The Mir Brothers Travelling Company (Dark Sun, DnD3.5)

[Kaptin Keen]

The Sand Rat is a tiny, windblown caravanserai a ways outside Tyr - propably, and deliberately, the furthest outside Tyr that can still be said to be 'close to Tyr'. Sitting in the middle of a flat, dusty plain, it offers good opportunity for the various dishonest traders who come here to clear out well ahead of any approaching templar patrols. Obviously, this is only relevant for those who cannot or will not modestly contribute to the upstanding members of King Kalak's templars.

The caravanserai itself has no well, but plentiful supplies of stronger drink, and is guarded by a small cadre of hard men who got tired of whatever paid killing was their line of work previously: Gladiators, assassins, hired thugs, sand pirates of every conceivable type. There are no bouncers at the Sand Rat. If you break the few, simple rules of the house, you will be swiftly and decisively dealt with, and you will return to Mother Athas the moisture you've temporarily leased from her somewhere in the dry sand outside.

It's customary for visiting caravans to find a spot to make camp some small distance from the caravanserai itself. This, mainly, because no one in their right minds would trust anyone coming to this place - least of all those who do so themselves. They should really know better. So approaching the place, you see camps dotted across the landscape, 5 or six of them generously spaced, and fiercely guarded.

You've been summoned here by Xristobal, who by rights should have been many a year in the sand by now. He's a mul, a former gladiator who worked with Verdanos way back in the day. He was old even then, but he may well have been the single hardest man you ever knew, a scarred giant of a man who for some reason you never learned was loyal unto death to Verdanos and the Mir Company.

Entering the courtyard of the Caravanserai - under the unflincingly hostile stares of the guards - you spot the ancient, sitting in the shade, nursing a large cup of nectar so strong you feel you can almost see the steam rising from it. As you enter, he spits on the ground in the traditional fashion.

Water in the desert, he intones, good to see you, Mir Brothers, and thanks for coming. You didn't know I was looking, of course - but I've found her!


Spitting: When you meet someone in the desert, you spit - giving water to the dry sands, but mostly showing you have enough that you can spit. If you ever meet someone who doesn't spit, you know he's almost certainly going to try to kill you for your water.

The Mir Brothers Travelling Company doesn't exist at this present point in time. It was great in the past, but slowly fell apart when Verdanos disappeared. There were 7 brothers (as is traditional), but some had died, some went to settle with families, and anyways Verdanoes was the financial head of the company.

Eventually, 'she' was sold. 'Her' almost certainly refers to the converted war wagon that was the mobile theater of the Company. Back in the day, there were drawings, but those are long gone. But all you need to imagine is a huge mekillot wagon that opens to one side, revealing a stage with all the trimmings: The Famous Mir Brothers Travelling Company, where songs and legends were performed for nobles, kings and queens alike.

Caravanserai:
https://i2.wp.com/misfitsarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Robat-Sharaf-Caravanserai-8.jpg?w=496&h=372&ssl=1

An example of a war wagon:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=86112&d=1500062107

[paradox26]

Luca tramped across the unending desert sand, which existed even here at the caravanserai. Of course, with no well, there would have been little chance of plants growing in this particular location. In truth, there was little to mark this out as a place of significance, though it was a favoured campsite of the Mir Troupe. He resisted the urge to grumble about being stuck out in the wilderness, when there were interesting things happening in the cities. He found himself missing the orderly beauty of Urik, but he knew that his mission was important. Besides, he enjoyed finding new things, he just preferred that they be in civilised areas.

He walked at the front of his brothers, naturally feeling a sense of dominance due to his templar training, though he was in fact the youngest of the brothers. He entered the caravanserai, and spotted the hulking, yet still graceful, figure sitting in the shade drinking. He approached him with deference, as was suited to one of his age, experience and fighting skill. "Water in the desert, Grandfather," he said politely. "What brings you to summoning us? WHo is this 'her' that you have found? Someone who needs our help, or our blades?"

[Kaptin Keen]

You'd be Luca, right? I know you still.

It's Thalia, young sir, your fathers mekillot drawn theater wagon. Singular among the cities of the tablelands. A true marvel, equal parts rolling theater and fortress. It's in Tyr - obviously, why else'd I ask you here - and I propose we steal it back, but the Company back together. Re-establish the Mir Brothers Travelling Company, earn fame and fortune across the region.

And if we manage to get the wagon back, I've the first assignment too. A kings ransom, paid for a nobleman's death.

There is a hard gleam in the old mul's single eye. He wants this. Maybe he longs for the days of old, for the open road - maybe he longs for the money.

He's older than you first realised. Hard muscle is still corded around his torso, but his skin is that of an old man, wrinkled and loose. But beside him, along with his pack, are his traditional weapons, twin wrist razors masterfully wrought from boneclaw mandibles.

Verdanos named it Thalia because the ancients used to worship that name .. muse of comedy, or some such.

[Bartmanhomer]

"Oh geez. By the lord of Kord why does it have to be very hot." Malonus couldn't stand the heat.

[Rex500]

Lexius arrived at the Sand Rat without incident, which was just they way he liked it. He had been looking forward to this meeting for some time, as the rumors said his brothers would he here, as well as Xristobal, an old acquaintance of his father.

"An ex-gladiator." Thought the half-elf. "And a Mul at that! An old one, somehow still alive. All of us could learn something from him."

The half-elf, half-halfling hardly made for an imposing figure, being shorter than most humans and wearing a rather large, loose khaki cloak which covered his body nearly completely. He brought down his hood upon reaching the courtyard.

Lexius spat before talking. "Well met, Xristobal. You look good!" "Luca! It has been a long time." "What have you been up to, dear brother?"

[paradox26]

Luca smiled in greeting to his half-brother, the only one of the brothers who was shorter than he was, since dwarves are taller than his brother's halflings. "I have been doing what all of our kind do. Singing songs and cutting throats, selling the occasional draft of poison, using others myself. And how have you been, my brother?"

As he half listened to the answer, he responded to their mul 'grandfather', "I always wondered what happened to that old thing. A beauty, she was. I would very much like to help you to retrieve it, and return it to its true owners. And, he mused, he would not only be in a city once more, where he was most comfortable. But he would be in an enemy city, where he could learn much that he could pass back on to his superiors in Urik.

[Bartmanhomer]

"As much that I really enjoy brotherly love and the reunion. Can we go somewhere that isn't hot?" :annoyed:

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius trudges across the sands and toward the courtyard, using one arm to shade his eyes and the other arm to support a mature adult eagle, which looks out at its surroundings with the sharp bearing of a king being carried on a palanquin. Tertius, for his part, takes a more modest and unassuming posture - there's no sense in provoking the guards or otherwise starting a fight with any of the other hardheads here. At least not without knowing exactly how long it would take to finish them...

"Looks like we're quite a crowd!" he calls out to his brothers, spitting straight down into the sand before closing to comfortable talking distance. He gesticulates widely as he speaks, thick calloused hands cutting intricate complicated patterns in the air - a trait reliable enough for his eagle to expect, as she flies up to perch on his shoulder and out of the way. "I heard the last bit of what you said about Thalia. Those were the days... did you have any leads on her?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Somewhere that's not hot! Ha, that's rich! Roars the old giant. Best I can do for you, Mal, is the shade and a lukewarm drink.

Do I have a lead? I know precisely where she is. Some fat merchant bought her, and is planning to gut her, and restore her to her original purpose as a war wagon. I know the house, I know the number of guards, and I know of a way inside. All you need is to quietly hitch up the mekillots, crash out through the gates, and make your way out of Tyr. Easy as outrunning an elf, right?

He beams at you, and takes a mighty swig of his drink.

Come on, sit down in the shade. Let's make some plans. One of you is a psion, right? Old Verdanos used to run the mekillots, need a psion for that!

[Bartmanhomer]

Somewhere that's not hot! Ha, that's rich! Roars the old giant. Best I can do for you, Mal, is the shade and a lukewarm drink.

Do I have a lead? I know precisely where she is. Some fat merchant bought her, and is planning to gut her, and restore her to her original purpose as a war wagon. I know the house, I know the number of guards, and I know of a way inside. All you need is to quietly hitch up the mekillots, crash out through the gates, and make your way out of Tyr. Easy as outrunning an elf, right?

He beams at you, and takes a mighty swig of his drink.

Come on, sit down in the shade. Let's make some plans. One of you is a psion, right? Old Verdanos used to run the mekillots, need a psion for that!

"Soulknife actually." Malonus went to the shade.

[Rex500]

"Well, we better pay this merchant a visit then, perhaps teach him some manners. I am sure we all miss dear old Thalia." Says Lexius with a calm voice, sitting down near Xristobal.

"Still doing family business, I see!" He then says to Luca."Father would be proud of you." adds the half-elf, a mischievous smile on his face.

[Bartmanhomer]

"Father is such a huge disappointment in my part. But I'm glad he no longer there with me." :frown:

[Foryn Gilnith]

"Man plans and fate laughs..." Tertius mutters out of the side of his mouth before brushing his fingers lightly against the eagle's wing. She flies off into the sky as Tertius follows the rest of the crew toward the comfort of the shade, shaking the dust off his hands as they go.

"I've never been the best at 'quiet', especially compared to some of our absent brothers, but 'crash' and 'run' sound simple enough." He chuckles as he says this, accentuating the point with a clenched fist. "Do we have a map, or can you draw one from memory? Even if we can take the guards, it would be easier to avoid patrol routes."

[Bartmanhomer]

"I prefer a map."

[Kaptin Keen]

A map you say? Nah, but I can tell you what's what.

He draws two adjoining squares in the dust.

Outer courtyard, inner courtyard, right? You have to go through one to enter the other. Buildings all around, obviously. Storage, quarters, what have you around the outer, workshops, so on. Stables. The inner is the family residence. Not their main residence, obviously, they have a great big palace elsewhere. Anyways, inner courtyard - where the rich folk spend the night, and also where the wagons are kept.

See, I realise this is tricky: Great big wagon in one place, mekillots in another. But see, he taps his nose, I have a plan for that. I can make a distraction, make sure you get the wagon out alright. When I stir up trouble, you guys just act like you know what you're doing, hitch the mekillots, and roll out.

No one's going to stop you. You'll see.

[Rex500]

Lexius listened to Xristobal's words carefully. He thought about the courtyards, the Mekillots, as well as the distraction to be made. The plan was grandiose indeed! To steal the family's wagon right from under some fat merchant's nose.

The half-elf tried to look for some fault in the elder Mul's plan, as well as his intentions. Finding none, he decided the ex-gladiator had clearly planned things throughly, in a manner befitting a close friend of Verdanos.

He took a look at the rest of his brothers, mighty Tertius, lacking in finesse but making up for it in brute strength, and Malonus, skilled in mental arts that few people could comprehend. Lex knew they'd be ready.

[Bartmanhomer]

"I hope I could remember this. My memory really sucks!" :mad:

[Kaptin Keen]

Xristobal goes through some more details of the compound: Guards patrol the flat roof, armed with chatkchas and longspears. Each building is two stories, with the bottom story reserved for storage and workspace, and the first floor used for quarters. There's easily too many guards to fight - 30 or more 'veteran' men and women, with training and gear to match. Obviously, not all of them will be awake at all times, and Xristobal explains that at night, when you'll be making the attempt, 6-8 are to be expected, half of those on the roof.

But, wonders never cease, one of the guards is an old colleague of Xristobals, a man he fought with in the arena - a man whose life he saved. This contact will sneak you in the back door, provided you take him with you when you leave.

I think that's all I have. We need to be ready and still undetected when I start the distraction. And we need to be absolutely sure we have control of the mekillots. We're going no place at all without those - it's not like we can haul the wagon ourselves.

He looks expectantly at you, waiting for someone to indicate they're the mekillot handler.


The best mekillot handlers are telepaths. You don't have one of those. Handle Animal skill can be used, but the DC isn't exactly easy (however, failure is by degrees - only rolling disastrously low will yield disastrous results).

It's possible the hire mekillot handlers. The good ones are precisely as expensive as one might expect. And in case you don't know mekillots, they're enormous beetles easily capable of swallowing people whole. They have a tongue attack for that - it's prudent to not hang around a mekillot without very good reason.

[Rex500]

Lexius reflected on Xristobal's words. He had ranger training, and was experienced in dealing with animals. Horses, camels, the occasional stray wolf... but giant lizards? Those were a different matter.

"We might have to hire a Psion unless you are willing to chance it with me as the handler, and I do not have mental powers." says the half-elf to the group, in a manner-of-fact manner.

"What do you suggest, brothers?"

[Kaptin Keen]

I do know a beast handler - name of Khefta. Not a friend or anything, not someone I'd say is ironclad trustworthy. But I do know he can handle mekillots.

[Bartmanhomer]

I do know a beast handler - name of Khefta. Not a friend or anything, not someone I'd say is ironclad trustworthy. But I do know he can handle mekillots.
"How good is Khefta handles mekillots?

Lexius reflected on Xristobal's words. He had ranger training, and was experienced in dealing with animals. Horses, camels, the occasional stray wolf... but giant lizards? Those were a different matter.

"We might have to hire a Psion unless you are willing to chance it with me as the handler, and I do not have mental powers." says the half-elf to the group, in a manner-of-fact manner.

"What do you suggest, brothers?"
"I'm ok with hiring a Psion."

[Kaptin Keen]

Well .. I mean, he's a professional handler. So I assume he's ok, neither the worst nor the best.

[Bartmanhomer]

Well .. I mean, he's a professional handler. So I assume he's ok, neither the worst nor the best.

"Well I'm going to take your word for it."

[paradox26]

Luca considered the options. They were not good, either way. It was a dangerous mission, but such daring had been required before to ensure the existence of the Mir Brothers troupe. And, after all, no one ever made a fortune by playing it safe. SO they would have to accept an old gladiator letting them in. As for how to control the mekillots, he said, "I think we should hire the psionic handler. No disrespect to our brother, here, but I would prefer someone who is guaranteed to be able to handle them. Someone who just has an affinity for such creatures may not be able to control these particular ones when the time comes."

[Kaptin Keen]

Alright. You want me to talk to old Khefta? I know the going rates for handlers, I'll make sure he doesn't fleece you.

[Bartmanhomer]

Alright. You want me to talk to old Khefta? I know the going rates for handlers, I'll make sure he doesn't fleece you.

Yes. Go talk to him." :smile:

[Kaptin Keen]

Right. I'll find him, and tell him to meet us outside the place tomorrow at midnight. Should be more than enough time for you to get ready.

Xristobal isn't a very fuzzy man - that said, he get's up, drops a few bits on the table, and walks out. You're left to ponder the heist, and the fact that you're about to restart the family business.

At least rumor has it that old Verdanos was tremendously wealthy. Not that you've seen much of an inheritance.


Anything you feel you need to do - do so now. Otherwise we'll re-convene outside the merchant compound the next day.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius flashes a grin to Xristobal as the mul leaves and then takes a moment to ostentatiously stretch his arms. No doubt this posture would show off his pecs quite well, if not for the fact that they're behind centimeters of rigid chitin plate. "Luca, Lex, Mally... it's great to see you all again. Really, it is. But honestly, the Mir brothers have always been men of action - so it ill becomes us to sit around swapping tales over warm nectar."

He stands up from the table, whistles a short signal to the sky (presumably for the eagle), and then turns back to face the others. "What do you say we go out, hit the streets, and check out the neighborhood around the target? At the very least we ought to know what roads we can fit Thalia down, yeah? It might be the case that Xristobal, Khefta, and our man on the inside have this all figured out, but just to be safe - not everyone's as lucky as that old geezer. We can catch up while we're casing the area."

[paradox26]

Luca nodded his agreement. "I think that would be wise. We should avoid being noticed by the merchant's guards, but we need to develop some idea as to how we can get the wagon out of the city once we retrieve it. Figure out the roads to take, and so on. There will be plenty of time for talking while we look around. Besides, I really want to get a look at what is going on in Tyr at the moment. I have heard a couple of stories, but that is all."

[Rex500]

"Mmm. Sounds like a plan. Learning about the layout of the city could certainly prove valuable."Agreed Lexius, although in truth, the logistics of the operation did not bother him as much as staying still for an entire day would.

[Bartmanhomer]

"Agreed. The sooner we get out of the hot spot, the better."

[Kaptin Keen]

It's another full day's travel into Tyr. As the great city emerges from the heat haze, you're amazed by the sheer scale of it - walls even a silt sea giant would hesitate to scale, manned by soldiers whose steel weapons gleam fiercely in the sun. And the flow of materials, goods and slaves through the main gates is staggering. Sure, you've heard that King Kalak is doing some sort of grand construction work, but you'd never have guessed it was this massive.

It's any sort of material you can almost imagine: Wagons full of clay dug from the silt sea, huge bones for construction, quarried stone, brick and mortar, trained craftsmen - and slaves, an endless stream of them. You realise, as you're approaching, that slave caravans from all over the table lands are converging on Tyr. Each time the road you're on meets another, there's more.

The city itself is no less mind boggling. Throngs of people crowd it's streets. You're assaulted from all sides by beggars and touts, whores and peddlers of all sorts of trash and trinkets. Templars accompanied by halfgiants and ordinary foot soldiers patrol everywhere. It seems every corner you turn, there's another market.

You quarter yourselves at a cheap inn, just to be out of the sun and the crowds until the sun sets, and everything gets a little cooler and a little more manageable. When it does, you go to the merchants compound.

Of course, it couldn't just be easy. It's located near the arena, which also means near the palace, which again means near the center of town. The way out isn't hard to find - the compound is in the maze of alleys at the end of Caravan's Way, so once you're out, it's just left, right, left, and you're on Caravan's Way, heading for the main city gates.

Surely that's easy as tickling a crodlu.


Like I said - if you want to know anything specific ... you'll need to roll the dice. And don't be afraid to roll the dice. Rolling low doesn't mean I screw you over, just that you get less information. And common sense goes a long way. Just .. don't roll nat1's :p

[Bartmanhomer]

Bros, where do we start?"

[paradox26]

Luca suggested to his brothers, "We should split up briefly, take a walk around their walls and see what we can learn. Speak to people in the area, see what they can tell us about the House. One lap around the walls each, to see what we can see, and to try to figure out their guard routing, then we reconvene here at the tavern. That will gain us the greatest amount of information at the greatest speed. And if we travel separately, we will be less noticed as a threat than if a group of strange half-elves take laps around their base."

As the others talk, he moves around the tavern at times, returning frequently to see what is being said. While the conversation dies off briefly, these trips allow him to talk to other patrons, trying to find out more about the enemy House they are about to try to infiltrate. Each time he learns something, he returns to the table to tell his brothers what he has learned.


Gather Information roll: [roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

The house itself is notorious for it's trade in slaves and weapons. They are not a large house, but as the famous saying goes 'we try harder'. Thus, they whip their slaves harder, and they work closer with bandits and raiders than other merchant houses to cut costs and maximize profits.

They're not a large family, numbering 8 or 10 or some such. Sources aren't sure, nor do they precisely agree. They don't seem to be, however, 'fat merchants' as Xristobal said. Rather, the - propably wildly exaggerated - rumors indicate they're a wild and dangerous bunch. They are dwarves, and have a tendency to hire halflings and kreen for caravan duties, and muls for guard duty (just like everyone else).

Two names stand out. Kherm Bataxxa is the ranking family member here in Tyr, and he is apparently tough as mekillot hide. And his lieutenant, the halfling witch Scytha Shiversong, is so drenched in blood soaked rumor and whispered deviance you're surprised the Templars haven't come for her. To recruit her. As some sort of dreadful executioner/interrogator. An exeterrogator, perhaps.

You learn little of the building except what you can see. You spot the rear entrance Xristobal told you about, as well as the guards patrolling the roof. You also have time to inspect the gates, which are heavy bone strapped together with what just might be giant hair. Which is to say, quite strong.

[Rex500]

Lexius payed careful attention to the information provided by Luca. This merchant, Kherm was also apparently a ruthless slaver. Nothing too surprising in this continent, unfortunately.

The halfling witch he found more intriguing, however. But Lex said nothing.

"This is good intel, brother. Are we all set? Xristobal and our Psion friend are likely waiting for us now. We should be able to have a drink or two on our wagon, before dawn arrives." Added the bard with a smile.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius nods at Luca's suggestion and splits off onto his own patrol route, though he does a lot less talking and listening and focuses rather on seeing his surroundings and thinking about the plan. "Say, Luca," he says to the brothers during one of their table-top meetings. "You mentioned being trained as a templar, right? This close to the palace, what are the odds of any of King Kalak's men getting in our way? I have no intuition for how they might be stationed..."

He scratches idly at the table with a knife in his left hand, roughly tracing out the streets of the urban grid, while using the other hand to tear off tiny scraps of jerky to feed to his eagle. "If we can set up a pile of oiled rags somewhere, Sandy can go off to take a torch to them - classic little trick - but if we don't need to distract the templars' attention from what's happening at the Bataxxa's, there's no need to take the risk."

Just rolling Spot to take in the layout of the walls and surroundings. [roll0]

[paradox26]

Luca considered Tertius' very good question. "It is hard to tell. Every city's templarate is different, from what I know. Urik, who I serve, is pretty disciplined, both as a city as a whole and the templars within it. I am not sure about how enthusiastic Kalak's templars are. It is possible that they will have no interest in a dispute between a merchant house and a bardic troupe. But it is hard to tell. They might have a deal done with the merchants, so they may try to protect them. I think your idea is a good one. Start a fire to distract the templars. Somewhere in the merchants quarter, but away from where we will be working," he said. WHen he spoke of his service to Urik, he did so extremely quietly, so that he could not be overheard.

[Kaptin Keen]

Simple observation at least partially answers the question of the templar force. During the daytime, the templars were everywhere, patrolling the streets, manning gates and walls, checking the business of merchants and craftsmen alike, and making sure everyone's paperwork is in order.

Now that the sun has set, they're much less visible. There's still a hefty presence around the giant construction work in the center of the city, and also around the slave pens. If you didn't know better, you'd think building a ziggurat was the most important thing going on in Tyr these days.

That's not to say there are no templars - but they are fewer, and further in between.

[paradox26]

As the little troup gathered, they joined their old mul friend and his companion, apparently the psion. Greetings were exchanged, but for safety reasons, not names. "Well, we might as well get this project under way. The place isn't going to get any less defended than it is now. Let's go," Luca said to the others. He led the way, as was his nature and training as a templar said he always should, though among his brothers he was simply one of equals.

He led the way past the House to the rear entrance where they had been told they would meet the contact who would let them in. Luca arrived and started looking for some sign of the man.

Spot check: [roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

You find Xristobal and Khefta exactly where you expect to - lounging near alley, smoking some sort of tobacco, sharing a drink, and looking essentially like they belong here. Xristobal has cloak to shield against the night time cold, as well as hide his armor from casual view, and he has a roll of cloth you consider likely to hide his wrist razors.

Khefta wears a vest and loose pants, and little else. An clay emblem worn on a around his neck proclaims membership of the Tamers Guild to the world, and except for that he wears only tattoo's and a disdainful scowl. As you approach, he looks you over dismissively, and greets you with the words: No one mentioned we'd be breaking the King's Law. That'll cost you another hundred ceramics!

Xristobal shoots you an apologetic glance, and shrugs. Muls aren't great at negotiations.

[Rex500]

Calm down, dear Khefta. We have detailed information of the compound's inner structure, as well as the merchant's guard movements. The results of this little venture will be most to your liking, I assure you. Answered Lexius, in a steady, calm tone. He had been in quite a number of missions by now, as a Mir brother and there were few things that unnerved the half-elf, truth to be told. Stealing from a deranged merchant had its dangers, to be sure but Lexius had done worse to better people.

The half-elf placed his hand in his pocket. His ceramics were still in their place.

I must confess it is a little disappointing hearing of an Elf who gives so much respect to the King's laws, however! All the tales my father told me of your people always painted you as fearlessly independent. He added, intending to appeal to Khefta's pride.

[Kaptin Keen]

The elf looked shocked and insulted in equal parts: I have not a care for the King's Law - I care only for the ceramics. I'm sure you're all doing this for charity and to save orphans, but I no such sad inclinations. I'll work for pay, and riskier work requires greater pay.

With that, he holds out his hand.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius taps out a soft rhythm on his exposed and muscular forearm, trying to clear his mind before the mission. His face remains placidly neutral as Khefta plays up his shock and angles for more money, but it shifts into a scowl when the elf reaches out for payment. "Right back at you, tamer - we'll give pay for work done. Whatever you squeezed out of the mul should be more than enough coin for an advance; you can get the rest of your hazard pay after the mekillots have been led clear of the compound."

Having finished barking at the elf, Tertius turns his gaze toward Xristobal and squints slightly. "How much did Xristobal even tell you, that you thought we'd get through the night without breaking the King's Law? Are we all in the same wagon when it comes to what steps we'll be taking in this plan?"

[Bartmanhomer]

"You're not a people person are you?" Malonus asked Khefta.

[Kaptin Keen]

"You're not a people person are you?" Malonus asked Khefta.

You're not a business person, are you? Replies Khefta, as completely unfazed as the desert wind. Your Mul here negotiated standard wage for a standard job. Which will do nicely once the illegal job that precedes it is over. But for now, you need to pay me to risk my neck for a bunch of total strangers. That will cost you 100 ceramics.

If you cannot pay up front, I'm willing to take half in advance. This once.

[paradox26]

Luca stood quietly at the rear while the others attempted to negotiate. Seeing that they were going to have no luck in dropping the elf's price, and that he would be needed no matter what, he reached into his pouch and counted out fifty ceramics. He handed them to the elf and simply said, "Half up front then. I will give you the rest when we have the caravan back, along with its mekillots."

[Kaptin Keen]

Kehfta lit up in a bright feral smile, and replied: A pleasure doing business with you, Brothers Mir. Let's get to work then.

Following Xristobal, you walk to the rear entrance, where he knocks a code - and the door swiftly opens. Inside, you see an old dwarf, a terrible facial scar ruining the left side of his face. When he sees you all, he speaks loudly enough for anyone nearby to hear:

Curse the sands, you're late! Wagons been here an hour or more - and they're not unloading themselves. Get your sorry hides to work, or I swear I'll whip them raw. He winks with his single eye, and waves you in.

The rear door enters into a large storage space filled with crates, jars, piles of hides and sacks of grain, containers made from hide or skin or bone or clay. A type of crane is mounted in the ceiling for moving various heavy objects around.

A large open gate leads into the courtyard, where workmen and guards go to and fro. There may be ten workers, and no more than a couple of tough looking guards. In the middle of the courtyard stands Thalia, more battered and bruised than you remember her, but still undeniably herself: The only rolling theater of the Tyr region.

Xristobal nods at you and walks off, presumably to go about his distraction.

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus frowns but smile a little bit.

[Rex500]

There you are! mutters Lexius under his breath. He stops for a moment to look for the Mekillot stables.

Spot check! [roll0]

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus looks around for the mekillots.

[roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

As Xristobal explained, the compound consists of two courtyards. The mekillot stables are easy to find, since mekillots are the size of houses themselves: They are in the other courtyard. Between the two courtyards is a large sliding gate, which is partway open - enough to allow people, but not mekillots.

The people at work at this hour are busily going about their business - mostly preparing for caravans leaving or arriving the next day.

[paradox26]

Luca headed for the gate between the two courtyards, and started to push to open it. "Come along, my friends. If we don't get these mekillots hitched quickly, the Master will take the whip to us," he said loudly, pretending that he is a part of the household. "It is a long way out to the Master's outer holdings, so we had better get a move on."

[Bartmanhomer]

"I'm surprised that elf be able to find and raised these rare creatures." :eek:

[Kaptin Keen]

Your arrival provoces a number of reactions. One worker smiles at you and says what, they're sending you out tonight? Bloody slavedrivers never stop, eh? And we're not even slaves! But generally there's little suspicion, they are all willing to accept at face value that you're workers doing work - there's a certain camaraderie.

Until you reach the mekillots, that is. As soon as you start opening the pens, a fat dwarf comes running. He's bald, considerably overweight - but it's clear from his muscles that he's the type of guy who works hard so he can afford to live well. He carries the traditional mekillot goad, and there can be little doubt: This is the stable master.

Oi! He hollers, angrily, wotcha doin'? I ain't herd nuthin' 'bout any mekillots for tonight. No one's takin' me beasts except with proper orders! At his words, some of the workmen stops whatever they're doing, and look over.

[paradox26]

Luca left the gate and wandered casually over to the overseer who had spoken to them. He gestured over in the direction of the main building, where the Master of the house lived. "Last minute change of plans. The Master got word of an elven merchant tribe coming to one of our outer holdings. The Master wants to deal with them because the prices are better than what the merchants in the city offer. He thought that as elves, or half-elves anyway, we might get the best price they can offer. They are only there until tomorrow, so we had to move fast. You can always wake the Master and ask him about it if you like. What usually happens to people who wake up the Master from his sleep?"


Diplomacy roll [roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

The dwarf takes this in - tastes it, chews it, spits it out. In all fairness, he considers it, before deciding he's having none of it.

Elves, huh? See, the thing is elves more real fast. What with how they run and stuff? And all our main business right now, it's slaves, and it's clay for bricks for Kalak's pet ziggurat. Slaves don't move fast, and the amount of clay we need also isn't anything you'd move around in a backpack.

So I think you're trying to pull one on me - and you'd better fezz up, rite now!


Since maybe not everyone knows: Elves can run like the wind. Literally. They go into some sort of trance, and they run, and they run, and they run. For days on end, no breaks, no food, no nothing. They just go from a to b, no fuss what so ever.

Other races can't do that, obviously, so our friend is right.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius follows mutely along with the others, trying to balance 'seeming like a tired laborer' with keeping an eye out for people's movements and any unexpected surprises that might pop up. He directs a dull gaze toward the yelling dwarf and affects a long yawn before speaking in response. "Come on, mate, don't run that game on us. We all know the main business but there's always some half-baked plan for a side business going on. You can see the goods for yourself if you're so het up about doing your due diligence - though I'll warn you, it's not much to look at. Between you and us..."

Tertius leans in closer to the stablemaster for these next sentences, both for rhetorical effect and to hopefully block the dwarf's line of sight to Malone and/or Lexius. "I think there's got to be a smuggler's compartment in some of these crates containing what's really being sold to the elves. Because you're right, even a whole tribe of elves wouldn't be buying more than I could carry on my back alone." He punctuates this comment with a flex of his bicep, hoping to buy more time until Xristobal's distraction kicks in and hopefully makes this whole conversation moot. "Difference is, if it were little lonely me passing through the gates, Kalak's men might give me the kind of trouble Mister Bataxxa doesn't want on this deal..."

With a slap on the dwarf's back, Tertius stands up straight again and starts to laugh brashly. "Hah! Well, that's why they don't pay me to think!"

[Kaptin Keen]

If I wasn't entirely specific about it, Xristobal really intends the mekillot to be ready when he goes to work.


The stablemaster listens to Tertius' words with a sour expression on his face. Tertius may somehow have struck a string in the dwarf.

Smuggling! Is .. that .. so? You'd better show me this hidden compartment.

He looks to Tertius to lead him where this cargo is - waving the other workmen off, brusquely ushering them back to work.

[Rex500]

We don't have time for this.Thinks Lexius. He is thankful for the distraction provided by Tertius. Always a practical man, his brother!

The half-elf elbows Khefta lightly, and signals him to begin opening the stable pens together.

[Bartmanhomer]

"I agree. We're wasting to much time as it is." :annoyed:

[Foryn Gilnith]

Out of the corner of his vision, Tertius sees Lexius elbow Khefta toward some sort of action. His eyes glaze over for an instant, contemplating the dozens of ways this improvised plan could go wrong, before refocusing and directing a cheeky grin to the stablemaster. "If you say so!" He chatters loudly while leading the dwarf over toward the storage space, hoping to drown out any incidental noise his brothers make as they do whatever it is they intend to do.

"See, I don't have the details in full - the less I know the less that can hurt me, yeah? - but when you're shifting cargo around yourself, you can't help it if you notice some things. For instance, this one real lopsided crate - set it down in the corner even though it's a middleweight 'coz I lurched while carrying it..." Tertius puts his hand to his side, pantomiming a surprised loss of balance, but also making sure his dagger is still in place and ready to be drawn. "Felt almost like clay had settled on the wrong side of it, even though I know damn well we had it straight upright the whole transit time. Now if that's not a sign of some fishy business, I don't know what is."

Tertius gestures vaguely and sloppily with his gesticulating hand toward the storage as they move, smiling loosely while keeping his eyes peeled for the movement patterns of the other workers. The moment he sees a window of opportunity where he can make threats unobserved, he intends to do so - pulling out a knife, telling the dwarf he's damn right that we were lying to him but he should play dumb unless he wants a couple of brand new scars where his eyeballs used to be, etc... just trying to bring that big slonking Intimidate modifier into play.

Spot traffic patterns [roll0]
Intimidate the dwarf into silence, if it comes to that [roll1]

[Kaptin Keen]

Take heed, gentlemen - Foryn Gilnith leads the way and shows you how. That's how the dice are rolled! =D


As the stable master follows Tertius into the storage area, he grumbles I swear if someone is smuggling in our crates without paying a due share to me and the house, I'll have them buried alive in the deep desert!

As the dwarf is mentally lost in his own little narrative, Tertius waits for the right moment - then in a sudden flurry of unexpected action, he trips the dwarf behind a row of barrels, and presses a bone dagger a hairs breadth from his eyeball.

The stable master may be, in other contexts, a genuinely hard man - but this is by no means the sort of situation he's prepared for. As Tertius explains to him that he'll blind him way into the third generation of his unfortunate offspring, all he can reply is an-anything you say, I've seen nothing - don't even know yer name .. just, stay calm, nothing we can't work out - just tell me how I can help ..

Meanwhile, outside, the other brothers get busy harnessing the mekillots to the wagon.

[Rex500]

Lexius helped Khefta, Malonus and Luca handle the impressive beasts, and lead them to the wagon. The stablemaster was nowhere to be found, which made their task much easier.

Once outside, the half-elf took a deep breath of the night's air. The operation appeared to be going well thus far.

We have to wait for Tertius., said Lex in a neutral tone, while hitching a Mekillot. Truth to be told, the Mir brother almost pitied the dwarf stablemaster. His brother could be a formidable opponent when he desired to.

[paradox26]

Luca frowned at the approach his brother had taken, but it was one which he had himself considered might be necessary, so he wasn't too upset. Especially since it obviously worked. He did what he could to try to get the mekillots into their harnesses and traces, since he was not sure how long his brother could keep the dwarf under control. He didn't know a great deal about animals or their wagons, but he had quick hands, and he knew Thalia well from his childhood. He worked as quickly as the others, while still keeping a careful eye out for any signs of alarm, while ensuring that it didn't look like that was what he was doing.

[Kaptin Keen]

Between the now-hitched theater-wagon and the sweet, sweet smell of freedom now stood only the half open inner gate - and the closed and guarded outer gate.

[paradox26]

Luca finished the hitching of the wagon, then returned to trying to open the half-open gate. He wasn't sure how they were going to get past the closed and guarded outer gate, but he was sure they could figure something out. Perhaps the hired House member they had used would be able to get them past the guards. If not, they would have to either charge through the gates, if the mekillots could do that, or else they would have to trick the guards into letting them out.

[Kaptin Keen]

Pushing open the inner gate is easy and goes unchallenged. The outer gate however is guarded by two bored looking but alert hirelings - a mul and a human. Their bone-and-leather armor looks to be of good quality. The mul has a weapon at either hip, a matching pair of carrikals. The human holds an iron-tipped spear.

[Foryn Gilnith]

After some consideration, Tertius decides against trying anything complicated with the apparently terrified dwarf, and just tells him to keep his head down out of the way until this whole sandstorm blows over. Task accomplished, he swaggers back toward the wagon to rejoin his brothers, before seeing Luca at the inner gate and approaching him. "Same elf tribe cover?" he whispers, leaning down to make sure he can hear any response from the shorter and balder brother. "Or you think we ought change it up for the gate guard?"

[Kaptin Keen]

It seems despite even the most full forged of efforts, you simply cannot trust in the cowardice of people. No sooner does the stable master gather some other worker around him, than he refinds his lost courage, and yells loud and clear:

INTRUDERS! These men are ... he get's no further before another, even louder yell drowns him out.

FIRE! FIRE! The wagon is on fire, get it out of here before the stock and buildings catch!

Xristobal's voice, strong and loud and sure. To your horror, you see he isn't lying: The rear end of the wagon goes *whosh!* and bright red flame leaps towards the darkened skies.

There is a moment of confusion as everyone takes a moment to catch up with current events - then the most visible feature, the fire, wins out over other considerations, and everyone rushes to close doors and gates into the storage areas, fetch blankets to beat out stray sparks, and so on.

The stable master isn't deterred - he rushes off to gather the armed guards.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius spares a moment to look back at the mustering stablemaster with a grin on his face. "That's a dwarf for you," he murmurs, before sprinting forward to the two hirelings at the front of the compound. "The gate! The gate!" he cries, both hands empty and raised in front of him in a pleading gesture. "Open the doors before those fools crash the wagon straight into them!" His eyes dash wildly around the scene, trying to look for anywhere the gate might unlatch, as well as trying to play up his apparent 'panic' and 'surprise' at recent events.

I would assume this to be Diplomacy but I'm rolling Bluff as well in case it matters.
D: [roll0]
B: [roll1]

[Rex500]

Lexius facepalmed at the sudden screams of fire. You are not one for subtlety, are you Xristobal?. He thinks.

"Luca, Kefhta. I'll try to get into a better position. Hopefully the guards open the gate for us." says Lexius with a clear voice."Watch out for Tertius. If he is not making any progress we will have to force our way out, before the dwarf returns with the armed guard!"

Lexius will now attempt to climb to the top of the wagon!
[roll0]

[paradox26]

"Get those bloody gates open before the Master has all of our hides for losing his villa," Luca yelled at the gate guards, instilling all of his training as a templar into his voice. Without drawing a weapon, he approaches Thalia and starts to climb up beside the psionic driver, trying to convince the guards that he was legitimate. He silently cursed his brother for not keeping the stablemaster under control until they had Thalia completely out of the compound, but there was now little that could be done about it, so they would have to simply play things by ear once again.


Bluff check against gate guards: [roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

Things happen really quickly.

The guards at the gate don't argue. The argument is convincing, Tertius back by Luca deliver it with forceful emphasis - and it's backed by roaring flame at the wagons rear. They immediately struggle to pull the heavy gate aside.

Meanwhile, Lexius easily scales the wagon, finding himself atop it's sturdy construction. There is a kind of rampart up here, going around a tiny 'courtyard' covered by a raised tarpaulin roof. Notably, there is also a ballista at both front and rear end. And finally, the drovers perch is at the front, below the ballista turret.

Khefta deftly leaps onto the back of one mekillot, and runs along it to the drovers perch.

The mekillots, for their part, react to the fire the animals usually do: They smell smoke, sense the flicker of flames, and start to run away from it. It's obvious straight away that while Khefta might be able to direct them - there's no way he's going to convince them to stop.

If anyone has a moment to spare for glancing at the stable master, they'll see he's got a couple of robust guards with him, more coming - bleary eyed - from their barracks, and workers bringing riding kanks for them. He's shouting for the archers on the roof to come help, but they're not currently in view.

With a deep rumble, the wagon starts forward. The game is now truly afoot.


The wagon isn't really fast - it moves at the pace of a decent jog for a man, and a sprinter can catch it easily enough. On the bright side, you have a very slight advantage of moving first, and the guards are in sorta heavy armor.

The gate is not yet open, they're working on it, and currently oblivious to the stable master - he's on the opposite side of the wagon, and it's a big wagon, so they have no idea.

I need exact positions for everyone. I know we don't have a map, I hate maps. Just tell me what you're doing. Getting into the wagon isn't hard, the doors are open. Running alongside is also possible. Trying to steal a kank is possible, but perhaps needlessly gutsy.

And we'd need initiative rolls now. We are in combat rounds, and very soon, I expect the sweet, sweet lifeblood of many hardy and seasoned fighters to moisten the dry sands of Athas.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius circles around to the back of the wagon while taking in the slowly opening doors, the mustering guards, the kanks being brought out, and the spreading fire at Thalia's back. He tries to remember how fast the wagon moves, counts the distance, counts the guards and riders, and finally something inside him snaps like an overpulled rope, giving way to something akin to madness which creeps visibly into his eyes. With a low grunt, he loosens his shirt and rolls his shoulder, letting fall to the floor a bag of what sounds like solid gravel, which apparently secured to his chest by a line of giant hair wrapped around his torso. As Tertius unwraps the hair completely, it's clear that this is a mekillot sap - and that he knows well how to use it, swinging the bag into a swirling guard that passes in front of and around him. "This really is what I was made for," he murmurs, staring down the approaching guards.

[roll0] Initiative

[Kaptin Keen]

Make a Spot roll.

The tally Tertius comes to is:
It'll take two rounds to reach the gates. Hopefully getting through won't take long.
There are four guards on the roof - you think. They are not in sight right now.
There are four guards mounting kanks under direction of the stable master. Four more are coming, dragging their armor on as they go.
Another two guards at the gate.

None of the opposition are exactly ready yet. Riders are just getting the reigns of their mounts, readying weapons, and so on.

Oh, and the wagon is a merry blaze.

[Bartmanhomer]

"We have to do something."

[Kaptin Keen]

"We have to do something."


I need your location and any actions you're taking, man - it says so in my post: Exact positions for everyone. And initiative.

Jeez! =) :p

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus join Tertius and help him.

[roll0]

[paradox26]

Luca decided that the driver could manage without him, and that there would be little point in rescuing Thalia if she burnt to the ground. So he climbed through the mighty rolling wagon towards the rear, where he proceeded to try to put out the fire. Since the distraction was working, now would be the time to try to extinguish it.


Initiative [roll0]
Action: Trying to put out fire from inside Thalia, without getting far enough out of cover that the archers can get to him.

[Kaptin Keen]

Roll spot.

[paradox26]

Luca continued to try to get to the fire while within cover, but he chanced a look around to see where everything and everyone was.


Spot Check: [roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

It's actually not something you'd readily notice - but it's not the wagon burning. There are three piles of rags burning, giving off a lot of smoke, and it seems clear that some sort of alcohol or similar was poured over the walls.

But the walls themselves aren't on fire, as far as you can tell. And quite likely, as soon as the alcohol is burned off, the 'blaze' will look far less convincing.

[paradox26]

Seeing what he did, Luca climbed up to the top of the wagon and went forward once again, taking his place now at the forward ballista, since with that he could inflict the most damage. Of course, it would be of little use against the gates, which were still opening anyway, and he couldn't yet use it against the guards mounting their kanks, or the animals themselves, which provided a larger and easier target. So he decided to hold fire and allow his brother on the rear ballista to fire at their pursuers.

[Rex500]

Lexius spent just a moment staring at the ballista in surprise. "Well..."

Then, from up high, he can see the enemies gathering towards the wagon! He hurries towards the siege weapon.

Rolled initiative on the other thread. Got a 9!

[Kaptin Keen]

As the Mir brothers hustle to get ready, so does the stable master - he yells orders, organizing the guards to counter you.

The wagon starts rumbling along, gathering speed. With Luca manning the front balista, and Lexius at the rear, Khefta at the reins steers the wagon in a headlong rush (such as it is) at the gates. If the guards do not manage to get it open, he'll try his best to power right through it. Mekillots are big and strong, but they're not immune to getting stuck on terrain.

Distance builds, but slowly. It's only moments until the kank riders are ready, and they're substantially faster than a mekillot. At the same time, the roof guards come into sight atop the building, chatkcha spinning, ready to fire. Not counting the two at the gate, four riders are ready to pursue, four more will be soon. And yet another four are ready to fire from the roof.


Round one: Malonus and Luca act before the enemy - then we're in regular combat rounds. If you're inside the wagon, you have Cover, if you're in a position to look out and attack. If you prefer, you can be totally out of sight, but at the cost of being able to fight or see.

In one round, you'll hit the gate, open or not. If it's not fully open, it may slow down your wagon, which isn't optimal.

You're welcome to state your intended action, even if it's not your turn yet.

Roll all relevant rolls at once. If possible.

I'll sort everything out as we move along =)

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus went inside the wagon.

[paradox26]

Seeing no better target, Luca decided that he would try to keep the rooftop guards' heads down, preventing them from shooting at the wagon. He took careful aim at the toughest looking man on the roof, then he fired. Hopefully it would intimidate the others.


Ballista attack [roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

The ballista fires with a resounding *TWANG!*, launcing it's spear sized bolt with tremendous force. It misses the guard, and sails off into the night. Frankly, there's no telling where it might end up - the range of the weapon is several hundred meters.

Reloading the weapon will take .. a while.


I rolled initiative for the enemies twice - I dunno what that's about, propably my mind is actually melting. Jeez. The first roll is the one that counts, which means everyone acts before the enemies.

Also, ballisae fire every other round. So a full round to reload. I'm propably being too generous with that, but ... meh.

[Rex500]

Lexius turns the ballista around. The half-elf begins aiming towards the middle of the kank riders closest to the stable master.

So much for being nature's friend. he reflects... and fires!

[roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

Please be specific - what are you aiming for?

[Rex500]

Oh, sorry! I was aiming for one of the rider's kanaks. Whichever is close to the dwarf.

[Kaptin Keen]

Lexius' shot is point blank for the size of the weapon, and it's spear punches right through the kank, and deep into the ground beyond. The insect spews green ichor in a great splash across several nearby guards, screams and dies, broken chitin and jitterring limbs - the poor rider, entirely unprepared, is tossed like a ragdoll, and lands in a messy heap some steps distant.

[paradox26]

With no alternative course of action open to him, Luca starts to methodically reload the ballista, using it as much as possible to keep him protected from the aim of the men on the roof. He hides behind cover while he works to reload as fast as possible, deciding that he would hold his next shot until he sees one of the kank riders trying to come in from the front, since those were easier targets than individuals on the roof.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Seeing all ballistae manned and seeing no benefit to breaking formation, Tertius simply follows Malonus into the wagon. When the kank riders start to catch up with the brothers he'd at least like to be able to look them in the eye without craning his head - or better yet, look down on them. He clambers up to the top of the wagon's wall, meeting eyes with his brothers and flashing a grin if they look up from reloading, and finds a spot to stand where he can build up momentum on his sap swings.

Getting up onto the top floor of the wagon, as suggested by the Kaptin.

[Kaptin Keen]

The wagon has a head start, and is accelerating steadily towards it's max speed of 'slow'. It is not, however, so far ahead that the troops cannot reach it. The riders catch up easily, poking the defenders on the walls with lances. More riders are still getting mounted, but will be joining the fun in a few moments.

On the roof, yet another four guards appear, missile weapons at the ready. They're spaced fairly equally around the compound - the two closest fire their chatkchas, then run towards the gate, presumably planning to jump onto the wagon as it passes below.


Three riders reach the wagon - and since they can only reach the rear, they all try to stick poor Lexius - he's also the one who rudely shot on of their kanks, so they mislike him some.

Cavalry charge:
Rider1, attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Rider2, attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Rider3, attack: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Lexius is in cover, for a +4 to AC, and thus 21 is needed to hit him.

General information: Tertius is on the walls, and can see everything and do ... pretty much anything. Attacking the riders with a small weapon isn't going to work, they'll be out of reach.

Malonus has stated nothing except to enter the wagon, so I'm going to assume he's guarding the door.

Luca and Lexius are at the ballitae, reloading I guess.

The guards at the gate are now aware the wagon is under attack by the rest of the guards (because they can see the men on the roof). They stop trying to open the gate, and try instead to close it.

Gate status: [roll6] Low is good, high is bad.
Khefta, who is by no means any kind of fool, mentally informs the mekillots that it's dinner time, and that the guards are snacks.
Mekillot, attack: Rider1, attack: [roll7]
Damage: Swallow whole (there's no way they live - it's a whole bloody bunch of damage)

I think I remembered everything. I hope.

Forgot mekillot 2. And the chatkcha's. Jeez!! It doesn't matter - they have +21 to hit. We're going to assume it wasn't a nat1. Both gate guards disappear forever. I'll roll missile fire in OOC.


As the guards reverse on the gate, and are just about to start closing it, the giant, sticky tongues of both mekillots lash out. With panicked screams both guards disappear, the last the world ever knows of them is a wet crunch and an abrupt end to their screams.

The other guards all manage to entirely miss everything and everyone. The wagon reaches the gate, and manages to just squeeze through.

[Rex500]

Lexius smiles widely as the ballista shot turns one of the kanks into a messy heap.

The moment is short-lived, however as his position is quickly surrounded by angry riders trying to skewer him with lances. Guess they must really like their giant bugs.

Seeing that they won't let him reload the siege engine in peace, the Mir brother instead draws his longbow and aims towards one of their pursuers.

[Kaptin Keen]

Is a move action. You can fire it too, if you so please.

[Rex500]

Is a move action. You can fire it too, if you so please.


What, really? :O Oh! no full defense then, and Lex will fire towards... hmm... one of the riders surrounding him. Preferably a human because favored enemy

[roll0] attack
[roll1] damage .

[Kaptin Keen]

So an 11 is not enough. But then, it's not really an 11. You get +1 for higher ground, and they lose -2 AC for charging. That makes it 14, and that is enough for a hit.

Then there's the damage. It seems you've decided you get +3 - but you actually get +4, 2 for STR, and 2 for Favored Enemy.

On the drawing of weapons, not only is it a move action - it can be done as part of movement. I'm not 100% sure whether that's a house rule, an interpretation, or simply the way it is.

But bottom line, you do 9 points of damage to one of the three attackers. He takes an arrow to ... well, the shoulder, but doesn't fall.

They are, however, in melee range. So if it wasn't for cover ... but you already knew that, I'm sure =)


Lexius snaps out his bow, and with barely a moments aim sends an arrow into the shoulder of one of the three riders. The man grunts in pain, but remains in the saddle, presumably now further angered.

[paradox26]

Luca finished loading his ballista, then contented himself to wait for an appropriate target to appear in front of his weapon. None had done sop thus far, since they had pushed out through the gates with the wagon, and the kanks had not yet been able to pass them and get in front. He decided to leave the ballista alone, so he climbed up onto the top of the wagon, where he expected the kank riders or gate guards to try to jump aboard Tahlia. As he moved, he drew his long blade, ready to fight should the need arise.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius takes stock of the situation from atop the wagon and sees Luca emerging from his ballista berth, to which he gives a quick nod. He then moves to the edge of the wall nearer to Luca, keeping his mekillot sap in motion and waiting for a chance to intercept one of the pursuing guards with its whirling heft.

Move action to move and standard to ready an attack. I don't know if I'm imagining the combat correctly but my impression is that since lances are reach weapons, the mekillot sap (also a reach weapon) won't be able to get at them again until they're close enough to stick Luca again. In any case, if the guards jump onto the wagon they'll definitely be in range, so rolling attack and potential damage:
[roll0] to hit
[roll1] nonlethal bludgeoning damage on a hit

[Kaptin Keen]

Moving from his initial position closer to Lex, Tertius happens to be on the wagon opposite one of the roof guards as the wagon rumbles past the gate. The guard, already running - much too late to change his mind - leaps regardless, and the mekillot sap snaps him sideways mid-jump, like a sling bullet would a sparrow. With a solid and unpleasant sound *WHOMPF!* he catches the sap midriff, tumbles head over heels into the side of the wagon, tumbles to the ground, and misses by mere inches an incredibly messy and painful death under the wheels.

For a moment he stares wild-eyed into the sky, as if praising long dead gods for his undeserved survival.

Then the kank riders run him over, sharp legs impaling him repeatedly in their busy pursuit.

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus fight defensively for protection.

[Kaptin Keen]

Malonus fight defensively for protection.


When fighting defensively, you can still attack.


Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action
You can choose to fight defensively when attacking. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round. See also: Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action.

So ... if you want, make an attack roll against an enemy in range. You're by the door, which means with a ranged weapon you can attack the riders. You could also hold your action against anyone trying to enter the wagon. Or you can move, and attack from the wall of the wagon.

[Kaptin Keen]

As the wagon rumbles on, one enemy leaps from the roof of the compound onto the wall of the wagon - opposite where Tertius just repelled another. Being currently safe from easy retaliation, he launches one of his chatkchas at Tertius.

Outside the wagon, the riders keep harassing. One stays around the back to stab at Lex, another tries for Tertius, and the last makes a valiant jump from the saddle, through the open door and into the fortress. Where Malonus awaits. He does not, however, time the jump right - for a sliver of a moment he has the gleam of triumph in his eyes, leaping forward, war club ready to strike. Then, as he lands, one foot slips, he flails about in panic for a moment, and then falls as the wagon rumbles on without a care in the world. You barely feel the bumb as the wheels crush him into pulp.

In the back of the compound, another four riders are ready to start the chase, and more guards have started running - they'll take longer to keep up, but they'll get there eventually, especially if the wagon slows for any reason.


First off, I need two jump checks, or the above may be wrong.
Jump, wall guy: [roll0] vs 10
Jump, rider: [roll1] vs 15

Then, provided everything else works out as planned, some attacks:
Wall guy, thrown chatkcha: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Rider, vs Lex: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
Rider, vs. Tertius: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]
Rider, vs Malonus: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]

Xristobal:
Climb: [roll10]
Attacks: [roll11] - [roll12]
Damage: [roll13] - [roll14]

Again - I think that's everything.


Out of nowhere, Xristobal appears next to the enemy on the walls. Like some sort of sand demon, he almost runs up the walls, striking with furious strength at the chatkcha thrower - the man is able to take a step backwards just in time, and the sharp blades cut gouges in his leather armor, but even so it's clear Xristobal is a far superior melee fighter.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Tertius grunts as a chatkcha flies through the air around him and a lance opens a gash in his side. He spares a glance to Xristobal's assault on the guard - just long enough to see the situation seems under control - before tightening his grip on the mekillot sap and leaning toward to make a retaliatory swing at the guard who pierced him.

[roll0] to hit and [roll1] damage if applicable.

[Rex500]

Lexius calmly aims towards the one rider harassing him. For now, the half-blood places his faith on his defensive position, as well as his skill.
Lex will use rapid shot to fire twice
[roll0] 1st attack
[roll1]
[roll2] 2nd
[roll3]

[Rex500]

Huh. I think the first one might he a crit! :o, so another roll
[roll0]

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus brings out his light crossbow and he shoots the rider who attack Malonus with his light crossbow.

Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

Critical:

Attack: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]

[Kaptin Keen]

Malonus trains his crossbow at the rider - but as he stumbles, falls and is crushed to pulp under the wheels of the wagon, he swings his aim, targets the rider attacking Tertius, and lets fly. At the same time, Tertius swings his huge sap, and both attacks strike true. The unfortunate rider takes a quarrel to the chest, then a giant clap to the side of his head, and tumbles off his mount, tumbling head over heels to the ground, where he struggles to regain his feet. He's not dead, but he won't be doing any more fighting today - or for the foreseeable future.

For his part, Tertius' keen eye and steady hand compensate for the motion of both wagon and the enemy. With unerring accuracy, he fires true, placing a shaft straight through the heart of his foe. He falls from his kank, dead in an instant.

Only one enemy remains an immediate threat - up on the walls, facing Xristobal.


Attack1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Attack2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]


Xristobal strikes furiously, both wrist razors finding their marks, and blood sprays left and right. The guard, realizing he's along and quite unable to match Xristobal, takes the one exit available to him - he leaps over the side of the wagon. After all, it's a safer proposition than staying.

For now, there is only the crackling of the flames - but more riders are approaching fast.

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus reloads and shoots the closest rider nearby with his light crossbow.

Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

Critical:

Attack: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]

[paradox26]

Luca continued to stand guard up on the roof, ready for the enemy to come to him. But with the last of the higher ones falling, he changed his mind, and returned downwards into the wagon, where he took up his position once more at the ballista, ready to knock down any kank rider who might try to get in front of them to stop them.

[Rex500]

Lexius begins aiming towards the guard Xristobal scared off the wagon. Then, seeing that the guard lost his stomach for fighting the half-elf lowers his weapon instead.

"Nice job, my brothers!"shouts Lexius. He takes a moment to analyze the situation, then decides to leave the ballista to either Xristobal or Tertius, while he keeps using his longbow.

Lexius will move beside the ballista, and ready an attack against the first rider who comes within range.
[roll0] attack
[roll1] damage

[Kaptin Keen]

The wagon rumbles along merrily. However, you're followed by three riders, and soon four more emerge in front. They do not, however, turn to face you. Instead, they keep pace with you, doing ... something. Something which seemingly involves waving their arms around.

All too soon, it becomes clear what they're up to. At this distance, you cannot easily identify the Templars - but you can identify the half-giants. So in all likelyhood, the riders have recruited Kalak's finest to assist them in this case of theft.


To tally it all, there are three riders behind, four in front, along with one templar, two half-giants, and what looks like an additional four footmen.

Ball is in your court, gentlemen. Let me point out tho, in case you're wondering: The odds aren't particularly bad. But I'm curious to see if you can find a way to non-combat solution.

And before anyone asks, only one street is wide enough for the wagon - the Caravan Way, on which you are now. That's ... actually not 100% true, there are ways to get to the walls, and you could travel along the inside of the wall until you reach the gates - but you're a lot slower than the pursuers, and it's not really a solution. But for the sake of completeness, there it is =)

[paradox26]

Luca stands at the front of the wagon, facing the templars ahead of them. He yells at the top of his voice, "Get out of the way. We are recovering this wagon for the city. This House has not been paying their taxes, and we were sent to retrieve this wagon in lieu of the taxes." He gives no gesture indicating that he is a templar, and bears no symbol of such, but he speaks with the power and authority of a templar.


Diplomacy check [roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

The merchants henchman begins to object loudly, but is instantly silenced by a quick glance from the Tyrian templar.

The templar is not a large man, nor is he imposing or physically powerful - rather, he has the look of a shrewd and calculated man who's very much used to getting his way. There is also something of the pracmatist in his eyes, as he steps forward and responds:

Any such claims should have been cleared with the Templars, of course, but I'm willing to let this oversight go. I'm interested, however - the Bataxxa family is known to be wealthy, and should be able to pay. How would you like to settle this? I can go with you back to their compound, where we can make an official inquiry, and get your money, minus and taxes due.

Of course, if for some reason you're more interested in this wagon, the Grand City of Tyr has no reason to stand in the way of your legal claim. However, that still leaves the question of clearing taxes. Do you have the means with you to pay?

It's interesting that he doesn't ask which city has this strange claim to a wagon of all things, but regardless it's clear he's just fishing for the largest profit. He makes no effort to challenge Luca's claim, however.

[paradox26]

Luca is quite satisfied with the way things are progressing. Much better than if they continue an extended brawl throughout the city and out into the desert. He decides that the man is as corrupt as most templars, and doesn't really have an ideological objection to that. So he decides to play along. Besides, he has a fair stash of money with him, and if paying to retrieve the wagon is the only way to recover it, then so be it. "Just because a House is capable of paying their taxes, doesn't mean that they are willing to, as I am sure you know. I am sure I can pay the city whatever taxes you think fair for retrieving the wagon to pay for what they owe. How much would you assess the taxes at?" he asks.

[Kaptin Keen]

The templar looks at the Bataxxa henchman, who rifles through his pockets, and comes up with a paltry amount of ceramics. The templar sneers, and turns to you:

As I see it, the good relations between our respective cities if paramount. I will let you off with 25 ceramics in administrative expenses, as well as your name for future reference - I'm sure we'll have opportunity to work together again in the future.

I'm Templar Provost Anaximenes.

[paradox26]

Luca maintained a neutral expression at the price. He didn't want to show either way whether he was pleased or outraged at the price. He simply said, "That is a fair price for a tax. Here is thirty. Keep the extra for your men, for their diligence in service to Tyr." He took thirty ceramics from his pouch and handed it down to the templar, who had unknowingly just become a new contact for him to take advantage of in the future. A reliably greedy man could be very useful. "And my name, for future reference, is Luca. Luca Mir. I am sure we will encounter each other again. It is good to encounter an honest man," he adds, for the benefit of those others present who might think it was a bribe.

[Kaptin Keen]

Honest men as we are a rarety these days, he replies with a smile, then turns to his guards and half-giant. Clear this rabble off the street, so our valued ally may proceed about his business.

And just like that, you're free to move on, down the Merchants Way and out of Tyr.

As you look back, however, a single rider follows you out. Keeping his (or her - who knows?!) distance, watching from afar, keeping on your tail until you pass the first fields outside the city. Then the rider turns, and heads back to the city gates.


More to follow .. I'll leave you a moment to put out the flames, and do whatever. Then we'll move on.

[paradox26]

Luca claps the psionic mekkilot driver on the back in quiet celebration as they clear the city. He then calls to his brothers at the rear of the wagon, "Keep an eye out for any more people following us. If they try, use the ballista to try to drive them back into the city. I will put out the fires inside." He then gets up and heads inside the wagon, where he grabs the burning rags on the end of his sword, and throws them out of the wagon.

[Rex500]

Lexius watches wide-eyed from his hiding position as the pursuers leave one by one. The half-elf seems surprised indeed!


"Keep an eye out for any more people following us. If they try, use the ballista to try to drive them back into the city. I will put out the fires inside."
"Whatever you say, dear brother!" he answers happily, while reloading the ballista. The bard is considering firing off a shot to scare the one rider pursuing them before they finally turn around towards the city.

"Malonus! Everything good down there?" shouts Lexius. He could've have sworn he saw his brother take down a rider during the fight.

[Bartmanhomer]

Lexius watches wide-eyed from his hiding position as the pursuers leave one by one. The half-elf seems surprised indeed!


"Whatever you say, dear brother!" he answers happily, while reloading the ballista. The bard is considering firing off a shot to scare the one rider pursuing them before they finally turn around towards the city.

"Malonus! Everything good down there?" shouts Lexius. He could've have sworn he saw his brother take down a rider during the fight.

"Yes. I'm not sure if my light crossbow bolt hit the rider. But other than that, I'm good." :biggrin:

[Kaptin Keen]

And so you roll on into the night. Once on the road, the mekillots are easy to control, stubbornly pulling at the weight behind them like it's trying to hold them back. Khefta informs you he can keep going until morning, but eventually someone else will have to take the reins.

If they get ornery, just wake me - but you should be fine. We're heading east, along the King's Road, towards Urik - Gulg, Nibenay, Balic, what have you. But Fort Skonz first, of course. We should reach the fort by mid morning or so, barring any problems. The templars there will try to extort some ceramics to let you pass, but that's your head ache, not mine.

[paradox26]

Luca moves in to take the driver's place at driving the mekillots. "I will look after them. Thanks for your help tonight. Go and get some sleep now," he says. He looks around for a moment, then adds, "I am sure we can pay any tolls the templars might extract. But, um, which way is Fort Skonz? Do I just keep going straight ahead?"

[Rex500]

Lexius spends some time watching the night sky, then decides to go down and check on Malonus and Xristobal.

[Kaptin Keen]

You pass Fort Skonz in the early hours of dawn - and as it turns out, the guards on duty either don't give a damn, or are having a healthy nap. You rumble past unchallenged, and free of charge.

It is during those blissful hours before the sun rises full blast into the sky that Xristobal gathers you all. In the center of the wagon - which becomes the middle of the stage, when the theater is in session - there is a communal cooking and dining area. He gathers you here, serves some bread and pours the cheap, rancid alcohol he seems to particularly love.

Right, so I told you I had a job - and that we would need the wagon for it, right? Now, the beauty of the thing is this: Our client, House Kûurna, is allied with House Bataxxa, and the target, House al-Shariim, is their enemy.

This is brilliant, because the enemy of House Bataxxa will be thrilled to hire the company who just stole from them. And no one will suspect House Bataxxa's ally to hire us, for the same reason.

The job is simple: House al-Shariim is purchasing a valuable ressource at steep cost. The exchange is taking place at the al-Shariim manor, and our client wants us to secure the deed, as well as the payment. We can keep the payment, which should be thousands of ceramics, and House Kûurna will pay us another thousand for the deed.

And of course everything needs to be done on the hush. What say you, Brothers Mir?

[paradox26]

Luca considers the proposal for a long moment, before finally nodding. "It really doesn't matter to me who we are working either for or against. This is as good a mission as any other, and the pay sounds quite appealing. A pity my new templar contact will only help us within Tyr. It is risky to have to make new contacts in every city we travel to. But it can also be useful," he says thoughtfully. He pauses, then adds, "Incidentally, you didn't say which city this is all happening in. I assume it isn't Tyr, or we would never have gone so far from it."

[Rex500]

Lexius patiently drinks the alcohol offered, as he listens to Xristobal and Luca. "The pay sounds appealing indeed!", says the half-elf finally with a smile.

"Does this mean we will be performing for Al-Shariim, then?, and what are they purchasing, if I may ask?", continues Lexius. The mission did not sound too difficult, and yet overconfidence invites trouble.

[Bartmanhomer]

How much gold pieces are we talking about? Big, small, medium?" Malonus is very curious about how much will he and his three brothers get paid.

[Kaptin Keen]

"Incidentally, you didn't say which city this is all happening in. I assume it isn't Tyr, or we would never have gone so far from it."

We will be headed to Balic, under the auspices of the grand King Andropinis. Xristobal chuckles, indicating that he has perhaps less respect for Andropinis than his words might indicate.


"Does this mean we will be performing for Al-Shariim, then?, and what are they purchasing, if I may ask?"

Yes, the plan is for them to invite us to perform a show. What they're purchasing seems to be ... land. It's an area of land by the lower western reach of the Estuary of the Forked Tongue. What is there precisely I do not know. But it's clearly valuable.


How much gold pieces are we talking about? Big, small, medium?"

Xristobal looks at Malonus, shocked and appalled: Gold? Don't be absurd, my friend, only the sorceror kings themselves trade in gold. Ceramics. They're sort of ... standard size.


Metals are exceedingly rare on Athas - gold and iron alike. For that reason, most weapons and armor are made from other materials, bone, stone, wood (also rare, btw), obsidian and so on. And trade is done by 'coins' of ceramic tile, each painstakingly painted and glazed and authorized by the Templars. Faking ceramic money is punishable by the most extreme shows of blood and suffering.

Ceramics - in case it ever comes up - can be broken up, usually into eight 'bits', which is the equivalent of copper pieces in your ordinary, hum-drum, forgotten realms fantasy trope world =)

[Rex500]

Lexius laughs at the mention of gold. He appears to be in a good mood.
"Very well, then! What else do you have for us, old friend? Would you know the time of the meeting, and who is going to execute the exchange?"

[paradox26]

Luca listens carefully for the details, and at his brothers' questions. Although he now remains silent, at least temporarily, he does have to chuckle at the idea of being paid in gold. Such a thing was a prize of the sorcerer kings, and even they may not have a thousand coins.

[Kaptin Keen]

Securing an engagement to play for House Al-Shariim is something you'll have to negotiate for yourselves - but it shouldn't be too hard. The Mir family still has a bit of a name, particularly with the older folk, and you did just steal from their favourite enemy.

Also, there's the whole prestige thing with travelling bards. Everyone knows, deep down, that bards are ... curiously dangerous, that crimes or even deaths tend to happen everywhere they go. But on the other hand, having a bard company perform at your estate makes everyone think, right? Because no one knows why you're there. Might be you're killing your host, but might be your host is hiring you to kill someone else.

For that same reason, it's important to leave no evidence. Let the Al-Shariim think they have the other hand, maybe make it look like someone else did the theft.

Xristobal looks very sage at all this advice. From his scarred face and body, it's clear he's ... maybe not the greatest of thinkers, but he certainly does have the experience of at least 20 years of not getting killed. He can't be entirely wrong.

[paradox26]

Luca considers this at length. Finally he says, "Getting in should be easy enough, by the sound of it. Making bookings is never hard. But avoiding notice at the critical moment could be a problem. Unless maybe we act while some of us are also putting on a performance simultaneously. Leaving no evidence is easy, unless they use magic or psionics to search. And diverting blame shouldn't be too hard. But it is actually committing the crime that could be a problem. We will have to wait until we are there before we can come up with a solid plan for that."

[Rex500]

"A distraction? It could be. Ideally, nobody should even notice the theft until it we are far, far away. Ideally." Lexius scratches his chin.

"Of course, we are going to have to play this quietly, and make a good plan, as Luca mentioned."

[Kaptin Keen]

Balic, on the surface, is a beautiful, clean, prosperous city. The citizens seem happy, industrious, and succesful. There is less poverty here, less suffering - well relatively - the houses are white washed, if they aren't outright marble.

But the truth of the matter soon becomes apparent: The Templars rule this city with an iron first. Even the slightest uttering against, or disagreement with Dictator Andropinis or his laws and edicts are punishable by death, right there and then, in the street.

Even so, it is an oderly and rich city, far from the dusty squalor and thonged crowdedness of Tyr. It's gates and walls are guarded by Templars and militia - as every citizen, freeman and noble spends one month out of every ten serving the armed forces.

The approach to the city goes through miles and miles of olive groves, where slaves and freemen toil away at harvest.


Let me know if you want to do anything or make any preparations on the way. Otherwise, Xristobal will recommend you do a free show on the outskirts of town - it's traditional, and the best advertisement you can have. It's also profitable (well the free show is maybe less so, though there are always donations, but any further shows and invitations bring in money).

For the intro show, each of you should roll your skill of choice - giving some details of how you imagine your performance gives bonuses.

[paradox26]

Luca was impressed by Balic. A well ordered city, run well by the templarate. He studied the templars in particular as the entered the city's bounds. The olive groves were very nice. It wasn't often that one saw so much greenery, though there were some more magnificent trees within Urik. There, it was punishable by death to damage them, especially by defiler magic, since it destroyed the soil as well, making it nearly impossible to grow replacements.

He followed Xristobal's advice, trusting the old mul as much as one could trust anyone in this savage world. He started looking for a place for them to place Tahlia for best effect. Finding a spot, they prepared a performance to get attention and hopefully a bit of money. If nothing else, it would inform the nobles that a troupe was in town, and should get them an invitation to perform for wealthier clients. Hopefully including their targets.

Luca's particular skill was singing. He was good looking and had a fine strong voice, so he tended to prefer ballads that caused the women to swoon. Sometimes they invited him home after a good performance, and he often managed to rob them blind after giving them a night of pleasure.

He started the performance slowly, but in style. He offered a single powerful note to get everyone's attention, then he lowered his voice and fell into the Ballad of Eldryn Duskryn, the story of an ancient elven hero. The song was a classic, known to all elves, and many among the other races. He finished the song with a flourish. He followed it up with Galan's Retreat, the song of an elf who loved a human woman, and was forced to flee all across the Tablelands in order to avoid her vengeful family. He continued with several more songs, a few rousing singalong types that got the crowd enthused, others quiet and bittersweet ballads that drew even muls to tears. When he was finished, he bowed grandly, winked at a particularly attractive half-elven woman, then strode boldly off stage, allowing his brothers their chance to perform in turn, once he had them in his grasp.


Perform: Sing [roll0]

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus join his brother Luca for assistance.

Aid Another: [roll0]

[Rex500]

Lexius watches his brother Luca perform, they haven't a lost step since he last saw them sing! He claps at the end of the performance and shouts, "Amazing, Luca!" before walking onstage himself, a big smile on his face.

Lexius is now wearing a light dancer's outfit. He takes a long look at the crowd, his expression warm and friendly, then places both arms over his head, and bows low and deep in a stylish manner."BELIC! A SPECIAL DANCE, JUST FOR YOU!" he greets, in a foreign accent. He pulls out a rose from his pocket and extends it towards the crowd, before taking it in his mouth. The half-elf then begins a classic, exotic dance, boots hitting the floor of the stage repeatedly while he rises his arms and claps, his body turning around a couple of times, alternating between sides.

The man then twirls quickly, and moves towards the outer right of the stage, where he goes on one knee, then winks and smiles towards a fine beauty who caught his eye. Lexius hands her the rose before he rises once more while turning backwards at the same time. The half-elf then proceeds to continue his dance slowly now, boots hitting the stage floor harder, his face more focused and serious while he claps, the performance now accompanied by occasional, firm shouts from the dancer. Lexius himself is now alternating between the front and back of the stage, as the rythm hits a crescendo.

Finally, the bard twirls three times in succession and ends the performance on one knee on the center of the stage, arms extended by his side.

Perform check!
[roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

As one performance spins into another, the crowd grows. Between each act, Xristobal does the rounds with the traditional hat, taking meagre contributions from the gathered freemen. But early on you spy youngsters who run off as soon as they see the show - rather than stay and watch. And lo and behold, towards the end, a couple of well-dressed merchants are standing towards the rear. They exchange words with Xristobal, as well as pouches no doubt full of bits.

As the show draws to a close, Xristobal approaches the brothers, and hands them the income.


Any more performance rolls you wanna roll - we're only lacking Tertius - do so, and I'll tally up the coin from the commoners.

There are two pouches, and those are accompanied by invitations. Respectively, House Ganneh invites the Brothers Mir to a light meal and discussion the following evening, and House Phax would like to see the Company the evening after. Ganneh pays 25 ceramics, and Phax 35.

It's considered quite rude to turn down an invitation - on the other hand, it's considered equally rude to underpay a company. Also, the pay is just for the invitation. If you agree on a show, more will follow.

House Al-Shariim has made no offer yet, but that's unsurprising. They're among the largest Houses in Balic, and can't be seen to fall over themselves to invite newcomers.

That gives you a bit of time to gather intel.

[Rex500]

Lexius goes to his brothers and Xristobal. He has a towel on hand, as he has been sweating quite a bit!

"A light meal?. I see." says the half-elf. The bard appears thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps we should take both of these houses on their offer. What do you think?" he asks, staring at the rest of the group.

[paradox26]

Luca nods in agreement. "We should definitely take on both engagements. It will give us much needed money, but it will also appear as if we are trying to do just that, while not looking like we are trying to get the attention of a single specific house. We need to make sure that when they do finally engage us, they are not immediately made suspicious by our focus on earning their custom," he says. Things look like they are going to progress very satisfactorily, at least at this stage.

[Kaptin Keen]

The next day, you go to visit House Ganneh. They are a smaller House, a mixed-race conglomerate of merchants and farmers, who struggle to compete in a market controlled by nobles with ties to Andropinis and his templars, ancient inherited rights and privileges, and the wealth to spend on generous bribes.

You meet with the House second-in-command, a human female called Hera, who gives you a brief tour of their business, and introduces you to everyone you meet. She informs you that her House would be delighted to hire a show - maybe a smaller one, for the workers to enjoy, and to bolster morale.

When you pry her, she informs you that business is ... slightly tight these days, she cannot really pay full price. Part of the reason for this, you find out, is a Claim House Al-Shariim has, the water rights to a certain well. The well could supply certain fields owned by House Ganneh, but House Al-Shariim denies them access. However, despite numerous requests to the templars to actually see the document in question, it has not been produced. It seems possible Al-Shariim is simply bribing the templars, effectively controlling a well that isn't theirs to control.

The day after that, you meet with Phax. They are a noble House, and their business lies in jewelry and pottery. You are received in a small grove of trees, walled off from the surrounding estate, and offered cool nectar and spiced fruit. Your host is Anduviel Phax, the patriach, who is quite specific in his request: He would like a showing of the old tale of Prince Khelben's Lament, but with himself as the young hero of the play. He will pay handsomely.

When pressed, Lord Phax reveals that House Al-Shariim is pushing up the price of slaves in the market - and as an effect of most costly labor, House Phax is having to raise prices on jewelry and pottery, creating an opening for House Al-Shariim to push into those markets with their own, lower quality products.

It would creatly please Lord Phax if .. say, a fire was to break out at the Al-Shariim clay works, of if their supply of silver and gold was stolen.


House Ganneh cannot pay much. They offer 150 ceramics for a show. They propose a 'smaller' one, but that's hardly possible - they want to invite their entire workforce, at least 150 people, and that in itself makes it a pretty big affair.

They would pay another 100 for anything that either proves Al-Shariim doesn't own the well, or proves they're paying off the templars.

House Phax is another matter. They will pay 250 for a show, but .. well, it requires some rewriting. So they're paying more than Ganneh, but ... well, 'handsomely' might be stretching it a bit. The show is, however, only for House members, so a small, intimite setting. They'll pay another 150 for a fire, and another 150 again for having the stores robbed. Those stores are, obviously, also worth something.

The thing is: With the re-writing for Lord Phax, you won't have time to also perform for House Ganneh. You could give Ganneh their performance after the heist at Al-Shariim - but that's only possible if there are no hiccups during the heist.

[Rex500]

"Why, Lord Phax! It would be a real shame if something were to happen to all that precious clay production. Just imagine all that combustible material in an enclosed space."

Later in the day, Lexius goes to the market to purchase five pints of oil.

[Kaptin Keen]

Lexius quickly makes a decision on behalf of the group, determining where the greatest immediate profit lies. Thus, two nights later, Thalia rolls into the House Phax compound, ready to entertain.

Everything is prepared for a night of extravagant festivities: There are numerous drinks and dishes being served, music is played, dancers dance - and the nobles of House Phax preside over everything with arrogant smiles, preening and pruning and smiling at invited guests from other house: Look, how rich and influential we are, they radiate.


You are paid 250 for the show. Anything you manage to pull off against House Al-Shariim will be paid later. I need someone to make a roll for the evenings performance, as you may well make some additional bits - it is, after all, traditional to throw money at the stage is happy with the performance.

Someone with the proper skill might also want to roll for the modifications to the play, casting Lord Phax as Prince Khelben. This roll doesn't affect income, but ... well nothing is ever without consequence.

Also, you're inside a noble compound, and while the guards are diligent, there may be things you want to do. Let me know, if so, and include dice rolls.

[Kaptin Keen]

Looking discreetly around the Phax compound, Lexius hears two of the guests discuss The Scarlet Eye - some sort of magical trinket the Phax family apparently have stored in their vault, below the mansion proper. The lady doing most of the talking gestures in the direction of where the secret entrance should be - but Lexius' vision is obscured by the plant he's hiding behind, and he doesn't quite catch it.


We should be moving on. Do you want to try and sneak into the vault, or should we get on with the main thing - the performance at Al-Shariim?

[Rex500]

The Scarlet Eye? Interesting... Now the half-elf's curiosity has been piqued. He takes a look around.


[roll0] search check for the secret entrance. If he finds nothing, Lex will move on.

[paradox26]

Luca assumes the lead role in preparing the lead role for the play for Lord Phax, taking the lead role in the play himself. He has had an interesting life, and his story draws the enthusiastic support of his family, who are watching. Luca hopes that while he is on stage replicating the life of the Lord of the House, his brothers could do something helpful, such as robbing the House of its most prized possessions.


Perform Check [roll0]

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus start to sing for his audience.

Perform: [roll0]

[Rex500]

Lexius lets out a sigh in frustration. Unable to find any secret entrance, he decides to lay low in the area, and see if any more clues are offered.

The half-elf can hear his brothers singing from afar. Good! Distractions are always welcome.

[roll0] hide check
[roll1] spot check

[Kaptin Keen]

It's a long wait, and Lex is slightly conspicuous by his absence, but in the end, old man Phax decides it's time to retire and get some rest on top of his succesful little soirée. And before doing so, he checks on his vault. He checks over his shoulder - but doesn't spot Lex - then goes through some elaborate, but hidden motions, making sure everything is nice and secure.

The vault entrance is hidden in a little alcove, with a tiny fountain - which is, even so, a hugely extravagant luxury. There is a little railing in front, protecting a small marble font with a statue of what strangely resembles a weirdly civlized looking halfling pouring water from a silver jug.

This is where the vault is hidden. Getting it open is another matter.

[Rex500]

"The Lord of the compound? This must be quite the treasure. He does have an eye for luxury." whispers the half-elf. He walks towards the halfling statue pretending to be a simple bystander, and looks around his shoulder just as Lord Phax did before. "Now, you don't see many of the little people like that..." Lex swiftly examines the statue looking for a secret switch, then the marble font.

Three searches for the statue, the font and the walls of the alcove, in case the first two don't work. Full-round actions, so these shouldn't take too long.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

If somebody would happen to catch him, Lex will mention the strange statue, saying his Mother was a halfling, and remark upon the artist's vision and taste. :)

[roll3] Bluff

[Kaptin Keen]

The statue is well made - and something about it tells Lex it may well be older than it looks.

Opening the vault is a whole little process. There is a small scoop hanging on the fountain, and if you tip the jug so it stops pouring - then use the scoop to pour enough water back to fill the jug, there's a small click ... and the fountain rumbles rather noisily back, revealing a stairway beneath. Clearly Lord Phax didn't open it, but only checked that it was firmly in it's correct, locked position.

Lex looks around. A number of guests have looked up at the noise, but none seem to have pinpointed it's source. What now ..?

[Rex500]

"Hmm... such a curious mechanism! Noisy, though." thinks the Mir brother. Seeing that he doesn't have much time, Lexius simply pulls the hood over his head and follows through the stairs, hoping his brothers can keep the guests occupied.

[paradox26]

Luca continues to perform his songs for as long as possible, starting with the classics, and working his way through the favourites down towards the end of his repertoire, since his brothers have been missing for a while. They obviously are still searching the place, so he tries to keep the attention of the crowd for as long as he can. He becomes concerned when the Lord leaves, but there is little that he can do to prevent it, so he responds by merely continuing to keep the attention of everyone else.

[Kaptin Keen]

"Hmm... such a curious mechanism! Noisy, though." thinks the Mir brother. Seeing that he doesn't have much time, Lexius simply pulls the hood over his head and follows through the stairs, hoping his brothers can keep the guests occupied.

The room beneath the fountain is small, but luxurious. There is a couch and a couple of chairs of the finest make, all wyrm silk and giant hair and wood so dark it glistenes. There is a bottle of wine, and glasses, apparently ready just in case.

In each wall there is a small, locked grating, gold plated, behind which the greatest treasures of the House are on display. There is a painting of some sort of light phenomenon over a mountain top. There is a single gauntlet, gleaming steel with silver trimmings. There is a book, which for all the world looks like it was printed yesterday - and yet it's style and materials tells you differently.

And there is an amulet, gold and silver with a large red stone.

But all four treasures are firmly locked away.


Luca continues to perform his songs for as long as possible, starting with the classics, and working his way through the favourites down towards the end of his repertoire, since his brothers have been missing for a while. They obviously are still searching the place, so he tries to keep the attention of the crowd for as long as he can. He becomes concerned when the Lord leaves, but there is little that he can do to prevent it, so he responds by merely continuing to keep the attention of everyone else.

It has been a succesful evening, and everyone is happy and in high spirits. Most are also more than slightly drunk. Having the music last longer than expected is received with cheering and dance.

But all parties last only so long. After a few extra ballads, people's weariness starts showing. Fewer are dancing, a couple have dozed off in the corners. Half the people have already headed off to bed - their own, someone else's, whatever. But the cover won't last forever, is the point.

[paradox26]

Luca notices that people's attention is wandering, so he closes the performance out with a flourish. "This brings tonight's festivities to a close, good people. So go now, and sleep deeply. Allow the memory of my songs to bring sweet dreams." With that, he leaves the stage, and ostentatiously starts to pack up the show, hoping that his brothers manage to finish their tasks very quickly, so they could leave without getting caught. He hopes that the crowd head for their beds, as he suggested, and don't go looking around the compound before they retire.

[Kaptin Keen]

Down in the vault, Lex is working as quickly as he dares - while up above, Luca and Mal are keeping up their performance to keep everyone distracted.

It's working so well, right up to the point where Lex succeeds. There is a loud crack as the grating breaks, and the suddenness with which it does causes Lex to fall on his ass, tipping over the table with the wine and glasses. It's more of a crash than a bit of singing can easily cover.

Topside, a good four or five guests look towards the noise, and one observant House member looks startled, muttering wait - why is the vault open?

[Rex500]

"Ow!" The half-elf falls on his behind in a less than gracious manner. He rubs a little. "What a waste of fine wine..." Then he suddenly remembers the mission! he walks towards the red jewel, admiring its immense beauty for just a second before placing it in his backpack.

With no time to waste, Lexius walks back outside. The would be thief keeps his hood on, and quickly makes his way towards one of the darker spots of the compound, doing his best to keep his face away from any onlookers.

Walking away from the scene. :)
[roll0] - Move Silently. Will try to make it quietly to the wagon to hide the jewel, and then rejoin Malonus and Luca outside, if possible.

[paradox26]

Luca continues to pack, swiftly but ostentatiously, keeping the attention of the crowd for as long as possible, but also wanting to be in a position to get away quickly if his brother is caught. He hopes that his brothers return soon, because he is running out of ways to distract the members of the House.

[Kaptin Keen]

It's hardly ideal. Despite the best efforts of the brothers, Lexius is seen leaving the vault by one of the House members - you vaguely remember being introduced to her, Lucine Phax - but she doesn't immediately call for the guards, so whatever backlash comes from that remains to be seen. Needless to say it would be naive to expect no consequences.

The rest of the evening is a resounding succes, you earn another 100 or so ceramics in tips from excited nobles, and House Phax gifts you with a set of very fine pottery as well, propably worth another 50 or so.

You leave the estate unmolested, a bit richer and ready for the next performance .. at House Al-Shariim.


This was sort of a trial run - to show what sort of options you have when you're in a noble mansion. In this case, it might have been wiser to note the location of the vault, leave, then sneak back in once everyone is sleeping. Or hide somewhere inside. Or maybe do something else - hire a guard to steal the Eye for you, for instance. Remember, you're all bards, and skill checks are a major strong point.

[paradox26]

Luca listens to the story of the theft with glee, though he is worried about consequences when the missing loot is discovered. But he allows himself to enjoy the clunk of ceramics in their pockets. A good night's work. He prepares himself for the next performance, though he anticipates this one being a bit more lively than the first. He tries to come up with a better way to accomplish their goal, but he still thinks that running a distraction is a good sideline, at least for the reconnaissance part of the task. There are other ways they can get what they want afterwards, but first they have to find what they want.

[Kaptin Keen]

The Al-Shariim show is different - it's a much bigger affair, and you get a full day to set up and prepare, moving in props and costumes and so on. On the other hand, the House Guard are nowhere near as trusting, and you get strict instructions on what you can do and where you can go. Regardless, you get a pretty good lay of the mansion.

Unlike the others you've seen, this is a giant, sprawling affair with gardens, a small orchard, several buildings, walls, patrolling guards, and so on. You can drive Thalia right in, and set her up - a corner of the gardens has been set aside for this purpose.

There is an inner courtyard from which you are banned access - it's basically a small fort inside the walled compound, and is where the ranking family members reside.


The compound is a large, rectangular plot of land. The main gates are east, with stables and a forge nearby, and two low buildings providing sleeping space for the menial staff.

Opposite the main gates lies the inner courtyard - as said, a small fortress. It has tall spiral towers, a domed central building, and looks like it's a bit of a nut to crack if you want in. And you almost certainly do.

By the north wall are small buildings for no other reason than pleasure. Two small pavillions, and a small flowery building that all but screams 'harem'. This is also where you will set up, in the NE corner.

By the south wall are another two buildings. One is a barracks, a fortified box with guards posted. The other is a small mansion where manservants and other ranking servants live.

In case it's not bleedingly obvious, House Al-Shariim is loaded.

[paradox26]

As the troupe sets up, Luca studies the layout. He is not the most stealthy of his brothers, so he resolves to act as the distraction once again. This time, because they are being closely watched, he decides to create more for the guards to watch out for. He goes out into the city and hires a large number of people, offering them a couple of ceramics each for their time. He focuses on those who might be able to sing or dance, or tell interesting stories, but he also brings in people to use in crowd scenes, whereas normally he would simply stand on the stage alone. He figures that this is the best way to create the space for his brothers to disappear for a while, since surely even this many guards can't watch everyone.

[Kaptin Keen]

During the preparations for the show/heist at Al-Shariim mansion, Xristobal brings two people to the camp:

Behold, Mir Brothers - I bring you another couple I found, Irhtos and Nilo. I'm not sure whether you guys ever met, but these two are also part of the family. Glancing at the p'terran, Xristobal merely shrugs as if to say 'well, Verdanos certainly got around, didn't he.'

[Almostdead]

Irhtos stands behind Xristobal silently, staring out of the shadows of his hood at his “brothers”. He still tries to figure out the family thing that Xristobal told him, while Xristobal making the introduction.
“A bald, serious man and a quiet, stubborn looking teenager. They don’t seem reliable, but only time will tell.” He thinks.
After Xristobal’s obvious shrug, Irhtos frowns and comes forward. Then he removes his hood, showing his long swept back ears and scaled cheek.
“Hello, 'brothers'. I believe we’ve never met before. But it is good to be with…family…again.” He speaks common with an odd accent. His tail twists behind his back, pushes aside the cloak and revealing his theropod feet.

[paradox26]

Luca studies the two new arrivals at some length, especially considering the perversions that his father must have partaken in with pterrans. Finally, he says, "Welcome brothers. We have a heist about to make progress. I am sure you can help. I am going to distract the crowds within the noble house as much as possible. Your job will be to help go in and steal what we can."


KaptinKeen, can you remind me if there was something specific we were meant to be after? I have forgotten, and would prefer to avoid going back through every post to find it if possible.

[Almostdead]

"Right to the point, I like it." Irhtos nods and tries to ignore the subtle judgement expressed on Luca's face.
"Xristobal told us we're going to perform in the garden. So distraction won't be a big problem. But we're banned access to the inner courtyard and it's well guarded. Do you have any plan on that?"
He looks over the inner courtyard while speaking.


The defense of the inner courtyard and possible entrance?
[roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

he Al-Shariim noble compound is a veritable fortress. There are many guards, and they're not the fat, sleepy kind - hardened veterans paid enough to have quality equipment is more like it.

Since you don't have access to the inner courtyard, it's hard to say precisely what's in there. The gates are open, but guarded just by two sturdy muls - they're all but identical, but ... isn't that just how muls are? Anyways, it's entirely possible they are twins.

The walls of the inner courtyard do not seem to be patrolled.

It's a bit limited what you can see through the gate - there seems to be marble, and bowers, but that's all you can see.

[Almostdead]

he Al-Shariim noble compound is a veritable fortress. There are many guards, and they're not the fat, sleepy kind - hardened veterans paid enough to have quality equipment is more like it.

Since you don't have access to the inner courtyard, it's hard to say precisely what's in there. The gates are open, but guarded just by two sturdy muls - they're all but identical, but ... isn't that just how muls are? Anyways, it's entirely possible they are twins.

The walls of the inner courtyard do not seem to be patrolled.

It's a bit limited what you can see through the gate - there seems to be marble, and bowers, but that's all you can see.



How high is the wall？

[Kaptin Keen]

Well - this is a noblemans estate, not a military installation. It's definitely within the range of 'scalable'. It's like ... 12-15'. A respectable wall, but not something of keen skill couldn't get across in less than 5 seconds flat (like, I can, so someone with a few ranks in tumble or climb should certainly also be able).

[paradox26]

Luca shrugs his shoulders. "I was in charge of the distraction. I have no idea what our brothers were intending for the infiltration before they disappeared. Either try stealth, or else just try sociability. Bribe our way past the guards is probably the best option. As long as we can come up with a way of preventing the guards for being blamed for the theft, they will probably let you in for some ceramics," he suggests.

[Almostdead]

"Well, I'm not sure bribe works here. As far as I can see, those guards are all veterans and well paid." Irhtos makes a quick eye gesture to those Muls who guard the entrance of the inner courtyard. "And I'm not really good at convincing people." He points to his yellow, reptilian eyes.

"The inner courtyard is where those nobles live, right? Is it possible for them to invite us into the compound? Or can we dress up as servants and get in? Other than that, the wall of this compound is not really high, and it doesn't seem to be patrolled. But still, it is risky since we know nothing about inside." Irhtos scratches his scales while thinking.

"Maybe we should gather some information about Al-Shariim family members and the inner courtyard first." He tries to talk to those servants in the garden.


[roll0]
Yeah, because I'm a lizard?:smallmad:

[Kaptin Keen]

A quick attempt to gather some intel results in very little. However, if something isn't a secret, it's not very hard to find out. One of the guests Irhtos asks points out that well, everyone knows there's some sort of devilry with the wall. Say the Al-Shariim paid Andropinis' own defiler to put some sort of enchantment up there. Must be nice to have that sort of money, eh?

[paradox26]

Luca considers this, then says, "I would assume that the guards would recognise anyone who tries to pretend to work for the House. And we cannot fight our way past them. So either we sneak in and poison them, or else we try to bribe them. It may well work. Greed doesn't often fail. And if it does fail, we will have lost nothing."

[Almostdead]

Irhtos shrugs, "I just talked with the guests. Al-Shariim puts some sort of enchantment up the wall. So except there is another way in, stealth seems to be impossible. So, If we're going to take the bribe approach. Would you consider exchanging job with me? Like I said, I'm not good at bluffing. But I can distract their attention with my performance."

[Bartmanhomer]

"Hello Irthos. Nice to meet you. I'm Malonus." Malonus introduced himself to Irthos.

[Almostdead]

"Hello Irthos. Nice to meet you. I'm Malonus." Malonus introduced himself to Irthos.

"You have been quiet. I almost thought you're a mute. Nice to meet you too." Irhtos nods to Malonus. "So, Malonus. What do you think about bribing the guards? Any suggestion?"

[paradox26]

Luca nods his agreement with that plan. "Bribery is accepted as a way of the world. We can start by trying that, then try other methods if we are rebuffed." He looks to his brothers to see what they think of the idea.

[Bartmanhomer]

"You have been quiet. I almost thought you're a mute. Nice to meet you too." Irhtos nods to Malonus. "So, Malonus. What do you think about bribing the guards? Any suggestion?"

"Yes. I'm a very quiet person most of the time. I think bribing the guards is a wonderful idea. Beside anyone who have a title: bard are excellent liars." :wink: Malonus winks at Irthos.

[Almostdead]

"As we all agreed on this plan. It's time to assign jobs. Like I said, I'm not a charmer. If you two are willing to bribe the guards. I can distract other guests with my performance. Or, I can accompany one of you to go inside the mansion. What do you think?"

[paradox26]

"Probably better for me to do the performance. I was seen as the main performer at our last show, so it would be expected that they will see me again at this one. If I am missing, they may wonder why. And since the elven-blooded are not trusted, they will assume the worst of us," Luca says to the others.

[Almostdead]

"Okay. Then it is settled. I will try to bribe the guards while you performs. Let's go to action."
Irhtos steps aside and waits for the performance to start.

When every guest hails for Luca's magnificent show. Irhtos approaches the guards. He looks anxious and panicked.
"Excuse me! Sir! It is a matter of urgency. A extremely toxic spider that we kept escaped from its cage. I suspect it ran into the inner courtyard. Only I can find it before any unfortunate accident happens. Please let me deal with this quickly and don't tell the patriarch."
He takes out a bag of coins(60cp) and shovels it into the hand of one guard.



Rolled 27 in OOC

[Kaptin Keen]

It's a bit of a show. One guard visibly pales at the mention of venomous spiders, while the other - possibly more cogizant of his duties, bristles.

Why would you even keep such dangerous spiders?! He barks, as if it were some personal insult to him. But when a bag of wonderful, wonderful lucre is placed in his hand, he immediately forgets all such complaints, and changes his tune: You'd better come inside - the nobles of the House would not like to find a deadly arachnid hiding among their sheets tonight, I wager.

Be sure to find it, though. Otherwise I'll never hear the end of it. You'll show me you've succeeded before I let you back out!

And with that, Irhtos is inside the inner compound. It's a tiny slice of paradise hidden in a world of hell. The sun here is noticably less harsh than outside - surely some elemental enchantment is in place. A small stream runs along, terminating in a pond with fish and birds. In each corner stands a small collection of trees and bushes ripe with fruit. Servants are busily at work - cooking, cleaning, raking the garden, dozens of tasks being continually seen to, to ensure the comfort and luxury of the Nobles.

The House members themselves are either busy getting ready - with servants seeing to their clothes, hair and so on - or absent, propably already outside. Two notable people stand out, a small human clad in simple but well-made black clothing, who appears to be overseeing the servants, and an elf seated at a mah-jong table, moving the pieces about pensively.

Exploring the compound will take some time. One wing is reserved for kitchens, larders, laundries and so on, and another seems to house the closest and highest ranking servants - but two wings are reserved for House Al-Shariim, coving easily two dozen rooms.


The goal here is to steal the deed for a plot of land. It's being sold, and the sellers are here today. So there are two objectives: The deed, and the payment. Two different locations - unless you want to saunter in at the moment of the exchange and slaughter everyone (hint: This is a bad idea). If you had to guess, the deed will be in some sort of guest quarters, under guard. The payment is likely in a vault or safe or some such. Who knows?

[Almostdead]

Irhtos checks his surroundings and decides to gather some information first.

He walk towards the wing which houses high-ranking servants and calls out to one of them.
"Excuse me, could you come and help me?. "

He then lower his voice:"A dangerous spider that we kept escaped from its cage. I think it's now hiding inside this part of the building. Could you accompany me to search those rooms? I don't want it to ruin this affair. So it would be better if we do this quick and quiet."


[roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

Irhtos consider the options, and approaches the small human - rather than the elf.

The human is clad simply, signifying a servant, but his clothes are the very finest silks, clearly tailored for him, and he has the haughty bearing of a lord of the manor. When he hears that a venomous arachnid might be lose in the mansion, a pained look of fear passes over his features. Not fear of the spider - but of failing at his duties. There is iron in his gaze as he replies:

I haven't the time to babysit you. But I can lend you the keys, and have a guard escort you around. You'd better find your escaped pet, or the Master will flay you for negligence. He signals for a guard, and a dwarf comes over. He wears the quality armor of a trusted man at arms, and seems both uncomfortably strong, and uncomfortably competent.

Escort this man. He may go where he pleases, but make sure he doesn't take anything. He has let a dangerous spider get lose within the house. Kill it if you see it. Return to me after.

[paradox26]

Luca notes, out of the side of his vision, his brothers disappearing in the direction of the guards, though they are out of sight of both him as well as the audience. All part of the plan. He decides that now is the time to start the performance. He steps out onto the stage, and bows with a flourish. He looks magnificent in his shiny costume, though not enough that the nobles of the House can't notice that he is not a rich man. Little touches like the fake jewels he wears tell the aware that he is a poor man playing at nobility. Fortunately, that is part of his performance. For tonight he performs the play, "The Tale of Turan", the story of a poor man who is granted riches by a sorcerer-king. As the play progresses, he finds that becoming rich is a trial, with rivals and assassins and thieves at every turn. The character also has to face the cost of being in the debt of a sorcerer-king, which is no small thing of itself. The play goes reasonably well as far as acting goes, though the performers he picked up off the street are not brilliant. Fortunately, they leave most of the work to Luca, in the lead role. But Luca is unable to tell how the members of the House are reacting, since he is blinded by the stage lights. They may like it, but they may also disapprove of him telling a story that shows a sorcerer-king as being at least capricious at best.


Perform: [roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

The performance is surprisingly well received. Having a large choir is always nice for effect, especially if the choir can sing - and they can. With the Mir Brothers and their retainers (that's mostly Xristobal currently) doing the heavy lifting, acting wise, and the choir to lend some resounding volume to the songs, everything works out very well indeed. You have the audience in the palm of your hands, and they're happily occupied for at least a couple of hours.

As always, performing for rich people means income and opportunities. At the end of the show, you receive a number of silk scarves, pouches of ceramics, pieces of jewelry, even a very handsome and ornate steel dagger.

You are also approached by Z'lix-t-kli, a thri-kreen, and Gulven, his female human interpreter. Gulven explains that Z'lix-t-kli has need of a report of the route between Balic (where you are now) and Raam in the north. He wants you to travel there, scout the lands, and deliver the results to another 'kreen there. Since you're unlikely to correctly pronounce the name, she tells you to ask around for the alchemist. If you agree to do this, you will be paid 200 cp on completion.


Scarves: 50 cp
Money: 100 cp
Jewelry: 50 cp
One dagger, steel: 2 gp (as in gold pieces - 200 cp)

[Almostdead]

Irhtos frowns slightly, but he hides it under his hood. There is still chance to get what he wants. He waits until the small human left and speaks to the dwarf.

"Well, thanks for helping. Let's find that toxic spider quickly. I think we should start by searching important rooms first. Just to make sure it won't startle any important persons or destroy any valuables. Can you think of any places that we should go?"



[roll0]



"By the way, my name is Eldon. What's yours?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Durn, says Durn the dwarf, upper story for ranking family, lord and lady's rooms all the way back.

He leads you into the manor, up stairs and down a hallway. At the end lies two suites of rooms, one each for the master and mistress of the House. The right hand suite consists of a receiving room decorated with arms and armor (some of these are steel, and worth an absolute fortune), artwork and valuables such as jewelry, all tastefully on display to impress, a study full of written records of various kinds (Athas doesn't have an easy source of paper, so writing is done on vellum, or tablets, or in other forms such as beads or knots on strings - it's quite complex), a large bedroom, restroom and a locked strongroom (for which you have the key).

For the lady's side, the rooms consist of a receiving room decorated with similar levels of wealth on display, artwork, silks, jade and the like. The lady also has a study, and it's contents point towards some level of arcane training. She has an even larger bedroom, and a very well equipped wardrobe. One might also suspect that Lady Al-Shariim has a darker shade of sexual proclivity than does her husband, based on the number of items of leather and various handy tools around the bedroom.

[Almostdead]

Irhtos is astonished by the wealth of Al-Shariim family. He have never seen so many valuables in one room. But he remembers his goal and restrains himself from doing anything unwise.

He pretends to search those rooms, and decides to sound out what Durn knows.

"Hey, Durn. I notice there is a well decorated receiving room. Al-Shariim is a really powerful family. Is this the place where business negotiation happens? And what is inside the strongroom?"



[roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

Strongroom's fulla stuff. Never seen it open, but d'lad's say dere's gold'n'gems'n'papers'n'what-not all in there.

Receivin' rooms is mostly fer .. lovers and such persons. Negotiatin' usually takes place below, inna courtyard. Cooler, see? More spacious. But rite now, erry'one is watching dat show.

Durn, despite being outwardly as durable as a pile of granite, seems quite depleted - and slightly unhappy - with all this jabbering.

[Almostdead]

"Don't be upset. We always keep the best part as end of the show. You can still watch it if we found the spider soon. For now, I'm afraid we have to search the strongroom too." Noticing his unhappiness, Irhtos tries to cheer Durn up a little.


[roll0]


After that, Irhtos takes out the key and walks into the strongroom. Using the spider as a cover, he searches for any information that relates to his mission.


Spot [roll1]
Search [roll2]

[Kaptin Keen]

The strongroom is not particularly large, but it is - in a word - abundant. Literally a kings ransom in gold, gems, silks, steel, magical ingredients, rare wines, and so on. However, it's all locked behind barred doors - and with a different key.

One major difference stands out. Set ready on a small side table are pen, vellum scrolls, and ... a deed, with Andropinis' seal.

[Almostdead]

The deed! This is the target of the whole mission. By acquiring it, Irhtos could consider this mission finished. However, he can still try to win a bigger prize.
"Hey, Durn. Would you kindly check that corner please? I think I've found its trace. If you drive it out, I can caught it right here." Irhtos points to the corner of the strong room. He tries to trick Durn into turning his back on him.



[roll0]

[Kaptin Keen]

There is a long, awkward moment, as Durn's steely gaze never wavers. Gullible as he may be, he's even more obedient to his masters, and that makes him unwilling to abandon his one, simple task.

No, he replies simply, then wrinkles his brow.

If you flush it towards the door, I'll make sure it doesn't escape again.


He gets his Focus bonus to resist here, plus any situational bonuses for you plan being maybe a wee bit obvious =) :p

[paradox26]

Luca scoops up all of the payment he has received. Even accounting for the cost of the other performers, it has been a profitable evening. And if his brothers manage to pull off the heist which is the true object of the evening's performance, then they will be considerably better off yet. He draws the steel blade with a flourish, then holds it aloft, to catch the firelight. Then he swings it down and performs a graceful bow for the audience. Then he rises once more, and asks the crowd for requests. He hasn't yet seen his brothers reappear, so he assumes they will need more time. And since he hasn't yet been attacked, he assumes they haven't yet been caught. So he must continue to perform in order to give them more time.

[Kaptin Keen]

There are some options open to you. For one, you could kill Durn (hardly recommended). For another, you could try to use Slight of Hand - either to leave the door unlocked, or to cleverly swipe the deed without Durn noticing. Durn likely can't be bribed, but he's not overly clever, so maybe you can outsmart him.

Or you can come back after the show, which is what I always imagined. Not that what I imagined need have any affect on the actual outcome.

You could also try your sheer, bloody luck: Maybe there's a spider in here. Actually, roll 1d20 for that.



The crowd has all manner of song requests. It would be possible to leave things in the hands of the choir, and skulk off to do ... nefarious stuff ... while the choir keeps the crowd occupied.



What does Mal want to do?

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus was singing as a distraction.

[roll0]

[Almostdead]

"I appreciate your bravery. However, we’re talking about a venomous spider. An extremely agile and dangerous species. I don’t think you know how to kill it without getting yourself hurt. If you want to help, just go lock the door. I'll handle the spider."



1d20+11



Irhtos walk towards the corner.


Before the door closed. Irhtos takes the deed while passing by the table.


1d20+2


Then he throw one of his darts out of the door, as quick as possible. "Hey! Look! The spider escaped. Hold the door open! Let me through." He runs outside and pick up the darts before Durn realized it is a bluff.





Irhtos searches for a while. He picks up any thing he can find and show it to Durn.

Lucky draw 1d20

[Kaptin Keen]

Durn may be stubborn - but he isn't any cleverer than he should be.

Irhtos looks around the room, and - lo and behold - there happens to be a large, entirely harmless house spider sitting serenely in it's web, entirely unaware of the great injustice that's just moments away from being inflicted upon it. Using the tip of a dagger, Irhtos flicks the spider across the room to land at Durn's feet.

There it is - kill it, but be careful, it's bite is death!

Durn, suddenly startled into action stomps resolutely on the innocent spider, his heavy boot ending it's life in an instant - and meanwhile, Irhtos deftly grabs the deed, and stows it in his tunic. Job done!

[Almostdead]

"Well done! You destroyed the venomous spider. Our job is done. Let's get back to the show, shall we?" Irhtos looks at the spider paste at the floor, despite his feeling of nausea, he picks it up to eliminate any remaining evidence.
Then he follows Durn out of the building. He hasn't finished the whole job. But he has acquired the important deed, he can always come back for the payment at another time. After all, "Content is happiness".
He want to discuss it with his brothers. Especially Luca.

[Kaptin Keen]

Irhtos and Durn quickly return to the small human overseer, to whom Durn presents to squashed remains of the spider. It would take a renowned specialist to identify the spider as either harmless or dangerous from the crushed and splattered mess - the overseer is no such expert, and he simply nods, and sends Irhtos back out into the outer courtyard.

[Almostdead]

Irhtos walks back to the wagon and waits for the interval of the performance. When Luca steps down from the stage with cheers, Irhtos waves to him beside the wagon.
When Luca comes close, Irhtos whispers: "Hey, Luca! Great performance! I have a good news and a bad news. I got the deed, but I don't have time for the payment. What do you think we should do?"
Irhtos takes the deed out and gives it to Luca.

[paradox26]

Luca takes the document, studying it for only a moment to ensure it is legitimate, or at least, as well as he can at a glance. He then puts it away safely. He then considers the question. "I think we may have to skip the payment. The performance is over, and it will be deeply suspicious if we stay beyond what seems normal. We may have to just leave for now. But we can probably get the payment afterwards, if we are lucky. We can have the document forged, then offer the forgery back to the House through an intermediary in return for the money. If the forgery is good enough, then they may not detect it, and we end up with both the original as well as the payment. How does that sound?" he asks as he starts to pack up the stage.

[Bartmanhomer]

Malonus sigh and remain quiet.

[Almostdead]

"That sounds good. Although I doubt if we could find someone to forge Andropinis's magic seal. Is there anyway that we can sneak in and steal the payment? I didn't alert anyone after all. But you have the final say."
Irhtos shrugs with a little disappointment. Waiting for Luca's decision.