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View Full Version : Steam, Swords, and Cigarettes (Pathfinder)



DCrane1
2012-07-15, 07:36 PM
“I just want my girl back. I hear you’re good at this sort of thing.” With those words, and the promise of your usual fee when the girl was safe, you were hired by Arthur Helmser. Mr. Helmser owned a fleet of merchant ships and was widely known for his fondness for brandy and the affection he had for his spoiled daughter. Said daughter had been abducted by a crew of men in black masks after a night of debauchery and merriment had ended at an opium den. She at least survived, unlike her two friends who were stabbed to death during the kidnapping. Mr. Helmser got a ransom note from a messenger service and a stern warning not to involve the authorities, although Mr. Helmser made it clear to you he wouldn’t trust the corrupt City Watch with his precious child’s life.

It wasn’t hard to figure out what happened to the young Ms. Helmser. This wasn’t some complicated master plan hatched by a scheming evil genius, just a snatch-and-grab plotted by a drug addicted member of the O’Malley Gang, one of many street-level criminal organizations in the Calixes underworld. The ringleader, who had been idiotically bragging about his plan to anyone who would listen, was Sean Flynn and he was holding the girl in the backroom of a pub called Rafferty’s.

As soon as you walk in the door, you can tell your information was good. Even by low-end pub standards, Rafferty’s is a dive. The air reeks of a combination of smoke and stale beer, and even in the daytime, the small windows ensure dim lighting. The tables that would normally be in a pub are nowhere to be found, nor can you see any customers. The girl is nowhere to be seen, but trouble is right in front of you.

Behind the bar is a guy who matches the description of Sean Flynn: tall guy with slicked-back black hair and a florid nose who was dressed in a fancy double-breasted suit – tan with a dark blue plaid pattern, imitating a style that had recently come into fashion with Calixes’s elite. His hands are under the bar and seem to be gripping something, although whether it’s a rifle or a club is unknown. The other men in Rafferty’s have a look typical of low-rent thugs, thick arms, broad shoulders, and no neck. One of them is standing near Sean, and is similarly clutching something underneath the bar. The other two have moved forward and are clearly holding long knives. They’re holding them by their sides though, rather than in front of them ready for a fight.

“You have the money?” Sean says, clearly thinking you’re a bagman brought to deliver payment.

OOC: Although this was designed as a combat scenario, don’t feel like you need to go right into fighting. Feel free to try and question, threaten, negotiate with, etc.

Dire Reverend
2012-07-15, 09:29 PM
Clover looks around the room, paying attention to everybody in the room.

"I don't see the girl, you're not getting a copper piece until I see she's safe."

She gives Mr. Flynn a grim look.

"If she isn't safe, I will make sure to break every single bone in your body, starting with your toes and ending with your skull."

DCrane1
2012-07-17, 08:49 PM
Flynn smiles thinly, and takes his hands out from under the bar, spreading them widely as though to welcome you. The heavyset goon who accompanies Flynn behind the bar keeps his hands underneath though, and you can see his arms move slightly, as though he’s adjusting his grip on something heavy.

“There’s no need for this become violent. Mickey, grab the girl.” Flynn says. His voice is colored with the accent of the Harbor District: the words run together, “this” becomes “dis” and “there’s” becomes “the’s.”

Mickey, one of the knife-wielding men in the front of the bar, turns and walks towards a door in the back of Rafferty’s. Even by goon standards, these guys have no discipline. Mickey turns his back to you rather than walking backwards with his knife ready, and his partner takes his eyes off of you to look backwards once Mickey reaches the door.

Mickey quickly comes out with an unconscious and petite brunette slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“She’s unharmed, I just gave her a heavy dose of dreamwine so she wouldn’t be a problem. Now where’s the money.” As he speaks, Flynn’s hands go back under the bar and seem to grab hold of something.

OOC: In case the part about the accent is confusing, Flynn basically has a Boston accent where he doesn't pronounce the letter R clearly.

Dire Reverend
2012-07-20, 11:41 PM
“There’s no need for this become violent. Mickey, grab the girl.”Clover laughs at his mention of peaceful interaction.

"That's funny, if it doesn't have to be violent, why do all of your flunkies have a weapon drawn?"

DCrane1
2012-07-22, 10:42 AM
Clover laughs at his mention of peaceful interaction.

"That's funny, if it doesn't have to be violent, why do all of your flunkies have a weapon drawn?"

Flynn laughs along with you, although his eyes remain mirthless and his hands remain under the bar.

"I'm just concerned for my safety." He turns to Mickey, "Put her down on the bar."

Mickey sets Miss Helmser's limp body down on the bar. She remains motionless and you now notice that her skin has an unhealthy gray coloring, a common side-effect of people given large doses of dreamwine to incapacitate them.

As Mickey moves forward again to stand near his fellow knifeman, Flynn says "Now don't be concerned about her appearance. It's nothing damaging, nothing a few days out in the sun won't cure."

Dire Reverend
2012-07-23, 09:15 PM
"You bring the girl to me, then I give you the money." Clover takes out a sack. She previously filled it with only copper pieces to trick them into thinking she would follow through on the deal.

From what I know of these punks, If I were to start shooting, would they target me or the girl first? Does my character think they arrogant enough to believe they could take me on, and afterwards deal with the girl?

DCrane1
2012-07-24, 09:49 AM
"You bring the girl to me, then I give you the money." Clover takes out a sack. She previously filled it with only copper pieces to trick them into thinking she would follow through on the deal.

From what I know of these punks, If I were to start shooting, would they target me or the girl first? Does my character think they arrogant enough to believe they could take me on, and afterwards deal with the girl?

There's a long pause as Flynn considers your demand. He shakes his head and says, "No, no. You'll come forward slowly, and put the money on the bar, next to her. We'll count it, and then you can walk out of here with her."

"Boss why-" Mickey starts to speak but Flynn snaps, "Shut up!"

You know Flynn is a drug addict, and he doesn't really have a reputation for being tough in a fight. He'll know that if he kills the girl there's nothing keeping him alive or keeping Mr. Helmser from seeking vengence even if he kills you. Although you can't be sure, it stands to reason that he's more likely to try and use the girl as a shield if shooting starts.

Dire Reverend
2012-07-27, 11:36 PM
"I guess I can just leave. I'll just tell my boss that you demanded an extra 100 gold and didn't want to compromise. Clover turns to leave.

DCrane1
2012-07-29, 08:01 PM
There's a silence as you walk towards the door. One of Flynn's men, one you hadn't heard speak before, says, "You sure we-" before being cut off by another "Shut up!"

As you reach the door, you hear a cocking sound as Flynn says, "Turn around or you'll hit the floor. You're not walking out of here until I get my gold. Turn around!" His voice is strained, he sounds just like other junkies you've heard in your time as a mercenary- all frayed nerves and jitters, an unstable tinderbox of anger and addiction.

Dire Reverend
2012-07-31, 05:45 AM
How would you determine them reacting to my character spinning around and shooting Flynn?

DCrane1
2012-07-31, 10:12 PM
How would you determine them reacting to my character spinning around and shooting Flynn?

I would roll initiative at that point, and there would be readied actions to fire at you assuming that people have actually cocked their guns. Meaning they would essentially be getting a surprise round. Does that make sense?

Dire Reverend
2012-08-05, 05:33 PM
Clover slowly turns around. "So much for no violence." She takes out the bag of copper and tosses it at Flynn, hoping he'll drop his gun to take the money, then she takes out both of her guns and aims them at Flynn.

DCrane1
2012-08-10, 11:07 AM
Initiative is on the other page-http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13703250#post13703250.

Just a clarification before combat starts. Are you just aiming at Flynn, or taking an action to shoot at him (assuming he shoots at you.)

Dire Reverend
2012-08-13, 01:28 AM
Shooting..