AvB - Shazrala

[Rizban]

As you enter the room, you catch a glimpse of movement behind a cloth covered table and several excited whispers. It sounds as if there are three people whispering in a language you do not understand.

A moment later, a small reptilian creature peaks up over the table.

"You do job for we?"

[Niezck]

Depends on the job and the price, but sure.

[Rizban]

"Gnomes. You kills them?"

[Niezck]

Maybe. Tell me specifics and I might be able to answer definitely.

[Rizban]

"Gnomes! We wants them dead! They burns we homes and kills we family. You bring we dead gnome, we give you this."

He can barely see over the table, but he stretches up to drop a few rubies and an emerald on the table.

"Give many shiny for dead gnome. No coin, we no have coin."

[Niezck]

Any gnomes at all? Or a specific gnome? And what do I get per gnome? Do you want it done in any specific way, or shall I just kill as I see fit? And how many do you want dead?

I release the torrent of questions without pause or delay, waiting for an answer for them all at the end.

[Rizban]

The little scaly guy drops back down under the table, where you hear fevered whispering again. A brief pause in the conversation and different reptilian creature peaks out from under the tablecloth to look at you. His head jerks back, and the whispering continues. Finally, the first one peeks back over the top.

"Small hand shiny each."

He shows you the same rubies and emeralds he showed you earlier. They seem to be of a decent value.

"Want gnome leader and family dead! Kill leader child gnome first! Other gnome good too. We pay unless no can pay."

[Niezck]

The gnome leader? And you want his child slain first? Very well. How do I contact you after the job's done?

[Rizban]

"You meet we at trash dump outside city. Get shiny there."

[Niezck]

One last thing - what proof do you need? A finger? A ring?

I wait for the reply then become invisible and walk outside into The Maid and Mermaid, then into the street. I become visible once more and question the nearest merchant casually.

Say, I've heard there's a fairly powerful gnome family living here, do you know of them? I can make it worth your while

I fondle some change in my belt pouch.

[Rizban]

"Heads! ... Fingers okay too... Heads for skulls is best, more shiny for you."

Kobold temples to their deity are built primarily from gnome and dwarf skulls. Seriously, it's in Deities and Demigods, look it up.

[hr]Outside on the street, the nearest merchant is Punchinello, who knows nothing about gnomes.

The guy at the next cart, however, knows more.

"Only powerful gnome I can think of is that ambassador of theirs up at the consulate. Good luck getting in there though. The last ambassador was slain just outside the city by a pack of kobolds that laid an ambush for his caravan. Their security has been top notch ever since. I should know, cause my brother, see, he's the one what made most of the security."

[Niezck]

Your brother, really? Wow, lucky you I guess, having a brother so dedicated to security. I've an interest in security myself actually, that's why I was looking for powerful gnomes y'see, they generally pay better than humans and the like. Do you know if your brother is looking to hire anybody?

[Rizban]

"Dunno, my brother only talks to me when he's full of brag. Other than that, I don't see hide nor hair of him."

[Niezck]

Oh, bragging? Bet he tells you all his latest schemes and plots, eh? I chuckle lightly.

[Rizban]

"I wish. Then I'd have something to use against him. Unfortunately for me, he's pretty upstanding."

[Niezck]

Shame, I could've done with some tips. Do you know where I can find him, or how I can contact him?

[Rizban]

"Yeah, put out that you're a noble with a good bit of money to spend. That ought to get his attention, at least if it's true."

With that, he turns and goes back about his business.

[Niezck]

Hmm, perhaps that's something for later. They DID say any gnomes would work too,

I become invisibile and begin scouting the area outside The Maid & Mermaid for poor-looking gnomes

[Rizban]

The crowd consists almost entirely of humans with the odd half-elf, elf, or dwarf walking about. You never really noticed it before, but the racial breakdown of the city is quite homogeneous. There really aren't many members of any race other than humans. You suddenly realize that, as an elf, you probably tend to stick out a bit in the crowd, though no one really pays you any more attention than they do anyone else.

Of the stunties, you see none.

[Niezck]

I begin walking down Broad Chase and having a look around, trying to get a better idea of my way around the city while also trying to spot any gnomes.

[Rizban]

Ugh, give me time to develop the map a bit more. Then, I'll post a map of where you walked. I need to get some more background stuff made for some of my other players anyway.

You head north on Mastiff's Road until you hit Broad Chase, then proceed east on Broad Chase. You pass a number of businesses, both large and small, and eventually end up standing in front of the Merchant's Guild. Broad Chase continues on for some distance, lined with shops of ever decreasing quality, until the road passes out of the eastern gate of the city.

[Niezck]

No problem, it was mostly the gnome thing I was bothered about :smalltongue:

I casually stroll into the merchant's guild, dismissing my invisibility as I do so.

[Rizban]

The receptionist near the door looks up, realizes she doesn't recognize you and says, "Greetings, sir. May I help you?"

[Niezck]

Hello, I have heard of the marvelous merchant's guild here and so decided I should pop on in and see what's what. Basically, I'm looking for a very specific type of merchant. And no, not what you're thinking. I'm looking for a merchant that also happens to be a gnome. Some may consider it discrimination, but I much prefer dealing with gnomish traders, as I seem to get along better with them. So, anyway, do you know of any that I could contact?

I rattle through the entire speech without leaving gaps for replies or interruptions, then smile warmly at the women as I wait for her reply.

[Rizban]

She absently leafs through a stack of papers on the desk.

"Hmmm... I can't say that I know of any gnomish merchants in the city, at least not that are members of the guild. Nope, I don't have one on the list. There are a three dwarven smiths though if that piques your interest."

[Niezck]

((You're sure not making it easy for me, eh? :smalltongue:))

Hmm, and off your books ... do you know of any yourself?

[Rizban]

"There's the gnomish consulate in the Nobles' District. Does that help?

I'm afraid there just aren't many gnomes around these parts."

[Niezck]

Hmm, well thank you anyway. Could you perhaps give me directions to the nobles' district? Perhaps the consulate can tell me of any nearby merchatns ...

(After receiving the instructions from the woman, I walk outside and re-activate my invisibility before walking off toward the nobles' district.)

[Rizban]

"Go back to Mastiff's and turn north. Walk until you reach the gatehouse."

[Niezck]

Re-activating my invisibility, I walk down the streets mentioned, keeping an eye out for any gnomes I might see.

[Rizban]

You walk north along Mastiff's until you reach the Gate Imperial. A guard stops you.

"Where you heading?"

[Niezck]

I am looking to visit the gnomish consulate here in the city. I am looking for a good gnomish trader to do business with, but there appear to be none here in the merchants' guild, so I thought perhaps some members of the consulate may know of one or two very reputable ones.

[Rizban]

"You got your papers? We don't let just anyone in."

[Niezck]

((Having re-read my last-but-one post, seems I was invisible. Did he still see me? Also, is there a closed gate, or just an open gate/archway/whatever with guards stood by?))

[Rizban]

((There is an open gate, but the guards at this particular gate are always hit with a persistent See Invisibility (as well as some other things) when they go on duty. The nobles and City Guard are paranoid enough to invest resources in protecting themselves from something as potentially insidious as an invisibility spell.))

[Niezck]

((Damn :smalltongue:))

Oh, seems not. Although ... I don't suppose you know of any decent gnomish merchants around these parts, do you?

((Are there easily-accessible walls that surround the district and are they manned?))

[Rizban]

((Walls are some 30 feet high with occasional patrols. It'd be possible to slip over, if you knew the exact patrol sequence and managed to slip through one of the gaps. If you tried it randomly though, you'd only have about a 2% chance of making it without being spotted.))


In the distance, you hear a strange, slow drumming thump. It has been building the past few seconds, and now you can hear a sort of hiss accompanying it.

*Thunk* *Tiisss* *Thunk* *Tiisss* *Thunk* *Tiisss*

The guard looks behind you and smirks.

"I sure do."

The approaching group fails to notice you, being invisible at all, and you just barely manage to step out of the way before being trampled.

Looking behind you, you see a group of ten well armed gnomish guards clustered around a single regal looking gnome with white hair and a goatee, a large monocle affixed to his right eye. These gnomish guards appear mostly honorific, as the true guard plods along behind the ambassador.

*Thunk* *Tiisss* *Thunk* *Tiisss* *Thunk* *Tiisss*

You realize the sound is coming from a massive, if slightly 'outdated' warforged, plodding along behind, two massive crossbows hanging at its sides, the hiss of steam escaping from its joints as it walks. At nearly eight feet in height, it towers over you, body the color of tarnished silver, with joints and various bits painted in drab green. It pauses for a second, looking in your direction, its glassy eyes staring past where you stand. Briefly, you fear it has spotted you and knows your intentions, but it continues on, oblivious to your existence.


The guards greet the ambassador and his entourage and allow them through the gate without even making them pause for verification. They keep a firm eye on you, however, to ensure you don't try to sneak past them.

[Niezck]

Merchants. Gnomish merchants. Not visiting dignitaries. Do you know of any?

I get somewhat impatient and sarcastic with my tone.

[Rizban]

"He's the head of their trade guild. He's here to discuss opening trade routes with Sesbury.

[Niezck]

I sigh and continue.

Well I can't see a visiting diplomat spending time offering my relatively simple magic items, can you?

[Rizban]

"I suppose you could always wait a few months for them to get the details ironed out then look for one of their shops... Or, you know, you could buy local. There's some other gnomish merchants with him, so you might be able to talk with one of them. You'd probably have to be placing a fairly large order to get their attention though."

[Niezck]

I sigh again.

Very well.

With that I begin walking back toward The Maid & Mermaid.

[Rizban]

((You could always, I dunno, find a local merchant or lesser noble living outside of the Nobles' District and ask for an introduction or ask them to act as an intermediary to work out a large trade agreement with one of the gnomish merchants... or something else sneaky to lure some of them out.))

[Niezck]

((You could always, I dunno, find a local merchant or lesser noble living outside of the Nobles' District and ask for an introduction or ask them to act as an intermediary to work out a large trade agreement with one of the gnomish merchants... or something else sneaky to lure some of them out.))

((It's cool, I've got a plan anyway :smallamused:))

Assuming I get back to the Maid & Mermaid with little to no trouble (I am invisible, after all) I walk straight into the back room, the same one I entered previously.

[Rizban]

As far as you can immediately tell, it appears empty.

[Niezck]

((I activate the see invisibility aspect of my See The Unseen))

I look around the room, ensuring I've covered every area of it.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

As you lift the cloth to look under the table, a single kobold shrieks and curls into a ball, stabbing at you with his spear but missing you completely.

[roll0]
[roll1] (he gets a -4 from being prone)
[roll2]

[Niezck]

Tell me who you are and what you're doing before I tear your throat out.

I ready an eldritch blast if he attempts to attack me again.

[Rizban]

He shrieks and stabs at the angry invisible person stalking him again and misses.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Niezck]

I'm going to give you one more chance. Tell me who you are and what you're doing here or I end your miserable life.

[Rizban]

You do realize you're invisible, and he can't see you. You're just an angry voice threatening his life. Also, he might not speak Common... Common isn't an automatic language for kobolds.

He is paralyzed by fear and just trembles in a ball, unable to move.

[Niezck]

((I do indeed realize I'm invisible. He'll just have to deal with it or die :smalltongue:))

Very well. Have it your way.

I grab him by the scruff of the neck and lift him up, holding him floating the air. I then ready an eldritch blast and hold my free hand next to his throat, it crackling with eldritch energy ready to be released.

I dismiss my invisibility.

Tell me who you are. Now.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

((Reptiles don't have a scruff, so I'm just going to assume you grabbed him by the neck)

His eyes bulge, and he starts squawking something in draconic, the words hard to hear due to his constricted air passage.

[Niezck]

Goddamn snake language.

I release the blast of eldritch energy, sending it straight to his throat.


Hit - [roll0]
Crit - [roll1]
Damage - [roll2]
Crit Damage - [roll3]

[Rizban]

Yeah, you kill it.

[Niezck]

I re-enable my invisibility, wipe the blood off of my hands and onto whatever he's wearing, and walk casually into another of the rooms - one that's hiring an assassin.

[Rizban]

((I take it that you've tendered your resignation?))

[Niezck]

((I believe my resignation will be pretty obvious to any returning kobolds :smalltongue:))

[Rizban]

((Dang, I really wanted to see you go up against the gnomish consulate. I mean, the warforged is only ECL 7... Sure, it might have meant gaining a few allies, but... oh well. Give me a bit to go through the other threads and flip through some stuff for another plot hook.))

[Niezck]

((Tbh, I'd have happily taken that one as my old guy. But this warlock is primarily focused on killing one person then running the hell away as fast as possible. Which, when you're in a district surrounded by see invisibility guards that will kill you on sight and being chased by an angry warforged ... is not easy.))

[Rizban]

((Not the whole district...))

[Niezck]

((Then they suck at security :smalltongue:

It was also the entourage of elite gnomes that put me off. But anyway, I was hoping the kobolds would still be there, so I could arrange a meeting and lead the gnomes straight to them, thus gaining atleast some money. But meh, a kobold kill is just as good.))

[Rizban]

As you turn around to leave, you hear a secret door open in the back of the room, and several kobolds begin squeaking in that cursed snake language. They obviously don't see you. They see the corpse.

[Niezck]

I attempt to move silently around the room, speaking as I do so, trying to confuse them as to where I am.

Any of you speak common?


[roll0]

[Rizban]

"You do this?!'

They all look angry and clutch their spears tightly, trying to locate you.

[Niezck]

He attacked me. I had to end his life. Don't make me repeat the performance on all of you. I could end your little lives with but a wave of my hand ... do not test me.

I release an eldritch blast at the table and move back the way I came, circling the room, so that I'm as far away as I can be from where I was.


[roll0] Hit
[roll1] Crit
[roll2] Damage
[roll3] Crit

[Rizban]

"Why do this?! Who hire you?!"

[Niezck]

Nobody hired me. He attacked me. Now calm down, sit down and listen to what I have to say.

[Rizban]

His eyes begin to glow faintly, but he does nothing, waiting for you to explain yourself.

[Niezck]

The gnomes want to kill you. They offered me a vast amount of treasure to end your lives and stop your threats against their consulate. However, I am not picking sides here. I want to know what you can offer me to do the opposite, or to not kill you, whatever it may be. So, make your offer before I end your lives right here, right now.

[roll0]
[roll1]

I edge toward the door and close it, standing just to the left of it.

[Rizban]

He believes your bluff but is not intimidated.

"You free to try. Or not."

One of the dangling knots on his spear glows and is consumed as arcane energies are released from within. The kobold passes out as he is overcome by the exertion required to activate the spell.

A 10 foot cube of force with solid walls pops into being. Having been aimed in the general area of the door, it just manages to ensnare you.

The remaining kobolds pick up their leader and carry him out through the opposite door and escape.

[Niezck]

I simply stand in the cube, invisible, and wait for it to expire.

[Rizban]

It eventually expires. The kobolds don't come back, and they don't realize that the person attacking them was the same one they hired.

[Niezck]

Maintaining my invisibility, I go look at the trapdoor they came out of.

((BTW, did they take the dead guy with them?))

[Rizban]

((No. They have no use for dead kobolds, and there is no such thing as a resurrection spell in this world. *play ominous music*))

[Niezck]

(( O_O ))

I search the trapdoor, under the table and loot the body.

((Bunch o' search checks:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]))

[Rizban]

The secret door opens into an extradimensional space, the walls of which seem to be superficially made of brick. It's a long hallway, some 300 feet in length, with a door on the far end.

The kobold has small leather armor, a small spear, a small sling, and 3 rocks. Yes, he was a 1st-level Warrior kobold straight from the MM.

Under the table, you find dust bunnies and blood stains from the kobold.

[Niezck]

I take the equipment and stuff it into my haversack, holding the spear as my new weapon. I then re-activate invisibility to include the new items and go down the trapdoor, walking toward the door silently.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

You walk through the door and own the 300 feet of the corridor without incident. You stand before another door at the end of the hallway.

[Niezck]

I open the door and stand to the side, avoiding anything that comes immediately through.

[Rizban]

The moment you open the door, you are pulled through it by a magical force. You find yourself walking out the front door of The Maid and Mermaid. Apparently, the interdimensional space is designed for transportation from one area to another and defaults to the front door of this tavern. Perhaps if you had some sort of keystone, the transportation conduit would take you to another location.

[Niezck]

I go and rest until nightfall, at which point I go back to Broad Chase, cloaked under my invisibility, and begin having a look around the street, seeing where the guards are and what the buildings are like / have in them.

[Rizban]

You are walking down Broad Chase when you see the resourceful, if slightly obnoxious, merchant Punchinello enter a very wealthy looking building just a few feet away from you. You get a glimpse through the door as it closes behind him. On the far side of the room, you can see an orcish security guard standing in one corner, and in the other stands a rather haggard-looking Gnome.

[Niezck]

((NOW you give me a gnome. T_T))

I casually walk toward the gnome, maintaining my invisibility and watching his actions. I stop just outside the shop and continually peer in, observing the gnome.

[Rizban]

((Hey, he's the first gnome I've encountered. I did give you that one large group of them earlier... :smallbiggrin:

It's actually an office building. There are no shops at all.))

Inside, you see an aide sitting at a desk near the door and Punchinello sitting on a bench, whistling to himself. A moment later, you have to nearly jump out of the way as a young woman walks into the building, shakes hands with Punchinello, and the two are escorted into one of the back offices.

The gnome and orc guards continue to just stand there, inside the building.

[Niezck]

I continue watching for as long as necessary, then follow the gnome when he leaves.

[Rizban]

The orc goes off duty shortly after you arrive. Watching him for a few moments, you realize the guards live on the premises. This office building is located on the front of the land with the main house behind. The guards live in servants' quarters attached to the main house. You manage to spot some protective wards near that house that would reveal you, so you do not venture any closer after watching the orc enter the building.

The gnome is currently standing there alone, waiting for the next guard to come on duty. The only other person you can see is the receptionist.

[Niezck]

((Do I have a clear escape route? And a direct line of effect to the gnome?))

[Rizban]

The waiting area is about 20 feet by 30 feet. The gnome is on the far wall from the entrance (about 20 feet away from it). There's nothing in the room except a bench and the receptionist's area. The door is immediately behind you and not blocked.

Before you can act, Punchinello and the woman you have not met before exit the office and sit in the waiting room again.

Punchinello turns to the woman and speaks.
"Thank you, Grace. You have been most helpful. I don't know how I would have made it through that meeting without you."

He then hands her a bag of coins.

"That's the full payment, but you can stick around for the next meeting if you want. I can't pay you any more than I already have for your help at the moment."

You notice Punchinello fiddling with two small glowing crystals, tumbling them over one another in the palm of his hand. You realize that they are waiting for another meeting and shouldn't be too long, maybe twenty minutes to an hour at most.

Examining the gnome, you realize he looks fresh so has just come on duty recently and won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

[Rizban]

You continue to wait for awhile...

[Niezck]

((Look who's the impatient one now? :smalltongue:))

I wait for as long as necessary until I see the gnome leave. At which point I follow him home.

[Rizban]

The orc goes off duty shortly after you arrive. Watching him for a few moments, you realize the guards live on the premises. This office building is located on the front of the land with the main house behind. The guards live in servants' quarters attached to the main house. You manage to spot some protective wards near that house that would reveal you, so you do not venture any closer after watching the orc enter the building.

See above.

The gnome lives in the same building.

[Rizban]

The gnome finally goes off duty, and a hulking half-troll takes his place.

He walks out the back door with four other guards and walks the twenty feet to the house with them. He then enters the servants' quarters of the main house, walking past a glowing rune which you know reveals invisible objects. One of the other guards enters with him while the other three continue their patrol of the grounds.

It seems that whoever lives here is a very wealthy and powerful individual. Your best bet for killing the gnome is to take him tomorrow when he is alone on his shift in the front office.

[Rizban]

I'm not trying to arbitrarily railroad you about the gnome, but due to other circumstances, it has to go this way. Trust me when I tell you that it will be worth it... After this point, I promise not to railroad you anymore.

[Rizban]

Shazrala realizes that if he hangs around much longer without acting, he is certain to be captured and executed.

[Rizban]

Shazrala dies in a sudden, non-arbitrary explosion that would have netted him a substantial profit had he been hidden mere feet further away. The receptionist by the door, however, survives the blast and loots the bodies. He sells them for a substantial profit and plans to set up a decent place for himself and retire. Unfortunately, he gets mugged and killed on his way to the bank to deposit his ill gotten gains.

[roll0] DC24 half
[roll1] DC24 half

[roll2]
[roll3]