_HRF.jpg)
I climb down from he roof, help the others drag them into the shop, and when they're all tied up, use my hexes to heal them into consciousness, as well as healing the guys of any wounds they may have suffered.
Janiven ties the other two captives up tight and leads you all into the cellar under the shop. I has a large storeroom, and a seperate walled off section with a locked door where the cobbler stores good leathers.
"You may not be perfect by the time I'm done with you, but I can heal your wounds a bit Ignatio."
Looking around the storeroom at the trussed up tieflings, I turn to the party and say, "We should probably have an idea of what we want to know before we wake them up for questioning. Obviously, we want to know where the hideout in Rego Crua is and any weaknesses in it's defence. Is there anything else you guys would like to know? More to the point, do we have any way of waking them up?"
"We need t' find out their hideout and how they defend it so we can bring them down, aye, but also we must ask them how they are able to travel th' streets of Westcrown at night with no fear of th' shadowbeasts. As for waking them up..."
I empty a bucket of water over one of their heads.
The spiny tielfling awakens suddenly, glowing green eyes coming alight as he snaps back into ocnciousness. He struggles in his bonds and curses and spits at the gathered party.
Janiven stays near the back of the space, allowing the trio to take charge of the interrogation.
I kick the bound thief in the ribs and push him towards the corner. Looming over him as he lies on the ground, I run my finger along the blade of my axe and, at my command, Chomspky growls threateningly.
"Time for a wee chat, lad... Tell us about this family o' yours, why don't you? Where are ye livin'? How many o' ye are there? And I'd very much like t' know how ye avoid th' shadowbeasts. Don't go tellin' us any falsehoods now either, cause we've got two more o' your band trussed up in th' next room, and if all the stories don't match, I'll f!~%in' kill the lot o' ye an' not have a second thought of it."
At this, I grab his head and heave him onto a low block of wood on the floor, about the right height to make him think of the headsman's block, and Chompsky growls again and barks angrily.
|
Crouching before the trussed up Tiefling I catch his eye and smile. "There is little need for you to lose your head over this really... I mean would your friends die for you needlessly? Of course they wouldn't. Now I can let this big nasty Lumberjack part that horned skull from your shoulders but... it would be a waste of life. Why don't you just answer his questions?" I grin, tapping him on the chest with two fingers. "Forget about the axe, forget about him, just talk to me. Tell me everything, where your base is, how many there are of you and any traps or alarms there might be on any entrances. Also... You have become some what of a menace to the folk of this city... A lot of thieving and what not. You gotta have some gold lying around down there that aint yours. Tell me where it is... In fact... I'll give you a piece of paper and some charcoal and you can draw me a map. If you tell me you will live. Fair deal really... So? We got a deal or do I let my friend do as he wishes?"
The spined tiefling stares from one to the other as the two men work their routine on him, his eyes have gone wide, all bravado fled. With glowing eyes he watches the axe's sharp edge, and his animal instinct to survive, overcomes his infernal impulse to mislead.
He begins to babble at first, takes deep, whistling breathes then begins 'Palaveen brought us together. Said he had some patron or other. He found us all, I was living in a poor house bet daily on account of my ancestry. He gave us a home and we showed the- He gave us a place. In an old temple of Erastil, half way into Rego Crua from the Obrigan Gate. Only its gettin' to be be not much better. His lieutenant Dravago is a bully and keeps us in line with force. Even killed a poor sod last month. We get time tables, and lists of streets that are safe in Cader. And sneak the rest of the way in Crua.'
'Don't kill me, please, please. All I wanted was to get away from beatin's, I didn't choose my heritage. Please. Please. There are secret entrances dug under nearby houses so we can get in under gorund, most of the gang hang out in the crypts below. After Dravago and Palaveen there are the brothers, dress like mummies and use magic. And about twenty lads like me. They're usually spread out in the various houses, don't kill me. Please. I'll draw you a map.'
Charcoal is fetched, and the gibbering tiefling sketches out a rough map of the area around the church of Erastil. The steet (light grey) leads in from the south, and the area has many ruined houses collapsed to rubble (dark grey). A few small houses stand north of the temple, and everything is built of wood.
|
|
I look the map over and nod softly before handing it to Wat. "Tell you what... How about we don't kill you? That was the deal. Instead you can go with our friend here. She will take care of you and your friends and when they wake up you can convince them that we are the good guys. When we get back from taking care of your Gang, we will set you free. And you can think about what you want to do with yourselves!" grinning I pat the Tiefling on the shoulder before standing.
I move out of sight of the Tiefling and groan softly before pulling a potion from my belt and downing it in one. "Damn crouching hurt my side again!"
Knowing the necessity of what has to happen, but being unwilling to actively be a part of it, I leave the guys to it, making sure I make it clear that I don't want them killed.
|
|
I pat the Tiefling on the shoulder and move over to stand before Euphemi and Janiven, motioning Wat to join us. I hand Euphemi the map. "Wat, Euphemi, familiarize yourselves with this for a few minutes, take in every detail. We will need it!"
Smiling softly I nod before turning to Janiven. "We will leave here when Wat and Euphemi are finished looking over the map. If we hit them now, before these men are missed we will have the edge of surprise. You will need to stay here and watch over them. If you can get more people here to aid you, that would help!"
I nod softly and smile before turning back to the other two. "When you are ready we will leave. Tend to any cuts before we head out!"
"I'm good to go now. I suggest we go in through the underground tunnels underneath the nearby houses - unseen if possible - and try to take them by surprise from the inside."
I stand away where I can't be heard.
"Aye, Janiven, I know I put the fear o' th' Abyss into 'im, but I feel for these lads, abandoned and spurned as they are. If you could take care of 'em, p'raps they'll see th' error of their ways, maybe their skills and knowledge could be put to good use for th' Children."
Turning back to Euphemi and Ignatio, I rest my hand on my axe and nod.
"Th' sooner we do this th' better, I s'pose. However we do it, we ought t' do it with th' least killin' we can manage."
Perception:
The two-story house is unusual because of the miniature chairs hanging above the doorway on hooks; it seems obvious that this was a carpenters shop. The ground floor window, beside the door is boarded up, but the boards are immaculately cut and of fine timber. The door is locked but not barred, and a hard push by Wat causes it to swing open on rusty hinges. Inside carpenters tools and a counter mark the place as a workshop, but the skeletal wolves behind the counter and on the base of the stairs up are more unexpected.
The begin to rise up, bodies coiled as if growling with throats they no longer have.
INITIATIVE!
I step up to where I can see into the house, and Hex one of them into misfortune. (DC 15 Will)
I charge the skeletal wolf opposite me, and Chompsky moves up beside me to savage his distant, undead cousin.
ROUND 1
Ignatio begins to inspire his allies as Euphemi curses the still unmoving wolf. She feels however that the creautre resists her curse.
Then both wolves burst into action, bare bones scrapping on the floor as they rush to assault Wat. The first barrels forward into Wat. He manages to hit it with his axe, though the bony creature resists the axes damage. However the wolf is knocked off-kilter and slips to the ground in front of Wat rather than managing an attack. The second wolf runs up to attack Wat around the door frame, and manages to bite him.
Wat retaliates with a fierce blow, his axe cracking the upper spine of the prone wolf into pieces. Meanwhile Chompsky fails to land a blow.
Chompsky attacks the second monstrosity, his jaws seeking purchase on the bare bones of the wolf's ribcage.
Swearing under my breath, I try my luck hexing the second wolf.
The wolf succumbs quickly to the parties combined might. Leaving you alone in the doorway with bones at your feet, the starlight allows you to see outside, inside is very dark however.
I listen for sounds that our combat may have been noticed.
Stepping inside with the others, I make sure the door is shut before I cast light on my crossbow and hold it up high to illuminate the inside of the house.
Euphemi hears no alert, and you step into the carpenters house, finding it soon illuminated by magic. Ignatio's search turns up a small pouch of money under a half-completed chair, filled with 300 gp, but otherwise finds nothing.
I search around too, as Chompsky tries to sniff out a trail.
Chompsky begins whining and scratching at a piece of floor. Pushing a chair off of it, Wat uncovers a trapdoor leading down into the darkness, a ladder is set into the wall and leads down fifteen feet through crudely dug earth.
"Okay guys, do we want light down here? We can see, but we can also be seen. What do you think? Also, who's going first?"
"I think we're as well t' have th' light, an' see our path, an' maybe douse 'em once we get closer. Let's get in there, take care o' Palaveen an' Dravago, an' these brothers that our young captive mentioned. We don't want t' have t' fight th' rest of th' bandits, maybe some of th' lads can be convinced to come over t' our side, and do some good work for th' city."
I pull my green cloak up around my face, rasie my axe and say:
"Sooner we get t' it, sooner we get this bad business over with. I'll lead th' way!"
The rickety, but strong ladder leads down fifteen feet into the earth beneath the carpenter's house. Below the walls are roughly carved, but the floor as been worn smooth and easy to walk on. Your light shines ahead in the pitch blackness, revealing a wide hallway ahead with crude graffiti on the walls.
Raising my lit crossbow above my head, I let Wat lead the way and Ignatio take the rear. I turn my attention to the carvings on the wall, to see if they mean anything or are just the lewd scratchings of a gang of thieves.
Wat sees and indeed hears nothing as he moves forward into the caves, clearly hollowed out by smugglers or seditionist's years ago, and no appropriated by a band of tieflings. The graffiti is largely in infernal with some slurs and swears words in Taldane.
The words are a mixture of prayers to Mammon and hate mantras and slogans agaisnt the humans of Westcrown.
If orange are doors, I vote we head down south to E17. Otherwise,, let's just head to the door at C12.