Ghil blends in reasonably well; it's good that he wasn't trying to appear as anything distinct, though, as he was missing some of the details. The pampered academic clearly only had a passing familiarity with what a day-laborer in the Shingles actually would wear.
He throws out a few grunts and off-color retorts as Nethen tries to suss out Trinia's location.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Vedika goes for a slightly different approach to disguise: Normally she has a disguise, all the time, to fit in with humanity. Instead she leans into her true identity. The voluminous long-sleeved blouse that she wears under her leather corset goes away, leaving her with bare arms and midriff, and the makeup that tones her skin along her face and neck likewise vanishes. All of this makes the tiny, iridescent scales along certain parts of her neck, shoulders, and belly quite visible. Does she stand out as a humanlike vishkanya? Absolutely. But it is an identity quite different from her day-to-day appearance.
Knowing that Nethen knows this neighborhood well, she lets him take the lead, instead seeming to be an unspecified friend/companion/co-worker of his, though often she'll lean against a wall and wind up looking the other direction—always quietly watching for a tail or any other parties taking interest in the team's activities.
Kayleigh hangs back a bit wearing her healer's white tabard, figuring every neighborhood has need of a healer, so hopefully she won't be conspicuous.
Nethen is given Trina's address, she is on the 3rd floor in the SW corner of the building.
As you make your way up the rickety stairs you encounter many of her neighbors. All of whom are curious as to why you are here?
.
Not bothering with an attempt at disguise, Ariadne keeps the hood of her cloak up maintaining a silently imposing presence. Leaving the talking and subterfuge to those better suited to it.
"Just checking on everyone. I know there's been a lot of ruckus and upheaval recently, so I'm making sure that my neighbours are doing alright," Nethen says to the questions he receives as the group heads towards Trinia's apartment.
Not being a good (or even passable) fibber, Kayleigh lets the others do the talking. She tries instead to get a sense for whether the neighbors might be protective of Trinia or if maybe there was already an incident in the building...like someone else trying to catch the young artist.
Ghil reacts with frustration when challenged about why they're in the apartments. He noses into the conversation is if to add context to what Nethen said. "Haven't heard from me gram in days. With all that's going on, mum wanted me to check on her, and I brought some friends just in case there's trouble. That alright with you?" This last question is clearly not a question; Ghil speaks with an attitude that he really doesn't care what this person thinks is okay or not.
Each time someone gets in her way, Vedika spins an outlandish yarn to get them talking, moving away, or thinking about something else. Some are good, some are bad, all are false, each is just plausible enough to seem like a possibility even if it's just an urban rumor. The goal isn't to cause mass panic or fighting, just to generate confusion and get people moving out of the way.
"I heard that the Sable Company is conducting mass arrests in the market!"
"I heard that the Pathfinder Society is giving out emergency rations due to the crisis!"
"I heard that a renegade alchemist is turning people into zombies with glass globes filled with purple gas, which he shatters in crowded places!"
"I heard that to quell unrest, the city's going to declare a tax holiday!"
Kayleigh gets the impression that Trina's neighbors are checking if the party is looking to arrest Trina, and to warn her if that is the case.
Maybe it's the third neighbor who casually starts beating out a tune on the railing while talking to you. .
You arrive at Trina's door, when you knock and call there is no response.
What are you doing?
The rhythmic banging on the railing as the group approaches Trina's apartment is an old Shingles trick that Nethen recognises as a warning of approaching trouble. "We're busted," he says to the others, speeding up. "We need to get in there quickly before we lose her."
He knocks firmly at the door and when there is no immediate answer he tries to open it.
Kayleigh nods energetically at Nethen's pronouncement that the banging is some sort of alarm signal. She resists the urge to draw her silver morningstar problem-solver, instead following Nethen's lead and preparing herself to be as diplomatic as she can be.
The door doesn't budge when Nethen tries it. Not only is it probably locked, but from the feel it has something wedged against on the other side to stop it opening.
What now?
Vedika hauls herself up onto the roof—not uncommon in these sorts of slums—and starts looking for a back door, porch, or window.
"Probably locked and barred. If Vedika doesn't find another way in, we'll need to break it down." Ariadne says, studying the door as Vedika climbs.
"I bet she's been holed up here waiting for someone to come for her," Nethen muses, agreeing with Ariadne. He motions for quiet and presses his ear to the door, listening for any sign that the home beyond is occupied.
Vedika reaches the peak of the roof and sees a slender, young woman scrambling out the apartment window onto the rooftops below her.
Nethen hears someone climbing out the window.
The Shingles are a tangled, confusing maze consisting of multiple levels, interconnected bridges, ropes, and cluttered swaths of rooftops. Vagrants, thugs, imp nests, stirges, weakened rooftops, and even the odd choker make
the place even more dangerous.
What now?
When apprised of the apparent siuation, Kayleigh turns paler than usual. "I have some experience working in the Shingles in Old Korvosa, but I had the time to be extra careful when climbing. I'm not capable of chasing someone through them...plus I'm afraid of heights. Maybe I could try to watch Trinia from street level while Vedika gives chase. Anyone want to come with me?"
Vedika calls back "On the move!" and begins the chase!
Kayleigh hustles back downstairs, trying to convince herself she's not being cowardly...she's going to where she might be of the most use if anyone should slip and fall.
"I'll come with you! With my armor, I'm not really that useful in a rooftop chase either." Ariadne says racing down the stairs after Kayleigh.
Trinia scrambles onto the narrow ridge of the rooftop across from her apartment. She spots and avoids the flock of Stirges that had been nesting under the eaves.
.
Kayleigh & Ariadne head for the ground level. Vedika is on the rood top over Trinia.
What did Nethen & Iorghil do for their action that round?
Currently Trinia is 40' away from Vedika & 10 below.
.
What is everyone doing?
Vedika rushes and leaps down, rolls, and is hot on Trinia's heels.
Kayleigh continues down the stairs and back onto the streets, looking up and trying to spot the runaway suspect.
Not liking his chances against the barred door Nethen follows Vedika up onto the roof, hoping that his memory of running The Shingles as a kid will allow him to catch up.
Racing down the steps to the street, Ariadne deploys her extensive knowledge of the city, working to determine where Trina is most likely to go, and the best way to cut her off.
Ghil glances both ways down the hallway, looking for a window he might be able to force open. He knew he'd have to go down to the streets--leaping from roof to roof was not trick he could do!--but Leemor was no stranger to the air. If he could get a glance at Trina, he bet he could convince this strange petromin to follow her.
Vedika. Trinia is next to you but fleeing. What are you doing?
Nethen. You can see Trinia & Vedika below you on a roof top. Acrobatics DC10 to get down to them.
Ariadne. You figure Trinia will go to the west where the Shingles become even more crowded & chaotic to make her escape.
Kayleigh finds herself alone on the streets. She again casts her eyes skyward, hoping to spot Trinia and/or some of her pursuing friends. Then she starts to circle the block.
Nethen spots Trinia, with Vedika in close pursuit, on a flat roof not too far ahead. He puts on a burst of speed and vaults down towards the pair.
Nethen realises he's not as nimble as he used to be as he lands hard and has to take a moment to regain his composure. Upright and somehow unhurt he continues after Trinia.
Vedika just keeps pursuing Trinia, like a cat who isn't sure what to do if it manages to catch the bird. She doesn't have anything to say that Trinia will believe to make her stop, nor any special skill or spell that can halt Trinia in her tracks, so she just has to keep running until they can't run any more.
Realizing which way she's headed, Ariadne races to keep up, or possibly get ahead, calling to Kayleigh to follow.
Seeing Vedika is dangerously close to her Trinia tries to cross a rope slung between two buildings.
Skipping over the tight rope like a circus performer.
Trinia is 20' across the way now.
.
Those below catch a glimpse of Trinia as she is between the two buildings and now have an idea where she is heading.
What are you doing?
Vedika attemps to shimmy across the rope and of course fails and falls to the streets below.
"S!~*," Nethen mutters as he sees Vedika slip from the rope that Trinia slipped across with no trouble at all. He takes a deep breath then tries to tightrope across the gap.
Somehow keeping his balance Nethen leaps the last couple of feet onto the tiled roof ahead and takes off up the sloped roof in pursuit of Trinia.
Kayleigh gives Ariadne a grateful nod for pointing her in the right direction of the chase, realizing that without her friend's assistance she'd likely make a wrong turn and find herself in Katapesh before realizing she'd gotten herself lost. The young cleric issues a sharp intake of breath when she sees Vedika wobble and then lose her footing while Trinia effortless crosses the narrow rope bridge like a trained circus performer.
"I'll help Vedika!" she shouts to Ariadne. "You keep your eyes on the prize!"
As she moves to a position where she'll be able to heal Vedika should the rogue fall, Kayleigh holds her breath as she sees Nethen attempt to cross the rope in pursuit...and succeed!
Little Miss Trinia sure is nimble for an alleged painter. Perhaps there's something to the Queen's accusation after all!
You can see many handholds & railings to catch onto and stop your fall. Acrobatics DC10 to catch one. For every 5 you get over the DC you stop your fall closer to the roof. You fall 10' automatically to start. Fail the acrobatics check you hit the ground if no one catches you.
Perception DC15 to be where she might land. Strength check DC12 to catch her and half her damage.
Trinia scrambles over the rise of the roof and shrieks in fright as she disturbs a flock of Striges, which take to the air around her.
Trinia has frozen as the Striges attack her. Nethen is within 20' of her. What is everyone doing?
Vedika falls 40' and takes...
Kayleigh tries to guesstimate where Vedika will land but is off by half a country mile. She still hustles forward to provide healing as needed.
Knowing that there was np possible way she'd be quick enough to catch Vedika, Ariadne races to get to the other side of the building, hoping to get ahead of Trinia as she hears a shriek come from up above.
Taking advantage of Trinia’s sudden halt Nethen charges towards her and attempts to tackle her to the ground. ”We’re not trying to hurt you,” he says as he moves towards her, ”we want to catch the person that really did kill the king.”
Ghil glances both ways down the hallway, looking for a window he might be able to force open. He knew he'd have to go down to the streets--leaping from roof to roof was not trick he could do!--but Leemor was no stranger to the air. If he could get a glance at Trina, he bet he could convince this strange petromin to follow her.
[dice=Perception]1d20+7
.
Nethen produces a shrill shriek as he tackles the slender blonde to the roof with a clatter of broken tiles. His words due make her freeze and look at him timidly. "Really?" Trinia Sabor
She seems to have stopped struggling, however you do have several annoyed Striges buzzing around you.
What is everyone doing?
"Yes, really. We think you've been framed, and we want to know who by and why," Nethen says as kindly as he can while keeping Trinia under control and looking slightly perturbed by the approaching stirges. "There's a mob of vigilantes after you, and probably some Hellknights too. Let me and my friends keep you safe while we uncover the real killer," he says.
"But first," he adds, "we need to get you out of here." Nethen lets go of Trinia in a show of faith, and hopes she doesn't keep running.
Kayleigh approaches Vedika, happy to find her (more-or-less) in one piece. "Don't move--I'll try to heal your injuries!" the healer says as she casts a spell and touches the wounded Vishkanya woman.
"Well...not fully healed, I'm afraid, but it should be safe for you to move now. I can heal you some more now, but I'd prefer to save my healing powers...just in case we need to fight our way out of here with Trinia."