The Disciples of Obalus [IC]

[Karthas077]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/6932784328_bc0e78d0cb_z.jpg


This is the IC thread for the campaign "The Disciples of Obalus"
The OOC thread can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13072372).

Inside the sprawling hallways that make up the streets of Sharn, it is easy to lose track of time. Everbright lanterns dot the bridges between towers and hang from the walls outside every shop. On this particular day dark clouds flash with crackling electricity as rain pours onto the pavement and down into the darkness of the Lower Wards.

As usual the Bazaar is filled with people of all sorts, but regulars seem to make some sort of sense of the chaos and make their way through the throngs of people to their destination without much difficulty. The bustle of people still doing business reminds you that it is in fact only a little past midday. Off in the distance you hear a crash of breaking glass and shouts of outrage, to which a pair of nearby guards respond with exasperated sighs before making their way through the crowds in the direction of the disturbance.

Everyone

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6933676552_c7f6932338_b.jpg

This is a map of your general area. I did not put in the random commoners in your general area, but there are several in your immediate vicinity. Lighting in this map is accurate with the exception of my forgetting to place a torch at the far right side. (I'll fix when I next update the map).
The brightest areas visible are 'normal' lighting, with anything that is shadow being considered 'dim'. (There are no 'dark' areas, so no need to worry about darkvision just yet.)

Feel free to roleplay what might have brought you to the Bazaar at this exact moment, even if it's just passing through.
If you want to be interacting with an NPC, just assume they're there and I'll take over.

Thing's will get started soon enough. Trust me :smallwink:

[meemaas]

Minoru

Pushing up his glasses as he entered the Bazaar, he surveyed it, looking for the proper stand. Finding it in short time, he made his way to it, rapping his hand against the stand to get the attention of the one running it. "Arthur, how are you? You got those materials i ordered from you last week? Or did they get to you too?" He was a tad irritated, because every other person who had supplied his shop found his personal orders from them vanishing before he could retrieve them. This one was the one that supplied him with the material he used to scribing scrolls, and if he were to get back in business, he needed somewhere to start from.

[LeoMidori]

Spade

Having followed his master into the bazaar, Spade looked around curiously at the various stands and crowd today. The tall warforged looked somewhat out of place with his backpack holding his shovel along the underside and his scythe standing upright with the blade at a safe angle. His white eyes scanned for anything unusual, be it a stand or person.

Perception Check [roll0]
What sort of stands are at the bazaar? Spade would be interested in weapons or tools.

[JonRG]

Vaeron

Blasted Flamers. He'd barely set foot in the vestibule before one of their priests had accosted him, saying rather bluntly, "Your kind is not welcome here." A rather loud altercation ensued, and Vaeron had to beat a hasty retreat before the Watch arrived. Fortunately, the shouting match had yielded some information; the priests had never heard of Khalia.

Now, he had moved down to the Bazaar in search of his countrymen. The crowd teemed with people, but despite the weather, he soon stumbled across the banner of a blood-spattered sword. The soldiers of Caerlyn's Blade normally watched for pickpockets, but all eyes turned to Vaeron as he approached. He took a deep breath. Failure in this negotiation would leave him directionless and alone in a foreign city.

"Greetings, brothers and sisters," he said in Elven, giving an efficent yet respectful bow. "I come bearing reports from our homeland, to be delivered to Daera direct. Might you know where she is?"

[giles92]

Acalus moved through the bazaar at a slow pace, jostled by people on all sides and occasionally slamming into them. He hoped the large metal gauntlet he wore on his right arm and law enforcement badge deterred any pickpockets, but as always he carried his money in his pocketed scarf.

Several members of the Blackened Book had advised him that quite a few unorthodox devices regularly pass through the bazaar and he hoped to find one that could analyze scents or even identify what manner of creature had killed his mentor by several mineral particles he found at the scene. The Blackened Book senior staff was handling the magical end of the investigation, but they tended to overlook some the more mundane clues.

Unfortunately, everyone seemed too busy to give him any directions, much less offers of actually help. Apparently, a Blackened Book badge only helped on the higher levels.

After watching a white haired man move from stall to stall, he decided to ask him if he knew where to shop for unusual devices. So far, mentioning his allegiance to the magical detectives had proved unsuccessful, so Acalus decided to open with his family name. The man seemed an articifer who knew his way around and those types are usually impressed by the famed family of forgers.

Striding up to him, Acalus stopped a few feet short and said, "I couldn't help but notice you know your way around this zoo. I'm a member of House Cannith and not used to finding my own devices. For research. Boring research. If you could point me in the direction of a shop that sells unusual inventions, I'd preciate it." "

[meemaas]

Minoru

While waiting for his answer, he looked up to hear the other man speaking to him. "House...Cannith?" He started to growl, it was the one thing that could have possibly set him off, and he reacted as such. Closing the distance between him and the other, he looked the man right in the eye as he spoke to him. "What, have you come to kick me while i'm down? Come to laugh at the revenge your House got for nothing more than setting off on my own? Well, this time there's nothing stopping me from having you eviscerated. So think fast, because if i don't like the next thing you say, my friend will slice you into pieces, bystanders be damned. SPADE!!" He called out to the Warforged who had come with him, and waited for his response, once he approached, he'd speak again. "This...thing, belongs to House Cannith. Have at it."

[LeoMidori]

Spade's attention was immediately caught when his Minoru yelled his name, catching the warforged slightly off guard and about to grab the throwing axe he had on his belt. Having heard it all though, he spoke tiredly.
"Master, we're in the middle of public and unless 'this thing' is the one who shut us down there will be no evisceration today." he looked over to Acalus, the modestly dressed warforged looking down at him with some sort of pity. "I'm not fond of your house either, but you'll have to acquit my master for his outburst: our shop was shut down by Cannith recently." he briefly explained, somehow avoiding becoming embarrassed from Minoru's behaviour.

[giles92]

That went as well to be expected. Quickly priming the gears for his ravager fist, Acalus... no. If I fought everyone who got shafted by Cannith, I'd either be the worlds strongest warrior or a hundred different types of dead, he thought wryly to himself.

He slowly removed the geared gauntlet and slipped it behind his belt, offering the unarmored hand for a shake. "Let me guess, you made something they could make money off of and they took it without asking. Any attempts to persuade anyone of the injustice is either met with indifference or an army of Cannith pay rolled public servants. I'd tell you to join the club, but we don't have a chapter in Sharn yet."

Acalus changed his face from cynical deadpan to compromising cheerfulness before continuing on with the proposal.

"Look, I know a few decent people in Cannith. Ok, so really just the one, but he's a fairly high ranking member. If I help you fix your problem with my house, will you help me find some of the devices I'm lookin for? We could take care of your grievance first if you want. Besides, its not like I'm personally responsible. The biggest house decision Merrix let me make was which color I wanted my workshop. My choice was emerald green. It got painted mud brown."

Acalus didn't really know why he was willing to trade a few directions for a dangerous gamble with his house reputation. Except the man had the same enraged, angry, and outraged expression he had on his face a little more than a year ago.

[giles92]

Acalus heard the odd looking warforges reply and sighed.

"Alright, so I guess you got my beef beat. At least they let me keep a workshop, though Merrix probably has more surveillance gear packed in there then in a Silver Flame temples broom closet. You'd be surprised. I could try to get you reparations or even your shop back. An explanation, a the very least."

[meemaas]

Minoru

He stepped back a step, and took a deep breath. "No. I apologize. You wouldn't have had anything to do with it. It's not the entire House that was against me. Just certain people. No, i didn't make something they wanted, most of my work i did on commission. They didn't like me because i used to work for them, and took advantage of the Day of Reckoning to cast out on my own. He took another deep breath, turning back to Arthur, who was still distracted, but still talking to the other. "The nearest stand would be Walter's down the way. But his stuff was always subpar. If you're looking for anything in particular, I could help you with it. For the right price anyways. With my shop closed down, i'm planning on taking to the road to expand my horizons before i try to settle down again anyways. Business before pleasure, as they always say." He took the others hand in his, shaking it carefully.

[JonRG]

Vaeron

The Valenar elves all craned their necks at the first shouts, but lost interest once cooler heads prevailed. "Does that sort of thing happen often?" Vaeron asked in Elven.

[LeoMidori]

Spade looked back and forth between his master and Acalus as they exchanged words and finally handshakes, the warforged seeming rather pleased at the outcome. "Well I'm glad you came to your senses master. Please leave the hostilities to me from now on?" he said both seriously and jokingly. He turned to Acalus, trying his best to smile (as much as a warforged can).
"My name is Spade, and this is my master Minoru Masaro. Name?" he asked, forgetting his manners for a moment.

[Karthas077]

Minoru

The aged shopkeeper glances about before responding. "Some cronies of the higher ups came by and did most of us a once over, taking your most recent order off our hands saying it's rightful property of House Cannith. But yeah I still got some of it." As he speaks he retreats slowly into the back portion of his shop, returning with a small package. "You're lucky you backorder so much or they would have taken these too."

Spade

Within your immediate vicinity you count at least two stalls claiming to sell some sort of weapon or implement of violence. Neither seems particularly well off, but based on your estimate of the size of the Bazaar, you can surmise that there are likely to be quite a few shops of that sort scattered about. As long as what you're looking for isn't too expensive, you're more than likely than not going to be able to find it here.

Acalus

Aside from a mildly dirty look given to you by the shopkeeper whose stall you stand in front of, most of the throng of shoppers around you pay little attention to the heat of your argument aside from stepping back a bit, leaving those involved with a rare bubble of space.

Vaeron

At your approach, the three elves bearing the sigil of the Blades turn and give you a cursory once over. The female, whom you now presume to be in charge, chuckles at your words. "Hey boys, looks like we got another Blades wannabe trying to curry favor from the higher-ups." She and her companions laugh for a moment or two at your expense before she places a hand on your shoulder and pulls your head down a bit so her mouth is near your ear. "Listen kid, if you really had any information to deliver to Daera you wouldn't be talking to us, and if your business with her is your own you're gonna have to go through Commander Tyrell first... and he's not in an especially giving mood these days." She releases you, before addressing her companions once more, "Bet this kid's glad he bumped into us instead of Vraal's gang eh boys? He doesn't take as kindly to innocent babes as I do." As she finishes, you notice she has a coy smile on her face as she gives you another look over. The other two Valenar chuckle to themselves a bit before going back to the conversation they were having before your arrival.

As the argument between two humans and a warforged breaks out nearby, you notice all three elves glance over, but when violence is averted, they return to their business nonplussed. At your question the girl laughs quite loudly before she is able to control herself enough to reply. "Are all you desertborn this adorable when you first get to the city?" Before you can respond she continues, "No, don't answer that, I'm sure I'll get a few more good laughs out of it the next time one of you come along. To answer your question, it's rarer for them to end without violence, which should give you a fair idea of what it's like in this district."

Vaeron

As you are watching the conflict which almost broke out, you notice during one of the particularly bright flashes of lightning a dark shape outlined against the clouds. It appears to be falling towards the pavement near the bridge very rapidly. You surmise that you have only a few seconds before it hits the ground.

[giles92]

"My name is Acalus Cannith and I'm currently working on an investigation for the Blackened Book." Acalus gestured to the obsidian badege in the shape of a book, pinned to his jacket's left sleeve.

"Since they tend to ignore anything that doesn't have to do with answers from some strange plane of existence, I decided to go with the more physical aspect of the investigation. Unfortunately, most of the regular devices I use are actually part of the crime scene themselves and may have been tampered with. So naturally, I need a device to help search for physical evidence."

[meemaas]

Minoru
"Well at least its something. Better than the others could manage. Thanks Arthur." He handed the package to Spade, and then waved at the other human, leading him to a stall little bit further down the way, passing by the elves talking while he did. He'd bump into the one who was being accosted, and mumble quietly. Don't antagonize them. Its not healthy" He quickly put distance between them now, stopping when he and Aculus were in front of another shop. "Walter, you still got that scent tracker you were showing me last month? He's looking for one." He gestured at Aculus, his hand now resting on his side where a single oddly colored bar was resting.

[JonRG]

Vaeron

Vaeron's head swam. Not only had he had been completely rebuffed, but he'd made such a mess of the negotiation that a bystander had taken pity on him. His first instinct was to draw Elenai and wash away his failure in the stranger's blood.

But wait.

Had he actually failed?

The female lieutenant laced her mockery with sound advice. She had warned him of Captain Tyrell's foul mood and the harsh tendencies of an elf named Vraal. If she was truly done with him, she would have pointed him to either of those two men. That would have provided maximum entertainment value. Whatever the lieutenant's feelings, she didn't hate him. Think him a little green, sure, but Vae could earn her respect. He smiled despite himself, before a falling object caught his eye. The flashing sky clearly outlined its humanoid form.

"What's that up there? I think a man's fallen off a bridge!" he shouted in Common, pointing where he last saw the falling man.

[Karthas077]

Though the people in your immediate area seem alarmed by the cry of alarm, a majority of the shoppers continue on their business, either unwilling, or unable, to do anything about the falling body. Many in fact assume that the guards usually stationed near that bridge will be able to stop the body with a wand of featherfall, forgetting that they had only just a few moments ago been drawn away by a disturbance deeper in the market.

Within seconds of Vaeron's cry, a humanoid body slams into the pavement just in front of the bridge with a sickening thud. Passersby scream in alarm, and hurriedly rush either into the market and away from the body, or retreat to the other side of the bridge.

[LeoMidori]

Spade was unfortunately keeping his interests in one of the weapons stands for a few seconds too long, not seeing the fall until just a moment before impact. Putting down the longsword he was examining he called over to Minoru and began swimming through the crowd with his arms mostly up as he raced towards the unfortunate victim of gravity. "Master, we need to go see who that was! We should hurry and hope he's still alive!"

[JonRG]

Vaeron

Vaeron winced, cursing his elven senses as the man hit the ground. Falling must be a common risk in a city this high. Why had some abjurative countermeasure not kicked in? He took a deep breath before turning back to his conversation partner.

"Pardon me, Lieutenant, but adventure calls. Hopefully, we will cross paths again. Ancestors watch over you and yours." With another quick bow, Vaeron rushed off through the crowd. Magic would likely come too late, but - if there had been a murder here - he could at least grant the poor soul some peace through bloody vengeance.

[meemaas]

Minoru

Minoru moved behind his companion, letting the Warforged clear the way so he wouldn't have to fight through crowds to follow. As he moved, he reached to the scroll case strapped to his belt, unlatching it and removing a single scroll from it, still rolled and bound, as a precaution.

[giles92]

Acalus knows he's too late even before the body hit the ground. With a sound like that, he'd be lucky to even identify the stiff. Well, maybe not so stiff depending on just how high he fell, thinking of the time Master Conder had brought him to someone that had fallen from near the top. The mess was so spread out and squishy, it looked like someone had killed an ooze.

He follows Minoru through the running crowd. If it really was a murder, then he needed to get a closer look as soon as possible. Even while running, Acalu's mind was blurring with clues and possibilities. It was odd the guards hadn't been near to stop it and the disturbance could have easily been manufactured so they wouldn't.

Assuming the man was murdered and the killer was smart enough to distract the guards, odds are he also had a distraction planned on the lower levels as well, if the closeness to the bridge was any indication. He'd have to head down later on and see if there was anything to find.

[Karthas077]

Everyone

As you approach the body, you notice that few others are willing to even get close to it, and appear instead to be glancing about as if looking for someone or something whom you suspect to be the guards. Once the corpse is before you, you are able to discern that it was once human, and while certainly male little else is distinguishable. The force of the fall appears to have been great enough to crack the tiles upon which he landed in addition to destroying his face and body. On the back of his tunic, though quickly staining with blood, is a symbol of a unicorn emblazoned within a circle.

Spade & Acalus
You notice that the man appears to be clutching something in his left hand.

[JonRG]

Vaeron

Vaeron gave the corpse an appraising stare. It was in the worst shape he had ever seen a dead body, but the sight of death didn't bother him anymore. Shaking his head at the crowd, he moved forward and began searching the remains for papers or some other clue to his identity. The unicorn symbol seemed relevant, and he racked his brain for its meaning.

Actions
K:Nobility (on the insignia): [roll0]
Perception (to search the body): [roll1]

[LeoMidori]

"Damn... just awful." the warforged said as he stood over the blood spattered corpse. He hadn't seen something bloody like this since the last days of the war: normally he had seen a member of the city guard or rarely a magical citizen saving from falls. This was the first impact he had seen though.

"He must have fallen some way." Spade said kneeling down, opening the clutched hand of the victim and examining what was there, then pointing to the unicorn on his back. "Anybody know what this is?" he asked, searching the man for any clues along his belt and any pockets.

[meemaas]

Minoru

Minoru looks very closely at the crest studying it carefully.


Knowledge: Arcana [roll0]
Knowledge: The planes [roll1]

[JonRG]

Vaeron looked over his shoulder at the warforged with an approving nod. Brave man. Then again... did a metal man even even get squeamish? The philosophical contemplation would have to wait. There was work to be done.

With deft hands, he helped the warforged comb through what nearly qualified as pieces of a human corpse. When his partner inquired after the symbol, Vaeron tilted his head back in thought, the hood slipping to his shoulders.

If a 24 is high enough to identify the symbol

After a moment, Vaeron replied, "I know the symbol well. It belongs to House Orien." In response to any skeptical looks, he added with a shrug, "They have an enclave in Taer Vaelaestas."

[Karthas077]

Vaeron knows that the man is a member of House Orien. More specifically he is able to identify the man as a courier. Judging by the quality of his clothes as well as the placing and design of the ensignia, you'd guess he is dragonmarked, though his mark is not currently visible. If this is the case, that means whatever it was he was delivering was of some importance; dragonmarked couriers are not cheap.

Clutched in the man's hand is a single use featherfall token. During his more thorough search of the body, Spade uncovers a messenger bag badly damaged beneath the man. Through the blood, you are able to make out brightly colored symbols covering the fastened flap of the bag.

[giles92]

Acalus takes one look at the corpse and shakes his head. In due time, detectives would examine all the man's possessions and he could ask for the report then. Instead, he decides to examine the surrounding area.

"You might want to finish looking quickly. If the Watch come, they might start throwing out accusations of corpse looting. Normally not something they care about, but seeing as how the corpse is a member of Orien." He left it at that, and trusted they wouldn't actually steal from the corpse.

Acalus peers through the gloom, trying to catch any who might be watching too intently or with an odd expressions. He looks at windows, at the tops of towers, and any suspicious passerbys. [roll0] perception

[JonRG]

Vaeron

Vaeron clucks his tongue at the mention of thievery, but picks up the pace as suggested. His gaze falls on the bag uncovered by Spade. "I wonder why his killers did not open it. Perhaps it is warded against theft?" A part of Vaeron wished he had focused more on studying arcana. "Would someone more adept with the arcane like to inspect this man's bag before the Watch arrives?" he asks.

[meemaas]

Minoru

He made a show of checking the man's stuff, while holding his glasses in one hand. He exerted his own personal magical energy into them, until a minute later, he was capable of seeing active magic, helping his search.

Infused my glasses with Detect magic.

[LeoMidori]

"A featherfall token?" Spade said curiously, examining it carefully and looking to Minoru. "Master, has this been used already? It doesn't make sense that if it were used that he fell. And if it isn't used he must have already been dead..."

Adding everything up, this started to more and more look like a murder and less like an accident.

[meemaas]

Minoru

Turning his gaze on the token, he racked his brain for memories as to how to tell whether or not it had been used.

Spellcraft check [roll0]

[Karthas077]

Minoru
Though you are certain it has been magically enchanted, you are unfortunately unable to identify what is currently affecting the bag even after careful study.

As you turn your attention to the token Spade handed you, you have just enough time to recognize that there is indeed still magic residing in the token, but before you can establish that it in fact retains it's charge of featherfall a figure suddenly lands with a thud in the center of the bridge.

As the man enters your sight, your glasses illuminate the man and his belongings, indicating he is in possession of items that are either magical in nature, or under the effects of a spell.

Everyone
As the figure appears in the center of the bridge, you notice that he is wearing garb identical to that of the man on the ground, and likewise appears to be wearing a messenger bag. Though he bears no visible dragonmark, it appears as though the two are from the same house, and may even be related due to similarity in appearance. (Though this last fact is difficult to establish because of the heavy damage sustained by the dead man).

[LeoMidori]

Spade looked alarmed at the man who landed on the bridge in front of them, carrying the exact items and wearing the same clothes... he put his three fingered hand onto the axe on his belt.

"Who are you?"

[JonRG]

Vaeron covertly wiped the dead man's blood on the back of his trousers as he rose to his feet. The man before him held no weapon, so Vae saw no need to draw.

"My condolences on the loss of your kin," he said. The elf wasn't really too familiar with grief, but Khalia had said it to a lot of bereaved families, and it seemed appropriate.

[giles92]

Acalus strides forward and presents the Blackened Book badge.

"Acalus d Cannith, of both House Cannith and the Blackened Book. If he was your kin, I also offer my condolences, but now is not the time for grieving. Please tell me any immediate information that might help catch whomever responsible. I'm sure my colleagues in the Watch will want a more in depth interview, but time is a factor."

[meemaas]

Minoru

Minoru slipped the token into his bag, and stepped back a few steps, watching the others. He didn't want to get involved, so took a passive role in the conversation.

[Karthas077]

In answer to Spade's question, the man replies, "My name is Vin d Orien. My brother and I are couriers for our house. If you would kindly stop what you are doing and step away from the body, that bag and it's contents are property of House Orien. I would stay and explain but our delivery was of the utmost importance and we are already behind schedule."

When Acalus presents his Blackened Book badge the approaching man appears momentarily taken aback but quickly recovers. In response to the additional questioning he explains, "My brother foolishly decided to leap from one tower to the next to try to save time, but I cannot afford to tarry here any longer. Despite the enchantments on our bags, their contents are still very time-sensitive and they must reach their destination before the spell expires, so if you would be so kind as to hand the bag over, I will leave you in the hands of the watch, who I imagine will be arriving any moment now."

Minoru

You are able to discern that the man before you appears to have the same number of enchantments on him as the body on the ground, but you cannot yet pinpoint their sources.

[LeoMidori]

"Why would your brother have fallen to his death if he had a Feather Fall Token? Isn't that what they're for?" the warforged spoke, tilting his head a little and discerning lies to the best of his ability.

[Karthas077]

The man shakes his head somberly, "I know not why he failed to activate the token as I was unaware he even had one of those on him."

Spade
Try as you might, you are unable to distinguish even the slightest sign that he is speaking falsely.

[meemaas]

Minoru

He takes a moment to focus on the man before him, trying to discern any of the enchantments effecting him, before he spoke. "If i recall correctly, couriers such as yourself as supposed to be carrying some form of identification, am i right? If so, how us yours. As proof that you are who you say you are. I'm sure its a simple matter, to get this bag back. Spade!" He spoke now to his Warforged companion, his tone of voice even and resolute. "Check the corpse for identification. Or a signet ring. We'll see if these two match up." While he spoke, he took great care to maneuver himself behind the other three, the bag safe in his grip.

Spellcraft [roll0]

[LeoMidori]

"Yes master. Although I was trying to before, believe me." the warforged answered, again searching the corpse who was becoming increasingly more grotesque to handle, turning it over to check the front pockets, if any. The blood was sticky and still warm on his three fingered hands... it was terrible.
Perception check, again. [roll0]

[giles92]

The man shakes his head somberly, "I know not why he failed to activate the token as I was unaware he even had one of those on him."

Spade
Try as you might, you are unable to distinguish even the slightest sign that he is speaking falsely.

"The answer is fairly obvious. He was either dead or unconscious when he fell. Until proof is given otherwise, that makes this a murder and it makes you a witness. I don't know Orien's policy on death en route, but it doesn't matter. We are all waiting for the watch until this matter is sorted out."

[JonRG]

Vaeron

Vaeron sniffed. Submission to the whims of law enforcement grated on him. There was an enemy to hunt... He could not hold his tongue. "If the courier was incapacitated as you say, Cannith, then the crime occurred up there." He points in a general upward direction. "All waiting will do is allow your quarry more time to cover to his tracks. Therefore... I offer a suggestion. As law enforcement, you and the rest of us witnesses can accompany the courier to his destination. He delivers the satchels, at which point you can flash your little badge and... prevail upon the owner to grant you access to their contents. That way, Orien makes its delivery, and we are not forced to sit around doing nothing." Vaeron paused, all eyes now upon him. He hadn't spoken this many words to another creature in weeks.

He'd rather missed it.

[giles92]

Acalus grins at the elve's rather abrupt strategy. "Sounds good to me. If people are willing to kill for whats in that satchel, finding out who wants it is just as important as finding out whats in it."

He looks toward the courier for a response, but then turns a deadpan stare in Vaeron's direction. "For the record, I don't flash my little badge. I shove my large badge into peoples faces. Far more results that way."

[Karthas077]

The man before you smiles faintly, bowing his head slightly in acquiescence before responding, "If that is how it must be then please hurry." He gestures for you all to follow, and as you get close, he turns and beings moving quite rapidly towards the other end of the bridge.

Sorry for not posting this sooner... I couldn't really make up my mind on how I wanted this to happen... >_>

Anyways...

How do you all position yourselves behind the man? The bridge is 10 feet wide and he is in the center.

Also, everyone roll Sense Motive and Initiative in the OOC thread.

[LeoMidori]

Wiping the blood off of his hands onto the dead man's cape, he turned and walked beside the courier. He put his hand on his shoulder and kept his pace. "Hey, you can slow down a bit, buddy. I know you have business, but if you can keep your cool with your brother back there dying, you can wait for me and my companions."

[JonRG]

With the courier flanked by Spade and Acalus, Vaeron fell into step next to Minoru. The arcanist was tenacious, for a human, and he could definitely respect that. At the same time, that tenacity didn't seem to apply to steel. Vaeron contemplated small talk, but decided against it. Instead, he scanned for threats, hand at his belt.

Perception: [roll0]

Ready to draw his weapon if a situation arises.

[Karthas077]

As you begin running after the man, you notice that his movement appears to utterly defy reason. For how little effort he appears to be exerting, every step carries him a distance equal to two of yours.

When Spade speaks to him, the man turns his head to stare behind him, his expression easily giving away how obviously startled he is at the even tone of the warforged keeping pace with him. His expression quickly returns to neutral however. As he continues you are barely able to make out him swearing under his breath something about "machine men," but are unable to catch the rest.

In any case, before you can respond he speaks up,
"If you would kindly think back to but a few moments ago, you'll recall I said this delivery is extremely time critical. Even at this pace I am risking a lot allowing you to follow me."

Several minutes later, as you finish passing over another bridge, the man abruptly leaps ahead before turning about and lunging straight at Minoru and the bag, wresting it from his grasp.


Alright so no surprise round, but Vin has successfully taken the bag. By the time he has done so, everyone has drawn their weapons so rather than taking 4 AOO's, he five foot steps to his current position and draws a dagger.

I'll try to post a picture if it turns out we need one, but until then here's a text representation of things:

{table=head]| A | B | C | D | E | F
1|______|______|______|______|______|______
2|______|______|Acalus|Spade|______|______
3|______|______|______|______|______|______
4|______|______|Vaeron|Minoru|Vin|______
5|______|______|______|______|______|______
6|XXXXXX|XXXXXX|______|______|XXXXXX|XXXXXX
7|XXXXXX|XXXXXX|______|______|XXXXXX|XXXXXX
[/table]

X's are open air, each bracket of _'s are empty squares.

Your guys' turns.

[JonRG]

Vaeron cried out in surprise as the dragonmarked courier rushed past him. It was his intention to protect the warforged's companion, but he barely even had time to draw. What kind of protector was he? His doubts vanished as soon as the nobleman pulled his dagger.

"No time for self-pity," he thought, shrugging back into his hood. "Battle calls." He entered his battle trance and shifted his position to tower over Vin.

"So, it's a family reunion you want then?" he growled, lashing out with his kukri.

RAW (and my DM friends) seem to say this would work, so I will post my actions and edit if it's a no-go.

Move-Equivalent: Activate Battle Dance (+1 to attack and damage)
Five-Foot-Step: to D5
Standard: Attack! To hit: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

[meemaas]

Minoru

Minoru slid back, and, preparing his crossbow, fired it clean at the courier. "Why did it have to come to this?"

Five foot step to C4
Crossbow attack on our foe. [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Move action to reload

[LeoMidori]

Spade's eyes glowed a little darkly, the white turning up just a bit as he drew his flat leather blackjack from his belt. This guy was a scumbag, but he thought it better to take him alive rather then dead. "I knew we couldn't trust you..." he said in a low but harsh tone, taking a swing and aiming for between Vin's shoulder and neck.
Moving around to square F3, which'll have me flank with Vaeron. Attacking with the sap. 1d20+4+2
Nonlethal damage [roll0]

[Karthas077]

As Acalus readies his Scizore, Vin, still reeling from the blow to the back of his head, dodges to his left... and stumbles directly into Vaeron. The bag slips from his grasp for but a moment before he manages to snag it from the air with the hand that previously held his dagger. The well-made weapon clatters to the ground, and you notice his eyes darting furtively between it and the edge of the bridge.




{table=head]| A | B | C | D | E | F
1|______|______|______|______|______|______
2|______|______|______|______|______|______
3|______|______|______|Acalus|______|Spade
4|______|______|Minoru|(Dagger)|______|______
5|______|______|Vin|Vaeron|______|______
6|XXXXXX|XXXXXX|______|______|XXXXXX|XXXXXX
7|XXXXXX|XXXXXX|______|______|XXXXXX|XXXXXX
[/table]

Vaeron get's an attack of opportunity.
(If you're curious he attempted to move through your square with an acrobatics check, and then critically fumbled on his attack role against you.)

[JonRG]

Vaeron snorts beneath his hood and stabs at the courier again.

Hopefully, this goes better, but not too better, than my last attack.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[JonRG]

Vaeron examined his foe, now unarmed and anxious. He should end it, but... what would death accomplish?

"Drop the pouch and submit, or I swear on my ancestors that you will not leave this bridge alive." He wields the kukri in a threatening fashion, hoping to cow Vin into submission.

Intimidate: [roll0]

Gonna end the Battle Dance this round.

[meemaas]

Minoru

Minoru steps back, trying to get a good shot with his bow, before realizing the likelyhood of him hitting someone else was too high to risk. He lowers his bow and watches, waiting for a better shot.

Five foot step away

[Karthas077]

At Vaeron's words, the courier looks momentarily shaken, but as Spade comes charging forward with his sap, he glances behind him and leaps off the sidewalk and into the open air, immediately plummeting into the darkness and out of sight.

With the rather abrupt end to the fighting you all have a moment to get your bearings. The dagger Vin dropped glistens with rainwater, and the surrounding area appears remarkably devoid of life.


You guys have about a minute IC for your characters to figure out what to do and then do it. If you guys ever feel 'stuck' at any point during the campaign please let me know.

[meemaas]

Minoru

Reacting quickly, Minoru moved back up to Spade and put the Feather fall token into his hand. "I never could figure out if it was used yet or not. Care to test your luck?"

Yes, I am suggesting Spade leap down after him

[LeoMidori]

Taking the token into his three fingered hand, the warforged looked to Minoru with a concerned tone.
"Master are you certain? This doesn't come across as the most brilliant of your plans."

[JonRG]

Vaeron grabbed up the nobleman's dagger with a sneer. "This is a lovely dagger," he muttered, examining its craftsmanship. The elf looked up at Spade with a wicked grin on his face. "What say we find the coward and return it to him?"

[meemaas]

Minoru

"The man's fast on his feet, we both know that. I'm not certain, i'm leaving that bit to luck, because testing it would waste it if it was working. All i know is we don't have much time to follow after him, and you'll lose him if we went the long way around." He smiled, trusting Spade to make the decision he couldn't.

[LeoMidori]

"So... give me the dagger and I'll go alone. That is what you're saying, right?" the warforged asked the elf, looking him up and down. Now that he thought of it, he knew very little about this elf. "Actually, who are you anyway? I don't even know you from a hole in the ground."

[JonRG]

"Vaeron Riekath, of the Vaelas Tairn," the elf replied brusquely. "I don't exactly know you either, but I've heard only good stories about the 21st while I served, so I trust you." He gestured with the dagger to Spade's sleeve. "As for the dagger, I owe it to my ancestors to deliver it personally." He gave the feather fall token a thoughtful stare. "Perhaps if I held onto you, and you activated the feather token, we would both land safely?" He looked at Minoru for confirmation. "I hesitate to leave you to battle a foe alone that we already know to be treacherous."

[Karthas077]

Having only a few moments to come to a decision, the two warriors, with dagger and featherfall token in hand, leap from the bridge, plummeting into the darkness below. The rush of the wind past their faces is fierce, and before long the falling sensation almost stops. The buildings fly past at an amazing speed, and the rain appears to fall almost in slow motion beside them. Cries of alarm can be heard before they are quickly left behind. It appears with the inclement weather few guards or casters are able to see the falling pair well enough to target them with a featherfall spell.

After falling for almost a full thirty seconds, another figure appears suddenly directly beneath them. He is immediately recognizable as the man who leapt off the bridge before them, and he appears to be falling much more slowly than them. So much so in fact, that the plummeting duo quickly slams into the man, knocking him unconscious before Spade can trigger the token he's holding.

The token flashes and suddenly all three men are now falling together, as a thick pipe stretching between the opposing walls of the cliff faces appears beneath them. As they land on it's wide surface gently, Vin groans as he struggles to remain awake. Between the injuries he suffered during the fight, and the mid-air collision, he is completely out of it.


Because you spent a hero point, I allowed you guys to time your token so well so as to actually MAKE UP the extra time Vin had on you, resulting in the above scenario.

He is currently unconscious, but not in any danger of dying. (He's just taken a massive amount of non-lethal damage)

You're both going to need to make some knowledge local checks to try to figure out where the hell you are, and how to get back up into the main city.

Alternatively, if either of you has any sort of magical means of contacting Minoru, he would be allowed to make a similar check to figure out where you are and how to get down to you.

[LeoMidori]

"Got you, you bastard..." Spade said in somewhat dark satisfaction, stepping off of Vin and letting the elf down off of his back, giving his shoulders a rotation and looking to his new companion in the lower area of the city. "Didn't have a heart attack, did you elf? I'd hate for you to have jumped out of your skin and ruin our victory." he said with an amused look on his face.

"Now then... where are we?" Spade said, looking upwards to the spiraling mess of towers above him and into the falling rain.
Trying a survival check to determine where we are. [roll0]
Also trying a Knowledge Local. [roll1]

[JonRG]

Vaeron smirked and slipped the dagger into his belt. A win was a win, even if the warforged's mass had done most of the work.

I'm just fine." He stared upward as well. "As for where we are..." Vaeron muttered a few words in Elvish and gestured unobtrusively.

Vae will cast Know Direction on the basis that it can't hurt his chances.

Survival: [roll0]
Knowledge (Local): [roll1]

[Karthas077]

Spade:

While you are able to figure out that you're just above the upper-cogs somewhere near the middle island, you don't quite know how to get back into the city proper from here.


Vaeron:

You know very specifically where you are. You are on a sewage treatment pipe directly above the borders of Khyber's Gate. Following the pipe in one direction will lead you into the undercity, while following it in the opposite direction will lead you into the forgeworks of House Cannith. Heading in either direction you know how to get back up into the main city and to the location where you last saw Minoru.


Minoru:

It is very rainy and grim. In other words, business as usual for the Sharn.

[meemaas]

Minoru

He moves away from the bridge, finding somewhere nearby to sit down, he'd start paging through his Schema book while waiting for Spade to return, attempting to look like he belongs.

[LeoMidori]

"We've fallen so far..." Spade spoke with a bit of disappointment in his voice, rather dismayed with himself for not knowing his location better. His look went from upwards to the elf, adjusting his blue bandana over his head with one hand. "I don't suppose you know where we are? All I can tell is we're in the upper Cogs."

[JonRG]

Vaeron starts from his thoughts. "Yes, indeed. We're just above Khyber's Gate. I know where to go from here. However... I'm uncertain whether it would be more efficient to traverse the undercity and risk a fight, or head towards House Cannith's forgeworks and risk being stopped by a guard."

[LeoMidori]

"Ugh... do we -really- need to go near House Cannith? I'm really not fond of them." Spade spoke with a soured tone. "Wouldn't it be a better idea to avoid guards anyway? I'm going to be carrying this scumbag around and I'd rather not have us accosted and explaining things." he said while looking down to the unconscious Vin in mild disgust, giving him a light prodding with his foot. He then turned the man over and started patting his hands over his front.

"Actually... before we even decide on that, lets' find out a bit more about our friend, shall we?"
Perception to look through his inventory, and to look along his face, neck, arms and chest for anything identifying (Birthmarks, tattoos, Dragonmarks)
[roll0]

[JonRG]

"Point. That said, Vaeron helps Spade search.

Perception: [roll0]

[Karthas077]

As the rain falls around you, you do your best to make use of what little light surrounds you to examine the man and his possessions.

As you inspect his body more closely, you are able to find what appears to be a birthmark that you can tell is most likely a dragonmark. Careful examination also reveals he is wearing a very light, closefitting outfit underneath the courier's uniform. While examining it, you notice that the dagger you recovered previously is of fine craftsmanship, but otherwise appears to be unremarkable.

At the man's side is a bag identical to the one clutched in his hands. The bag covered slightly with blood which was originally in the possession of the now deceased courier above appears otherwise unharmed from the fall or the subsequent collision. You discover that the clasp is sealed and has built into it an intricate lock. On the bag are several magical runes, but they are covered in blood and hard to make out. When comparing this bag to the one at the man's side, you discover that the bag at his side is, while identical in appearance, unlocked, and is in fact completely empty.


Specific information about which dragonmark he has would require a knowledge check. (If you have them, you may roll Nobility, Arcana, or Local)

Furthermore, because of how well you did on your previous survival roll, you will not have to roll again to navigate your way to whatever destination you choose.

Because of the blood, you are not able to tell if the runes covering the surfaces of the bags are in fact the same.


Other stuff:
Because I feel terrible, at this point I would like to inform you all that I am going to make a concentrated effort to update this much more regularly. I have been very negligent, and am legitimately ashamed of both this fact, and the fact that my previous statements about posting more often have not held true. I would also like to thank you all for being quite literally the most understanding and forgiving group of players I have ever encountered >_<

[LeoMidori]

After examining over Vin and the two bags, Spade looked a bit dismayed at the one from the dead courier. "At least we managed to get this... lets' get it to master to see if he can unlock it later." he looked to the dragonmark, testing his somewhat limited knowledge of them.

Knowledge Local, because it's all I have that's relevant. [roll0]

Also, don't worry too much about the slowness. At least the three of us are still enjoying ourselves. You might have to find a way to keep Meemas occupied though, since he's separated from us. ^^;

[JonRG]

Vaeron nods, peering over Spade's shoulder. "Hopefully, he's stayed put. Otherwise, this could be impossible." He also considers the dragonmark.

Since Vae knows a bit of everything, let's see what sticks!

Knowledge (Local): [roll0]
Knowledge (Arcana): [/b] [roll1]
Knowledge (Nobility): [/b] [roll2]

All good about the delays. I agree with Leo, this game is great fun. Incidentally, I have a friend who may be interested in some Eberron PbP. If it's cool with you guys, I can formally ask her. (So far, I just linked her the IC thread.)

[Karthas077]

Vaeron recognizes the symbol as being similar to ones he's seen on other courier's around the city, but can't place the rank of the mark. Beyond that, neither of you can identify anything else about the mark.


Also, and I just realized this, both of you are going to need to make an acrobatics check to get down from the pipe you're currently on (not yet but soon) so I'll need to know which of you is carrying Vin.



Tell her to roll up a character. While I can't promise her the spot, I'll give her consideration along with the other people who were 'waitlisted'.

In fact, having the extra party member stumble onto Minoru while he's waiting for you two to return could be a very convenient introduction to the party XP

(Perhaps they saw the fighting and want to know what's going on, or perhaps they already know someone in the group?)

[LeoMidori]

Spade gave an irritated sound, putting away the bloody messenger bag into his backpack and securing it, hiking the unconscious Vin over his shoulder and looking to the elf. "Too bad we couldn't figure out more about this jerk... but we better get moving and find master again." he sighed, looking down from the pipe and hoping he wouldn't splinter one of his legs.
Acrobatics check. I'm not sure how much to take away because of Vin's weight, so I'll do a -2 for now.
[roll0]

[JonRG]

Vaeron considered the ground below, then nodded his head. "Right." Bracing himself, he nimbly drops down.

You don't need points in Acrobatics, I said. You'll be fine waiting for the Dervish Dancer ability at second level, I said. Whelp. Let's hope I'm right. :smalltongue:

Acrobatics: [roll0]

[Karthas077]

Minoru:

Several minutes after your companion left after the fleeing courier in the company of the elf, you hear the sounds of a commotion approaching in your direction.
Perception check please.


Spade & Vaeron:
Having found a section of the pipe that drops low enough for a safe jump into the street below, you gather yourself before dropping onto what goes for a roof in the cogs, before landing in the alley below. Tumbling onto the ground, Vaeron stands to find Spade, unconscious man slung over his back, dropping heavily onto the pavement. The sound of the stone cracking beneath the impact resounds for but a second before being swallowed by the noise of the surrounding area. Despite the noise that resulted from the drop, Spade is unharmed, and the two of you soon find yourselves surrounded by the diverse characters which populate this level of the city's underbelly.


If there are any checks or other actions either of you would like to take while in this part of the city, now would be the time to take them. Otherwise I might fast forward a bit for you two.

[meemaas]

Minoru hardly looks up from his studying, too interested in the book to even notice what the commotion is from.

Perception [roll0]

[Karthas077]

Minoru:

Your studying is suddenly interrupted as a deep voice calls out, "You with the book!" as you glance upwards, you can see a man dressed in a city guard uniform gesturing at you. On either side of him stand two other city guards, both of whom are dealing with several concerned citizens. You believe you catch the word "murder" and possibly the word "accomplices" from the fragments of conversation that make it over to you.

The man who addressed you before continues, "We need you to come with us please. We have some questions regarding your involvement in the possible murder of a member of House Orien. This will go much easier if you cooperate."

You do manage to notice that despite his words, his weapon is drawn, but not currently held in a hostile manner.


Vaeron & Spade:

As you traverse the dimly lit undercity, you notice nothing you would consider out of the ordinary. The general uncleanliness of the area is reflected in the people who inhabit it, but none of them seem especially interested in your passing, even with an unconscious man hanging over Spade's shoulder.


Spade Only:

As you make your way through the underbelly of the city, Vin dangling uselessly from your shoulder, you catch out of the corner of your eye a cloaked figure looking in your direction. You recognize having seen him just a few times before on your route to the upper city, but that might just be a coincidence. However, as soon as you make note of the possibility of him following you, the figure does not show up again, so you can't be certain.


OOC:
Anything I put in spoilers under someone's name is only secret if the word 'only' is bolded. (This is something new, so feel free to go back and read previous spoilered posts, as well as future spoilered posts provided it is not marked as secret.)

[LeoMidori]

A soft growl came from inside of Spade, both out of frustration and out of defensive fear. He didn't feel safe any more, even if he wasn't in the best part of the city already, but he sure as hell didn't want this situation to get any more complicated.

"...Don't look now elf, but I think that we're being watched. Don't keep your hand far from your dagger." he spoke sullenly, giving Vin a bit of a shake to make sure he wouldn't suddenly wake up on him, his own hand on his sap and ready to shake him around if need be. In the meantime, he looked for any ways up and out of the dreary Cogs, keeping his eyes open while trying not to become unnerved.

[meemaas]

Minoru

Minoru closed his book slowly, dropping it into his bag as he stood up. "If its about that body back there, i assure you, i was not involved in his death. He simply fell to me. But i'm sure you'd rather submit me to your magic users to verify the truth of my words, so by all means, lead away. But i'd like a favor from you. I was supposed to be meeting someone here soon. Please leave one of your men to tell him where i am? He responds to the name Spade." He then smiles and walks up to the lead guard, ready to follow.

[JonRG]

Vaeron

Vaeron's hand had been on the fine-craft dagger since they entered the Cogs. "Rest assured. I had no intention of doing so." He quashed the urge to seek out the coward, instead busying himself with the coward at hand. The nobleman was still unconscious. Good. Now... how the blazes were they to get out of here?

[Karthas077]

Minoru

As you near the guard, the two men with him flank you, and you all begin what you know will be a moderate journey to the nearest holding cell. You notice that no guard was left behind, but a few of the passersby who were in the area appear to either have business there or are busy gossiping about the events that have transpired.


Vaeron & Spade

After many minutes of navigating the undercity and making your way through various staircases, the two of you manage to make your way out of the upper cogs and into the more 'civilized' levels of the Sharn. Unfortunately this also means you begin receiving strange looks from passersby. It doesn't take much to realize that what draws their attention is the unconscious man strewn across Spade's shoulder.

Neither of you notice anyone following you for the rest of your trip, and while you manage to avoid the attention of the guards or any such people, as you get closer to the level where you left Minoru, the frequency of the looks you receive increases.

Not four blocks from where the pair of you leapt from the sidewalk, a pair of guards gesture for you to halt before one of them speaks, one hand near but not quite on his weapon, "Hold there... Where are you two headed and what happened to that man?"

[JonRG]

"There was an incident in the Bazaar. A courier fell to his death, and this man witnessed - or more likely caused - the event. He attacked us when we tried to stop him, then attempted to jump off the bridge and was rendered unconscious." Vaeron didn't see any need to mention the finer details, like how Vin became unconsious, as of this very moment.

[meemaas]

Minoru

Minoru follows, hoping that Spade will be able to find him even though he's been led away.