Fighting back a likely snippy comment, Arrika keeps moving for the very visible depository.
Turning his attention to the man, he replies, "And where did you see him last?"
Sniffling and wiping his nose with the back of his lace-covered hand, the man smudges dirt from his clothes across his face (or, perhaps, dirt from his face onto his clothes; it's hard to say which is dirtier).
"My name is Corian, and Kiki is my pet dire weasel. My house was just struck by a bomb, and though, luckily, the building didn't burn, the sound spooked Kiki, and she escaped through a smashed window. I'm worried, because, although she’s usually friendly, she might injure someone if she stays out. And gods know what could happen to her in this mess!"
Corian waves to the north and says, "I think Kiki ran off that way. Please help me!"
Man, I have got to learn when to keep my mouth shut.
"Sure thing, Corian."
"Do we really have time for weasle hunting in the middle of an attack?"
"Look old man if your weasle is going the same direction we are We'll get it for ya otherwise don't hold your breath."
"Do we really have time for weasle hunting in the middle of an attack?"
"Look old man if your weasle is going the same direction we are We'll get it for ya otherwise don't hold your breath."
You are headed east to the Depository and Corian is motioning that the weasel headed north.
"Hmm, Brother Weasel you say...I might be able to help."
"Brother Weasel is a tricky one and he knows the safe places to hide. Let's see what we can find."
Arrika rolls her eyes. "A weasel? You want us to waste time finding your pet???" Arrika's not about to do that, given the nature of the mission, the attack, and the lack of time Torrent's told them about. So, she keeps moving to try and find the gnome.
Thom ignores the tiefling, Can never really trust them, their taint causes that and waits for the weasel to be pointed out by Fist. Once he does, he will use his knowledge of religious rites to calm it so it can be coaxed out of hiding.
Arrika rolls her eyes. "A weasel? You want us to waste time finding your pet???" Arrika's not about to do that, given the nature of the mission, the attack, and the lack of time Torrent's told them about. So, she keeps moving to try and find the gnome.
"Don't worry. We will not be early, and we will not be late. We will be right on time." Audric watches the search for the weasel with an amused smirk on his face.
Fist watches the pair of Thom and Audric work to relax and coax the ferret.
He starts to dig through his adventures kit of supplies and see if he has any food that might be enticing for the ferret. He also looks around if there might be anything easily caught that could be a suitable meal.
"Brother Weasel is said to like fish but there isn't much like that around Gate Pass. I hope he is willing to understand that this is the best that I have to offer."
Fist starts in the direction indicated by the distraught merchant and soon catches sight of the animal's tracks, leading through the mud and ash of the city streets. Before long, he realizes that they lead to an abandoned temple.
"Ah, the old temple to Sehanine," says Thom, following behind. "I'd forgotten this was still here. I think I remember the old password to open the gate ... portamlunae aperi." At the sound of his voice, the rusted gate swings open, allowing you access to the temple grounds.
After trudging through the un-maintained hedges, you find the temple door. "Kiki definitely came this way," says Fist. Audric steps to the door and with a twist of his wrist and a popping sound unlatches the old lock mechanism, allowing you all to enter the dusty building.
"Great lets' all follow the old man and his dire weasel into the abandoned temple. If it will get folks back to the important matter of saving the city let's follow."
Gomi enters the courtyard eyes looking for hidden people and potential traps.
Look for hidden =
look for traps =
Dotting.
White the others are weasel chasing, Arrika is at the depository looking for the gnome contact.
"Great lets' all follow the old man and his dire weasel into the abandoned temple. If it will get folks back to the important matter of saving the city let's follow."
Gomi enters the courtyard eyes looking for hidden people and potential traps.
Look for hidden = 1d20+4
look for traps = 1d20+10
Gomi peers about the temple grounds but doesn't seem much beyond shadows and overgrown weeds. Somewhere, an echoing boom rolls over the city, reminding you that the attack is still ongoing, in fits and spurts.
"Great lets' all follow the old man and his dire weasel into the abandoned temple. If it will get folks back to the important matter of saving the city let's follow."
Gomi enters the courtyard eyes looking for hidden people and potential traps.
Look for hidden = 1d20+4
look for traps = 1d20+10Gomi peers about the temple grounds but doesn't seem much beyond shadows and overgrown weeds. Somewhere, an echoing boom rolls over the city, reminding you that the attack is still ongoing, in fits and spurts.
Thom follows along behind the small man, keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of the weasel. Realizing someone may have set some snares to try to catch small game on the temple grounds, he looks for signs of them, as well.
Thom peers around the gloom just in time to see the weasel scamper through wrought-iron fence and dash into a dead-end alley. Before anyone can stop it, it squeezes between the bars of a sewer grate, headed for the pipes. You'll have to move quickly to keep it from squeezing into the pipes under the grate and disappearing forever.
"Kiki, you should be ashamed of how you are making your brother worry. Now, come out of there and come home."
"I wonder if Willy knew of these sewer grates and where they might have led. Do you think they might lead somewhere out of Gate's Pass and that any of us could fit inside of them?"
Audric pulls out his knife and begins to pry open the grate, whistling a jaunty tune that you can't quite get out of your head.
Man, this is going to get messy...
Thom gets down on his hands and knees and crawls through the grate after the cunning weasel.
While Fist tries to soothe the weasel with calming words, Audric and Thom get to work going after the little creature. It hisses at Fist, baring sharp, bright-white teeth, and backs up a bit further into the pipe. Audric, meanwhile, manages to pry the grate up from its muck-covered fastenings and slide it out of the way. Grimacing, Thom rolls up his sleeves, lies down on his belly and begins to slide into the sewer grate, head-first, while his companions hold his feet.
Thom:
Meanwhile, Arrika and Torrent continue their travel to the depository for a few minutes when Torrent stops and curses. "I guess we have to wait for everyone else. I can't believe they're wasting time with a foolish merchant's pet. Mark my words: he probably won't even give them a reward, even if they find the damned thing."
Arcesilaus:
Fist tries to remember what else he knows of Brother Weasel.
There was something that his nannie used to say on all the stories. It was usually how Brother Weasel got caught.
Then Fist remembered.
Brother Weasel was always getting caught or in trouble because of his curiosity.
But what did Fist have that Brother Weasel might be curious to investigate? Fist looked over his stuff that mostly consisted of hides, his pack, and his adventurer's kit. Then he remembered that he had a few gold and silver in his pouch tucked to the inside of his belt.
Fist dug out a piece of silver and rubbed it for a bit to make sure it was shiney. Fist then positioned it towards the top of the grate to make it catch the light and possibly cast a dot of light on the ground.
It was like fishing making it dance and move the dot of light to see if he could get Brother Weasel to take the bait.
"I know." the tiefling replies to Torrent. She's keeping her eye out for the gnome even as the two wait.
As Fist waves the shiny object in front of the grate, Kiki begins to scrabble out of the pipe, trying to catch the coin. The weasel pulls its way over Thom, climbing up his body to the alley street, where Fist grabs him.
Thom pulls himself out of the filthy pipe, holding a small, muck-covered box.
Thom:
When you carry the frightened weasel back to Corian, he is thrilled at his pet’s return and heads back to shelter. He doesn't bring up any mention of reward or payment.
You hurry to catch up to Torrent and Arrika, whom you find waiting for you a few streets toward the Depository. As you continue on, you see the dark needle of the Depository Tower long before the guarded gate appears along the roadway. Now as you come to the massive iron gates, four well-armed guards, three orcs and a dwarf, snap to greater attention and prepare for a challenge. In a respectful voice, the dwarf asks for the required owner’s key, which Torrent produces. He and the other guards visibly relax.
“The riots have us all on edge, please forgive our harsh diligence,” the dwarven guard says as he tests the key on a special lock plate. He hands it back mechanically when the latch opens. Placing his lips against the opening, he whispers something and the large cogs and gears on the sides of the gates rumble and turn. In a moment, the way is open and one of the orc guards clumsily gestures a welcome for all to enter.
As you pass in, the chaos of the city disappears. Untouched by Ragesian bombs, a beautifully tended garden wends its way past splendid fountains. The left basin recalls elemental spirits of local legend — a dragon, a worm, a kraken, and an eagle — while a statue of Emperor Coaltongue, posing with torch held high, dominates the basin on the right. The torch glows as if lit by a neverending flame.
You count four other guards patrolling the grounds, dwarves and orcs again, and continue towards the large double iron doors that are the only entrance to the central structure. Once again, Torrent’s key is used and the orc guard speaks a secret phrase to gain entrance.
“There’re guards inside,” the orc politely says, with a gruff and graveled voice; his smile looks like a grimace. “So be careful and don’t accidentally open the wrong locker. There are lanterns here for light.” With a chuckle, he adds, “You’ll regret them if you meets up with the ugly gnome in there now.”
Torrent leads you inside the Depository, essentially a bank in which wealthy citizens store their valuables. The first floor of the tower is one huge room, and though the far side is hidden in shadows, it looks to be about sixty feet in diameter. A broad stone ramp circles clockwise upward to the left of the door, while the interior of the room is filled with aisles of metal lockers, each slightly larger than a coffin propped upright. Squat round columns twenty feet high support the ceiling.
Standing at the top of the ramp leading up to the second floor is a small figure that shuffles forward into the light. Upon seeing the group, the gnome heads down the ramp and nods to you. A pug-faced, ugly gnome with blue robes and a runny nose. He looks at you when he reaches the floor and sneezes.
“I hear the war outside,” says the gnome between coughs. “Good to be in here. Very safe.” He clumsily turns around and begins to ascend the ramp, “Follow me, Peppin, it is time to conduct our business.”
Thom secrets the box into his clothing for the time being. He wasn't quite sure where the box came from, but some thieves guild stash is the most likely explanation. He was no thief, and decides to distribute the gold and items to the group once they get out of the city.
Once the group arrives at the depository, he scans the rear of the group, making sure they weren't walking into an ambush, courtesy of a setup by the Ragasians.
Fist is happy that Kiki was re-united with his family. The Rags were getting ready to break up enough families.
"Unfortunately, as Grandfater Mountain said to the stone cutter. You can carve stone from me all the days of your life and I will still be a mountain. That is why Grandmother created the sun to tell her children when the work day was done.
We could spend our lives trying to solve the problems that the Rags are causing but I agree, we need to finish our mission first."
When Fist gets to the Depository with the others, he lets the better wordsmiths take over the conversation and just keeps to the back. He is pleased to see Dwarfs and Orcs working together. Grandmother would be pleased.
Rivereye Badgerface takes your group to the second floor and pauses in front of one of the many lockers arranged in rows.
"Alright, Peppin," Rivereye growls as he reaches for the locker. "What's the password for the case?"
Torrent glances around at your party and explains to the gnome that Peppin is not with you. "He was captured by inquisitors," she explains.
Rivereye's hand stops reaching for the locker, and he peeks over his shoulder at you, grins a bit sheepishly, and bolts for the ramp headed up.
Initiative =
Initiative = 21 then.
"Oh Rivereye, where do you run to?" Audric runs behind the fleeing gnome.
Rivereye ignores Audric and continues to dash up the ramp . As he runs, it seems that he is taller than he appeared before, as if he was hunching when you were talking to him but is now standing up straight.
Initiative:
Gomi
Audric
Rivereye
Thom <==
Fist
Arrika
Torrent
"That bastard set us up! You aren't getting away that easily!"
Thom:
Thom dashes to the foot of the ramp and fires a bolt of black energy that strikes the gnome and forces him to stumble back down the ramp.
Almost immediately a low hum begins to fill the air, followed by a massive electrical discharge as a bolt of lightning fires across the room .
Initiative:
Gomi
Audric
Rivereye (cursed)
Thom
Fist <==
Arrika
Torrent