon: Search Skill Check: [1d20+3] -> [2,3] = (5)

DM: A Five foot wide tunnel in the west wall leads into darkness. Against the opposite wall stands a cabinet, its doors set with jagged shards of frosted glass. It looks like someone smashed through the glass to reach the contents within.

DM: Mounted to the ceiling is a web-shrouded wooden fan connected to some gears and a rope belt that crosses the ceiling and disappears into the north wall.

Coranth: "Wow, a trashed alchemist's lab."

DM: As Marilon starts sifting through the debris a pile of rags behind him raises into the air and suddenly lunges at him

DM: ((and here we will finish for the night)

Marilon: "Gaah!"

** Daphy goes to check if the carved tunnel is the same as the others **