The Dark Holiday [IC]

[Orison]

Akhet

The orange glow of dawn creeps over the massive city of Akhet, spreading it's warmth throughout the streets below. The quiet din of the city turns quickly into a roar of people within the Outer Sanctum, beginning their day. The city itself spans a great distance, built along the walls of the Keldarro Mountains. The slaves and commonwealth fill the streets as a colorful mass of people preforming their daily duties. Slaves, laborers, farmers, contractors, merchants, guards, soldiers, prostitutes, magicians and street performers of all sorts, all a kaleidoscope of characters coming together to make up the working-class of Akhet.
Within the walls of the Outer Sanctum and deep within the mountains and earth below, lies the Inner Sanctum. This place is a bastion from the oppressive heat and searing sun. Barons, aristocrats, priests, nobles, business owners, and land owners alike; these are the men and women of the upper-class. The Inner Sanctum is built like a massive tree trunk; piercing huge, flat discs wherein each layer of the underground portion of the city lies. The trunk itself is built like a long cylinder containing a great spiral street within.
The spiral descends deep into the earth and opens up into an enormous under-ground cavern. Lined with light-producing luminous crystals and a sparkling waterfall; it is a breathtaking sight. Clear blue water fills a large lake below and the opulent crystal tower were Alisan Atnefen resides can be seen perched on a small island in the middle.

Delsan

The morning sun beams through the forest canopy; striking the village of Delsan with streaks of bright light. Set within a vibrant tropical forest and built upon a great, shimmering oasis that sparkles under the sunlight. A great golden pyramid with tall, pointed obelisks positioned at each of it's four corners can be seen looming over a lush, beautiful town. The remainder of buildings are made out of tropical woods, using vines or grass-ropes to bind them together. Huge palm fronds make up the roofs of each building; and residents are often seen gathering newer fronds and replacing old roofs.
The denizens of Delsan are as lush and vibrant as their environment. Slaves flee from Akhet in hopes of a life of freedom here. If they escape, Amun Atnefen, spiteful brother to Alisan; promises to keep them safe, for servitude under him. These slaves end up comprising most of the employed guards and soldiers of Delsan. Many are happy living with a wage and means that is not much different from the next resident; but others grow more and more bitter over their ruler's devastating greed. The members of the community dare not collect large sums of valuable treasures; or they face a potential 'tax raid' to make sure Amun is paid his 'fair' share. Despite that fact, most live peacefully with their families; growing as quickly as the village itself.

____

Today is the 13th of Epitas, 57th year after the Great Destruction. An otherwise normal day: today marks the last week of the peace treaty between Akhet and the neighboring village of Delsan. The community People have become increasingly unnerved, as the potential for war approaches. In Akhet; Alisan has attempted to keep her people calm; but there are murmurs of a pending attack. In Delsan, occasional whispers of a similar nature can be heard...

____


Adeak Fallin

You wake to a start when Aldo, a young halfling in your rag-tag group of thieves bursts into your room. He's raving about some parchment he swiped at his 'second job' as a courier. You clear the grogginess from your mind and actually begin to understand what he's talking about as his words finally ring clear:

“Hey! You hearin' what I'm saying? I've got here a letter direct from the top! The wax was pressed with the royal seal of High Priestess Atnefen! Of course I took the liberty of not delivering the letter and well...I already read it, and boy, we're talking a hefty sum of riches!”

Brynn Dreylyn


Rousing you from your sleep; a frantic knocking can be heard at your door. From the other side, a voice as panicked as the increasingly heavy knocks can be heard; the voice calls out.

“Hello? Sergeant...? Sergeant!? It's the Captain! Someone tried to rob him, come quick!

You don't recognize the voice; but you can guess that it's another one of many pathetic, new recruits hardly able to raise a blade.
Asmith Blackwood

You wake in your room deep within the cloisters of the Great Halls of Knowing. Going about your morning routine, you spot a small, intricately folded square of paper slipped under your door.

Upon further investigation; it's written in a language you most-often share with Prof. Reno. It reads:

My dearest pupil, Asmith! I have many-a-time told you that there were 'great things' in store for you! Yes I did! Well, indeed those things have come to be and it looks like your lucky day is here! I ask that you meet me for dinner tonight in the dining hall. We have much to discuss! 7pm sharp if you please!

You're humble professor;

-N.R.
Lilian Moor

You wake with a start to a rapid, loud knock on your door. The faint glow of crystal-light creeps through the shuttered window. You wipe the sleep from your eyes to see a small, intricately folded square of parchment bearing the royal Atnefen seal slipped under your door.
Marion

You wake to the faint chimes of wind ornaments hanging outside your hut; and the occasional squawking of a lonely crow in the distance. Looking around, you notice immediately that your monitor lizard is nowhere to be seen. Frantically looking for it, you spot a familiar tail slinking out the cracked door of your hut...
Stag


You wake within the cozy warm nook of the family stables; bright and early with the sun and morning birds. The dew drops coating you and everything around, reflect like tiny, sparkling gemstones under the rising sun. The fresh smell of morning invigorates you and brings you to you feet, ready to begin your typical morning routines. Not long after you've wiped the sleep from your eyes, Stefan Stormbrew, your foster father, swings around a nearby corner and approaches you with a broad smile.
Standing rather standard height for a human, with a large, bulging belly and rounded, rosy, nose and cheeks to match; Stefan is a gregarious, portly man. With a short mop of wavy black hair bearing a huge bald spot in the center creating a sort of, unkempt, natural tonsure; and a messy, broad mustache covering the majority of his mouth: his appearance is as comical as his demeanor. As he approaches, he speaks in a boisterous, jolly tone;

“Stag, my boy! Good morning, good morning! What a fine day! A fine day for good news! News I have just for you! “

[Jedora]

Slowly rising from her warm bed, Lilian lets out a barely audible yawn while brushing the sleep from her eyes. Squinting in the dark, she motions towards her shuttered window and lets out a hoarse, "Open...". Shortly after, her Skeleton vassal prods the shutters open, letting in the crystal light. Her squint growing across her brow, she lets out a strained "Thank you." as she gets up to make her way across the room.

Scented with incense, a slight haze gathers from the collection of 2 actively burning cones. There are seemingly random assortments of bones and other bits sitting in boxes about the room, most have collected dust long before being brought to her quarters. Her shelves are lined with just as dusty tomes and jars filled with embalming agents, one or two housing some project for later inspection.

Her vassal, formerly a younger man in his twenties, met his end it seemed to some sort of acidic property which in turn made bleaching incredibly easy. He now mostly wears simple dark purple hooded robes, wearing a oval'd mask of white to sadly cover her chiseled work on his skull. She prided in the fact of keeping him clean and publicly approachable with gloves stuffed with straw and other fluff she could gather while out. She also got him wearing simple shoes that dulled the sound of his feet on the stone floors.

Wandering over to the door, she leans down and scoops up the letter. Making her way back over to the bed, she gingerly sits and begins opening it.

[Orison]

Lilian


The parchment reads:

My dearest cousin Lilian,

I am happy to call you my family and it seems as though the bond of family must be tested as I have a request that I would only wish to have you fulfill...

As you know from the last council meeting; the peace treaty is due to expire and surely my spiteful brother is planning some scheme. So; before he does, I am preemptively going to send him a large sum of gold and gems. Call it a bribe if you will; that is what it is after all.

I am calling forth three representatives of Akhet to transport this caravan of treasure. The three I have selected (which includes you, dear cousin) have been chosen based on status and capability. First and foremost, however, the group must represent peace and therefore I am only selecting you and two others. Of course you may bring a hireling or two; I just stress that you keep the intimidation level down and the group very lightly armed.

The journey should take but two days and I will not send the caravan for three days from now, so consider my offer. That would mean the meeting between representatives on the Ancient Spine dividing the two territories would take place a full day before the treaty ended and hopefully soon enough to divert any potential nefarious plots. Of course there will be a respectable sum given to you in compensation for your troubles...

If you would meet me in the great banquet hall tonight at 8pm sharp for dinner and a chance to discuss my request.

I look forward to seeing you.

Signed with regard,

-Alisan Atnefen, High Priestess of Akhet.

[Blade Conduit]

Stag rises quickly to his feet, as always his first thought and movement is towards the battered axe that lays nearby. When he see that it is indeed still there he relaxes, takes a deep breath of fresh air and slowly exhales. Looking over at the man who took him and has tried to give him a sense of home Stag can't help but smile wide. "You have news for Stag?" Stag's smile changes quickly to a false seriousness and he walks up to his foster father. "It is time for your baby to come out?" he says poking the old man's belly playfully.
Looking down at his hands he can't help but feel his eyes drawn to the scars that snake up and down the length of his arms. The air playfulness quickly leaves him and Stag pulls his arms back to his side. He now looks down at the dirt and straw covered floor, while unbidden memories race through his mind. As they do Stag can feel the white hot heat pulse through his veins. As the echoes of screams pulsate in his ears he tries to calm himself, he tries to bottle up the heat before he loses control again... before everything goes black again... before he does something he regrets again...
He quickly brushes past Stefan and out the stable door. Outside, under the wide open sky, he can breath again. He hears the old man come through the door behind and slowly Stag drops his head."Sorry... Stag could..." Stag pauses, breathes "I could feel the bad rising again."

[Orison]

Stag

Attempting to divert Stag's attention away from consuming memories; Stefan breaks into laughter and exclaims:

"No, no, I am not due for another three months! You should know that!"

He slaps his belly hard with a loud 'SMACK' and continues on about the letter in his hand;

"I have received a letter addressed to you, yes I have! Not only that, but the letter bears the seal of the Delsan Guard! I'm not sure what to expect, but maybe they want to make you an officer for keeping so many rowdy soldiers in line back at the Tavern!”

He laughs haughtily, giving you a meager slap on the shoulder and asks;

“Shall I read it to you?”

[Debatra]

Adeak gives a few slow blinks; ostensibly to wipe away the sleep, but really to roll his eyes without showing the kid any negativity. The youngest Fallin knows that whatever he may do, the boy means well. "What are you on about now? Gi- Let me see that." He holds out his hand for the parchment.

[Orison]

Adeak

Aldo begins stuffing his hands in pockets, pouches, and folds of his clothing; searching for the parchment in some safe place...

“Well, we're looking at a bribe for continued peace! It looks like there's a caravan heading out to Delsan with what I can imagine as a mountain of gold. “

He elbows your thigh and chuckles, handing you an unfolded, somewhat wrinkled square of parchment as he continues on;

“Though perhaps more of a large hill of gold for you...still quite a collection I can only guess; if it's a bribe. Apparently, there will be three representatives escorting the treasure. Now, I've delivered the other two, but this is the third of three letters I received this morning to deliver immediately. You're getting what I'm saying here, right?”

Parchment in hand, you see it is written in Draconic. The parchment reads:


My friend Eldras,

I am happy to call you Commissioner of the Guard and it seems as though your skills must be tested as I have a request that I would only wish to have you fulfill...

As you know from the last council meeting; the peace treaty is due to expire and surely my spiteful brother is planning some scheme. So; before he does, I am preemptively going to send him a large sum of gold and gems. Call it a bribe if you will; that is what it is after all.

I am calling forth three representatives of Akhet to transport this caravan of treasure. The three I have selected (which includes you, dear Eldras) have been chosen based on status and capability. First and foremost, however, the group must represent peace and therefore I am only selecting you and two others. Of course you may bring a hireling or two; I just stress that you keep the intimidation level down and the group very lightly armed.

The journey should take but two days and I will not send the caravan for three days from now, so consider my offer. That would mean the meeting between representatives on the Ancient Spine dividing the two territories would take place a full day before the treaty ended and hopefully soon enough to divert any potential nefarious plots. Of course there will be a respectable sum given to you in compensation for your troubles...

If you would meet me in the great banquet hall tonight at 8pm sharp for dinner and a chance to discuss my request.

I look forward to seeing you.

Signed with regard,

-Alisan Atnefen, High Priestess of Akhet.

[Blade Conduit]

Stag looks at this man in great wonder. Stefan is man like Stag want to be someday he thinks to himself. He chuckles, although it seems thin and slightly fake, and says "Yes please read fancy letter to Stag. Maybe Stag get invited to fancy party?" Stag throws his head back and laughs a long and hard laugh at this thought and there isn't a single note of falsehood in this one. Stefan could always make him feel better. But something was gnawing at Stag, something he couldn't quite understand, something he couldn't quite put into words, all he could think was Who would send Stag a letter?

[Orison]

Stag

Carefully peeling open the parchment just under the wax sealing it shut, he clears his throat with a resounding 'HACK' and begins to read aloud:

“To the semi-savage son of Mr. Stormbrew;
We have heard of extraordinary feats of strength, often capable of keeping our drunken guardsmen from causing a scene. For this we are grateful. It keeps our guards looking somewhat respectable and you have proven to be significantly tougher than our average soldier. Due to this we would like to extend to you a very lucrative offer...
We would request your attendance in the barracks banquet hall at 6pm sharp for dinner and the discussion of our offer...

With regards;
Capt. Jin Maulifaux, of the Delsan Guard.”

After a brief pause; Stefan exclaims:

“Well lookie there! I told you, I did! Looks like the captain of the guard is going to resign; give you his title he will!”

His roaring laughter, again, following his statement.

[Jedora]

Letting out a slight sigh Lilian folds the paper back into the envelope and wisks it onto her pillow. "I wonder if Alisen was gritting her teeth writing this. She must be in need to get me to go out of the city for her. Oh well, about time we did something anyway, you were starting to look bored." she says playfully at the standing robes and mask. Getting up, she opens her closet to see what she will need to wear tonight. "Hold out your hands." she says to her vassal, to which he immediately does so palms up. She begins cycling through whatever may not need washing, patching, or throwing out all together. Eventually she finds a decent enough garmet that should get her through the night.

Throwing the dark blue dress into his open arms, she begins dressing in regular atire. After getting prepared, she takes the dress and hangs it onto the door of the closet for later.

"Now then... I better get some of my items ready." Beginning to take things down from her shelves and laying them onto her bed, she drags out her mud caked backpack and starts filling it.

Unless otherwise noted, she will continue the rest of the day with her duties untill time for the dinner.

[Debatra]

Knowledge (Local) - [roll0]
Knowledge (Anything Else) - Taking 10 for "13" (but really 10; untrained)

Anything regarding Alisan and/or Eldras.

[Orison]

Adeak

Wracking the back of your mind, you recall nothing about this 'Commissioner Eldras' and remember how extensive the security force of Akhet truly is, and how the ever changing ranking officers and positions make it tough to follow everything. However, Alisan Atnefen is a name you undoubtedly recognize. The Atnefen family is the royal bloodline that led to the current rulers of Akhet and Delsan; Alisan being the ruler of Akhet and her brother, Amun, that of Delsan.

You know that Akhet is a Theocracy and it is Alisan's connection great to divine power that secures her position as ruler and High Priestess. Alisan is a leader obsessed with ultimate justice and her harsh punishments and laws are often regarded as overbearing. She has a cold demeanor, and resides deep within her tower in the Inner Sanctum where she almost never sets foot outside of.

[Blade Conduit]

"Bear axe? Bang quit? Stephan, Stag does not understand. Am... I... in trouble for hurting soldiers when they get rowdy?" He looks at his would be father with fear in his eyes. He's never been very good at understanding these people and all their fancy things. He's never gotten a letter before, couldn't read it if he had and certainly couldn't have written back, and this one is giving him chills. But on the other hand if Stephan was laughing about it, it couldn't be all that bad. Stag trusted this man with his life. "What should Stag do?"

[Orison]

Stag

Stephan's laughter quiets and he takes a softer, more serious tone.

"Well Stag, a Banquet is like a big party, but with a big dinner! It looks like the Captain has invited you to dinner, and he wants to talk about a job opportunity for you. Seems he thinks you're pretty tough. Maybe you should go to dinner and hear him out. The barracks is the place where all the soldiers live and train. I can take you there if you want."

[OneCalledBlue]

Marion chuckles softly as she watches the big lizard vanish past the door. Getting up she straps on her scimitar and starts walking toward the door to follow the beast. Sounds like a nice gentle breeze outside anyway. Might be nice for a walk. she thought to herself. As she walks she lets her mind slip a little out of time and space, the world of dreams overlapping with the real world around her consciousness ever so slightly like a soft gentle blanket. Reaching out to her familiar she probes it's emotions for what it was up to, expecting hunger to be foremost on it's mind.

[Orison]

Marion

Reaching out to your familiar, you sense nothing and are immediately concerned that you cannot connect with your familiar's instincts.

You dash out of the door, and into the light outside frantically looking for your familiar. You are greeted with a thick, white fog. This fog encompasses everything around you, except for the street you've walked out on. Seemingly suspended in the fog; the street stretches on beyond your eye can see. You see far in the distance what looks like a lizard slinking away off into the fog.

[OneCalledBlue]

Unable to connect with her familiar a sense of panic rose in her chest. Fighting it down Marion peered through the fog to catch a glimpse of the fleeing reptile.
She was a little unsure of the sight before her, familiar with the dream world and with magic the strange scene set her on edge. Hush it is not uncommon for a fog to descend on these parts from time to time. Still she cautiously followed the rapidly vanishing lizard while examining her surroundings a little more closely.

OOC

I have no nature or planes ranks to be able to correctly check both about the fog and about my link with my familiar. These will need to do. :smalltongue:

[roll0] - Spot
[roll1] - Knowledge (Arcana)
[roll2] - Spellcraft

[Orison]

Marion

You ponder the situation you find yourself in and reach deep into your mind for answers on what could be happening; but you come up with nothing. The overwhelming sensation of an answer on the tip of your tongue plagues you as you begin to investigate the surrounding area.

Walking down the street; it seems to go on for a lifetime. Suddenly, you spot what looks like a small fruit stand with a lone shopper out front. It seems to have come out of thin air and you're actually surprised you hadn't noticed it before. Looking at the customer out front, her back turned to you as she shops; she's wearing a beautiful black dress, flowing far into the street. Her long, golden hair flows down her back like a waterfall; almost as endless as her dress, and the street it spills into.

[veven]

Brynn snaps up in bed at the first knock. Her stomach gurgles greedily and she lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Can't the captain take care of himself?"
Another sigh. Come on Brynn she prods herself, You can eat breakfast later.

"Alright, hold on."
She gets out of bed and begins to dress and don her armor.
This better not be a waste of time.
With all her gear collected she gives the kitchen one last glance, shakes her head, and opens the door.

"Lead the way."

[Orison]

Brynn

Opening the door, you are greeted with bright golden sunlight and a scruffy, weasel of a man standing in front of your home. His chain-mail drapes off of him in bags and he seems to have trouble with his shield-arm; constantly readjusting himself and shifting his weight around. It seems your assumption was right, as this man looks like he may have just entered the guard after fleeing from a life of slavery no sooner than this morning. He carries a look of uncertainty; but forces himself to speak:

“H-hurry, it's just down the road and we have the thieves cornered!”

Hustling behind, the impish guard leads on and in moments you are upon Captain Maulifaux's home; a beautiful, two-story wood and grass pagoda. Large hanging baskets decorate various roof corners; filled with lush, creeping vines with lustrous flowers of all colors: they flow endlessly into a heavenly garden below. The opulence of his home is immediately contrasted by double doors out front, lying on the ground and torn from their hinges.
Two guards can be seen dashing back into the home and up a flight of steps, one calling to the other;

“He's up here!”

[Debatra]

Knowledge (Local) - [roll0]

Legal documents, specifically Writs of Passage/Access and the like.

[Orison]

Adeak

Judging by the fact that this is a letter directly from the High Priestess, you feel as though it, and the cause presented within would be enough to get through most security checkpoints. Unarmed of course and if you happened to be the Commissioner Eldras...or looked like him.

[Debatra]

Adeak

Judging by the fact that this is a letter directly from the High Priestess, you feel as though it, and the cause presented within would be enough to get through most security checkpoints. Unarmed of course and if you happened to be the Commissioner Eldras...or looked like him.

No, I meant general legal documents of that ilk. If you want me to be that specific, do I know enough about what goes where on them to forge a new, different one?

[Blade Conduit]

Stephan, Stag want you to take me to fancy dinner" Stag smiled and tried to remain positive but all of it just seemed so strange to him. He didn't really like being indoors, he wasn't great at conversating, and he certainly wasn't a soldier. He had seem them come into the tavern from time to time. Usually they drank too much, were too loud, and more often than not had to be escorted back out again. And although this was farthest from his mind at the moment there was a nagging at the back of his head, what am I going to wear?

[veven]

"You coming?" she says to her guide, not waiting for a reply. Ignoring the grumbling protests of her stomach, Brynn readies her scimitar in one hand, crossbow in the other and rushes after the two guards.

"Try to get into flanking position if you can. If he still wants to fight when he is surrounded that is his problem."

[Orison]

Marion

Turning around, the lone woman reveals to you a disturbing sight. Below her nose, her face lies blank, with no semblance of a mouth to be seen. Her eyes: sunken and empty, are hollowed holes peering at you with a pure blackness that unnerves your very essence. She cries out in silence; a wailing that resonates deep within your mind and makes your head throb.
Adeak

Aldo yells out, breaking your concentration;

"Hey, so are you just gonna plot all shady-like and not include yer old buddy, Aldo? What're ya thinkin'? What's the plan, big-man?

Stag


Stefan looks to you in a moment of surprise and before long, he roars into laughter.

"Of course, of course! I'm not sure what you'll wear though... I suppose we can try to fit you into some of my old finery! This'll take some plannin' so we'd better get started!"

He trots off to the the house around the corner, beckoning you to follow. He has you walk around to the back of the house, where he tells you to wait. Stefan dashes into the house and moments later he returns with a pile of vibrantly colored clothing almost bigger than himself! He exclaims with a hearty laugh:

"Alright, let's get to work!"
Brynn

You come upon an intriguing sight: Capt. Maulifaux stands triumphantly in the middle of his great study. Two bloodied corpses lay in mangled heaps and the Captain stands with a foot positioned square on the back of a shady looking character; sprawled out flat on the floor. Maulifaux looks to you and gives you a conniving, toothy grin while speaking in a menacing tone:

"Why hello there Sergeant; would you mind holding out this mans right hand for me?"

You see the robber on the floor struggling as he yelps for help;

"Please! he just killed my crew! I'm not going back to robbing houses after this! Please, please don't-Urgk!"

He heaves and coughs after a heavy blow to the stomach from the Captain's boot. Struggling to catch his breath, the thief looks into your direction as the Captain speaks up, nodding to another guard nearby who quickly dodges out of the room:

"Well?"

[Debatra]

"Plans, my firend. Plans. If you learn only one thing from me in your life; let it be to always have at least two backups."

Adeak hands Aldo a single gold coin. "I need you to get me some sealing wax; half a pound the same color as Alisan's, and another half 'oak leaf green'. Be sure to use those exact words: 'oak leaf green'; you'll see why soon enough." If there was any real signifigance to the phrase, Adeak didn't know it. What Aldo really needed to learn, what couldn't be taught just by telling him; was that people will sometimes mess around for no sane reason.

Especially if their name was Fallin.

That said and done, the Tiefling begins forging himself papers for Alisan's tower (making sure not to do so in his own handwriting); granting himself full access to and permission to carry arms within the area. Her seal would have to wait for the boy's return, but he had enough materials to take care of the rest.

Forgery checks are supposed to be made in secret. All told, my total modifier is +19 (4 ranks, 16 Int, +8 for it being a general document, +4 for Alisan's signature

[Blade Conduit]

Stag looks at the final choice they made. A very simple ensemble a black leather vest over a nice white woolen shirt and a pair of pants which along with the shirt needed to be taken in just a little bit. Stag is unsure still how to feel about all of this but he can't help but be a little excited.
"Who am I? He says quietly to himself before getting ready to make his departure for barracks and the diner. His life had changed so much already from that simple little hut all those years ago. Now look at him, dressed up and on his way to a dinner.

[veven]

The slight metallic smell of blood turns Brynn's stomach, but only momentarily.
Something feels wrong here.
She looks to the captive and says,
"That may be true but our concern is not what you plan to do, it is what you've done already. In this case a robbery."
She looks to the Captain, uncertain of his intentions, and squats in front of the thief, grasping his hand firmly.
Brynn finds herself unable to shake the unease settling in the pit of her stomach.

[Orison]

Brynn

As you kneel down, the guard that had previously stepped out, returns; out of breath and holding what looks like a white-hot iron. The iron bears a simple 'X' on the end you can see the heat emanating from it in small waves. The Guard promptly hands it to the Captain who firms up his stance as the bandit wriggles under his boot. In a sneering voice, the Captain calls out:

“Alright now; hold still!”

The robber screams in anticipation:

“No please! AGGGHHHH!!”

The sound of flesh popping and sizzling as the iron brand seared the back of the thief’s hand. His cries are almost drowned out by the sound and the smell is a sulfurous rancid stink that stings your nose, making your eyes water. His agony seems to go on for an age, but as soon as it ends, he is swept up onto his feet and escorted outside by two guards.

The Captain hands off the brand to the guard who brought it and motions to the mangled bodies:

“Clean these wretches off my floor! Get a crew in here to do so before they stain the floor!”

Out the window in the street; you can hear the guards tossing the bandit back into the road from where he came:

“Let that be a lesson to ye!” One shouts.

“Next time we won't be so forgiving!” The other spits.

The Captain then turns his attention to you;

“Ahh, Sergeant Dreylyn, thanks for your help. It's always such a pleasure to see you. I had intended to speak to you about this later, but since your here; would you accompany me to dinner? I would like to discuss an important and lucrative job opportunity with you. Would you care to meet me in the Banquet hall at six tonight?”
Adeak

Aldo gives you a conniving glare.

“Ahh, I see. No wonder you coordinate most of the heists! Well, I better be off! I'll do what I can to get the waxes you requested! “

In a blur, Aldo zips out the door and out of sight, leaving you to your plans until he arrives with the supplies you've requested...
Marion

Turning back to the street, you again spot what looks like your lizard, walking down the infinite stretch of road and into the fog. As you continue further on, it seems as though the creature is slinking toward a silhouette with outstretched arms. It takes an eternity, but before you realize it you are upon what you can barely make out as Ferasi the town 'Witch'. Slung around her neck is your monitor lizard, and as you look on the road seems to almost stretch toward you, bringing Fearsi close in moments.

You see she is saying something to you. You can hear her words, but they don't seem to make sense. She continues to speak in an incomprehensible murmur. As you strain to understand her; you lizard looks to you and speaks in an eloquent, sophisticated voice:

“Don't you think you should be waking up right about now?”

The words ring loudly in your head and before you can answer, your world fragments into shards around you. As memories fade from what's almost like another lifetime; you find yourself drenched in a cold sweat, lying in bed within your cozy hut. The wind-chimes outside can be heard clinking gently among the sound of a waking town about to start the day. Your monitor lizard sits sprawled out on the floor sunning itself in the morning light that streams in through the east window.

It looks to you and yawns lazily...

[Atemus]

Asmith sits on the side of his bed, rubbing his eyes. Bad dreams again, ugh. He stands up, dressing himself before quickly making his way to Professor Reno's office.

[Debatra]

Adeak makes two copies of Alisan's seal out of the matching color* wax; one for his papers, and one to re-seal the letter.

On the letter, he intentionally makes the slightest imperfection in the seal, before giving it back to Aldo. "See to it that this reaches its intended recipient. While you're there, tell him that a friend heard he's looking for a bodyguard and is interested in the job. If anyone asks, this friend's name is Clev Denson."

*Incidently, what color is it?

[veven]

Brynn finds the Captain's easy demeanor off-putting.
How can he be so casual with the smell of blood and searing flesh still heavy on the air? She sighs. Oh well, this job isn't exactly working out anyways.
"Yes sir, I'll be there."
Brynn gives a salute and sets out toward her home.

[Orison]

Adeak

After a while, Aldo returns with the items you requested. Pulling out a sack and dumping the contents into your hands, you clutch a small brick of vibrant green sealing wax, a smaller white lump and dark purple lump. Aldo begins to explain:

“I looked for exactly what you asked for, but I couldn't find the same pale lavender color wax that Alisan uses. I got the white and purple in hopes you might be able to mix them. As for the 'oak leaf green', I asked for it, got a few confused looks before being directed to the green wax I have for you now. I hope this helps!”

Taking the letter from you, Aldo gives and enthusiastic nod and zips back out the door.


You will need to roll an untrained craft check to mimic the seal and mix the waxes.
Brynn

“Ahh, wonderful my dear. I do hope you'll wear something a bit more flattering to your femininity, though. Your uniform will not be required.” The Captain calls out as you leave.

You make it home as quickly as you left, it seems; and soon find yourself in the sanctity of your kitchen. Not a moment too soon either, as your stomach lets out a loud gurgling protest regarding the absence of food.
Asmith

Heading into Professor Reno's office, he looks surprised to see you walk in.

“Oh, Asmith! What brings you here so early? No doubt you received my letter! What can I do for you?

[veven]

Brynn cooks herself a simple meal and begins rifling through her clothes. What am I doing? she thinks almost immediately. She kills a couple of hours buried in a stack of books and then leaves for dinner, fully armed and armored.

[Debatra]

[roll0]
..........

[Orison]

Amber rays of twilight begin to stretch across the region. Lights can be seen blinking on all over the city of Akhet, lighting it up like a brilliant mass of multicolored fireflies. Delsan on the other hand, looks like a dim glow by comparison; the quiet oasis town beginning to turn in for the night with the sun, while Akhet bursts with life.

Brynn:
You arrive at the Banquet hall right on time, however, right out front you see a familiar, yet surprising-to-see face.

"Well hey there lass! Mighty fine evenin' it is! What a pleasure it is seein' you here, Sergeant Dreylyn!"

Exclaims the portly, boisterous owner of the local Tavern, The Red Moon: Stefan Stormbrew. Next to him you see his son who's name escapes you, in somewhat ill-fitting black finery.

Stag
You Arrive just a few moments before the scheduled dinner with the Captain of the Guard. Overwhelmed by the strangeness of the situation, you feel slightly annoyed, yet still somewhat comforted by Stefan's incessant ramblings about dinner etiquette, and his reminder to keep thinking about wide, open, spaces.

Stefan pauses for a moment and looks past you He squints and you see he's looking at a woman in armor bearing the symbol of the guard. You recognize this woman as the primary guard stationed at the post just outside The Red Moon, though you do not remember her name. Your brief thoughts are broken as Stefan shouts:

"Well hey there lass! Mighty fine evenin' it is! What a pleasure it is seein' you here, Sergeant Dreylyn!"


Adeak:
Aldo returns late in the afternoon, just before the sun starts to set.

"Boy, that sure was a hassle. I delivered that letter no problem. The man gave me a very odd look, but he took the letter all the same. Musta been 'cause I was so late on deliverin' it."

He elbows you jokingly as he says this, then continues with a more serious tone.

"Unfortunately, on my way back, I noticed one of those 'Pit Viper' gang nothings rootin' for some loot outside the merchant alleys. Well, he spotted me and started tailing me. Not long after I saw two more of his buddies following with him. It took a while but I lost them."

He sighs and hands his head low, His voice growing even more somber.

"Ever since Emylese picked that fight with that Pit Viper outside our turf, they've been trying to get back at us. Hard."

As soon as his words finish, a loud, forceful knock greets your door. 'WHAM, WHAM, WHAM!!!', the sound rings out...

And again; 'WHAM, WHAM, WHAM!!!', this time followed by a rough, sardonic, crooning voice:

"We know you're in there, Littlepants!"

Lilian:
As you go about finishing your daily duties, a priest throws himself at you, sobbing, and begging for help. His words are at first entirely lost by his weeping, but you soon begin to get the gist..

"Hnnn; Snff, snrk; The- unnn...I-I-I..I did someth-th-thing bad-Ahahhgh! Blehengh Snf..Shkf Snrf...A s-spell went ba-ad. I ma-haaha...Made a..ZOMBIE! H-help m-m-me, please, A-Advisor! Eha-aheh-aGhe-he, snkf, snf I be-be-beeseech you! I a-asked the other priests and th-they said to s-seek you!"

He seems to compose himself; if only for a moment, before he collapses again into a mess of tears.

[Blade Conduit]

Stag feels, once more, the blood pulsing through him and quickly becomes very worried but then slowly begins to realize this is not anger but a much different feeling. A feeling like the time he had way too much to drink at the The Red Moon and ended up making a fool of himself. The look Stephan gave him, especially when he said "Dissapointed" had made Stag feel this way. All these people all this commotion and these very odd clothes made Stag feel very out of place.
All of sudden Stag remembers something Stephan had said about introducing one's self. He hold his right arm across his chest and bows, somewhat clumsily.
"Stag, At your service!" As he raises back up he wonders if maybe he might have said that a bit loud because a few people nearby have turned their heads to see what's going on. Crud

[Debatra]

With a sigh, Adeak tells Aldo to head out the back, but to stay where he can hear what's going on in case he's needed. With that, he clears anything incriminating from view, takes up his axe and heads for the door.

"And who the hell is 'littlepants'?" he yells to the door.

[Jedora]

Lifting up the Priest to his feet, she pulls out a cloth from her pouch and hands it to him to wipe his sloppy face. "For goodness sake man pull yourself together. I will need you if we are to take care of this fellow and I can't have you acting as if the sun were going to fall from the sky. Now..." she begins with a smile, "Where did you leave them, and please tell me you didn't leave them alone or unsecured."

Diplomacy [roll0] To have him assist.

Also using a Knowledge Religion [roll1] to determine his Priesthood.

[Orison]

Adeak:
Aldo darts to the back door and stops dead in his tracks after peering out the window briefly.

"they're coming 'round the back, too!" He whispers in a frantic voice.

The voice outside the door replies in the same gruff, yet this time somewhat surprised tone;

"Well now, looks like little Aldo found himself a friend! Why don't you just open this door on up for us. We'd just like to talk to him."

Lilian:
The priest, still sobbing; starts to collect himself. He looks to you to be early on in his training as you look over his robes, still bearing the symbol of an initiate. After a moment; the initiate priest begins to speak a bit more clearly.

"N-no...No. I don't think I can go back. I-I'll be of no help, I can assure you. I will take you to the preparation room in the temple under-croft. Snf..That is where I locked the creature. I will take you there, but no further. Snf, Hrnk...In fact, I plan to leave immediately after I take you there...This whole ordeal has made me very tired..."

[Debatra]

How old is Aldo?

Don't try to guess me; just go with it for now.

[Orison]

Adeak
Aldo is a young adult halfling. You don't know his actual age in years, but you assume him to be in his mid 20's.

[Jedora]

"That is fine, but we must discuss later as to what it is that went wrong, I may not always be here to clean up after these events after all. Lead on."

[veven]

Taken aback by the jovial greeting Brynn stumbles over her words, "H-Hello, Mr. Stormbrew." She offers a polite nod to his son "How are you doing this evening? You wouldn't happen to know why we are here, would you?"

[Orison]

Brynn & Stag
Stefan chuckles heartily and speaks in the same joyous tone you've grown familiar to.

"Well, my boy here got invited to dinner by the Captain of the guard! Of all people! How odd it seems, but no doubt a good opportunity for the lad."

He elbows Stag jokingly as he speaks.

Lilian:
The priest gathers himself off the ground and brings you to the hall of the Great Temple. He leads you deep into the under-croft's preparation area and brings you to a heavy iron door to one of the prep labs. You hear a faint pounding on the door and as you turn to the priest, you see him darting out toward the way you came.

[Jedora]

She tells her skeleton to draw his weapon and prepare to attack on her signal.

"Lock the door on the way out, don't want anyone wondering in. Also tell me, who or what is on the other side anyway?" she says as the priest begins his retreat.

[Debatra]

With a quick wink to Aldo, the Tiefling calls out: "What did that dumb kid do this time?"

Bluff: [roll0]

[Orison]

Lilian:
The priest is out the door before he can respond. As it slams shut, you hear the resounding 'CLACK' of what you imagine to be the door's lock. You continue to hear the faint, droning 'thud, thud, thud', of the unknown beast on the other side of the prep room door.

Adeak:
Aldo smiles sheepishly and nods as the voice on the other side of the door barks in the same sarcastic roughness.

"Littlepants and his 'little gang' caused us some trouble recently. We aim to even the score. Sure hope you ain't tryin' to get in our way..."

[Jedora]

Letting out a nasally sigh, she turns and faces the door. 'Shouldn't be too difficult.' thinking to herself as she begins waving her arms openly, casting a set of spells.

Lillian will cast Hide from Undead on both her and her skeleton. If this goes uninterupted then she will have both her and her skeleton draw their weapons and on either side of the door have the skeleton open said door to see what is on the other side. They will not directly attack until it has been seen what this undead is or was.

[Orison]

Lilian
You prepare yourself and reach for the key stuck in the door's lock. You hear a 'Click, click, click, Clnk!'; as you disengage the lock on the door. Stepping back, you motion your Skeleton forward to open the door; which groans loudly as it creaks in it's iron frame.

Before it can open much; the door is grasped from the inside by a rotten, grey-fleshed hand. It pulls the door open and before you stands a rotting husk of a man. It looks as though he had been down here for some time, and not preserved; before this priest had begun to work on him. His skin sloughs off in greasy piles around his feet as he stands swaying in the doorway, otherwise motionless.

[Jedora]

Stepping back from the Zombie and to the left (10 feet away), she tells her skeleton to move to the right of it, and prepare to attack on her command. When in position, she gives the command to to strike.

Attack (Lillian)[roll0] Damage [roll]1d10+1
Attack (Skeleton) [roll1] Damage [roll2]

[Orison]

Lilian
The rotting man moans in confusion as he flails around briefly. His strikes come dangerously close to your skeleton, though they are inaccurate and frenzied blows that only strike the air near it. After a moment, he begins to move, in hopes of wandering aimlessly around; still unaware of your presence.

Though his move does provoke and AoO from both you and your skeleton.

[veven]

Well at least I am not the only one
"It's nice to meet you Stag. I'm glad I have someone else to suffer through," she waves her hand nonchalantly towards the other guests and shakes her head,"...this with me".

[Orison]

Brynn & Stag

Stefan chuckles heartily and slaps Stag hard on the back.

"Well now, I'll leave you to it! I've got to go back to the inn, but I'll be rootin' for ya! I'm proud of you, boy! No matter what you do!"

He turns on his heel, swinging his portly behind in your direction. Trotting off down the road, he leaves you both in front of the entrance to the great banquet hall. Servants and guests alike enter begin to pour around you in increasing droves, and soon you find yourselves in a sea of fancy dressed nobles; looking you over as they walk by.

[Blade Conduit]

"It nice to meet you too." oh the words were coming out all wrong. This was the part he had been so worried about. And now she was talking about suffering. They had been brought here to suffer? Wait no.. That didn't make any sense. Stag thought maybe he understood. "This all very hard for me. I not good at speaking and with lots of people around, it much worse." he paused looked down at his feet for a second and then "Why.. why do you suffer?"

[Jedora]

Both of them strike at the Zombie as it leaves itself open.

Lillian Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1]
Skeleton Attack [roll2] Damage [roll3]

[Orison]

Lilian
As the zombie begins to move, your skeleton lashes out with it's weapon, and misses; swinging widely. Your glaive, however, strikes true, slashing the wretched corpse's left knee; completely severing it. His body slumps onto the ground with a loud, squishing 'THUNK'. He writhes on the ground, trying to stand before attempting to crawl. Putrid, clotted blood spits out of the zombie's stump, as he reaches for you, clawing at your legs.

The Zombie attacks Lilian!
To Hit:[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Adeak
The gruff voice bellows on the other side of the door;

"Oi? Sounds like you've got a friend in there, Aldo! If he's smart, he'll let us come in and... talk. C'mon Littlepants! We're getting impatient! OPEN UP!"

The booming voice is following by a loud and continuous rapping on the door. 'WHAK, WHAK, WHAK, WHAK, WHAK...'

Aldo looks to you in dismay, but lowers his head and quickly shakes the expression. When his eyes return to you, you see a newly lit fire almost flicker inside him. He smiles and draws a dagger from each boot and nods to you, shrugging; and awaiting your next move.

[Jedora]

Cursing under her breath with a wince she moves back and strikes at the Zombie with her glaive.

Moving back 5 feet with a full movement, followed by an attack.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

The Skeleton then, wielding the longsword with both hands, moves behind and attacks the Zombie from the rear.

Attack [roll2]
Damage [roll3]

[Debatra]

Only if the door opens inward:

Between bashings from the outside, Adeak unlatches the door so the next strike will send it swinging open and readies an attack.

Sleight of Hand: [roll0] (trying to do so silently)

[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

Only if the door opens outward:

Adeak nods to Aldo, but motions for him to hide his weapons (hoping he's smart enough to keep them ready). When he does so; the Tiefling opens the door, hiding his axe in his cloak. (Sleight of Hand: [roll4])

"Yeah; he does that sometimes. Try to keep the blood in one spot." (Bluff: [roll5])

[Orison]

Lilian
Disoriented from the zombies clawing grasp; you swing too high and swipe the air. Stepping forward, your skeleton's sword plunges deep into the back of the zombie's head and his body goes limp.+100xp

Adeak
You flip the knob on the deadbolt and hear it 'click' open just before the next loud 'THWACK'; which sends the door flying open. You stumble to strike the assailant, who you see to be a brutish-looking Half-Orc. As your blade dodges past him; he falls past you onto tho floor from the lack of resistance from the door.

In a flash, Aldo leaps onto the fallen Half-Orc and stabs at him furiously with both blades.
Attacks:[roll0]; [roll1]
Damage:[roll2]; [roll3]; [roll4]

Moments after the chaos begins; the back door bursts off it's hinges as two more thuggish looking men step in; tossing aside a battering ram with a loud 'KA-THUD' to draw swords.

[veven]

Brynn does her best to not chuckle at Stag's endearing grammar.
She looks around the room and then back to her new acquaintance.
"I just mean that I'd really rather not be here. I never feel right around this sort of people." Brynn pauses for a moment, thinking back to her encounter with the Captain this morning and pondering what the evening held in store for them. "I'm sure you can relate."

[Blade Conduit]

Stag listens to the woman speak. She not comfortable here, but worse for me. At least she speak good. Trying to remember everything Stefan had taught him he nodded politely as the people passing blatantly stared.
"I.. Feel easier outside, inside makes my head loud." he pauses, swallows hard and attempts to go on. "But we must enter at some time, yes? Maybe better than all eyes on us as they walking by."

[Jedora]

"Ugh, give me a moment here... Pick up the body and follow me."

Taking a few moments she places her hand to the wound on her leg. Surging energies branch from her palm, and after a few seconds the gash is gone.

The skeleton picks up the limp body and moves behind Lillian. Making her way over to the door she raps on it lightly, "It's done, now open the door."

Charnel Touch to Heal 1 HP/Round

[Orison]

Lilian:
After a few moments of silence; the door 'clicks' open and a completely different priest stands before you. He peers at you over half-moon spectacle, with a bald head and bushy white sideburns. He's draped in white robes, bearing a golden symbol of Pelor. He nearly gasps at the sight of you;

"Oh my! W-who-....uh, why is your..'friend' dragging a rotting corpse?"

[Jedora]

"It seemed that a priest had 'accidently' created a walking corpse instead of keeping it a quiet one. He begged me for help, I figured I would oblige since it is something I am quite familier with. Did you see him running around outside? He couldn't have gone off too far, but then again he left me in a locked room with a hostile that he himself created... I was about to take care of the leftovers before I found you, when I was expecting a much happier priest after cleaing up his mess. Then again to what extent has yet to be found. I fear we 'may' have someone dabbing into darker arts. Although it could have been a mistake, I did not get time to question him. The urgency of a walking automaton bent on ripping flesh from bone was at the forefront of my mind."

Diplomacy [roll0]

[Orison]

Lilian:
The priest looks you up and down for a second before nodding his head.

"Yes, I do believe I saw a rather frantic looking initiate dashing down into the living quarters. perhaps you'll find the culprit there...Though I do hope you leave that rotten pile of flesh down in the under-croft."

The priest turns, walking away and muttering to himself quietly, but audible enough for you to hear the sarcasm dripping from his words;

"Of course the 'Advisers' can walk around with walking skeletons and rotting corpses. I should expect no less under Atnefen rule..."

[Jedora]

"Thank you for your help." With a slight nod in his direction, "May his light find you in this dark place Priest. You may need it less this advisor not be here to aid you." Sincerity oozing from her words, 'seemingly' in no way sarcastic.

With a turn she goes straight to the living quarters with her skeleton vassal. ' He must be made aware of his mistake.'

[Orison]

Lilian:
The priest pays you no mind as he steps away, going about his business. You make your way down the stairs into the living quarters, where you see a few residents coming and going in a hurry out the doors leading into the main chamber.

Entering through the doors, you are in the main chamber, leading to about twenty wooden doors along each side of east and west walls. One of these doors further back along the west wall has gathered a small crowd out front. Some residents are poking there heads out of their doors, looking to see what the commotion is; while those coming and going through the doors behind you rush to and from the crowd.

[Jedora]

With piqued interest, she makes her way to the western corner where the commotion is focused; skeleton closely following behind her.

Listen Check to hear the mumurs of the crowd [roll0]

[Orison]

Lilian:
As you approach it's hard to discern what the commotion is about, but you gather it's rather disturbing given the gasps and frantic tone of the crowd, overall. You make your way past a few spectators and get enough of a clearing to see a ghastly sight.

Lying on his floor, propped in a sitting position between the wall and his bed; you see him. The initiate priest who sought your help. He's pale and covered in blood, as with the rest of his room. From his neck; ear to ear, he has a gaping slash through his throat, and in his hand, a jagged piece of broken mirror coated in blood.

Your attention is immediately drawn from this broken piece to the source it came from; a broken mirror sits mounted to a vanity. It's shattered from the middle with a huge spiderweb fracture, and a large piece absent. Scrawled in blood across the mirror are the words 'ONLY DEATH'.

[Jedora]

Quickly reacting, she pushes past the spectators and makes her way beside the fallen initiate. With a stern glare she looks back, "Someone get a healer and alert the other advisors! Get back to your rooms immediately!"

Kneeling beside him she observes for any remnants of life, also to see if this was in fact a suicide or something else.

Search [roll0]

[Orison]

Lilian:
Acting quickly, you check the man's body for signs of life and to your dismay, he has passed on. Looking him over you determine that it looks, as gruesome as it is, like a suicide. Still, you can't shake an odd feeling about the whole situation.

[Jedora]

Observing the broken peice in his hands, she gauges it to the peice broken from the mirror to determine if more is missing than what he has in his hands. Also will cast Detect Magic to determine if there are any magical auras in the room.

Lillian Casts Detect Magic!

[Orison]

Lilian:
You pick up the piece of mirror clutched in the initiate's bloody hand. Pressing it into the frame, you see it fits exactly the size of the missing section of the vanity mirror. Scanning the room further, as you finish casting your spell, and come to the conclusion that there is nothing magical in the room.

[Jedora]

Thinking, 'Was his mind that frail..?', she starts searching his robes for other items.

If there is nothing on his person, taking a 20 to search (22 in total), then she will move outside to observe any other onlookers, attempting to gather information from them. If there is no one outside then she will wait until some other authority comes to help with the investigation.

Gather Info [roll0]

[Orison]

Lilian:
Searching the man's robes, you find only small coin-purse with 22 silver coins inside, and a small leather pouch with about an ounce of some cured, shredded tobacco, a simple wooden pipe, and seven twindertwigs. None of these seem like particularly odd belongings for anyone to have, and they prove to be otherwise uninteresting.

Speaking with the remaining crowd as the city guard arrives; you find everyone pretty much has the same answer; unknowing and unaware of what had happened, until you reach one man in particular. He tells you he is 'Father Gregory'. A priest of Pelor with a long white beard and hair to match his long white robes. His demeanor is gentle and polite, with unwavering sincerity in every word. He tells you what he knows:

"I was passing by with two of my brothers here, when we hear...horrible, otherworldly screams, and incoherent ramblings coming from this poor initiate's room. We ran over, calling out to him, but did not urge from him a response. We did not hesitate further and burst through his door only to come upon the same wretched sight that lies before you now."

Not long after you begin speaking with Father Gregory, you see a small group of city guards led by a ranking Sergeant hustling over to you. He's a big, brutish looking man with short, wild salt and pepper hair and a messy grey beard. He hollers in your direction in a commanding voice:

"What's going on here!? I've heard something about a murder or suicide or something! Someone needs to tell me what in nine hells is going on! Recruits! Begin speaking with the witnesses! Take notes and report back to me."

The Sergeant then turns to you and begins to speak in a somewhat quieter, but still quite dominating tone:

"Huh, someone mentioned there was an Adviser here. So what's going on here? Are you going to do my job for me, or can I take over now, M'lady? What have you found out? If anything."

[Orison]

Adeak:
Initiative rolls:
Adeak:[roll0]
Aldo:[roll1]
Thugs:[roll2]

[Jedora]

"No please, I will let you take over from here. Well to start..."

She begins with the same story she told the first priest she met outside the room she was locked in, further explaining the details of the corpse that her "vassal" has carried here.

"This corpse may have some link as to why he was so hysterical, and bawling aside he didn't seem too unbalanced. I don't know why, but by the time I got here he had already done this to the himself and the room. I searched around and found nothing of interest other than what is visable on the mirror. There appears to be no magic I can detect, but something seems... off."

She thinks for a few moments, but then shrugs, "He may have been feeling guilty for his blunder, but to this extreme seems a little excessive."

Nodding to the older priest, "Father Gregory here may have more for you. He told me him and 2 others had heard some things outside the room before entering."

Looking at her Skeleton vassal, "I would think I should take this corpse to the undercroft before it starts to turn more than it has, but it may prove useful to your investigation. It may have had some importance to this initiate like I said. Would you like me to leave it here with you for questioning or I can take it out of your way?"

Diplomacy [roll0]

[Orison]

Lilian:
The Sergeant nods fervently and speaks with only a slight bit of humility in his tone;

"Yes, yes, I appreciate the effort, Adviser. I will speak to the Father, here and hopefully we can figure out what's going on with these suicides..."

He quickly brushes off his last statement as the tone in his voice returns it it's original harshness;

"You think I want his rotting corpse!? Take that thing back to the crypts and bury it! Between that and our bloody friend here, I don't know what's causing a bigger scene.."

[Jedora]

"By your command Sergeant." With a half-hearted salute, she begins to make her way to the undercroft.

Before she can take her first step out the door she turns around and rushes back to the Sergeant, "Wait... did you say suicides? As in more than one?"

[veven]

"Yes, I agree. Let's hope this is all over with quickly." She studies Stag for a moment and then jokingly holds out her arm waiting for him to wrap his through it. "Shall we?" she says, doing her best imitation of a stuffy noble.

This should be interesting...

[Blade Conduit]

Stag looks at the arm in front of him and begins to panic, Stefan say something about arm of lady.. Kiss arm? No no, that hand... Take arm...Yes!! Wait, take arm where? How? he looks at how her arm and is held and attempts to mimick it with his own and while he fumbles with it a few times he does finally manage to hook his arm around hers in a way that seems for lack of a better word, natural. Except it's not, not to Stag who still stiffens up when Mrs. Stormbrew gives him a hug, his idea of natural human contact is tossing a ruffian out of the bar. This is far more gentle, far more relaxed than what he has ever known before. Stag can... No.. I can do this.
He smiles akwardly and you can see a pain in his eyes that he valiantly tries to cover.
"Yes, we go now." he says hoping his voice has a measure of control to it.

[Orison]

Lilian:
The Sergeant turns back to you and looks almost surprised;

"More!? Wait..no..I uh, misspoke."

Stag & Brynn:
You chain your arms together and walk into the Banquet Hall. As you enter you find yourself in a huge room with a tall, arcing ceiling. Chandeliers dot the center of three great golden arches, leading down to golden columns. Intricate hieroglyphs depicting great wars, and battles decorate all the walls.

A great table sits in the center of the massive room, set with candles, small kegs of ale and bottles of wine; as well as all sorts of exotic, delicious-looking food. The smells greet your nose and make your mouth water and you see that the majority of the people going in and out are just setting the places and not many stay; spread out in small groups as they begin their meals.

Brynn:
You see the Captain sitting at the head of the table, chatting with a young, female servant, bringing a platter of fruit to the table.

Stag
You feel somewhat at ease, knowing that the room is large enough and easily accommodates the surprising lack of people present. It seems to you that even with a full banquet party you might not feel your head too cluttered from the commotion.

[Jedora]

She began the question with a puckered glare, but now her face begins to soften before a quiet "Ok then...", and slowly eases from the doorway to make her way to the undercroft.

While making her way down, she realises that she is supposed to see Alisan for dinner! Picking up her pace, she looks frantically for a clock.

[veven]

"There's hardly anybody here."
Curiouser and curiouser, she thinks to herself.
"We'll Stag, I've got some business to attend to with the captain and the sooner the better. Come along if you want. I am already weary of this place.
She unlaces her arm from Stag's with an effortful smile, steels herself, and begins her march toward the captain.
"Sir." she says with a curt nod. Brynn tries to look as much like a soldier and as little like a lady as possible.

[Blade Conduit]

"There's hardly anybody here."
Curiouser and curiouser, she thinks to herself.
"We'll Stag, I've got some business to attend to with the captain and the sooner the better. Come along if you want. I am already weary of this place.
She unlaces her arm from Stag's with an effortful smile, steels herself, and begins her march toward the captain.
"Sir." she says with a curt nod. Brynn tries to look as much like a soldier and as little like a lady as possible.

Stag, not wanting to just be standing there by himself lest someone come up and talk to him, follows along Brynn. He doesn't want to misplace the only person he now feels remotely comfortable with but at the same time doesn't want to involve himself in whatever business she has at hand. When he see hers straighten up before the Captain, he is amazed at the transformation.

[Orison]

Brynn & Stag:
The Captain finishes an obviously lewd and offensive remark as the fruit-bearing woman tries to step away. He grabs her wrist and as she does, and instantly spots you both heading his direction. His grasp releases the offended servant and he stands up to greet you with a beaming grin.

"Why look here! You've both arrived right on time!"

His grin progressively slides into a sour frown as he begins to look Brynn up and down. His gaze shifting back and forth between Brynn and Stag, he speaks in a less than delighted tone in Brynn's direction.

"I see you are still armed to the teeth milady. I had hoped you and Mr. Stormbrew's son could sit down with me for dinner and have a little talk about an...opportunity."

Lilian:
You dash through the living quarters and back up to the great hall. The sundial in the center of the hall reads at about six int he evening, leaving you two hours of lean time before dinner.

[Blade Conduit]

Stag had seen men grab women like that before at the tavern. It usually happened shortly before they were introduced to Stags unusually large arms and the ground outside. Stag could feel the blod pulsating in his veins and that oh do similar sensation of anger rising up inside of him. not here not now... No!
He swallows hard and tried to think calming thoughts about the night air and the stars above.

[Debatra]

Adeak continues to slash at the fallen Orc.

[roll0]
[roll1], [roll2]

[Orison]

Adeak:
You swing wide and Aldo attempts another flurry of attacks:
Attacks:[roll0][roll1]
Damage:[roll2][roll3][roll4]

The half-orc struggles to climb to his feet, provoking attacks from you and Aldo both. Aldo stabs at him;
Attack:[roll5]
Damage:[roll6][roll7]

The two men in the back door step forward, slashing wildly at both you and Aldo:
Thug 1:(Attacking Adeak)
Attack:[roll8]
Damage:[roll9]

Thug 2:(Attacking Aldo)
Attack:[roll10]
Damage:[roll11]

[Jedora]

'Should be enough time, don't want to be late for ANOTHER meeting...'

With that she heads down to the Undercroft to bury the body.

[veven]

"And we have come." She turns to Stag and nods toward an open seat. "Let us talk." She takes a seat next to the captain and awaits his proposal.

[Debatra]

AoO: [roll0]
[roll1], [roll2]

And I believe that makes it my turn again, so another strike to the once-fallen Orc (unless the above attack somehow downs him, in which case this is directed towards the guy that attacked me).

[roll3]
[roll4]

[Orison]

Brynn & Stag:
The Captain motions to food as he speaks:

"Please! Help yourself to anything. I have a great opportunity for the both of you. It seems like the city of Akhet is sending a large trade caravan as a bribe to grease up Lord Amun so he can sign the new peace treaty they seem to be proposing, no doubt. Either way, we need a group of men to travel West and meet the caravan to determine their terms. Naturally I thought that you, Sergeant should lead this journey. I asked Mr. Stormbrew's son here because of the fear he's seemed to strike into many of our men who tend to frequent to tavern. Seems he's capable enough and in need of a good opportunity to help his family."

He sneers slightly as he finishes his statement.

Adeak:
You barely make contact as the orc-man tries to stand; nicking his throat just perfectly. A gout of blood sprays from him just as Aldo takes a solid hit from one of the two standing thugs. He grins and stabs at the one who hit him in retaliation; as you attack the thug that tried to hit you.
Aldo's attacks:[roll0]; [roll1]
Damage:[roll2]; [roll3]


The thugs try to slash at you both again:
Thug 1:(Attacking Adeak)
Attack:[roll4]
Damage:[roll5]

Thug 2:(Attacking Aldo)
Attack:[roll6]
Damage:[roll7]

[veven]

Brynn eats a handful of grapes in an atempt to appear at ease."Would Stag and I be making this journey alone? It might be prudent to send a diplomat as well. I'm afraid our skills lay elsewhere."

[Orison]

Brynn & Stag:
The Captain nods and sips a goblet of wine before responding in a slightly condescending tone;

"Don't you fret, we have it all figured out, my dear. You will be accompanied by a small ensemble consisting of two drivers, two guards and a representative to speak on the behalf of Lord Amun."

[Debatra]

Another round, another slash, but this one nonlethal.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Orison]

Adeak:

Current Location:
(https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByR8DFuv63JANGFLVFMyTjdPaFk/edit?usp=sharing)
With the subdued blow, you knock the half-orc back to the ground; unconscious.

Aldo, reeling from another hit; lashes out in fury with two more frantic stabs:
Attacks:[roll0]; [roll1]
Damage:[roll2]; [roll3]

The thug in front of Aldo drops with a bloody 'WHUD' with a final stab.

The thugs attempt another slash at each of you:
Thug 1:(Attacking Adeak)
Attack:[roll4]
Damage:[roll5]

Thug 2:(Attacking Aldo)
Attack:[roll6]
Damage:[roll7]

[Debatra]

Adeak ducks, rolls to 4-B (really just giving a 5' step some flavor) and comes up in a disarm attempt.

[roll0]

[Orison]

Adeak:
Current Location (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByR8DFuv63JAMURsLU1lMVRNWVE/edit?usp=sharing)

The thug wildly attacks as you attempt to disarm him;
Thug's AoO:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]
If this attack deals damage, the disarm attempt fails completely.
Opposed Attacks:
Adeak:[roll2] Vs. Thug:[roll3]
If you succeed:
The thug drops his weapon on the ground.
If you Fail:
Thug attempts a disarming attack on you (you receive no AoO)
Opposed Attacks:
Adeak:[roll4] Vs. Thug:[roll5]


Aldo steps behind the single thug left standing and stabs at him with tenacity.
Attacks:[roll6](19); [roll7](2)
Damage:[roll8]; [roll9]; [roll10]

Aldo stabs at the thug's back, gouging a fair wound, but only angering the remaining brute further. The thug whips around and attacks Aldo angrily, roaring in rage;
Attack:[roll11]
Damage:[roll12](if unarmed: [roll13] (non-lethal)

[Debatra]

Stabilization: [roll0]

[Blade Conduit]

The captains words were flying so fast Stag was having a hard time keeping up. He was being offered a job to meet someone. There was going to be a reprezentativ there and more guards. At least Brynn seemed to be keeping up with the man. Stag will... I will ask her later what all this means.

What wasn't hard for Stag to comprehend was that the food here magnificent and while he knew he should be paying attention to the captan's words, he found the food to be just too inviting.

[veven]

Brynn tries to stifle her irritation, "Well I cannot speak for Mr. Stormbrew here but I accept your offer." Anything to get out of here.

She turns to Stag and notes the concerned look on his face. She offers her best reassuring smile hoping it doesn't look too much like a grimace.

"When do we leave?"

[Blade Conduit]

Stag listens and is relieved to hear that someone else will be doing the speaking. He's also relieved that Brynn wants to go, if he had had to give his response based on what little he knew he would have heartily agreed. The truth was the tavern was starting to feel like a cage at times and he knew it was little more than a foregone conclusion that some day he would lose control and the end result would be terrible for the Stormbrew family. That and he felt the need for adventure run through his veins.

After listening to Brynn he smiles and happily chimes in. "Stag... uhh.. I will go." He pauses and blushes slightly at the grammatical error he so often makes. "I will make my family proud and I will do what you wish."

[Orison]

Brynn & Stag:
The Captain leans back as a smug look of satisfaction crawls over his face.

“You'll leave in the morning, if that's alright with you of course.”

He speaks in a snide tone, folding his arms as he talks.

Adeak:

Aldo attacks in a fury, enraged that his trusted ally has been taken down;
Attack:[roll0]; [roll1]
Damage:[roll2]; [roll3]

[veven]

Brynn takes a deep breath as her irritation blossoms into contempt.
"Well then. If you'll excuse my leaving the party early I've got some preparations to make. Where should I meet the rest of this convoy?"

[Debatra]

More Stabilization: [roll0]