Megadungeon A (IC)

[Malimar]

A few days or weeks after whenever each of the last threads left off, you have encountered many minor inconveniences and disruptions to any plans you may have had, minor quarrels or amicable breakings-up of parties. For whatever reasons, Kataun Yriand (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=324432) (Kremti), Grunfold (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=313094) (Moranica), Hippolitus (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=313821) (planswalker), Dave Davenport (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=313119) (bobthe6th), and Lauren Norovathar (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=323564) (RCgothic) find themselves together in the Adventurer's Guild. The group's collective resources, inherited from previous expeditions, include a mule, a wagon, a large cage, and two mongrelfolk hirelings. (You of course retain any other experience and treasure acquired in previous expeditions, as well.) It is Zorday (the day after Wirday and before Farday).

The great city of Endeesy can't compare in magnificence, wealth, or amenities to some of the other capitols of the world. It offers only two things: first, almost anyone can find a way to fit in in this city of misfits; and second, even keeping the king's peace is almost beyond the military's ability, so non-violent offenses that might be crimes in other nations are overlooked here. So Endeesy, like its predecessor the Disreputable City, has naturally become a hub for pirates, smugglers, and adventurers alike.

But Endeesy has even more to offer than even the Disreputable City did in its heyday, for the lands north of the city are peppered with unexplored caves and ruins both ancient and recent, filled with fruits ripe for the plucking by those adventurers brave enough to seek them out.

Which is where you come in: you find yourselves once again in the grand Adventurer's Guildhall. Barely more than an oversized tavern, really, the draw of the Adventurer's Guild for adventurers is that here one may encounter like-minded adventurers with whom to form a team, and then one may consult the corkboard by the door for a myriad of opportunities. (The draw for everyone else is, of course, that one may post a bounty on the bulletin board and eventually it will be done, if the reward is high enough.)

Currently posted on the corkboard, there is a map:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6154305240_341811c5aa_b.jpg
(the map is labeled "PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS MAP, IT IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS")

...and a number of notes (in no particular order; spoilers'd only because they take up a lot of text space):

By order of Terek, Second of His Name, King of Gus, Vice-Admiral of the Dread Fleet, Ninth Count Rogan, and Emperor of the Mongrelfolk:
The king desires, to be brought before him for marriage, the most beautiful woman to be found in the all the reaches of the cosmos, whomsoever she may be.
The reward to any man who brings such a woman to the King shall earn the eternal gratitude of the kingdom and ten thousand platinum coins, or some equivalent favour.
Addendum from the Dowager Queen:
This woman must additionally be clever, competent, capable of defending herself in battle, and should preferably bring an alliance to some powerful nation.
If these conditions are met, the queen will see to it that he who completes this task shall have his greatest desire fulfilled to the greatest extent of possibility.


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5940730603_27740416c3_b.jpg


Sir Peph of the Kingsguard offers a bounty to any who would explore the ruins of Mat~sya and the Disreputable City on the slopes of Mount Dis. Somewhere, deep within the ruins, is rumoured to lie the tomb of Gus Dreadworm, bloodthirsty pirate king of legend.
Return with specific instructions, or preferably a map, and Sir Peph will part with his +1 cutlass and ten thousand gold.


Sir Randolph of the Kingsguard offers the following standing bounties:
1,000 gold for the head or plate and horns of a brass dragon.
1,500 gold for the head or horns and frill of a silver dragon.
2,000 gold for the head or horns of a copper dragon.
2,500 gold for the head or crest of a bronze dragon.
7,500 gold for the head or barbels of a gold dragon.
Juvenile or younger dragons shall earn half the listed bounty, while old and older dragons shall earn twice the listed bounty.
Additionally:
500 gold for the head of a metallic half-dragon of any race.
250 gold for the head of an individual of any race partially descended from a metallic dragon.
750 gold for the head of any Dragonborn of Bahamut, who are always metallic.
Moreover:
2,500 gold for a live chromatic half-dragon individual of any race.
1,250 gold for a live individual of any race partially descended from a chromatic dragon.


By order of Terek, Second of His Name, King of Gus, Vice-Admiral of the Dread Fleet, Ninth Count Rogan, and Emperor of the Mongrelfolk:
As befits a state of war between two nations, the king offers a standing bounty for the destruction, capture, or other removal from engineer hands, of any engineer-controlled submarine.
This shall earn a captain a letter of marque and official status as a privateer for the kingdom of Gus, with all the rights and responsibilities due thereto. Additionally, a reward of 1,500 platinum coins per submarine shall be granted.
Additionally, engineers, sea- or war-forged, or githzerai, captured while working for or with the engineer nation against Gus, shall earn a bounty of 25 platinum coins per captive.
The heads of engineers, sea- or war-forged, or githzerai, killed while working for or with the engineer nation against Gus, shall earn a bounty of 10 platinum coins per head.


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/5940730773_9752efdb9f_b.jpg


As many may already be aware, the countryside has been plagued by foul and fiendish beasts, issuing forth from the caves and mines of Mount Dis. As a protector of the Realm, I feel it my duty to investigate, but other duties keep me occupied between N.D.C. and the Omorashi border. As such, I issue the following bounties:
> For concrete, verifiable information regarding the ultimate source of the infestation: 2,500 gold
> For a detailed map leading from the surface to the ultimate source of the infestation: 5,000 gold
> For the temporary or permanent stoppage of the infestation, by any means: 50,000 gold
Bounty posted by Sir Nakazawa of the Kingsguard
Additionally, Sir Ravenwood of the Kingsguard
offers gold for detailed maps of the complete
cave system, for other use. A copy of a map
for each level or section shall be rewarded
with 1,000 gold pieces.


Sir Bill of the Kingsguard seeks a worthy mount:
Some flying beast,
alive and unharmed,
large enough to comfortably carry a full-grown man,
young and intelligent enough to tame,
healthy enough to live for quite some time
The quality of the beast shall determine the amount of the reward.


Seeking the following effects, in any form – spell, scroll, wand, wish or limited wish, or miscellaneous:
Animate Object and Permanency
Stone to Flesh
Awaken Construct
See Pumayyaton the Sculptor. Rewards include a powerful elephant statuette, a taciturn yet loyal Dread Guard, a snarky yet effective sword, or elegant custom-crafted statuary.


GLADIATORS WANTED
SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
PROVE YOUR METTLE
EARN FABULOUS PRIZES
ENTERTAIN THE CROWD
INQUIRE AT THE TEMPLE OF INGLIP AND ARENA COMPLEX
NO ENTRY FEE


CREATURES WANTED
WE NEED LIVE, DANGEROUS BEASTS
TO CHALLENGE ENTRANTS IN THE ARENA
REWARD FOR EACH MONSTER
INQUIRE AT THE TEMPLE OF INGLIP AND ARENA COMPLEX


REWARD:
Information sought leading to the whereabouts of a band of evil adventurers who broke into the monastery on Perch Hill, terrorized the monks, and murdered Prior Trakis, a paladin of the faith. See Abbot Waxter at the Monastery with any information.
Be on the lookout for a group consisting of:
> an orc-descended man, in possession of a horse
> an engineer man
> an Omorashi human woman
> three additional human or elf men
Be warned: these individuals are armed and extremely dangerous. They may be in league with an evil erinyes devil – this creature is very powerful and should not be engaged without proper training. They may also be in possession of copies of several volumes of the Evil Encyclopedia of Evil – if found, these books should not be read and may be returned to the Monastery for an additional reward.
Authorized by Numiel’s Archbishop of Shell, Jov Sauart


Lord Yuz-Perry, First Viscount Noodleton, seeks Aid for his Township:
The Don’t Drink This River, also called the Poison River, has been foul and fetid since the Colonization of Gus, hence the River’s Name. However, in the past few Months, the Horribleness has seen a marked Increase. A Man can no longer venture within a Mile of the River without becoming nauseated. Crops have begun to wither and die on the Stalk. Even Wells accessing Groundwater far from the River have become tainted and unpotable. Moreover, perhaps unrelatedly, Serfs and their Livestock have begun to vanish from their Fields, even in broad Daylight. (warning: wrackspawn demons)
Anyone who can venture to the Source of the River and render its Water fit for Consumption shall earn the undying Gratitude of the House of Yuz-Perry, as well as a Grant of Land and may choose among the Viscount’s many Daughters and Sons for their Hand in Marriage.
By order of Terek, Second of His Name, King of Gus, Vice-Admiral of the Dread Fleet, Ninth Count Rogan, and Emperor of the Mongrelfolk:
The King endorses this undertaking, and has ordered one thousand platinum coins laid in escrow, to be awarded to whomsoever achieves this task to the satisfaction of the Viscount Noodleton.


Interested parties seek copies of any volumes from the Evil Encyclopedia of Evil. Bring these documents to the temple of Quasxthe; ask for Viblet Kewne. The reward shall be 1,000 gold pieces per volume.


The proprietors of the Tiv-Beckett Cold-Iron Mine seek adventurers to clean out the primary mine system, which remains infested with monstrously huge centipedes and other vermin. The source of these creatures has been found and eliminated, but some vermin remain to terrorize our workers.

We shall pay
one copper piece for the remains of any centipede of less than 2’ length;
one silver piece for the remains of any centipede between 2’ and 8’ length;
one gold piece for the remains of any centipede of greater than 8’ length.

Additionally, we have struck ancient ruins of an underground civilization in our digging. We offer no reward for exploring these ruins, but adventurous types may choose to investigate nonetheless.


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6079/6093042499_5c3c311b9e_z.jpg


Becoming a Member of the Adventurer’s Guild carries a flat fee of 25gp. Among other benefits, Members get a 50% discount on rooms, food, and drinks at the Guild, and may request rescue party insurance for each mission they undertake.

A member of the Adventurer’s Guild may become a Journeyman if he finds and returns one of the five Journeyman’s Keys, hidden somewhere in the caves and dungeons of Mount Dis. Among other benefits, Journeymen get free room and food at the Guild, and receive a 10% discount at participating adventurer supply stores.

A Journeyman may become a Guild Master upon completion of some special quest for the Guild Masters. Among other benefits, the discount at participating adventurer supply stores increases to 20% for a Master.

Members of all levels must pay dues of 5gp per month.


Levethixi, vorastrixi, vur lyrik xiekivi svaust klae wer suiaerl auneli, usv tikilvi sweekmonir ekess xkhat mishun: siofme voranir ekess wer hertan di hewi. Drekim vin kamati persvek wer hertan ui aaiovew aurix vur asildk aurix rinovup welun. Nezcaubolic re vi cuaili sva wer hertan, zadl ekess shio yorir ini hertan ankini, zadl ekess wer kivan korshim ihk tija kirmipri, vur zadl ekess kemir vur vdri cuailiri.

(Translation for characters who can read Draconic:Wizards, Sorcerers, and other Wielders of the arcane Arts, or any One seeking to become Such: consider joining the Mage’s Guild. Apprenticeship in the Guild is 50gp plus 10gp per Month. Benefits include a Room at the Guild, Access to all Lectures by Guild Teachers, Access to the vending Machine for material Components, and Access to Training and Meditation Rooms.)


In practice, these bounties may range from the unambiguously good to the rankly evil, offer rewards ranging from piddling to riches beyond your wildest dreams, and mount challenges ranging from child's play to downright unachievable. None of these factors necessarily correlates with any of the others. And, of course, nothing requires you to select any bounty in particular to attempt at all.

Not every location you visit necessarily contains anything of value. Not all creatures you encounter will necessarily pose a challenge appropriate to your power, or even be hostile. Areas cleared of creatures will not necessarily remain cleared for long. And, of course, remaining within the city of Endeesy or travelling entirely off the map are options which are always available to you.

This is an organic world, with many options and correspondingly many risks. How you choose to respond is up to you.

(OOC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206967))

(Please include your character's name at or near the top of every post.)

[planswalker]

Hippolitus

Hipp reads through the offers, before saying, "I really like the sound of clearing out that cave of monsters. Lots of gold in that one."

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I peek round my new companion's shoulder as he reads through the bounties posted.

"Ah! The two coded ones are still up! The first one requests the return of a frost dagger from King Terek's armoury in return for a very valuable tome - I've already tried asking Terek for it, but he won't give up anything that belonged to his father, and I couldn't think of a way to break in.

The second code states that the guards are lax at the slave market on Farnight, as that's payday. I also attempted that one, but was let down by my former companions who disappeared on me just as we were about to attempt a rescue. I believe we could pull that one off with minimum risk."

[planswalker]

"Wait, there's a chance to raid the slave pens? I'll do that one with you. Everyone else can either come with or do something else for all I care. I'm doing that one with you. Where are the slave pens?"

[Moranica]

Lol, I actually kept the printed and translated coded message here.

Grunfold's ears start twitching as he catches someone saying gold.

"Gold you say? Lot's of it? Perhaps too should venture in that direction. What skills do you bring to the table?"

[RCgothic]

"Wait, there's a chance to raid the slave pens? I'll do that one with you. Everyone else can either come with or do something else for all I care. I'm doing that one with you. Where are the slave pens?"

Lauren

"Nalf's slave market is just a few blocks from the black pier. This is the layout as I scouted it last time:"


.......................................
.#...#...#...#...#...#...#####&#######.
.........................# #.
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.#....................~~~# #.
......................~~~& #.
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.#....................~~~# #.
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.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #.
.........................# #.
.........................# #.
.........................# #.
.........................# #.
.........................# #.
.........................# #.
###################......& #.
#......# #.
#......# #.
some #......# #.
unrelated #......# #.
warehouse #......# #.
#......#############.
#....................
. - ground
# - wall
& - heavy wooden door
~ - 10' high platform

"There are some high narrow windows as well, but even my raven could barely squeeze through."

I give that conundrum a moment's thought.

"Actually, with some preparation I could shrink Grunfold enough to let him enter that way if we could find a way to get him up to the window."

[Moranica]

Grunfold

"Interesting. Well, I suppose, if there are valuables involved. I'm game!"

[planswalker]

Hippolitus

In typical Hipp style, he runs out the door saying "C'mon guys! There's slaves to free!

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"Actually, there was no mention of reward on the message, but someone must have some influence and learning to have posted that note. There should also be what wages the guards haven't managed to spend yet, and (noting that many of these men will be political prisoners) if even one of the slaves is wealthy we could easily strike very big indeed! Even if they're all destitute, creating a population of people who owe us favours cannot be a bad thing.

In any case, I don't think the rescue will be the hard part, it will be what to do with them once they're released...

...um, does he normally do that? It isn't even the right day..."

[Malimar]

DM
Hippolitus barrels out the door! It's a slightly-chilly-yet-pleasant 55°F (12.8°C) out. Partly cloudy, not particularly windy.

Hipp probably knows the general direction of the Black Pier (it's a fairly major landmark), and that's probably good enough for him for now. Lookit 'im go! He can figure out which direction the slave market is in relation to the pier once he gets there, yes? :smalltongue:

Oh, Hipp. I wish there was one of you in every D&D party.

I was going to speculate that most political prisoners are probably kept in the Crown's dungeons and then executed or kept there forever. But now that Lauren mentions it, that seems awfully wasteful, when they could be sold for a profit. So it's entirely plausible that she's right! Certain elements of the government of Gus may be, uh, not necessarily Good-aligned.

And, of course, slavery is itself a pretty profitable business, at least in this nation, at least when adventurers don't come barging in freeing all your slaves. So it's a certain fact that there are valuables involved, though there is the pesky little fact that some or most of the valuables are people. But maybe the slavers'll have some neat stuff or cash to steal.

[Moranica]

Grunfold

Grunfold follows out the door. "So, we could also rent them out! With the option of buying them after a year. This could really work out profitable."

"I just thought of something. How about G-Lhipp for our company name. We would rent out our slaves, named consultants. Which is derived from the spanish words Con Sultana's, which means With Raisin's. Since it's such a good deal for everyone!"

"Anyway, how do we pull this off? I'll scout for guards."

Having said that, Grunfold scouts out the perimeter, while trying to remain hidden.

Hide [roll0]

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I stand with my hands on my hips, my slight frame outlined by the door as two of our new party members recede into the distance. Leonora ruffles her feathers indignantly on my shoulder.

"...I am NOT going getting involved with selling slaves." I mutter to myself.

I turn to the four remaining members of the group in attempt to forestall any similar acts of impetuousity.

"Farnight is tomorrow evening, so we have time to prepare. We should plan how we're going to get them out and what to do with them once we have. We'll either need to get them out of the city or procure a safehouse. In either event we'll need to clothe them so they don't look like escaped slaves and then feed them."

[planswalker]

Hippolitus

Hipp arrives at the pier, then stops dead in his tracks. Wait, the slaves will be rescued TOMORROW NIGHT! I guess I shouldn't have run off just yet... he thinks to himself.

Hipp turns around and runs back to the group. "Um, I guess we have to actually wait until tomorrow, don't we?"

[bobthe6th]

Dave

Watching the others run, and feeling a need to join them, Dave resists and mutters. "We could sneak on top of the other warehouses, then use rope to make a zip line to the pens, then climb back up with the slaves. It would first require some strong backs for the climbing, and some covering fire to hold off the guards..."

[Malimar]

DM
Let's say the Black Pier, and Nalf's Slave Market, are only several blocks away from the Adventurer's Guild, making it an inconvenient but not arduous trip.

Okay, so Hipp and Grunfold run off to the pier to try to find Nalf's Slave Market, while Lauren and Dave stay behind. Then Hipp runs back, while Grunfold sticks around to do a bit of gank sneakin'.

Anybody who chooses can retroactively be either back at the Adventurer's Guild or at Nalf's. Because we wouldn't want it to get confusing or anything.

Grunfold blends into the crowd and/or the shadows, noticed by nobody. They're all more intent on the auction.

It is the middle of Zorday. Nalf's slave market holds an auction every Zorday. Grunfold observes that they are in the middle of doing that very thing right now.

A small crowd of mostly mongrelfolk is gathered in the courtyard to the west of the low, stone building. On the raised platform, several human guards and a human auctioneer stand. Slaves of various sorts, dressed in simple burlap shifts, looking somewhat damp and chilly, are escorted from inside the building through the north door, paraded across the platform, and bid upon (or not; many of the slaves don't seem to be of interest to any buyers) by the assembled crowd, directed by the auctioneer, who repeatedly emphasizes the virtues and skills of his merchandise, seemingly at random and with no correlation to their actual appearance. The slaves are then returned, purchased and unpurchased alike, through the south door, presumably to await pickup at some later time.



.......................................
.#...#p..#...#...#...#...#####&#######.
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........p..........pp....# #.
...........p..p.pp.......# #.
.#........p.pp.p...p..~~g# #.
.....p..p..ppp pp.pp..~~~& #.
........p..p..p.pp.pp.sg~# #.
......p.....pp.ppp.p..A~~& #.
.#...........pp..p.p..~~g# #.
.....p.....p..p.p.p......# #.
...............p.pp..p...# #.
........p................# #.
.#..G#...#...#...#...#...# #.
.........................# #.
p........................# #.
.........................# #.
.........................# #.
.....p...................# #.
.........................# #.
###################......& #.
#..p...# #.
#......# #.
some #......# #.
unrelated #......# #.
warehouse #......# #.
#......#############.
#...p................
. - ground
# - wall
& - heavy wooden door
~ - 10' high platform
G - Grunfold
p - miscellaneous civilians
s - slave
g - guard
A - auctioneer

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

The bright red-clad, tall young man somehow picks up the conversation, despite his obvious obliviousness, runs toward frail looking elf (Lauren).

"Freeing slaves? Did someone say something about Freeing slaves? Do I get to pummel the evil slave owners?!?", in his excitement, he is spitting furiously, and yelling rather...loud.

-K

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I laugh at the strangely dressed man's enthusiasm for the quest!

"No! Well, maybe. I don't think the actual slave owners are likely to be there, but you never know. There will definitely be guards though!"

"I think the most important things are to decide how to stage the break out and to find a safe place for the slaves to go to afterwards. Last week there was a guard who patrolled outside we should easily be able to overpower. Then I could shrink Grunfold enough that he could squeeze through one of the windows if we could boost him up to it or take a ladder. Then he could let the rest of us in. We may need to take something to break door locks or manacles - perhaps a pick or crowbar?"

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

The tall young man gets even more excited hearing about the guards.

"Ah ha! Minions of the oppressor! Surely, we will beat them, decapitate them and hang their head high to show the tyranny is not tolerated! Besides, don't one of them usually have the keys to unlock these things?".

-K

[planswalker]

Hipp flexes a well-toned arm ended in claws. "Crowbar should work. If we can spring for a scroll of silent portal, I can make sure it won't give us away."

[Moranica]

Good, good. This should be easy enough. As long as there are no disguised guards around.

Grunfold then heads back to the rest, sharing his information with the others.

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"We have a crowbar already? I don't think I can afford a scroll right now, money's a bit tight..." :smallfrown:

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"We have a crowbar already? I don't think I can afford a scroll right now, money's a bit tight..." :smallfrown:

[bobthe6th]

Dave

Continues to mutter darkly, "Why break in, as this is supposed to be a break out... why not use a sledge to open a hole. If we used a sack rapped maul it should be rather quiet... and then we won't have to pull our treats out of a monkey trap..."

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"I don't think we need to break in - we could get Grunfold and Leonora through one of the windows and then he could let us in - the crowbar or mallet would be in case the slaves are locked up and we need to break things once we're in - it would delay an outside response to get in by stealth."

[Moranica]

"We could do it two-fold. A divertion nearby on the outside, while me and Leonora use our stealth to get them out. I am good with locks, should the need arise."

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"I'm not sure an outside disturbance would be of any help, as the guards are unlikely to respond. It would just attract attention from the city watch that we don't want."

"I think the best course of action is to quietly eliminate any guards patrolling outside, get Grunfold through a window and have him let us in. We can then overpower anyone encountered within without attracting outside attention, before freeing the slaves and escaping to the prepared safe house. If Grunfold encounters trouble we can break in to help him out - I'll know through my contact with Leonora."

"I suggest we split up and try to find a safe place to hide the slaves and purchase any equipment we may need, like a ladder - I'm afraid I can't recall whether the windows are low enough for a simple boost to work. Unless anyone has any further suggestions?"

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"Sweet! This is like regular mission-series books! Shall I go get one of those tight body cloth thing for stealth mission? I will go get red one. We need a uniform! We should all go get one. And a team name! How about 'Endeesy Five'? Shall we make a team logo, so we can plaster all over the Slave Pen, so we can mark it "Endeesy Five wuz here!" How about like things to knock people unconscious? You know, one of them sap things? Shall we go now? I'm so excited!"

-K

[Moranica]

"..... we could use Kataun as a distraction..", Grunfold grins.

[planswalker]

"Crowbars are cheap. I'll pick one up."

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I laugh brightly at Grunfold's comment. "He is rather distracting!"

"Ok, then I suggest we all split up and try to find a safe place to hide the slaves, and accomplish any other tasks we may have before meeting back here for dinner?"

List of things Lauren will attempt if there's enough time:
Gather Information/Search for abandoned properties a discrete distance from Naif's.
Gather information, locate anyone who's business may be to help things disappear from the law.
Gather information on Naif's: Owned solely by Naif? Connections to Terek or Kingsguard? Rough Idea of Guard numbers. Is Naif likely to be around on Farnight?
Swing past Naif's, discern whether ladder required and if so buy ladder.
Gather information on individual members of Kingsguard, character, temperament and connections. Any good apples in there?

Lauren will invest half her available funds in the above.

[Malimar]

DM
I think I was, once upon a time, going to consult my maps and pinpoint the windows. I'll do that now.

The entire north end of the building is two storeys tall; the south end is one storey tall. The windows in the north end all higher than the windows in the south end: the high windows are about 18 feet off the ground; the low windows are about 8 feet off the ground. A ladder is probably necessary for the former, unnecessary for the latter.

I think this is already known, but I'll make it explicit: All the building's windows are effectively Diminutive in size (let's say about a foot wide by 6" tall), so a Tiny creature can fit if it squeezes.


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.#...#...#...#...#...#...# ^.
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.........................#-----------#.
.........................v #.
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###################......& #.
#......# #.
#......v #.
some #......# #.
unrelated #......# #.
warehouse #......# #.
#......##v##v#######.
#....................

. - ground
# - wall
& - heavy wooden door
~ - 10' high platform
^ - high window
v - low window
- - demarcation between two-storey north end of the building and one-storey south end


Okay, so Hipp ventures off to buy a crowbar! Kataun ventures off to buy a sap and uniforms and, like, paint or something! Lauren ventures off to gather as much information as possible! Or you can continue as you were if there's more to say and this can just be me resolving stuff in advance.


Okay, so, Lauren needs to trance for 4 hours and spend an hour studying her spellbook. Let's say it's about noon Zorday, dinnertime Farday is about 4pm, and let's call it 1 hour on swinging by the market and either buying a ladder (for even cheaper than crowbars and saps! Though wandering through the streets of the city at night carrying a 10' ladder could draw attention) or not, so that's about 22 hours to work with.

A typical Gather Information check takes 1d4+1 hours, so...

Let's see if I remember how to do this...
[roll0] - [roll1]
[roll2] - [roll3]
[roll4] - [roll5]
[roll6] - [roll7]
[roll8] - [roll9]
[roll10] - [roll11]
[roll12] - [roll13]
[roll14] - [roll15]
(Any of these past 22 hours will just go to waste. I'll assume they're in order of priority.

[bobthe6th]

DAVE
Dave wanders off to procure a spear of the masterwork variety, and a few tangle foot bags(lets say 3).

[Malimar]

DM
Okay so Lauren has time for about 7 checks. Assigning which goes to which question based on some abstruse, half-arbitrary collection of methods...

First, Lauren spends about two hours searching for abandoned properties near the slave market. Eventually, she overhears a gaggle of human merchants gossiping about a recent warehouse fire near the Black Pier, and, after buying a near-worthless trinket, manages to subtly squeeze from them a near-precise location. The burnt-out warehouse is an empty shell, possibly not entirely safe, but it's conveniently only about two blocks from Nalf's.

She spends about 7 hours asking around, trying to locate anyone who's business may be to help things disappear from the law. This is a tricky, delicate question. She does manage to get a hedge priest (serving the whole pantheon, as many hedge priests do) and a ratcatcher chatting over drinks. The ratcatcher mentions a number of half-reputable pawn shops that are in the habit of bribing officials to overlook their business (probably great for fencing stolen goods). The hedge priest launches into a story about Mirk, and how nothing can be found if Mirk doesn't want it found, unless Numiel shines his light in the darkness. But Numiel's word is not valued in Endeesy; the nearest temple of Numiel is on the other side of Mount Dis, at the Monastery on Perch Hill. (Perhaps it occurs to Lauren that, should they be able to get the escaped slaves out of the city, the priests of Numiel would probably be more than willing to find them new homes.)

Lauren spends a few more hours asking around, finding her way to the Merchant's Guild, and for a few gold worth of bribery (probably more money than he makes in a month), a young clerk lets her peruse their records, where she discovers that all the relevant documents are in Nalf's name exclusively; he seems to be the sole owner of Nalf's Slave Market. She also finds a scrawled, handwritten note among the records, some clerk's warning to any future clerks, "DUDES UNTRUSTWORTHY".

Then it's so late that she's having trouble finding anybody even to talk to, so she goes to trance and study for a few hours. Then, in the morning, she ventures forth again, at which point she discovers that one of the group's hirelings (Aroldo or Mattan, I don't recall which) actually worked for Nalf for a few weeks, once upon a time, and found him a terrible, dishonest, skeevy employer. He recalls there being anywhere from 4-8 guards present on any given day, though that was months ago. He also mentions there being 4-10 civilian workers at any given time, too. He doesn't happen to recall Nalf ever coming or leaving, but he doesn't recall Nalf being exactly omnipresent, either, so he has no idea whether the guy is likely to be there on Farnight.

As for connections to the King or the Kingsguard, the hireling shrugs, then gets all "oh, wait, no, you're right!", and mentions that every Zorday, when the auction is held, Sir Randolph the White would always be there, and would never bid, except that whenever any vaguely reptilian or draconic slave came up for auction, whatever their origin, Randolph would always outbid everyone.

And Lauren asks around about the Kingsguard! Well, what she does first is she buys a history pamphlet, which tells the story: when the Seventh Count Rogan was overthrown and the Kingdom of Gus was founded, there was no Kingsguard, hardly even any guards at all. It was the divine mandate of Quasxthe that cast Count Rogan VII into the sea and raised Baron Terek Rogan up to his cousin's post, and divine mandate that landed the Disreputable City on Mount Dis, allowing the new Count Rogan to found the nation of Gus and crown himself King. At first, it was just Terek Rogan I (eighth Count Rogan, first King Terek), qurSaan his pirate bride, and their crews. qurSaan's crew of mongrelfolk pirates, Terek's crew of gargoyles and vampires, led by Rifa the White Dragon, his oldest friend.

Nobody has seen Rifa the White Dragon in years, since even before the old king was assassinated in the night and his son took the throne (as the ninth Count Rogan, second King Terek). The gargoyles and vampires are long gone, and the remaining members of qurSaan's crew formed the core of the Kingsguard: Sir Peph Box-Cooper the Salty, former first mate; Sir Ravenwood the Wise, navigator; Sir Winden Nek-Smith the Holy; and Sirs Bill the Bolt, Nelson the Axe, Fred the Scoundrel, Gilbert the Stout, Joseph the Short, and William the Tall. To this crew, Terek II initially added his childhood friends Randolph the White and Bigglesworth the Slightly Dim. Somewhat later, the Omorashi ronin Sir Nakazawa declared his undying allegiance to Gus after some incident in which the king demonstrated his worthiness, the details of which are vague.

And, of course, everybody's willing to gossip about the Kingsguard. It only takes a few minutes of asking to conclude that Sir Bigglesworth is huge and scary. Sir Winden is considered a friend to all people, having recently cured a horrible Spelunker's Itch plague. Nobody can find anything bad to say about Sir Ravenwood, either, and Sir Nakazawa is known to be fanatically loyal to his duty to the crown. Most of the others are seen as bland and uninteresting, except Sir Randolph; people's voices drop and their eyes go shifty when they talk about Sir Randolph, quiet and unobtrusive, but each rumour about his alleged sadistic proclivities is more unbelievable than the last.

And then it's Farday dinnertime.

I enjoy writing for Gather Information checks. Nobody should hesitate to make them! (Unless they don't enjoy reading great big ol' walls o' text, in which case that's fine too.) But, in the future, feel free to refrain from making a whole bunch of them at once... :smallwink:

Dave finds a smithy that'll sell him, for the standard prices, a spear, an alchemistry shop that'll sell him tanglefoot bags. Similarly, Hipp and Lauren have no problem finding a smithy and a carpenter, respectively, that'll sell them a crowbar and a ladder, respectively. And, for that matter, if Kataun wants a sap and/or paint, those are no problem, either. Uniforms'll take a few days to tailor :smallamused:.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun comes back, with his faithful mount Rocinante. On the saddle, there are 5 buckets of paints, in 5 different colors, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Pink.

"Look!", Kataun pulls out a red outfit sort of loose and flabby around his body, not quite matching the bright red armor of his. "I got this for our uniform! Well, kind of. I wanted five of those for us, but they didn't have five ready to go. Or even one. This one was two-size larger around the waste and this was the best I could get. I think this will have to do for now."

Malimar:Will get Sap and Paints. As for uniform...I suppose we'll get them later! X-D
-K

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I'm quite pleased with my information gathering! I decide we should target a downstairs window near the southwest door, so I don't buy a ladder. When I trance I take the opportunity to prepare reduce person. All this accomplished, I head back to the Adventurer's guild to wait for the others, and try to hide my horror at the offences to fashion Kataun turns up wielding!

Bluff check, appear un-horrified at thought of wearing anything dreamt up by Kataun: [roll0]

[bobthe6th]

Dave

wanders in with a beautiful minimalist naginata (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naginata), carrying three largish sacks over his shoulder.
"I would suggest the look out takes these, as they would stop any fleeing witnesses... also, I have a shiny new spear! The poor Orimasian merchant was practically giving the things away! Always wanted one of the katanas on a stick..."
reflufed master work spear

[planswalker]

Hippolitus

Hipp will walk into the first smithy or tool shop that he finds, not bothering to even read the name on the sign. If he likes the business, he'll take note of it on his way out.

"I want a crowbar!" he declares to noone in particular.

[Malimar]

DM
Hipp walks into the first promising shop he finds: Dharblyn's Smithy and Discount Tool Emporium, a pleasant little shop, smelling of iron and fresh wood, just like a hardware store should. The mongrelman behind the counter looks unperturbed at Hipp's declaration, and pulls down a crowbar from its place with its fellows on the pegboard behind him. In an affectless monotone, the mongrelman says, "Twenty silver." (Heeey, that's not 'discount' at all!)


Meanwhile, slightly in the future...
[roll0]
Lauren is spectacularly successful at pretending not to be revolted!

[planswalker]

Hipp plops two gold on the counter. "Sounds fine. Thanks!"

He'll grab the crowbar and leave. Just as he's leaving, he says, "Thanks for selling me that crowbar! Now I can break in to your competitor's house and rob him blind!" He thought the joke was funny and chuckles at it.

[Malimar]

DM
The mongrelman takes Hipp's gold and gives him the crowbar.

To Hipp's joke, the mongrelman nods, still monotone, "Very good, sir." (No telling whether he thinks the joke is very good, or whether he thinks the plan of breaking into his competitors' houses is very good.)

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

The man in Red notices the frail looking elf is interested in the uniform.

"Oh, you like the uniform too? I'll put the word in to the Tailor when I go order my proper uniform. What color you want? Red is already taken. Of course, we might want to keep our identity secret. Cos, you know, that's how we roll, isn't it? We need our own tailor. You don't know how to saw, do you?"

-K

[planswalker]

Hipp returns, brandishing the crowbar and says, "Here we go, a crowbar!"

[Moranica]

Grunfold eyes the others warily.

Hmmpff, spending money like that. Such a waste. We don't even have a clue if this job will give us interest on our investments, let alone pay for such expensive equipment. Then again, if they dislike money that much ....

"Alright guys, seems you all got ..... prepared. I'm ready as I am. Low windows are perfect for me, though a boost would be nice. .... and that does not mean throwing me! as some idiot giant once thought."

[planswalker]

"I can help you with that."

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I manage to control my revulsion at the thought of dressing up like a rainbow for the moment. I cast a glance at Leonora who shrugs her wings and becomes very interested in preening her feathers. I can tell she thinks this is funny, so I shrug my shoulder too so that she nearly loses her balance and flaps in annoyance.

"I think it's an interesting idea Kataun, but I'm not sure body suits are for everyone. And my clothes are already green, see?" I smile and give him a twirl, making my skirt swish.

I turn back to the group. "Ok, so we should probably wait until about 11pm so the guards have the optimum amount of time to spend their wages and get drunk. Then last time I tried this there was a patrolling guard who came out to patrol the perimeter from time to time. He should be easily and quickly subdued.

After that we try the southwest door. If it's unlocked good, we all rush in and storm the place as quickly as possible. If not, I'll cast 'Reduce Person' on Grunfold so that he can squeeze through the window next to the door so he can let us in. The effects will only last a minute, but it should be enough! Plan C is we break down the door.

Once inside we subdue any guards (our intelligence suggests 4-8 in a drunken state plus 8 or so civillians who may have gone home by then), free all the slaves, and then make our way to an abandoned warehouse I found. We can figure out what to do next from there. We should try not to kill anyone except in self defence.

Any questions?"

[planswalker]

"Where in the plan do we have time to grab whatever valuables we can find to give the people we free enough coin that they won't be penniless beggars?"

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"General looting of the slave market can occur at the same time as the freeing of slaves. They can probably help us with that. Any other questions?"

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"I'm ready! Let's go deliver some justice!", Kataun hops onto his horse, with his polearm drawn. At least he actually looks very competent doing that.

"Oh, one more question! What's our battle cry? We should have one! I think we should yell something like , 'In the name of the marshmallow, we will punish you!' as we kick minions of slavehandlers and such!""

-K

[bobthe6th]

Dave

"But but... murder and mayhem... such a loss. I would suggest allowing me to swarm the outside with bats, so there can be no witnesses..."
Dave giggles a bit at the idea of swarming bats, and the terror they can inspire.
"perhapce I should get a costume as well... a bat costume. I could strike fear into the villas black hearts! Though it needs a name... perhapce man bat? werbat? Man dresed like a bat?"
Then he shakes his head sharply
"must stop listening to Katuan, that almost sounded like a good plan"
ok, next mision, start vigilanty group...

[Moranica]

Grunfold

"Alright, I'm ready .... though I will hold you responsible if the local cat starts hunting me...."

[planswalker]

"I'd worry more about the local crowbar-wielding gangs out there. But that's me."

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"In that case I think we should head over and subtly observe the place until about 11pm or whenever the guards appear suitable lax."

[planswalker]

"Do you really think snooping around all day long is a smart way to avoid attracting attention? I doubt the slave pens is a favorite place for people to loiter."

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"No, you're right. It's actually earlier than I thought it would be, so maybe I'll show you all to the abandoned warehouse so we all know where we're going afterwards. Then we can wait there until the appointed time whilst one of us observes the target to get a feel for what's going on. It should probably be me, because I don't look much like anything to be concerned about and I can use Leonora as a messenger."

[planswalker]

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way." Hipp, ever the proactive one, heads out the door. In his head, it sounding like the smartest plan to him means that everyone else does too and therefore are behind this plan as well.

[Malimar]

DM
The burnt-out shell was once a big, high-ceilinged wooden warehouse. Somebody must have managed to put the fire out before it burned down completely. It doesn't look like it was particularly full when it caught fire. Several holes in the roof admit the late daylight, and piles of assorted burned rubbish are heaped around the warehouse floor.

It doesn't look like the kind of place you'd necessarily want to be making any sudden movements or loud noises, but it should probably be safe enough as long as everyone's careful. Loose soot sifts from the ceiling, disturbed by the movement of your passage, but no beams or pillars or chunks of roof come down.

[planswalker]

Satisfied that the place is not about to murder him, Hipp finds a corner and naps until it is time to go, his crowbar clutched in one hand.

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"Ok, now if you guys wait here for a couple of hours and try not to attract attention, I'll go and read a scroll someplace I can keep track of people coming and leaving Nalf's. If there're any developments I'll send Leonora with a message. I don't expect there to be any trouble, so if you don't here from me come and meet me at 11pm." :smallsmile:

[Malimar]

DM
Assuming Lauren's proposed course of action is acceptable to everyone, she sets off, sets up camp somewhere with a view of one or both of the slave market's two exits, and tries not to look conspicuous, yes?

I just rolled 1d20 on my desk and said to myself "a high number means there's a cafe" or something similarly convenient right across the road. I rolled a 1.

Turns out there isn't really much in the way of conveniently inconspicuous spots near the slave market. This section of the city is mostly warehouses. Especially around the slave market itself; nobody wants to live or do commerce near Nalf's.

Pay no attention to the dice behind the spoiler:
[roll0]
[roll1]

Lauren winds up being pretty conspicuous, having little option but to stand out in the open by a warehouse. Luckily, it's late afternoon, a fair number of people are still wandering in the street (a few of whom give her odd looks), and the several men who who leave Nalf's is preoccupied with the money they've just been paid and are intent on spending as irresponsibly as they possibly can. The one guard who wanders out the front door and makes a counterclockwise circuit of the building every thirty minutes or so seems particularly inclined to not pay attention to his surroundings, even though paying attention to his surroundings is probably 95% of what Nalf pays him for.

As the hours pass and the appointed time rolls around, nobody has noticed Lauren, as far as she can tell.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

While waiting in the warehouse, Kataun starts using the paints he acquired to draw some pictures (alas, his drawings are pretty primitive stick-figure drawings), and some random words, and weirdly, words of encouragement. "We wuz here. We believe!"

-K

[planswalker]

Hippolitus

Hipp snores in the corner.

[bobthe6th]

Dave considers how many bats it would take to fill the warehouse...

[RCgothic]

Lauren

With nothing in particular happening, I wait for the others to turn up.

[Malimar]

DM
...the appointed time rolls around. It is now approximately 11pm.

[Moranica]

Grunfold

Grunfold shoots up, having drifted off into slumber, while smoking his pipe.

"Is it time?"

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"Yes!", Kataun dashes towards his mount, leaps through the air, and hop onto Rocinante.

He is about to ride fast into the night...

-K

[bobthe6th]

Dave

Dave follows proper sneaky procedure and wanders nonchalantly over toward the Rendezvous point, attempting to fain minor drunkenness.

[planswalker]

Hippolitus

Hipp wakes up, pauses for a minute and thinks, then heads off to the meeting point. Upon arrival, he whispers loudly, "So, are we ready for this?"

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I whisper back:

"Ok, well there's a guard comes out for a patrol every half hour. If we wait we can ambush him and that will be an easy way to reduce the number of guards by one. The downside is we have to wait a bit more and there's more chance of witnesses."

"The other approach is we simply go for it and trust that we'll be able to overcome everyone inside."

[planswalker]

"A dragon thins the herd before stalking the pack leader."

[Moranica]

The sometimes hard hearing halfling eye's bulge.

What on earth is he talking about? Dragons???

"NOBODY SAID NOTHING ABOUT DRAGONS!!! And you can be packleader btw."

[planswalker]

Hippolitus clicks his draconic claws in is teammate's face. "I am the dragon. The lone sentry being taken out first is thinning the herd. In this case, the pack leader is the presumable guards inside. It's called metaphor. Learn it. Love it.

and then we all can get a vast party when we free the slaves!"

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"In that case, all of you go round that corner and get ready. I'll be able to see both you and the guard from here, and the signal will be Leonora taking off! The guard is due in about [roll0] minutes!"

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun squees in his saddle, "Dragons, where?!?!", and shows a very disappointed face when he realizes there isn't a literal dragon.

He then hounds Leonora closely, twitching occasionally, trying not to randomly start charging at a random guard. He tries to glare at the guard from weee distance.

-K

[Malimar]

DM
The party seems to be in agreement. They follows Leonora's instructions and cross the street to lurk by the building, yes? Is this the desired corner, positioning, and arrangement?


.........................................
<-L-..............................DGHK...
..#...#...#...#...#...#...#####&#######..
..........................# #..
..........................^ #..
..........................# #..
..#....................~~~# ^..
.......................~~~& #..
.......................~~~# #..
.......................~~~& #..
..#....................~~~# #..
..........................# #..
..........................^ #..
..........................# #..
..#...#...#...#...#...#...# ^..
..........................# #..
..........................# #..
..........................# #..
..........................#-----------#..
..........................v #..
..........................# #..
####################......& #..
#......# #..
#......v #..
#......# #..
unrelated #......# #..
warehouse #......# #..
#......##v##v#######..
#.....................
#.....................

. - ground
# - wall
& - heavy wooden door
~ - 10' high platform
^ - high window
v - low window
- - demarcation between two-storey and one-storey
<-L- - Lauren, across the street to the west, about 50' off the map
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun

[planswalker]

Hipp is in place, ready to strike!

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"Try not to kill anyone if you don't have to!" I remind the others as I take up my place with Leonora on my shoulder.

All good here. :smallsmile:

[Malimar]

DM
By the way: the moons are fairly bright tonight (enough that the environment is an area of shadowy illumination), so it's not difficult to see one's way. The guard carries a lantern on his rounds, and there is faint light coming from inside all four of the western windows. If one peeks around the corner to the eastern wall, one might find that neither of the eastern windows are emitting light. No telling about the southern windows; none of the windows are really giving off enough illumination to see unless you're looking directly at them.

All the exterior doors are solid wood.

I think I'll extend the map a bit, as it has occurred to me that the alleys between the slave market and the adjacent warehouses are pretty wide, but not so wide as to not be of any tactical concern:

..........# #...#
..........#############################...#
..........................................#
..........................................#
<-L-..............................DGHK....#
..#...#...#...#...#...#...#####&#######...#
..........................# #...#
..........................^ #...#
..........................# #...#
..#....................~~~# ^...#
.......................~~~& #...#
.......................~~~# #...#
.......................~~~& #...#
..#....................~~~# #...#
..........................# #...#
..........................^ #...###
..........................# #......
..#...#...#...#...#...#...# ^......
..........................# #......
..........................# #....##
..........................# #....#
..........................#-----------#....#
..........................v #....#
..........................# #....#
####################......& #....#
#......# #....#
#......v #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##v##v#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#
#...# #...#

. - ground
# - wall
& - heavy wooden door
~ - 10' high platform
^ - high window
v - low window
- - demarcation between two-storey and one-storey
<-L- - Lauren, about 50' off the map
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun


In related news, assuming people are trying not to make too much noise:
Kataun: [roll0]
Grunfold: [roll1]
Hippolitus: [roll2]
Dave: [roll3]

And, I suppose, just for kicks:
Kataun: [roll4]
Grunfold: [roll5]
Hippolitus: [roll6]
Dave: [roll7]
Lauren: [roll8]


...none of you can hear for crap. The crickets are too loud, they drown out any conversation that may or may not be going on within the building.

But at least you're all reasonably quiet as you sneak over to the proper corner. The windows are high, the crickets are loud, the stone walls and wooden doors of the slave building are thick, it's only the very slimmest of chances that anybody inside could possibly hear you.

Only Hippolitus should read this spoiler:

From the other side of the northern door of the slave market, 10' from the party, Hipp hears faint, muffled words that he can't make out, then a jingling, scraping click, as from a key being applied to a lock.

[planswalker]

Hipp holds up a hand and focuses in. "Quiet a moment, I hear something."

if they're 10' off, hipp's blindsense should give him some additional clues about the situation. Like at least how many people are there and their placement.

[planswalker]

also, actively listening to the noise

[roll0]

[Malimar]

DM
Hipp:

Oh right, blindsense. I forgot. But! You don't have line of effect to them yet; they're still, for a few more seconds, on the far side of a closed door.

You do, however, know that there is at least one immediately on the other side of the door. Because he's opening the door. Right now. Listening intently, you can hear him saying, "...gonna go check it out. Usual procedure."

Another voice: "Hearin' ghosts, man. Don't let 'im get to you like that."

If everyone perks up their ears and listens intently like Hipp does, they'll notice that... the door immediately to their west is swinging open, and light is pouring out.

Lauren, across the street, can see the sudden light, and can probably surmise what it means.

Everybody:
..........# #...#
..........#############################...#
.............................,,,,,........#
..............................,,,.........#
<-L-...........................,..DGHK....#
..#...#...#...#...#...#...#####g#######...#
..........................# #...#
..........................^ #...#
..........................# #...#
..#....................~~~# ^...#
.......................~~~& #...#
.......................~~~# #...#
.......................~~~& #...#
..#....................~~~# #...#
..........................# #...#
..........................^ #...###
..........................# #......
..#...#...#...#...#...#...# ^......
..........................# #......
..........................# #....##
..........................# #....#
..........................#-----------#....#
..........................v #....#
..........................# #....#
####################......& #....#
#......# #....#
#......v #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##v##v#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#
#...# #...#. - ground/floor (shadowy illumination)
# - wall
& - heavy wooden door
~ - 10' high platform
^ - high window
v - low window
- - demarcation between two-storey and one-storey
<-L- - Lauren, about 50' off the map
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun
g - guard standing in a suddenly open doorway
, - well-lit space

Now I am going to wait for actions from everybody (or for 24 hours, whichever is shorter; usual combat procedures, though combat hasn't necessarily started yet) before adjudicating anything more.

[bobthe6th]

Dave summons a hoard of spiders under the mans feat.
Summon swarm cast at the mans feat streaching inside. Then dave moves back in a diagonal line.

[planswalker]

Hipp will walk 30 feet to the west, taking the AoO for moving across threatened squares, then cast ghostly tail, manifesting a draconic tail. As the last component of the spell goes off, Hipp lashes out with one of his claws.

ghostly tail gives me a semi-translucent tail that I can use to make attacks of opportunity as a melee touch attack for 2d6+1 damage. It will last for 2 hours.

and, my draconic claws feat gives me a claw attack as a free action after casting a spell that takes at least a standard action to cast.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[RCgothic]

Lauren

Oh no! That wasn't the door I was expecting!

I dash across the square to help the others storm the doorway quickly.

[Moranica]

Grundold

What? Aahhhh, fools, this is it....

Grunfold tries to hide in what little shade is left.

Hide [roll0]

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun expertly guide his mount to the door and then pronounce to the man coming out of the door, "Excuse me sir, you are interfaring with our cunning plan!" He attempts to knock the man out with the back of his Guisarme...

Move action to move up and draw the guisarme, Standard Action to hit the man with it doing Non-lethal damage, taking -4 to hit
To hit: [roll0]
Damage if hit:[roll1]
-K

[Malimar]

DM
Pay no attention to the initiative rolls behind the spoiler...
Kataun: [roll0]
Grunfold: [roll1]
Hippolitus: [roll2]
Dave: [roll3]
Lauren: [roll4]

So initiative is:
Lauren
Grunfold
guard 3
Kataun
guard 1
guard 2
Dave
Hippolitus

Lauren runs across the street, and sees her companions entering combat!

Grunfold melts into the shadows!

One of the guards inside takes a full-round action to roll his eyes at the paranoia of his companion, going off to investigate hallucinatory noises.

Kataun, on Rocinante, trots up to swing the butt of his guisarme at the very surprised-looking guard in the doorway! The guard manages to bring his light shield up to deflect the blow away from him and into the doorway.

The guard in the doorway, whom Kataun just attacked, was carrying a lantern. He reflexively chucks the lantern at Kataun... and completely misses; the lantern shatters against the wall of the adjoining warehouse. Oil leaks out in a little burning pool. (The other warehouse also apears to be made of stone, and is not particularly likely to catch fire.)
Then the guard whips out his longsword from its scabbard and... wisely takes a 5' step back.

Another guard, inside the building, emits an impressive stream of profanity. Kataun catches a glimpse of him as he scrambles to his feet and produces a shortbow.

Dave summons some spiders! (Apparently the internet's consensus is that warlock invocations are indeed all standard actions, even the ones that are as full-round spells. So I guess that checks out!) The guard immediately regrets chucking his lantern away. Since the guy has moved back out of line of sight, the only way to hit him is to move before casting, and to a slightly different location than directly diagonally away would have put him.
Dave also gets a glimpse of a third guard within the building.

Then Hipp runs up!
EDIT: But the guard has stepped back, so instead Hipp ducks into the doorway. (He doesn't have quite enough movement to deliberately provoke an AoO. Unless it's possible to provoke as a free action, but I didn't happen to find any way to do that.) The guard is by then prepared, so Hipp's casting provokes. But Hipp ducks slightly as he's casting, and the guy's sword blow goes wide. Then Hipp lashes out with a claw, and connects, leaving a gash across the guard's face, provoking a burst of profanity from him!

Kataun and Dave each get separate glimpses of the interior of the slave market. Hipp has a better view. There appears to be a 10' platform to the west, and two sets of stairs up to it.

The guards look like they were sitting on the floor, playing a game of cards, which one of them, in his haste to stand up, has just kicked all over the floor. The guards appear to be human, clad in scale mail, equipped with longswords, shortbows, and shields. (The north one has his longsword out; the southeast one has his shortbow out, the third one doesn't appear to be wielding either yet.)

One of the guards in back starts yelling, "CODE ONE RED! CODE ONE RED!"


.........#############################...#
............................,KK,*D.......#
.............................KK,,,.......#
.............L................,...G......#
.#...#...#...#...#...#...#####H#######...#
.........................#~==sg# #...#
.........................^~~,ss# #...#
.........................#~~,,,# #...#
.#....................~~~#~~,,,& ^...#
......................~~~&~~g,,# #...#
......................~~~#~~,,g# #...#
......................~~~&~~,,,# #...#
.#....................~~~#~~,,,# #...#
.........................#~==,,# #...#
.........................^ ,,,# #...##
.........................# ###,# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# # & ^.....
.........................# #.....
.........................# #....#
.........................# #....#
.........................# #....#
.........................^ #....#
.........................# #....#
###################......& #....#
#......# #....#
#......^ #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#
. - ground/floor (shadowy illumination)
, - well-lit space
# - wall
& - door
~ - 10' high platform
^ - window
L - Lauren
D - Dave
G - Grunfold (tight against the wall, 18 Hide worth of hard to see)
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
g - guard (the north one is sharing his space with some spiders, too)
* - smashed lantern
s - swarm of spiders
| - open door
= - stairs (west is up)

[bobthe6th]

DAVE

Dave five foot steps south west, then to the west, then throws another swarm of spiders, as deep into the room as possible(move standard). As an aside to his allies "I would suggest keeping away from the spiders, I have no control over them..."

spiders are independent, so they will attack whatever is nearest. He is ignoring the spell for concentration, so the first spiders have another round before they poof. Yes, summon swarm is a fun invocation.

[Moranica]

Grunfold moves closer to the door, looking for anybody coming out with a deathwish.

[planswalker]

Hipp doesn't just go west like a moron but engages the enemy, provokes a movement AoO if he can, and THEN attacks. Like a sane and competent adventurer who doesn't drool on his shoes.

Since anything I'm likely to try to predict now will be useless by the time my turn comes, he'll take a tail AoO if he gets one and will attack the nearest guard when his turn comes. Full attack if he can, single attack charge if not.

I'll leave tactics to those who aren't screwed by the initiative order.

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

[roll4]
[roll5]

tail AoO if it comes up:
[roll6] touch attack
[roll7]

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I continue to run, aware that we need to storm the doorway as fast as possible. I take up position 20ft north of the door. I despatch Leonora to look in through one of the high windows.

[Malimar]

DM
Lauren ducks past Kataun and Rocinante, then sends Leonora to peer in the window! The guards are somewhat too distracted to pay attention to her. Lauren and Leonora can both see into the building, the three guards and the spiders and the cards and Hipp and everything. (Unless she was sending Leonora around to one of the eastern pair of windows, in which case Leonora sees darkness.)

Grunfold inches west. Hipp's got the doorway bottled up pretty well.

The third guard, the one who had been mocking the first one for hearing things, grabs at a flask chained to the wall, aims at the swarm of spiders, and yells what sounds like "GEYSER!", and a firehose-jet of water bursts from the flask, washing away about a third of Dave's itsy-bitsy spiders, and staggering the guard near the doorway.
But the controlled jet only lasts a second, as the guy with the flask is promptly bowled over by the force of the jet of water. The flask slips from his hand and starts flying and spraying water everywhere (catching both guards near it with at least one full blast), like a balloon with a hole in it, except it's chained to a wall, so instead it smashes repeatedly against the wall. One of the guards manages to yell "CORK, CORK!", shutting off the flow, but he's a second too late. The decanter has smashed itself to pieces.
It... oh, let's say the flask explodes, sending a blast of water in all directions. A small tsunami of water smashes into all three guards and Hippolitus.
Hipp......rolls a reflex save [roll0] and......takes 2 damage from the eruption of water.

It is suddenly very dark inside the building, as all the lanterns have been summarily extinguished. The interior is now a few feet deep in water, which has suddenly begun flowing out the door, carrying with it all the spiders, the first guard, and... Hippolitus, unless he succeeds at the following a balance check: [roll1] ...Hippolitus. Hippolitus is bowled over by the water and the flailing guard and winds up prone, 10' from his previous position.

The first guard is swept away through the door, provoking from Grunfold and Kataun.

Grunfold attack: [roll2]
Grunfold damage: [roll3]
Kataun attack (I presume nonlethal again): [roll4]
Kataun damage: [roll5]

Grunfold swings at the flailing guy, and his rapier plinks off the guy's armor. Kataun smacks him a good solid whack to the back of the head, though, and he collapses facedown in the rapidly flowing water, unconscious.
EDIT: And his Martial Spirit stance heals Hipp for 2HP.

Then Kataun delays.

The second guard, the one who was yelling "CODE RED!", uh, has stopped yelling and started trying to make failing Swim checks.

Dave's itsy-bitsy spiders have all been pretty much washed away and no longer constitute anything like an effective swarm, albeit in nothing like the way guard #3 intended.

Dave... well, invocations are at will, so it wouldn't exactly be a waste of a spell to summon a swarm into the water, but it might be kind of a waste of a standard action.

Hippolitus finds himself in a damp heap between Lauren and Grunfold. Since the first guard is already down and you'd need to either swim or wait a bit before you can get at either of the two guards inside, there aren't really any targets.

So I have no idea what either Dave or Hipp are inclined to do, and you seem to have a bit of a breather so it shouldn't be tactically disadvantageous to you, so I'm going to say Hipp and Dave, being bottom of the order anyway, delay until the top of the next round.


.........#############################...#
............................,KKL*D.......#
.............................KKH,,.......#
.............................~qG.........#
.#...#...#...#...#...#...#####~#######...#
.........................#-==≈≈# #...#
.........................l--≈≈≈# #...#
.........................#--≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#--≈≈≈& ^...#
......................---&--g≈g# #...#
......................---#--≈≈≈# #...#
......................---&--≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#--≈≈≈# #...#
.........................#-==≈≈# #...#
.........................^≈≈≈≈≈# #...##
.........................#####≈# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #≈& ^.....
.........................# # # #.....
.........................# #....#
.........................# #....#
.........................# #....#
.........................^ #....#
.........................# #....#
###################......& #....#
#......# #....#
#......^ #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor (shadowy illumination)
, - well-lit space
# - wall
& - door
- - 10' high platform
^ - window
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold (tight against the wall, 18 Hide worth of hard to see)
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
g - guard (the north one is sharing his space with some spiders, too)
q - unconscious guard
* - smashed lantern
s - swarm of spiders
| - open door
= - stairs
≈ - so much water that you could make a swim check
~ - enough water to be Difficult Terrain, but not enough that you need to swim

[bobthe6th]

"rats... rats like water!" Dave summons a swarm of rats closer to the center of the compound as he could.

[planswalker]

Hipp will take a move action to stand up, a 5'step to stand over the unconscious guardsman, and ready a standard action to attack any hostiles who enter his range that aren't spiders.

Since he has zero problems operating in darkness, Hipp will call out if a guardsman approaches the door or tries to flee out one of the other doors.

I guess now I'll just start going after your posts for the round to make things simple.

so my actions will be resolved at the beginning of the posts and then things unfold for the next round. Wasn't what I'd have preferred, but since it ended up happening, it's fine with me.

also, the readied attack, should it matter.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"Quick, somebody get some light in there, or at least somebody tell me where to aim! Oh, and search that guy for keys!"

I begin casting my most powerful spell, moving my arms in mystic paths and murmering the words of power! I'll aim at the guards' last known position unless anyone gets me some better targeting information. I don't expect they can swim very well in all that equipment!

Casting Sleep DC16. Spell will go off just before my next Initiative.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun makes a pose on top of Rocinante in the bright-red body suit, "Ah, Code Red! You were expecting me. I'm already famous! Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know, Endeesey Five is here to free the slaves to freedom, and I'm the Red...one! Come out with your hands up, and give up, and we won't whoop your ass in the name of the...moonlight!"
Kataun readies an action, when an opponent tries to attack someone of my party, he will attempt to hit the dude's head with non-lethal again.

-K

[Malimar]

DM
The water continues to rush out the doorway, extinguishing the bits of the guard's lantern and sloshing around the party's feet.

Kataun readies an action!

Dave (takes a 5' step to get the rats a little deeper into the building and) summons a swarm of rats! He is absolutely correct that rats like water, or at least don't mind it. Rats even have a swim speed! But rat swarms, apparently, do not. Weird. But they still have excellent Swim scores, so they'll probably dive into the water if prey doesn't come to them anyway. (I'll say they go on the platform to start with because of the whole "environment that won't support them" clause that applies to most summoning magic.)

Hipp takes a 5' step and readies an action! Peering into the dark, rushing water, he can see the two guards still in there, flailing about, trying to swim.
The single drain in the middle of the floor is far from adequate to the task of draining this volume of water.

Lauren starts casting Sleep!
Leonora, up by the window, transmits to Lauren a vague sense that more foes are on their way.

Grunfold delays.

The third guard manages to swim to, and climb up onto, the platform, and finds himself immediately proximate to a swarm of angry rats. This is not his day.

The party can see a light from deep within the complex, illuminating a little bit more hallway, and a new voice yelling "What the--!!", as somebody opens a door and water starts pouring out the south door as well as the north.

The second guard flails, still unable to get stable in the rushing, swirling water.

All your remaining foes are quite thoroughly unable to reach you yet.


.........#############################...#
............................~KKLD........#
...........................~~KK~~~.......#
..........................~~~~HG~~~......#
.#...#...#...#...#...#...#####~#######...#
.........................#-==≈~# #...#
.........................l--≈≈≈# #...#
.........................#rr≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#rr≈≈≈& ^...#
......................---&-g≈≈g# #...#
......................---#--≈≈≈# #...#
......................---&--≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#--≈≈≈# #...#
.........................#-==≈≈# #...#
.........................^≈≈≈≈≈# #...##
.........................##&##≈# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #≈& ^.....
.........................# #≈# #.....
.........................# #≈# #....#
.........................# #≈# #....#
.........................# #~# #....#
........................g^ g #....#
.........................# #....#
###################......| #....#
#......# #....#
#......^ #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#


. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
| - open door
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (standing over an unconscious guard)
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
g - guard
≈ - so much water that you could make a swim check
~ - enough water to be Difficult Terrain, but not enough that you need to swim
r - swarm of rats

[bobthe6th]

Dave summons some bats near the other guard, taking what movment is necesary to place them.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun holds a hand over his mouth and whispers to Lauren, "Pssst, didn't we say we were supposed to do this quietly?"
Kataun readies an action, when an opponent tries to attack someone of my party, he will attempt to hit the dude's head with non-lethal again.

-K

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I finish casting my spell, targetting the last known position of the guards! (centre of corridor, opposite top western door). Almost as soon as I'm done casting, I get an alert from Leonora who's round the side of the building that more guards are on the way.

"You're right, but that went out the window the moment we were discovered. Quick Kataun, Leonora says more guards are coming! You're fastest on your horse, go round and check it out!"

Having cast my spell, I draw my crossbow, and aim it into the gloom.

"Has anyone got a lantern? We need to be able to see!"

I also attempt to direct to Leonora the importance of searching for the slaves through our empathic link.

[planswalker]

"Well, this plan is failing so epically that I'm impressed. If this is them with their defenses down, I'd hate to see them prepared. I think you were set up."

Hipp maintains his position and re-readies his action.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Upon hearing Lauren mentioning Leonora and more guards, "Ah ha! Right away! Rocinante, your talent is needed!", and guide the warhorse out of the puddle of water, and around the corner, looking for the Raven.
Instead of Readied Action, move west, and then if he sees Leonora, move next to the raven, using double move.
-K

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold delays.

Kataun rides Rocinante around the corner, peering around for Leonora. The raven is perched on a window, fairly high up. She blends in with the stone and the starry sky and the dark interior of the building, so Kataun doesn't happen to see her. He does, however, catch a glimpse of a guard, who looks surprised to see a heavy horseman under these unusual circumstances.

The rat swarm, having just been summoned from its peaceful existence wherever it was before, decides that it is angry. So it swarms into the one guard's square and begins climbing and crawling all over him and biting him all of the everywhere. He collapses, screaming, under the weight of hundreds of tiny, furry, bitey bodies.

Dave wades through the shin-deep water and casts bats at the remaining guard.

The bats swarm around the guy, biting and crawling and scratching and biting some more.

The water continues to drain around Hipp's legs, as he keeps his attack readied.

Lauren finishes casting her sleep spell! The swarm of bats... collectively resists, though a few little furry bodies plop into the water. The guard does not resist, and immediately sinks beneath the water.

Leonora, urged by Lauren, takes off and flaps over to the other side of the building, the other set of windows. Lauren gets a sense that there's somebody approaching from this side of the building, too.

Kataun sees another guard emerge from the southwestern door of the slaver complex and look around, clearly somewhat confused and upset.

The other guard by the door points at Kataun and Rocinante and yells, "There!" Then he jogs cautiously in Kataun's direction, readying his shield and longsword.

There's some yelling and cursing from within the building, and a third guard emerges from the southwest door. He spots his compatriot approaching Kataun, and draws his bow.

The guard inside the building, who just opened the door and let water start pouring through, wades, and then starts expertly swimming forward.

And Kataun sees yet another person emerge from the southwest door! This guy doesn't look particularly well-armed or -armored, though he does have a couple of spears that it looks like he just grabbed.



.........#############################...#
..........................~~~~DL~~~......#
.........................~~~~~~~~~~~.....#
........................~~~~~~HG~~~~~....#
.#...#...#...#...#...#...#####~#######...#
.........................#-==~~# #...#
.........................^--≈≈~# #p..#
...............KK........#--≈≈≈# #...#
.#.............KK.....---#-r≈≈b& l...#
......................---&rr≈bb# #...#
......................---#-r≈≈b# #...#
......................---&--≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#--≈≈≈# #...#
.................g.......#-==≈≈# #...#
.........................^≈≈≈≈≈# #...##
.........................##&##≈# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #g& ^.....
.........................# #≈# #.....
.........................# #≈# #....#
.........................# #~# #....#
.........................# #~# #....#
.......................g.^ ~ #....#
......................g.p# #....#
###################......| #....#
#......# #....#
#......^ #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (standing over an unconscious guard)
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
g - guard
≈ - so much water that you could make a swim check
~ - enough water to be Difficult Terrain, but not enough that you need to swim
r - swarm of rats (all over an unconscious guard)
b - swarm of bats
p - civilian-looking person

[planswalker]

Hipp will take a 5' step to be in the doorway to ensure they don't get blocked off. "I'll make sure the path stays open! Let's hurry this up before we're even more screwed."

He readies to attack the next foe within range.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun puffs his chest as more guards pours out of the door and yells loudly, "Ah, there you are, more of you. We have been expecting you!" He steers Rocinante and stands right in front of the approaching guard and strikes a pose with his guisarme high, "Ladies and gentlemen, Endeesey Five are here to free the opressed! You are merely a minion of the tyrant, and we will let you be if you will drop your weapon and give up! Now, I'm a nice guy. I try to to cause TOO much pain. But see, my friends over there, some of them aren't. If you resist, we will whoop your ass, and you'll be lying in the pool of your own red blood, with poisonous spider bites all over your body, and rats gnawing your eyeballs off of your eye sockets while you are alive and writhing in pain. If you don't want that, drop your weapons!"
Kataun moves (with the mount) to 10' away from the nearest guard, and using the standard action, demoralize that guard
[roll0]
-K

[RCgothic]

Lauren

My mind is running in overdrive, trying to keep on top of the rapidly developing situation. As far as I can tell there are enemies on each side of the building and we need to start making progress fast, before reinforcements arrive. I hear Kataun's challenge, so there are definitely foes in that direction, and I can still see a guard beyond the flood. I start directing the others:

"Dave! Kataun's met trouble, go and help him out with your swarms! Hipp and Grunfold, we need to make progress! The water's going down, so force an entry and find those slaves! Leonora's warned me of foes to the east, so I'll go and confirm that! Watch out for the bats and remember this guy here may have keys!"

With that I move towards the eastern corner, readying a 'Charm Person' spell if I spot anyone.

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold... instead of delaying, I guess briefly frisks the guard, on Lauren's instructions? He does finds a ring of several keys, which he takes.

Kataun towers over the guard on his warhorse! At first, his bombast only confuses and befuddles the guard, but as Kataun speaks, the guard grows increasingly concerned. He might just think Kataun is crazy, but if he does, it's an "enough to do terrible, horrible things to you" sort of crazy, which makes the guy plenty nervous.

The rat swarm swarms about for a bit, continuing to crawl on and bite at the guard! Then all the rats vanish with a series of little pf-pf-pf noises.

Dave... either maintains concentration on the bat swarm, or delays until the top of the next round, his choice.

The bat swarm cannot swim, and their quarry has sunk beneath the water, so it chooses a new target: the unconscious guard the rats had until recently been gnawing on! They swarm over and start biting with hundreds of tiny little bites!

Hippolitus steps forward and readies an attack!

Lauren wades in the swirling shin-deep water as far west as she can in one move action, then readies charm person!

Leonora peeks in the upper window. It is very dark, but she can see a very short way into a passageway; Lauren gets from her familiar a feeling like venturing into a cave.

One of the guards by the southwest door takes a 5' step west to get a better aim, and takes a potshot at Kataun. The arrow sails well over Kataun's head and off into the darkness.

The guard by Kataun isn't quite intimidated enough to run away, but he's also very wary of the crazy look in Kataun's eyes and the big ol' guisarme in his hands and the large, brutal warhorse giving him the stink-eye, so he elects not to step forward, and instead holds his shield and longsword up and at the ready to defend himself.

The other guard by the door advances cautiously towards Kataun, and elects to also take a shot with his bow. His shot, too, goes wide.

The guard swimming through the hallway makes it to the stairs, and climbs them, then crouches on the platform. He draws his shortbow and notes, with some concern, the swarm of bats. They, and his wet bowstring, might become problematic for him.

The guy advancing along the east wall pokes his head around the corner, and --

Lauren immediately hits him with a charm person. He frowns, and squints in the general direction of Lauren, Dave, and Grunfold, but does not appear to be doing anything hostile.

The other civilian-looking person appears to change his mind after Kataun's terrifying monologue, and hustles south and then east, around the southwest corner of the building.



.........#############################...#
........................~~~~~~D~~~L~~....#
.......................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...#
......................~~~~~~~~*G~~~~~~~..#
.#...#...#...#...#...#.~~#####H#######p..#
........................~#-==~~# #...#
.........................^--≈~~# #...#
.........................#--≈≈~# ##...#
.#....................---#-b≈≈≈& .l...#
................KK....---&-bb≈*# &#...#
................KK....---#-b≈≈≈# #...#
......................---&--≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#-g≈≈≈# #...#
.................g.......#-==≈≈# #...#
.........................^≈≈≈≈≈# #...##
......................g..##&##≈# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #≈& ^.....
.........................# #≈# #.....
.........................# #~# #....#
.........................# #~# #....#
.........................# #~# #....#
.........................^ ~ #....#
.....................g...# #....#
###################......| #....#
#......# #....#
#......^ #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
≈ - so much water that you'd need to make a swim check
~ - enough water to be Difficult Terrain, but not enough that you need to swim
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (standing over an unconscious guard)
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
g - guard
r - swarm of rats (all over an unconscious guard)
b - swarm of bats
p - civilian-looking person
* - unconscious guard

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun gives a little sigh, "Really? Really? Is that the best you can do? Can't you like all be demonic and grow a tentacle or something and stab me, so I can go all RAWR, vanish you minion of darkness! This is disappointing." He guides Rocinante around the swordsman, holds the guisarme on his hand and draws the sap in his right hand as he approaches the nearby bowman, and attempt to smack the guard in the head, then toss the sap away and readies the guisarme again.


Kataun moves around the sword'n'shield guards so as not to draw AoO, and end up like this:

......................---&-bb≈*# &#...#
......................---#-b≈≈≈# #...#
......................---&--≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#-g≈≈≈# #...#
.................g..KK...#-==≈≈# #...#
....................KK...^≈≈≈≈≈# #...##
......................g..##&##≈# #.....

While moving, as a free action, he holds the guisarme in his left hand, and draws the sap in his right.
As a standard action, he performs Leading the Attack maneuver with the Sap
To hit (+1BAB+3STR+1Mounted):[roll0]
Damage (Non-Lethal because of the Sap) +3 strength:[roll1]
If the guard is still up, Rocinante also attacks. Note that if Leading the Attacks hits (and didn't knock the guards out), Rocinante gains +4 to hit:
To Hit:[roll2]
Damage:[roll3]
As a free action, he drops the sap on the ground, and holds the guisarme with both hands
-K

[bobthe6th]

man, the tactical options for dave all kinda suck... whatever.

Dave moved toward the near corner and maintained the bats last round, and does the same this round.

[planswalker]

Thinking that Kataun needs help more than the party needs a door-guard, Hipp will spend his turn getting as close to Kataun as he can.

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I jog over to the bemused person at the corner, and putting on my most serious face I do my best to tell the absolute truth!

"You! You're not safe here! A mole has been passing information about this place, and you can imagine Nalf's reaction to that! We're here to sort this place out. I haven't heard your name mentioned, so it's probably best if you just go home. Quickly now!"

I glance back at the door and feel a wave of relief as we finally storm the doorway!


Move action to p at corner, I don't have to get right up to him to speak. He should do as I instruct, as it's reasonable given the circumstances, I haven't lied, and he should view what I tell him in the most favourable light.

Readied action if he does as I say: move towards doorway.

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold, whom it turns out I should NPC while his player is on vacation, wades cautiously through the rushing, swirling water (which has become slightly calmer and less high) to the first inner door. That guard is going to have all of the trouble if he wants to shoot at Grunfold. But Grunfold risks the attention of the bats.

The guard intimidated by Kataun reflects philosophically on the crusader's mad rantings for a moment, then shrugs, "Man, I wouldn't be surprised if Nalf did all that. Dude's kind of a creeper. Hey, wait!"

And Kataun maneuvers around the guy, going to sap the other guy in the head. Which he does, with great deftness and skill! The dude is all like "waaagh". Kataun effortlessly remains in the saddle when his the big ol' horse rears and plants a hoof directly in the middle of the guard's chest, and the guard collapses in an uncomfortable-looking heap.

Dave wades southwest, and maintains his concentration on the bats!

The bats happily elect to swarm at the guard instead of at Grunfold, enveloping him in a flapping, angry cloak, nipping and biting at him with great vigor.

Hipp wades west! EDIT: I misread! Hipp wades into the building, climbs the stairs, and walks south. Luckily, he goes after the bats, else they probably would have tried to eat him. He tries the door out onto the stage, and finds that it is locked.

Leonora curiously pokes her head back out the door to watch the goings-on with Lauren.

The guard to the south just saw one of his compatriots get viciously bopped on the head and then mauled by a horse. This makes him somewhat concerned. He cautiously edges to the west, then takes another shot at Kataun -- and actually manages to peg him right in the shoulder for 4 damage.

The guard near Kataun is now even more nervous. Kataun is all sorts of frightening. Eventually, the guard decides, "Yeah, that creeper's not paying me enough for this," and bolts, running as fast as his legs will take him directly away from Kataun.

The guard in the middle of the swarm of bats makes his save against nausea. And he somewhat underestimated the horribleness of being engulfed by bats, so he flails his way out of the swarm to the nearest door, which he unlocks and throws open.

Lauren jog-wades towards the guy at the corner, and instructs him to go home!

The guy tilts his head, staring at Lauren. He murmurs, pleasantly if vaguely, "Yes. There is a mole. I will go home." He doesn't turn to go. He just stands there, staring at Lauren.



.........#############################...#
......................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..#
.....................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~L~~~.#
....................~~~~~~~~D~*~~~~~~~~~~#
.#...#...#...#...#...#~~~#####~#######p~.#
......................~~~#-==~~# #~..#
.......................~~^--~~~# #...#
........................~#--≈~~# ##...#
.#....................---#--≈≈G& .l...#
......................---&H*≈≈*# &#...#
......................---#--≈≈≈# #...#
......................---|gb≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#bbb≈≈# #...#
.g..................KK...#-==≈≈# #...#
....................KK...^≈≈≈≈≈# #...##
......................*..##&##≈# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #≈& ^.....
.........................# #~# #.....
.........................# #~# #....#
.........................# #~# #....#
.........................# #~# #....#
.........................^ ~ #....#
.................g.......# #....#
###################......| #....#
#......# #....#
#......^ #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
≈ - so much water that you'd need to make a swim check
~ - enough water to be Difficult Terrain, but not enough that you need to swim
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (standing over an unconscious guard)
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
r - swarm of rats (all over an unconscious guard)
b - swarm of bats
p - civilian-looking person
g - guard
* - unconscious guard

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I'm non-plussed by the guy standing there like a zombie. The spell's supposed to turn them friendly, not moronic! He must have been an idiot to begin with.

"And now you're getting wet! Look, just go that way before Nalf sees you. Hurry!" I gesture in a vaguely Southeast direction before jogging back towards the northern door. The spell will hold for another hour, so we can pretty much ignore him as long as we don't act hostile.

I summon Leonora back to me by urging 'Return!'

Double move towards the door.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun howls with the expression of utmost, dire pain and anguish, "Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh!" with plenty of pauses to give himself some poses here and there, except, his voice is somewhat subdued.

After a few seconds of posing for some deadly wound, Kataun straightens in his barding, "Thank you, sir! That was my first battle wound! I am sure it will create a magnificent scar! Personally, I wish it was like right over across my face or something visible, but I think it's good for the first one. Now I have to give you something equally impressive!" Rocinante trots over to the man, and Kataun gives a slash across bowman's body.
Move mount to directly across the archer 10' away to strike with guisarme, and no place for the archer to 5' away to shoot safely (against the wall, basically). Use standard action to perform Crusader's Strike against the bowman. If hit, between 1d6+1 healing of the strike itself, and 2 points of Martial Spirit Stance, Kataun will heal himself to full. He has Steely Resolve 5 and Furious Counter Strike +1/+1 at the moment.
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+3 Mounted +1 Furious Counter Strike +1 Masterwork):[roll0]
Damage +4 Str 2Handed +1 FCS:[roll1]
-K

[bobthe6th]

Dave trudges west, the mutters "nope" and summons another swarm of bats in front of the now open door.
that poor bastard

[planswalker]

Finding the door locked, Hipp will head south, looking to learn more about the compound he felt they were getting more and more likely to get caught breaking into.

If a foe should appear before he acts, he will rush to attack them.

[roll0]
[roll1]

and possible AoO if it applies:
[roll2] touch attack
[roll3] damage.

[Malimar]

DM
Kataun sees water start to flow from the southern door of the building! (If I were smart, I'd have looked up how fast water actually tends to flow. The 1'8"/second (2 squares/round) I've been using is most likely either ludicrously slow or ludicrously fast. Oh well; it's magic water from an exploded decanter of endless water, maybe it's more or less viscous than normal water?)

Grunfold fiddles with the keys, tries a few, and one of them fits the simple wooden door he's trying to access. Luckily, it opens away from him, so as soon as he unlatches it, the force of the water pushes it open. He probably suspects that he's found the slave pens, based on the fact that the corridor has four doors, each of them a heavy iron door. And also the corridor smells of filth. I imagine he probably mutters to himself something derogatory about the smell, then walks a little ways down the corridor, to the first door.

Kataun theatrically directs Rocinante over to the bowman and swings! But he misjudgesh is swing, and his guisarme pings off the exterior wall of the warehouse, above the guard's head.

Dave wades west, peers around the corner, and sees (barely) that one of the doors is open! So he summons more bats!

The new bat swarm flocks around for a few moments, then swarms into the building, snapping and biting at the guard they see there! Screaming, he collapses! And then goes silent.

The other bat swarm, seeing its quarry go down to a host of new, invasive bats... hm. Yeah, it goes after Hippolitus, swarming around him. He gets an attack of opportunity, but most of the bats easily evade his magic tail. Then the bats are all over him, biting at him with their tiny little bitey teeth, in his hair, in his clothes, crawling on his limbs, beating at his face with their leathery little wings... Hipp takes 4 damage, and is bleeding, taking 1 damage per round until healed (with magic or a heal check).

Then Hippolitus! He is surrounded by a swarm, which is incredibly gross, so he rolls a Fortitude save (in the new dice rolls thread I decided to make). He makes his save!
No foes are present (except the bats, half of which will vanish in 6 seconds and the other half of which will vanish 12 seconds after Dave stops concentrating on them, so they're not worth attacking), so Hipp goes south, wading through the bats, descending the stairs, and then swimming through the water! He finds it somewhat more turbulent than he expected, and slips beneath the water.

Leonora flaps down to her wizardess's shoulder and fluffs her feathers, all dignified and proper.

The guard Kataun went after was a little concerned, and flinched when Kataun attacked, but when he notices, half a second later, that Kataun completely missed, he's a little bit less confident that his foe is going to kill him a dozen different ways. So he tosses his bow aside, whips out his longsword and shield, and valiantly (5'-)steps forward, declaring, "You like scars? Hold still: I shall give you another!" He swings his sword! And... completely misses!

The fleeing guard turns southwest, and escapes around the corner of the warehouse.

Lauren wades west, to the north door! She looks inside the building, and finds it still pitch-dark inside.

The guy she was talking calls back to her, "Wait, stop! There's something over here you need to see!" And then he backs south again. Lauren vaguely suspects something may not be quite entirely right about this declaration.



.........#############################...#
....................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..#
...................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.#
..................~~~~~~~D~~~~L~~~~~~~~~~#
.#...#...#...#...#.~~#~~~#####~#######~~.#
....................~~~~~#-==~~# #~..#
.....................~~~~^--~~~# #...#
......................~~~#--~~~#&##&##...#
.#....................---#b-≈~~~G....^...#
......................---&bb≈≈*##&##&#...#
......................---#bb≈≈≈# #...#
......................---bbb≈≈≈# #...#
.#....................---#--≈≈≈# #...#
.........................#-==≈≈# #...#
.........................^≈H≈≈≈# #...##
......................*..##&##≈# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #~& ^.....
.........................# #~# #.....
.........................# #~# #....#
.................KK......# #~# #....#
.................KK......# #~# #....#
.................g.......^ ~ #....#
.........................# #....#
###################.....~~ #....#
#......# #....#
#......^ #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
≈ - so much water that you'd need to make a swim check
~ - enough water to be Difficult Terrain, but not enough that you need to swim
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (standing over an unconscious guard)
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
r - swarm of rats (all over an unconscious guard)
b - swarm of bats
p - civilian-looking person
g - guard
* - unconscious guard

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I had resolved to just ignore that guy, but his parting words don't seem right. I begin to doubt the spell actually took.
"Leonora, go and see if you can find out what that guy meant, something I should see. Stay high to avoid ambush. If you see nothing, complete a circuit of the building, then return and report."

With that, I run inside the building to join Grunfold.

Double move inside the building 5sq south 1sq east.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun looks at his guisarme and starts talking to it, "You disappoint me. Maybe you think if you perform well, people think you are some sort of symbol, representation of some...inadequecy on my part. Fine, let me use something else...something smaller." He swipes the man with his armor spike.

Again, Crusader's Strike, using Armor Spike this time. Again, if this hits, Kataun will heal himself up to full.
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Mounted):[roll0]
Damage +3 Str:[roll1]
Rocinante Full Attack (poor dude...)
To Hit Hoof1 (+2BAB+4STR):[roll2]
Damage Hoof1 +4 Str:[roll3]
To Hit Hoof2 (+2BAB+4STR):[roll4]
Damage Hoof 2+4 Str:[roll5]
To Hit Bite (+2BAB+4STR-5Non-Primary-Natural Attack):[roll6]
Damage Bite +2 Str Non-Primary NA:[roll7]
-K

[planswalker]

Bleeding from his own ally's attack, Hipp will head south down the corridor to the west.

and I'll be damned if I haven't seen fully alert guard posts that were worse defended.

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold fiddles with the keys at a cell, and throws the door wide! And discovers three elves, two women and a man. Each is shackled hand and foot, but they don't appear to be shackled to anything.
Grunfold undoubtedly says something disparaging, possibly under his breath, and moves on.

Kataun doesn't make his Ride check, so he attacks and Rocinante just looks aloof! Kataun's blow scrapes on the guard's armor for no apparent damage!

Dave... either delays, concentrates, or dism- no, it's not dismissable! Okay, so he... delays, I guess.

Hipp is safely underwater, so the bat swarms elect not to go after him this time.
One of the swarms makes a mad dash for freedom, out into the night sky!
The other swarm continues to swarm around the prone but not quite dead guard, drinking his delicious blood! Because these are apparently vampire bats, I guess? Then that swarm goes paf-pf-pf-paf and vanishes, its time expired.

Hipp leaks a little blood! And he finds big iron door next to him is locked!
It's lucky that he intends to go to the corridor anyway, because that's the way the water is flowing, and he hasn't regained his footing. The rushing water swirls him around and dumps him (prone again) several feet down the desired corridor. To the south, he can see a doorway, another largish room, and what looks like a desk.

Leonora flaps away to do a little recon, peering down from above! Then she returns to Lauren's shoulder and reports, in Elvish, that there are now two people, just standing over there. She didn't happen to see anything else that seemed important.

The guard, engaged with Kataun in a one-on-one battle to the death, seems to be done with the exertion of talking. He briefly considers the idea of trying to grab Kataun and pull him off his mount, but he soon decides that's a terrible idea. Instead, he circles around slightly, trying to swipe with his longsword again at Kataun! This time, his blade digs into Kataun's leather armor, leaving a gash on his thigh and doing 5 damage. "There, another scar for you! May you drown in your own blood!"

Lauren wades south! She sees, huddled in a 10'x10' cell, three elves! The room has no facilities or furniture except a drain in the middle of the room. The elves seem remarkably clean and fresh, considering their circumstances, but that's just because elves are always clean and fresh.
The elves weren't entirely clear on whether they were being rescued or stolen, and they had no idea what to make of the water suddenly flowing into their cell, but they look slightly hopeful when they see a fellow-elf at the door.



.........#############################~..#
...................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.#
..................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
.................~~~~~~~~D~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~#
.#...#...#...#...#~~~#~~~#####~#######~~~#
...................~~~~~~#-==~~#ee# #pp.#
....................~~~~~^--~~~#.e# #~..#
.....................~~~~#--~~~#~##&##...#
.#....................---#--~~~L~G~~~^...#
......................---&-*~~*##&##&#...#
..............b.......---#--≈~~# #...#
..............bb......---|*-≈≈~# #...#
.#............b.......---#--≈≈≈# #...#
.........................#-==≈≈# #...#
.........................^≈≈≈≈~# #...##
......................*..##&##~# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #H& ^.....
.........................# #~# #.....
.........................# #~# #....#
.................KK......# #~# #....#
................gKK......# #~# #....#
.......................~~^ ~~~ #....#
......................~~~# ~╔═~& #....#
###################...~~~~ ~~║c~# #....#
#...~~~#~~~╚═~# #....#
#....~~^~~~~~~& #....#
#......##&##&## #....#
#......# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
≈ - so much water that you'd need to make a swim check
~ - enough water to be Difficult Terrain, but not enough that you need to swim
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (standing over an unconscious guard)
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
r - swarm of rats (all over an unconscious guard)
b - swarm of bats
p - civilian-looking person
g - guard
* - unconscious guard
e - elven captive
═ - desk
c - chair

[Malimar]

(The weird page-not-displaying thing happened. Continue as you were.)

[planswalker]

Hipp will stand up and attempt to open the door.

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I'm massively relieved that our rescue is starting to bear fruit! I start organising the break out, calling out to the elves:

"We're the Endeesey Five, and we're here to rescue you! I'm Lauren, and that was Grunfold. We've got a safe place to go to but we won't leave anyone behind, so the more we all pitch in, the faster we'll get gone!"

I survey the three elves briefly, before pointing to the one I judge most charismatic:

"What's your name? Go with Grunfold, and explain exactly what I've just said to the other freedmen, as he can be a bit gruff! You two, what are your names? Come with me and we'll help free the others! The faster we do that, the sooner we leave!"

With that, I splash back out into the main room and search the nearest fallen guard for keys. "Here, take these weapons." I say, arming the two freed elves with bow and sword. "We may have to fight our way out of this, but if we do have to we'll do so in force."

I tilt my head as I whisper sidelong to Leonora: "Go and alert Dave to our two lurkers, I don't think my spell's going to be enough to hold them. When you get to him, raise two claws and nod towards the northeast corner. If he doesn't understand, make him. Then resume patrol."

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun looks at the guard and narrows his eyes, "You, sir, must be my nemesis! Sworn enemy and life long competitor! I must know your name, so we could someday write this battle of epic proportion for the record. Wait, I shall give you a name. I shall call you...", holding his right fist tight., "Khaaaaaaaaaaan!", and he tries to strike the man with the armor spike again.

First, Ride Check. If he fails, this time he won't bother to attack, and Rocinante full-attacks instead.
Ride DC10:[roll0]

If Ride Check above is successful, using Vanguard Strike with Armor Spike. This time, if this hits, Kataun will heal himself for 2 from the stance.
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Mounted+1FCS):[roll1]
Damage +3 Str+1FCS:[roll2]
Rocinante Full Attack (When the Vanguard Strike above hits, Rocinante gains +4 to hit)
To Hit Hoof1 (+2BAB+4STR):[roll3]
Damage Hoof1 +4 Str:[roll4]
To Hit Hoof2 (+2BAB+4STR):[roll5]
Damage Hoof 2+4 Str:[roll6]
To Hit Bite (+2BAB+4STR-5Non-Primary-Natural Attack):[roll7]
Damage Bite +2 HalfStr Non-Primary NA:[roll8]
-K

[Malimar]

DM
The water level is falling increasingly quickly as it flows through increasingly many open doors and down increasingly many drains (there's one in the main northern room, and one in each cell).

Dave... probably doesn't maintain concentration on the swarm of bats that's busy flying away, as that would be silly. Um. He probably... wades southwest as a double move? Let's go with that.

Grunfold unlocks and opens the next cell door, then moves on to the third. Crammed into the second cell are five filthy Omorashi humans: four men and a woman.

The guard fighting Kataun indignantly says, "My name isn't Khaaan! It's -- aaaaarrrrrrggghhh!" He's been interrupted by Kataun effortlessly spiking the guy through the shoulder, while Rocinante bites him, then rears and plants a hoof on his face. The dude collapses in a bloody heap.

The remaining bat swarm flies off, then pafs back to wherever they had been summoned from!

Hipp tries the simple wooden door, and finds it, too, locked. I presume he continues south, in search of a door that will actually open? In what appears to be the lobby, the four doors he can see all appear to be wooden doors. The far southwest one doesn't appear to be equipped with a lock at all. No telling whether the other ones are locked or not without trying them.

Leonora takes wing upon Lauren's instructions, flapping up to the west window, peering out, and flying down to land on the stage near Dave. She attempts to attract his attention, then does as Lauren instructed, raising two claws and bobbing her head towards the northeast.

Lauren takes an extra-long free action to speak to the three elves! The one she judges most charismatic, a dignified and graceful woman (not that exist many elves who aren't dignified and graceful), says, "I am Rinthe. These are Eniaor and Drusiphia. We thank you for rescuing us." The three elven captives glance at one another and evidently decide that perhaps doing what their rescuers instruct is a somewhat better plan than remaining in the slave cells, so Rinthe nods, and concludes, "We will do as you instruct. But we will require the key to these shackles." They indicate the chains: their hands and feet are bound with manacles, but the manacles aren't attached to anything, allowing them to shuffle, but not move quickly, and manipulate objects, but not do so defly.

When Lauren searches the nearest guard in the darkness, she discovers he's not breathing, and she does not find any keys on his person. She does find his sword and his waterlogged bow and quiver of arrows, though.

While they're getting that settled, Rinthe shuffles across the corridor to explain the situation to the Omorashi humans. The other two elves shuffle out after Lauren.



.........#############################~~.#
.................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~#
.#...#...#...#...#~~~#~~~#####~#######~~~#
..................~~~~~~~#-==~~#~~# #~~~#
...................~~~~~~^--~~~#~~# #~~.#
....................~D~~~#--~~~#e##&##~..#
.#...................~l--#--~~~Ldr~G~^...#
......................---&-*~~*##~##&#...#
......................---#--~~~#ss# #...#
......................---|*-~~~#ss# #...#
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.........................#-==~~# #...#
.........................^~~~~~# #...##
......................*..##&##~# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #~& ^.....
.........................# #~# #.....
.........................# #~# #....#
.................KK......# #H# #....#
................*KK....~~# #~## #....#
.....................~~~~^ ~~~~# #....#
....................~~~~~#~~~╔═~& #....#
###################.~~~~~~~~~║c~# #....#
#.~~~~~#~~~╚═~# #....#
#..~~~~^~~~~~~& #....#
#...~~~##&##&## #....#
#....~~# #....#
#......# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
~ - enough water to be difficult terrain
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
p - civilian-looking slaver employee
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
r - Rinthe
e - Eniaor
d - Drusiphia
s - captive

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I curse quietly in elvish as I fail to find any keys, before meekly realising the other elves can understand me. The darkness isn't helping.
"Do you know where they keep the keys for your shackles?" I ask the nearer of the elves. Hang on, I'll get us some light."

Full round action to light a torch from my pack. Are we out of combat for the moment?

[Malimar]

DM
Good point. Um... sure, let's say we're out of combat. (There's one or two round-by-round things still going on, but they're almost all rough estimates anyway.)

I suppose you haven't been submerged at any point, so the torch lights without problem, illuminating the area.

Each of you gains 420 experience.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun looks at the completely bloodied body, "Oops.", and sticks his tongue out. "Well, Mr. Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh!, the history shall remember your martial prowess, and strange name."

He then turns Rocinante around and notices the flood coming out of the building and the warlock. "Hey, Mr. Dave. Where are the rest of the Endeesey Five?"

-K

[planswalker]

Hipp will start with the door that isn't locked, open it and prepare for trouble.

Should it prove that he doesn't at once have to fight combatants, he'll check the other doors to see if they're locked before proceeding to enter the room behind the door without a lock.

[Malimar]

DM
The guard whom some call Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh! quietly expires.

One presumes that Dave probably indicates in some manner that the rest of the Endeesy Five are somewhere within the building?

Leonora flaps over to Kataun and Dave and perches on Rocinante's head, then again holds up two talons and bobbing her head in the general direction of the northeast, quorking something in Elvish about how much easier this would be if more people spoke a civilized tongue.

Hipp throws the lockless door wide and discovers... a restroom! Among the usual lavatory accoutrements one might expect, there's another drain in the floor of this room, into which water begins happily flowing.

Hipp checks the other doors! The northwest door is a solid iron door; locked. The other doors to this room are all light wooden ones. He finds all of them locked except the right one on the south wall. When opened, it reveals a sort of employee lounge, containing a few chairs and a table.

Let's say Grunfold applies his keys the remaining two cell doors in the northeast section. Packed into the south cell: four men and two women, all filthy, probably from Romus or Shell. Then he discovers that none of the keys on this particular keyring actually access the northeasternmost cell.

Eniaor, one of the elves, replies to Lauren: "I think maybe the key to the shackles is one of those?" He points to Grunfold's keyring.

Oh, also, I almost forgot: when she lights her torch, Lauren sees that the main northern room also has, hanging on a wall, in addition to the shattered decanter of endless water, 24 spare pairs of shackles, 6 whips, and 2 saps.



.........#############################~~~#
................~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
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.#...#...#...#..~#~~~#~~~#####~#######~~~#
.................~~~~~~~~#-==~~#~~# #~~~#
..................~~~~~~~^--~~~#~~# #~~~#
...................~~~~~~#--~~~#e##&##~~~#
.#..................~~---#--~~~Ldr~G~^~..#
.....................~---&-*~~*##~##~#...#
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.#....................---#--~~~#######...#
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.#...#...#...#...#...#...# #~& ^.....
...................D.....# #~# #.....
.........................# #~# #....#
.................Kl....~~# #H# #....#
................*KK..~~~~##&##~## #....#
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...................~~~~~~#~~~╔═~& #....#
###################~~~~~~~~~~║c~# #....#
#~~~~~~#~~~╚═~# #....#
#.~~~~~^~~~~H~& #....#
#..~~~~##~##~## #....#
#...~~~#~~#c~~& #....#
#....~~#~~#coc# #....#
#......##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
~ - ankle-deep water
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
p - civilian-looking slaver
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
e - Eniaor
d - Drusiphia
s - captive

[planswalker]

Hipp will search the lounge to see if anything valuable turns up, giving it just a casual search.

taking 10 on search for an 11

After that, he will regroup with everyone else and describe what he's seen.

everyone else being Lauren and co.

[RCgothic]

Lauren
"Grunfold! Check if any of those keys open their shackles!" I call out.

To Drusiphia I give the torch, saying: "Here, see if you can get any of the lanterns relit. They may be a bit damp!"

Finally, I tell Enianor what can be done to help. "If we're going to get out of here quickly then we'll need more keys! Help me search the guards on the platform!" I then make my way to the platform to search the guards there, looking for keys and noting any weapons.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun muses at Leonora, "Little Bird, Little Bird, do you sing for me, in the cinnamon tree? Or in Spanish or something.", as he casually ride over the the other unconscious guard, and using his guisarme, deftly picks up the sap he threw away earlier and sheathes it away.

He then turns to the warlock. "Hey, Mr. Dave. Can I call you...Mr Pink? Someone has to take the Pink. You are Mr Pink. I'm Mr Red, obviously. No you can't be Mr Black. No one is Mr Black. Everyone wants to be Mr Black, and people will start fighting over it. Anyways, do you think they need our help, or shall we get ready for the reinforcements out here. I'm not much of the help inside I reckon."

He then starts using the paints he brought and writing on the side of the building, "Endeesey Five wus Here. Sorry about the bloody dude over there. Didn't mean to make it so rough. We'll be gentle next time. We didn't make all the mess, by the way." with very neat hand-writing.

-K

[Malimar]

DM
Hipp discovers a lit lantern on the table. (For that matter, now that it occurs to me, there are two lit lanterns on the desk in the lobby, too.) The table also has a half-drunk cup of coffee and a half-eaten muffin. Hipp finds nothing else of particular interest. So he returns to the northern area.

After a bit of fiddling, it is discovered that one of Grunfold's keys is a manacle key. Like modern handcuffs, one key applies to every pair of shackles. So Grunfold just hands the keyring over to the prisoners and they start unshackling themselves and handing the keys around.

Drusiphia, once released from her shackles, takes the torch and starts trying to relight the lanterns (of which there appear to be two in the northern room). One lantern simply will not catch, but the other eventually catches and starts merrily emitting light.

Once Eniaor's shackles have been unlocked, he proceeds to the platform to help search the guards. After a minute, he reports, "Nothing." Well, bow and arrows and sword and shield and things, but no keys.

Lauren has better luck, discovering a second set of keys on the guard to the south, apparently identical to the first set.

Leonora gives Kataun a ಠ_ಠ and flies off. On her way back to Lauren, she elects to re-scout the north-east corner of the building, then flies back in the door and lands on Lauren's shoulder, reporting that she couldn't convince Dave or Kataun to go investigate, and the dudes have gone somewhere else now anyway.

Kataun creates a most elegant graffito!



.........#############################~~~#
..............~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
..............~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
..............~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~#
.#...#...#...#.~~#~~~#~~~#####~#######~~~#
................~~~~~~~~~#-==~~#~~# #~~~#
.................~~~~~~~~^--~~~#~~# #~~~#
..................~~~~~~~#--G~~#~##&##~~~#
.#.................~~~---#-e~~~L~r~~~^~~~#
....................~~---&-*~~*##~##~#~~.#
.....................~---#--d~H#ss#ss#...#
......................---|*L~~~#ss#ss#...#
.#....................---#--~~~#######...#
.........................#-==~~# #...#
.........................^~~~~~# #...##
......................*KK##&##~# #.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#.KK# #~& ^.....
...................D.....# #~# #.....
.......................~~# #~# #....#
.....................~~~~# #H# #....#
................*...~~~~~##&##~## #....#
...................~~~~~~^~~~~~~# #....#
..................~~~~~~~#~~~╔═~& #....#
###################~~~~~~~~~~║c~# #....#
#~~~~~~#~~~╚═~# #....#
#~~~~~~^~~~~~~& #....#
#~~~~~~##~##~## #....#
#..~~~~#~~#c~~& #....#
#...~~~#~~#coc# #....#
#....~~##^##^#######....#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
~ - 2"-deep water
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun (on Rocinante)
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
e - Eniaor
d - Drusiphia
s - captive

[planswalker]

Hipp reports in, "Doesn't appear to be any more guards to the south, but there are several locked doors. I'd like some backup before I force them open. You cool with that?"

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"No need to force them. Here!" I toss the set of keys I've just found to Hipp. "Though I won't make good back up in a close quarters fight. Sounds like a job for Kataun!"

I poke my head out of the open doorway, and spot Kataun daubing the wall with paint. I raise an eyebrow. "Hey! Mr Red! Hipp needs your help in the south room!" I say, indicating the southern door, before returning to the inside platform.

Quite a crowd is beginning to form, and I sense a chance to do some marshalling. I step to the edge of the platform and address the assembling crowd.

"Alright! As you may already have heard, we're The Endeesey Five, and we're taking you to safety! My name's Lauren Norovothar, or Miss Green if you'd prefer! We may not have long before reinforcements arrive, so I want everyone ready to leave in two minutes!

Those who can fight should grab a sap from that wall, whilst the best able should take the swords and armour from the guards! Anyone who'll have trouble moving should make themselves known, and I'll find someone to help you! Everyone else should help free the others as swiftly as possible!

Assemble here in two minutes! Let's move! To freedom!"

Having given what I hope is a motivational speech, I talk briefly with Leonora. "I guess that makes you Miss Black?" Leonora shrugs her wings at me. "Mrs Black? Ms Black?" Leonora scowls at the first, then tilts her head at the second. "Ms Black it is! Look, I know you've been busy already today, but I need you to go back up to the roof to keep watch and let us know if anyone's coming. Our lives could depend on it!" Leonora ruffles her feathers as if to say 'no big deal' before leaping from my shoulder and flying out the doorway.

Once she's gone, I begin determining the best way to destroy the Slave Market as we leave, preferably with a back up option as well.

Knowledge Architecture and Engineering, how to bring the place down or put it out of action: Are the walls weakened by the flood? Is the roof above where the waters reached made of wood? Etc. [roll0]

[planswalker]

Hipp will go to the first door on the east wall of the southern room and unlock it, waiting for Kataun to join him before opening it.

Once he does, he'll throw the door open quickly, shouting, "Greetings!"

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun looks up and yells, "Right away!" He guideshis mount to next to the platform, and hops onto it, and runs to the said Southern door. "Greetings! Something about job for Mr Red?"

-K

[Malimar]

DM
...I forgot Hipp was still bleeding profusely. One of the freed human captives notices, and in gratitude runs over to him, demanding that he hold still while she binds his wounds, which she does deftly and successfully.

Kataun dismounts, and Rocinante good-naturedly chills where Kataun left him.

One of the Omorashi people whispers to her fellows, translating Lauren's words to some of the people who apparently don't speak Common. The eleven humans then proceed to follow Lauren's instructions, collecting saps and weapons and milling about in the rapidly falling water. Once all the shackles are undone, Drusiphia and Eniaor takes the spare pair of keys and go to the southern cellblock and start freeing the over a dozen filthy mongrelfolk and handful of engineers there.

Leonora flaps up to the roof, and Lauren begins examining the walls and roof. All the walls are thick, solid stone, and none of them seem to have been harmed particularly badly by the water. The roof itself is heavy slate shingles, but it looks like it's supported with wooden crossbeams. She's pretty sure those are probably the weakest point: take them out, and the roof will probably come down, at least in the large rooms. Wouldn't completely destroy the structure, but would make it extremely expensive to rebuild.

Hipp and Kataun go to the southern door! Hipp tries a couple of keys before discovering the one that works, then throws it open and shouts a greeting! He gets no response.

Looking inside, Hipp and Kataun see another desk, smaller and more elegant than the horseshoe desk in the lobby. On the desk is a lit lamp and a brass nameplate that reads only "NALF".

Kataun sees nobody inside the room. Hipp, however, gets a glimpse of somebody lurking to his right, behind the door. Then Hipp's draconic senses tell him there's somebody lurking to the left, as well.



.........#############################~~~#
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................~~~~~~~~~#--~ss#|##&##~~~#
.#...............~~~~~---#--~s~|~~~~~^~~~#
..................~~~~---&-*s~*##|##|#~~~#
...................~~~---#--rs~#~~#~~#~~~#
....................~~---|*Ls~s#~~#~~#~~~#
.#...................~---#--~s~#######...#
...............D.......RR#-==~s#ss#ss#...#
.......................RR^s~s~s#ss#ss#...##
......................*..##&##~#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#.~~# #~|~~ed~^.....
......................~~~# #~##|##|#.....
....................~~~~~# #~#ss#ss#....#
...................~~~~~~# #~#ss#ss#....#
................*.~~~~~~~##&##|#######....#
.................~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~#p...#....#
................~~~~~~~~~#~~~╔═H|..║c#....#
###################~~~~~~|~~~║cK#p...#....#
#~~~~~~#~~~╚═~######....#
#~~~~~~^~~~~~~& #....#
#~~~~~~##|##|## #....#
#~~~~~~#~~#c~~& #....#
#~~~~~~#~~#coc# #....#
#~~~~~~##^##^#######....#
#....~~~................#
#.....~.................#
#.......................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
~ - 1"-deep water
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
e - Eniaor
d - Drusiphia
s - captive
p - person

[planswalker]

"Yeah, gonna open doors. WHEN even more guards in this "lightly guarded" shift come out to kill us, help me make sure we don't die."

with that, Hipp will unlock the indicated door and swing it wide open.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"Fancy! Oh well, looks like no one here then. Next door?", Kataun asks Hipp.

-K

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I'm slightly amazed at the number of former slaves now assembling, I hadn't expected quite this many!

"Is this everyone?" I ask Rinthe. "Are there any cells we haven't managed to open yet?"

[Malimar]

DM
The guys lurking inside the office do not come out to kill Hipp and Kataun. They remain motionless.

Rinthe nods, and points to the northeast cell block. "The most dangerous slaves are kept in a cell to which only Nalf has the key."

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"Dangerous? In what way? In any case I'm planning to burn this place down as we leave, so we can't leave them there!

I call down the hallway to let the others know what we need: "Hipp! Kataun! If you find Nalf or his office, we need his keys to the secure cell! Either that or the crowbar and a strong arm behind it!"

I then go to examine the secure cell, looking for weaknesses in the event that we can't find the keys. I knock on the door and call out to those inside:

"Hello! Can you hear me in there? This is a rescue! We're going to try and get you out!"

[Malimar]

DM
Rocinante casually ambles away from the water as it approaches his hooves.

With a gurgle, much of the water has now vanished into the drains. The rest has flowed outside and is sinking into the dirt. The damp areas are no longer difficult terrain.

Rinthe considers, then shrugs very slightly. "I do not know. They were never put up at auction with the rest of us, so I never saw them."

This last cell door appears to be the same as all the others: iron, solid, well-constructed. The difference appears to be in the lock.

When Lauren knocks and calls at the door, something knocks and calls back. And by that "knocks back" I mean "smashes into the door with a bone-rattling crash", and by "calls back" I mean "emits an angry, bestial roar".

Then, after a second, a deep, gruff voice calls back, calmer: "Hold up, did you say 'rescue'?" Quieter: "Did you guys hear 'rescue'?" Louder again: "If you're lying, I'll tenderize your face with my fists!"

Lauren apparently does see a weakness in the door: it has a lock and the Endeesy Five includes a rogue with a full set of lockpicks. Since they had the keys to all the other doors anyway, his gank thievin' talents were largely unnecessary until this point. But now they're necessary! So Grunfold wanders in and shoos Lauren aside, taking his lockpicks and sticks them in the lock, fiddling with it. It takes him three tries and twenty seconds before the lock emits a 'click', successfully unlocked. Grunfold probably looks smug.

Meanwhile, several former captives wander out into the night, gasping the fresh air after having been confined for various lengths of time.

One of them discovers that the guard sprawled outside the doorway is, unlike the others, still alive. A couple of them begin to kick him, attempting to rectify this situation, while yelling various expletives.


Also meanwhile, the dudes lurking behind the door in wait for Hippolitus and Kataun seem to rethink their nefarious plan. Possibly because Kataun has loudly expressed the intention of moving on. Possibly because Hipp loudly expressed his expectation that they're lying in wait for him. Possibly they might even have heard Lauren shouting from the other room for Hipp and Kataun to look for Nalf's keys.

So they stop lurking. The one to the left of the doorway stands and wanders around to sit behind the desk, calling out into the lobby, "Don't worry; we weren't lying in wait for you. Before you leave, could you go and fetch for me your fair-haired elven maiden companion, the mage with the raven familiar?"

This spoiler is just for Kataun:
You feel very strongly positively disposed towards the guy (who one presumes is Nalf himself, because he just sat behind Nalf's desk). Because you just got a 2 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13284782&postcount=8) on a save to resist a charm person effect. RP this state of affairs as you see fit.

This spoiler, being the map, is for everyone:


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..............,,,,,,,,,,,^--,,,#,,# #,,,#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#--s,s#|##&##,,,#
.#..............,,,,,,---#--,s,|,rG,L^,,,#
.................,,,,,---&-*s,*##|##|#,,,#
..................,,,,---#--,s,#,,#,,#,,,#
...................,,,---|*-,,s#,,#,,#,,,#
.#..................,,---#--,,s#######,,,#
...............DRR...,...#-==s,#ss#,,#...#
................RR......,^s,,,s#ss#s,#...##
......................*,,##&##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,# #s|,s,,,^.....
....................,,,,,# #,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,# #,#ss#ss#....#
..................,,,,,,,# #,#ss#ss#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,,,#....#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,,,╔═H|..║p#....#
###################,,,,,,|,,,║cK#p...#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - captive
p - person

[planswalker]

"How's it going? This is your standard slavery bust. We're here to liberate the people your boss was going to sell. Stay down and quiet, allow us to take what we can so we can supply the new freedmen and you won't share the guards' fate."

[roll0][roll1]

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"There! I'm Lauren, and this is Grunfold! You're the last to be freed, but if you come through to the main room I'm sure we can get those shackles off right away! Then how would you like to help torch this place?"

"Rinthe, could you start assembling everyone in the palisade outside? I think we're about ready to leave. Grunfold, see if you can get into that western room that's still locked. We need the keys to undo shackles, but I want to make sure we're not going to be leaving anyone to burn to death."

I attempt to lead the small group back into the main room.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"Ah ha! The polite Man in the fancy chair, I appreciate the cordialness! Well, let me go get, eh, Ms. Blonde for you. Did you know that she loves to sing when she torture people and slice the victim's ear? Lovely singing voice.", Kataun trots over to go find Lauren.

-K

[Malimar]

DM
The guy behind the desk looks skeptical and dismissive. The guy still chilling by the doorway looks blasé.

The guy leans back in Nalf's chair and puts his feet up on Nalf's desk. "This arrangement would be profitable to me." It's not clear from his inflection whether he's being sarcastic or what. "You know, I don't particularly desire to slaughter you all like animals."

He smiles at Kataun, "Oh, I don't like torture at all. But I do like singing. I'm sure the elf-maid and I will be friends."

Once Kataun trots off, Hippolitus begins to feel an unpleasant tingling, grasping sensation in his mind, as of some mind-affecting effect. But he throws it off, successfully saving against it.


Rinthe nods to Lauren, and goes to marshal the various captives outside to the... It's not really quite a palisade, it's just surrounded by a colonnade, not a wall. I want to call it a forum, but it's not exactly a public space, it's specifically for slave auctions. Square? Quad? Area-enclosed-by-a-colonnade? Whatever, the slaves, under Rinthe's direction, begin to go there. (Rinthe does not stop anyone from kicking and beating the unconscious guard.)

As soon as the occupants of the cell realize that the door has been unlocked, one of them slams it open. Hobbled by shackles which seem like they should be woefully inadequate to keep her contained, a female, muscular, 7' tall humanoid, covered in fur, looms over Lauren and bears her fangs. She sniffs at Lauren with her nose like a bear, scowls, then declares, "Fine," and shuffles towards the western room. Eniaor shows up with the keys and gingerly unshackles the brute, who gives him a scowl, too, then wades through the crowd to the outsided door. (It's recognizable as some sort of rare goblinoid, but apparently neither Lauren nor Grunfold has ever seen a bugbear before.)

Next out of the cell is a goblin man. It's a little odd that they'd put a goblin in the cell for the "most dangerous", but maybe Rinthe was mistaken about what qualifies a person for being consigned to this cell. The goblin grovels for a few moments, then gleefully skips off once Eniaor unlocks his shackles.

A small, pale, gnome- or engineer-like woman (whom Grunfold identifes as a svirfneblin) is next. She squints suspiciously at the lot of you, and as soon as her shackles are unlocked, goes suddenly blurry and dashes off. Unlike the other captives, she takes a right outside the door and vanishes into the city.

Last, a tall, thin woman with yellow skin and yellow eyes, whom Lauren immediately identifies as a githzerai, an extraplanar humanoid native who dwell in fortress-like monasteries in the Chaotic Plane of Air. Even after Eniaor unlocks her shackles, the githzerai woman only kneels before Lauren and bows her head silently.

Grunfold goes off to try that western room. He discovers that it's empty. Probably a holding pen for sold slaves awaiting pickup after each auction.


For the record, just so we're all 100% on the same page: I do consider unlabeled spoilers (and this one) free for anybody to read.


.........#############################,,,#
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..............,s,,s,,s,,,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
.......s.......s,,,,,,,,,#--s,s#|##|##,,,#
.#..............s,,,s,---#--,,K|,s,L,^,,,#
.......s..s......,,,,,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
.............s..s.,s,,---#--,s,#,,#,,#,,,#
...............s...,,,---|*-,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.#........s.s......s,,---#--,,s#######,,,#
...s...........DRR...,...#-==s,#ss#,,#...#
................RR......,^,G,,s#ss#,,#...##
......................*,,##|##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#,|s,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,s#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,,,#....#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,,,╔═H|..║p#....#
###################,,,,,,|,,,║c,#p...#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I gesture for the woman to get up; there's no need to kneel to me."There's no need for that! What's your name? Wait for us in the quad, we'll be leaving shortly."

I make my way back into the main room, ensuring everyone is out before taking the lanterns down from the walls and extinguishing them. I then douse the ceiling beams with the oil from one of them before carefully setting light to it with the torch I'd retrieved from a freeman. I then head south to repeat the process in the southern room, bumping into Kataun en route .

[planswalker]

"Your mind tricks have no power on me! But they looked very cute. Let me stand next to you so I can study them better. They'll be useful on mammals." [roll0]

Hipp will stand next to the fellow so that if he casts again, he should get a tail AoO.

[Malimar]

DM
The githzerai woman stares blankly; clearly she doesn't speak Common. She understands the gesture to stand up, so she does so, then she follows Lauren, about half a step closer than is entirely comfortable.

Lauren can, by standing on the platform and stretching, reach a litle less than half the beams in the main area to douse them with oil. Well, she can reach all the beams, because they're east-to-west, but she can only reach half of each beam. The oil catches quickly. The beams themselves will probably start burning fairly soon.


The guy at the desk (who looks completely at home there, and the desk is identifiably Nalf's, so let's call him Nalf) looks not particularly convinced by Hippolitus's not particularly convincing lie, particularly convincingly-delivered though it was. "Quite."

So Nalf glances at the guy by the door. This isn't exactly a surprise round, 'cause I'm sure Hipp was completely expecting combat to happen. So, to the dice thread for initiative order!

The most relevant portion of the initiative:
Grunfold
Lauren
The guy by the door
Nalf
Kataun
Hippolitus
Dave


Hipp walks a few steps forward, and is interrupted by the guy by the door grabbing at his shirt. But Hipp either a.) successfully makes his tail touch AoO, dealing 7 damage to the guy, and preventing the grapple or b.) elects not to make an AoO attempt, but makes his opposed strength check, shoving the guy forcefully away, and preventing the grapple. Your choice.
Because this combat commencement was highly irregular, I'll say you have additional choices: whether you finished your declared action (walking to Nalf, away from the guy by the door) or remained where you were; whether you attempted to perform a single standard action in addition to your move.

Those choices apply to the (sort of abbreviated, because the combat part was basically just the three people in Nalf's office) round that just concluded. They are in addition to any actions you choose to take this coming round (which will include everyone on the map).



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..............,s,,s,,s,,,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
.......s....s..s,,,s,,,,,#--s,s#|##|##,,,#
.#..............s,,,s,---#--,,,|,,,,,^,,,#
.......s..s...s..,,,,,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
...........s.s..s.,s,,---#--,s,#,,#,,#,,,#
...............s...,,,---|*-,,s#,,#,,#,,,#
.#........s.s...s..s,,---#--,s,#######,,,#
...s...........DRR...,...#-==,,#,,#,,#...#
...........s....RR......,^,,,,g#,,#,,#...##
......................*,,##|##L#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#K|,,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,,,#....#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,,,╔═,|H.║n#....#
###################,,,,,,|,,,║c,#p...#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
n - Nalf
g - Githzerai woman

[planswalker]

Hipp will take the AoO and deal his damage, then finish his move to be next to Naf. He does not take further action that round besides saying, "You'll have to be better than that to play footsies with a dragon."

On his next round, he'll AoO to avoid a grapple if he tries to grapple again before Naf moves. If Naf provokes an AoO first, though, Hipp will take the AoO against him.

If neither of them take another hostile action, Hipp won't escalate. But since it's 105% likely that they will, Hipp will take a full attack against Naf if he can do so. If not, he will Take a move action to close the distance, and if Naf doesn't have a weapon in hand, cast true strike and use his free claw attack from that on him. If he does have a weapon in hand, he'll instead just use a claw attack.

okay, all possible rolls:
the AoO: [roll0] [roll1]
the full attack: [roll2] [roll3]
[roll4] [roll5]
the true strike: [roll6] [roll7]
the single claw: [roll8] [roll7] (same damage roll as the TS attack, the attack roll for a +2 vs a +22 is the only difference)

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"Ooomph", Kataun bumps into Lauren. "There you are, Ms. Blonde. See, there was a fancy man in the chair over there. He said he'd like to hear you sing. I recommend Stuck in the Middle with You. Lovely song!"

-K

[RCgothic]

Lauren

"I'm afraid I don't sing for slavers, Kataun! In any case, he won't be sitting there long, the building's going up in flames! Let's go and see what he wants."

I move south, collecting another lantern along the way in addition to the full one I already have (if there is one), and move to stand on the customer side of the desk. As I see the nameplate on its smaller counterpart, and the man sitting behind it, my heart sinks as I realise the man I charmed earlier was probably faking it, and I should have paid more reaction to his response.

"You shouldn't have stayed here, Nalf. There are thirty former slaves with weapons outside desperate to meet you, and anyone left will meet a fiery fate! You can't get out, and you can't stay here. Surrender now, or burn with this place you built with the blood of others!"

I begin drizzling the oil from the lanterns over the desk in front of me, holding the torch high for emphasis.

[Malimar]

DM
Hipp walked over to the desk, then. Nalf continued to smile pleasantly at Hipp, and rose to a standing position, but took no further action.

-

Lauren bumps into Kataun, who tells her about the fancy man! Then she heads south! The men inside the office permit her to enter without attempting to seize her.

Lauren does, in fact, recognize the guy she saw (and attempted to charm) earlier. He's standing behind Nalf's desk, being Nalf. Comparing him against the other fellow, one can observe that Nalf is not dressed particularly more finely than his subordinates. He does have his collar popped, as if you needed any more reason to hate him.

(The githzerai woman follows Lauren closely, and stands next to her before the desk, glowering silently in the direction of Nalf's office.)

Nalf continues to smile pleasantly as Lauren dumps the contents of a lamp onto his desk. "Those things are all important to me. In particular, I am very concerned that you seem to be fixing to set the security desk on fire."

Then Nalf whips a fine, delicate, silver-traced rapier out from somewhere, possibly under his desk. He drawls, "Don't worry: I don't intend to hurt any of you," as he attempts to fillet Hippolitus. Hipp very nearly manages to dodge out of the way, but the rapier neatly pierces his torso, for 7 damage.

Then, at a glance from Nalf, the other guy elects to... hulk out! It becomes apparent that something is very wrong with him. He grows visibly larger; thick, throbbing veins appear on his skin; his skin begins to swell, crack, and ooze. He 5'-stumbles in front of the door and slams it closed! Then he turns to the others in the room and tries to cuff Lauren upside the head with a fist EDIT: He storms into the lobby, yelling inarticulately, "You're going with Nalf", and grabs Lauren by the neck! (Both Lauren and the githzerai are unarmed, and neither have Improved Unarmed Strike, so neither threatens the guy, even though he doesn't have Improved Unarmed Strike, either. The githzerai is unarmed and doesn't have Improved Unarmed Strike, and so can't make an attack of opportunity, even though the guy doesn't have Improved Grapple. Lauren is armed with an improvised club which is on fire, but her attack of opportunity completely misses.) He successfully grabs Lauren, dealing 3 nonlethal damage to her, and she is now grappled.

Then Hipp, leaking vital fluids from a puncture wound in his torso, retaliates! Nalf is close enough to full attack, and has a weapon in hand, so Hipp full attacks with his claws.
And he hits with both claws, tearing through Nalf's shirt and light studded leather! Nalf scowls.



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..............,s,,s,,s,s,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
.......s....s..s,,,s,,,,,#--,,,#|##|##,,,#
.#..............s,,,s,---#--,,,|,,,,,^,,,#
.......s..s...s..,,,,,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
...........s.s..s.,s,,---#--,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
...............s...,,,---|*-,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.#........s.s...s..s,G---#--,,,#######,,,#
...s...........DRR...,...#-==,,#,,#,,#...#
...........s....RR..s...,^,,,,,#,,#,,#...##
......................*,,##|##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#K|,,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,gp,,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,,L╔═,|..║n#....#
###################,,,,,,|,,,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
L - Lauren
l - Leonora
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
n - Nalf
g - Githzerai woman

[Kremti]

retconned!
-K

[planswalker]

Hipp yells, "GET. IN. HERE!"

On his turn, Hipp will walk over to the hulk and cast true strike, granting himself an attack almost guaranteed to hit. Also putting the unarmed hulk in AoO range for the next time he decides to use his fists.

"Think you can hold off Naf long enough to get kataun in here?"

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

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I'm startled by how quickly the large brute moves as I'm practically hoisted off the floor by my neck! I quickly drop the torch which I'd been holding over the desk onto its oil-soaked surface as I raise my hands to my neck and attempt to wriggle free of the brute's grip. I can feel my vision greying out the blood flow in my neck is constricted.

"Kataun!" I manage to gasp. "Help!"

Free action to drop torch. I'm assuming this is ok as Lauren only needs to stop gripping the thing and was already holding it over the desk.

Standard action to attempt to escape grapple!
Escape Artist check:[roll0]

If successful, draw crossbow and move 5-foot to south-west.

[Kremti]

Kataun sees the struggle out on the hallway/ "Hey, you! Get your hands off of Ms. Blonde!", Kataun deftly attempt to hook the tip of his guisarme into the right underarm of the slaver, and violently twist it, try to dislodge his arm away from Lauren, and open up the defense of the man, exposing his soft underbelly to whoever else...
Move action to move up 10' away from the slaver, and Standard Action to use the Vanguard Strike against him (Boooo, no Crusader strike). If this hits, Kataun heals Lauren 2, and everyone else who attacks him gets +4 to hit.
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Masterwork):[roll0]
Damage +4 1.5xStr:[roll1]
-K

[planswalker]

Hipp yells, "GET. IN. HERE!"

On his turn, Hipp will walk over to the hulk and cast true strike, granting himself an attack almost guaranteed to hit. Also putting the unarmed hulk in AoO range for the next time he decides to use his fists.

"Think you can hold off Naf long enough to get kataun in here?"

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

instead of the above, Hipp will continue to dig into Nalf, trying to drop one opponent so we're only having to deal with the non-lethal brute.

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

should an AoO apply: [roll4] [roll5]

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold and Dave, uh, seem to be distracted by some sort of disturbance outside?

Kataun joins the fray! He... yes, can just barely reach a place where he both has line of effect to Hipp and can hit the hulky slaver with his reach weapon. Which he does! Just barely, because the guy was distracted with grappling Lauren. Hipp is healed for 2, and everyone else gets +4 to attack.

Lauren drops her torch on the desk, which goes up in flames, beginning to fill the lobby with smoke! Then she tries to break free, and succeeds! Gasping for breath, she 5' steps and draws her crossbow.

The githzerai woman steps with Lauren, standing between her and her adversary. She stares at the hulky dude, and he's briefly slicked with a translucent, shimmering substance, and Lauren and Kataun hear a subtle chiming in their heads. But the guy appears unaffected, and the githzerai woman appears displeased.

Nalf... elects to delay until just after his minion.

The hulky guy -- who, I guess I completely neglected to mention, is the guy with the spears whom Kataun saw leaving the southwest door and then going around the building, which Kataun can probably tell from his clothing and the two spears he has slung across his back, if not from his face, which is somewhat altered by the bulging veins and blistering flesh -- looks at his three foes. He's supposed to grab one of them, but she's the furthest away. The other two are not primary targets, but are much more dangerous than the primary target. He looks consternated, but eventually elects to move. West! So he provokes an AoO from Kataun, who hits, a solid, telling blow! The guy leaves a pool of his blood as he walks around the githzerai woman to block the door, drawing a spear as he goes.
Next, he... apparently doesn't want to risk killing Lauren, because he backhands her with a loosely clenched fist... and connects incredibly well. Luckily, he fails to confirm his critical hit, but still does another 4 nonlethal damage to Lauren.

Now Nalf! He observes the tactics of the party, comments, "Clever," and hops theatrically up onto the desk, provoking an attack from Hipp! Hipp's AoO hits solidly, but Nalf shrugs it off, because now he has the high ground! (Literally; definitely not figuratively.)
Then Nalf... wow: Nalf skewers Hipp mightily through the upper chest, and... rolls a natural 1 on his confirmation roll. (That's twice in one round that a :smalleek::smallamused: has been abruptly transformed into a :smallsigh::smallmad:. Hmph.) The rapier blow is still a hit, and does 4 damage.

Hipp is now, according to my calculations, at 0hp and disabled, so he can make a single standard action. But doing so is strenuous, so if he does, he will lose another point of HP and collapse. So it's up to you: did Hipp attack with that 12(+4)tohit/6todam claw attack and collapse, or did he take a move or no action and remain at 0hp?



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.#...#...#..,#,,,#,s,#,s,#####|#######,,,#
.............,,,s,,s,,,,,#-==,,#,,#..#,,,#
.............s,s,,s,,s,s,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
............s..s,r,s,,s,,#--,,,#|##|##,,,#
.#...........s..s,,,s,---#--,,,|,,,,,^,,,#
..........s...s..,,,,,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
.........s.s.s..s.,,,,---#--,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.........s..s..s..s,,,---|*-,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.#........s.s...s..s,G---#--,,,#######,,,#
...............DRR...,...#-==,,#,,#,,#...#
...........s....RR...ss.,^,,,,,#,,#,,#...##
.....................s*,,##|##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#,|,,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,,,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,,g╔═K|..nc#....#
###################,,,,,,|pL,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
L - Lauren (unconscious, prone)
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
n - Nalf (standing on desk)
g - Githzerai woman

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold and Dave, uh, seem to be distracted by some sort of disturbance outside?

Kataun joins the fray! He... yes, can just barely reach a place where he both has line of effect to Hipp and can hit the hulky slaver with his reach weapon. Which he does! Just barely, because the guy was distracted with grappling Lauren. Hipp is healed for 2, and everyone else gets +4 to attack.

Lauren drops her torch on the desk, which goes up in flames, beginning to fill the lobby with smoke! Then she tries to break free, and succeeds! Gasping for breath, she 5' steps and draws her crossbow.

The githzerai woman steps with Lauren, standing between her and her adversary. She stares at the hulky dude, and he's briefly slicked with a translucent, shimmering substance, and Lauren and Kataun hear a subtle chiming in their heads. But the guy appears unaffected, and the githzerai woman appears displeased.

Nalf... elects to delay until just after his minion.

The hulky guy -- who, I guess I completely neglected to mention, is the guy with the spears whom Kataun saw leaving the southwest door and then going around the building, which Kataun can probably tell from his clothing and the two spears he has slung across his back, if not from his face, which is somewhat altered by the bulging veins and blistering flesh -- looks at his three foes. He's supposed to grab one of them, but she's the furthest away. The other two are not primary targets, but are much more dangerous than the primary target. He looks consternated, but eventually elects to move. West! So he provokes an AoO from Kataun, who hits, a solid, telling blow! The guy leaves a pool of his blood as tries to use Stand Still to block his way with his guisarme! But the hulky dude, more agile than he looks, ducks past, and walks unimpeded around the githzerai woman to block the door, drawing a spear as he goes.
Next, he... apparently doesn't want to risk killing Lauren, because he backhands her with a loosely clenched fist... and connects incredibly well. Luckily, he fails to confirm his critical hit, but still does another 4 nonlethal damage to Lauren.

Now Nalf! He observes the tactics of the party, comments, "Clever," and hops theatrically up onto the desk, provoking an attack from Hipp! Hipp's AoO hits solidly, but Nalf shrugs it off, because now he has the high ground! (Literally; definitely not figuratively.)
Then Nalf... wow: Nalf skewers Hipp mightily through the upper chest, and... rolls a natural 1 on his confirmation roll. (That's twice in one round that a :smalleek::smallamused: has been abruptly transformed into a :smallsigh::smallmad:. Hmph.) The rapier blow is still a hit, and does 4 damage.

Hipp is now, according to my calculations, at 0hp and disabled, so he can make a single standard action. But doing so is strenuous, so if he does, he will lose another point of HP and collapse. So it's up to you: did Hipp attack with that 12(+4)tohit/6todam claw attack and collapse, or did he take a move or no action and remain at 0hp?
Hippolitus got healed for another 2 HP when Kataun hit with his AoO, so he was in fact free to claw with both claws. He barely hits with the first one, and doesn't hit with the second.



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...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*,,,,,,,,,,#
.#...#...#..,#,,,#,s,#,s,#####|#######,,,#
.............,,,s,,s,,,,,#-==,,#,,#..#,,,#
.............s,s,,s,,s,s,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
............s..s,r,s,,s,,#--,,,#|##|##,,,#
.#...........s..s,,,s,---#--,,,|,,,,,^,,,#
..........s...s..,,,,,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
.........s.s.s..s.,,,,---#--,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.........s..s..s..s,,,---|*-,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.#........s.s...s..s,G---#--,,,#######,,,#
...............DRR...,...#-==,,#,,#,,#...#
...........s....RR...ss.,^,,,,,#,,#,,#...##
.....................s*,,##|##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#,|,,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,,,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,,g╔═K|..nc#....#
###################,,,,,,|pL,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
L - Lauren (unconscious, prone)
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
n - Nalf (standing on desk)
g - Githzerai woman

[planswalker]

wow... 31 damage and this guy STILL isn't down??? Was this not supposed to turn into a combat encounter or have you been neglecting to inform me of some sort of damage reduction going on?

Assuming Hipp isn't skewered and taken out this round, he will continue to lay into the guy, hoping desperately that this thing can be taken out.

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

[roll4] [roll5]

once this is over, I'd like to know the level of this opponent I'm going toe-to-toe with... as a 1st level sorcerer.

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I collapse into as dignified a heap as I can manage before fading into unconsciousness.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

When Lauren hits the floor, Kataun's face gets all red. He dashes around the desk huffing, and yells, "I told you to get your hands off of Ms. Blonde!", and attempts to slashes the slaver hard.
Move action to move south side of the desk like so:

................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,,,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,,g╔═,|..nc#....#
###################,,,,,,|pL,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,K,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#

And using the standard action, use the Leading the Attack Maneuver, if it hits all the allies gets +4 moral bonus to hit Until Kataun's next round.
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Masterwork):[roll0]
Damage +4 1.5xStr:[roll1]
AoO:
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Masterwork+4 Deft Opportunist Feat):[roll2]
Damage +4 1.5xStr:[roll3]
-K

[Malimar]

DM
There's a crackling, popping noise from the northern area of the building. Sounds like Lauren's fires are beginning to catch on.

There is a sound of argumentation from outside. At least one of the raised voices have the cultivatedly official tone of police officers. The guard who had run away earlier, along with four city policemen, wander up. Grunfold, Dave, and Rinthe line up to intercept them. The policeman in charge observes the huge flock of escaped slaves, the warhorse, and the smoke beginning to stream from the building. In his most imperious, official-sounding voice, he demands: "...What's all this then?"
(Grunfold has heard, and may even know from personal experience, that the police force of Endeesy is notoriously corrupt. In most cities, "What's all this then?" is a demand for information; here, it's usually code for "Offer us a bribe and we'll pretend we didn't see you." Of course, the police force is almost certainly heftily bribed on a regular basis by Nalf himself, so there's no telling whether that would actually work in this situation.)

Kataun runs up and whacks the slaver solidly with his glaive! The guy goes down, gurgling, his hands no longer on Miss Blondie! (2 points of Lauren's nonlethal damage are probably healed because of his Stance, yes?)

Leonora perches on the slaver's head and begins to peck out his succulent, delicious eyes.

The githzerai woman turns towards Kataun and crosses her arms in front of her chest for a second, looking triumphant on his behalf. The githzerai equivalent of a thumbs up? Then she grabs the fallen slaver's spear and runs to the doorway to Nalf's office, glowering at Nalf!

The fallen slaver groans, his skin boiling, but he does not move.

Nalf observes the Githzerai woman blocking his doorway, observes his fallen minion, and declares, "Aha, now perhaps the fight is fair!" Then he shouts, "I do not want to kill any of you!", as he tries his very best to kill Hipp, stabbing Hipp's shoulder for 8 damage.
Then, as Hipp collapses, Nalf turns and shouts, "Come at me!", as he hops off the table and attempts to tumble under the githzerai woman's feet! He doesn't quite manage it, and she blocks him, swiping with the spear, but he avoids her attack of opportunity.



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...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*,,,,,,,,,,#
.#...#...#..,#,,,#,,,#,,,#####&#######,,,#
.............,s,s,,s,,,,,#-==,,#,,#..#,,,#
.............s,s,,s,,s,s,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
............s..s,,,s,,s,,#--,,,#|##|##,,,#
.#...........s..s,s,s,---#--,,,|,,,,,^,,,#
..............s.s,s,s,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
...........s.s..s.,,s,---#--,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
............s..s..s,,,---|*-,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.#...........s..s..s,,---#--,,,#######,,,#
.......g..r...s.....s,...#-==,,#,,#,,#...#
......ggg.D......RR..ss.,^,,,,,#,,#,,#...##
.......g..G......RR..s*,,##|##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#,|,,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,,,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,,,╔═,Gn.║c#....#
###################,,,,,,|pL,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,K,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
L - Lauren (unconscious, prone)
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (unconscious, prone, bleeding)
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person (unconscious, prone)
n - Nalf
G - Githzerai woman
g - town guard

[planswalker]

Hipp bleeds, unconsciously hoping to stabilize...

[roll0]

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"Wait wait wait! We are all good now! No need to fight anymore. We kicked the evil dude's ass." Kataun points to the slaver, and tries to run to bleeding Hipps body and stabilize.
Malimar:
So, I dunno how you want to rule this one. Right now, as far as I can tell, Kataun is charmed and does not consider Nalf as "enemy"...so either Kataun can run through both Githzerai AND Nalf through to get to Hipps, or...? Your call :P If he *can* get to Hipps unimpeded, he will attempt to stabilize Hipps.
Healing:[roll0]
Let me know if he *doesn't* get to Hipps somehow.
-K

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I continue being unconscious. I think I'm having a dream about eyeballs. Succulent delicious eyeballs. I find this disturbing.

[Malimar]

DM
If the freedmen -- untrained, half of them unarmed, now being glowered at by city cops -- had been inclined to venture into the building to investigate the sounds of battle, the smoke beginning to pour out is likely to dissuade almost all of them.
The bugbear and the goblin get into a furiously heated argument over something, jabbering so quickly they would be almost incomprehensible even if they weren't speaking goblin.

Dave and Grunfold are presented with several city cops.

The githzerai woman looks incredulous, and Nalf looks sinister, as Kataun runs past them both. Nalf allows it, and Kataun begins inexpertly trying to bind Hipp's wounds. (Which he does not successfully accomplish this round, both because he didn't have time to get to Hipp in a single move action, and because he rolled insufficiently well.)

Lauren is unconscious. Leonora grows increasingly distressed agbout something as she continues to peck at the slaver's eyeballs, quorking disgruntledly.

The githzerai woman takes a step back and concentrates on Nalf a moment. There is a bass-pitched hum, and Nalf is bludgeoned about the head and neck by an invisible force.

Leonora starts flapping and madly quorking as the slaver that Kataun had dropped rises to his feet, his flesh shifting, his wounds gradually closing. He ignores the bird and lumbers around the desk, towards the githzerai woman, gruntling to himself.

The githzerai woman has given Nalf an opening! So he dives, tumbling past her... failing the check by 1, and thus provoking an AoO. She stabs downwards with the spear, barely hitting him, as he tumbles past. Then, sheathing his rapier, he walks over to Lauren.

Hipp does not stabilize.



.........#############################,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*,,,,,,,,,,#
.#...#...#..,#,,,#,,,#,,,#####&#######,,,#
.............,,,s,,s,,,,,#-==,,#,,#..#,,,#
.............s,s,,s,,s,s,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
............s..s,,,s,,s,,#--,,,#|##|##,,,#
.#...........s..s,s,s,---#--,,,|,,,,,^,,,#
..............s.s,,,s,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
...........s.s..s.s,s,---#--,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
............s..s..s,,s---|*-,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.#...........s..s..s,,---#--,,,#######,,,#
.......g..r...s.....s,s..#-==,,#,,#,,#...#
......ggg.D......RR.ss..,^,,,,,#,,#,,#...##
.......g..G......RR...*,,##|##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#,|,,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,p,#..KH#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,n,╔═G|..║c#....#
###################,,,,,,|lL,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
L - Lauren (unconscious, prone)
l - Leonora
H - Hippolitus (unconscious, prone, bleeding)
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
n - Nalf
G - Githzerai woman
g - town guard

[RCgothic]

Lauren

I continue to be unconscious. I dream I'm stuck in quicksand whilst jackals prowl across the surface towards me unimpeded. It's a very scary dream!

[planswalker]

Hipp continues heroically bleeding to death...

[roll0]

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Someone haaaaalp!!!!" Kataun yells very, very loud as he scrambles to Hipp and bungles around. Then he notices the slaver-person getting up as the Raven frantically pecks at it.

"Wait, won't you just stay down?!?!?!?", he rushes to the door behind the Githzerai woman, and tries to strike at the now-standing slaver-person.

Move action to move to the open door spot, Standard Action to Crusader Strike against the slaver-person.

To Hit +1 BAB +3 STR +1 Mstwk: [roll0]
Damage +4 1.5str: [roll1]

If this hit, the stance will heal Hipp 2, and heals Kataun (10' range for strike...) [roll2]

AoO To Hit: +1 BAB +3 STR +1 Mstwk +4 Deft Opportunist: [roll3]
Damage +4 1.5str: [roll4]

If Hipps stabilized at this point, and he still hit with AoO somehow, heal Lauren 2...otherwise, heal Hipp 2

-K

[Moranica]

Grunfold

Grunfold watches the approaching guards with caution and after a quick thought he calls Dave.

"Dave, come on, we need to get out of here. Let's get the others from inside and let the slaves handle these guys."

"I know they might be a poor match up, but at least they die in freedom..."

Grunfold runs inside to the rescue!

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold and Dave leave Rinthe and the other slaves to try to negotiate with the city watch on their own. Grunfold runs to the door, and beholds the scene inside! The security desk is burning merrily at this point.

Dave follows him!

The lead guard scratches his ear as Grunfold and Dave run away. "Did... did I say it wrong?"

The githzerai woman ducks as Kataun swings at the slaver guy! But, unfortunately, so does the slaver guy, and Kataun's attack goes wide.

Leonora frantically flaps at Nalf and tries to claw his eyes out, instead! And actually does manage to hit him, doing an insignificant amount of damage to his face.

The githzerai woman shouts a word in the gith language at Nalf. There is another bass hum, and Nalf is once again bludgeoned by an invisible force.

The hulky minion draws his other spear, and swings it at the githzerai woman! His spear meets some resistance and sparks as it barely manages to pass through the githzerai's psionic defenses, gouging her in the mid-torso region. Yelling incoherently, she goes down.

Nalf looks at the suddenly-arrived Grunfold and Dave, exclaims, "More to join the party! Excellent!" Ignoring Leonora still flapping around his head, Nalf picks Lauren up and, straining slightly, hoists her to his shoulders. "I hope I see you all again!" Then, stepping into a temporarily shimmering place in the air, he vanishes with Lauren.

Hipp continues to bleed.



.........#############################,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*,,,,,,,,,,#
.#...#...#..,#,,,#,,,#,,,#####&#######,,,#
.............,,,s,,s,,,,,#-==,,#,,#..#,,,#
.............s,s,,s,,s,s,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
............s..s,,,s,,s,,#--,,,#|##|##,,,#
.#...........s..s,s,s,---#--,,,|,,,,,^,,,#
..............s.s,,,s,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
...........s.s..s.s,s,---#--,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
............s..s..s,,s---|*-,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.#...........s..s..s,,---#--,,,#######,,,#
.......g..r...s.....s,s..#-==,,#,,#,,#...#
......ggg........RR.ss..,^,,,,,#,,#,,#...##
.......g.........RR...*,,##|##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#,|,,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,p,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,l,╔═GK..║c#....#
###################,,,,,DG,,,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
l - Leonora
H - Hippolitus (unconscious, prone, bleeding)
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - unconscious guard
╔ - desk
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
G - Githzerai woman (unconscious, prone, bleeding)
g - town guard

[planswalker]

Hip bleeds his bloody bleeding blood.

[roll0]

edit: yes!

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun blinks as 'Nalf' and Lauren disappears. "Good idea! Bringing her to the safe place away from this evil dude! We'll see you later at our hideout, Mr Fancy Chair Person!" Kataun takes a deep breath, slow down, and uppercut-slice the slaver-person.
Vanguard Strike with Guisarme...If this hits, everyone including Kataun gets +4 to hit the troll until Kataun's next turn
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Masterwork):[roll0]
Damage +4 1.5xStr:[roll1]
AoO (Again, +4 if Vanguard Strike hits and somehow the Troll doesn't go down...):
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Masterwork+4 Deft Opportunist Feat):[roll2]
Damage +4 1.5xStr:[roll3]

As for healing...Kataun probably doesn't know the status of Hipp, so he still gets 2 points first to make sure he stabilizes. Then if there's extra from AoO, the Githzerai gets the second heal.
-K

[Moranica]

Seeing one of the slavers still up, Grunfold engages and slashes at him, stiff shoulder joints popping at the sudden exercise.

[roll0]; [roll1]

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold makes his way over to the hulking, oozing slaver, who easily sidesteps his attack.

Kataun strikes his target a mighty blow! The slaver sways on his feet, but does not fall. Hipp is healed for 2, and is stable twice over!

The githzerai woman bleeds a little.

The slaver is badly outnumbered! But he pays no mind. Instead, he steps towards Kataun and tries to stab with his spear! He hits with consummate accuracy, penetrating Kataun's armor, doing 7 damage in the mid-torso area.



.........#############################,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*,,,,,,,,,,#
.#...#...#..,#,,,#,,,#,,,#####&#######,,,#
.............,,,s,,s,,,,,#-==,,#,,#..#,,,#
.............s,s,,s,,s,s,^--,,,#,,#..#,,,#
............s..s,,,s,,s,,#--,,,#|##|##,,,#
.#...........s..s,s,s,---#--,,,|,,,,,^,,,#
..............s.s,,,s,---&-*,,*##|##|#,,,#
...........s.s..s.s,s,---#--,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
............s..s..s,,s---|*-,,,#,,#,,#,,,#
.#...........s..s..s,,---#--,,,#######,,,#
.......w..r...s.....s,s..#-==,,#,,#,,#...#
......www........RR.ss..,^,,,,,#,,#,,#...##
.......w.........RR...*,,##|##,#|##|##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,#...#,|,,,,,^.....
....................,,,,,#...#,##|##|#.....
...................,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
..................,,,,,,,#...#,#,,#,,#....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,G,,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,l,╔═pK..║c#....#
###################,,,,,D|,,,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
l - Leonora
H - Hippolitus (unconscious, prone, stable)
K - Kataun
R - Rocinante
* - dead guard
╔ - desk (on fire)
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person (standing on the githzerai woman, who is unconscious, prone, bleeding)
w - town guard

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Blood stains are now all over Kataun's bright red suit. The red liquid spreads through the mid-torso area where the cloth is freshly ripped open. Kataun shuts up, tries to take a deep breath but fails as his chest expands painfully, and steps back, ad makes a sudden, quick lunge with his guisarme.
5' step to step back, then Standard Action to Leading the Attack with Guisarme...If this hits, everyone including Kataun gets +4 to hit the troll until Kataun's next turn
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Masterwork +1 Furious Counter Strike):[roll0]
Damage +4 1.5xStr +1 FUrious Counter Strike:[roll1]
AoO (Again, +4 if Vanguard Strike hits and somehow the Troll doesn't go down...):
To Hit (+1BAB+3STR+1 Masterwork +1 Furious Counter Strike +4 Deft Opportunist):[roll2]
Damage +4 1.5xStr +1 FUrious Counter Strike:[roll3]

Healings go to Kataun himself...if Kataun happns to hit with the first attack, he will end up at 0hp at the end of his turn. He *will* take AoO if he can. If he happens to miss that one, he will go to -1...

-K

[planswalker]

Hipp, no longer dying snores soundly at -3 hp.

[Moranica]

His horrible attempt at injuring the slaver and the following spearstrike, push Grunfold to fight harder. He steps on the table to flank the man with Kataun and strikes again.

Rapier1 [roll0]; [roll1] + [roll2] sneak
Rapier2 [roll3]; [roll4] + [roll5] sneak

[bobthe6th]

Dave

"oh, a target!"
Dave 5ft steps into the door, Forms a crude cross bow with his hand, and fires a glowing bolt at the slaver.

Eldrich blast
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Then seeing his wounded allies, he draws one of his potions of cure light wounds.

[Malimar]

DM
Oh, since it just occurred to me: Kataun has at this point seen the slaver and Nalf pass by one another peacefully, plus other context clues. The slaver just attacked Kataun. So: Kataun's head clears and he no longer thinks of Nalf as a friend. A little late to immediately do anything about it, but there it is.

There is a crash from the north as something falls. Nothing is visible in there any longer except orange light and black smoke, whcih also pours from the windows and down the hallway into the lobby.


Dave steps forward and fires an eldritch blast at the slaver! ...but his attack goes wide, fizzing into the wall behind the slaver's head.

It turns out Grunfold elects not to step onto the burning desk, and instead simply steps to the east. He's not in flanking after all, so he doesn't gain the benefit of sneak attack, but he does still hit with both his rapiers, putting little holes in the slaver's oozing legs.

Kataun lunges, swinging wildly! But his attack, too, goes wide, and, spent by that furious effort, Kataun collapses in a heap. Kataun apparently does not collapse., and Kataun does collapse after all.

The githzerai woman bleeds a little more.

The slaver is, at this point, covered in his own blood, from countless cuts and slashes and gouges and other injuries, all visibly sealing themselves up.
The thing turns to Grunfold, swinging its spear wildly, but Grunfold ducks out of the way of the weapon.

The goblin and the bugbear female, freed earlier, seem to have settled their dispute: the bugbear runs up behind Dave, brandishing one of the guards' longswords. She peers into the smoky lobby for foes and yells, "Who for Xugebd to cut into tiny little bits?"



.........#############################,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*,,,,,,,,,,#
.#...#...#..,#,,,#,,,#,,,#####&#######,,,#
.............,,,s,,s,,,,,# # # #,,,#
.............s,s,,s,,s,s,^ # # #,,,#
............s..s,,,s,,s,,# # ## ##,,,#
.#...........s..s,s,s,---# ^,,,#
..............s.s,,,s,---& ## ## #,,,#
...........s.s..s.s,s,---# # # #,,,#
............s..s..s,,s---| # # #,,,#
.#...........s..s..,,,---# #######,,,#
.......w..r...s.....s,s..# # # #...#
......www........RR.ss..,^ # # #...##
.......w.........RR...*,,## ## # ## ##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,# # ^.....
....................,,,,,# # ## ## #.....
...................,,,,,,# # # # #....#
..................,,,,,,,# #,# # #....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,,G,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,l,╔═pK..║c#....#
###################,,,,,xD,,,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,,#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
l - Leonora
H - Hippolitus (unconscious, prone, stable)
K - Kataun (unconscious, prone, bleeding)
R - Rocinante
* - dead guard
╔ - desk (on fire)
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person (standing on the githzerai woman, who is unconscious, prone, bleeding)
w - town guard
x - bugbear woman (whose name is apparently Xugebd?)

[planswalker]

Hipp begins to have an odd dream about a white rabbit stuffed with sawdust licking a pocket watch.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun twitches, as if he joined Hipp with his weird dream, except it's all bloody nightmare as he bleeds...

-K

[Moranica]

Grunfold avoids the swing with a grin.

"Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee!"

Rapier1 [roll0]; [roll1]
Rapier2 [roll2]; [roll3]

[bobthe6th]

dave walks over to one square to the left of Grunfold, then tries to fry the troll again. [roll0], [roll1]

[Malimar]

DM
Dave walks closer, firing his zappy fingerbolts into... the wall by the troll slaver's head! (Alternate answer: "Dave aims at the nearest troll. It is miles away, working as a bouncer at the other end of the city. Dave misses.")

Grunfold's rapiers go snicker-snack stabby-stab and he puts two new holes into the slaver!

Kataun stabilizes and stops bleeding!

The githzerai woman does not. She continues bleeding.

The slaver, away from the guidance of his master, is starting to look baffled and confused and angry. So he turns and flees, lumbering around the desk (provoking an attack of opportunity from Grunfold, who hits, but does very little damage) not provoking on his first movement because I realized he took the Withdraw action, then out the door (provoking an attack of opportunity from the bugbear, who swings as hard as she can with her longsword, and hits the doorframe instead of her target).

Hipp dreams!

Xugebd the bugbear swings again, and misses again!

Also: I have decided that yes, one of the freed captives, one of the human women (lumped in with the humans from Shell and Romus, though she's from Gus), is Eleanor Savreux (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=406613) (RCgothic). She had checked into a particularly seedy inn, stabled her mare, and, not expecting trouble, been nabbed by disreputable thugs, who delivered her to the slave market earlier today. All her equipment is back at the inn, though presumably she has at this point grabbed one of the available longswords, shortbows, or saps.



.........#############################,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
...........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*,,,,,,,,,,#
.#...#...#..,#,,,#,,,#,,,#####&#######,,,#
.............,,,s,,s,,,,,# # # #,,,#
.............s,s,,s,,s,s,^ # # #,,,#
............s..s,,,s,,s,,# # ## ##,,,#
.#...........s..E,s,s,---# ^,,,#
..............s.s,,,s,---& ## ## #,,,#
...........s.s..s.s,s,---# # # #,,,#
............s..s..s,,s---| # # #,,,#
.#...........s..s..,,,---# #######,,,#
.......w..r...s.....s,s..# # # #...#
......www........RR.ss..,^ # # #...##
.......w.........RR...*,,## ## # ## ##.....
.#...#...#...#...#...#,,,# # ^.....
....................,,,,,# # ## ## #.....
...................,,,,,,# # # # #....#
..................,,,,,,,# # # # #....#
................*,,,,,,,,##&##|#######....#
................,,,,,,,,,^,,,DG,#...H#....#
...............,,,,,,,,,,#,l,╔═,K..║c#....#
###################,,,,,x|,,,║c,#....#....#
#,,,,,p#,,,╚═,######....#
#,,,,,,^,,,,,,& #....#
#,,,,,,##|##|## #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#c,,& #....#
#,,,,,,#,,#coc# #....#
#,,,,,,##^##^#######....#
#,,,,,,,,...............#
#....,,,................#
#.....,.................#
#...#################...#

. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
= - stairs
^ - window
, - damp area
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
l - Leonora
H - Hippolitus (unconscious, prone, stable)
K - Kataun (unconscious, prone, bleeding)
R - Rocinante
* - dead guard
╔ - desk (on fire)
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person (standing on the githzerai woman, who is unconscious, prone, bleeding)
w - town guard
x - Xugebd the bugbear
E - Eleanor

[planswalker]

Hipp's dream begins making even less sense as girls are turned into dolls, rats make campfires on their heads, and that's not counting the clockwork cards...

[planswalker]

Hipp's dream begins making even less sense as girls are turned into dolls, rats make campfires on their heads, and that's not counting the clockwork cards...

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun continues to twitch, but his demeanor is now clearly more pleasant, dreaming of tangerine trees and marmalade skies...

-K

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

This past day has been quite a blur! And so far not a pleasant one at that. No sooner had I arrived in Endeesey, checked into an inn and changed for dinner, than a gang of thugs jumped me and informed me that a pretty thing like myself would make a fine profit sold into slavery! It appears this city is every bit as rotten to the core as I'd feared. After being left to rot in a cell for most of the day (though my arrival was thankfully after the slave auction for this week) and left to despair on my hopeless situation - improbable rescue!

I managed to liberate a sword and some armour from one of the guards in the initial rush to get out, and the spent the rest of the time waiting patiently in the quad as the small elf woman - Lauren - had asked, strapping myself into the liberated armour. It fits poorly, but it's better than nothing. I make sure the sword is securely sheathed at my waist.

The slave market now appears thoroughly ablaze, and neither she nor her companions seem to have reappeared, and the town guards are clearly getting agitated...

I decide I have to get involved.

"Who else was kidnapped unlawfully?" I ask of the former slaves around me, and noting general assent. "Alright, follow my lead."

"Officer!" I call out, approaching the lead guard. "I wish to report a crime!"

[bobthe6th]

Dave walks over to the gyzertha woman, and addministers the healing potion in hand. He will do the same to the other two fallen.
"all right you lot, those were 50gp a pop... so who wants to pay their debts?"

[Moranica]

Seeing how Dave is taking care of the wounded, Grunfold heads outside again, to check on the guards/prisoners.

[Malimar]

DM
The interior of the slave complex is thick with smoke, now. It is growing difficult to see, and uncomfortably hot.

Leonora flees to the roof of the adjacent warehouse. The hulky slaver swipes at her as she passes, but misses.

Dave and Grunfold switch places (in the initiative as well as physically, because Grunfold is in Dave's way).

Grunfold heads to the door and makes his way freely somewhere outside without further incident.

Then Dave takes a step east and pours his first healing potion down the githzerai woman's throat. After a moment, she blinks.

She stares at him for a moment, apparently not understanding his words. Then she scrambles to her knees and bows her head to him.

The hulky slaver, his wounds closing, stumbles 5' away from the building. Now that he isn't within the smoky, fiery building, and isn't surrounded, he regains a bit of his confidence, and attacks the bugbear with his spear! And hits her! She yells something in the goblin tongue as he puts a great big spear-hole in her thigh.

Hipp continues to dream!

Several of the slaves answer Eleanor's question in a chorus. Some nod and declare "me" and "I was!" Several are not familiar enough with the laws of Gus to know whether or not they were kidnapped unlawfully, and just look confused. Some were assorted miscellaneous: "I was snatched off my ship by pirates"; "I'm a prisoner of war"; "my parents sold me"; "they bought me out of debtor's prison".
The sergeant leading the city watch patrol scratches his neck. "Is... is it arson? Or murder? Or grand larceny? 'Cause I'm kinda seein' some a' those things myself."

The bugbear growls, and... recognizes that the slaver only has the one spear left, so she aims the next blow of her longsword at it, trying to sunder. But she doesn't even manage to hit the spear at all, much less sunder it.



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. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
^ - window
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
l - Leonora
H - Hippolitus (unconscious. prone. stable)
K - Kataun (unconscious. prone. bleeding)
R - Rocinante
* - dead guard
╔ - desk (main security desk is on fire. Nalf's is not.)
c - chair
o - table
r - Rinthe
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
g - githzerai woman (disabled)
w - town guard
x - Xugebd the bugbear
E - Eleanor
" - thick smoke

[planswalker]

Was that an electric sheep in Hipp's dreams? Surely not.

[bobthe6th]

Dave repeats the action, this time for K.

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

I'd expected some sort of response along those lines, and I don't let it distract me. As far as I'm concerned those acts were rightful retribution against those who had it coming, though I'm candy enough not to say it like that.

"All consequential to the main offenses! Mass assault, battery and kidnapping! Selling innocent hard-working folk into slavery for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Piracy too by the sounds of it!"

I pause briefly as I intuit what must be the most salient fact to the town guards. "And then being found out! Are those all not behaviours likely to incite a riot? All this fuss is because of Nalf! We demand you do something about him at once! Isn't that right guys?" I'm playing to the crowd a bit here, and I hope fervently they back me up...

Diplomacy:[roll0]
Intimidate:[roll1]

[Moranica]

Seeing the slaver still on his feet, Grunfold hesitates.

Unfortunatly for him, battle isn't good for thinking and he charges the slaver.

[roll0]; [roll1]

[Malimar]

DM
At this point, the lobby is very hot and smoky, an extremely hazardous environment. Anyone who remains within for much longer without taking precautions runs the risks of smoke inhalation and heat illness.

Grunfold charges, thrusting with his rapier! But he gets it at not quite the right angle, his target twists in just the right way, and the rapier bounces off the slaver's light leather armor.

Dave takes a step east, pulls out a second healing potion, and begins to pour it down Kataun. Kataun is healed for 5 hp (or will be by the time his next turn rolls around), which I think should bring him back to consciousness?

The githzerai woman, keeping her head low, stumbles to the outer door.

The hulking slaver is gradually growing visibly larger. It's difficult to tell in the shifting mass of flesh, but it looks like his wounds may have completely sealed themselves. He assesses the threats arrayed against him, and elects to target the bugbear! But she just manages to avoid the spear. Then the slaver takes a 5' step away.

The mongrelfolk city watch sergeant doesn't seem particularly intimidated. The crowd is rather large, and several of them are getting into the spirit of Eleanor's line of argument by looking as riotous as they can manage, but most of them look malnourished, and only half of them are even armed. Eleanor is reasonably eloquent, but the guard is unimpressed. "Look, lady, Nalf runs an entirely legit op--" He has to interrupt himself to instruct the guards arrayed behind him to "stop snickering -- an entirely legitimate operation. Pays his taxes and everything. So I'm gonna have to... take y'all into custody..." He doesn't actually look particularly confident about this last bit. The city watchmen are, if nothing else, outnumbered.

The bugbear advances a 5' step and tries again to sunder the slaver's spear! The slaver managed to roll (and confirm) a critical fumble on his attempt. Because it amuses me to do so, I shall call that a genuine fumble.
Xugebd doesn't manage to actually break the spear, but in the slaver's flailing attempts to defend his spear using his spear, he leaves himself wide open, and is flat-footed for a round.



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. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
^ - window
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
l - Leonora
H - Hippolitus (unconscious. prone. stable)
K - Kataun (unconscious. prone. bleeding)
R - Rocinante
* - dead guard
╔ - desk (main security desk is on fire. Nalf's is not.)
c - chair
o - table
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
g - githzerai woman (disabled)
w - town guard
x - Xugebd the bugbear
E - Eleanor
" - thick smoke

[planswalker]

Hipp is dreaming that he is a half-silver dragon amethyst dragon... or is it a half-amethyst silver dragon?

either way, he's fighting against a great mountain troll. He's losing and it's starting to look bad.

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

Well obviously that's not going to happen. Without making any overt movement I prepare to defend myself.

"Nalf's is not a legitimate business! Perhaps if he'd acquired us legitimately, but he didn't and we're telling you so! Not even your fellow guards think he's legit! Does justice really only belong to the rich? We too are citizens of Gus! Most of us anyway. We too pay taxes! When not prevented from doing so by unlawful incarceration.

So no. We won't be going with you. We're not the guilty parties, and we won't allow ourselves to be handed back to those who would do us harm. Frankly I find that suggestion utterly contemptible. Are there none amongst you who would stand for justice and the good of the people?"

I walk calmly over to the fiery looking warhorse and mount it expertly. If only Rascasse were here! Even so I'm more than capable of directing a horse of this undoubted quality into battle. I level a glare at the guards, almost daring them to stop us. I've had it with this corrupt city already, and I've barely been here a day!

"We'll be leaving soon. We can go peacefully, but we WILL be going. Your choice."

[Moranica]

Grunfold steps closer, and one of his eyebrows raises slightly as he realises the slaver's mistake. Immediatly, he lashes out, for his vitals.

Rapier1 [roll0]; [roll1] + [roll2]
Rapier2 [roll3]; [roll4] + [roll5]
Crit [roll6]; [roll7]

[bobthe6th]

Dave pulls out another potion, and hands it to K
"K, get Hipp up, I have an iritating monster to deal with."
Dave heads for the door, pulling out a tangle foot bag as he goes.
that is if it is considered a weapon for drawing while moving...and handing over a potion isn't a move action. if it is, they can hold the door for another round...

[Malimar]

DM
Despite his target's error, Grunfold is not having very good luck at all! His first attack goes wide, and his second barely fails to pierce his target's leather armor.

Dave finishes pouring the one shimmering puce potion down Kataun, and... yeah, sure, hands the other over. It's a move action, but I'll let it be Kataun's move action to take it instead of Dave's to give it.

Then Kataun stands/crawls/stumbles over to Hipp. Next round he'll start administering the potion, so Hipp will be up if the potion rolls well enough.

And Dave heads to the door, pulling out a tanglefoot bag as he goes!

The githzerai woman stumbles out the door, skirting around the slaver's threatened area.

The slaver's bulging veins are now visibly pulsing with some eldritch power. Now, he doesn't attack, instead taking a total defense action, preparing to bat incoming attacks away with his spear.

Hipp is dreaming! Let's figure in advance, so you know whether or not you'll be conscious next round: the healing potion that Kataun hasn't begun administering yet but will administer before your next turn comes up will give you [roll0] HP.

The guardsmen listen to Eleanor's inspiring speech, looking various shades of surly. The sergeant scratches his nose, looks at Eleanor, looks at the slaves, looks at the horse, looks at the slaves, looks at his squad, looks at Eleanor, looks at the slaves, looks at Eleanor, and eventually declares, "Fine. Scram." Then he and his squad turns on their heels and amble away.

The bugbear, Xugebd, recognizing the slaver's cautious stance, just walks around him to flank with Grunfold. Then she swings her sword, but she hits in precisely the wrong way, the slaver expertly blocks her blade in precisely the right way, and her blade shatters into three pieces. She yells a curse in Goblin and drops the sword's useless hilt. (Because she no longer threatens, she is no longer flanking with Grunfold. Oops.)



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. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
^ - window
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (unconscious. prone. stable)
K - Kataun (kneeling)
E - Eleanor (on Rocinante)
l - Leonora
* - dead guard
╔ - desk
ϟ - fire
c - chair
o - table
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
g - githzerai woman (disabled)
w - town guard
x - Xugebd the bugbear
" - thick smoke

[bobthe6th]

Dave 5' steps out of the door, and Yells a rude phrase in the dark speach at the slavers spear. casting dark utterance at the spear
Dave then draws his naginata from Hammer Space over his shoulder, holding the butt out toward the hobgoblin.

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

Noticing for the first time a slaver still up and engaged in battle with one of our rescuers, I move to engage!


Swift: Martial spirit stance

Move 3sq southeast 20ft
Move 6sq south 30ft
total 50ft

Fight with warhorse passed in OOC 21 vs DC10

Eleanor's attack with Longsword: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Warhorse Hoof attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[planswalker]

When the magical, mildly sweet potion is poured down Hipps throat, he springs to life!

He'll stand up and shout "All right! Back in the game!" while moving out the room and heading to the open door, skirting around the edge of the fire.

[Malimar]

DM
Kataun spends his round pouring healing potion down Hippolitus, for the aforesaid 4 hp, which apparently brings Hipp back to consciousness.

Dave uses a Baleful Utterance on the slaver's spear! (If you're not going to remind me exactly what it does and the relevant save DC, at least get the name right. :smalltongue:) The slaver fails to will his spear to remain intact, and it falls to pieces in his hands.
Then the slaver completely fails his fortitude save to not be deafened or dazed by the dark speech. He fails it so badly even his armor is deafened for a minute and dazed for a round.

The githzerai woman, recognizing she isn't currently any use in combat, stumbles towards the crowd of freedmen and women.

The slaver, though deafened and unable to take any actions, is positively glowing redly. He clutches his head in pain and confusion, and explodes in a blaze of heat and light. Grunfold and the bugbear catch a blast of fire (they both make their save, moving fast enough to shield their most delicate bits from the brunt of the explosion) and take 2 damage.

Hipp rises to his feet and makes his way towards the door, past the merrily blazing desk.

Rocinante is reluctant to obey this unfamiliar rider to engage the, uh, giant fireball that just happened, but Eleanor proves able to coax him in the proper direction. By the time they arrive, there's nothing left of the slaver but a small cloud of ash and a couple charred limbs.

Xugebd the bugbear looks confused and slightly singed.


Combat is now concluded. Dave, Grunfold, Hippolitus, and Kataun gain 480 XP each. Eleanor gains 300 XP. Lauren gains 180 XP.



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. - ground/floor
# - wall
& - door
| - open door
- - 10' high platform
^ - window
D - Dave
G - Grunfold
H - Hippolitus (unconscious. prone. stable)
K - Kataun (kneeling)
E - Eleanor (on Rocinante)
l - Leonora
* - dead person
╔ - desk
ϟ - fire
c - chair
o - table
s - freed captive
p - slaver person
g - githzerai woman (disabled)
w - town guard
x - Xugebd the bugbear
" - thick smoke

[RCgothic]

Eleanor
"Was that the last of them? Where are the others of your group? Is there anyone left inside?" I say with some concern, noting the thick smoke billowing from the remains of Nalf's slave market.

[bobthe6th]

Dave
walks after the woman, seeing if she is all right.

[planswalker]

Hipp, grateful to be alive and no longer dreaming strange dreams, rejoins the party. "What'd I miss?"

[Malimar]

DM
Dave, Hippolitus, and Kataun make it out safely (barely). Their lungs burn, and Hipp and Kataun will have a nasty cough for a few days, but they should be okay.

The githzerai woman looks like she's not particularly fine right now, but will probably be fine if given a few days of rest.

There is a great groaning, creaking, and snapping from the north end of the building. Then smoke and fire and soot and particulates spew into the air as, with a roaring crash, part of the roof caves in.

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

I dismount from the horse, and offer the reins out to whoever will take them.

"Sorry for borrowing your very fine horse, needed to intimidate some guards into leaving. Speaking of which, it's time we were going. Wasn't there another one of you? She isn't trapped inside, is she?"

[planswalker]

"No, she got abducted by the owner and they vanished in a flash of magic."

[Moranica]

Grunfold looks around him, before he starts searching the slavers corpse. .... or what's left of it.

[bobthe6th]

Dave uses detect magic at the woman, and tries to bring to mind anything he knows on the githzerai as a whole, and on this plane more specificly...
knowledge the planes, [roll0]

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

"She got abducted? That's terrible! I know what that's like..." I try not to brood on my own experience from the morning.

"Anyway, if you guys know somewhere we could go so we're not still standing around when the guards come back that would be fab... All my kit's left at a nearby inn, but we should get these guys to safety first."

"Oh, and I'm Eleanor by the way."

[planswalker]

"I'm Hippolitus, Hipp to my friends. We're staying at an inn nearby. I'll lead the way!" Before he's even finished, Hipp is off to lead the way.

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

"Um, Hipp, there are too many of us for an inn, and we'd be sure to be spotted! None of us have any money on us. Don't you know anywhere that could hide this many of us? At least until we figure out what to do next..."

[planswalker]

Unfortunately for Eleanor, Hipp has already taken off, and did not hear.

[bobthe6th]

"This way, if you would be so kind."
Dave tries to lead the mob to the pre set warehouse hide out...

[planswalker]

Halfway to the inn, Hipp stops in his tracks, slaps himself in the forehead, and dashes to the warehouse. "Can't believe I forgot about the warehouse!"

[Malimar]

DM
Grunfold finds the charred remnants of a leg, some bits of seared bone, and a few half-melted bits of copper that were probably once coins. Other than that, there's nothing left.

Dave knows almost nothing about githzerai, beyond the common don't-even-need-to-roll-for-it knowledge that they're native to the Chaotic Plane of Air and are loosely allied with the engineers.
Concentrating on detect magic for 18 seconds reveals that the githzerai woman has an active faint aura, which he identifies as psionic in nature. But Dave knows very little about psionics, so he is not able to identify its discipline.


Then, following Dave, the freedmen and women head to the warehouse! Many of the captives are uncertain about entering the rickety place, especially with such recent memories of the fiery collapse of the slaver building, but with a little coaxing, they all troop inside.

There's a free moment at the warehouse to tally the freed:

Ten mongrelmen
Four mongrelmaids
Four Omorashi human men
One Omorashi human woman
Two engineer men
Three engineer women
One Shell human man
Three Romus human men
One Romus human woman
Eniaor the elf man
Rinthe and Drusiphia the elf women
Xugebd the bugbear woman
One goblin man
The githzerai woman
Eleanor


That, plus the svirfneblin woman who ran off as soon as she was freed, should make 37. Lauren, Dave, Hippolitus, Grunfold, and Kataun each gain 185 bonus XP for having successfully freed so many.

The freedmen and women have weapons taken from the guards on the order of 7 longbows, approximately 137 arrows, 6 longswords, and 2 saps.


Once the freedpersons are relatively settled, Rinthe the elf-woman approaches the group; Leonora, Lauren's familiar, is perched on her shoulder, looking as anxious as a raven can look. Rinthe informs them, "This raven wishes to express the desire that you set off to rescue her wizardess with utmost promptness."

[planswalker]

Hipp arrives on the scene, burts through the doors, and says, "Did I miss anything?"

[Moranica]

Grunfold watches as the group moves off, while he searches the charred remains. After determining that his current search isn't getting him anywhere near rich, he heads after the slaves.

Grumble, grumble... these slaves better be worth something....

He stumbles in after Hipp.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

*cough cough* Puffs of ashy-smoke comes out of Kataun's mouth and nose, and he's positively cross-eyed.

"Rescue? Ms. Blonde? I thought that fancy-chair person was some sort of secret-rescue hero in good costume! I know there was something wrong when he didn't throw a rose. Bugger!", he coughs again with one more puff of smoke.

"OK, to the rescue! Lead our way, little birdy!"

-K

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

"I'd love to help you search for your friend, but do you even have any idea where to start? There are people here, scared and confused, who still need your help. We need to find food, clothing, and a permanent safe place for them."

[planswalker]

"Okay, what's going on? What's happening? How are we on our plan?"

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

"You have a plan? Excellent! So what now?"

[planswalker]

"In case you couldn't figure it out, I'm not the best at long-term planning. I know we had one. Problem is, I didn't even remember about the warehouse when I went haring off after the inn. I remember that we had a plan, but I'm kinda hoping someone who thinks things through remembers it. Or was that wizard girl the only one with a plan?"

I remember the plan, but Hipp doesn't. :P

[bobthe6th]

Dave

"Well, the one with the plan was abducted. K has the attention span of a fly, Hipp is known for a rather straight forward way of planing, and I really stopped listening at the destruction/mayhem portion of the plan... So, unless the plan involves using some of the slaves dead bodies as blankets/food, and burning down the warhouse for warmth, I am not a good source of opinion... I sugest we go find the elf."
really lost me at the violence portion of the plan...

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"What do you mean, I have attention of a fly! I have a plan! And I remember, what it is. My plan revolves around following the little birdy! He's all black and everything! You must be Mr Black. Everyone wants to be Mr Black. You are not a silver dragon, are you? I used to follow a silver dragon. I don't remember what happened.", he looks at the Raven.

-K

[bobthe6th]

Dave

"and, there, I rest my case."

[planswalker]

"Well, we need to do something about all the people we've brought here before we abandon them."

[bobthe6th]

Dave

"Has the fire concept been entirely ruled out? I would think it has some potential, and off loads the annoyances..."

[planswalker]

"Too many of us have almost died for me to do anything other than pretend I didn't hear that."

[bobthe6th]

Dave
"*sigh*, no one ever like my sugetions. other ideas include a raid on another warehouse, but that will be shots in the dark and get the watch on us. We could break into a fur traders store, but that has similar problems... Ah, hell, lets go through some warehouses."

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

"It sounds like Lauren was the only one who knew what to do next." I sigh and look up at the sky through a hole in the fire-scorched roof. Thick smoke can be seen in the distance, underlit by the yellow-orange light of the burning slave market.

"Well there isn't anything more we can do tonight - we'll need to visit shops for cheap clothes and food, and they won't open until morning. I don't mean to be rude, but it looks as though rest would do you all a world of good as well. After that we can see if we can find a permanent place for those that are left, and then I'll help you look for your missing friend and see what other good we can do in this wretched city."

"If you all don't mind I'll head back to my inn tonight and return properly equipped in the morning. I'll just say a few words to the liberatees first."

I move to stand before the gathered group of freed slaves, and address them all as one:

"Wondrous day! We have our freedom returned to us thanks to the efforts of these brave adventurers!"

"Those who have homes, family or friends nearby are free to return to them. If you wish to contact us again in future I'm sure messages left at the Adventurer's Guild will find their way to us. May The Light Of Justice follow you!"

"Those not so fortunate as to have somewhere to go may stay here tonight, and we'll try and sort you all out with food and clothing in the morning before finding you all somewhere a bit more permanent to stay. In the meantime settle down and try not to attract any unwanted attention. I have some personal errands to run; I'll return in the morning. I'm sure you'll be well looked after until then."

I pause a moment in case there are any questions, before returning to my inn to scrub myself thoroughly of the filth of the slave market, rest, and re-equip.

[Malimar]

DM
Leonora quorks at Kataun and flaps to the doorway and perches on some charred fragments of door, waiting to guide the others. Rinthe stays where she is, apparently not particularly enthusiastic about the idea of joining the rescue mission.

Rinthe and some of the other freedpersons look concerned and alarmed at the discussion of using their bodies as food or setting them on fire. Rinthe interjects, "While the 'from a dead calm to a hurricane' irony is sure to entertain, I imagine I speak for everyone when I say we would certainly prefer that you not kill us at this juncture."


When Eleanor addresses the crowd, some of them cheer! Some of them, after Eleanor's words are translated into their various dialects, cheer after a minute! About half of them, those with homes nearby (mostly the mongrelfolk) or those who are willing to risk going off on their own, take Eleanor's suggestion and venture out into the night on their own, thanking (and, in some cases, trying to hug) their rescuers as they depart.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

"And remember people!", Kataun runs to the front of the crowd, and strikes akimbo. Closer inspection reveals tattered red bodysuit with blood all over, although the further bleeding seems to have stopped.

"We are Endeesey Five! Technically, we got four members active at the moment, plus one needs rescuin', but five is always better than four for this sort of thing. Anyways, tell people we are going to strike fear in the heart of tyrants!"

Kataun coughs and then belches, bellowing a big puff of smoke.

-K

[planswalker]

"Oh, I promise you, those who would entertain such thoughts will die before ever being allowed to do such. They would have to do so over my dead body. I didn't nearly kill myself and lose a compatriot to free you to allow a lazy moron to implement chaos."

[bobthe6th]

"But, but what will my bats ea... ah hell with it, you guys can't take a joke, and there are unprotected warehouses to loot."

Dave wanders off to go find a vaguely unprotected ware house, perhaps with some big, under twenty pound lock.

[planswalker]

Hipp, being at the moment tired, sore, beat up, nearly dead, brought back from the brink, minor smoke inhalation, frustration, AND missing a companion, does not feel particularly inclined to be tolerant towards cruel and callous jokes. Right now, he doesn't really care what Dave does, so long as he doesn't have to put up with more crass jokes.

Instead, Hipp says, "I am tired, barely standing, and quite frustrated. Unless someone has a clear, definite, and concrete plan for how to rescue our fallen comrade and a compelling reason why it will be necessary to implement it tonight instead of tomorrow, I am sleeping."

Then, without further preamble, he collapses.

[RCgothic]

Eleanor

I bid farewell to those who are leaving, and then retire to the inn for the night.

[Kremti]

Kataun Yriand

Kataun looks at the group of people departing, one by one, or in Hipp's case, fall down and fall asleep right in front of his eyes. Then he looks at the raven, "Well, little birdy, I'd like to go all 'To the rescue!' and all, but we also need to take care of the remaining slaves and such. Mr Pink took off. Mr Purple over here," Pointing at Hipp, "is asleep. On the floor. Can we, like, start this tomorrow?", Kataun looks at the raven with a slight frown.

-K

[Malimar]

DM
Various freedpersons bed down in piles of soot and ash, or try in vain to brush relatively clean spots on the floor. The three elves courch, balanced on their toes, to enter their elven not-sleep trances.

Eleanor makes it back to her inn safely, and finds her stuff all where she left it.

Leonora quorks and ruffles her feathers grumpily, giving Kataun a ಠ_ಠ.

The first several warehouses Dave finds either have locks built into their doors or have glowering guards. Eventually he finds one secured with a padlock and no guards. Presuming he shatters the lock with a baleful utterance and investigates, he finds the interior of the warehouse very dark indeed.