Tuvarkz's Hell's Vengeance (IC)

[Tuvarkz]

It is the appointed day for the raid on the Louslik tannery, and Cimri has appointed you all to meet at midnight at the town outskirts. While there are no particular signs of rebellion in Longacre, you can't help but feel that the locals aren't entirely at ease with the current situation, the usual chattiness of the commoners having mostly died down to mostly pleasantry exchanges and such.

It comes to mind that it would be a good idea to prepare for the incoming heist, and there's more than enough time to do some scouting on the tannery and be back for the meeting. Should you choose to go do some reconaissance, from afar you can notice that the tannery is surrounded by a wooden palisade, the road leading to a solid-looking door.

[Bhaakon]

Preparation being the key ingredient of competent, Cato arrives on the seen an hour early to make a thorough circuit of the place. He'd have preferred to be there even earlier, but he'd nearly forgotten to acquire a perfumed handkerchief to deal with the piss-stink common to tanneries the world over. An unforgivable lapse, but he'd rather bee less early than face the stench unarmored.

He'd hoped to get a good look at the building itself, but the palisade wall proves to be quite the obstacle. Instead he busies himself finding a chink in obstacle, preferably wide enough to slip through at the appointed hour. Barring that, he looks for an out of the way spot where it can be mantled without undue attention.

Perception: [roll0] + [roll1] free inspiration
Stealth: [roll2]

[Vhaidara]

Marking Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin decides to begin his investigation, gathering information on the potential traitors in the town. What he is could not be hidden: Few others would wear such elaborate and heavy armor, or carry a weapon as cruel looking as Hell's Reaper.

Diplomacy: [roll0]
Knowledge (Martial): [roll1]

[Desril]

Maereena

A midnight meeting meant that there was time to kill learning about the mission, and though rash by human standards, Maereena did prefer to know what exactly she was getting into before it started. After all, working with a criminal was already risky given that she had no talent at disguise and if they were caught, regardless of their intentions, the law was the law and the Asmodeans tended to be strict in its enforcement.

So, rather than mill about and wait quietly for the appointed time, the noblewoman made her way around the area, speaking to the common folk and gathering intel, doing her best to sound sympathetic to anyone who seemed like they might know something about the supposed rebellion. There's no better way to get information than to simply ask for it from those who don't know better. The benefits to having been born a second class citizen, even among nobility, meant it was easy to look sincere when claiming to understand the thoughts of those unhappy with the way things are. It's easy to feign sympathy when it's for a cause not entirely alien, after all.


Diplomacy [roll0]

[QuidEst]

Kyoni had begun her preparations earlier, going over what she knew and asking around the area for any details that might be of some use. Her inquiries were carried out clandestinely, using a disguise so the questioning wouldn't lead back to her. What she found simply confirmed what she'd already pieced together beforehand, though.

By the time they'd gathered together, she'd prepared herself, preparing a simple and fairly general ward about herself. "Before we go in, I conducted some investigation beforehand. Jabral, the owner, is a skilled fighter. Good with the crossbow, and he likely has some talent for the supernatural he keeps close to the chest. Probably elemental in its basic nature, although his associations with the Cagebreakers mean he'll likely be able to shrug off at least some enchantments. Shaul and Pippa, the old man and woman, are mages. Didn't find much more than that."

[UncleWolf]

"Surely there are more there than just the three." Izabelle Crath comments as she slowly goes through her forms as she waits for the appointed time for the raid to begin. The athletic woman swings her greatsword with ease but keeps her motions slow, using the time to stretch her limbs and prepare herself for battle. Her pack, heavy and bulging with gear, rests on the gear behind her as she exercises. "With my Mistress' permission, I can easily occupy the man with the crossbow or one of the two mages, but I sincerely doubt we'll only be facing those three."

[Halae]

Rorrim nods to her protector's request, "Izabelle, if you could focus your efforts on any mages present, it'd be a great help when we get inside. The last thing we need is to be restrained by warriors while magic falls on our heads," How had they gotten here, doing semi-legal things for a criminal? Ah, right, the promise of a reward and teaching the commonfolk not to trifle with the state. It feels wrong, though, but the potential rewards are both lucrative and important - making a name for herself is important, if nothing else.

Rorrim busies herself with a little meditation, a skill taught to her by her tutors back in the Egorian Cathedral. think clearly and stay determined, and you can accomplish anything. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. No reason not to give it your full strength, and for that you need a clear mind. Still, that doesn't mean Rorrim isn't fingering the spikes of her morningstar worriedly; if done wrong, this could be spun by the populace to be very bad.

Xrilbibth, the imp, is nowhere to be seen - of course, that doesn't mean much, as he's likely merely invisible for the moment.

[Bhaakon]

Hearing the results of the others' research, Cato presents the fruits of his own labor in the form of a rough sketch of the out wall of the compound. "There's a gap here just big enough for us to squeeze though. There are hounds guarding the other side, but the stench of the place is such that they're like as not to be nose-blind. I don't suppose anyone thought to bring butcher scraps infused with oil of taggit? Perhaps a distracting cat in a sack?"

The the last suggestion wasn't entirely in jest was itself a grand joke. The flame-haired woman and the one with the golden eyes, at least, seemed to have done their due diligence. The man with the facial tattoos was...memorable. Cato makes a mental note not to depend on that one for subtlety. The others were still something of a mystery. NO, that wasn't exactly true. The were ALL still something of a mystery. Needless to say, that isn't the way Cato preferred to operate.

The things I'll do for money...

"While I'm sure you can all handle yourselves in a fight, I've found that the best way to deal with an arcanist is with the benefit of surprise. So if any of you have a way to stifle those dogs before they give up our location, I would be the very avatar of attentiveness."

[Halae]

Rorrim lets out a "Hmm," after a moment, she stands up. After a moment, she extends her hand, palm up,and says "Xrilbibth, come here."

A tiny man, the size of a cat, suddenly appears on the priestess' outstretched hand. He has red skin, a pair of backswept horns not dissimilar to his mistress, a pair of wings, and a curled tail that ends in a wicked stinger - an imp. Xrilbibth bears a few belts with various tools on them, a pair of pants, and some goggles - he looks like the world's tiniest rogue. "Mistress?"

"Go inside and attempt to get us a layout while we wait for Cimri to arrive. If you encounter anybody you think you can put down without alerting the others - men in their beds perhaps, I don't care - kill them. We'll follow once we've met with our employer. Go in through the roof if you can, avoid riling up any dogs present."

The imp bows to Rorrim, and then vanishes from sight once more.

Xrilbibth will be attempting to gain entry to the tannery through the roof, or a top story window - thankfully, any guard dogs will likely have their scent disrupted by the natural essence of the tannery. His intention is to find exact numbers, get a layout and, if anybody is under the Helpless condition (such as being asleep) to deliver a coup de grace to them with his tail stinger.

He's likely to succeed unhindered as well, actually. while invisible and moving, his stealth bonus is +37. If he sits still it goes up to +57. as such, the roll may end up being more or less just a formality.

[roll0]

[Tuvarkz]

The invisible imp manages to explore the tannery, revealing the dogs making watch inside it.
Map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YnaJLPTxiAwxoBQJTqGAo2NibvkiuO5iGMG6oMi9Qa8/edit?usp=sharing)
As Xrilbibth becomes invisible once more, Cimri arrives: "I see you got here early" she comments. "Job's simple: We break in, sack Ol' Louslik's office, take the shinies, and get out before the sheriff shows up. If anything happens and we get separated, let's meet back at the Ashen House.
If you get caught, remember: You're mute - I'll handle things. Speak and you'll rot in jail." The woman then smirked, saying: "All goes well, and we'll be drinking on Razelago's coin by dawn. Let's get moving."

((Everyone, call initial positions (Outside the palisade)
To note, it's a DC 15 Climb to get onto the 10-feet tall palisade, and a DC 15 Escape Artist for Medium characters to get past the palisade gap.))

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin scowls. He didn't like all this sneaking in the dark. He was a warrior.
"Well, how are we getting in? The walls are high, and I don't envy the idea of getting stuck in that gap. Unless someone can slip through and grease it up a little."

[UncleWolf]

"And if we meet resistance?" Izabelle asks as she swings her pack onto her back and her greatsword onto her shoulder. "Ransacking a place is different than committing a massacre. It would do us all well if you told us clearly what you wished, one way or the other." The bodyguard points out. Regardless of the answer however, she'll head towards the gap in the palisade to take a peek through before she starts climbing to the top on the left side of the gap(Square W11 on the map) with a rope in her hand.


Climb: [roll]1d20+9[roll]
Stealth: [roll0] to try and do so quietly.
If successful she'll tie off her silk rope to the top of the palisade while she's up there.

[Desril]

Mae

Nodding toward Izabelle, "She has the right of it. If this is supposed to be bloodless then I suspect a few of us would be better off waiting outside and simply causing a distraction. If it doesn't matter if we have to leave a few bodies behind us, then why all the subtlety?"

Having failed to memorize the requisite spell to grease up the entryway, the daemon-spawned tiefling waits for an answer before moving, but she did take the time to armor herself up in case there was a fight.


Starting at Z24, I suppose.

Casting Mage Armor
18 AC for 4 hours, 4 1st level spells remaining.

[Tuvarkz]

Cimri offhandedly mentions that she'd rather not get into the trouble of murdering someone when she isn't get paid for it as she takes position from behind the tannery.
((A DC 17 Sense Motive check will reveal that as a local, Cimri is likely biased in favor of not hurting people she's known for a long time)).
In the meantime, Izzabelle fails to get a hold to move on top of the palisade, however her careful movements ensure she isn't detected.

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin nods, making note that, if it came time to fight, Cimri was not to be relied upon. Glancing at Izabelle, he frowns.
"I suggest waiting until we all have a means of entry. It would be...awkward for you to be discovered inside alone."

[Bhaakon]

"Then don't be discovered." Cato answers the illustrated man's concern with a dry tone. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll move to unlock the main gate so that you can join us quickly should subtlety fail."

Move to V11 and attempt to squeeze through the gap into V12

Take 10 on the escape artist check for 18 if possible, otherwise roll: [roll0]

and stealth: [roll1]

[Tuvarkz]

As Cato silently sneaks through the gap in the palisades, it looks like one of the dogs is about to look in his direction...but then it turns around to the other side, allowing him to stay undetected.

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin glances at the wall, then nods in the direction, looking at Cimri.
"Give me a boost. I can make it."
He takes a running start before propelling himself off of Cimri and into the courtyard.

Acrobatics:[roll0]
Should be able to land somewhere around V21

[Desril]

Maereena

As Markin takes off the noblewoman sighs, "So much for stealth," before she rushes after him, doing her best to leap the wall as well with the same boost.


Acrobatics [roll0]

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

The priestess looks antsy as she moves to follow the others, but stops as she comes up to the side of the building. the problem here is that she is neither agile, not good at fitting into small spaces - she's bulky and never learned that sort of thing, and isn't the most nimble of folk. As such for the moment, she'll wait outside, allowing the emotional bond to Xrilbibth calm her nerves. She'll take up the position of lookout, watching their exit.

Speaking of the imp, he'll fly over to Izzabelle's shoulder, and land on it if she'll let him, as he went through this entrance not too long ago. He's still invisible, of course, but that won't stop her from noticing his smell of sulphur, his five pound weight, or the flap of his wings. He'll give her a quick rundown of the area as he's seen it so far, then say, "Milady, I am here to serve at the Mistress' behest. What do you wish to be done?"

[Tuvarkz]

Alerted by a first heavy sound, and a second, lighter but noticeable sound, the dogs move to investigate. Noting Markin, one of the dogs moved towards it and bited for 7 damage! another dog remained behind the corner, trying but failing to give the attacking dog some cover. The last dog started moving to the gaps between the muck pits, as if trying to find a position to charge from.

In the meantime, Rorrim spotted, from the road heading to the tannery, a loaded cart being pulled towards the tannery, two people dragging it along, with some sort of illumination near them.

[Bhaakon]

Cato's left eye twitches as the armored brute crashes down in the yard of the tannery with all the subtlety of a piano dropped from a fourth story window. "Tch" He bites back the actual oath, but can't choke on the hiss of disappointment. But not surprise. What else would one expect from such an obviously uncouth simpleton. Now there would be dogs to slaughter. And almost certainly people. A classic case of a hammer looking at every job look like a skull in need of bashing.

But the time for verbal upbraiding would come later, after the job was finished. For now, Cato slips in behind the dogs harrying the armored man and sets his blades to work.

Double move to T20 via S20 to avoid AoO. Swift to use Minute Hand boost for free attack at -2 to hit on D2

[roll0] includes -2 from maneuver, +2 from flanking
[roll1] SA: [roll2]

Crit on 26+:

[roll3] includes -2 from maneuver, +2 from flanking
[roll4]

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin grits his teeth as the dog bites into his armor. His voice is low.
"That was a gift, mutt."
He swings Hell's Reaper around, cleaving through the space where the dogs stand.

Scything Strike
Attack: [roll0]
Crit: [roll1]
Damage vs D1: [roll2]
Crit vs D1: [roll3]
Damage vs D2: [roll4]
Crit vs D2: [roll5]

Oaken Shield to counter if they roll a 16 or higher

[Tuvarkz]

Cato's attack inflicts a significant blow on the dog, but it seems still able to put up a fight. In the meantime, the dog in front of Markin deftly dodges the attack, and while it would seem like the strike would be able to hit the latter dog, the corner of the building provides the cover necessary for it to avoid as well.

[Desril]

Maereena Naberrie
HP 25
AC 18

"Filthy mutts, get out of our way," the arcanist snarls, drawing her black blade and swinging downward with a short, swift strike trying to end the dog quickly.


Move action to draw weapon
Attack D2, flanking with Cato [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[UncleWolf]

Izabelle frowned at the sound of battle going on behind the palisade and mentally chastised herself for her failure to even climb over a wall. Enough was enough however and the time for secrecy was over. She took a moment to jump lightly on the balls of her feet, never going more than a couple inches above the ground just to limber up and get herself ready. Once she felt herself prepared, the Hellhound ran forward at the gap to vanish in a swirl of shadow only to step out of the shadows once more on the other side of the gap in the defenses.

Quickened and feeling the surge of elation that came with being prepared for battle, Izzy ran forward to join the others, her body hunched low as she drew her greatsword to better be able to interpose herself between one of her...associates should the lone hound charge past her.


Swift Action: Running Hunter's Stance to gain +10 Movement and Scent.
Standard Action: Fading Strike to get to square U13
Move Action: Move to S19, drawing the greatsword as she moves.

[Halae]

Xrilbibth

The imp, still invisible for the moment, moves behind one of the offending dogs, and moves to stab it with his stinger, relying on the distraction that Cato is providing.

Xrilbibth moves to the space of the dog to the right of Cato, intending to stab it with his stinger.

Xrilbibth's attack roll:
[roll0] Should actually be +8. Adjust accordingly.

Xrilbibth's Damage Roll
[roll1] Not really scary, but...

The sting carries a poison. Fort DC 13, 1/round for 6 rounds, dealing 1d2 dexterity damage. A single save cures against the effect.

[Tuvarkz]

Mareena's slash managed to leave the dog in a rather weakened state, the injured animal barely hanging on to consciousness. In the meantime, the imp's sting seemed to somewhat weaken the dog it struck, although it seemed to quickly recover from the poison.
The dog in the middle of the muck pits notices the approaching Izzabelle and charges her instead with anger, dealing 10 damage and knocking the Warder prone.
Similarly, the third dog jumped at Cato with fierceness, dealing 7 damage and rendering the vigilante prone as well.
The injured dog's attack seemed rather weak in comparison, and it couldn't get past Markin's armor.
As the three dogs fought, a fourth dog appeared from the smaller building, quickly moving into a flanking position against the prone warder. It tried to savagely attack Izzabelle (K: Martial DC 13 identifies), but in its eagerness the animal seemed to close its jaws too early, resulting in the warder getting poked by the dog's snout instead.
As the fight went on, Cimri got up the palisade and jumped behind Markin and Maereena.
Turn 3 start!

[UncleWolf]

Izabelle leans back slightly as she brings the pommel of her greatsword up to bat aside the charging dog's muzzle. It'd gotten terribly close to her, and so did the dog behind her. The attack behind her had seemed odd, but she concentrated on the dog in front of her for the moment. The warder draws back her sword, her form blurring and flickering in and out of existence for just a second as she swings her heavy blade down at the dog. Afterwards, to keep her back protected, she slips to the side just a bit, putting her back to Cato's for protection.


Standard: Dimensional Strike (Opponent is Flat-footed for this attack) - Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

Knowledge(Martial) check: [roll2]

No Action: 5ft Step south to S20

[Bhaakon]

Cato swears sharply as the blasted hound seizes the cuff of his pants, pulling him off-balance and savaging the ankle beneath the expensively embroidered fabric. But the worst part was the muddy slurry of the tannery yard. Everyone knew what they used to cure those hides. He might as well have sat in a piss pot.

"Wretched cur!" He snarls, and, still on the group, flurries his dagger before the beasts eyes to distract it from the rapier diving for its flank.

Hunting serpent strike on D3, that bastard.

Heal check vs AC for flat footed and extra 1d6 damage: [roll0] plus free inspiration [roll1]

attack: [roll2] (includes -4 for being prone)
damage: [roll3] SA: [roll4] bonus: [roll5]

Crit:
attack: [roll6] (includes -4 for being prone)
damage: [roll7] SA: [roll8] bonus: [roll9]

Edit: Now I know how Kele feels...

[Desril]

Maereena Naberrie
HP 25
AC 18

Scowling, Mae continues her attack, intending to put the dog down to get a bit of a safe zone for her to do something a little more dangerous against the newly arrived, better trained beast.


Attack D2, flanking with Cato still? Not sure on initiative order. If flanking on my turn; +2 [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Stepping around the corner of the building, Markin strikes an overhead blow towards the dog menacing Cato.

5ft to U21, Attack D3
Attack: [roll0]
Crit: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit: [roll3]

[Halae]

Xrilbibth

The little imp suddenly transitions from being a cat sized devil into a boar - two-hundred pounds of porcine anger with intelligence behind the red eyes. Interposing himself between Cato and the most powerful looking of the dogs, he snorts out a challenge.

Xrilbibth uses a standard action to go from being an imp to a boar, and then trots to T-19 to keep Cato from being attacked.

[Tuvarkz]

The dog that appeared from the house seemed to try its technique again and this time it targetted the shapechanged imp, delivering a brutally powerful attack for 31 damage!

As you fight the dogs, Cimri will sneak from behind, her fists glowing with profane energy, and deliver a flurry of blows, knocking out the dog by the muck pits and severely weakening the other one. However, as her confident smile flashes, the door opens, revealing a tired-looking man in baggy clothes and a heavy crossbow in hand. "Thugs!" he shouts, shooting a frost-coated bolt at Cimri, who seems to be severely injured by the attack, bending over in pain.

His appearance seems to match the descriptions you've heard of Jabral Louslik, the owner of the tannery.
((DC 11 K:M reveals Cimri's boost as Strength of Hell, DC 13 her strike as Steel Flurry Strike. DC 12 K:M reveals Jabral's attack as Elemental Strike))

In the meantime, as the ever-approaching cart gets out of line of sight from Rorrim, the tiefling recognizes the two figures carrying the cart as a couple of eldery humans, a shining stone floating around each of them.
Round 4, start!

[UncleWolf]

Izabelle frowns when the crossbow bolt flies past her and strikes down her master's pet. Tracing the path of it, she narrows her eyes at the attacker. "I have him, master!" She calls out to Rorrim before running around the muck pit until she can get a clear line of sight on the man. Once there, she pauses only to realign herself before lifting her heavy sword horizontally and charging, a strike aimed right for the man's shoulder.


Swift: Tactical Rush (S20 -> P20 -> P17 -> Q17)
Charge from Q17-Q13: Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

[Bhaakon]

With the two nearest dogs down, Cato has enough breathing space to leap up to his feet...just in time to turn and find a fourth animal bearing down on him and hid employer. Taking a bite out of his employer, in fact. Not good for business at all.

"Step back!" He barks at Cimri, and closes with the dog, jabbing to get its attention, and then setting his weapons in to a big, flashy blur of motion to distract the dog from the mud clod glommed on to the toe of Cato's boot, just waiting to splatter into the mut's eyes as darts in for its next bite.

Move to stand, 5' step to T19. standard to attack Dc

[roll0]
[roll1]

Immediate Action for Fading Dodge counter if Dc attacks me
Heal: [roll2]+[roll3] free inspiration
Free Dirty Trick to blind: [roll4]

[Desril]

Mae

Scanning the battlefield, Mae suppresses a growl as she dashes between the muck pits and up to help Izabelle.


Double move. Yaaaay.

Moving to P14.

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

Rorrim feels her connection to Xrilbibth disappear, and frowns as the imp falls - in his natural form - to the floor in a bloody heap. Poor thing. Loyal, right to end.

For the moment, Rorrim is going to follow the magical looking men. The potential to disrupt them if they're unfriendly can't be overstated. She calls upon a boon of magic for strength, grasping the holy symbol at her neck, and then follows behind the men, morningstar out and ready. She leaves the shield on her back - given what those men looked like, it's unlikely they'll be the melee combat sort, and that means she'll need to get the most out of her freshly enhanced strength

Rorrim casts Bull's Strength on herself, then takes a move action to both move after those guys with the Ioun stones and draw her weapon.

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin, seeing his path blocked, curses under his breath, maneuvering around the mutt and around behind it to lash out with Hell's Reaper.

Swift for Acrobatic Gambit, move to T17. Hit the dog
Acro: [roll0]
Attack: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3], if Acrobatic Gambit succeeds, [roll4]
Crit: [roll5]

[Tuvarkz]

The dog tried to bite at Markin as he moved around but failed, and apparently Markin's blow left him in such a weakened condition that it failed to strike the tiefling again. Cimri, still weakened, pulled back and hid behind the building. In the meantime, Jabral stepped out of reach of the enemies in front of him and started rapid firing his crossbow! While he fumbled his first shot out of panic and the last one was stopped by the warder's armor, the second shot managed to land on Izzy for 16 physical and 8 cold damage!

In the meantime, Rorrim spotted the wagon reaching the entry, the old couple wary of the situation. As they stopped moving the car, the cleric noticed that the two extended their hands, blades made of energy materializing on their grips. ((DC 16 K:Arcana identifies.))

Round 5, begin!

[UncleWolf]

Izzy grunts under the cold pain the crossbow bolt delivered to her as it punctured right through her armor. Even so, she couldn't allow the man any moment of ease or others would likely be less fortunate than her if she failed to distract the crossbowman. Despite the agony the bolt lodged in her gave her, the "Hellhound" stepped forward with Jabral before giving him a coy smile as she held out her left arm before her and placed her blade on top. So positioned, she felt herself ready to respond to anything he did in an instant.


Free: 5ft Step to Q13

Full-Round Action: Defensive Focus (10ft Reach)

[Desril]

Mae

Watching her new companions struggle with the dog, though admittedly even she can tell it's well trained, Maereena turns her attention to its handler. "This has gone on long enough; Fall!"

Stretching out her hands, a wave of psychedelic colors fly forth.


...yeah, I'm not getting into melee with a higher leveled ranger before I have the shenanigans that maneuvers allow. COLOR SPRAY w/Arcane Reservoir (DC 16) aimed at JA.

3/5 1st level spells remaining.

[Bhaakon]

With his feet solidly under him (finally!), Cato attempt to put on a display of proper swordsmanship. The dance of steel was probably wasted on a base cur, of course, but it would certainly make him feel better. So would vivisecting the dog on its feet.

Full attack on Dc w/ outer sphere stance bonus damage:

Rapier:
[roll0]
[roll1] bonus: [roll2]

Dagger:
[roll3]
[roll4] Bonus: [roll5]

If Markin 5' steps into flanking, add +2 to each attack and use the follow SA damage
Rapier: [roll6]
dagger: [roll7]

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

Rorrim, hopefully without revealing herself just yet (though the clinking of her chainmail likely doesn't help, even if the sounds fo combat within the building are more intense) moves forward, gripping her mace tightly in both hands as she pursues the couple. hopefully she can ambush them before they attack the group inside. And hopefully the group inside pulls her ass out of the fire before she gets stabbed.

Double Move to G22.

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin quickly moves away from the dead dog, his form blurring as he darts past the stunned crossbowman and takes up position behind him before striking down with Hell's Reaper.
"Fall, traitor, like the rotten scum you are."

Swift to Burst, upping my speed to 40. Move to Q11 and standard to initiate Seraph's Wrath
Attack: [roll0]
Crit: [roll1]
Damage:[roll2]+[roll3]
Crit: [roll4]
DC 19 Reflex save or be knocked prone

[Tuvarkz]

Jabral, stunned, fell to the ground from the might of Markin's strike. In the meantime, Rorrim heard from behind the palisade the wagon being turned around and the sound of a mechanical device being tinkered with.
Round 5, start!

[UncleWolf]

With the crossbowman on the ground, Izzy bends down to pick up the fallen crossbow and sling it over her shoulder. "You've done well." She remarks respectfully before standing over the man with her sword at the ready. "But surrender before you or your favorite dog gets killed. I'd rather not have to pummel you into submission. We aren't here to kill you. You've satisfied your honor. There's nothing else you need to do. Try something however and I will cut you down where you stand." She growls.



Move Action: Pick up the crossbow.
Intimidate: [roll0]

[Bhaakon]

With the dog bleeding out at his feet, Cato breaks for the next opponent. He can't actually see him, but the sound of combat from the building is unmistakable. He sprints towards it and slips inside, weapons ready.

Double move to P11

Fading Dodge counter if attacked.

Heal check: [roll0] free inspiration: [roll1]

Free Dirty Trick to blind: [roll2]

[Desril]

While Cato can only hear the sound of combat, Mae can see that it's already over and any move by the crossbowman will result in nothing more than a swift death. And so, she wordlessly turns to watch the main gate, on the lookout for any other unfortunate surprises that might turn up.


The fight is effectively over, there's no point in attacking. So perception, I guess. [roll0]

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin glares at the fallen man.
"Stay down. Cooperate, and this can be relatively painless. Perhaps you'll even be able to save your hound's life. Resist, and I find your odds...poor."

Intimidate: [roll0]

[Tuvarkz]

While Markin's words seem to shake the man's resolution, you are all distracted as a wagon filled with clay pots pushes through the main door, an old couple wielding ethereal-looking blades behind it!
In the meantime, however, you notice that in the distraction Jabral Louslik has sneaked away from your sight...
Map updated, Round 6 start!
((DC 16 Arcana identifies the weapons as Mind Blades))

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

The priestess, finally having had enough of waiting, rounds the corner and points her adamantine morningstar at one of the pair, before crying out, "Come to me!" and clutching at her holy symbol.

Rorrim moves to E17, Then casts the Command (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/command) spell, using the Approach option on Pippa. The save DC is 16, Will.

[Desril]

Mae

Looking back to the crossbowman only to see that he's gone, Mae swears and storms into the building looking for where he could've disappeared to.


Move to O12

Standard action to grope squares N11 and N12 to see if he's in those squares as per the rules for looking for someone invisible. If he is, I'll alert the party to his presence.

[Bhaakon]

Cato nearly says something quite unbecoming when the wretch melts into the shadows, but holds his tongue. Instead, he takes a deep breath, forcing himself ton concentrate fully on every detail. Every puff of dust, every lick of breeze in the room, every slight vibration of the hairs on his neck. The man would reveal himself at some point, and Cato runs through a half dozen possible dodges and ripostes based on where and when he does.

Full round action to recover 4 maneuvers (so full up again). +4 insight bonus to AC, and free sneak attack on next attack

[UncleWolf]

Izabelle

Izzy seems a bit shocked when the man simply disappears, but after a second she can't help but grin. "Cool!" She exclaims happily before simply turning her back to the room and meandering her way over towards the cart, sword in hand. She couldn't even be mad at the guy for pulling off such a trick.

Really, it was rather impressive.

"Look, we're not here to kill anyone if we can't help it." She says as she turns around the cart to look towards Shaul. "I really advise not doing anything stupid, but I get the feeling you're not going to listen to me." She adds with a frown as she takes a two-handed grip of her sword and prepares herself for the worst.


Move: P14 to O15, to K15, to J16
Standard Action: Ready Action - Dimensional Strike if Shaul starts to cast a spell

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin curses under his breath as the man vanishes.
"Find him. I'll deal with the newcomers."
And he steadily walks out to the carts.
"Unless you want to end up like your friend, stand down. And put those toys away."

Move to J17. I'm double moving and have 40ft move speed at the moment, I can make it without provoking from the soulknives.

[Tuvarkz]

You all see Jabral quickly stand up, looking at you in spite, as he sneaks away from the hole in between the beams with what would appear to be practiced expertise.

In the meantime, while Shaul doesn't seem particularly intimidated, he gives a look at the enchanted Pippa, who seems to be stuck in the logical conundrum of following the command given and being actually able to do it, as it seems she's unable to get to Rorrim. "Fine," he comments, defiant, as his mindblade dissipates. "Knew this would happen one of these days, but no, the greater cause is clearly more important than having a stable livelihood to retire in. Look, I'll help you get what you need, just don't harm me or my wife. We won't tell on you either."
A few seconds aftewards, Pippa recovers from her daze, and seeing the situation, lowers her arms as her mindblade disappears as well.

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

"Get on your knees and hold your hands behind your head," Rorrim tells the psionic woman near her. A position that restricts movements and is uncomfortable - should keep any nasty surprises from coming up, "You have my word you won't come to harm, assuming we get what we want."

Say what you will about asmodeans, but when they give their word like that, they mean it. Rorrim has no intention of breaking her word, or letting any of the group make a liar of her.

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin, seeing that Rorrim and Izabelle had the couple in hand, makes his way over to the unconscious dog. Placing the edge of Hell's Reaper against the animal's throat, he calls out.
"Jabral, turn yourself in if you value the life of your hound."

[Tuvarkz]

Pippa Umbre complies, dropping to her knees with her hands behind her head. Similarly to her husband, however, she doesn't seem to show any signs of actual fear.

You hear no response from outside of the fence, and Shaul comments: "He probably already ran away. As much as Jabral might've loved his dogs, to him they are still pawns for the 'greater cause'. It wouldn't surprise me that much if he'd rigged the complex to be detonated from afar." Taking a moment for a dramatic pause, however, the man continues: "Of course, I make sure to check every other week to make sure he hasn't, and it's still safe."
((DC 10 Sense Motive shows he's stating the truth.))

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

"He's telling the truth," Rorrim states simply. She's not bothered by the lack of fear from the people there - after all, she gave her word they wouldn't come to harm. they seem more upset than anything else. The tiefling moves to stand over Pippa, her mace out, "If you know where the valuables here are - call them repossession with interest for missed taxes - We'll make certain both you and your wife leave unharmed. Just as a little insurance, I'll be staying here to look after things; Izzabelle, Markin, if you would accompany Shaul? I'm sure the rest of us can take care of one woman should she get any ideas."

[Tuvarkz]

Shaul nods, and says: "Yes, yes, I'll show you where Jabral stashed his gold." He then crossed over the wagon's handle, and started walking towards the office from where Jabral had appeared.

[UncleWolf]

Izabelle nods and pulls her blade away. She still carries it over her shoulder, one-handed, however. "Of course, Mistress." She tells Rorrim as she walks next to Shaul. As she does so, she pulls a small potion from her pocket with her free hand and flips it over in her hand before holding it out to the older man. "Healing for the hound if you can get it to drink it once we are done here. Tell Jabral that such loyalty should be respected and not thrown away the next time you see him." She states in all seriousness with a slightly bitter edge to her tone.

(It's a potion of Cure Light Wounds)

[Tuvarkz]

The old man made an appreciative nod as he grabbed the potion, and entered the office. There, he approached the main desk, picking up a key hidden amongst a stack of books, and opened one of the drawers. There, you can see what appear to be multiple pouches filled with golden and platinum keys, as well as gems separated by quality. Each one of the pouches seems to be labelled with what you can estimate is the rough value of the valuables inside.

[Desril]

Maereena

While the dog was being tended to and Jabrayl's loot hoarded, Mae was pacing with a furrowed brow, furious at Jabrayl's escape. "What sort of coward leaves his comrades and pets to die while he flees?"

Eventually, she gives up hope that the coward will show his face again and turns toward the old man, the purpose of their mission currently less interesting to her than dealing with the vermin that got away. "Where would he have run to?"


Diplomacy [roll0]

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin sighs as he looks down at the hound.
"I suppose your master doesn't really value you. You deserve better than that coward."
Rorrim's words make him chuckle, however.
"Priestess, are you disparaging the capabilities of women? I count four women who were crucial to this raid, and even beyond that, I'm sure our Empress would take issue with that assessment."

[Tuvarkz]

"Eh, I'd bet he's thinking of it as a tactical retreat." commented Shaul, before answering Mareena's second question: "I don't know, and I never wanted to. As I've told you all, I never wanted to do anything with his hidden plans. However, Jabral wouldn't just flee for the purpose of fleeing."

Taking a pause, then he asked: "There they are, the funds you were looking for. Do you need me and my wife for anything else, or may we take our leave?"

[UncleWolf]

Izzy holds up her hand to have Shaul stop after she sees all the pouches. "Which ones are Jabral's?" She asks. A lesser person would likely take them all without asking, but she was given the job of making an example out of Jabral, not an elderly couple. It was likely that they were supposed to do so anyway, but...well, without orders to do so Izabelle was going to stick to the letter of their orders specifically. If her employer wanted the old couple's money as well, they should have specified such. "I have no quarrel with you or your wife for you've done no wrong to either myself or my Mistress. As you've known where this cache was, I suspect your own valuables are in here as well. Point out which ones are Jabral's and we will take no more than that. However, do answer honestly. I will know if you lie." She warns.


Sense Motive for his answer: [roll0]

[Tuvarkz]

"None of it is ours. It's just that Jabral and I were in the same military unit as me and my wife, or at least for the period until we were discharged, so he's been pretty trusting of us." answered the soulknife honestly.

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

The cleric snorts in response to Markin, "Of course not. I'm sure she's every bit as fearsome as her husband."

[Tuvarkz]

As you gather the gold, Shaul goes and checks upon the dogs. One of them is dead, while another one is barely fighting off death. This one receives the potion that Izzabelle had given the old soulknife. The other two are apparently just unconscious. The old couple departs carrying them as you make your way out of the tannery, the gold in hand. Once the couple leaves your sight, Cimri appears from the shadow, mentioning that she'd rather not be spotted by the old couple.

She then leads you to the Ashen House. The manor bears the marks of a decades-old fire, its walls blackened and looking barely stable. Ivy plants seem to have invaded the outside of the building, having entrenched itself in between its nooks and crannies. While the door seems warped and unusable, one of the windows has had any broken glass removed, and Cimri passes through it with practiced ease, as she signals for you to follow her.

[UncleWolf]

Izabelle

As the old couple departs, the Hellhound rips the bolt that pierced her breastplate out with a grunt before following Cimri. "Understandable." She mentions to her but apart from that stays silent as she travels with Rorrim to The Ashen House. Taking her role as bodyguard seriously, the red-headed woman follows Cimri quickly but cautiously in order to make sure that if there are any traps, it is only she that would be caught in it instead of her Mistress.

[Desril]

Maereena

Still fuming about Jabral's escape, Mae remained uncharacteristically quiet, even when Cimri appeared, and followed with crossed arms and glaring at nothing in particular until they reach the Ashen House. When Izabelle goes in first, Mae is right behind her, "If you set something off, I'll get you out. Just try not to get us both killed."

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

The priestess follows behind Izzy, frowning deeply. This building feels odd. She doesn't say anything but keeps an eye on their surroundings, watching for anything special.

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin quietly follows Cimri through the broken window, trusting their associate not to betray them. Cimri didn't seem stupid.

[Tuvarkz]

As you enter the Ashen House, you notice the scent of dust and ashes. Cimri leads you through a set of stairs and then opens a door, entering before you. The room’s toppled bookshelves, chairs, and a table quickly make you reason it out to once have been a library. A mix of ashes, damaged books, and other items make for a nest where you see a half-sleep large feline creature, its ears missing ((DC 25 K:Nature or Arcana reveals it as a Krenshar)).

The most noticeable part of the room, however, is the set of paper screens that divides the room into two. Behind the paper screens, a light forms the shadows of a desk, chair, and the silhouette of a bald figure sitting on it.

“Cimri, is it done?” comes a voice from behind the screen. The high pitch of it suggests either a very young or a very old man. The addressed woman then produced the looted gold and other valuables, placing them upon one of the nearby tables, as she narrated the events of the geist, with a bit of flair added to them.

“Excellent. You’ve done well, Cimri, and your associates sound like individuals of rare potential. You’ll all find your payment waiting in the parlor below, along with a gift for each of you. Go, enjoy, celebrate. You deserve a reward for your impressive work. We’ll talk more in the near future.”

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

The priestess frowns, and goes to check the parlor. This is very odd. Is he choosing not to reveal himself to the group?

[UncleWolf]

"Said the spider to the fly..." Izzy mutters under her breath next to Rorrim. This entire situation didn't sit too well with her, to the point where all it takes is a brief glance to see that the bodyguard is on edge, but she doesn't voice any objections as she heads down in front of her charge.

[Vhaidara]

Markin Abrang, the Strength of Hell

Markin grimaced under his helmet. This whole deal stank of trickery. But he'd done the job he was brought here for, and struck a blow for his queen. He followed the others to the parlor, wary of this supposed "gift".

[Tuvarkz]

As you enter the parlor, you notice a set of five small chests. In each of them, you each find an iron-crafted ring, a simple decoration in the shape of a shield on each, as well as 500 gp in a mix of gold and platinum coins. ((Detect magic will reveal the rings as Ring of Protection +1)). A minute later, Cimri passes by you in the direction of another room, stopping and mentioning: "You're free to spend the night here if you need to." as she points at the old couches nearby, before going elsewhere in the burnt down manor.

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

Rorrim regards the small chest on her pedestal, opens it up and looks through the contents, and then closes it, satisfied. Decent enough reward for what was done, though hopefully the less tangible rewards hold up. For the moment, Rorrim breathes out - she could head back to the inn for the night, but both she and Izzy are tired, and she'd rather just sleep, so she goes over to one of the couches and breathes out, relaxing for the first time since she met the group. "We'd all best get a little rest."

[Desril]

Maereena

The tiefling's thoughts mirrored Markin's as she bit her lip and entered the parlor. At least the pay is good, and things should calm down around here...though not as well as they would if we'd caught that coward.

Sighing, she glances toward the others, "Am I the only one here who doesn't trust this arrangement? Something just strikes me as off about this whole thing, that can't just be me. I've no qualms fighting for our queen, but I don't trust men who won't show themselves to those they employ."

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

"Trust? No. But this is a bit much for them to just betray us. Our mysterious employer could have had people waiting outside the tannery if he wanted us arrested or killed, or he could have done it while we didn't have each other to watch one another's backs. We're useful, and therefore we are best kept alive and in good health. How long we remain useful is another matter entirely," Rorrim stretches, "At least for the night, we're safe. Someone should likely still keep watch, but we're unlikely to be screwed over while we can still be of use to our benefactor. Just don't put on the rings until someone's given them a good look over."

[UncleWolf]

Izzy is quiet for a bit, slowly removing her armor until she can check over the wound the bolt had given her. It was shallow thankfully, but a little higher or lower and that bolt would have slipped right past her ribs. "Mistress, if you could?" She asks, gesturing at the bloody wound through her tunic. "And trust or not, I will take first watch tonight. It would be all too easy to simply burn this place down around us while we slept."

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

Over a pair of minutes, Rorrim will attend to the wound, casting the same spell twice. The group will get the chance to watch as the bleeding wound closes itself, and then the second casting of the same spell causes it to seal completely, though it'll still be tender, "There. Rest when you can and don't move around too much; you should feel better by tomorrow."

Two castings of Infernal Healing to bring Izzy from 24 HP to 44 HP over the course of two minutes.

[Tuvarkz]

Come the noon of the next day, Cimri fetches the lot of you, whether you stayed in the Ashen House or went to your own accomodations. You all enter Razelago's office, where now lays a black laquered box in one of the tables. Razelago then explains the situation: “With the number of veterans who live in town, it’s not surprising that there’s a church of Iomedae in Longacre. But there might not be one much longer if Tileavia Allamar, its priestess, does what she has in mind.”

Razelago’s silhouette clasps shadowy hands. “There’s growing unrest in the empire, and not just in Pezzack and along the Hellcoast. Many of Iomedae’s faithful have begun speaking more boldly of the monarchy’s vices and the rights of citizens. They seem to believe this is Andoran and that the people have only to reach out to seize power. But they are wrong. This is Cheliax, not Andoran, and we know where true power lies."

“Fifth Sword Knight Allamar is gathering all who will listen for a sermon in front of her church this afternoon - only two short hours from now. I don’t know what she has in mind, but I suspect some revolutionary claptrap that can only sow the seeds of confusion and frustration among Longacre’s citizens. That is contrary to my wishes. So I’d like you to attend the rally. In the box are sashes marked with the insignia of Archbaron Fex. Wear them, remind people that the lord of this town is not without supporters, and see what transpires. Afterward, Cimri will report back to me. In return, you will all receive double what you did last night.”


((Those that remained in the Ashen House overnight, make a Perception check. A DC 20 will have you all hearing a faint splashing coming from the second floor.))

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

Rorrim considers this, "Well, if nothing else, having an Asmodean priestess around should cause a bit of a stir. Would you object if we disrupted the speech somehow, past simply being there?"

[Tuvarkz]

"I wouldn't mind it at all. Feel free to act as proactively as you'd like, I'm not one to limit your, creativity, in such aspects."

[Desril]

Mae

Attending a speech to show support for the local lord and having free reign to take measures to prevent rebellious speech? It didn't take much to convince Maereena to agree, the promise of gold was simply a bonus. "I'll do what I can. I suspect it will be a simple enough matter, as long as someone who looks like they have authority is present I doubt they will say anything particularly inflammatory, and that hesitation should keep it from spreading. And should they be particularly troublesome...we'll work something out."

[Tuvarkz]

Razelago makes an approving sound, and you follow Cimri towards the town square.
A few townsfolk have started to gather near the churchyard, and they seem somewhat chatty. In addition, there's an alleyway that is sufficiently dark enough to be able to hide in it, and beyond it, there's an abandoned cart with four barrels of wood tar.

Finally, you also seem to notice a boarded up shop, looking as if it hadn't been opened for a while, and the door, while locked, doesn't seem particularly resilient. What makes this shop stand out, however, is the balcony that you notice in the second floor-which would provide a perfect yet concealed view of the churchyard where Allamar is going to hold her speech.

As you observe all of this, a woman from amongst the town's guard approaches, bearing the sheriff medal. She looks at Cimri, and greets: “Cimri! How’s my favorite niece doing?” “I was just dandy, Aunt Rhona.” being her answer. The sheriff then starts grilling her niece with a few questions, but Cimri seems to be a fairly skilled liar, and doesn't let any details out. Rhona, apparently satisfied, returns to the side of the town's guard.

((You have plenty of time before the sermon begins. Stealth or Diplomacy checks will let you gather information from the crowd. Should you attempt to break into the closed up shop, give me stealth checks.))

[UncleWolf]

Izzy frowns as she tugs at the sash she wears over her armor. She didn't care to wear such effects as her loyalty was to Rorrim and Rorrim alone, but it was what her Mistress desired. When she spies the balcony however, the frown deepens. "Mistress?" She calls to Rorrim to catch her eye. When she does, she nods towards the balcony. "That makes me uneasy, but I doubt it is the only spot someone could be watching from." She advises the priestess. "Having our presence here is one thing, but the last thing any of us needs is a martyr. I will be in the front row if you do not object, and I suggest you do the same to be prepared as a healer. This is...far too convenient." She advises before starting her way through the crowd towards the front. Despite her armor and weapons, she moves as silently and carefully as possible in order to keep from disturbing the crowd and so she can listen in.

[Halae]

Rorrim Tindalos

The tiefling nods to Izzy, "Do what you think is best." No doubt she's getting odd looks from the rest of the crowd; she wears her golden holy symbol of Asmodeus openly, while she also wears the sash she was presented with. It chafes, really - she holds no dislike for the Archbaron, but it feels wrong to represent someone she's never spoken with and doesn't know. She is, at her core, an honest individual, and this feels dishonest.

Still, there's not much to be done about it. She mentally goes over the spells that her patron granted her for the fourth time, before quietly moving into the front end of the crowd, intending to talk to people as she puts a light smile on her face. She may not like the situation, but people respond better to a smile than a dour frown, and she intends to learn everything she can - maybe even make a few friends here in the crowd to show that not every Asmodean is a horrible oppressor.

Diplomacy roll to gather information:
[roll0]

[Desril]

Mae

Looking where Izzy points to, Mae agrees, "You're right, but it might be worth it to have one of us up there in case of trouble. I'd prefer to be in the crowd to prevent any issues from arising from within though, so if one of you will handle that, I'll go and see what way the tides are flowing with the people."

If anyone volunteers to go check out the balcony, Mae quickly disappears into the crowd doing her best to subtly gather more information. Rorrim may feel that their support is dishonest, but she knew how to agree with the people in charge publicly regardless of whether she'd met them or particularly cared about their stances. Knowing how to toe the line was important for the sake of her family's honor, after all.


Diplomacy to gather information [roll0]