Carbonus (IC)

[Wertible]

Wandering west for days in search of some place to explore or someone in need, you finally find yourself once again somewhere near civilization.

Your clothes practically sticking to you with sweat, you arrive at a trading post on the edge of Anauroch. It's just past midday, and the sun is hot as hell. There's only two buildings in town. The one to the left of the path seems to be a wooden structure of modest design. It has a single door on the front and a barely readable faded wood sign reading "Thorim Venture Capitalists." The one to the right looks a bit more upscale. A dark wooden door seperates out from in, and deep green glass windows set in wood stand on either side. The sign states, in freshly carved wood, "The East End."

[Whiplord]

Ptalem slogs into the small town, if it can even be called that. At least it's civilization. Ptalem is used to the desert. It's very power and ancestry runs through his veins, and he has spent years of his life in environments much like this one.

With that in mind though, hot is still hot. And Anauroch certainly qualifies as that. In fact, his visit here has been almost downright depressingly useless. Endless hot walks through wastes of sand, something which he normally enjoyed. But for all the time he had spent here, he had found absolutely nothing in his search for knowledge.

The one thing that might be considered a redeeming factor of the journey was his meeting of Simon, his rather erstwhile travelling companion. It had been a very long time since Ptalem had traveled any way but alone, but he had to admit it made a rather nice change. Even if the man had some rather aggravatingly upright morals.

Walking into the center of the "town," Ptalem looks between the two buildings, and raises an eyebrow, turning to Simon. "Well, with such staggering choices, I find myself entirely unsure which way to turn. I do believe the..." Ptalem peered closer at the sign on the nicer looking establishment, "The East End, looks more promising."

[Plasma Snake]

Simon nods his head in agreement, "Indeed. I also have an irrational dislike of capitalists, the East End it is" he says striding towards the inn.

[Whiplord]

"Well then." With a toss of his shoulders to resituate his cloak, Ptalem opens the door to the East End, and steps inside.

[Wertible]

The door opens into commons. Lit by a glow of green light coming through the thick windows, A spattering of three tables set with wooden utensils sit in the center of the establishment. Off to one side, you notice two doors at the far end of a wooden counter. A man cleaning a mug sits behind the counter, eying you with deep brown eyes as you come in. He is dressed in dusty work clothes, and his short blond hair blows in the brief wind that the open door produces.

"Gentlemen! Come in, come in, have a seat anywhere you'd like. I will retrieve lunch for two at once!"

With that, he makes for the nearer of the two doors on the far end of the bar.

[Plasma Snake]

The monk gives a curt nod to the bartender and sits down at the closest stool.

[Whiplord]

With a sigh of relief, Ptalem swings off his cloak and makes for the nearest table. "Lunch sounds perfect. Thank you."

[Wertible]

As you pass the couple minutes before the man returns, you notice why the lighting in the place is diminished to green light. It seems to filter out some of the heat of the sun's rays, leaving the inside of The East End somewhat cooler than the harsh desert outside. As you realize this, the man returns, carrying a large wooden platter to your seats. Setting thin, sizzling slices of meat onto your plates, he bows.

"Lunch is beef cutlets, pan fried and topped with my secret blend of spices. To accompany it..."

He rushes over to the bar quickly, retrieving two mugs.

"Would you prefer water this early in the day? Or would you like to indulge in some ale?"

[Plasma Snake]

"Water please" Simon grunts out before digging into the food. His ring may keep him from starving or dehydration but that doesn't stop the habitual craving for the taste of a warm meal.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem's mouth begins watering at the sight and smell of food. It had been quite awhile since he had had anything besides trail rations or the occasional stringy desert animal.

With more attention devoted to the food in front of him, Ptalem replies offhandledly, "Ale please," before taking a large bite of the meat. A pleased exhalation of breath. Without looking up, and in between bites, he addresses the innkeep. "Where did you get beef out here?"

[Wertible]

The meat is well cooked and juicy, a trait which is only complimented by the slight heat the spices on the crust bring to the flavor. The man seems to have some skill in cooking to go along with his ability as a host.

Filling each glass behind the counter, the man returns promptly and sets them in front of each of you. In response to Ptalem's question, he grins.

"They come from a village that hunts them in Cormanthor. They're slightly gamey, but it's the best I can do out here for good meat."

[Whiplord]

"You'll hear no complaints from me. Better than anything I've had in weeks." Finishing off the last of the meal, Ptalem takes a deep swig of the ale, before speaking again. "Tell me, do you have rooms that you let out? I have a mind to rest here for a bit if I can."

[Wertible]

Allowing you to finish your last bites, the man immediately leans over to take the dirty plate away. Carrying it to the counter, he answers your question.

"I have my lodgings, my kitchen, and one guest room. The guest room is, unfortunately, very simple. Just a bed and four walls. I can most certainly rent that out to you if you'd like."

[Whiplord]

Ptalem turns to look at Simon. "Yes. If that is agreeable with my companion...?" He trails off, waiting for a reply.

[Plasma Snake]

Downing his meal in record time then downing the water in a single gulp, Simon looks to Ptalem. "You can have the bed. I don't need much sleep."

[Whiplord]

"Very well, we'll take the guest room then." Ptalem reaches for the pouch at his waist. "How much do we owe you?"

[Wertible]

"Excellent, it's through the far door at the end of the bar, and through the left door past that. Feel free to use the lodgings as you wish when the time comes. But, after all, it's only the afternoon, you've got plenty of time until then. As for the price, if it's not too unreasonable, one gold for the food and housing for the night."

Scooping up Simon's plate and your drinks, he backs away again to the counter, placing the plate there. He refreshes your drinks and returns promptly, setting them before you.

"If you'll pardon my curiosity gentlemen, what exactly are you doing here in Anauroch anyway? Is there some sort of reason you're sweating it out in the desert?"

[Plasma Snake]

Simon eyes the barkeep suspiciously for a split second. It was probably honest curiosity but as his Shadowspeaker always said, even the brightest looking lights can cast long shadows. Shaking away his paranoia the monk responds,

"Your curiosity is forgiven. I am simply a humble wanderer who knows his way around, escorting my companion through the desert."

[Wertible]

The barkeep, noting that it was only an hour past midday when the guests arrived, briefly discussed with them the nature of the building across the road and its proprietor, Thorim. The two agreed to check on the old man and see if he had anything worth buying, but, to their surprise, it seemed that he was only truly interested in buying himself. The two left the old man with instruction to look for books on The Nine Hells and the history of Anauroch before taking themselves back to the bar to look at their room.

The room is a simple affair, as the barkeep had described. Only truly four wooden walls, a small end table, and a twin size bed. It appears to be comfortable enough though, stuffed with some sort of feather, and should serve its purposes. Simon heads quickly to sleep, enjoying a couple hours of rest while Ptalem watches over him. Shortly following, the two swap, and Ptalem slips into the bed.

About two hours after Ptalem heads to sleep, Simon hears sounds of disturbance in the bar accompanied by hushed whispers. Focusing his mind on the soft words, he is able to discern the conversation.

"There isn't a chance they'd be awake now. It's the damn middle of the night."

"Better safe than sorry though, we should check on them before we enter."

With that, Simon hears the opening of a door in the outside hall and the two sets of footsteps as they enter the antechamber.

[Plasma Snake]

Simon moves silently towards the door and hides right next to it, listening for the footsteps to come closer. When those buffoons open this door even a crack, he thinks, I'll put them to sleep like most people should be at this time of night.


Moves silently to the door, listens for them to get close. Assumes child of shadow stance.
Readies action: flurry of blows (nonlethal) for when they open the door.

[roll0]

[Wertible]

You hear what sounds like hushed spellcasting from one of the men you heard earlier, and, after that, silence.

[Plasma Snake]

Hearing the spellcasting, Simon knows he can't afford to wait. The the monk bursts out of the room ready to take on the intruders.

[Wertible]

Bursting through the door, Simon sees two men standing cloaked in the middle of the dark. The one on the left appears to be just under six feet tall, and wears a solid gray robe that obscures most of his features, while the one on the right stands about as tall as Simon, wearing a dark green robe with silver patterns webbed in the design.

Both the men seem taken aback by Simon's sudden entrance, he clearly has the benefit of surprise.

Simon rolls init, Ptalem is woken up by the door slamming, but does not act for the surprise round. He can roll now if he wants.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem starts awake at the loud noise, and puts years of experience into making sure he can react as soon as he can. He knows he can't get on his armor in time, so for starters, he simply tries to get out of bed.


[roll0]

[Plasma Snake]

On instinct, the monk grabs at the closest of the two. Using the suprise to his advantage, he initiates a Comet Throw to take out two birds with one stone, so to speak.


Initiates comet throw. Make a touch attack, if succeed then a trip attempt+4 (as if I had improved trip). If I succeed at that I throw him up to ten feet and he falls prone, taking 4d6 damage. I can (and will) throw him at another target who can make a reflex save (DC=19) to halve the damage and remain standing

Throwing closest man at the other man.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Wertible]

With expert grace, Simon quickly darts in and grabs the man dressed in gray. Picking him up (though he struggles), he tosses him heavily into the man in green. The green cloaked man braces himself before the impact but still falls to the floor, the gray cloaked man rolls past into the common room, landing in a sprawl.

Ptalem rushes to a start, clearing his head as he moves out of bed.


Init is (for convenience):

Ptalem
Man 1
Man 2
Simon

[Whiplord]

Swinging his legs out of bed, Ptalem quickly assesses the situation. Two attackers, presumably surprised by Simon right outside the door. The other man seemed to be trying to employ non-fatal techniques. Ptalem supposed he should probably do the same, if only for the fact that most of his fatal spells would also be fatal to his surroundings. And he had no reason to destroy the Inn. Yet, of course.

He gave a grimace as all of this registered. He didn't have much in the way of non-destructive spells. It simply didn't fall within his natural sphere of talent. Well. Perhaps Simon could handle things on his own. He would step in if he was needed.


Ready action to cast magic missile if it looks like fight is going against Simon. Three missiles at whoever is doing the most damage, two at the other.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Plasma Snake]

Before the men have a chance to rise, Simon pounces on the man in green and unleashes a flurry of blows to ensure that he stays down.


flurry of blows non-lethal
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]

[Wertible]

As Ptalem stands at the ready in the bedroom, able to somehow glean that there are two attackers that Simon has engaged from the small audio and visual cues he is given and that he should be wary of killing these two attackers unless it's absolutely necessary. He prepares himself to intervene at the very moment that Simon seems in danger.

Meanwhile, stumbling up, the man dressed in green tries to get his bearings, only to be smacked in the stomach by Simon's fist. Using that as a starting point, Simon strikes the side of the man's head, his temple, his groin, and his left arm in several quick strikes from his fists and follows it up with a knee to the already damaged gut, dragging the man from awareness to unconscious sleep as he hits the floor.

The gray man, who stood up outside of Simon's sight, notices the toll Simon has taken on his partner and casts some sort of spell before turning to run.

[Whiplord]

Looking through the wide open door at his clear view of the fight and its circumstances, Ptalem breathes a sigh of relief as it's clear no intervention will be necessary, as Simon had the fight well in hand.

[Plasma Snake]

Simon bolts out of the inn to catch up with the remaining man. The monk aims a strike at one of his pressure points to momentarily paralyze the man.


Stunning Fist DC=24
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Wertible]

Simon aptly rushes ahead of the man and thrusts two fingers deep into his neck. The man falls unconscious immediately, dropping to the floor. It seems Simon has successfully subdued the two intruders.

[Plasma Snake]

With a grunt Simon picks up the man in silver and throws him over his shoulder. Walking back into the inn, he throws the green man over his other shoulder.

He passes Ptalem, going into the room and drops both men across the bed. Turning to the sorcerer, Simon says, "Would you mind tying them up? I want to wake and question them as soon as possible."

[Whiplord]

Ptalem raises an eyebrow. "You happen to have some rope? i could improvise if I needed to, but rope will be easier."

[Plasma Snake]

"Nope no rope, but I know what you can do with sand"

[Whiplord]

Ptalem sighs. "Well yes. That would be what I meant by improvising. That takes time though..." Ptalem kneels down on the floor, and, reaching into his haversack, pulls out a pouch of sand. "I'll see what I can do. You should look for rope in the meantime though."


Start making two sets of manacles. DC of 12, as determined by DM. Auto succeed with caster level check of 15. Takes 24 minutes though :/

[Plasma Snake]

"Screw it, the bed sheets will do" Simon says, ripping the sheets off of the bed. He begins to bind the hands of both men.


I think this is the first time I've used Use Rope
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Wertible]

Simon rips the bedsheets into makeshift bonds, tying the men up with surprising aptitude.

[Plasma Snake]

With both men firmly bound, Simon kneels down and lays his hands on both prisoners. He looks up to Ptalem and says, "Before I wake them up, do you want to lead the interrogation or shall I?"

[Whiplord]

Ptalem doesn't look up from his work but still answers. "I can take care of it. Just let me finish here. These could come in handy if we don't have bedsheets next time."

[Plasma Snake]

Simon nods to Ptalem. To pass the time he begins to meditate.

[Wertible]

Ptalem finishes up his manacles without event, and sees that the two are still unconscious, laying by Simon.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem finally looks up from his work, and then stows the manacles into his haversack. "It looked like you hit them fairly hard. Perhaps they require some sort of assistance to wake up within a reasonable amount of time?" He glowers. "I for one, have not had a complete night's rest."

[Plasma Snake]

"I can wake them up fairly easily. I'll take them outside and interrogate them, you should get some rest." he says taking the manacles from Ptalem and placing them on the men. He hands the sheets to the sorcerer saying, "Here they don't need these anymore."

With that he picks up the two prisoners and carries them around the back of the inn. The monk takes hold of his holy symbol and uses Lathander's power to grant him the ability to see untruths. He removes his shoes and socks and places a sock in the mouths of both men. He then lays his hand on each and casts a minor healing spell to wake them up.

When their eyes open Simon says to the men in a flat voice,

"I want to know why you were breaking in to the tavern in the middle of nowhere. I'm going to remove the gags so you can answer but if either of you even think of casting a spell I will put you back to sleep. Understood?"


Casting Discern Lies then converting two castings of Sign into cure light wounds.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem hands the manacles over to Simon thankfully. "My thanks. Just make loud banging noises again if you need me."

As Simon leaves the room, Ptalem stares at the ruins of the bedsheets. "Hells. Just...Hells."

He makes the best of what he has, and lays down on the bed, with a nest of shredded bedding surrounding him. "Should have kept walking," he grumbles to himself softly as he drifts off to sleep.

[Wertible]

The man dressed in gray wakes up and begins to scream immediately, but is hushed by Simon's words. He nods slowly, gag still in mouth. As soon as Simon removes the gag, the man speaks quickly and in a frantic voice.

"W-We were just committing a robbery, sir. Heard from the old man that the room was taken, and planned to come back at night we did. C-Clearly, a mistake. Please don't kill us, sir. Please?"


The man is clearly lying.

[Plasma Snake]

"Your skills at deception are clearly lacking. Want to try again?"


[roll0]

[Wertible]

Sweating tremendously, the man looks frantically around.

"Alright, alright. W-we came to search the tavern for the owner. He's an associate of mine, Phillipe Cadver. We had business to discuss. He was nowhere to be seen, however, all we found was a simple piece of paper. It said to kill you and bring your bodies to our hideout. If you want proof, the paper is still in my back pocket."

[Plasma Snake]

While rifling through the mans pockets, Simon asks, "Where is your hideout exactly?"

[Wertible]

You find a small note in the man's pocket, glancing briefly at it, it seems to fit his description.

"Our hideout is a day west, we were already headed there when we came to see Phillipe."

[Plasma Snake]

"Well thanks for the information. Good night" Simons says with a smile. Before the smile even drops he coldcocks the man. He picks up both unconscious bodies and brings them back to the inn. After dumping both bodies in the main room, he peeks his head into the room they rented to check on Ptalem and then takes a seat at a table to keep watch for the rest of the night.


[roll0]

[Wertible]

Knocking the man out, Simon completes his watch uneventfully. Ptalem wakes a half hour past first light.

[Whiplord]

Rousing himself, Ptalem disentangles himself from the sheets, grumbling under his breath the whole while. He rather ungracefully stumbles out of bed, and puts his armor and cloak back on, taking time to clean them both with a quick spell, before heading out into the common room.

He sees Simon, and walks over to the table, and takes his own seat. "So. Learn anything interesting?"


Prestidigitation for cleaning.

[Plasma Snake]

With the sunrise, Simon sends his daily request to his god for the spells to carry out his mission. When Ptalem wakes he gives a nod of greeting. He passes his companion the scrap of paper.

"Apparently the owner of the this place hired these two to kill us and bring our bodies to their hideout. It's supposedly a days ride west. I suggest we take a look around here before heading out, to see if there is anything cluing to why, apart from the usual reasons, he would want us dead. Then there's the matter of these two," he nods his head to the two unconscious men on the floor. "Normally I would take them to the local lockup, but I don't think there's one for leagues."

[Whiplord]

Ptalem raises an eyebrow at the two unconscious men. "Still? You must have hit them pretty hard." He pauses, thinking about the rest. "Well. This is certainly... interesting. I fail to see why the owner of this place would wish us dead. And why he would choose such a poor method as this. He could very easily have simply poisoned our food instead."

Ptalem thinks for a moment more, then stands. "I suppose the course of action here is clear." He starts walking back towards the bar. "I'm going to see what there is in the back as far as supplies. As far as I'm concerned, one who is breaking the law forfeits their livelyhood to those who keep it."


Investigate bar/back rooms.

[Plasma Snake]

Simon nods to Ptalem, "Sounds fine to me, I'll keep watch over these two. They should be waking up soon."

[Wertible]

The bar seems to be well stocked. A relatively light blueberry wine and strong mint wine compliment a selection of three ales in stock, and brief taste reveals them all to be of very high quality. The skins themselves also seem to be well made and look to hold around five gallons. Also sitting behind the wooden counter is a bucket full of water used to wash dishes. You notice your dirty plates have been washed and replaced out in the commons. There is also a drawer set in to the back end of the counter. A brief examination reveals it to be locked, and you can only assume that it is the till.

The back room is blocked by a dark oaken door with a silver handle. As you try to open it, you notice it is locked tight.

[Whiplord]

Calling back to Simon, Ptalem asks, "Got anything you can do about a lock?"

[Plasma Snake]

Simon nods to Ptalem and digs through his meager possesions. He pulls a wand out of his pack.

"Here" he says tossing the wand to Ptalem, "Wand of Knock. I found it while back but I'm not able to use it. Figured it would come in handy eventually though."

[Whiplord]

Ptalem grins. "Perfect." Concentrating, he mutters a few nonsense words under his breath and flicks the wand.


Use Magic Device. Auto succeed with a check of... something that auto succeeds. My sheet is down.

EDIT: That number being 18

[Wertible]

Ptalem hears the satisfactory click of the lock to the back door opening.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem reaches out a hand and grasps the handle to the door to open it.

[Wertible]

The silver door handle feels abnormally warm as you touch it, and, as you turn it, heats up to the point that it starts to burn your hand.

[Whiplord]

With a cry of pain and a muffled curse Ptalem yanks his hand away from the door.

[Plasma Snake]

Simon rises from his vigil, looking at Ptalem with some concern, "What happened?"

[Whiplord]

Wincing, and shaking his hand, Ptalem bites out, "The handle burnt me. I didn't think some hole in the wall inn in the middle of nowhere would have a trapped door."

[Plasma Snake]

"Allow me to open it then, just in case it's still trapped" the monk stands and moves to stands beside his companion. He takes a moment to center himself and align his being with the heat of the desert. Before reaching out to the door he says to Ptalem, "You may want to step back. I am protected from flame but I cannot guarantee your safety if something goes wrong."


Enter Flame's Blessing Stance: Fire Resist 20

[Whiplord]

Ptalem simply nods, and steps back, still nursing his hand.

[Wertible]

Strangely, as Simon turns the knob, it doesn't heat up. Instead, it feels a little bit cold to the touch. As the door swings open, it reveals a bedroom. Or, rather, the charred remains of what was once a bedroom. It appears as though everything inside has been incinerated, leaving only ash and charred wooden frames. You notice that the walls of the bedroom seem to be untouched by the fire, but everything inside made of wood is gone. You see only a metal lockbox in the corner which has appeared to have dodged the fire.

[Plasma Snake]

The monk raises an eyebrow at the scortched remains. He strides over to the metal lock box and pulls out another wand from his pack. Uttering the command word, Simon uses the wand on himself and looks over the box carefully.


Use Wand of Find Traps
[roll0]

[Whiplord]

Forgetting the pain for a second, Ptalem stares curiously into the room. "Interesting. Do you think the heat that burned me was from the contents of this room going up in flames? That seems a rather desperate security measure."

[Wertible]

The lockbox does not appear to be trapped.


For future reference, let me roll search on find traps

[Plasma Snake]

"Makes one wonder what secret is worth this much protection." Simon says not even turning around. Sliding his hands along the edges of the box, the monk gently opens it.

[Wertible]

As the monk touches the box, a black ray of negative energy shoots forth. The monk speedily dodges the ray in time to see it impact the opposing wall, where it seems to have made a small festering black pool of negative energy. It seems to be slowly evaporating over time.

In his dodge, the monk did manage to pull the box open, revealing a small black book. A cursory examination reveals that it has no title, and the pages themselves seem dyed blue with no text.

[Plasma Snake]

"Odd for something so plain to be guarded so heavily" Simon tosses the book to Ptalem, "See if there's anything you can make of this. I'll go back to keep an eye on our guests."

[Whiplord]

Confused as to what exactly he's supposed to make of the book, Ptalem truns it over in his hands, examining the cover, before opening it up, and looking inside.

[Wertible]

Ptalem gazes upon gilded pages dyed blue with no text of any sort. The book appears to be void of text at all, and reading it seems impossible.

[Whiplord]

Curious. Ptalem runs through a couple of the spells he has taught himself.


Cast detect magic and read magic.

[Wertible]

The book appears to have no magical aura as far as you can tell, and the casting of read magic does not reveal any sort of sigils on the pages.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem, after flipping through the book, and determining that he knows absolutely nothing about it, shrugs, and puts it into his haversack. After that he heads back out to the common room.

[Plasma Snake]

Simon returns to the main room and kneels before his two prisoners. He removes their shirts and uses his holy symbol to trace a symbol upon the chest of the one he had interrogated earlier. While tracing, the priest chants in a voice backed by his deity, "By the light of Lathander, you shall not assault another unless in defense of yourself or an innocent. You shall not steal. You will obey the laws of the land you are in"

Simon repeats this chant over an over for ten minutes, with each repetition the mark traced on the man's chest grows darker and darker. By the time he's finished the mark is indistinguishable from a regular tattoo. He replaces the man's shirt and moves to the other and repeats the process.

When his work is finished he looks up to Ptalem and asks, "Find anything?"


Simon casts Mark of Justice on both men that will activate if they do not follow the commands he gave during his chant.

also here are prep'd spells:
lvl 0: Create Water x3, Detect Poison x3
lvl 1: Sign x4, Detect Evil x1, Sanctuary x1, Endure Elements x2 (Domain)
lvl 2: Darkness x4, Divine Insight x3, Heat Metal (Domain)
lvl 3: Grace x3, Mass Lessor Vigor x2, Mass Aid x2, Magic Vestment (Domain)
lvl 4: Freedom of Movement, Air Walk, Tongues, Restoration x2, Fire Shield (Domain)
lvl 5: Mark of Justice x2, True Seeing x2, Spell Resistance, Righteous Might (Domain)
lvl 6: Heal, Greater Dispel Magic, Superior Resistance x2, Stoneskin (Domain)
lvl 7: Greater Restoration, Destruction, Etherial Jaunt, Sunbeam (Domain)
lvl 8: Mass Death Ward, Sun Burst (Domain)

[Whiplord]

Ptalem stares curiously at Simon as he completes the spell, and when he is complete answers his question with a shrug. "I couldn't find anything. It certainly must be worth something in some way to someone, but damned if I know. Not exactly an expert thought."

Ptalem gives a stretch, before adding a moment later, "So, what now?"

[Plasma Snake]

"We should go to where our innkeeper friend is hiding and we should probably report what happened to the only other person in this 'town'. But first I want to wake these two up and tell them what I've done to set them on the right path." Simon says gesturing with a foot to the unconscious men.

The priest lays his hands on the man and calls to his god for healing energy. He repeats this on the other man.


Dropping 2 castings of Mass Lessor Vigor for 2 castings of Cure Serious Wounds, one on each and see how that goes.

[roll0]
[roll1]

lol didnt know you could roll 3d9. DM can fix it how he pleases.

[Whiplord]

"Sounds like a plan. I'm ready whenever you are." Ptalem leans against a table, ready to leave whenever.

[Wertible]

The two men awaken slowly. The one Simon talked to last night shows little surprise to be brought awake again and only stares with contempt at his captors. The other, however, realizes he is trapped and immediately tests his bonds, straining against them.

"Let me out of these damn things!"

The man in gray simply looks over toward the feeble attempts at breaking the manacles.

"There isn't any point, Jack, we're dead either way. Whether Phillipe gets us or these guys..."

The man in gray trails off, his attention brought downward toward the tattoo on his chest.

"What in the hells is this?"

Stopping his struggle to bend over and look at his own chest, the man in green laughs.

"It's a damned mark of justice! They've tagged us Aerik! Tagged us like the dogs we are!"

Jack seems to find this terribly funny. Aerik seems much less amused. Turning his head to make eye contact with Simon, Aerik sighs.

"I don't know what you think this will do, but you should have saved yourself the effort. We're dead, whether or not the mark cripples us or Phillipe hunts us down. So ask anything you want, it doesn't matter anymore."

[Plasma Snake]

"Phillipe will be dealt with soon enough. You should worry about yourselves for now." gesturing to the marks he continues, "If you commit any violence against another person who did not attack first, these marks will activate. I'm giving you a chance to correct your ways, do some good in your lives. Don't waste it."

Simon releases the men from their shackles. He hands the shackles to Ptalem and heads for the door. Before leaving he looks over his shoulder and says, "You can help yourselves to what ever provisions are here. I suggest you head east, the Dalelands could always use more wizards."

With that the monk leaves.

[Whiplord]

Giving the two men one last pensive glance, Ptalem slips the shackles back into his satchel, and then follows Simon out the door.

[Wertible]

It's cooler in the desert today, the sun seems lighter on your backs and the dry wind is more like a dry breeze. It seems the town is just as it was yesterday, same two buildings standing across the road from each other, and the trail heading west further into the wastes.

[Plasma Snake]

"Before we go I might as well prepare us for what ever we may encounter along the way." the warrior priest says reaching for his holy symbol of Lathander. He spends a couple minutes casting spells on Ptalem and himself. When finished he says, "Should we check out the store before we go? The shopkeeper should probably know what happened."


Casts Endure Elements and Superior Resistance on each as well as Magic Vestments on Ptalem.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem, after thanking Simon for his magical assistance, rolls his shoulders slightly, becoming accustomed to the strange sensation of the spells around him. He's still not quite used to this treatment, though he appreciates it.

"Yes, we may as well. How far was this Phillipe's place?"

[Plasma Snake]

"Aerik said it was about a days ride west." Simon says opening the door to the shop.

[Wertible]

Thorim sits behind his counter, paging intently through a large black book. He doesn't seem to notice you as you come in.

[Plasma Snake]

Simon strides to the counter saying, "Greetings. Something happened last night that you should know." without waiting for a reply he launches into his story. The monk tells Thorim everything that happened from the moment he heard the attackers up to leaving the tavern.

[Wertible]

Thorim hardly looks up from his book during the tale. His eyes slip back and forth between you two, almost as if he's appraising the likelihood of your tale. He rests after a moment of awkward silence, setting the book down and taking off his glasses.

"I can't say I'm too surprised to hear of some sort of criminal activity in that tavern. I hear things from people passing through here quite often, and, from my observations, I can tell you that Phillipe works with Zhentarim. Powerful Zhentarim. Perhaps you boys would be best off not shedding the blood of such people?"

He looks worriedly up at you two.

[Plasma Snake]

Upon hearing of Zhents, Simon's eyes harden. The monk had come across many Zhents in his travels. Early on he learned that one needs to deal with them without hesitation and without remorse. Simon cracks his knuckles saying with barely concealed malice, "Sir, when Zhents are involved, the best thing to do is shed their blood."

Simon catches himself, the wounds of his past had almost brought out the darkness with in him. He takes a breath to center himself, accepting the darkness as part of who he is. In a calmer tone the monk continues, "Have no worries Thorim, none of this shall be brought back to you, but it is my duty to deal with them."

[Whiplord]

Ptalem looks quizzically upon his companion's outburst, which seems uncharacteristic. In the end though, he just shrugs. Obviously there's more to the man. "Well. I can't say I know much about these Zhents you gents are talking about, but I'm always in favor of cracking heads of those who deserve it."

He gives a small smile, directing it towards Thorim. "We should be able to handle ourselves."

[Wertible]

Thorim looks down toward the ground.

"If you truly wish to kill Phillipe, you must prepare yourself for the worst, powerful people will come after you two. I'm sure you're not typical adventurers, your victory over Phillipe's henchmen set that possibility aside, but the depth of the task you are undertaking truly must be escaping you."

He shuffles toward a chest behind the counter. Opening it slowly, he reaches inside, looking for something.

"I suppose I can hand you the notes I took on this matter, it's the least I could do. I rarely support bloodshed, I must let you know, but in the case of Phillipe I can understand your desire to act."

He pulls out a light green tome. The edges of the pages look heavy with use. He slowly reaches out toward you, extending the book for you to take it.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem reaches out and takes the proffered book.

[Wertible]

Thorim lets go of the book, and you notice his hand is shaking. He sits back down, opening the black book once more.

"Good luck, you two. May Oghma guide you."

[Plasma Snake]

"And may Lathander light your way." Simon says in farewell. He exits the shop and faces west, waiting for Ptalem.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem follows shortly thereafter, meeting Simon outside. "Well. Although i'm not terribly worried, neither do I believe we should ignore his warnings. Clearly he seemed to know what he was talking about. I suggest we move forward with care." He raises the book up on in hand, "This, I want to study first. I suggest we head back to the common room to take a look at it before setting out."

If he hears no rejection of his idea, Ptalem will head back to the inn common room and look at the book.

[Wertible]

As Ptalem finishes his words, He notices Jack and Aerik, the two who attacked earlier, leaving the inn. Aerik notices you and begins to walk toward you, hands in the air. He shouts from where he is.

"I want to tell you something!"

[Plasma Snake]

Simon eyes then men, suspicious yet hopeful that they had turned over a new leaf. Crossing his arms, he waits for them to answer Ptalem.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem, hesitantly turns, and calls back. "Well? Out with it." Mentally he prepares to react to any attack defensively.


I will cast Wings of Cover if any attack is made towards me via either spell or physical attack.

[Wertible]

Aerik walks over, wringing his hands. Jack seems to have already wandered east on the path.

"I wanted to tell you one thing before you go. Phillipe's hideout is indeed west of here, but you've waited long enough that he's probably long gone, but I can tell you where he is."

Wringing his hands harder, he looks up at Ptalem.

"He lives in Zhentil Keep, you should be able to find him there. We always did business with him at a bar called The Wounded Raven."

He steps away before beginning to walk east.

"I thought I might as well tell you before I'm dead. Farewell, you two."

And with that, he casts a spell, and is gone.

[Plasma Snake]

Simon smirks and rubs his chin, a almost murderous look gleams in his eyes. "Zhentil Keep eh? I've always wanted to go." he looks to Ptalem, face calm again, "I suppose this means we'd have to head east now. You fine with foregoing your desert expedition?"

[Whiplord]

Ptalem blinks at the sudden dissappearance, and breifly tries to work out what just occurred. After that though, he continues to the inn. Answering Simon, "This does seem somewhat more pressing. My journey can wait. First things first though."


Spellcraft to find out spell Aerik used.

[roll0]

[Plasma Snake]

Simon follows Ptalem into the inn and takes a seat. He patiently waits while Ptalem goes over the tome.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem sits down and begins going over the book.

[Wertible]

Ptalem flips the green book open. The first few pages contain no text, but about ten pages in, there starts a detailed chronological noting of the operations of The East End. Thirty pages and an hour later, Ptalem understands why Thorim began to get suspicious about Phillipe. It seems Phillipe had established The East End primarily as a stop for Zhentarim passing through the Black Road, but recently he had turned to independent criminal activity as part of his income. Aerik and Jack had started showing up at the East End infrequently, and often their appearance coincided with a robbery or murder.

Additional details about who had passed through the East End and other specifics of criminal activity exist in the logs, but would require study to commit to memory.

[Whiplord]

Ptalem softly shuts the book, and stows it in his haversack before relating what he found out, in a summarized manner. As he does this, he stands and readies himself to leave.

[Plasma Snake]

"Interesting. You'll have to read in more detail when we make camp. But for now," Simon says walking outside, "Let's go"

The monk begins his trek eastward, to Zhentil Keep.

[Whiplord]

"Time to crack some heads." Ptalem does a quick check to make sure all his possessions are in place, and then follows after Simon.