Suicide Squad (IC)

[Doctor Acula]

Waiting in your cell you find a note from Edwin Halligaund, it reads as follows "We will begin our mission tonight, I will come by under the cover of darkness and we will leave unseen, prepare yourself for the mission, however first I must make very clear that there are rules to this
You may not mention your arrangement with anyone
Any order I say is to be seen as if given directly by the Archbishop and must be followed to the letter
Minimize civilian awareness and casualties
That is all, be ready tonight"

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash reads the note and scowls I follow the demons of my homeland, not some archbishop, but a chance at freedom is something I can't afford to pass up

[Nixed]

"When you own nothing, it makes for easy packing, 'eh" Quanthill looked over at Nath, his snake, who didn't bother to reply, as usual. "Still, secret missions are more interesting than another evening in here. Who knows maybe we can look up... what was her name?" A shrug as he gets another no response. "Ahh well she's probably been married off by her father by now anyway. Still, whatever this mission is we don't want to go in looking all just out of the joint now do we.. Let's see if we can't get cleaned up some. "

Thus Q spent his time, as pretty much anyone in his situation did, waiting for something interesting to happen. Only this time, it came with clandestine meetings and secret notes in the night. Then again maybe it was another scam, and he'd be framed with more false charges or killed in an 'attempted escape'. It'd be an adventure either way; what was life without a little fun and excitement.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Adrian sat on his cot, thinking slowly to himself. He had no belongings, so nothing to prepare. His mind was ready, and the longer he sat, the more focused he became. By the time his mysterious benefactor came to release him for this suicidal mission, he would be ready.

Oh, yes. He would be more than ready.

Taking a 20 on Concentration to achieve Psionic Focus.

[OMG PONIES]

How am I to prepare for the unknown? Cig asked himself. He snapped his fingers, and a small ember leaped into the note, quickly eating through the document and leaving nothing in its wake but a small shower of ash. Edwin clearly didn't know what usually went into a job. The practice runs, the physical training, the patience. All Cigarette Hush could do to prepare for this job was to pace nervously in his cell, nervously repeating Edwin's words in his head:

Minimize civilian awareness and casualties...and casualties...casualties...

@DM:
Using Distracting Ember to create actual fire, because it's cool flavor. If you don't approve, let me know, and I'll take it out.

[Chiron0224]

Don't mind me Hush, I wasn't going to read that or anything. Bragi was wondering just what sort of job would involve minimizing civilian casualties. Why would the civilians even be at risk in the first place? He went over to the corner and placed his hands on the stone wall, running his fingers along the grout between the stones as he prayed to Onatar to grant him spells for the evening. As he did, he prayed also for the protection of whatever civilians they might encounter. Then he prayed for some heavy duty armor(though he wasn't sure he'd actually be granted that one).

[Doctor Acula]

That night, several hours after sunset you all wait in your cells for Edwin. Down the hall you hear the slow, casual pat of feet on the ground. You see Edwin dressed in a all black, very elegant suit. He appoaches your cell and smiles, putting his finger over his lips to indicate quite and makes a show of pulling a key out of his pocket and opening the door and beconing you to follow him as he unlocks the door for the other four prisioners. He then walks you out of the prison through the back door where there are six horses waiting for you. Edwin hands each of you another note saying Stick with the other four, make some new freinds. Go north to the "Tipsy Dwarf Inn" and tell the bartender that you are part of the Hodgeman family, I meet you there as soon as I can. He rides to the east, disappearing in the forest

OOC:

roll a spot and a listen check

[OMG PONIES]

Cigarette's eyes darted around cautiously as he mounted his horse, and his ears pricked up at the slightest sound. After all, he was breaking out of prison, something that was certainly frowned upon in these parts.

[roll0] Listen
[roll1] Spot

[Chiron0224]

Bragi approaches his horse a little hesitantly. I don't suppose anyone wants to give me hand getting up onto this thing would you?. Bragi hadn't lived among the tall folk for very long and still found their strange pets a touch baffling. Also he had seen even the humans struggle to mount one of these and his legs weren't nearly as long as theirs.


[roll0] spot

[Chiron0224]

alright here is my listen roll and some extra text because I got a message saying that my post was too short so there.lol
[roll0] listen

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Adrian mounted up carefully and quietly, paying little attention to his surroundings. His benefactor didn't seem like he wanted him to have to go back.

Besides, if someone did try to stop him, his mind was ready.

[Nixed]

Checks

Listen
[roll0]
Spot
[roll1]



Q wasn't particularly strong, but seeing no one else offering his new team member a hand up, and loitering outside of a prison they just were secretly released from a bad idea, he moved next to Bragi and interlacing his hands in an attempt to give him a foothold to step up. Hopefully after successfully getting the dwarf mounted, he mounts his own horse and moves with the rest of the group.

[Chiron0224]

Thank ye kind sir.Using Q's help Bragi scrambles to climb onto the horses back in what could only be the most pitiful display of flailing about and groping for any kind of handhold on the saddle that any of the others had ever witnessed.


[roll0](I went ahead and added a +2 circumstance bonus from Qs help

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash mounts his horse and keeps an eye out for trouble. he didn't like horses but the situation called for it

listen[roll0]
spot[roll1]

[Doctor Acula]

Bragi and Cigarette

Before Edwin picked you up you overhead a brief argument between Edwin and the prison guard. It ended with the guard stomping and muttering something unrecognizable.


After riding north for several hours you approach the the Tipsy Dwarf. It is a small building, only one story tall but there are over thirty horses waiting outside.

As you enter you see a very full tavern filled with creatures of every sort, dwarfs, orcs, elves, gnomes, mindflayers, teiflings and humans. There is a dwarf behind the bar who appears to have a wooden leg. In the corner you see a staircase going further down.

[Nixed]

Q steps in with the rest of the squad and after taking a moment to look around, noting any obvious exits (they are, after all recently out of jail, not to mention he's in a crowded bar, with a bunch of strangers who're also criminals, it pays to know the way out) along with any particularly law enforcing(see the very recently criminal comment), or lovely patrons(see recently jailed comment) he turns to his new companions.
Spot check if necessary:
[roll]1d20-1[roll]

"Well lads, no reason to stand around looking suspicious lets go talk to our good barkeep. Pray to whomever you believe in that the Hodgeman family has a running tab and that we can partake in something a little more palatable than the turnip stew and toilet wine we've been consuming recently." His voice kept quiet enough that it aught not to carry over the din of the crowded Inn, a winning smile given and he starts to weave his way towards the bar. He talked with people, it's what he did and barring intervention from the rest of the group he was more than willing to take the lead here as well.

((edit: roll corrected in OOC thread to avoid clutter))

[OMG PONIES]

Q and Cigarette were like night and day--while the gregarious man chatted away with the crowd, the tiny gnome sat and propped his arms on the table, dropping his chin so as to hide his face in the shadows of his hood. As a barmaid passed by, the cloaked figure raised a hand to her and spoke so low, it was barely audible over the cacaphony of the scene:

"Whiskey with a twist, please. I'm with the Hodgeman family."

[Doctor Acula]

Quanthill

You notice three windows on each wall. You also notice several paladins laughing loudly around a table enjoying each other's company. There is also a group of females an elf, two halflings, and one drow.


Cigarette's drink is brought to him, the waiter also brings a key You said you were with the Hodgeman's right? This is your room key, it's ready whenever you are. attached to the key is a small wooden tag which reads "428"

[OMG PONIES]

Cigarette gives a small, sharp nod and pockets the key. He raises the whiskey to his lips and takes a short sip, then lowers the glass to the table and sits silently, watching the bustling scene around him.

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash leans over to cigarette as he's given the key "Lets go up there soon. The last time I was in a place like this it ended badly"

[Chiron0224]

Throwing caution to the wind Bragi walks right up to the barkeep.(in Dwarven) Pint of the firebeard if ye've got any. If not, just give me something that doesn't taste like the pisswater these tall folk drink.. After recieving his drink(whatever it may be) he begins singing a loud and raucous dwarven drinking song and pounding his beverage. By the way lad he says to the barkeep I be a guest of the hodginson family. Was it Hodgins?, Hodgepodge?, Hoggetown?

[Doctor Acula]

The barkeep laughingly says Sorry mate, I can't help ye if your too drunk too remember your own name, I've never seen a dwarf hold his lager so weak as ye.

[Chiron0224]

(dwarven)Not my name, lad. The name of the family what I be a guest of. Where are me mates?. I turn around and head over to find the others.

(btw, Bragi isn't drunk yet, just lively, and since he didn't have a chance to read the note earlier before someone burned it, he can't remember the name. However, it does still make sense that the barkeep is mistaken)

[Nixed]

(( figuring that even with Bragi speaking dwarven the fumbling of the name should be obvious enough)) "Hodgeman" Q supplied for Bragi as he moved next to him at the bar. "Looks like the others have found themselves a table" nodding over in the general direction of Cig, Karrash and half the rest of the establishment for that matter. How about we go see what all this is about now so that we can enjoy the rest of the evening?" Q takes his already ordered drink and heads over that way hoping the dwarf will follow. As much as he'd like to get a little rowdy himself and maybe talk to a few of those elves something seemed a bit off, and laying low might be the best course of action for the moment.

[Chiron0224]

Bragi turns around and follows him back though he's keeping an eye out for chesty dwarven broads.

[OMG PONIES]

Cig watches the two more talkative members of the group with unflinching eyes. Shaking his head slightly, he mutters to Karrash, barely above a whisper: "Watch these two. Loose talkers like them can land us back in the locker."

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash responds to cig with a nod

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Adrian held to his silence as he sat down at the table, looking at his fellow inmates. Wondering what sort of men they were. The sort he had killed? Or perhaps, by some freak chance, they were all as misunderstood as he?

[Nixed]

Takes a seat at the table with the others, doing his best not to look like he's sulking in the corner. It further showed a difference on philosophy between him and the others, the theory being that a couple of guys coming into a bar, a having a drink or two and a laugh would be much less suspicious than a group of men stepping in, interacting with no one as they sat hidden in a corner speaking in hushed voices.
"So we're here, now what?" The question more posed to determine what the others were thinking rather than due to a lack of ideas himself.

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash responds impatiently "Lets go to the room already and get this over with"

[OMG PONIES]

"Siddown," the little man growls as Karrash gets antsy. "Sit, sip your drink, and realize that this is what's at stake. If I'm working with you, I need names and specialties. I'm Cig, and I focus on entry and exit. What about you?" he asks, turning nothing but his eyeballs towards Adrian.

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash growls at cig's rebuke, but calms down and answers "I am Karrash. I use demonic magics"

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Adrian speaks very softly, just loud enough to be heard over the background murmur. "I am Adrian Manus. I was imprisoned for the crime of murder. Strange, though. They never did find the weapon."

[Nixed]

"I was getting to know wrong young noble woman at a party I wasn't explicitly invited to. Some others took offense, there was a scuffle and an accidental fire, they found out I have some Talent and next thing I know I'm locked away. I can talk myself out of a lot of situations, but apparently paid off lawmen and angry magistrates are not on that list. " He shrugs and takes another sip of his drink, leaving things vague enough to not specifically admit to anything while giving anyone who knew anything an idea what he meant at least.

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash decides to chip in to these stories "I got into a fight in a tavern like this one. Some lout insulted my tattoos so killed him in the name of my tribe. The guards threw me in prison without a trial when they saw me. I think it wasn't the murder that bothered them so much as me eating the corpse. Where I come from claiming the flesh of a fallen enemy is a symbol of victory, but here they lock you up for it. It's weird if you ask me"

[Doctor Acula]

Across the bar a young elven maid with long red hair eyes the table seductively, however you can't tell which one of you she's eyeing.

[Nixed]

Looks over at Karrash. "I've heard of such beliefs. Hopefully you were included in whatever this is for the magic and not your dietary preferences." A quick grin given to the man. An attempt to spin the information and limit any other unease or prejudice anyone may have about the subject. A bigger smile offered over towards the bar as the red head catches his eye, then turning back to the table, an attempted change in subject to help with glossing over the man eating aspect of the story.

Anyway, after the good dwarf here has his say, I see two potential courses of action. Unless anyone else knows anything about this area, it might be wise to spend some time up here trying to figure out where we are and what if anything we could be walking into in the area. The other being to go to the room you mentioned and to see if there is anything there for us to learn. I'm not particularly keen on going down those stairs into somewhere we haven't been blind, but seeing how the first thing that happened is we were directed down there, that might be the best option.

[Chiron0224]

Me? I be a high priest of Onatar. I journeyed into human lands to visit me brother Snorri who had emmigrated to work as a smith for the tall folk. Well, one woman ended up comin' over to me one night as I drank in the local tavern and started admirin' me beard and talking about the forge and stone and things such as I didn't know the tall ones even be interested in. She was tall for me taste, but chesty like a dwarven lass, and we chatted till midnight then retired to me room for a little o' the old "excavation" as we say in the mountains. Well, the next morning I left for home and she felt spurned, so she cried rape to the local guard. As luck would have it she be the beard chasing daughter of the local lord, so I didn't stand a chance in court. Beard chasers, by the way, are what we call the tall ones what like us dwarves.Bragi noticed the red headed elf checking them out. Then turned to the others.It's been a while for me, but I not be that desperate.

[OMG PONIES]

Cigarette raises an eyebrow at Bragi's story. "Yeah," he says with a dry laugh, "everyone's innocent, aren't they?" The gnome shifts his weight uneasily in his chair. "None of us are to leave this building. Edwin said he would meet us here, so we should just finish our drinks quietly and head to our room. Keep a low profile. Hells, he may already be waiting for us." As he finishes speaking, the small man takes his second sip of whiskey, placing the glass back on the table without a sound. "Personally, I'm ready. Who else?"

[Maeglin_Dubh]

At Cigarette's last statement, Aiden stood silently and began walking in the direction of their room. He had noticed the she-elf, and tried to remember if she was someone he had known before his capture.

[roll0]

[Doctor Acula]

Aiden can't recall if he ever met this woman before. As he walks to the only staircase in the room he notices that it goes down, not up. The entire inn part of this building was carved directly into the earth. a huge spiral stair case that must go 50 stories down. Looking at the first door he sees the numbers 001 etched into the door.

[Nixed]

Trying not to rock the boat any so early he follows the others to the stairway, slowly with another glance cast over towards the bar. "Oh good, it's even less inviting and escapable than I thought. " Looking down the stairway into the depths below. Shakes his head stepping aside and looking at Bragi. " This appears to be your area of expertise Sir Dwarf. After you." Another grin given and he waits back, taking the chance to glance around and see if anyone seems to be taking notice of their movements.


Spot Check:
[roll0]

[Doctor Acula]

The red headed elf is following you with her eyes, other than that noone seems to care.

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash gets up with every one else and swiftly walks in the direction of the rooms "About damn time"

[Doctor Acula]

You approach your room and open the door, inside are six beds. Placed on every bed is a large wooden trunk. In the center of the room there is also a a large table filled with food that has gone cold and two barrels full of ale with six cups.

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash tears into the food like a wild animal

[Chiron0224]

Bragi, excited by the fact that the rooms are subteranean, almost runs ahead of the others. Upon noticing the ale and cups, he procedes to attempt to drink himself stupid(though it will not be easy seeing as how he's a dwarf).


1d20+3+2 fort to resist drunkeness +2 for poison resistance

[Chiron0224]

Not really sure why the roll didn't work, let me try again.
[roll0]

[Doctor Acula]

Bragi continues to drink and drink heavily, showing litte sign of repercussion.

[Nixed]

Q hangs out in the doorway after everyone else makes their way into the room, listening for the sound of footsteps echoing down the long staircase above them, hoping not to hear any. If there were to be trouble now, they're all but trapped.


[roll0]

[Doctor Acula]

Quanthill hears a few people on the staircase, however it seems that they are just entering and leaving their own rooms.

[Nixed]

His concerns somewhat lessened, if not removed he enters the room and takes a look at one of the chests on whatever bed hasn't yet been occupied, leaving the door open enough to hopefully allow any approaching sounds to be noticed.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Adrian walked by the table with the food, snatching a hunk of bread on his way to the corner of the room. He settled down on it in an uncomfortable-looking squat, absently chewing on the bread.

[Doctor Acula]

Inside the chest Quanthill finds Leather armor , four daggers, a light crossbow, 20 bolts, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint and steel, two sunrods, ten days worth of trail rations, 50 feet of hempen rope, and waterskin

[Crafty Cultist]

Seeing that Quanthil found equipment in one of the chests, Karrash decides toopen one and see if there's anything of use to him

[Doctor Acula]

Opening another of the six boxes Karrash finds three piles of papers placed in separate leather folders.

[Chiron0224]

Bragi, seeing that it's just like forge day(the dwarven christmas) runs over and opens one of the chests, hoping it's for him.

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash reads the papers to see if there's anything of note, then looks for equipment in another chest

[OMG PONIES]

Cig follows suit, opening one of the chests while keeping a watchful eye on what the others were opening. He wasn't about to let another thief get the best of him.

[Doctor Acula]

Bragi

In the chest you find leather armor, a light crossbow, a morning star, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint and steel, two sunrods, ten days worth of trail rations, 50 feet of hempen rope, and waterskin


Karrash

The papers are separated into three groups. The first group details the crimes of yourself and your fellow prisoners. The second group of papers details a series of reports in the area of various travelers claiming to have been robbed by a band of highway men, there is also a map of the nearby area with several circles in certain areas including those areas closest to where the road meets the forest. The third group of papers contains five dossiers illustrating five people: Adrian Hodgeman (a human merchant who is out looking for wares for his family's store), Jonami Hodgeman (the brother of Adrain), Kipplani Hodgeman (another one of the Hodgeman brothers), Hibbnibin Vorsuth (a gnomeish bard who is traveling with his freind Jonami) and Frensh Speanilik (a dwarvish appraiser the Hodgeman brothers have hired for their trip).


Cigarette

In the chest you find a holy symbol for Ontar, a war hammer, A Chain Mail suit of armor, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint and steel, two sunrods, ten days worth of trail rations, 50 feet of hempen rope, and waterskin

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash pockets the documents for Jonami Hodgeman then puts the remaining ducuments on the table for the others to look at. he then sees if he can find which equipment chest was meant for him

[Nixed]

Leaves the items in the chest for the moment until they can determine which set of gear is meant for which person, he goes over to read the paperwork now on the table. After reading through everything learning names of his companions and determining the identities they are supposed to assume he looks over at Karrash. "You can have whatever identity it is you've picked for yourself, " indicates the dossiers of the Hodgemans, "but if we're supposed to be a group traveling together, most of us related in fact, we should probably all read all the files before we split them up. It's going to be hard to convince people we are who we say if we don't even know one of our brothers names." Looks back over towards the bed. "That box has some leather armor, a crossbow, daggers and some other equipment. I don't suppose any of the boxes have labels on them?"

[Crafty Cultist]

Karrash looks at the man next to him "True enough" Karrash raises his hand "Okay, my alias is Jonami Hodgeman" He then goes around opening the remaining chests, and if he finds a chest with equipment sized for a small creature he'll give it to cigarette

[Doctor Acula]

Karrash opens the last chest to find a masterwork heavy crossbow, 20 bolts, backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, fl int and steel, two sunrods,ten days worth of trail rations, 50 feet of hempen rope, and a waterskin. He also notices that the first chest opened contained small sized gear.

[Crafty Cultist]

Andon goes over to Bragi "That stuff looks like it would suit me. Do you mind if I take it? I hate these polite formalities"

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Adrian decides that the chests are probably important to the job they're being asked to fulfill. He goes to an unopened one and looks inside carefully as he chews the last of his bread.

[Chiron0224]

Sure thing Karrash. Be there a chest full o' things pertainin' to Onatar? Also a hammer? Bragi walks over and takes a look at the dossiers.I'll be takin' a wild guess and say that I be Frensh Speanilik. Since he be the dwarf.