Curse of the Crimson Throne: IC

[Angstrom]

http://paizo.com/image/content/PathfinderPlayerCompanion/PZO9425-Korvosa.jpg

A gentle morning breeze floats in over Conqueror's Bay. It passes through open windows and doors as it makes its way through Korvosa; cooling the fragrant gardens and lounges, and flushing the stench of last night's patrons out of the taprooms and saloons. The breeze carries a message, floating in with the morning sunshine.

In her dreams, Natsumi follows a finely-dressed hare through a silent fog. Marko finds himself carried through a festival on a palanquin borne by members of the recently dead. In her dreams Leah meets a strangely dressed merchant wreathed in crimson flame. As Rovald dreams of a mighty fire also, but in the fire he sees the links of a chain forged together. In Theron's dreams he finds himself drowning amidst the skirts of a red-haired woman.

As you wake, you find a playing card perched atop you. The image on the card recalls to mind the curious dream from the night before. When you flip it over, you find a message on the other side.

http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/177791/handoutcards1.gif

Once everyone has checked into the OOC we'll move the scene to Lancet Street

You can roll K:Local and Diplomacy to identify the name and meaning of your card and learn about the address.

Natsumi: Rabbit Prince (capriciousness)
Marko: Carnival (illusions)
Leah: Foreign Trader (information)
Rovald: Forge (strength)
Theron: Courtesan (intrigue)
The apartment belongs to a Varisian fortune-teller named Zellara.

[ArcturusV]

Rovald was curled up in his clothing, sitting with his back propped up in a corner, keeping the night chill off him. To most he was just another miserable looking bum, likely to freeze to death some day when an unusual cold snap came in the night. He had few possessions to his name, odd nick knacks he had collected from those who no longer needed them. The morning mist gathered onto his body, wet little droplets clinging to his face, hair, and clothing.

As the city woke up, his eyes opened, the sounds of life bringing him around as people opened windows and doors, trampled down the street, and went about their daily lives. Soon enough someone would be here to get him moving along most violently. No one liked a bum hanging around their homes or places of business after all. With a rumble in his stomach he started to stretch out and get up, finding a card falling from his knee.

Flipping it over he read it, slowly puzzling things out. It didn't strike him as too much of a surprise, he was about as subtle in his desire for revenge as a battleaxe to the brain case. He turned the card over, smiling a little as he remembered a couple of days ago, breaking the knees of a drug dealer and hauling the scum off to his friend William del'Saan. He was sure the guy was spending a fabulous time in the stockade now experiencing Korvosan Justice. He still imagined he could see the blood on his knuckles.

An address and a card, and a possible lead on Gaedran Laam. It was sizing up to be a good day. Well, until his stomach rumbled hard. With a yawn he started rubbing his stomach. First food, then contacts, a bit of training, then we go see this... whoever.

With that he set up his daily routine, wandering the streets of Korvosa to scrounge for something to eat among the discarded bits of society, meeting up with William del'Saan to learn a little about this card and the address, and then maybe a couple of laps around town before arriving a little early at this place. Always did well to show up early, never knew if this was some pissed off thug's attempt to set up revenge...

The Diplomacy Roll to gather information I'd like to be the result of him talking to his Guard Contact who might just go "Oh yeah, I've patrolled around there, I think... (Insert Result)". He'll take 10 on a Survival Test (Result 12) to gather some food/water in the city, enough to support himself. And the laps is just an excuse to burn time, maybe run into someone before Sundown. Feel free to power along as needed and just tell me "Next post, the place..." or if you want me to stretch it out, that's fine.

[Desril]

Natsumi

For only the third time in the week since she'd returned to Korvosa, Natsumi slept soundly in her childhood home. The benefit of living in Old Korvosa, it seems, is that in spite of its reputation, even things that aren't bolted down can sometimes survive for years in abandoned buildings. Opening her eyes a little after dawn, the kitsune yawns and rolls over, knocking the strange card to the floor as she does while her eyes silently follow its trajectory.

Given how she and her new tenet It's weird, being a landlord...not as weird as having a house though, I suppose, had met, however, she quickly let out a swear and hopped out of bed looking for her things. No, clothes are all still where I tossed them...Myrtenaster is still propped against the bed...armor is still on the desk...my gold is still under the floorboard...and the door's still locked. How in the Abyss?

Reaching down in as much curiosity as confusion, she examines the card, recalling the strange dream she'd had last night as she does. Figuring that there isn't much point in thinking about how the messenger got in, but resolving to increase her home's security in the future, Natsumi quickly remembers that she isn't dressed and reverts to being 'Sera' once again, changing her form into that of a human and tosses on her shirt and breeches before grabbing her rapier. Honestly, I slept as a human all the time before, what is it about this house that makes me change back?

Unlocking the door, she heads for the room where her new friend had been sleeping, not bothering to knock as she enters. "Hey, Leah, I think I might have a lead on that Gaedren *******. If we're working together, I figure I should share this," Holding up the card for her to see, "Someone snuck into my room last night and left this. I'm gonna see what I can find out about this place and check it out. You coming?"


Me and Keledrath already worked out that Leah would be staying in Natsumi's old home's spare bedroom.

Rolls were in the OOC, but
K: Local [9] - failed
Gather Info [28] - Success + Nat 20 (doesn't affect skills, I just liked it)

I figure she probably went around to various bars and other places relatively near the street in question, buying drinks and asking questions of anyone she can.

Normally I'd be inclined to say I'd like to expand on this, but given the volatile nature and short life expectancy of early game PbPs, I'm happy leaving this as a basic explanation of what she does until sundown in order to keep things moving! :smallamused:

[Vhaidara]

Leah awoke in her bed in Natsumi's guest room. That dream... what could it mean?

Then she noticed the card. She read it quickly. Normally, the idea of someone being able to reach her while she slept would worry her, but her current abode was hardly secure. She rose, dressed quickly, and buckled Valinia to her side. Her mind flipped over her combat techniques. They may have failed her against Natsumi, but the girl was surprisingly skilled for her lack of training. They would not let her down this time.

It is at this point that her landlord knocks on her door.
Interesting.
Leah opens the door, holding her own card.
I was going to see if any of my contacts knew anything. I'd say that we could cover more ground if we split up, since I doubt we share many informants.

With that, the noble-born warrior heads for the door.
Meet you this evening at Lancet Street. Don't be late, or I might have to kill him without you.

Leah is going to try and talk to Markin, which will go badly (putting her in a bad mood when the group meets up), and a representative of the Scarlet Sentinels, who will be too busy to deal with a novice who failed to protect her charge (she is not having a good day, is she?)

So, that's how Leah's day goes until it is time to meet up with our housebreaker in the evening.

[PeglegJim]

Marko woke up with a yelp, sweating heavily in his inn room. It wasn't unusual for him to have nightmares, but they rarely left such an impression. A palanquin? Being carried by the dead? He was at some kind of....festival? What did it mean? Was the goddess trying to communicate with him in some way? A sudden feeling of dread roused him from his sleep. He grabbed his mace, which he kept by his bed. "Who goes there?" he swore he felt some kind of presence. He looked around, then slipped on a pair of trousers and peered out the door of his room. Nothing. He slowly closed the door and sat back on his bed, where he noticed a strange card. He really wished he warded his room. Lucky it wasn't an assassin.

Apparently the only thing that was left there was the card. He thought perhaps it was some kind of warning. He'd been known to dig into criminal affairs relentlessly. But it wasn't that. On the front was an image from a carnival. His dream was related, but perhaps it was a coincidence. On the back, a message. Someone knew where Lamm was. Someone knew about Marko's grudge and wanted to meet with him. It was a sign from above. Perhaps a fellow priest or priestess of Calistria. Maybe even some manner of divine herald. That might have explained a couple of things. Or it could be a trap. Trust was in short supply in Korvosa. He knew, either way, he was going armed and scoping the place out first, but if it was what it appeared to be--a chance at revenge, he could not possibly turn it down. He asked some of the local girls about the house. Where it was--what they knew.

They happily obliged. They told him it belonged to a fortune teller, named Zellara. Which may or may not have explained the cards. With a heart full of uncertainty, clad in the black and yellow vestments of his deity he headed to this house on Lancet Street with the card in hand. Marko just hoped this meeting wouldn't raise more questions than it answered.

1d20+6
[roll0]

[PeglegJim]

Trying again. Results may be applied to the above post.

[roll0]

[Angstrom]

As dusk approaches, a curious cast of strangers fill the otherwise boring street. It is easy to spot the address on the door of a second-story apartment above a wine merchant. A small sign next to the stairs confirms the location by advertising fortune telling within. Across the street is a grocer and an herbalist operates in an adjacent building. The quiet is uncommon in bustling Midland, making the small street seem like an oasis from the bustle of the nearby markets.

There is no answer from the apartment, but the door is unlocked. The cozy chamber within this small home is filled with a fragrant haze of flowers and strong spice. The haze comes from several sticks of incense smouldering in wall-mounted burners that look like butterfly-winged elves. The smoke itself seems to soften edges and gives the room a dream-like feel. Several faded rugs cover the floor, and the room is furnished are a circular wooden table covered by a bright red throwcloth, several elegant tall-backed chairs, and a wooden console table against one wall with selection of local wines arranged upon it. On the main table lies a note.

I apologize for the delay, I shall be with you presently. Please help yourselves to the refreshments on the console.

The console bears a modest but respectable selection of local wines in clean bottles, likely from the shop below. A half-dozen equally clean glass goblets stand beside bottles.

[Vhaidara]

Leah glances over the labels, not taking any, but wondering about the quality provided by their host. When Natsumi arrived, she glanced over.
Your day must have been more fruitful than mine.

Appraise: [roll0]
It seemed appropriate for a noble to be snobbish about things like wine.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Shrugging, the kitsune answers nonchalantly. "You could say that. Got a lot out of the locals, but about the only really relevant information was that this belongs to a Varisian scam artist, or fortune teller, whatever, named Zellara."

Seeing the wine though, she doesn't hesitate to grab two of the bottles and toss them into her bag before opening the next and pouring herself and Leah a glass. If anyone looks at her strangely, she merely rolls her eyes and comments, "If she didn't want us taking them, she shouldn't have said to help ourselves. And it's not like they're poisoned. If she wanted us dead, neither of us would've woken up today."

[Vhaidara]

Leah takes the glass.
That was about all I got. And I was lucky to get that much through the sarcasm about me going to see a fortune teller.
She looks at the others assembled and lowers her voice.
Certainly a motley group of individuals.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron wakes as usual, curled up in some abandoned building.As he shifts the playing card falls off his chest. He carefully picks it up and stares at it blankly before flipping it over. As he does so his eyes widen and then he looks around the empty room. Who?
Putting the card in his belt pouch he rises to his feet. He feels the clawing need for shiver. Will that ever stop?
He spends his day as usual, if a little more preoccupied and as the end of the day draws near he heads to 3 lancet street.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron walks in. "Seems you two have me at a disadvantage. You know each other? Was it you who left the note?"

[Vhaidara]

Leah holds up her own card.
Hardly. My name is Leah, of the Taldori house Sparatine. And this is my landlady.
She motions to Natsumi with her glass, allowing the other woman to introduce herself.

[PeglegJim]

"Motley crue? I don't suppose this black and yellow garb is too much?" Marko said with a smirk. He pushed his long blonde hair back and went over to inspect the wines. He observed the label before opening one of the bottles and trying to smell the bouquet. Unable to spot anything wrong, he shrugs and pours himself a glass. Marko takes a seat. The man takes a sip and furrows his brow. "I don't like to keep waiting, but given this beautiful spread and such charming company, many things can be forgiven." He remarked as he put his card on the table.

[ArcturusV]

The Odd Life of Rovald Eronian

There were things that he did that some would consider odd perhaps. Oh there were reasons for it, not that he ever really bothered to explain it to other people. Some watched him swim the river Jaggare several times a week and thought it odd that a random hobo would do that. Some thought it was weird that he would run laps around the city wall. Some thought it weird when he would randomly stop what he was doing to do push ups. None of it really hit the "this man is clearly insane" level of reactions. But it did make him stand out a little more in a crowd than he necessarily would have liked.

And of course it made him easy to track down if someone wanted ill of him. He knew he had a habit of rubbing people the wrong way. Either due to his low station in life, his gruff manners that lacked refinement, or simply for stranger things such as his Chelish features when dealing with some of the Varisians or the crazies who marveled on the mark that would appear on his hand.

He just never blended in, not even in that way that the undesireables of society blend in because people want to ignore them.

These thoughts were running down his mind as he entered the unusual calm of Lancet Street as the sun approached the horizon. He had been considering who had left the note, yes the address was for some crazy card speaker type person, but that didn't mean that was who sent it. His body was tense, his fingers flexing as he kept wondering if this was a trap, if Gaedram finally was making a move against him. Was he really getting that close that someone would bother to take him out? Or was it just some pissed off friend of a drug pusher who wanted to teach him a lesson about laying low?

His mind never really considered that the message might be on the up and up. That there was a friend who wanted to help him with his goal that he never met and didn't know. Life didn't work out like that. At least not for the likes of him living out on the streets. His neck craned up, looking at the second story location from street level and giving a hard frown at the thing as if measuring up some Giant Born Tiefling Thug that had stepped up to intimidate him. There wasn't a thought in his mind that this place wasn't trouble in one way or another.

Slowly he came around, circling the thing as he watched some heavies seemingly go up to the place for the trap. Coming early to scope it out was proving useful. 3 of them so far, two of them had the look of someone's higher class heavies with their fine blades and leatherworked armor. The other perhaps a supervisor or the client who hired them? He didn't look like much of a thug, only having a simple knife on him for defense.

So two heavies and someone who might be the brains behind the trap. He gave them a moment to go up, mingle, set up their ambush perhaps and get cozy. Let them lower their guard as they waited, that could only help. He kept a quiet count in his head, giving them a few minutes to find their marks, ready their weapons, and get tired of readying their weapons, about 5 minutes all told.

It was then that he started scaling the wall underneath one of the windows, finding small hand holds as he climbed towards that window sill, fingers holding tight, and head poking up to get a better look at just what awaited him in that place.

Well, I figure a shop with signs, windows, etc, would have plentiful handholds for such a climb which should put the DC at 15. Considering I have a +9 to Climb I'll take 10 on it to climb up to a window and spy inside, most likely seeing people chatting and drinking wine, totally not the ambush I expect... but paranoia and character. xD I'm sure teaching him NOT to be paranoid right away will in no way come to bite him in the ass later...

[Desril]

Natsumi

Natsumi holds on to her card as the others show them off, nodding to Leah at the short introduction. "Just call me Sera. And, as for your outfit, you have to admit, Calistrians might know how to have fun, but whoever picked out your color scheme must have been playing a joke," she teases Marko while returning the smile."

Turning her attention to Theron, she nods. "We met earlier this week. It was fun, you'll have to ask Leah about it some time," she says cheerily while sitting down and taking a swig from the glass she'd poured.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron nods, seemingly lost in the various comments. I wonder if they are all afflicted like me?

[PeglegJim]

"You're surprisingly sharp. I find that refreshing. Perhaps these colors would better suit an elegant silk dress. The elves can be a strange people I suppose." He paused and eyed the butterfly women. "Anyway if you must know, my name is Marko and you were right, I am a Calistrian, so if you know anything about us, you probably know why I'm here. But why dwell on it. I appreciate this...calm before the storm." he raises his goblet to the others before turning to Natsumi and Leah. "Cheers!"

[Angstrom]

"And a toast to your health. Thank you all for coming," a new figure appears silhouetted against the setting sun, "It is good faith you show by coming, or is it the pull of revenge maybe? Revenge is why I called you here, revenge is what I am after. Gaedren Lamm killed my son, I wish for you to kill him."

The woman, evidently Zellara, pulls her hooded shawl back so that you can see her face as she makes her motive clear. Her eyes are cold and her expression is gripped by conviction.

"You will be able to kill Lamm; I was not. I discovered his location, yes I did, he is there still. A full house by the water. His full house where I could not reach him. I believe you are the flush that beats the full house, five coloured by the same anger yes? Five, yes, please come in now climber," she looks towards the window, "I am hoping that you will come in, I think chair is better than window."

Zellara is a middle-aged Varisian, with large hoops in her ears and layers of shawls around her shoulders. She moves to the table and sits, evidently waiting for the fifth card-carrier to enter.

[Vhaidara]

Leah listens as the woman speaks. She sets her glass down on a table, and places her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Madame, if you know where I can find Lamm, be done with these riddles. My betrothed is dead, my inheritance lost, and my honor besmirched. I shall not rest easy until Valinia has tasted of his blood. I will gladly avenge your son's murder. Just tell me where to strike.

[ArcturusV]

Rovald's eyes widened a bit as the woman called him out. Not that it was that strange, he wasn't really attempting to hide that well. But it was a strange meeting. People drinking, chatting, armed thugs and others, he could have swore he saw the twitch of addiction in one of the fellows in there. It was something he recognized easily enough from his time on the streets. They just had that air of unease about them that was hard to mistake for anything else.

He couldn't make out too much of the conversation, however when he was beckoned inside, he opened up the window, and crawled inside. The man wasn't much to look at. Medium height and apparent build. Bearded, knotted and tangled, greasy hair, dirty skin that might have been pretty pale from the look of it, clothing that wasn't sized properly for him and clearly had seen. He took a moment to at least attempt to straighten himself up, mindful of the more noble and fancy bearing of some of the others. His eyes were constantly flicking around, between the various figures and keeping track of the escape route, just in case.

He kept quiet for the moment, not sure what to make of the scene and uncomfortable with one of the larger groups he had been a part of in recent years. His hands were wringing slowly as he needed an outlet for his energy, and his shoulders were hunched up.

"... no secret what I want Signora," his common sprinkled in with some Chelish Lingo. His eyes refused to look Zallara in hers, keeping his gaze bent downward respectfully. "... why not just leave me his location last night?"

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron listens to the woman speaks and ignores the others.

"So, why, were you unable to kill him?"

[Desril]

Natsumi

Frowning as Zellara speaks, Natsumi merely nods in agreement with Theron's question, wondering why she couldn't kill Lamm herself. "You managed to sneak into our homes completely unseen, if you know where Gaedren's at, why not just slit his throat and be done with it?"

[PeglegJim]

Marko grits his teeth and clenches his fists as he remembers the reason while he's here, but manages to draw back his anger. He must not let his emotions get the better of him for now he thought. He kept his mouth shut, just swirling around the wine in his goblet until he could rebuild his calm facade. "Yes, all good questions. I must admit I'm curious myself. While revenge is a specialty of mine, I wonder how much you know about us and how do you know it. How do you know we could take him down? What made you think we would all be so interested in this endeavor."

[Angstrom]

"Many questions, one story to answer them, yes?" her expression is one of motherly patience, though her eyes remain cold and steadfast. "There are five here, five together for revenge. Alone you can fail, together you will not. Lamm knows tricks, knows running away. I am just a reader, you are more. Five of you, tonight, he will not escape.

"I asked the cards, they show me each of you. Show me that your stories' and Lamm's cross before. They show me the same anger I am feeling, that feeling is in you. I called you here because of this. My cards found you, I am no sneak. Please, Lamm is in an abandoned fishery not far from here. Please, five cannot fail.

"Now, while we are waiting for cover of night, I will do a reading, yes? Let the cards show you where you are going."

[Desril]

Natsumi

Not happy with Zellara's answer, Natsumi frowns and tosses her card onto the table toward Zellara, scoffing as she offers a harrow reading. Oh great, now she's going to tell us the future. Lamm gets gutted and fed to rapid dogs, oh, look at that, I can tell see into the future too.

Still, she doesn't say anything about it. 'An abandoned fishery' could mean any of a number of nearby buildings, better just to play the insane woman's game for now until she gives a more detailed location.

[PeglegJim]

Marko was taken aback by her mention of the anger within him. Perhaps he was poor at hiding his emotions while she was exceptionally good at picking up on them. Maybe she read minds as well as telling fortunes like a lot of these charlatans did. "Hmph. A reading? Okay...." Marko tossed her his card. "Magic cards is a simple enough explanation I suppose. I believe in omens as much as the next man, but this one seems unusually....specific. You're telling us this is happening tonight?"

[Vhaidara]

Leah simply looks at the woman.
If it will bring you to tell me where to find Lamm, then get on with your reading. The sooner he is dead, the sooner I can restore my honor with the Sentinels.
She tosses the card to the woman.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Unable to resist the friendly jab, Natsumi's scowl turns into a chuckle when Leah mentions reclaiming her honor as the kitsune remembers how they first met. "That honor of yours is really going to cause you problems one day, you know. It's probably going to end up leaving you in another fun bit of trouble soon, if it doesn't get you killed first."

[Vhaidara]

While Natsumi's scowl may have vanished, Leah's was now appearing.
The Sentinels are the closest thing I have to family now, and until I prove that I did not murder Marcus, and avenge his death, I am an oathbreaker in their eyes.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Ah, so that's why she wants him so badly. And here I was thinking that she was only out for revenge for herself. Hrm, well, I've got nothing else to do, maybe I'll see about helping her with that after I make Lammchops. Besides, I want to see if these Sentinels she goes on about so much are any good with a blade, or if she was the best they had.

She doesn't say any of this aloud, however, instead elbows her tenet lightly in the rib, "Oh relax, you're about to get your chance. But I hope you don't need Lamm to be too recognizable for your sentry-whatevers," she intentionally screws up their name, knowing it'll agitate Leah and enjoying the expressions the swordswoman makes when annoyed. "Between the 5 of us, I don't think there will be much of him left. Bet you won't even be the one who finishes the bastard off," she says with a grin, hoping to goad her friend into another interesting wager after enjoying the last one so much.

[PeglegJim]

Marko leaned back in his chair. "Yes I suppose that is a problem. One of the five will have to make the killing blow. Which may leave the others feeling...unsatisfied. One may even say that the sweet taste of retribrution may feel somewhat diluted. That's why revenge has always been considered such a deeply personal thing. The only way around it is if he falls off a cliff or the roof falls down and crushes him. We can't know how it'll end. Only take the measures to make sure it does."

[ArcturusV]

Rovald's eyes flashed over towards the others at the Harrower's reveal. He needed these people? Well... it was true that he hadn't had much luck on his own. But it wasn't a question of powers, but information. There was the two who were obviously toughs and most likely knew how to use their weapons. Their use was clear. And of course the holy roller, judging by his gearing and his markings a follower of the Unquenchable Fire....

... which made him think of his dream. It was something he rarely focused on. Most of his dreams were nightmares about pain and hardship. The fires weren't exceptional, but was it some vision? Did the woman named Zallara plant that dream in his mind? Asmodeus giving it to him to tell him the value of these chaotic forces bound in the iron chains of discipline and focus?

His hands dropped to his side, flexing slowly into fists and relaxing over and over. An abandoned fishery. He didn't know which one, but it made him kick himself knowing he had probably passed right by it earlier today. He could have just knocked on the door, got the man to answer, and snapped his neck like a twig. His body was tensing up at the thought of it, barely registering what was going on with the others. Something about cards?

He nodded slowly to the Madame's question of a reading. His mind wasn't really here though, he was already planning an approach to the fishery, how he'd make his entrance, deal with any pets or sentries that the man might have, and get his shot at Laam while he was napping.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron nods at the readers answer. How could he help the group. Employ his curse? How ironic.

"A reading ... well if your cards found us then I am eager to see what they say."

"As to Lamm ... I could care less about who kills him. I just want him dead."

Theron seems remarkably ill equipped for such a venture. He carries nothing but a belt pouch.

[Vhaidara]

A wicked smile flickers across Leah's face.
I actually have a solution that could leave us all satisfied. Take him alive. We all get a piece, then we kill him.

[PeglegJim]

Marko smiled and nodded. "Alright, it's settled then. We're all in agreement? The details of his final fate will not be a problem for you all. We can work out the specifics later. I don't want to get too lost in the hypotheticals of the future. I mainly mentioned it because it seemed like it would be important to the lovely Miss Leah. After all it is vital to me that my companions get exactly what they are seeking in their quest for retribution."

[Angstrom]

Zellara listens as she takes her cards back from each of you. Producing a matching deck from her sleeve she begins to shuffle as the discussion comes to an end, never taking her eyes off of her guests. The cards float and dance beneath her caring fingers, evidence of great familiarity and skill. "Now, I ask the cards. These cards were my father's, and his mother's, and her father's before that. They are very old and they know very much." her expression softens as she begins on this tangent, "After my husband died, with these cards I earn a living for Remy and me. This city is not always so kind to little boy's without fathers but Remy was healthy and good. I tell him to be careful in city, and he always is. A little agathion. I was the careless one, in the docks after dark one night. Lamm and his man find me, take my money and my cards. I am alive though, so I say to Remy 'we will keep going, do not look for Lamm' but Remy knows about Lamm. Remy tells me Lamm is a monster of a person and must be brought to Guard. One night he does not come home. The Guard find him floating under the north bridge. His throat was cut." Her last words barely rise above a whisper; the shuffling cards have come to a stop in her hands. After a pause she leans over the table and begins her Harrowing.

Zellara deals nine cards onto the table, "The past," she flips the image of a bear. "The reign of force. It has been the law of your lives, but The Bear's strength means little as the days grow shorter."

The next card flipped bears an old crone with her lips sewn shut facing you, "The Mute Hag, this does not bode well. Secrets in blood, but perhaps clarity through loyalty. Facing you she is an adversary, inverted to me it shows that I am the Hag's reflection, my fall mirrors the rise of the Hag behind her veil of red shadows.

"Now, the future." Zellara's eyebrows rise in with surprise as a red-backed throne is revealed upside-down. "The Empty Throne. Were it standing upright it would bring good tidings, inverted it will only bring ill.

Zellara pulls her cards back into the deck, "I hope this warning helps you avoid pain in the days ahead. Now, night has fallen, Lamm will be in the fishery. If you go to Patch Alley off Water Street, you will find Full-net Fishery there. Gaedren Lamm will be within, though he will not be alone."

[Vhaidara]

Leah stands.
I may not know the rest of you, but if you all have grievances against Lamm, I will fight beside you. Let us be off.

[ArcturusV]

Ancient Cards and Hokey Religions are no match for a good fist at your side.

Or so Rovald thought as he looked down at the Harrow Cards with disdain. They were all mumbo jumbo, meaningless. She could have said that they meant he'd find a plush chair made out of bear hides from behind Old Madame Beasly's place and it would have made more sense than the random things she was spewing out. His life was far more simple. His body, his needs, and testing them against what came up, all leading to this moment where she finally gave the location. It WAS a place he was sure he had walked past several times in his life, and never realized that was exactly where what he wanted the most lay.

He stretched out his arms, crackling his knuckles loudly, nodding slowly as he mentally said his prayers to Asmodeus for giving him the chance that this night was bringing.

"Well now, if you are all done, how abouts I go check the place out eh? See how we can get in and what's what?" Rovald said gruffly. He didn't know if he'd need the people. He wasn't used to really working with anyone in a current operations sort of way. Handing a mark over to the guard? Sure, he did that often enough. But actually fighting alongside them? He had no idea what that would have been like. He made his way towards the window he came in on, going to climb back down the way he came. Why? Why not? Keep the skills honed through not choosing the lazy route. It was the way he worked.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Glad to be done wasting time here, she nods to those who are as eager to leave as she and heads out with the others, pausing only briefly to look back at Zellara's home. Not entirely sure what it is, she figures it must not be important, but decides to bring it up with Leah to kill time anyway. "I don't know why, but something about her story sounded fishy to me. There was something off about it, but I don't know what..."

[ArcturusV]

Rovald was, thankfully, unable to recognize the bad Fish Pun from Natsumi as he climbed down the outside of the Fortune Teller's place, back to the street, and landing in a crouch to look around as he stuck to the shadows. There was still that creeping sense in the back of his mind that things were weird, and he wasn't sure who might have been watching this place.

He peered around carefully, while starting to lead the way to the Fishery, sticking to the shadows as best he could, watching his step so that he didn't go alerting the entire city that there was a crew of murderers tromping out to stab an infamous criminal leader in the face. He spared a few glances back, making sure that the others were following. He was planning to stop short of the Fishery, approaching it from the riverside alleyways rather than the main street entrance if at all possible.

Hope no one minds me pushing ahead a little, trying to keep pace up and cover things I know I'll want to be doing anyway incase everyone logs on while I'm at the store and posts up a storm...

Perception Check, looking for Spies/Narcs/Informants that might be after them: [roll0]
Stealth Check as he scouts along the way: [roll1]

[Vhaidara]

Leah glances back at Natsumi.
What, you don't believe that an old woman can't kill a man?

[Angstrom]

Patch Alley is unexceptional, a trait that serves it well as a hideout. The packed dirt road is pock-marked by patches of brick where potholes were filled, resulting in its unimaginative name. At the end of the alley stands the old fishery, as promised. Rundown and abandoned, the fishery's windows are boarded up and the painted mermaid that once welcomed patrons has faded from years in the sun.

Facing the street are an old pair of double doors, boarded up and tightly closed. A fifteen-foot-wide loading dock abuts the side of the building to the north. A few carts sit nearby, partially loaded with large tar-caked barrels marked with a fish-shaped splotch of red paint on the side. Double doors facing the loading dock’s ramp provide access to the building’s interior, while a rickety flight of stairs descends nearly to the river’s surface to the east, where a second door provides a secondary entrance. A slippery boardwalk clings to south side of the fishery, held together by barnacle-thick pilings that have been worn halfway through their thickness at the waterline.

[Desril]

Natsumi

She shakes her head, "No, that's not it. Just something about what she said didn't add up right." Frowning, she impatiently speeds up her pace. What in the Hells was it? "Bah. Whatever, let's just kill the bastard and I'll figure it out when we go drop off his leg for her or whatever."

Trying to change the topic, she refers back to Leah's idea, "You really have it in for this piece of ****, don't you? Wanting to chop him up while he's still alive. I didn't think a high-born little lady like you had it in you to even suggest that."

[Vhaidara]

Leah smiles as she walks along.
I just meant we could all poke at him a bit before we kill him, not necessarily literal pieces. After all, that kind of treatment lends itself to confessions, which I could use to help clear my reputation with the Sentinels.
She shudders slightly
And you've clearly never met nobles before. Some of them are very good at smiling at you as they slide the knife into your gut. While everyone you care about is in the dungeons being tortured so they can find out where you store your riches and what security you have.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Raising an eyebrow at that, Natsumi seems a little surprised. "Heh, and here I've been thinking that in spite of your troubles, you were still some sheltered little girl. No wonder you almost managed to put up a good fight," she ends with a smirk, teasingly taunting her comrade.



Once they get to the fishery, the kitsune looks at the double doors, debating what to do, not bothering to conceal herself after the racket that Rovald was making, though she lowers her voice. "So, what do you all think? Worth going through the side, or should we do this the fun way? Shock and awe has worked well for me before."

[Vhaidara]

Leah nods.
I feel there are worse plans than that.
She looks at the others
Sera and I are both practiced duelists. What skills do you all have in a fight?

[PeglegJim]

"Don't you worry your pretty head about me. I can be whatever you need me to be. My powers are numerous and strange bestowing both blessings and curses, but when all else fails, I can just smack whoever with this." he says pulling out a heavy mace. ""As for dueling, I can't say I duel. This is no duel, it's a crusade. One which I hope will thoroughly satisfy my fickle goddess. Bringing retribution for four souls is a worthy cause."

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron tags along, saying nothing. In reply to Leah's question he says, "I ... was effected by shiver, I can throw acid and mess with peoples heads."

[Desril]

Natsumi

She looks confused at Theron's revelation. "I've seen shivers effects before, hell, I'm pretty sure I've done it before, but I've never heard of it giving someone magic powers. How's that happen?"

To Marko though, she merely smirks. "Pity that you don't duel, they're a fun way to kill time. But I suppose for your people it's a little too close to foreplay to stop after someone wins."

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron looks at Natsumi. "I don't know. It messed me up. Made me a freak and lost me the one person I cared about ..." He looks away.

[Vhaidara]

Thinking back to when the third man had come in through the window, Leah sighed.
Great, so we have a recovering junkie, a preachy priest, and a monkey
In a rare moment of tact over honesty, she actually kept this opinion to herself.

For reference, I am using the traditional italicized speech color for thoughts

[ArcturusV]

If he was a more superstitious man, he would have wondered about the old Valarian's mutterings of curses and misfortunes with how badly he botched a simple scouting job, kicking some loose gravel here, stubbing his toe on a corner he took a bit short, and generally coming off as just a clumsy oaf rather than the stealthy figure he knew he could be on the average given night. All in all, not the best start to their mission to Kill Laam.

Not that the others seemed too concerned to him. Lots of bravado, and in the case of the holy roller verbose rambling. His mind was more focused on the layout. The back entrance was a no go. Those pilings looked ready to collapse under some serious weight that the armed group might bring. The stairs too ramshackle to possibly be used to sneak in. His mind was slowly working over the possible scenarios and solutions. Turning towards Marko he jerks his thumb to signal that he should come with him, "Got some liftin' before we start this party yeah?" he clarified as he made his way over towards the random Cart of Barrels of Fish. He gave one of them in the back a good rap, making sure it was heavy and solid before lugging it up onto his shoulder. "Seal the exits, yeah?" He tried to explain to Marko, having picked him out just because he looked a bit more muscly than the others to him and more likely to be able to lug a barrel.

Now with the cover of being a totally average looking dude (Poor, but average) with a barrel of Fish near a Fishery, he made his way towards the back door, planning for the simple and effective use of placing a heavy barrel against the back door, just in case Gaedram Laam decided to run out of there. While he was down there, making a peek to scope out if the place had a launch for a boat inside or other waterborne entrance that might also be used by the slippery old man to get out of there.

Well, still going to try stealth because no reason not to try to be stealthy while sealing the guy in.
Stealth: [roll0]
And not sure how you want to rule the effectiveness of a barrel of Fatness across the door. Count it as Spiked and requiring a strength test? Two barrels do it or more? Just a wild idea to have.

[PeglegJim]

"Well I haven't heard any complaints yet. We will just have to wait and see." He said with a grin. Marko shrugged and helped the vagrant bar the door with barrels. He also scouted out the building.


Looking for more entrances and exits. No stealthing; armored character problems

[roll0]

[Vhaidara]

Leah watches as the men set to work. She draws Valinia and looks at Natsumi.
I would normally demand to fight him in single combat, you know.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Mimicking Leah's movement with her own Myrtenaster, the kitsune smiles playfully. "Oh, I figured. I would too. Not because of the whole honor thing or whatever, it's just more fun when I don't have to share. Besides, are you sure you'd be able to beat him? Other than with me, how many real fights have you been in? You're not as green as I thought you were, but are sure you're up for a life and death struggle?"

Though her wording might be a bit stinging toward the duelist's pride, Natsumi says it that way to mask the fact that she actually is a little worried about Leah.

[Vhaidara]

Leah smiles.
I finished off the man who killed my father. I've defeated a dozen opponents in single combat during my training with the Sentinels, though usually I was assigned to seek an opposing mage, since I was trained to identify spells.
Her expression turns more serious.
I'm not going to fight him alone. I don't doubt I could beat him, but I am equally certain that he would not fight fair. We need to see this man dead. And I feel we will do much better if we do it together.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron absent mindedly listens to the others ramble on. Dueling? A good way to waste time? Theron felt nervous. He doubted this Lamm would be easy to slaughter.

[Angstrom]

http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx356/TiamatZ/CrimsonThrone4thEd/FisheryRoof.jpg

Marko spots another entrance off of the boardwalk on the south side as he moves to help Rovald. Now that you can see down the side of the fishery you can make out the broken husk of an old fishing ship behind the building. Additionally, something about the loading bay doors seems off to Marko. Looking closer he can spot no hinges, the door is made to slide open.

Hope the map helps. West: big doors on the front are boarded up from the outside, windows boarded up. North: sliding doors and a smaller door down the stairs form the loading dock. South: boardwalk w small door. East: old single-masted trawler and (you haven't spotted it yet due to the darkness) a functional rowboat. Half of the place stands on barnacle-caked pilings that rise from the water and the roof is slanted with wooden shingles.

[PeglegJim]

"Perhaps we could go through the loading bay doors. There's also an entrance on the boardwalk. I'd prefer the loading bay doors however. I somehow think they wouldn't expect that. Plus there is something...unusual about these doors." Marko heads over to the loading bay doors to slide them open.

[Vhaidara]

Leah nods.
We're going to need to do this quickly. Who goes in first?

[Desril]

Natsumi

Stepping forward in response to Leah's question, she looks at her companion quizzically. "Do you really need to ask? I'm just waiting until the boys are done playing at setting up a siege and we pick a door."

[Smileybastard]

Theron

"Not me."

[Vhaidara]

Leah thinks for a moment.
Sera, I'll come in behind you. You seem to have a certain talent for defensive combat that I lack. You take the front with the holy man. Monkey man can go in behind him, and the mage can bring up the rear.
She motions to the others as she mentions their placement.

As I was writing this, I realized that Rovald never gave his name :smalltongue:

[Angstrom]

Approaching the loading bay doors, you arrange yourselves in a loose formation before Marko tries the door. Locked.

[roll0],[roll1],[roll2]

[Desril]

Natsumi

Noticing Marko fail to open the door, Natsumi moves forward and waves him off before working on the door lock herself. "This will take a minute, but it's quieter than trying to smash through."


Disable Device [roll0]

[Angstrom]

The clasp pops open from Sera's skillful ministrations. Sliding the door open takes effort on the greaseless rails and you manage to control the pace, averting any loud squeaks. There is a crack big enough to squeeze through, and you can see into the 30 by 20 room. Several lumps shift towards the western wall, darkvision reveals them to be a half-dozen children sleeping beneath tattered rags. The reason for their choice of wall quickly becomes apparent to your noses. The room reeks of dead fish, emanating from a trough on the eastern wall. There is a door opposite you and another flush with the exterior on the easter wall, both lead deeper into the fishery.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Slowly creaking the door open, Natsumi silently puts a finger to her mouth, motioning everyone to be silent as she tries to squeeze through the gap in the door, Myrtenaster at the ready for any potential ambush.

Unable to see in darkness, but having better vision in dim lighting than most humans, she can't quiet make out the children and moves a little closer to investigate, doing her best to keep to the darkness of the room's interior.


Stealth [roll0]

[ArcturusV]

Rovald nods silently, waiting for the Thug and the Priest to take the point. He was on the balls of his feet, knees bent, staying a bit low to the ground. Not much to sneak but maintaining good balance could help, and staying low to the ground to be out of eye level couldn't hurt. In the wake of Natsumi and the Priest, he took the left side in step with Leah. His eyes were scanning upwards, looking for someone that might be in charge of making sure one of the little children didn't run off in the night. Yeah the door was locked but his kids were thieves, and they tended to learn about locks, and had reasons to book it out of there if given half a chance...

He moved over towards the east as soon as he was inside the door, not wanting to outline himself in the door as he continued to look around.

Well, stealthing still: [roll0]
And a Perception check [roll1]

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Therons follows everyone in. Why would anyone live in such a stink hole? He should have wealth. I have none and I can find better places to sleep.

[Vhaidara]

Leah follows Nastumi, once again glad that she has unusually keen night vision.

Stealth: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]
She has both Low-light and Darkvision

[PeglegJim]

Marko tiptoes up in the front with Natsumi. He knows someone is going to give them away, but goes along with it, looking for any possible light sources as he silently inches forward.
[roll0]

Yep, rolled a 2

[Angstrom]

The clanking of metal combined with footfalls in step on the wooden floor produces a simple marching tune as you make your way into the fishery. Shifting on the west wall reveals that children are waking, but of more concern is the barking that erupts from behind the eastern door.

There are 6 human children, all of them less than eight years old. The red spots on their faces marks them as quarantined invalids.
The barking is coming from multiple hounds.

[PeglegJim]

Marko draws his weapon. "I have a bad feeling about this. Anyone have a torch?"

[roll0]

[Desril]

Natsumi
HP 12
AC 17

****!

Silently swearing at the Calistrian's clanking, she glares daggers at him but shrugs. "Well, guess there's no point in going quiet now, we get to do this the fun way. I'll give us a little light, then get ready to fight."

Nothing a little Fox Fire won't solve...with a snap of her fingers, 4 orbs of sapphire flames appear in a half-circle behind Natsumi. Moments later, she points them toward the shapes in the beds, revealing the children. Figuring that they aren't a threat, she issues a sharp, but calm command to them, "Just stay out of the way, we're not here for you."

Hoping that the little ones will listen, she directs the spheres toward the eastern door before moving into position behind it, ready to stab the first adult that has the misfortune to walk through it.


Using Dancing Lights SLA to light up the room. That should make the children clearly visible, then directing the lights over to the eastern door to remove any concealment from darkness there. I think the room is big enough that there are still shadows for the party to hide in if they so choose, however.

Diplomacy to convince the kids to just stay out of the way [roll0]

Moving into position adjacent to said door, Readied Action to attack the first non-child that steps into the room;
Preemptive Stabbing [roll1]
Damage [roll2]

When the fight starts, she'll attempt to parry the first attack made against her and riposte (even if the kids do something stupid like try to fight us), so I'll roll those now.

Parry [roll3]
If successful;
Riposte [roll4]
Damage [roll5]

4/5 Panache

[PeglegJim]

Marko gives a 'what'd I do' shrug. Then he hoists up a shield and aids in herding the children out. "You heard the woman children. Go outside for a while, if you're good and quiet you might get a silver piece."

With his mace and shield, the cleric takes up the front with Natsumi.
[roll0]

HP: 14
AC: 18

Readied Attack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18703994&postcount=52)

[Vhaidara]

Leah curses under her breath as she steps on a particularly creaky floorboard. As the group begins to fan out, she steps towards the south door, preparing to strike if a foe comes through.

Initiative: [roll0]
Move to I11 and ready an action to attack if an adult comes through.
Attack: [roll1]
Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Crit Damage: [roll4]

HP: 10/10
AC: 18 (15FF, 13T)

[ArcturusV]

Rovald couldn't help but flinch when the dogs started barking, bad memories of 'corrections' from Laam coming into his mind. It was just too much of a deep, ingrained response to years of experience on the wrong side of them. He went not towards the barking door, but to the south with Leah as the rest prepared. He didn't draw a weapon or anything of the like but put his ear to the wall next to the South Door's western jam, trying to listen through to see if anyone was lurking behind Door Number 2, his eyes towards the children as he signaled with his hands, point towards the wall and slowly counting off with his fingers, 1 to 5, giving them a chance to nod or something in response to how many, if any, they knew might be lurking behind that door.

Throwin' some Initiative: [roll0]
Perception check near the door: [roll1]
I'm moving towards I-13 for the Listening.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron follows the group in and looks for anything dangerous or secret doors or ...

Suddenly he asks the children. "Do you know where Lamm is?"

Perception [roll0]
Diplomacy [roll1]

[Angstrom]

The barking grows more frantic as you speak, but the door does not open. Over the din, a voice speaks from behind the eastern door. "What's up there? Out of the way mutt!"

The pile of children are slow to respond, not knowing whether to stay silent or flee. Some of them start shaking others awake and a feverish few emit sickly moans, but none move from the wall.

Action behind the southern door is soon apparent, "Gods damned ratlings, what in the hells?" Neither door has opened.

You have additional time to prepare/strategize because of the delayed response from the fishery. Feel free to adjust readied actions.

[ArcturusV]

Well they could have let the guy open the door, ready to pop a kid one and trust their luck... or they could get the drop on the guy before he knew what was what. Rovald looked over to Leah, pointing to the door, then making a motion of breaking through it with his fist to silently ask if she wanted him to pop the door so she could go and shank a thug on the other side. Because who expects a door they're about to open to violently burst open and be followed by a rapier to the gut?

If he got a go ahead nod from Leah, he's try to kick the door open hard. If she waved him off, he'd ready to go and Kneecap a thug on the way in.

Will Swift Action to adopt the Dragon Style Stance, not that it does anything for me right now.

If Leah gives the go ahead:

Strength Check to break down the door: [roll0] vs a DC of most likely 13 for a simple door, I'd hope.

If Leah waves him off, Readying a Standard to Attack the guy when he pops his head in.

[Desril]

Natsumi
HP 12
AC 17

More mental swearing follows as the voice speaks up from outside the room in the southeast. Alright, new plan, open the door and kill this ******* before his buddy can see us.

Not wanting to vocalize the plan when the enemy was so close, she looks at Marko and mimes opening the door and stabbing before counting down from 3 on her fingers.

Two....one!

Not sure how many hounds are on the other side of the door, Natsumi does her best to open the door as wide as possible to get a good look and strike at the dog handler if possible, or his mutts if not.


No more waiting around, we should strike before they can gather their villainous wits!



Move? Action - Open door (Theoretically initiating a Surprise Round)
Standard - Stab enemy, hopefully a flat-footed dog-handler.

Initiative 18 rolled in OOC

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Will be Parrying the first attack made against her and Riposting if successful (Or should I keep the roll from the last Parry attempt and use these rolls for the next?)

Parry [roll2]

Riposte [roll3]
Damage [roll4]

Panache 4/5

[PeglegJim]

"You're going to need to bust it down, monkeyman. But, I will give you my goddess' blessing." Marko whispers. Marko wrinkles his nose and pokes Rovald in the chest with his index finger. "Do it now. We're right behind you."

Bit of Luck on Rovald.

Roll twice and take the highest result

[Angstrom]

The wooden door hold firm against two Rovald's boot, shaking without not buckling. The men on the other side do not, their voices halt and you can make out the sound of footfalls over the unceasing barking.

It would be easier if not for the barking.

You hear a footsteps moving away from the door, deeper into the fishery.

[PeglegJim]

"Oh for " Marko attempts to help bust down the door out of frustration to no avail.


aid another: [roll0]

[Smileybastard]

Theron

"I can try to melt the hing or lock, but it seems someone is coming to open it."

[Vhaidara]

Leah sighs and braces her shoulder against the door.
On three.

Str check to Aid: [roll0]

[ArcturusV]

Rovald seemed to be silently cursing, no sound coming out but judging by the facial expression there was a metric crapton of cursing the likes of which you only picked up by hanging around the docks when the halfamen came in from 8 month long tours...

He was really stuck now, the moment was passed and if he didn't break through this time they'd have enough of a lead he figured he'd be better off going outside and checking for someone running from the place or trying to boat away from the fishery. With one last try, he lashed out with his foot at the door, right about the level of the latch, putting years of hate and abuse into that kick, and all the fury an Asmodean on a blood pact could draw up.

One last go at it.

Strength Check: [roll0] vs a presumed DC of 13. Come on... work Law of Averages, work!

[PeglegJim]

"Alright, now!" Marko went through the door after seeing his opening, taking position in front with his shield hoisted and his weapon out. He looked for signs of a possible ambush. He gripped his mace tightly, ready for his first fight of a day he imagined would be filled with blood.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Angstrom]

The door is blown off its hinges into the room beyond. The room is sparsely furnished, with decomposing posters and shipping manifestos on the walls and a single desk in front of the front door. A lantern casts light into the room from where it sits on the desk, and light from rooms to the south and east spills in as well. In addition to the two rooms leading off of this one, the door to a small hallway leading east into the fishery is open as well.

Crouched behind the desk are two toughs with crossbows readied. They wear simple leathers and have heavy clubs waiting on the desk. As Marko bursts in, two bolts are loosed towards him.
[roll0] - [roll1]
[roll2] - [roll3]

Those by the northern door can make a perception check
The barking is fading slightly.

Don't worry about posting in initiative order, the bad guys go after all of you.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

As soon as Theron sees the bolts fly, he returns fire with a ray of acid.


Move to H-11
perception [roll0]
Attack roll vs touch AC [roll1]
Damage [roll2]

"Whoever has the dog is getting away!"

[ArcturusV]

Rovald responds quickly to the scenario once the heavy armored cleric runs in and gets the point... even obsessed murderhobos can enjoy a bad pun. That wasn't his concern right at the moment though. Instead it was all the rage that lead to him ripping that door off with his kick. He was aware of a flash of acid flying past him and the Cleric to slam into one of the Crossbowmen, and his body snapped forward to pounce.

With the odd movements of his Dragon Style he charged forward, surging up onto the desk that the thugs were on and delivering a hard kick to the face of the Crossbower that wasn't dealing with a Face Full of Acid.

Well, I did adopt Dragon Style earlier which lets me charge through allies (like Marko) and ignore difficult terrain (like a short desk).

Attack Roll: [roll0] +3 for Str Bonus, +1 for High Ground of the Desk against the Crossbowman behind the desk, +2 for Charge Action.
Damage: [roll1] Unarmed Strike Monk Damage, Dragon Style adds 1 and 1/2 Str Bonus to damage on the first strike for a +4 because PF Rounds Down.
Receives -2 AC for the Charge, AC: 12, Touch: 12, Flat-Footed: 10.

[Vhaidara]

Leah darts in and strikes at the man Theron fired his acid bolt at. Her eyes lock on her foes and a glint of red begins to show in them.

Move Action: Move to K12
Standard Action: Initiate Red Zephyr's Strike. If successful, move to L12
Attack: [roll0]
Crit Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]
Swift Action: Claim L13 (K14 if L13 dropped)
Damage for beginning of next turn/end of their turn: [roll4]

[PeglegJim]

Marko jumps on to the table before taking his mace and hammering down on his assailant. He grunts as the bolt pierces his flesh, but brings no attention to the fact that the first blood drawn in this battle was his.

Moving to J13
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Desril]

Natsumi
HP 12
AC 17

Still swearing at the enemy being on the other side of the room, Natsumi dashes over to join the others as quickly as she can while shouting to one of the thugs. "Oh come on, that's all you can do?! You and your boss aren't getting out of this place alive, but you could at least make this interesting!"


Moving to J12, where Marko was standing before he moved. Using Intimidate to demoralize K14. [roll0]

[Angstrom]

An iron bolt crunches through Marko's armour, but the retaliation is swift and brutal. One thug crumples under the combined assault of Marko and Rovald, and the other narrowly escapes being blinded by acid and skewered by Leah.

"I surrender!" he yelps, dropping his crossbow and plastering himself flat against the wall, "Don't kill me!"

In the loading bay several children scream as violence erupts, then scream anew as through the loading doors three dogs emerge. All three rush Theron, snapping at him viciously. The eastern door of the loading bay clicks open, and another guard is revealed. She steps into the room wielding a heavy club, but she throws a small packet of sand towards the party which erupts in a flash of blinding light.

Thug at K14 bleeding out; ThugL13 wounded, unarmed, and claimed.

Three dogs attacking Theron, Thug with half cover from trough throwing a splash weapon.
[roll0] - [roll1] plus trip [roll2]
[roll3] - [roll4] plus trip [roll5]
[roll6] - [roll7] plus trip [roll8]
Throw splash weapon at tile J12: [roll9]: Flash Powder, creatures within a 10ft radius burst are blinded for 1 round, DC13 Fort save negates.

Fort saves:
Dog [roll10]
Thug [roll11]

Curse of the Crimson Throne indeed. I believe those dogs put Theron to -4...

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron screams at the three dogs tear into him, each tearing at his flesh. Theron's screams come to a sudden stop and he collapses to the ground.

Theron is unconscious and at -4/12 hp.

[Vhaidara]

Leah shrieks in pain as the bright light blinds her. It is...agonizing. She tries to keep her composure, steadying her breathing. Despite her best effort, though, she falls to her knees, breathing heavily.

She still has Valinia drawn and ready (not helpless), but I felt that, with her light sensitivity, this would be a highly unpleasant experience for her.

[ArcturusV]

"Live to regret your choices," Rovald called out to the thug trying to surrender, giving a nice roundhouse kick towards the surrendering man's jaw to try to put him down and out as a bright FLASH apparently went on behind him and didn't actually blind him.

Once the kick was delivered, he would jump down off the desk to L-14, readying for the assault from the dog and mindful of the potential ranged capabilities of the thug in F-9, using the cover as the Crossbow men were before.

Kick to the Thug. Doing Non-Lethal Damage to it for a change of pace, going for the KO.

Attack: [roll0] +3 is Strength Bonus, +1 High Ground.
Damage: [roll1] +3 Strength Bonus, +1 for half again Strength Bonus with Dragon Style in Non-Lethal Damage.
Moved to L-14.

[Desril]

Natsumi (Blinded) - Total Defense Action
HP 12
AC 1715

Before she can compliment Rovald's decision, she begins screaming in pain as the flash of light burns her retinas and blinds her, Natsumi snarls and stumbles toward the door, taking up a defensive stance while. "Damnit, fight properly, don't just throw ****!"


5ft Step to J12

Total Defense Action

If anything attacks me in melee, Parry (...does this suffer from miss chance?) [roll0]

Riposte [roll1] 51+ hits [roll2]
Damage [roll3]

[PeglegJim]

Sensing someone having just fallen, Marko immediately searches for the holy symbol. Around his neck as always, ever since he found it on her corpse. He held it up and a light shone out of the three dagger symbol. His wound began to knit itself together "Focus on those damn dogs. Then turn your attention to the rest of this carnage."


HP: 14/14
AC:17
[roll0]

[roll1]

[Angstrom]

The flash of light leaves after-images in your vision briefly, but that does little to prevent Rovald from delivering a boot to the jaw of the surrendering thug. He falls to the floor as Sera steps in to hold the door.

In the loading bay Theron's wounds knit closed. The dogs continue their furious chase, leaping towards Sera in the doorway but their assault is less vicious, and Sera keeps them at bay. Spying an opening she thrusts through, catching the lead dog in its muscled shoulder. The guard that threw the flash powder, rushes across the room to where the children are as a new opponent steps through the loading bay door with a crossbow aimed at Sera.

Thugs at K14 and L13 are bleeding out. [roll0] vs Sense Motive.
The thug Rovald kicked is still conscious, but trying to feign incapacitation.
Three dogs are attempting to bite Sera. First attack is from the dog at I12, treated as the Parried attack and I12 takes 5dmg. Sera gets +4AC against I11 and I13.
[roll1]- [roll2] w trip [roll3]
[roll4]- [roll5] w trip [roll6]
[roll7]- [roll8] w trip [roll9]

New guard with crossbow at Sera, [roll10] - [roll11]

[Vhaidara]

Recovering, Leah stands and steps forward towards the barking. Her eyes still stinging, she prepares to thrust when something steps into the room.
Sera, step back!
Her blood red eyes meet with the thug in the other room, sending a tingling through his body

5ft step to K11
Ready an action to strike an enemy who enters J12
Attack: [roll0]
Crit Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]
Swift: Claim thug at G13, Recover Red Zephyr's Strike
Damage at the beginning of our turn: [roll4]

[ArcturusV]

"... yeah... no..." Rovald said flatly. He wasn't A) About to let this little party get surrounded by still active thugs, or B) rush into combat with the dogs. They still sent a shiver down his spine that the anger didn't quite totally remove. A long childhood of being afraid of the beasts followed by years out on the streets and contending with the feral beasts people let roam the streets. He had more than a few scars in places from their bites.

So he gave the downed Thug a nice, hard kick to the ribs to keep him in check before something sneaky and regrettable happened. And as an excuse NOT to jump into the fray against beasts he was afraid of, but at least mindful enough to make sure that the thug in the other room didn't find him as an easy and distracted mark to snipe.

Totally boss mode'd my Sense Motive to see the faking. Taking a Standard action to stomp him Non-Lethally... he'll just wish I killed him when I'm done.

Attack Roll: [roll0] against a presumed Prone target so he's at AC-4 at least. Will keep it in the Non-Lethal Damage Category.
Damage: [roll1]

As a move action will kneel down behind the desk to take Total Cover relative to the Crossbower.

[PeglegJim]

Marko grasps the necklace with the three iron daggers and presents it again while invoking the blessing of his deity. "Unquenchable Fire, guide the blows that will bring me vengeance." He murmurs in a prayer to Calistria. He grabs his mace and looks for an opening to present itself. He hoped Theron was safe for now. He wouldn't let the man die without feeling the intoxicating feeling of retribution. Before moving on he takes the weapons from the unconscious or semi-conscious man by his feet.

Casting Bless and trying to disarm the guy next to me. Sense motive on the faker.

[roll0]

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron opens his eyes and moaning climbs to his feet.

[Desril]

Natsumi
HP 12 (Not for long)
AC 17

Hearing Leah, but pissed at the thug that blinded her, Natsumi does her best to leap past the trio of canines only to be met with a wall of teeth barring her path.

Snarling at the three as they nip at her, she glances to Leah and nods, realizing that she doesn't have much choice in the matter now and strikes at the nearest hound while hopping away.


Movement - Failed Acrobatics, provokes from all 3 dogs, no movement.
AoO - Parrying middle dog's AoO (if it doesn't make one, then parry the next dog) [roll0]
If successful, Riposte [roll1]
Damage [roll2]

Standard - Stab middle dog [roll3]
Damage [roll4]

Free - 5ft step to J11

Panache 3/5 (It seems like it should be lower, but I've only actually parried once before, all the others were "ifs" that didn't occur)

[Angstrom]

Forced back by a storm of teeth and spittle Sera steps away from the door, taking a bit to the leg but responding with a stab through the spinal cord of the lead dog. It crumples in the doorway, but the two other pour through undeterred. Leah's blade misses harmlessly as they rush in. Marko picks up a club off of the fallen opponent as Rovald ensures the other won't be getting up any time soon.

In the loading bay, Theron struggles to his feet but in doing so draws the attention of the two thugs present. Several of the children are wailing as the bloody caster reanimates before them. He barely has time to react as a bolt flies towards him and a club is swung as his skull.

L13 is out cold, K14's bleeding has stopped but he's still unconscious. One dog slain, other uninjured.
Dogs stepping in, focusing Natsumi
[roll0] - [roll1], trip[roll2]
[roll3] - [roll4], trip[roll5] +4AC for Natsumi

Theron attacked by two thugs:
Xbow:[roll6] - [roll7]
Club (two handed): [roll8] - [roll9]

[PeglegJim]

"I'm...really sorry the children had to see all this. I hope this isn't their family dog or something." Mark said as he stored the club, took his holy mace and struck back at the possibly rabid animal before him. "Calistria will absolve me in the end." he mutters.



attack with flank and bless
[roll0]
[roll1]

[PeglegJim]

Possible crit. I suppose I'm not optimistic enough to roll crits in advance :smalltongue:

1d20+5
[roll1]

[PeglegJim]

Now moment of truth. Does Marko do twelve damage?

[roll0]

EDIT: NOPE

[Smileybastard]

Theron

The bolt hits Theron in the gut and he goes down again with a dull thud.

[ArcturusV]

"You guys have it, rights? Sounds like you have it. Yeah, you're good, sounded like a dog just went down..." Rovald said, hearing the whine and thump of a body hitting and tacitly ignoring, for the moment, the dogs. His eyes went to the the other thug, stable for the moment but battered pretty badly. He took up one of the Crossbows on the desk, and 5 foot stepped to stand over the Unconscious thug in L-13, pointing the crossbow towards the Club Wearing Thug, aimed down, crossbow braced against his shoulder, shouting out, "Drop the Club or I drop you!"

Well, I am trained in a Crossbow (Light or Heavy), not sure which one it is. Presuming Light because Cheapness, if they were marking out for Heavy Crossbows they probably would have had better than Clubs.

I of course do not have Ranged Combat Feats, so the Clubber Thug near Theron does have cover from me... which is why I'm not shooting. Will try to Demoralize him throwing some 'timidation.

'timidate Skill: [roll0] vs 10+HD+Wis or 10+Sense Motive modifiers, whatever is higher.

[Vhaidara]

Leah thrusts Valinia towards the dog. A vicious grin begins to form on her face.

Attack: [roll0]
Crit Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]
Swift: Claim the dog not in the room
Damage: [roll4]

[Desril]

Natsumi
HP 3/12
AC 19

Bleeding badly from where one of the mangy mutts managed to sink its teeth into her, Natsumi winces in pain as she leaps out of the way of the second dog after skewering the first. Damn, that was too close. Bloody beasts, I figured Lamm would have goons but I wasn't counting on animals.

Refusing to let her irritation show, or publicly acknowledge how close she'd come to being taken out of the fight there, she cheers Leah on as the second dog goes down, "Nice hit, now let's finish this last bitch off and take care of the two over there!" Not waiting around to get shot, she stabs the last dog still standing with a more cautious and defensive style than she normally uses.


Fighting Defensively +2 AC, -4 Atk
Flanking
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Panache 3/5

If anyone attempts to hit her in melee, she'll use Dodging Panache to move her AC up to 23

[Angstrom]

Another hound hits the floor and Sera holds the other in the doorway. Rovald draws a bead on the thug standing over Theron, and his words cause her to pause momentarily. The remaining hound, still grasped by bloodlust pursues Sera still.

The archer methodically reloads and fires, unflinching at his post behind the door. His ally glances from Rovald to Theron, "You shoot and I'll kill him" she yells back.

Two dogs dead, one flanked in the doorway. Thug shooting Leah. Thug shaken, but holding club readied to strike Theron.

Dog biting Natsumi
[roll0] - [roll1], trip [roll2]

Shot at Leah, +4AC from cover.
[roll3] - [roll4]

[ArcturusV]

Rovald kept his crossbow trained on the female thug near Theron, "I hardly know him to care," he coldly stated in response to their threat, "But you have a choice now. Your dogs are nearly all dead, your friends here are down, and I'm trained right on you with a steady aim. Do you want to die, or do you want to go to the Guard? Those are your options. You drop your weapons and run in here, you'll live to see another dawn."

Well I figure that's another Intimidate test. If anyone else wants to Intimidate this round count my roll as Aiding. If not, count it as trying to intimidate them into a surrender. I mean they are down 2/3rds of their starting forces and looking pretty grim. Didn't sound entirely unreasonable to demand a surrender from a group that is on the losing end of life.

After the Intimidate, will 5 foot step to the East to get a clear view of the Crossbower outside, able to swing my aim between the Girl and the Guy to reinforce my point, even the one outside is in danger and not in a position where he can expect to get away clean.

Intimidate Test/Aid Roll: [roll0]

[Desril]

Natsumi
HP 3/12
AC 17

While stabbing at the last dog's heart, she calls out to the others, "I've got this thing, go get that bloody wannabe archer!"


Attacking dog (1d20+7)[13] +2 from flanking for [15]
Damage (1d6+4)[10]

Panache now sitting at 2/5.

[Vhaidara]

Leah stalks into the other room, levelling Valinia at the man with the club.
Drop the club, or I will flay you alive.
Her eyes, meanwhile, are locked on the archer.

Move to H12
Intimidate: [roll0]
Claim the archer.
[roll1]

Leah angrily strikes at the dog, attempting to reposition to protect the mage.
Initiate Red Zephyr's Strike
Attack: [roll2]
Crit Confirm: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]
Crit Damage: [roll5]
If successful, move to I12 with the movement from RZS and claim the archer (claim damage above)
If it misses, attempt to move to H12 via acrobatics
Acrobatics: [roll6]

[Angstrom]

The hound is gashed by Sera's blade, but these dogs were bred for a fight and it takes Leah's followthrough to bring the dog down.

The hounds were big, it takes Leah's dmg to drop this last one.

Marko is the last one with actions.

[PeglegJim]

Marko, seeing the opening, goes to aid the junkie and potential acolyte in not dying horribly. "Hands off him you degenerates." he bellows before laying his hand on the mage's wounds. His hand glows and the wounds begin to knit together slightly.



Moving to I11
Casting Cure Light Wounds on Theron

[roll0]

Remember that standing up may provoke

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron's world of pain comes exploding back to awareness and he opens his eyes and looks around to see if the dogs are gone and whatever other threats may exist.

[Angstrom]

The dog joins its fellows, leaving only two foes remaining. Marko's dash towards Theron brings him back from the brink.

"Bugger this," yells the thug standing behind Theron, she looks at Marko's heavy armour and turns for the door. "They can have the old creep"

She dashes out the loading bay door, and her companion takes one last glance at the pile of crying children before yanking the door shut behind them.

You have the fishery, they're fleeing into the night. Three dead dogs, one stabilized thug, and one unconscious one remain. 6 children in various stages of despair remain in the loading bay.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

"Ouch." Theron slowly rises to his feet. "Calm down kids. The danger is over, we are not going to hurt you."

Diplomacy [roll0] to calm the kids

[PeglegJim]

"Yes yes, don't worry. You're safe now. I am deeply sorry you had to see that. Though they don't look so well. I wonder if there's something I can do..." Marko says reassuringly as the armored cleric cautiously steps closer to the children to analyze their condition. "Gods, they don't even look a day over eight." he muttered.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[ArcturusV]

The fight over, Rovald crosses over to the two downed Thugs and stows his new Crossbow, taking some rope out of his backpack and propping them up, face to face so he could take the unconscious men and lash them together in some nice, tight bindings. Keep them out of trouble until he was ready to deal with them, giving a short Lead on the rope so he could pull and drag them around as needed.

He looked them over, making sure that they would stay down and out for at least a few hours, giving them a thump if they showed signs of not being knocked out cold (( I presume I could figure that out, take 20 on a Heal Check or something? )). Leaving the kids to the Cleric he frisks the thugs for anything of any particular value on them, never knowing when he might need some extra crossbow bolts and too pragmatic to turn down a chance at free coinage. He would leave a fair split on the desk for the others, only taking his equal share as he could best divide it.

And this should hopefully give time for the Cleric to tend to the wounded, the kids to be dealt with, and so on as he figured, calling out to them, "Ready to move on?"

Used the rope out of my Monk Kit, if they do come to it should be a DC 23 Escape Artist to break out for Hemp Rope I believe. Pocketed a Light Crossbow from the thugs and will look to take up at least half the bolts they have on them (Leaving the other half for if someone else wants the other crossbow). And looting as is only fitting for an Adventurer!

[Vhaidara]

Leah glances out after the fleeing thugs.
Cowards.
She spits on the ground in their direction and pulls a cloth from her bag to wipe Valinia clean, leaving the children and the captives to her comrades.

[Angstrom]

In the loading bay, Theron and Marko manage to calm the children. In close proximity to them, the smell of dead fish mixes with the reek of their sickness; alarmingly similar to that of the dead. Their skin is marked with a red pox. Long red scars show where they have scratched the spots and they are soaked in sweat and tears. A boy of about eight rises to his knees and places himself between you and his fellows. With a brave face he speaks.

"Stay back, we'll pox you if you take us."

He is scared, and sick. This group seems to be infected with quail pox, and are probably too weak to run.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Glaring at the dogs as she steps over them into the room with the children, she wipes the blood off of Myrtenaster on her pants leg before sheathing the blade and going to stand next to Marko as she replies to Leah's comment. "Maybe, but they apparently weren't as stupid as they looked. No since in fighting a losing battle for a rat like Gaedren." Not so subtly, she starts rubbing the bloody wound from where one of the dogs managed to bite her in order to get the cleric to send some divine power her way while being too proud to actually ask for it as she looks at the kids.

"Look, Lamm's not getting out of here alive tonight. You should all just get the hell out of here and do what you want."


...that's sort of like Diplomacy [roll0]

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron tried to smile in response to the child's altruism. "Thanks."
He wanted to helps them, but he didn't know how and then he is truck with an idea and pulls out twelve gold coins and hands them to the brave child almost stumbling as he does so.
Take this. Do you know where Gaeren Lamm is? Where he stays?"

[Angstrom]

The boy stares at the money without taking it, you can tell he's taken aback by Theron's behaviour. Its unlikely he's accustomed to being offered anything.
"Mr. Lamm is downstairs sir. He sleeps there sir. Down the stairs where the others sleep, then into the back rooms. He doesn't let us go there, that's where the alligator is sir."

After delivering answers he takes the money from Theron, but he doesn't move from between you and his fellow street rats. "The other Lambs, the ones that aren't sick, they're down their too sir. Please don't hurt them sir."

[PeglegJim]

"Then that's where we must go. I don't know if I can help, but maybe one of the goddess' many blessings can heal the wounds." Marko pulls his holy symbol off his neck and lets the positive energy from it run through the room. He mutters an incantation to Calistria "Give them a fraction of your inextinguishable life force Unquenchable one." Marko clears his throat and looks around to see just how much their condition improved, if at all. At the very least the wounded that game with him might distance themselves from the jaws of death. "I'm not the best healer, but at the very least I can do that."


[roll0]


Seeing as the coast is clear
[roll1]

[Desril]

Natsumi

Hearing that Lamm is down below, and apparently has a bloody alligator, Still not as bad as damned dogs. Filthy beasts..., Natsumi once again draws Myrtenaster and waits for the others to start moving on.

Not quite as heartless as she's trying to look however, the kitsune quietly contemplates what to do with the kids once Lamm is dead. Once the divine healing takes affect though, she realizes the obvious and taps Marko on the shoulder, pulling him aside to whisper to him away from the kids' hearing. "Think your church would take them in? Little pickpockets would fit right in with your flock, wouldn't they?"

[Vhaidara]

Leah spares a glance for the kids.
I don't know about any church, or about the sick ones, but the Sentinels may be willing to at least test the healthy ones. They'll owe me that much for doubting me.
With Valinia cleaned, she replaces the cloth in her bag.
So, are we ready to enter the monster's den?

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron seems to straighten a little as the wave of healing travels through him. "Share the money with them all. I know what the streets are like."
"We won't hurt the others, just Lamm."

He turns to look at the group. "I am ready enough. Lets go"

[ArcturusV]

Rovald peeked out from the room, looking over the sick kids now that a fight wasn't going on and there dancing lights weren't presumably spread out as much. He tried to see if he recognized any, someone who might have been very young when he was left for dead and might remember him. He held up his left hand, flexing it hard, the back of his hand showing the red pointed star of Asmodeus and shining a bright light that helped keep the room nice and bright to get a good look at the kids.

With a shrug he turned to the others, nodding toward the desk inside, "Your cut," he mentioned to them, "Lets move on."

With that he went towards J-11, looking to open the door, using the keys if he must, listening at the door before opening and going deeper into the Fishery.

Entering Stealth Mode again:
Stealth: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]
Opening door north of J-11.

[PeglegJim]

Marko sighs. "Well we don't have the presence here that some of the others do." he pauses and thinks for a moment before continuing. "However, the Calistrians are a savvy and well-connected people, despite the tendency of others to write us off. Perhaps if they went to our shrine at the Pantheon of Many, it'd be possible to contact one of my...well for lack of a better term superiors. Like Lady Aria. If they don't set them up somewhere themselves, I'm sure they could find someone who would."

I'm just going to roll for knowledge local on some kind of place that could serve as a sanctuary, at least temporarily.
[roll0]

[Angstrom]

The door is open and unlocked. The short corridor within leads no more than ten feet before another door blocks your path, though this one is unlocked as well. You can hear movement in the chamber on the other side.

The doors leading to the other two rooms that access the desk room also stand open, and lantern light spills from within. The southern room holds two cots, with two trunks next to them upon which sit lit lanterns. Beyond a coatrack and a collection of charcoal sketches on low-quality parchment there is nothing else. The room to the southeast is an office. A desk, cabinet, and half-eaten plate of fried fish on rice are the most notable feature. A door to the exterior and one leading into the fishery are in the southeastern corner.

[PeglegJim]

"Head to the Bank of Abadar north of here. It's a big building, can't miss it. It should be okay for now. You will be safe there." Marko told the children. He walked back to the rest of the group with that matter resolved. "I don't trust those bankers, but for better or worse, they run most of the orphanages in this city and it's a lot closer than the south end of the city. It should work as a solution for now. It's not really my place to say. I'm ready to move on." Marko heads towards the door that leads deepier into the fishery. The one Rovald went through.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron follows keeping to the rear of the group.

[Vhaidara]

Leah follows behind Rovald, wary of danger.

Stealth: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Desril]

Natsumi follows along as well, not quite as far to the front as she was initially at first, but she quickly reclaims her position at the front of the line.


Stealth [roll0]
Perception [roll1]

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Seeing the other try to be quiet Theron follows suit.

Stealth [roll0]
Perception [roll1]

[ArcturusV]

Once the party is all piled in, ready to rock, Rovald gives them a silent five count on his fingers before he slowly tries to open the door just a crack. He hears the feet moving around and waits for something that sounds like they are moving away from the door as best as he can. His new found light crossbow poked out as the Red Light from his hand glowed through the now open door he took aim and shot at the first thing that looked like a dog, or failing that, a member of Laam's crew that he saw. If nothing looked threatening he scoots out into the room, sweeping over it with his crossbow, waiting for something to jump up, sure that he heard footsteps.

Still in Stealth Mode, open the door, taking a shot for a Surprise Round if I can, otherwise rolling out into the room, most likely L-8ish unless there's something that makes it impossible. But definitely heading south if I can out of the door.

Attack of opportunity, as opposed to Attack of Opportunity(r): [roll0]
Damage if needed: [roll1]

[Angstrom]

The workfloor of the fishery doesn't see this much motion on its busiest days. More than twenty children in various states of excitement, anxiousness, or fright fill this lofty space. Many are crying and hiding beneath a pile of blankets, so threadbare they barely pass as rags, that line the southern wall. Others are dashing towards the open door on the northern side, escaping into the night. The loudest commotion is coming from below you, but you can't see it from where you are situated on the catwalk that looks down over the workfloor.

A voice cuts through the racket. Too deep to be a child, and familiar to many of you. "Open this door damn you! You'll see teeth for this, I swear!" Its coming from below you.

You hear Lamm's voice coming from below the catwalk. I added the map for the lower floor of the fishery below the previous map. If I need to clarify anything let me know.

[ArcturusV]

Well that was all the confirmation Rovald needed. Hearing that voice and realizing he was RIGHT THERE, maybe what, 15 feet away? So damned close that if it wasn't for the catwalk and a door he could probably spit on the man. Without a second thought he vaulted over the railing on the catwalk and landed on the floor below at L-29 on the lower floor map, red mark of Asmodeus glowing brightly and snapping around towards the source of the voice, Crossbow up as he scoped out the situation.

Taking 10 on an Acrobatics test to jump down. DC is 15 to ignore 10 feet of height, which I have a +6 to for a final total of 16. I ready an action to snipe the first hostile target I see and have a clear shot at (not shooting through cover/concealment) as my standard.
Hot Crossbow Action: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron goes to gesture for quiet when Rovald leaps off the catwalk. He ignores Rovald's action and waits looking for where Lamm might come up into the room.

perception [roll0]

[Angstrom]

Rovald lands with a heavy thump on the floor of the fishery. Instead of Lamm, he is met by a trio of teenage children with their shoulders up against a door that leads deeper into the fishery. Their stance falters when the bruiser lands behind them, and the door shakes. Other children flee, heading away from where the party emerged on the catwalk. Some pour out into the night, while others take the chance to head for where their ill comrades were kept in the loading bay.

"Get them off this door!" Lamm's voice comes from behind the held door, "I'll have hides for this!" The threats flow as the door shakes under steady blows, but the youths hold firm.

[PeglegJim]

Marko takes the front line with Natsumi. He cautiously pulls out a mace, and while moving slowly enough to not make a ton of noise, he still decides to not be so cautious as to remove his big, clanky armor.

[roll0]

yep, still below a 10

[Desril]

Natsumi

Following Rovald's example, Natsumi leaps over the edge of the catwalk, dropping onto the floor below. Unlike Rovald, however, Natsumi's injuries from the previous battle cause her to land awkwardly, hitting the ground with a more solid 'thud' than she wanted before picking herself up off the floor and looking at the kids, motioning for them to get out of here.


Acrobatics (1d20+3)[14], damn armor check penalty

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron stays on the catwalk and watching the door prepares to attack.

Hold his action until the door opens.
Perception [roll0] to ensure the target is an enemy
Attack[roll1] against touch AC - Acid Ray
Damage [roll2]

[Vhaidara]

Leah follows suit, dropping to the lower floor and positioning herself to the side of the door. She glares at the boys and hisses the words out quietly
Get out of the way. I am going to capture that man, and then we are going to kill him slowly.

Take 10 on Acrobatics for a 17, roll down and relocate to L30.
Intimidate: [roll0]

[PeglegJim]

Marko elects to walk along the catwalk and take the stairs down to the lower level rather than risk injuring himself with any flashy shenanigans that would part him from his holy armor.

[Angstrom]

The trio dash past you, away from the door. Years of being trod upon make them acquiescent to the commands of armed adults. The shaking stops, and Lamm's harassment takes on a more cautious tone.

"Who's there?"

[Vhaidara]

Leah steps forward and opens the door.

[Angstrom]

The door pulls open, and you face your quarry at last. The chamber is almost as large as the one you are in, but a large hole open to the water below takes up a great deal of space. A simple boom stands over the hole, with several chains hanging down towards the water. Barrels and crates are stacked against the back wall, and two doors are on the north wall. Gaedrenn Lamm stands a few feet from you, holding a knife in one hand and a leash in the other. The other end of the leash is tied around the scaly neck of an alligator, probably from the Mushfens west of the city.

"Ah, so that's how it is," Lamm's face wrinkles with worry, "Upset outcasts come to arrest an old man. And the prodigal son as well," Lamm spots Rovald, "come to punish me for ruining your good looks? I am sorry, I am sorry for all my crimes. I submit, arrest me and take away. The Guard will surely find me guilty." Lamm holds his hands up, wrists together, but doesn't drop the knife or the leash. His tone is steeped with saccharine insincerity, "Take me away and collect your reward for my capture. Or regret it."

Lamm expects that if you're corrupt enough you will accept his surrender. He's not counting on it, so he has readied an action.

[Vhaidara]

Leah beckons with her dagger.
Drop the dagger and come out here, Lamm.

Intimidate: [roll0]

[Desril]

Natsumi

Not wanting to screw up Leah's attempt at ending this...moderately peacefully, Natsumi doesn't say anything or react beyond raising her eyebrow in Leah's general direction. Instead, she stands on her guard, ready for when either Lamm or his gator try anything stupid.


Readied action, attack Lamm or Gator if they come into range.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Edit: Critical Confirmation? (1d20+7)[21]
Edit: Critical Damage (1d6+4)[6]
Edit: +1 Panache!

(Panache 2/5)
Parry if attacked [roll2]
(Panache 1/5)
Ripost if Parry is successful [roll3]
Damage [roll4]

If, by some unholy miracle on their side that Natsumi is attacked and fails to parry, she will use her last Panache to use Dodging Panache and get +4 to AC as she leaps away
(Panache 0/5)

[Angstrom]

"Don't think I will," Lamm smirks at Leah's invitation, "After all, how can I trust a woman that killed her fiance? Does his father still want you dead?"

Lamm shifts, pulling the gator between you and him. Maintains the readied action

[ArcturusV]

Well that was all the confirmation Rovald needed. Hearing that voice and realizing he was RIGHT THERE, maybe what, 15 feet away? So damned close that if it wasn't for the catwalk and a door he could probably spit on the man. Without a second thought he vaulted over the railing on the catwalk and landed on the floor below at L-29 on the lower floor map, red mark of Asmodeus glowing brightly and snapping around towards the source of the voice, Crossbow up as he scoped out the situation.

Taking 10 on an Acrobatics test to jump down. DC is 15 to ignore 10 feet of height, which I have a +6 to for a final total of 16. I ready an action to snipe the first hostile target I see and have a clear shot at (not shooting through cover/concealment) as my standard.
Hot Crossbow Action: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Rovald wasn't one for the jaw jacking, not with Laam right in front of him after years of looking for a shot at him. And he had a loaded crossbow, ready to shot. Just as he snapped back at Leah, he pulled the trigger, sending that crossbow bolt at the old man. No surrender, no talking, he had a blood oath against the guy and he was going to take it.

Readied action over, he drops the crossbow to the ground and with a roll, jump, and flip to try to get around Laam's pet guardian tried to get a clear shot at Laam with his bare hands. No words, no snarls of hatred, no one liners, he just lined up to headbutt the old man right in the face.

Acrobaticing through L-30 to K-31, need to beat his CMD or I'm stopped in L-30, in which case it gets an AoO on me and my attack is against the Gator instead. If I beat it, headbutting Laam.

Acrobatics Roll: [roll0] vs Gator CMD
Attack Roll: [roll1] vs Laam/Gator depending on Conditionals.
Damage Roll: [roll2]

AC is 14. HP is 11/11.

[PeglegJim]

Marko was ready to play along. He was taken aback when he saw the face of the man who killed her. He expected something more imposing. Something more monster than man. Instead what he got was a slimy, bitter old man like any other that walked the streets of that wretched city. He thought he could extract a confession and then execute him on the gallows, quickly and cleanly. Maybe read off a list of his crimes. Revenge is supposed to be best when served cold, but as the old man taunted Leah, what started cold and calculated became hot and bloody. "So you do know them." he said seethingly.

He bowed his head as he accepted the inevitability of the confrontation. There was only one way this could go. He looked down on his holy symbol and wondered if the old man could recognize it as the worthless scrap left around the neck of the girl that he had stabbed to death in a back alley. Or was it just another common robbery of Korvosa's worthless, forgotten streetwalkers. Lamm was destined to die this night to nobodies who lost everything they cared about like him. As the thoughts echoed in his head, he snapped back to the angry creature in front of him. First the beast, than the monster. He gripped his mace, ready for the beast's onslaught.

5 ft to M29. Readied Attack

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Seeing Lamm and his refusal to surrender Theron focuses his curse and launches a blob of corrosive energy at Lamm.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Angstrom]

For an old man Lamm's reflexes are still quick. He eats the crossbow bolt in the shoulder but sidesteps the acid, whipping the leash as he does so. The alligator rears upwards when the leash snaps at its necks, blocking Rovald's path to Lamm.

"You should have learned your lesson boy" he spits at Rovald as he drops the leash. With a sickening crunch the beast locks its jaws around Rovald's leg. "You won't walk away this time."

Lamm steps to K31 and draws a hand crossbow. He now has cover against those outside and doesn't provoke an AoO on the draw since Rovald is grappled. 4hp lost from Rovald's xbow.

Gobbleguts attempts a Death Roll (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/animals/crocodilians/Alligator). [roll0] to deal [roll1] and knock Rovald prone.

[Desril]

Natsumi
HP 7/12
AC 17

Seeing the alligator tear into Rovald, Natsumi steps up and lunges toward the scaly beast. ****, we've got to kill this thing now, or he's not going to be getting up again! Glaring at Gaedren through the doorframe after her strike she calls out. "You're going to have to do better than this pet of yours if you plan on getting out of here alive old man!"


5ft Step to K30

Attack Gobblegut (He's grappled so his AC should be at about -4 right now, no?) [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Same as last time; Parry if attacked by the Gator [roll2]

Riposte if Parry is successful [roll3]
Damage [roll4]

If parry fails, Dodging Panache for +4 AC.

[ArcturusV]

And Rovald is down, chewed on, and rolled with a Gator, bleeding out.

Stabilization check:
[roll0] vs a DC of 21.
At -11 HP and one from dead.

[Vhaidara]

Leah attempts to strike at the monster around the doorway, her eyes beginning to fill again with red.

Attack: [roll0]
Crit Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]

Swift: Claim the gator
[roll4]

[PeglegJim]

Marko laments the already high rate of injury there and noticing the man in the alligator's mouth, pulls out his holy symbol off of his neck, and lets the healing energies of Calistria flow through the room.



5 ft to N30
[roll0] (http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/misterbluntman/Bender.jpg)

[Angstrom]

From the shadows behind the door Lamm taunts you, "I see you've found religion? Hope it serves you better than it did her. Such talent wasted, I could have made good coin selling her to sailors."

The gator hisses at you from between bloody teeth. Its movements are slow and cautious until with a burst of energy is snaps at Leah's legs. Lamm using the opening to poke out from behind the door, loosing a bolt at Theron on the stairs. "Can you feel that you dope-eyed idiot? Stay high next time, you useless sack of urine."

Gator vs Leah (+4AC)
[roll]1d20+6[/roll - [roll0], grab [roll1]

Lamm vs Theron: [roll2] - [roll3]

Lamm and the gator have both taken 4dmg.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

The bolt thuds into Theron's thigh with a muffled cry. He focuses past the pain and past Lamm's words begins to trace arcane symbols in the air and whispers magical words and gestures through the door.

Casts sleep just behind Lamm and the Gator such that it will catch them and the rest of the group. That would be the junction of K-32, L-32, K-33, L-33.
Will saving vs DC 15.

[Desril]

Natsumi
HP 8/12
AC 17+

Feeling rejuvenated, however slightly, by Marko's healing, Natsumi redoubles her efforts on putting down the angry reptile. "When this is over, I'm going to turn you into boots!"


Since Sleep has the one round casting time, it won't trigger until next turn, so it's safe to do damage now.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Crit Confirmation (1d20+7)[18]
Damage (1d6+4)[6]
Total Damage [14]


Parry if needed[roll2]
Riposte if able [roll3]
Damage [roll4]
Riposte Confirmation? (1d20+7)[22]
Damage (1d6+4)[7]
Total Damage [17]

Dodging Panache if Parry fails for +4 AC

[Vhaidara]

Leah strikes again at the savage gator, Valinia's tip dancing through the doorway.

Attack: [roll0]
Crit Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]

Claim the Gator. It will trigger after the sleep, but Leah doesn't know better right now
[roll4]

[Angstrom]

Two quick thrusts from two quick swordswomen and the gator is left choking on its blood. From the doorway you read the flash of fear in Lamm's eyes, it tells you all you need to know about his chances of victory.

[ArcturusV]

Rovald lays there, covered in his own blood, not in danger of dying, but not exactly aware of things either.

Stable but Knocked Out I believe. Just a post to say I'm still here and feel free to move ahead.

-9 HP and Stable.

[PeglegJim]

With the taunts directed at him, he lost all pretense of composure. A shockwave went down his spine and a great deep rage brewed within Marko. His skin reddened as he gritted his teeth and a lump formed in his throat while his palms sweat, making the grip on his shield loose for just a second. "You think yourself a king of these alleyways, but you're pathetic really." he cried out. "She was too good to breathe the same air as you. Too good for the great sprawling slum you've reduced my city to. You're going to die tonight. It'll be slow, I'll make sure of that. Mark my words. You should beg the gods to have mercy on that hollowed out ugly thing you call your soul, but I know for a fact mine won't." Marko stepped over Rovald and the alligator's corpse to face Lamm. He got close enough to face the old man as he swung unrestrainedly at him.

Moving to K32
[roll0]
[roll1]

(if he doesn't have enough actions, maybe change it to a Touch of Chaos, your call)

[Angstrom]

"You don't have the stones" is Lamm's challenge, but the mace to the jaw proves him wrong. The old man crumples to the floor in a bloody, pathetic mess. His blood mixes with that of his alligator, seeping through the fishery's floorboards into the slow-moving waters of the Jeggare River.

The children are quiet, staring with fear and awe at the reptile's corpse. A chorus of bells comes in through the open door, tolling death.

Lamm is bleeding to death.

Personally, I'd prefer not to do a torture scene. Lamm is old and will die easily. He'll stay conscious until you've said your farewells, but his role in this story is over.

[Vhaidara]

Leah steps into the room.
Get him stable. I need him to make a confession.
She starts by frisking Lamm and, failing that, begins searching the room for her ring.

Taking 20 on Perception to search Lamm and then the room for her ring. Result is a 20.

[PeglegJim]

"She had a name. It was Tessara." Marko muttered. He poked the alligator to make sure the beast was dead and then went to Rovald to bring him back around to consciousness. Far be it from him to deny his 'clients' closure, although that facade if it even existed, faded rather spectacularly.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[PeglegJim]

Marko dragged Rovald into the room with the others and channeled another burst of energy to heal whatever remaining wounds there were.

[roll0]

[Desril]

Natsumi

Freezing in place as the alligator collapses into unconsciousness when Lamm makes his comment about how he should've sold Marko's wife to sailors, the kitsune comes to a sudden realization. "It was you!"

"I just wanted to give my father some peace...but now...." she practically growls, her arms hanging limply at her sides as Marko delivers a devastating blow to his skull, knocking the old man out cold. As Leah calls out for someone to stabilize him, Natsumi wipes Myrtenaster clean before sheathing the blade again and moves to stand at his side. "Screw that, I'm killing him, if you want a piece, take it now. I'll be a witness or whatever for your order or whatever you need, but this piece of **** dies tonight."

Enraged as she is, she involuntarily lets her transformation slip, revealing her kitsune nature for the first time as she bears her sharp teeth, clearly intending to give in to a primal instinct to rip out her enemy's throat.

[PeglegJim]

Marko held his hand out in front of Natsumi. Still gasping from his earlier charge towards Lamm. "Just...just calm down. I lost control for a second by letting him get to me. For a moment I stopped thinking about the importance of each of you getting some kind of closure for this. I was about to smash his head wide open. I dropped my pretense of trying get everyone else their revenge so I could feel his blood on my hands. Thus ending it all in one brief, ill remembered moment. Don't make the same mistake. Just because you're angry doesn't mean you can't be patient. You might have done same thing as me. Pretend it doesn't bother you. That you're calm and nothing can rouse you. Denying it until it's staring you in the face and it seethes out of every pore in your body becoming impossible to control. Justice, revenge, whatever you want to call it will be served tonight. Just let me help her get what she needs. You'll get your satisfaction. All of you will. Nothing is more important to me. I promise."

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron slides to the floor after Lamm goes down. He is tired and hurt. The wave of healing helps, but he stays down. He knows Lamm will die and he doesn't really care to know anymore.

[ArcturusV]

Rovald knew he was being dragged somewhere. He remembered facing down Laam. He remembered the flash of teeth and the snapping of jaws, along with the incredible pain and disorientation. His eyes opened, dim noises were ringing in his ears, and he was greeted with the dingy ceiling of the fishery in his eyes, dank, dark, rotting, like so many holes that Laam had used in his life. He felt his heart catching, his eyes snapping open fully, his body tensing up hard as he thought he was back in the past, rather than remembering just what exactly was going on. There was a strange set of yelps and startled cries from Rovald as he slipped several times, scrambling on his hands and feet over the floor desperate to get away from his own memories coming back to him.

He managed to get to the eastern wall, back pressed against it before he seemed to remember exactly where he was. That he was a grown man, and not a kid at the mercy of a cruel figure and his bayou pet. He was breathing so hard it looked like he was about ready to fall over, red in the face, a bit of a tremble in his body as he slowly slid up the wall until he was on his feet. Breathing deeply he forced his heart to slow down, only now starting to take stock of what actually was going on.

[Vhaidara]

Leah glances back over, and sees Natsumi's slip of form.
Sera, watch you back. And we are taking him to the authorities. We aren't the only ones he's harmed. They all deserve satisfaction, same as you.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Scowling, it takes a few seconds of heavy, restrained breathing before Marko and Leah's words sink in. Though she isn't calm by any stretch of the word, Natsumi returns to her human form. "Fine....Just hurry up. I'm not going to wait long."

[PeglegJim]

"What, so you're trying to sell your court system as some kind of 'mass revenge' now, is that it?" Marko says with an almost bemused smirk. "I don't know what you need to 'repair' your life, so do what you must. But for our sake, he should be put on the gallows tonight. Or at least they ready the ropes for tomorrow. Put on track so he's dead soon and we're first in line to see it for ourselves. I don't know, I just won't have him slip through the authorities' fingers. They were part of the problem for a long time. If I have to grease some wheels so I can kill him myself, I'm willing to do so."

[ArcturusV]

Rovald was coming around, and he heard the others discussing as a dull noise roaring distantly in his ear as he saw Laam's pet bleeding out from stabbery wounds, and Laam bleeding out from a head wound. He was breathing deep and slowly as he walked forward, sliding past the others as they debated Laam's fate. It may not surprise anyone to see him moving as if possessed. Laam hinted at least that he knew Rovald and personally tossed him off to die somewhere after all. He looked down at the old man, his breathing a bit more rapid as years of boiling emotions came up and threatened to take over.

Without a word, he kicked Laam in the ribs. It wasn't a blow designed to kill him. But merely to hurt him. And then again. And another. He let out a loud, wordless scream as he started kicking the guy in the ribs, years of fear, hatred, and scarring coming out with each of those kicks, hitting his face, his ribs, his kidneys, stomping his legs, just going over and over. Never in danger of dying, but it'd leave him with quite the series of aches and bruises.

Feel free to interrupt Rovald if you wish from his rampage.
Dealing Non-Lethal damage with his attacks, not in danger of Killing Him but it would make sure his ass remains knocked out for a long time so long as no one taps him with magical healing.

[Angstrom]

On Lamm's person you find a masterwork dagger, hand crossbow with nine bolts, and a ring of keys. The old man was carrying nothing else. The chains hanging from a ceiling beam lead down to the water where a small rowboat is tied to one of the pilings. Although some chains are attached to the crane, several more continue down into the dark water.

Many of the barrels are water-sealed, and within you find an assortment of contraband. Turtle shells, foul-smelling alchemical reagents, milkweed in the process of fermenting, and a jumble of bones from an unknowable number of specimens. In an open crate you find, packed in straw, a onyx figurine of two succubi tantalizingly entwined. In another, you find four gold ingots with a seal of Janderhoff's mines imprinted on them. The last crate only holds rope nets with hooks sewn in.

Two rooms lead off of this one, one is merely a storeroom but the other appears to be Lamm's bedchamber. The storeroom has two barrels of drinking water and a week's worth of dry rations. The three chests in this room hold eight sunrods, two boot-sheathed daggers, and two climbers kits. A large logbook sits atop a closed chest.

The other room seems to be a foul-smelling combination bedroom and study. Several bowls of fools-incense sit around the room, not masking the smell of filth so much as ferrying it up you noses. A wooden bed with a lumpy mattress stands against the back wall, while a desk heaped with dirty plates, bread crusts, stained goblets, fruit rinds, and a few cockroaches sits nearby. A sagging dresser filled with moth-eaten clothes well past their glory days is in one corner. The bottom drawer has been opened, and a collection of valuables can be spotted inside. A wooden hatbox surrounded by a small cloud of flies sits atop this dresser.

Big ol' loot post. One appraise check DC10 will give you an estimate of 600gp; add +2 for ranks in K:local, C:alchemy, and/or K:nature.

Crates and Barrels: ~100gp worth of raw materials here. These items are either heavily taxed, regulated, or outright illegal. Theron recognized the milkweed as a key component for the manufacture of Shiver, but you cannot estimate the value of it. The alchemical reagents are for explosives (handle with care). The bones of totem animals are important for Shoanti tribal rituals, but they face a heavy tax when bought into the city. This is one of many complaints of unfair treatment the Shoanti have.

Logbook: Several shipping tables are listed but no names are given. Lamm covered his tracks their. Int check indicates the milkweed is primarily going to one place. The other goods seem to be going to a variety of fences around the city. Several payments for guard-dogs are listed, but no address is given

Lamm's hoard: ~500gp of treasures can be found here (including the gold ingots from the other room and the statuette). Eg: a fist-sized scrimshaw carving of a kraken with garnets for eyes worth, a silver ring bearing the inscription “For Emmah—the light in my nights,” a masterwork shuriken, an adamantine arrowhead, and an abalone-shell holy symbol of Shelyn.
Notable items are tiny glass tube containing a dose of oil of keen edge, an obsidian wand of magic missile (23 charges), a crystalline vial (itself worth 50 gp) containing a dose of silversheen, and a bejeweled brooch with a broken clasp. The circular gold brooch depicts a pseudodragon and an imp coiled around each other in an almost yin-yang pattern. The pseudodragon’s eye is an amethyst, while the imp’s eye is an emerald.

The brooch itself is worth 1,000 gp, but more importantly it is the possession of Queen Ileosa herself. It was stolen from a jeweler who was contracted by one of the queen’s handmaidens to repair the clasp

[Vhaidara]

When Leah spies the broach among Lamm's belongings, the little color in her face drains.
I knew he was stupid, but that is just suicidal.
Leah holds it up.
This is a dangerous thing to be caught with.

[ArcturusV]

Rovald spits on Laam's unconscious face with a large amount of venom once he was done beating the snot out of the guy, breathing so hard and having worked long enough you'd think that Laam wouldn't be waking up for weeks, if at all. Once that was done he went to the looting. Less interested in the treasure at the moment, and instead going to the food stores, adding a couple more weeks of food to his pack, find a couple of water skins in there to fill up and take with him. As a street hobo vigilante his concern was more on matters of simple survival than any dreams of wealth or prestige from this point.

Once he had packed in some food stores he wandered over to look at what Leah seemed worked up about. It didn't strike him as anything in particular. Just a bauble. A dragger and an imp. Probably something he stole off a Chelaxian Noble. Or at least so he figured if only for the vague sense that the imp was fiendish and thus it was probably belonging to someone who recognized the importance of a Fiend.

He instead looked towards the Succubi statuette, at first mistaking them for Erinyes, pondering if they were some religious relic that Laam had a kid filch from a temple.

"Well... he'll live to regret his stupidity." Rovald said darkly.

Well, throwin' a Knowledge: Religional on it. Why? Why not?
Knowledge: Religion: [roll0]
Gained +14 Trail Rations, reflected on sheet already.

[PeglegJim]

Rolling on broach, please work this time

1d20

EDIT: Got a 17.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Still far from calm, the kitsune distracts herself by assisting in the looting of Lamm's stuff, making mental notes of what her share should be when this was all split.

When Rovald begins to kick the old man repeatedly, she shouts at him, "Knock it off! I didn't get to finish him off yet, don't skip ahead." Not wanting to risk him dying before she could deliver a fatal blow to the man who'd forced her into this life, she hurried up with her inventory, pausing at the stauette, more interested in it than the broken broach. "Anyone mind if I take this," she asks holding up the succubi duo, "No idea what it's worth on the market, but it has a little value to me."

Looking at the various contraband though, she asks another question as she pockets the succubi, regardless of the group's answer, "Does anyone know where we could sell this off at? No point in letting it go to waste, right?"

[Vhaidara]

Leah gives Natsumi a disappointed look.
You have no idea what this is, do you? This belongs to Queen Ileosa. I heard Markin mention that it had been stolen from a local jeweler, but I never would have thought Lamm would risk bringing the government down on his head.

[Desril]

Natsumi

More interested in spiting the nobility, royalty in particular, than helping them she looks at the broach in a new light. "The Queen's, huh? Pity it's broken, or I'd want to hold on to it. Guess it's still good for a reward at least."

Hm, might even be able to nick something out of the palace myself if we get an audience for handing this in.

[PeglegJim]

Marko thought he recognized the broach. He saw the Queen with it once on the street from some distance away when he was with Lady Aria. She taught him to take note of what the nobility were doing as the smallest details could have repercussions in the future. "Reward or more questions. The whole thing might be more trouble than it's worth. I wouldn't want a part in it. I'm not the most reputable person, in the most reputable area doing the most reputable things. I'd sleep better with Lamm taken care of first. Then turn my share over for a decent profit hopefully"

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron grows interested when valuables are being discussed and gets to his feet. "I bet the queen would give a lot of gold for that."

[ArcturusV]

Rovald scoffs at little at Theron, "Rich women have no pity for the poor," he told Theron. He had the Beggar's point of view, a noble woman is more likely to have her guard kick you in the ribs than give you a coin. Won't even spare a second glance in your direction as it was happening. Best bet was the slightly less poor than yourself. Or a guy out on the town trying to impress his gal. Shows of generosity and such, trying to make themselves look good. Nonetheless, he wasn't someone who thought a noble would be all that inclined to help this lot with anything more than a mailed boot to the ass.

He took the bolts and frisked Laam of gear, letting it fall to the floor, went back and picked up his new Light Crossbow that he dropped earlier, stowing it along with the rest of his ill-gotten gains. "You all need 'em alive for now, right?" Rovald asked as he went over to pick up Laam, fireman's carry the battered, bruised, bleeding old man. "Know a guy, ol' Bill del'Saan. He'll keep him nice and tight until you get all your things settled. Sure he'll make sure Laam dances on the end of a rope before it's all said and done."

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron shrugs.
"Why do we need to keep him alive?"

[Desril]

Natsumi

"We don't. She," she glances toward Leah, "needs to get a confession out of him."

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron nods and looks at Leah. "Then get your confession already, but lets not put him in storage."

[Vhaidara]

Leah sighs.
Yes. No offense meant, but you are hardly the most reputable of witnesses.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

"Witness?"

[Vhaidara]

Clearly the man was still recovering from the Shiver, Leah told herself. She had mentioned clearing her name before while he was within earshot.
To Lamm's confession that he killed my fiancee. Both his father and the Sentinels suspect it was me.

[Smileybastard]

Theron

"Then lets go to someone who can make a difference. Not store him."

[Angstrom]

Out in the city bells continue to toll through the night. The trio of street rats that held the door against Lamm are starting to shepherd the dregs of Lamm's Lambs into a tight flock in preparation for their departure.

Are we okay with advancing the night?

I'm going to include this here in case any of you think your characters would have investigated it. There is a hatbox gathering flies atop the dresser. Opening the wooden container lets forth a cloud of flies and the oppressive miasma of death. A familiar face stares up at you. The unmistakable visage of Zellara, the woman who sent you here. The head, weeks removed from its torso, sits next to a small oilcloth bag containing the deck of harrow cards that only a few hours ago dealt your fortunes.

[PeglegJim]

"Wait, she was....I think I'm going to be sick." Marko turned away and wondered if he would ever find out the meaning of his dream being carried by the dead on the palanquin. Perhaps it was the dead themselves that shepherded him through this journey.


I personally am fine with pushing forward. I already outlined how I would like to proceed with one addition: Marko will check out Zellara's house one last time to see if the whole thing was an illusion or not sometime after Lamm is dealt with.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Seeing Zellara's corpse, Natsumi supresses a shiver. "...so what, that was a ghost? Some revenent out for revenge?" Guess that explains how she got the card into my bed without me knowing.


Also fine with pushing on

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron looks at the face in silence. He goes to speak and then stops and walks away.

Good to move ahead.

[Vhaidara]

Leah sees the head and, unlike her colleagues, seems to relax.
Well, I'll sleep a bit better knowing that an old woman can't sneak into my room and possibly cut my throat.

[ArcturusV]

Rovald didn't pay too much attention to the hoopla about looting Laam's room, though he was aware something was going on with it. He only added a simple thought for them, "Check the chains," he mentioned the chains heading down into the water. It wouldn't be too crazy to think that the ones not hooked up to the rowboat might be used to stow some stuff in a water proofed container. At the very least rattling them a bit and checking wouldn't hurt. He figured it was something that they'd be interested in.

That said, he held up his burning red hand aloft to light up the three teenagers, showing them the mark of Asmodeus, "Find a temple with this marking. They'll take care of you, and teach you to break your chains." Why not give them some guidance? "Avoid people with the marking of of the Dawnflower," heartfelt advice, considering his past as he was one of these kids. "The place with the marking of the Key might also be good to go to. Just be careful, they are... odd..."

All in all, he was feeling pretty drained. Years of work was coming to an end right now. His mind was struggling to figure out just what he was going to do now. Everything lately had been geared towards punching Laam in the throat... and now that had been done. It was a hollow feeling at the moment. He wasn't sure what was going to happen but he expected... something. Something big, something fulfilling, something... epic. Maybe something to show why he had that mark. Maybe and end to the fear. But he could still feel the aches from the Gator's teeth. He still knew he'd be shivering at dogs and gators... he knew he'd still have nightmares.

... what did this whole thing actually gain him? A few trinkets and a crossbow. And not much else.

He grunted as he adjusted Laam's weight on his shoulder, heading back up the catwalk towards his other prisoners, determined to drag them off to old Bill. Maybe it'd be the execution. Seeing that guy worming on the gallows and begging for the mercy of whatever gods he followed. There had to be something.

[PeglegJim]

Marko whispers a final word to the trio of young ones on his way out. "Before I forget, the sick children went to the Temple of Abadar. They run the orphanages and a lot of other things in the city. It's not up to us to tell you all what to do or how to live your life, but if you wish to seek guidance, we're not hard to find. Be careful. There are many who would try to manipulate you." Marko left, following Lamm and his share of the loot. He'd done his charity for the night. He still felt bad that these children had to see his bad side, though they probably got some satisfaction from Lamm being smacked down.

"Monkey man, I know your people are eager for converts--as are mine, but these children should probably avoid travelling through half the city at night, and it would probably be for the best if they stuck together. At least for now." He whispered to Rovald "Now let's get this wretch to the stockades. I'm sure we'll all feel better then. In any case we did it. It's over." Marko announced. His impatience was starting to show.

[Angstrom]

Exiting the fishery you find that the city is not how you left it. Smoke rises from Midland and the glow of fires to the north illuminate the night. The tolling of clarion bells has been replaced by the chorus of alarm bells punctuated by isolated screams in the night. A wing of Sable Company griffon riders swoops overhead, angling toward the Palace at a breakneck pace. One of the badly wounded mounts rains blood down on the street around you before it succumbs and crashes headlong into a statue, taking its rider and itself to a bone-crunching demise. The others in the flight do not pause to check on their fallen ally. From up on Water Street, the voice of a Korvosan herald cuts through the din: “The king is dead! Long live the queen!” only to be shouted down by ragged cries of “Hang the queen!” and “The usurper whore must die!” Through an alleyway, the party even spots a contingent of hellknights clad in dark iron armor and horned helms pursuing a small gang of what appear to be looters.

Removing barrels of spoiled fish from a small cart gets you the means the transport Lamm and his associates. With that settled you are ready to depart.

You have two paths to the citadel (where the gallows are): Water Street is a busy thoroughfare that would normally be the fastest way there. There are also the myriad alleys and backstreets which will also take you there.

[Vhaidara]

Leah glances to Natsumi.
You know the back alleys here better than I do. I think taking the main street would be a bad idea right now.

[Desril]

Natsumi

At the shouts from the gathering mob, Natumi wonders what happened. A coup? Assassination? Or did the old man just kick the bucket?

Shrugging to herself, she nods to Leah. "You're probably right, this way everyone," she says as she ducks down the alleyway.


In class, short post, sorry

[Angstrom]

As you make your way through the sidestreets you hear roaring of Hellknights, mobs, and the tell-tale crackle of arcane magic coming from the main street. You are forced to detour around a burning warehouse but soon Citadel Volshyenek is in sight. With only a few blocks to go, the bricks rumble under your feet. It feels like it could be an earthquake or perhaps a nearby explosion, and in front of you an overturned wagon is swallowed beneath the street. A sinkhole has formed, and the reason why is soon apparent when the stench of sewage overpowers the smell of the nearby fires. A barbed tentacle emerges from sinkhole, finds purchase on the cobblestones, then pulls up a deformed creature from the bowels of the city.

DC14 K:arcana or local lets you know that this is an Otyugh, one of the monsters that inhabits the Vaults beneath Korvosa. They ensure the sewage flows and usually keep to the Vaults, so their presence is tolerated.

[ArcturusV]

Explosions, hellknights, and a new ruler. Curse of the Crimson Throne indeed. Rovald was rankled by the anarchy of the moment, he preferred the measured, orderly life that the city normally had and such a state of confusion and anarchy just seemed at odds with what he expected out of the city at any given moment.

He was pulling the cart along by himself, because, well... he has the muscle to do it oddly enough, and no one else seemed too interested on it. He tried to keep his eyes down, focused on the journey and letting the others lead on. The feigned disinterest in the insanity going on developed by someone who lived on the streets and had to deal with the violent element often enough. Don't gawk, don't draw attention, don't engage others. He had a simple goal to accomplish, just focus on moving the cart along. The only exception to this was stopping for just a moment to get the body of the fallen Sable Company Marine, tossing him in with Laam and Associates. The guard probably would appreciate someone at least recovering the body from looters. And yes, he didn't actually loot the body.

... it was only when the street before him cracked open and some tentacle beast popped up that he stopped his slog and started backing away. "Perhaps a detour," he offered as he looked to go around the monster hole of sewage rather than deal with it. He'd seen plenty of beggars dealing with Filth Fever, he rather not be one of them. Rovald was looking for a route to stay off the main drag but keep circling around towards the Guard Citadel.

[Desril]

Natsumi (Parrying, Dodging?)
HP 12/12
AC 17+

Not entirely sure what that rotting stench was, vague images and mostly forgotten memories of tales of Korvosa's sewer monsters tug at the back of Natsumi's mind as the tentacle of the aberration rises out of the hole. Shame this thing is so disgusting, if it was a little cleaner it could make a fun pet. Not knowing anything about the creature other than that it reeked more than month old spoiled eggs and meat and looks like a monster, the kitsune draws her blade and gets into an aggressive stance as she lunges at the beast, trying not to let the stench overwhelm her.

"Don't know what this thing is, but we should probably kill it!"


.....SURPRISE ROUND! :smalltongue:

Anyway, attacking it. [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Panache 3/5

Parry if needed [roll2]
Riposte if possible [roll3]
Damage [roll4]

Dodging Panache if Parry fails


Initiative [roll5]

[PeglegJim]

When he left the fishery, he looked around as the city had somehow gone to hell in the space of a couple of hours. Turn your back for a second and everything is on fire. Typical. The shouts made him wish he was following current events better than he was and at this moment he desperately felt he needed Aria's guidance, but he was a full priest of Calistria now. He had to find his own way through this mess. "The king is dead? Gods bells never signal anything good do they. I was more right than I thought about it not being safe tonight. Perhaps the ghost woman has me spooked with the Varisian bad omens and such. Those Hellknights are going to have their hands full." The sight of a Sable Company Marine falling from the sky was one of those disasters Marko couldn't take his eyes off. He almost paused for a moment when it happened, only to pick up the pace with the others. He was almost there after all. As the ground quaked, the cleric stumbled, nearly falling over. As he turned to see the otyugh, he knew this night had really gone south. Oh come on!

He turned to Natsumi when he heard her comment."I don't suppose we should go around it?" He surveyed the area. "No, I better not. Yes, you're right, we probably need to fight this thing off or at least confront it." Marko slowly approaches the beast.

Double move to H9

[Smileybastard]

Theron

Theron remains silent as the world erupts around him. It seems as if the world is falling apart or a bat trip.

When some abomination crawls out of the sewer and people want to attack it? "Kill it? Why not run?"

[Desril]

Natsumi

Calling out to Theron as she charges, "Because life gets boring fast when you run from every challenge!"


Previous rolls still apply here, just Talking is a Free Action

[Vhaidara]

Leah sighs as her friend charges into combat with nary a care.
You are going to get yourself killed!
Of course, she could hardly abandon the street rat, could she? She charges into the fray after her companion, Valinia flashing in the evening light

If I beat her initiative, delay until after Natsumi. She can have the tentacles, and Leah wouldn't charge in first.
Initiative: [roll0]
Charge to G7
Attack: [roll1]
Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Crit Damage: [roll4]
AC drops to 16 until my next turn
Swift Action, Claim
Claim Damage: [roll5]

[ArcturusV]

Rovald watched the two run off to go stab at a mass of gibbering teeth and tentacles... yeah... good luck. Instead he glanced around, and just barely caught a pile of "Debris" down the alley at J-10. Useful cover. At the very least he didn't want to be exposed if that thing started chucking wagon parts down the alleyway towards everyone. Gripping up the cart he pulled it along, making his way to L-10 and navigating around the Debris, figuring the large creature wasn't going to be comfortable squeezing down the alleyway as he kept an eye out for looters and trouble makers that might also be hiding there.

Ah optimism, hilarious isn't it?

Takes a double move pulling the cart to L-10, cart is at L-11. Throwing an Perception Test along the way to try to stop myself from running face first into some cutpurse.

Perception: [roll0]

[Angstrom]

Paired blades fly towards the beast, Natsumi and Leah duck the under the creature's guard and stab deep into its fleshy centre. It lets out a bellow of anger, adding to the cacophony of the night as it retaliates. Without room to move away from the edge of the sinkhole the beast attacks with everything it has.

Otyugh: wounded and claimed. It stands partially on difficult terrain, since it is still on the edge of the sinkhole.
At Natsumi unless she drops or is grabbed, then switch to Leah.
Tentacle: [roll0] - [roll1]. Grab: [roll2]
Tentacle: [roll3] - [roll4]. Grab: [roll5]
Bite: [roll6] - [roll7]. DC14 save vs disease.

[PeglegJim]

Marko moves to Leah's side, contemplating whether to help, fight, or make a run for it. With trepidation, he tries to hit the sewer monster square in the jaws with his mace to finally end the thing that came from beneath the ground.


Move to H7 & attack
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Smileybastard]

Theron

With a sigh Theron gestures and launches a ray of acid at the creature.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Vhaidara]

Leah strikes once more with a flourish, hoping to divert the creature's attention. She calls out to Natsumi
Sera, get on the other side!

5ft step to H6
Ready an action to attack the Otyugh if Natsumi moves into a flank (E6)
Attack: [roll0]
Crit Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]

[Desril]

Natsumi - Grappled
HP 5/12
AC 17

Suddenly assailed by a solid, slimy mass, the air is knocked out of Natsumi's lung while the otyugh's reaching tentacle wraps itself around her body making it difficult to move, let alone fight. Scowling, she stabs at the offending appendage, Oh, by the goddess, now isn't the time for this! "Let! Me! Go!"


Grappled, but limited in time so I can't look up the penalties. IIRC most of them only apply to interacting with people outside the grapple anyway. If there is a penalty I'm forgetting that applies, please adjust these accordingly.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Confirmation? (1d20+7)[21]
Damage (1d6+4)[6]

[ArcturusV]

Wow... it's going bad for them... Rovald thought to himself as he heard the sounds of the Party getting Started. But as beat up as he was, well, there was priorities over throwing in with a giant tentacle mouth beast when death in on the line. The place around him looked safe for the moment, he hunkered down, on watch just in case Shenanigans occurred or some random opportunist popped out to do something to him.

Total Defense Action, bumps my AC up to 18, still chilling out there with my 1 HP self.

[Angstrom]

The fury of the street dwellers is too great. The ferocious strikes from the four of you overwhelm the beast, and in seconds its torso runs red with blood. The creature bellows in pain, with breath worse than you could have imagined, and slides backwards. With a crunch its heavy body shatters the wagon at the bottom of the sinkhole, piercing it with splinters.

The street is calm once more, with only the sinkhole as testimony to the burst of chaos that has now passed. Several windows in the tenement crack open, and a few faces peer down at you. A man emerges from the building, with an expression of disbelief on his face. "Is it dead? No order above or below us it would seem. Thank you strangers, I'm not sure what I would have done."

[PeglegJim]

"Things descend to disorder at some point. I'd get some place safe even though that thing is most likely dead." Marko yells out to Rovald. "It's down, you should bring the cart around. On with it now. We have places to be. He turned to Natsumi "Well I hope had fun." He says with a smirk. "You look like you did alright. I suppose we better keep moving." Marko walks past the man from the building. He had no interest in the praise of a couple of rubes when he was trying to finish up his revenge rampage.

[Vhaidara]

Leah again reaches into her bag for the cloth, and wipes the otyugh... blood from Valinia as she waits for Rovald to bring up the cart. When she finishes, she looks at the cloth.
I'm going to need a new rag. I don't think that stuff is going to come out.

[Desril]

Natsumi

As Leah wipes the blood from her blade, Natsumi does the same, though after looking at her slime and filth covered outfit, decides that her pants-leg works as well as anything. After sheathing Myrtenaster, she can't help but glare at Leah for her comment. "A new rag? How do you think I feel! That tentacle went wherever it wanted," she shivers in disgust as she swipes away a mucus-like patch from her arm, "I'm tempted to take these off and just burn them, but," she glances toward the rest of the party, "I'm not sure our new friends would appreciate it. This Citadel better have a gods-damned bath."

[Vhaidara]

A devilish little grin crosses Leah's face.
Would you say that qualifies as poetic justice?

[Desril]

Natsumi

Unable to resist grinning back, she shakes her head, "No, not really. Unlike a certain someone I could name, I wouldn't be so scared as to have to hide behind a barrel any time I heard footsteps."

Chuckling, she adds, "Besides, I think for it to be poetic, I'd have to have been knocked out in a fight first."

[Vhaidara]

Leah puts an arm around Natsumi's shoulder and whispers into her ear.
Bet you wouldn't strip down and take the walk. In your true form.

[Desril]

Suddenly blushing in embarrassment for the first time in a long time, the whispered bet terrifies the kitsune, but her own inability to turn down a fun wager, even a frightening one, gets the better of her as she replies. "Fine, but what do I get when I win?"

[Vhaidara]

Leah thinks for a moment.
Two things. One, I'll buy your ring back from that pawn dealer for you. And two, I won't move out and forget about you after my name is cleared with the Sentinels. How could I, after a show like that?

[Desril]

Debating her answer, a grin slides across her face, "One more thing. You have to buy back the ring dressed like I'm about to be. Unless you're too scared?"

[Vhaidara]

Leah considers.
Allow me a belt to hang Valinia from. I don't trust the pawnbroker not to try and take advantage of the situation, and I would rather not kill a relatively innocent scumbag.

[Desril]

Grin turning to full on smile now, too entranced by the imagine in her mind to worry about her own immediate future, she goes back to normal volume. "Deal!"

Before anyone can stop her, the kitsune starts pulling her armor off and addressing the party as she does. "Hey, give me a minute, I'm getting out of what's left of all these muck-covered rags." As she tosses the hide shirt into the pit with the otyugh's corpse, likely to the surprise of any spectators that might be around, she starts to unbutton her shirt next. "And I know what I'm doing, so look if you want, I don't care, but I swear to every god that's listening, if any of you touch me, you're going to lose a hand."


Stopping here, because there's no point in getting gratuitous with the stripping, and because the party probably should be given a chance to try and talk her out of it, even if she won't listen.

[Angstrom]

"Sweet Desna!" the man turns away, "Drina keep the kids inside."

He turns back to you, "We will board up the hole, perhaps you should go."

[PeglegJim]

Marko was busy yelling at Rovald when he picks up on what's going on right next to him. "Wait, what are you....never mind. Whatever if is, there will be plenty of time for it later. I have some bloody retribution I would like to get to before the night is over. I'm all for games and personal freedoms but when there's rioters and Hellknights out and about during a time of political turmoil, I'm going to have to question the wisdom of streaking in the middle of it all for a bet. Where do you think this is, Magnimar?" Marko shakes his head but after a second he starts chuckling. "Never a dull moment I suppose. Come on, let's not delay this much needed gratification."

[Desril]

Natsumi

Grinning as the man calls out to keep the children's eyes averted, it takes a lot of effort for Natsumi not to comment on letting them see something nice before the city goes completely to ****, but ultimately she stays quiet as she slips off her boots and hands her sword-belt to Leah before stepping out of her pants and not bothering to cover her nude and still human form. "Hold on to the sheath for me. Given the state of the city, I'm not making this walk unarmed, but I'd like to keep the belt so I've got somewhere to put Myrtenaster once we're at the Citadel."

Tossing the rest of her outfit into the hole with the otyugh, she uses her left hand to shield her breasts and her right to hold her blade as she turns to face the party, "No point in trying to really hide it I guess. I kinda slipped up in the fishery anyway, but I'm not really human. I normally prefer to stay like this, but...a bet's a bet." Shifting back into her true form, her pale skin is replaced with a silky white fur, her face elongates, growing a snout, and her sex is hastily covered by a bushy white tail wrapped around from the back. Blushing, though it's difficult to tell through her furry cheeks, she continues, "Just...let me take up the rear, yeah? I can't cover everything all at once, so look if you want, but I'd rather not have everyone staring at me the whole way there," she says glancing off to the side, unable to look anyone in the eye for more than a second.


Needed to upgrade the armor anyway, hopefully I can buy something from the Citadel though, or our next few encounters are going to be very dangerous for me >.>

[Angstrom]

The last few blocks to the citadel are less eventful than the one you left. As you emerge from the alleys 200metres from the barbican you see that getting into the citadel may not be as easy as you hoped. A mob of angry Korvosans have surrounded the gatehouse. Demands for protection, cries of anger, and wails of desperation excite a dangerous mood in the crowd.

Thankfully, there are multiple ways into the citadel, and Rovald's dealings with the guard let him lead you around the side to where a small postern gate faces the river. A pair of sentries guard the door but a voice familiar to Rovald emerges, "Stars and knives! What the hell are you doing here kid?"

Bill del'Saan wears the belt of the Korvosan Guard. With greying stubble and a well-formed gut he isn't the posterboy of the Guard, but his direct nature makes him an effective member of the constabulary. His partner is a boy no older than twenty; his collar and underarms soaked in sweat and his right hand clutching the hilt of his blade.

[Desril]

Natsumi

Having brought up the rear of their little entourage, Natsumi silently endured all the whistling, cheers, and racially inappropriate cat-calls that came from the few people in the alleyways that noticed her state of undress, though no amount of fur could hide her radiant blushing and nervous, downcast gaze. Just ignore it, you can do this. I'd be showing off if it was Sera...Come on Natsumi, just a little further...

At the sight of the mob, however, she paled, her eyes growing wide and searching desperately for some other way. Pride dictated she scowl at Leah and comment that "I should've made you wager more, it's almost not worth it now," but in truth her mind was panicking. I can't do this, there's no way! There are hundreds of people there, and I'm naked! This is insane! However, before she could shift back to her human guise and tell Leah that she was forfeiting their bet, Rovald thankfully led them away from the growing crowd.

Breathing an audible sigh of relief as they take a much less exposed route, Natsumi even recovers enough of her assumed persona to wink at the obviously rookie guard and tease him. "Be careful with that, kid. People will think you've never handled your sword before."

[Vhaidara]

Leah grins at Natsumi's comment.
Hey, you're the one who gave me the idea. Maybe you should learn how to say no to a bet.

[Desril]

Frowning, the kitsune responds, "I can't just say 'no' if the prize is good enough, where's the fun in that? Besides, not like you can talk."

[PeglegJim]

Marko is left speechless when Natsumi reveals her true form. When she starts arguing he becomes a little agitated again. "What. Grrrr. Here." Marko tosses Natsumi a Calistrian cleric garb. It's yellow and more revealing than most ordinary cleric garbs, but obviously designed for man much larger than her.

He turns to the guard. "We're bringing you Gaedren Lamm, a man who has admitted to multiple murders, selling shiver, and child slavery. We have multiple witnesses; a group of children sent to the Church of Abadar will attest to all of this. We bring him here to clear this woman, Leah's name of the crimes she was framed for once and for all, as he is the one who actually committed them, and in turn framed her. He should not escape his fate this time. All this man's victims deserve at least that."

[ArcturusV]

Rovald does a good job of bringing the cart around. He doesn't bother gawking along the way at Natsumi. He doesn't quite see the point after all for various reasons, including the fact that as far as he was concerned with the fur she was about as "indecent" as the typical alley cat. And that was never something that got him all fired up. And the other being that as a street hobo he had long ago figured that the chances of any lust or love being experienced without the transfer of coin he frankly didn't ever have, wasn't going to happen. No point getting worked up over nothing.

Though it also meant that Rovald didn't try to cover her up, offer her a hiding place or anything like that either. Just... he didn't seem to mind either way and didn't spare her a second glance once she was out of sight.

Putting the cart down now that they were at the gate with their prize, Rovald gave Laam's unconscious body another thump over the head. It was after all, satisfying. Not that Rovald looked any better than the city itself at the moment. He had been chomped and bleeding. He was up and walking around, sure, but clearly he had gone through something himself.

"Yeah, fella's right as rain there Bill. Finally got the bastard, and I'll be glad to see him dance on the end of a rope." Rovald went and spit on the body of Laam in the cart, "Two of his thugs too. Though one of 'em went and scampered off." He smiled and shook his head, there was always some snake that slithered away from any bust after all, as he and Bill had lamented quite a few times in the past.

He didn't seem to comment, or care on the chaos going on. As a homeless begger batman on the street level... the concerns of the average citizen just didn't impact him. A bloody coup? He cares more about getting a bit of coin and a bit of food on his belly for the day, who's sitting on a large chair with a fancy hat is the least of his concerns.

"Figured that soon as you got done with this," he waved his hand to encompass the whole of the city losing its mind, "... little thing you can treat me to a good meal and celebrate the whole thing, yeah?"

Totally missing the point, or rather just considering the point well above his station.

[Angstrom]

"Sorry kid, but the usual reimbursement package will face delays. Mihai, watch the door but get inside if anyone but a Guard approaches, clear?"

The youth nods, and Bill claps him on the shoulder before leading you into the citadel. "Let's bring these three inside. All the Confessors have been called in on account of the geyser of lunacy that's gone off out there tonight. Help me get this lot to the pen and I'll talk to one of the Confessors and make sure Lamm's path to the gallows is a short one."

The cells are more full than you've ever seen them, but a place is made for the two thugs you've captured. Lamm is handed directly into the arms of a pair of grey-clothed Pharasmins who lead him away for interrogation.

"Right, that shouldn't take long. What's your name, Leah? You're going to have to go with them. If you're a suspect they'll want words with you as well. Sorry.

"The rest of you can go, but I'm not sure what out there is still standing. It ain't much, but there's cold rations and quiet in the messhall. I promise to get you something better once we've calmed heads out there."

[Vhaidara]

Leah nods.
Of course. Whatever it takes to clear my name.
She briskly follows the Pharasmins taking Lamm to interrogation.