AVB- Ebonmar

[Rizban]

Lilith Ebonmar in her disguise as Lelia wander the city streets bored. Her daddy hadn't given her any missions lately and as such she was free to travel and do whatever she wanted. While it was never said out right, it was heavily implied that though it seemed like a break it wasn't. All this time off meant was that she was to gather information on her own and do anything that might benefit the Ebonmar family or make them money.

Lelia sighed as she looked around and listed to the town crier. Countless things were currently available, but nothing quite picked up her interest. Still, she wanted to make her daddy proud so she sighed and tried to think of what might be the best option.

On one hand the gnome assassination one seemed very interesting and profitable. But Lelia was hesitant about any job that offered that much for an assassination. Sure, it was a high level target who probably had quite a bit of protection, but it didn't take much to kill a man done correctly so there had to be a catch. Lelia smirked as she got an idea.

She knew how she could have some fun, possibly get reward money, and at the same time get some fame. As she began to make a plan she saw the listing for the missing cat. She raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. Once she saw which noble she laughed. "Whatever, it wouldn't hurt and it could net me some pocket money." She mumbled. In reality she also saw it would be a good chance to gather some information on the family when she returned the cat.

Satisfied with her two plans she began looking around, gathering information, and talking with a few of her contacts around the city and in the Ebonmar Infiltrators.


Gather information on the man posting the assassination mission. Any information or leads, not picky. I plan on warning the people as opposed to actually assassinating.
Gather Information: (1d20+10)[15]

Gathering information on the lost cat while I'm doing that. I figure one can look for two things at once.
Gather information: (1d20+10)[27]

Heh, well, doubt I'll find the person trying to hire the man unless he's REALLY stupid, which is unlikely...Still, cat looks promising at least.
You learn only that you are supposed to finish the mission then wait. The person who started the reward rumor will find you after.

You learn that a certain Baron Oswald Feierabend posted the ad. His residence is in Old Town.

[Major]

Lelia sighed as she was unable to find anything about the person offering to pay. A shame, she had been hopping to give at least a little information to the guards in order to get some reward. Lelia let out a sigh and instead headed towards Old Town.

"Whatever...at least the Baron is still a promising option." She mumbled to herself as she headed towards his residence. As she walked to his residence she looked around for the cat and asked a few people if they'd seen him.


Search: [roll0]
Gather information: [roll1]

[Rizban]

You see no signs, and no one knows anything about the cat.

Arriving at the manse, you find that it is surrounded by a large stone wall and a wrought iron gate. There is a guardhouse attached to the gate with a small, closed window facing outward. The name wrought into the gate reads "Feierabend," confirming that this is the correct residence.

[Major]

Lelia walks over to the guardhouse and peeks in. "Hey, I heard that the cat was missing. I was looking to help find it." She says with a smile. "So ummmmmm who would I talk to?"

((Guard gender?))

[Rizban]

The guard opens the window slot and looks out at you. "Let me get a servant to talk to you."

Team Up Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11471248#post11471248)

[Rizban]

As you approach the Docks across King's Causeway, you spot a cat which looks much like Jasper sniffing around at the gatehouse leading into the Docks.

[Major]

Lelia grins and stats to quietly move towards the cat so as to not spook it. She frowned as she thought about the task though. This seemed way too easy and she was starting to wonder where the other person had gone and why nobody else had found it.

Slowly, she crept towards the cat.


Move silently: [roll0]
Hide: [roll1]

[Rizban]

There is no effective place to hide here, and the cat sees you approaching. It takes off to the north into the Docks, running as fast as it can.

[Major]

Lelia growls and quickly chases after the cat as she cast expeditious retreat to speed up.

[Rizban]

She catches up just outside of the Docks, just as the cat jumps into a large hole in the ground in what is left of a burned out building (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/5770583190_8a653ffb16.jpg).

[Major]

"I'm going to regret this..I know it..." She mumbles as she looks into the hole and tries to get the cat.

((is it big enough to fit me in?))

[Rizban]

It appears to be what's left of the stairs leading into this former building's basement.

[Major]

Lelia shrugs and heads down after the cat. "Come on kitty...please come here..."

[Rizban]

The stairs descend into the charred husk of a basement. Burnt debris litters the floor, while cracked beams hang heavily fro the ceiling. As you step into the wreckage, your boots crunch on broken pottery, bits of plaster, and other burnt out material you'd rather not ponder. The roughly square space is about 30'x30' and has two exits hewn from the ground, one directly before you and the other in the wall to your left.

[Major]

"Stupid cat...great...now how am I supposed to find it." Lelia mumbles as she starts looking around hoping the floor was covered in dust or ash, as such making it easier to find the cat.

[Rizban]

Indeed, the floor could tell you which direction the cat went... with a successful survival check.

[Major]

Lelia looks around mumbling under her breath about the stupid cat.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

The cat seems to have gone towards the right side exit, and it appears as if several humanoids have also gone this way recently. One humanoid appears to have taken the other door.

[Major]

"Great...more footsteps." Lelia mumbled. "But why would there be more people here? They can't be after the cat, I just followed it here." She thinks out loud as she follows the path the cat took and goes to the right.

[Rizban]

This room is about 30 feet across but extends a good 70 feet to your left. A door in that direction appears to enter into the room you bypassed. Burnt wreckage litters the floor, including the charred remains of three great wine casks that crashed through from above when the floor gave way in the fire. Two exits on the wall in front of you seem to go deeper into this labyrinth of interconnected basements.

[Major]

"Stupid cat...can't be easy...no..." She mumbles under her breath as she starts once again looking for the cat's tracks.


Survival
[roll0]

[Rizban]

The tracks lead through the door on far wall on the left.

[Major]

Lelia sighs and heads to the door on the left once again trying to follow the cat.

[Rizban]

Walking down the hall to the far door, she spots three skeletons standing in the doorway holding shortswords, blocking her path.

[Major]

"Great...of course...of course its skeletons." She mumbles under her breath. "God forbid it is something with vital organs..." She grumbles. This mission to find a cat had better be worth it. On one hand at least she wasn't bored anymore.


Not sure if they've seen me or not so gonna make a couple options.

If I haven't been seen and can sneak past and avoid them. Click here
Attempting to sneak past
Move Silently: [roll0]
Hide: [roll1]



If I can sneak up to them but can't get past without fighting here goes an attempt to sneak up and attack one of them before they notice. Use the above hide and move silently checks, but this time toss in an attack listed below.

Penetrating Strike: Half sneak attack damage
Attack: [roll2]
Damage:
=Rapier[roll3]
=Penetrating Strike [roll4]


Here is initiative if I have to get in combat with them.
[roll5]

[Rizban]

The skeletons are completely blocking the doorway, making it impossible to sneak past them without pushing one of them out of the way.

You successfully sneak up on them, and they appear completely unaware of you. Your rapier slides in between the ribs of the nearest one, scratching it for minimal damage, but at least you hurt it some.

You win initiative. They do not react to you before you get another chance to attack.

[Major]

Lelia sighed as she continued her fight. She hated skeletons. Still, at least now she had a chance to strike with both blades.

Swinging both attacks at the skeleton she used her knowledge of the undead to try and pierce important bones.


Attack 1 (Magic Rapier): [roll0]
Rapier Damage: [roll1]
Penetrating Strike Damage: [roll2]

Attack 2 (masterwork short sword): [roll3]
Sword damage: [roll4]
Penetrating Strike damage [roll5]

[Rizban]

The skeleton rocks back and forth slightly as you hit it.

They continue to just hang around and don't respond to you.

Your turn.

[Major]

Lelia was confused. Why weren't these accursed things attacking her? She looked closely. They were living undead right? She thought to herself as she stabbed one again.


Rapier: [roll0]
==Damage: [roll1]
Short sword: [roll2]
==Damage: [roll3]

Not sure if they are still flatfooted. If so here is penetrating strike
Rapier: [roll4]
SS: [roll5]

[Rizban]

The skeleton swings back and forth again as she pokes it.

[Major]

Lelia was really confused. What was going on? She couldn't seem to get past them, but she seemed to be wasting her time attacking them. Annoyed she tried to push past them and just forget the fight.

[Rizban]

The skeletons swing back and forth as she pushes past them. Looking back, she can see ropes suspending them from the ceiling hidden from view from the other side. There also appears to be a recess in the ceiling where they were hidden before dropping down. It appears these were part of some cheap trap that someone else has already triggered.

The room is filled with garbage being dumped through a covered hole in the ceiling. Signs of a minor battle and a number of dead monstrous centipedes litter the room. On the far side of the room is a hole in the ground with a large sewer grate next to it leaning against the well, obviously having been removed from the hole to allow someone to climb down. Someone has secured a grappling hook to a large piece of junk metal and lowered it down the hole.

[Major]

Lelia glares annoyed that it had fooled her. She felt like an idiot. If her dad found out she'd never hear the end of it and he'd feel ashamed. In an act of anger she slashed the ropes holding them up and kicked the skeletons before heading down the hall.

Seeing the hole and grappling hook she realized somebody was ahead of her. She stopped for a moment as she thought of what to do. Lelia glanced around for cat prints. She doubted the cat somehow climbed down a grappling hook. Either way she'd probably investigate who was down there, but for now the cat was the main target.

[Rizban]

Don't feel too bad. Every PC so far has attacked them for more than one round.The skeletons now lie on the floor.

Survival check to search for tracks.

[Major]

ooc: Should have known, I've always had to make that check. Silly me.

Survival: [roll0]

[Rizban]

She spots the cat's footprints leading into the hole. A boot print or two smudge out the cat's prints in places, showing that these people indeed went in after the cat... Curiouser and curiouser...

[Major]

Lelia rubbed her temple and debated just cutting the grappling hook and leaving. This mission was getting annoying. However, with a sigh she tested that it was secure and headed down.

[Rizban]

Ack! I don't know how I lost track of this thread! If this happens again, hit me up with a PM.Down at the bottom, she finds herself in complete darkness.

[Major]

No problem, I forgot myself until just now :P I really like the timing though, due to certain circumstances I left the group I normally play with over Skype thus no D&D games yet. What perfect timing to return to this :)

Lelia cursed as she saw no light. She should have thought to bring a torch. If her dad learned about her carelessness she'd get in huge trouble. Always be prepared She had been told over and over again. Sure, she had expected to chase the cat down into the sewers, but that was the point. She was trained to expect things, to know, to think ahead of time.

With a sigh she turned back to the rope she had climbed down. She wasn't about to go crawling through the sewers in pitch black over a stupid cat. She'd find another way to kill time. She left out a small smile. At least she'd get the amusement of ruining the grappling hook for whoever it was that had headed down there.

[Rizban]

Do you actually climb back up? Sorry, but unless you state your action as an action rather than intention, it doesn't get responded to... It's one of the core rules for DMs in AVB to prevent confusion in all the massive number of players.

[Major]

Sorry, totally forgot. My mistake.

Lelia reaches for the grappling hook and climbs up. Upon reaching the top she decides to take the grappling hook with her, not only robbing the person down there, but also adding to her equipment.

[Rizban]

She finds it quite firmly wedged into place, requiring a sufficient strength check to pry it free.

[Major]

Str: [roll0]

If she fails this she is just going to cut the rope with her sword.
Edit: And since I doubt a 7 succeeds guess she cuts it.

[Rizban]

She indeed cuts the rope.

[Major]

Annoyed at her inability to steal the grappling hook or get the cat, Lelia heads back the way she came and goes back to town to look at the message boards again.

[Rizban]

You aren't just going to get a light source and come back?

[Major]

I suppose I could, but if somebody else is down there cat hunting I'd never make it back in time so it seems a waste.

[Rizban]

Well, the Town Crier is still shouting the same stories in the City Streets.

[Major]

Well, the Town Crier is still shouting the same stories in the City Streets.

Moving to the streets ok then?

[Rizban]

Inside you see a short human sitting behind the counter reading a book. He briefly looks up at you then goes back to reading.

[Major]

Lelia smiles lightly as she enters and heads over to the man reading, "Ummm excuse me. I'm looking for Cassatta, I heard from the town crier that assistance was needed?"

[Rizban]

"Oh, you'll want to go to the main office down on the river in the Docks. This is just the store front."

He doesn't even bother to look up from his book as he says this.

[Major]

"Oh, ok, thanks!" She says quickly heading to the docks. She'd heard stories of the dangers of the docks at night and wasn't planning on going there anywhere close to night. If she had to she'd wait a day.

If nowhere near night I go to the docks. If it is close to night time I'm waiting

[Rizban]

We'll say it's about 10AM.As you approach King's Causeway, the bridge which links the city proper to the Docks on the north side of the river, you reach the guardhouse on this end of the bridge set into the city wall. No fewer than twenty heavily armed guards stand at the gate. One of the guards stops you.

"Hold on a moment. What's your business in the Docks?"

[Major]

Lelia raises an eyebrow surprised at the sheer amounts of guards at one gate house. Had something happened? She wondered. As she got closer, one guard addressed her.

She softly smiled and let out a polite bow, "I am looking for someone named Cassatta. I was told they were at the main office of Sunderham's Imports which was down here at the docks." Lelia glances around trying to see past the guards, "Is something going on, sir?"

[Rizban]

"Yeah, the Jacks and some other small gangs have started an open gang war, and the hobgoblins of the Blue Hand Clan in the Slums have decided to get in on the action. Entering the Docks right now, you take your own life into your hands, and if you're out after dark, well, just hope that someone can find the pieces."

[Major]

"I had heard it was dangerous at night. It's also dangerous during the day?" Lelia frowned, "Ummmm, do you know where the Sunderham Import office is? How far into the danger zone is it?" She asked. She didn't want to get in the middle of a gang war if she could help it.

[Rizban]

"Well, it's only become like that in the last day or so. Unfortunately, the Watch just doesn't have the manpower to fight a guerrilla war like this, so we're just having to wait it out for the time being.

Sunderham's is right there on the river, built right up next to Pier 2. If you take the first street and move quickly, you can probably get there before you get into trouble, but I really recommend you wait a couple of days."

[Major]

Lelia hesitated. On one hand, she didn't want to get killed over a pathetic assignment like this. On the other hand, just because she liked to avoid fights didn't mean she was weak. She was trained to do this kinda thing for a living.

"I...I appreciate the offer, but I really need to get to the shop. I have a job to do and I don't want to risk somebody else doing it." She pauses, "I'll be very quick and if I run into trouble I have a little combat training and am very good at retreating." She says tapping the sheathed weapons on her belt. "Thank you for your help." She says with a smile. "I hope things calm down."

If the man is letting her pass without anything else, she'll be quickly moving to the offices, though trying to be stealthy about it and keep out of sight.

Hide: [roll0] Sweet, max roll :D
Move silently: [roll1]

A 20 and an 18. Niiiiiiiice

[Rizban]

She manages to make it to Sunderham's Imports without much trouble, though she did have to go around a hobgoblin patrol who was busy beating a man and demanding gold for the Khan.

[Major]

Lelia lets out a sigh of relief and then heads inside. "Excuse me? I was told to come here to find Cassetta." She says looking around.

[Rizban]

Sunderham's Imports is a small wooden building built over the water on piers, standing about six feet above the water. The interior looks like little more than a warehouse with several rows of shelves stocked with various goods. It appears that the most common items are foreign spices and fine silks. A tall blond woman with curly hair and a slender build looks up from the paperwork on her desk.

"Hi there! What do you want with her?"

[Major]

Sunderham's Imports is a small wooden building built over the water on piers, standing about six feet above the water. The interior looks like little more than a warehouse with several rows of shelves stocked with various goods. It appears that the most common items are foreign spices and fine silks. A tall blond woman with curly hair and a slender build looks up from the paperwork on her desk.

"Hi there! What do you want with her?"

"I heard she needed assistance with a problem. The town crier mentioned it." Lelia raises an eyebrow, "Why is something wrong?" She ask curious about the emphasis on her. She suspected the woman was indeed Cassetta, but she wasn't going to make an assumption.

[Rizban]

"Oh, that, right. Well, she's in the back office."

She points to a door.

"Feel free to knock."

[Major]

"Oh, that, right. Well, she's in the back office."

She points to a door.

"Feel free to knock."

Lelia nods, "Thank you." She says with a smile as she walks over to the door and knocks lightly. Damn! She thought. She hated being wrong.

[Rizban]

Wasn't showing you as having posted..."Come in!"

[Major]

Lelia opesn the door and steps in looking around to get a feel of her surroundings. Some might call it paranoia, Lelia called it intelligence. The more you knew about your surroundings the better you could handle anything that happened.

[Rizban]

The office is rather small, about 15' x 25'. A simple desk is near the back wall, behind which Cassatta sits. A large, but cheap, rug lies in the middle of the room. Along one side of the room is shelving which contains a few small chests and some books that look like ledgers for keeping track of the business. The other side has three hammocks and a large fishing net suspended between the two walls.

Cassatta is a stocky dwarf woman wearing finely crafted platemail which shimmers a pale blue. She sits at the desk with her fingers steepled just under her nose, watching you. She has a stern but not unpleasant face.

[Major]

Lelia turns and gives a polite bow to the dwarf, "I heard from the town crier that you needed some assistance with something. I came to get more details." She says with a smile.

[Rizban]

"First off, do you think you can find it?"

[Major]

"Depends on what 'it' is." Lelia says with a shrug, "I'm capable of finding most things. I found you didn't I? Despite having to travel across the city and through a gang war infested territory."

[Rizban]

"And I would assume you had an address for that. I can't say that I have an address for my lost horn. If I did, I would simply retrieve it myself."

[Major]

"A fair enough point." Lelia says with a nod, "What information can you give me on the horn? Any possible leads at all?"

[Rizban]

"The horn is made of narwhal horn, bound with rings of brass and inlaid with precious coral depicting a stormy sea. It's a family heirloom, and I desperately want it returned, or my ancestors will never allow me to rest with them. It's a family heirloom, though not particularly valuable in coin. Losing it, however, I will lose all honor in my family's eyes and need it back before word reaches them of it.

It was stolen by two thieves, Gregor and Madarius, who were in my employ as dock hands. I, of course, did not know they were brigands at the time."

[Major]

"Interesting, with little monetary value why would they steal it?" Lelia states surprised, "I'm guessing they were stupid and assumed it would be good cash? Or was there some vendetta they held against you?" Lelia ask. "Could I get a description of the men? I have a few contacts I can ask around and try and find them. Any preference on if they live or die?"

[Rizban]

"Little, not none. It wasn't the only thing they stole, just the only one that matters.

Gregor is probably inconsequential. Last I heard, his body was wracked with incurable disease, and he fled the city rather than risk dying in prison. Still, he's human, and what hair he had left was dark brown. Slight build, annoying, a typical human.

Madarius is a squat little gnome who talks too much. He's sneaky too, that one, and he's fond of climbing. Gray eyes, black hair, suspicious looking but makes himself seem trustworthy."

[Rizban]

Nudge? Wasn't sure if this update went through for you or not.

[Major]

"Which do you think is most likely to have it?" Lelia asked. She hoped it was the gnome. A man hiding in town would be much easier to find due to her contacts than a man fleeing would be.

[Rizban]

"Probably Madarius. Gregor seems too sick to hold onto it, and Madarius' greed would have taken advantage of the opportunity."