Against the Black Kingdom

[Morof Stonehands]

The day begins normally for everyone. Keltus and Grugga are currently in Angkarnyth, a small Town of about 1,000, located about 50 miles from the border of the Great Forest. They are awaiting a meeting with Azmuth, their contact in the Elven Border Guard, concerning some information that Keltus was given. Unknown to the pair, a gnoll assassin that is following them is in town as well.

[Toliudar]

Cylla

Now that they were so close to their point of rendezvous, it seemed unnecessary, and possibly dangerous, to continue using the smokehorses that had brought her and Azmuth so far so quickly. As the town comes into view in the distance, she turns to beam at the consummate woodsman.

"You were right! We're very close now. I'm very excited. These men sound so...dangerous and rugged. Do you really think that the leader will bring his ogre with him? I never think of ogres as stealthy per se, but it would be delightful to meet the exception to that rule."

I'm assuming that, for the bulk of their journey to Angkarnyth, Azmuth and Cylla would have used phantom steeds. Flying, don't get tired, and able to move several times faster than we could if walking. But I'm assuming that now, for this last part of the journey, they've taken to walking in, to keep a relatively low profile.

She pauses to consider, then her features shift. About forty pounds seem to melt away, and her features become pale and angular. In a moment, a fair approximation of a female wood elf archer is standing next to Azmuth. She winks.

"We might as well look like we should be travelling together, after all."

[Harbinger]

Keltus moved slowly through Angkarnyth, taking in every detail, constantly on the lookout. He frowned as he scanned the little town for any sign of his contacts in the elven community. He turned to the towering ogre walking slightly behind him, and spoke briskly to him.

"Grugga, it distresses me that our elven allies have not yet arrived at the agreed meeting place. I hope they are only late, but it is possible that they have been intercepted by agents of the Dark One, in which case we too are in danger. We will wait here as long as we can afford, but we have taken a great risk already." The armored goblin's beady little eyes dart around as if he is afraid, but his gaze is filled only with intensity. "Keep a look out, my friend. For our contacts, and for potential enemies."

Spot check to search for allies and friends: [roll0] Do I see Azmuth and/or Cylla?

[Morof Stonehands]

You do not see Azmuth or Cylla. You don't see many people at all actually. It is rather quiet in town. An orc or two here and there, maybe a hobgoblin walking by. It's not deserted, but not busy by any means.

(Where is your meeting place?)

[Toliudar]

How about this?

As they entered town, Cylla assessed the townsfolk mixture of respect and reserve for the 'two' elves. This close to the border, people must be pretty reliant on elf patrols to keep the Black at bay.

As Azmuth had discussed, the pair turned toward a storehouse in behind a mill. She supposed that a large building with high ceilings would suit an ogre better. The building seemed quiet, with no one obviously lurking nearby. She nodded to Azmuth with a grin, not bothering to conceal her excitement.

"Shall we?"

[distant quasar]

Grugga nods in response to Keltus's request, his massive and shaggy head bobbing slowly. He is already scanning the town, far more observantly than one might expect of one of his race.

Spot: [roll0]

[Harbinger]

(That works for me, Toliudar.)

Keltus continued to watch the meeting place, a storehouse behind a mill, for signs of his contact. His anxiety grew, until finally two elves turned a corner and stopped in front of the mill. Keltus squinted at them. He recognized Azmuth, but not the other he was traveling with. Still, he was relieved they had not been intercepted. Keltus took a moment to gather himself, then strode forth to meet the pair, signaling to Grugga to follow.

"Greetings, Azmuth. I have important news about the Black Kingdom. News that relates directly to the safety of your people. Let us enter." He gestures to the storehouse.

[distant quasar]

Grugga trails a pace (for him) behind his friend, crossing his arms over his chest and continuing to keep an eye on the surroundings. Best to leave Keltus to the talking.

[Hbgplayer]

"Yes, I do believe that Grugga shall be with Keltus again, he has been present every time I have met with Keltus, though usually it hasn't been quite this far into Kingdom land," Azmuth replies softly, keeping an eye out for Keltus, and anyone who seems to be following the pair as they-or he at least-walk silently towards the town.
He turns to look at Cylla as she changes to look more like and elf, and gives a half-smirk. "Aye, that would be a good idea, though 'our,'" he makes air quotes for emphasis, "people aren't exactly subject to a very warm welcome usually, especially from the imperial agents," he warns his companion.
As they enter the town, his wariness heightens as he feels out of place in an urban environment, having spent almost all of his adult life in the wilderness, often times thousands of leagues from the nearest thorp. His eyes dart around even more, wishing that he had not had to leave Blaidd, his dire-wolf animal companion three-miles back to avoid...complications.
When they round the corner and spots Keltus, he breaths a small sigh of relief despite knowing they're still in grave danger.
Azmuth narrows his eyes at the Goblin's words, and his stomach drops a bit. "Keltus, good to see you again," he says as he enters the abandoned store.

[roll0]

[Morof Stonehands]

As Grugga and Azmuth look around, you both notice that no one has followed you, however, from the General Store window across the street from the warehouse, there does seem to be a goblin looking intently at the 2 parties meeting.

[distant quasar]

Grugga clears his throat awkwardly.

"It would appear someone is watching us," he says, gesturing vaguely so as not to alert the goblin.

[Harbinger]

Keltus casually swept his gaze around, trying not to alert the goblin, or any other potential watchers.

"Indeed," he said to Grugga quietly, his face relaxed, with the air of making casual conversation. "It would be best for us to hurry with our meeting in that case. If he is a spy, there are almost certainly more agents about. Let us enter, quickly." He turned and casually walked inside the storage room.

[Elaraiah]

Kazru hurriedly paces along the small town's dirt roads, trying to remember the turns the goblin and the ogre had taken. Hmmf. Wouldn't expect it to be so difficult to follow someone so...big, he thinks to himself. Still, if the goblin..."Keltus"...really was this much in the know about the Dark One and his minions, then losing him was simply not an option.

Keeping his head down and hood drawn, Kazru turns a corner near the general store just in time to see Keltus' bodyguard enter the nearby storehouse and close the door behind him. This was going to be tricky.

Spot to glance around for any other way in to the storehouse: [roll0]

Hide: [roll1]

Move Silently: [roll2]

[Toliudar]

Cylla

Smiling broadly, Cylla too looks around and sees the goblin in the store. She follows the others inside.

"You know, this sneaking around is most enjoyable! But before we have our chat, it might be useful to know how many of them are watching us. Say, by asking that goblin in the general store. Come with me. We'll go ask him!"

The 'elf' woman does a quick circuit of elf, goblin and ogre, touching each as she speaks a word of power. Cylla transports the four of them to the inside of the general store she'd just observed.

Cylla casts Dimension Door. If you don't want to get brought along, you can either avoid Cylla's touch (she's not trying THAT hard to touch you) or make a will save DC 22.

[Harbinger]

Keltus' expression went from calm and collected to shocked and horrified as he realized that he was now inside the general store, far too close to the goblin he suspected was an agent of the Black Kingdom.

"Why have you brought us here? You aren't seriously going to try and talk to him? We were trying to maintain a low profile..." he hissed furiously, under his breath so as not to be heard.

[Morof Stonehands]

[roll0]


A voice cries out from behind you, "Hey what? How did you get in my store? Who are you and what are you doing here?!?"

As Kazru surveys the storehouse, he notices a few dusty, old, windows along the side of the building.

[Hbgplayer]

Azmuth narrows his eyes when he notices the goblin across the street, in the General store, but lets Grugga do the talking, then has to shake his head to clear a mental fog, and is suprised to find himself inside said general store. His eyes narrow as he turns to face Cylla.
"What did you do?" He whispers angrily, but then turns back towards the source of the voice, a Silver dagger now in his right hand.

[Toliudar]

Cylla

Cylla shrugged and winked cheerfully at the rebel leader.

"Yeah, and we can see how well that low profile is working for you."

She gestures for Azmuth to block the front door for the moment, and smiled over at the goblin who'd been spying on them. Her hands traced patterns in the air.

"Shhh. No need to be alarmed. You're among friends here. You just don't know it yet. I'm Cylla. What's your name?"

Cylla is casting charm person on the spying goblin. I think it's a will Dc 21 to negate. Then starting on a diplomacy check. (-;

[distant quasar]

Grugga blinks in sudden surprise as he appears in the general store, shaking his head and warily moving his hand to his axe as he watches one of the elves they were to meet attempting to talk to the goblin that was spying on them.

[Morof Stonehands]

"I am Osk, at your service," the goblin declares proudly, while giving a small bow. "Although, I am still curious as to how you came into my shop with out the front door. And what a group, too! It's not every day you see this mix of races together. But no matter really, what can I do for you today?"

[Toliudar]

Cylla

Cylla smiled.

"Well, that's my fault. I like to make a dramatic entrance. Others might prefer a subtler approach. Style is an essential part of everyday life, don't you think?"

She glances around the general store, but leans in to get a better look at Osk's face.

"Osk, you have an absolutely lovely store. Clean, well laid out. I'm looking forward to doing some shopping here. But we couldn't help but notice that you seemed to be watching out for that storehouse in particular. Is it, perhaps, just possible that someone told you that a meeting was going to be taking place there today? And who would that be?"

Sense Motive to check for deception of any kind from Osk: [roll0]
Diplomacy to confirm his cooperation: [roll1]

[Harbinger]

Keltus glared at the back of Cylla's head, angry at the situation being taken out of his control. Still, the elf seemed to know what she was doing, so he let her be. He turned to Grugga, and whispered to him so that only the ogre could hear.

"Regrettably, we may have to kill the goblin. I hope it doesn't come to that, but he may be too dangerous to leave alive."

[distant quasar]

Grugga tightens his hand on his axe to signal an affirmative; he is not the best at whispering.

[Hbgplayer]

With Cylla, Keltus, and Grugga watching, and talking to, the seeming owner of the general store, Azmuth turns to the window and peers out, looking for anyone who seems to be startled or taking a sudden interest in the store.

Spot: [roll0]

[Elaraiah]

Kazru momentarily considers his options for getting into the storehouse unnoticed. No other doors, so the windows it is.

Casting spider climb on myself

Trying his best to remain inconspicuous, despite crawling up the vertical side of a building in the middle of the day, Kazru comes to the first window of the storehouse and checks to see if it is locked.

[Morof Stonehands]

The first window that Kazru comes to is locked, and it is very clearly old and rotten around the frame. 2 other windows are on this side of the storehouse, further down.

Azmuth does not see anybody taking interest in the general store, nor does it appear that there are any other people watching. However, there is a cloaked figure climbing the outside wall of the storehouse, up near a window.

Osk replies to Cylla, "No ma'am, nobody told me to keep an eye out for anything. Business has been a bit slow recently, so I take to just watching the street. Apparently, I've seen some good things today."

[Toliudar]

Cylla

Whether the 'good things today' comment was meant as a compliment or not, Cylla takes it as such, and smiles.

"Why, you devil! Flirtatious darling that you are. Well, I'm surprised to hear that you're not selling more. Look at the quality of this merchandise!"

She picks up a coil of rope, testing it for strength and flexibility.

"I'd have thought that, a border community like this one, there'd be lots of folks coming and going, lots of demand for your services. I mean look at us, freshly arrived and already in here and shopping. If it wouldn't be here, where would a newcomer head to relax in Angkarnyth?"

[Morof Stonehands]

"Border travel is not as common as you may think, not many here are keen on seeing an elf or other forest dweller going through town. As far as a relaxing spot, there are two taverns: The Everflowing Tankard, and The Hobgoblin's Hole. The former may be a bit more to your liking, they seem to be a bit more receptive to your kind."