Dagobert looks around the alley, hoping to see where the men came from. Since they weren't rodents, he is a bit flummoxed, but he does his best.
"Tell the one about the cousin who was attacked by the zombie that fell apart again will you?"
As Dagobert and the others observe, the ledge the sentries were standing on goes back a little ways and, even with the aid of the sunrod, it would have been impossible to spot them unless you had known where they were.
"I never thought I'd see another deva in Punjar."
"Neither did I. In fact, if the beggar didn't mention you I never would of come here in time." He pauses for a second, and the spectral figure simply fades away. "I haven't told you my name yet. Forgive me, I am Galad." You finally get a good look at the deva. He's a deep shade of purple, his head is shaved in the monastic style, and a holy symbol of Delvyr hangs from his neck.
"Don't mention your name. Our foreign friend gets upset."
"Neither did I. In fact, if the beggar didn't mention you I never would of come here in time." He pauses for a second, and the spectral figure simply fades away. "I haven't told you my name yet. Forgive me, I am Galad." You finally get a good look at the deva. He's a deep shade of purple, his head is shaved in the monastic style, and a holy symbol of Delvyr hangs from his neck.
"Always a pleasure -- especially to meet someone who comes to the rescue, eh? Introductions later, I feel we'd best not hang around her lest we end up like my second cousin Hurner."
"Don't mention your name. Our foreign friend gets upset."
"I get upset, dwarf, when people bandy my name around underworld scum."
He turns to Galad, "It seems we share a side for now. My thanks."
"Right, right. So, when we're on the same side, we can share names, but not when we're with people who might be on our side after we've nearly killed them. Funny set of taboos you chaps have."
Dagobert bows (neatly avoiding Vandis's inevitable retaliation in so doing) to Galad.
"Greetings. I'm Dagobert. Very good to meet you and your other self. Where did your misty twin go by the way?"
"Greetings. I'm Dagobert. Very good to meet you and your other self. Where did your misty twin go by the way?"
"No, only a past life. He came from those memories, and to those memories he shall return."
"Let's keep moving, shall we?" Kenneth growls. "Old Hurner really had a bad go of it."
"Poor old Hurner. He was never the same afterwards. So, Galad, what are you doing in the Smoke? We're hunting a king rat. A Beggar King rat. If a chap's allowed to say that ..."
He looks uneasily at his nemesis.
"Ah! Before we all get distracted, can someone take a little look at the fountain? I've got my suspicions about it, but the sewage makes it hard to tell."
Galad examines the fountain on Dagobert's behalf.
The fountain is of moderate size, with a rust colored liquid spilling over the sides and onto the street where it flows past your boots and out the gate. It is currently difficult to identify the statue as it is covered in moss and mold, but you feel as though it certainly holds some religious significance. It is also the source of the miasma which permeates the air and continues to cause the sunrod to flicker.
Galad:
Meanwhile, Samael is uneasy as he looks at the fountain and glimpses back to the ledge occasionally where blood is starting to flow over the edge.
He clears his throat. "Please don't think less of me, but I don't think this is really worth the gold anymore. Something about this place makes me think the rumors are true and for a deva, the thought of losing one's soul is terrifying. That would be the end of that. Perhaps you should consider the same thing," adds Samael with a look to Galad. "I'm afraid I need to leave and renegotiate my contract with Dúlin. Good luck."
With that, he sheaths his huge sword and starts walking back out of the alley.
"Well, just as well we've got us a new Deva, then," Kenneth remarks, watching Samael's retreating figure.
"So this is the source of this miasma..." Galad keeps looking at the fountain.
"Farewell. May Delvyr's light shine upon you.", says Galad before he goes back to examining the fountain.
Galad reaches over to the fountain and attempts to rub some of the moss off.
Uncovering the moss reveals an even more frightening sight than anyone had anticipated. The statue is that of Orcus, and the rest of the fountain is decorated with serpents, skulls, and all sorts of other unsettling imagery.
Set into each of the statue's eyes is a large, shining ruby of obvious value.
"Oh, dearie me."
"You took the words right out of my mouth there."
Dagobert contemplates the statue. "I'm a very peaceable chap, but if there's one thing that does annoy me, it's him. He's very uppity, even for a god."
"Demon." Vandis adds after Dagobert.
"Uppity. Demon who thinks he should be a god. Nasty sort of chap. Ever met him in any of your lives Galad?"
"Uppity. Demon who thinks he should be a god. Nasty sort of chap. Ever met him in any of your lives Galad?"
"The memories of past lives are fractured at best. For this, there is only a disturbing familiarity."
"Whatever he's being, can we be getting on with tending to things? I.... That fountain's just a might bit unsettlifying."
The halfling sets about collecting his daggers and cleaning them.
"Agreed, all the more reason for getting a move on. Down the alley?"
All is quiet other than the bubbling of the fountain. The large ruby eyes of the vigilant statue stare at you as you move about.
At the end of the alley, 10 feet up, is a shuttered window. Left of the alley is another window at ground level that is also shuttered up. Back where you came from there is a rickety set of double doors and there is also another old wooden door at the end of the alley on the right-hand side.
"Perhaps Dannad could take a little look?"
Dagobert furtively examines his surroundings for signs of use on the doors and windows. And for any promising rats.
"Perhaps Dannad could take a little look?"
Dagobert furtively examines his surroundings for signs of use on the doors and windows. And for any promising rats.
The entire compound appears old and worn. Any signs of use you see could be hours old or years old. The flagstones under your feet are worn smooth in most of the high traffic areas, and many stones are loose and strewn about. The fountain has also caused a great deal of erosion over the years, and the walls and doors all have smudged burns all about them. The miasma also continues to ruin your clothes in several places as it leaves stains and small burns wherever the water begins to bead.
As for rats, all you see are the same unsavory creatures with their wounds and sores flitting about in the flickering light of the sunrod.
"Tsk."
Dagobert scrubs at his robes, trying to rid himself of the encroaching miasma.
"None of our clothes will last long if we stay out here. It's probably not good for skin either. Will you look at the shameful condition of those rats?"
He heads towards the big double doors.
You push the double doors in to reveal a shadowy chamber crowded with a crazed menagerie of items. Broken barrels are stacked in the center of the floor; boxes and crates line the walls, and stacks of junk take up every spare inch of the room. Strings of silverware are strung from nails on the walls, bundles of cloth scraps hung from bits of rope and chain hang from the ceiling, and stacks of rusty spears and broken swords are stacked in the corners. The room continues to the north and there is a large, filthy curtain separating this room from another on the northwest side of the room.
Inside you see two large men with scarred knuckles and brows going through the boxes in the middle of the room. One of them looks up with a cocked eyebrow.
"Eh? I ain't seen you before. You 'ere to sell somethin'?"
Premptive init roll (1d20-1=15)
"Rat skins. I'm selling finest quality rat skins. Claws and tails attached or not, your choice."
"It takes five of ya' to come sell rat skins, huh?" replies the large man suspiciously as he picks up a shield and mace lying nearby. His friend does the same.
"Where'd ya' steal a buncha' rat skins anyway?"
"I don't steal them, I catch them. A chap's got to look for new markets and everyone loves ratskin. Ratskin is an amazing thing. Keeps out the rain. Keeps off disease too if it's treated right."
Well launched on his favourite subject, Dagobert is unstoppable.
"There's differences of course, but that's down to the quality of the original rodent."
"It takes five of ya' to come sell rat skins, huh?" replies the large man suspiciously as he picks up a shield and mace lying nearby. His friend does the same.
"Rather ferocious rats, y'see. We actually started with eight of us."
Kenneth follows Dagobert's lead as he readies for combat.
Galad simply stands there, watching the events unfold.
Dannad eases around the corner to stand beside Dagobert.
"We just happened to meet up outside your door is all. They be selling rat skins, along with trained rats, ifin you're interested. Like terriers, they is. Some almost as big. Really take to thieving small objects, 'specially if theys shiny-like. Almost cute. Me, I'm looking to sell some recently acquired cutlery from a dear departed aunt. Fair work done on iron with some brass wound into the handle, burnished up real nice it almost looks like gold. You could probably resell them for a tidy profit."
The two look at each other and then look incredulously at the party.
"Alright then," says the lead tough, "I'll bite. Show us the wares and we'll get The Fence for ya'," he finishes, and you notice the proper inflection on the word 'Fence.'
"Take a look at this quality garment. I'm wearing it as a sample. Once we've made a bargain, I'll provide your skins."
Dagobert prods his waistcoat, which is indeed made of ratskin.
"Trained rats is not something I hold with young halfling. That's my cousin. He's a dwarf." There is a world of venom in the last word.
Vandis remains silent but glowering.
The large man sighs at Dagobert, realizing that he's obviously dealing with a crazy person.
"What about you, halflin'? Where's the goods?" the large tough inquires of Dannad. "Meetin' with The Fence won't do ya' no good without somethin' that needs fencin'. This ain't a merchants' square, ya' know despite what yer' loony friend might think."
"No need for name-calling. You can't blame a chap for trying to make a living."
Vandis puts a meaty paw on Dagobert's shoulder and squeezes. Hard.
"Pardon my friend, here," Kenneth interjects smoothly. "Everybody needs a hobby (or a passion). We do need to see The Fence, but our goods need an appreciative eye. They are of the small, fine, shiny type, as the halfling said. Kindly take us to The Fence, and we'll conclude our business."
"Oh, yes, some examples. I have one, let me find it...."
Dannad sets his pack on the ground and begins to rummage through it, using the distraction to enable him using sleight of hand to get Old Thom's dagger into his hand and keep it concealed.
"Where'd you say the fence is at?"
No one seems to notice Dannad's trick with the dagger, though if weapons were a problem they'd have likely said something by now, what with Vandis's large bastard sword in plain site. The two toughs are obviously used to dealing with armed customers.
"Fine, I'll get Arthuro, but ya' better have somethin' to show him or it's back on the streets with you."
The man then leaves for a moment while his companion stays behind to keep an eye on all of you. He doesn't say anything and only answers questions with a grunt or glare.
Eventually the tough returns with a much smaller, skinnier man following behind him. This new man is dressed in a vest and coat, and his belt is adorned with a short sword and several daggers. He looks at you all down the length of his prominent nose and rubs his hands together, pausing to crack his knuckles and fingers rather loudly.
"I heard you had something to sell, hmmm?" he asks, looking at Dannad rifling around inside his backpack.
Dagobert clears his throat, but renewed pressure on his shoulder gives him pause.
"Nasty climate you've got."