Lucky's Boys (E6, 3.5, D&D, IC)

[Lady Tialait]

Echoes from the rain above seem like mighty hits of hammers on anvils. The undercity seemed to radiate moisture. The party sits ready for their first assignment. A man who stands 7ft. tall havn't dark green eyes and grown hair that he keeps framing his head. His voice sounds wafts out of his mouth, as if a breeze as been kept in him just to let out, and even tho you know this language to be the common tongue of Newr, you almost could mistake it for high-elven "Alright, you! I have chosen you out of all my recruits for this assignment, don't mess it up ,or i'll have your heads." he flicks his hair back a little bit, you see a bit of a red sore on his left ear, like part of the tip was cut. "The Necromancer's Swath has had some....interesting happenings. All the Wizards are scared to go there, so, they are sending my boys. Guess what? Your my boys. The payment for this job is 500 gold each, plus you might, might mind you, have some favor with the wizards top-side. I would suggest getting a tour guide, but if you want to save your coin, then the swath is to the west." with that he turns with much grace around dropping a packet on the ground in front of all of you and leaves.


Packet Contents:
Commander Lucky,
It has come to the attention of the DoTs that you have not been of any use. As it stands, there is a disturbance in the Necromancer's Swath. Go there, deal with it, or we will incinerate your entire organization.

With much intisaption,
Horus Warok, Chief of the Divination of Trusts

p.s. Be warned there is a sect of insane monks there. Just so you don't get killed before I can have that pleasure myself, brother.

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt leans back with his chair, his colorless eyes stays motionless. There is no telling what he might be looking at. His rapier is lying on his legs, not in it's scabbard.

Carelessly he starts playing with his ale, then let's out a huge yawn.
"So, another round?"

[serow]

Fraeya is worried. If the Boys get disbanded, there goes my quick money! I can't let that happen! This Necromancer's Swamp business has gotta be settled quick and well!

"I don't want the Boys to be disbanded," he says, stealing a look at the nonchalant man asking for another round of something, "so does anyone know anything about this swamp?"

OOCHe didn't catch the word "Swath" properly.

[Bandededed]

"I believe he said swath, my friend. The disbanding is a non-issue. If we assume that everyone here is here because they enjoy the cash this employer gets them, then we can assume we want to keep it alive.

Talm's blue eyes pierce towards the nonchalant man. "Though, I suppose that there will always be the doubters..." He turns away and waves with a mutter of "Unimportant,"

"The real issue is whether or not we hire a guide to get there. With a vague direction of West, we don't exactly have the best chances in the world to find it," he says as he brushes a hand through his black hair, which hangs in short dread-locks about his head, just barely too short to interfere with his sight.

"Right now, I'm all for finding someone who knows where this "Necromancer's Swath," is, though I'm not sure we shouldn't just pay them with their own life... Unless someone here has more knowledge than I about the location of the Swath?"

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt leans forward, and though there is no sure way to tell, Talm is sure the rogue is looking at him.
If we cannot even find the place ourselves, how do we expect not to be treated like dogs?"
He then relaxes and leans back again.
"I'm sure we can figure out something on our own..."

[serow]

Fraeya finds a suitable place to sit down to think for a moment. Package says there's been a disturbance at the swamp... no, swath. It's a necromancer's swath. What can go wrong? More undead? So now we need to check out what's going on there, and where it is. From his seat, he voices out to the others.

"I got to admit, I don't know where this swath is. Does anyone know? Anyone heard of this swath in the first place? It's a necromancer's swath, so... undead? Any plans? Maybe I'm just reading too much into this, but in the package, the swath is capitalised, as in captial N and S. Maybe it's a sort of marked place on a map?"

[quiet1mi]

Dox is merely observing his future comrades talk among themselves,sensing who is who, in the "pecking order" of this organization.

"So,what we know is that it is in the necromancer swath we will be encountering some undead.luckily the undead are easy to trick, it is those living fellows that we will have to watch out for."Dox looks around the table a little..."while I am here, I might as well get to know you guys,...my name is Paan, simply Paan and my specialty is interrogation and negotiation however combat is not foreign to me..."

oocI know that this is not his real name...please use it until it is revealed to be otherwise "in-game"... Dox does not know if the walls have ears... besides I plan on revealing that he had an alias if the party proves trust worthy enough to be like family...

[mechanicalmarz]

Well fellows, I be Grainsalt - he then "looks" at Fraeya and says very slowly G-R-A-I-N-S-A-L-T. I'm familiar with...everything my good men! Be it dragons or zombies, or just a purse to cut, I can handle it. with a satisfied smile he sips from his ale.

[serow]

Fraeya stands up at the man's introduction. "Well, I'm Fraeya Fazil, an acolyte from the nearby church. But I'm really clueless about this Necromancer's Swath. Anyway, hope we'll all be able to get this job done quick and smooth." He then looks around, waiting for the others.

[Bandededed]

Talm makes a small gesture towards himself, "I'm Talm. I was supposed to become some mages protector but... that didn't work out so well." He scratches the back of his head. "Anyway, I doubt that a map will have the place marked out so clearly, but there's no reason we shouldn't find out,"

[Lady Tialait]

Hanging off the rafters of the Tavern a halfling hands down his hair wild and unkept as he cheerfully, maybe too much so, speaks "Why 'ello, Did I hear Necromancer's Swath? Why would you ever want do go there? Can I assist? I'm part of the Tour Guides of Newr! Only 50 gold for a quick showing of the Swath! Plus an addional fee for any danger that starts near me.... So, any takers?" after speaking he lets loose her legs and does a front flip down onto the ground landing on his unsheathed feet with his hand out in front of him.

[serow]

"Why 'ello, Did I hear Necromancer's Swath? Why would you ever want do go there? Can I assist? I'm part of the Tour Guides of Newr! Only 50 gold for a quick showing of the Swath! Plus an addional fee for any danger that starts near me.... So, any takers?"Fraeya is dumbfounded for a moment, opening his mouth, closing his mouth, then opening it again before deciding to close it one last time. Taking a deep breath, he says, "I don't want to ask. Yeah sure, 50 gold to get to the Swath sounds good."

[quiet1mi]

Dox is quite skeptic of the halfling, He lets a frown go through his emotional armor and says,"Now I wasn't born yesterday.What proof do you have that you are apart of the Tour guides of Newr,Let alone know anything about the Swath?How do we know that you won't just lead us somewhere and Rob us?"Dox Turns to Fraeya and says, "Don't you think that this is a little too convenient?who knows why he was really waiting here?"

ooc
Sorry Tialait, My character is not the initial trusting type,given the fact we live in a city,where lies and half truths are sold for huge profit,and If the Rumor-monger is desperate, he will sell the truth for a discount.

[mechanicalmarz]

Gotta agree with Paan on this one folks, but... he stops in mid-sentence drinking the rest of his ale, than let's out a happy sigh. Nothing like a good astraldust ale...anyway, where was I? Ah yes... with this he gets up from his chair and in a second he stands before the halfling, then with an ear to ear smile he crouches before the little creature, wrapping his arm around him, supporting his other arm with his rapier, while turning towards the others.
Tell me my good man, why, how and since when have you been eavesdropping on us?. His grip on the halfling's shoulder gets stronger...

OOC
Intimidate:/screwed up code
Sense Motive:/screwed up code

[quiet1mi]

Dox will discreetly study the Halflings body language for any lies or half truths he tells while he is being "interrogated"


[roll0]

[Lady Tialait]

The halfling shrugs "Ya'don't have to be mean about it, I was just waiting for someone to ask directions" he flicks back his unkept hair "My name is Rasputin, here's my sending stone, if you wanna contact the HQ and make sure i'm for real. Oh, and don't mind when they start laughing, they think me getting a case is funny...seeing how everone i've taken anywhere seems to get in trouble. Never know why they find it amusing" he hands a stone to Grainsalt it glistens with embeded stones "I will be needing it back ofcorse, but that is so you contact HQ..ya'see!"

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt stands up, and for the first time he sheathes his rapier. He levels the stone to his eyes, and starts studying it with a childish curiosity.
Let's see what does this do...

OOC
Use Magic Device: [roll0]

[serow]

Watching the halfling depart, Fraeya sighs a little sigh.

Dox Turns to Fraeya and says, "Don't you think that this is a little too convenient?who knows why he was really waiting here?""You know, I absolutely agree with you. 100% in fact. It's way too convenient. A tour guide out of nowhere, suddenly popping out to offer his services when we need it? But I think of where we are and who we are dealing with... And suddenly I don't find it that suspicious anymore. That's all." In addition, he thinks to himself: I only wish it were that easy, in fact...

Looking at the little stone that the halfling gave them, Fraeya continues asking, "So, we going to contact them? Or try our own way first?"

[quiet1mi]

But I think of where we are and who we are dealing with... And suddenly I don't find it that suspicious anymore. That's all."

"That is a god point.Considering the fact that we are on a time crunch,can we afford to spend the time to find the place on our own..."Dox shrugs,"But...there is more of us than there is of him and we could just watch him to make sure that nothing goes awry... As an old friend used to tell me, "Paranoia is just a heightened state of awareness."

[Lady Tialait]

The stone glows and above it an image of a man in black robes and a scowl on his face appears, dark energy swirling behind him. The man glares at Grainsalt "I am Enigma, the Soul Crusher. Why do you summon my visage?" his voice seems almost elven, but echoes in the aether.

[serow]

Fraeya moves a little closer to Grainsalt, who activated the stone. Asking Grainsalt softly, he says, "So, you going to ask him about the swath?"

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt raises an eyebrow.Yes...well we were just looking for company. He snickers a bit. No, seriously. We want to know if this is your guy he aims the stone in a way so the halfling can be seen to.
Also some information about your...services would be appreciated too.
After this he turns to the group and says loud enough that the visage can hear it too Soul Crusher...what kind of name is that? I'm sure it attracts all the tourists they can ask for...

[Lady Tialait]

Enigma Soul Crusher glares at Grainsalt "Are you insinuating that I may be a homosexual prostitute?" his dark energies swirl around the image "I am in the business of crushing souls and making magical items out of the essence....not selling men or whatever this, rat, has told you."

[Bandededed]

Talm tilts his head to the side and looks curiously at the halfling. "You..." he looks over to the image. "Work for him?" He looks back to the halfling. "I'm not to sure I want to be guided by someone whose boss crushes souls for a living..."

Guided, get it? hehe... I'm childish :smallannoyed:

[serow]

Fraeya shrugs a little at the image's words. "So Mr. Soul Crusher, do you provide traveling and guiding services as well?"

[mechanicalmarz]

Until this point Grainsalt's mouth was open, and he remained silent from the amazment. His voice is shaking a bit.
My good sir...please, by any means, tell me about your "work"...
It is obvious something made him very excited. Under his cloak he slowly runs through his fingers on every alchemical potion he has...

[Lady Tialait]

The figure smirks "I take trapped souls, crush them into pure essence, turning that into various magical items. But, you seem not to need that service, as for a tour guide, no..I don't do that. Maybe ask that halfling rat. He seems the type." his gaze burns into Rasputain, the halfling shakes "Yeah...I do tours...erm..mrsoulcrushersir"

[Bandededed]

Talm blinks. Uh oh. Oh man. If that's not his boss, who did we connect to? And he crushes souls...

"Er, I'm sorry sir," he says to the image. "We were attempting to contact this halfling's employer, and seem to have crossed a wire somewhere," He gives Grainsalt a loaded look. "We're sorry to have bothered you,"

The italics are inner monologue for my characters, fyi. Just in case. I don't want people responding to my thoughts. It's creepy :smalleek:.

:smallbiggrin:

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt purposely avoids Talm's gaze.
What sorts of items are we talking about? Where can I find your shop? Wh... - he looks around, noticing the cold stares of the group.
Can I contact you later Mr. Soul Crusher?
With this, he remains silent, but puts his hand on the halfling's shoulder, with a neutral smile. He crouches down, so he is face to face with the shaking creature.
What are the chances you want to give me this stone and tell me everything you think I want to know?

OOC
Intimidate:[roll0]

[serow]

Fraeya sits back down on the chair, feeling a little disappointed. So it wasn't the right guy after all. Now what are we going to do? He looks at the lying halfling for a moment, keeping quiet. Looks like we're going to have to find some guide the old fashioned way.

[Lady Tialait]

The image on the stone rolls his eyes and vanishes, the halfling, now trying to hold back laughter says "I don't mean to cause any more problems for ya'll good folks, you've paid the 50...I'll bring you to the gates of the Swath when you are ready."

[serow]

Fraeya is now a little more wary of the halfling, perhaps finally on the level of his companions. Why is he laughing after that fiasco with the Mr. Soul Crusher? Suddenly, I have a bad feeling about this. He remains sitted at the seat, looking at his companions, wondering if anyone else has picked up on this strange reaction.

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt stares bluntly in the thin air before him.

He looks rather dissapointed.

Damn...

[quiet1mi]

Dox rolls his eyes and says aloud, "lets just go with the halfling, we are just wasting time right now and the longer we wait the better the chance of other people getting word of our arrival..."

[serow]

Seeing that no one, not even the suspicious Dox picked up on that feeling he had, Fraeya tells himself I suppose it's just my imagination. "Alright, lead the way," he says to the halfling.

[Lady Tialait]

Rasputin leads the party across the city. The undercity is always dark, but as the halfling leads them west, the undercity becomes darker, and darker, not truly dark, after all the everburning coldfire of the lamps will always light the undercity, but the feeling is dark. The very air feels evil. The halfling informs the party "Now, this party of the city was first thought of in layer one of the city. It was a place for the necromancers of the city to take corpses for their experiments. This turned out to be good, after all, there isn't really any place to bury the bodies. Back then it was called 'Necropolis' that is, till the accident. You see, the leader of the necromancer's school tried something beyond dangerous, he tried to become immortal. We all know the law of the city says you can't do that. But, wizards back then weren't really that smart about that kinda stuff. I doubt any wizard now days would try to become immortal. Not after what has happened in the swath. Ya'see his experiments went horridly wrong. And, now if a corpse hits the dark energy of the swath, it walks about. Here recently I heard that the swath has a kind of floating eye in it. Worrysome to the wizards. But that is just a rumor. he shrugs and points to a pair of dark and battered gates beyond them is a dark hall, two rotting corpses moan and patrol the gate "Tada! The swath!"

[Bandededed]

Talm sighs. "I'm glad the halfling actually took us to the swath, but...

Aloud he asks sarcastically, "Ah, who doesn't love the stench of undeath in the morning?"

[serow]

Fraeya looks at Talm after he finishes his sentence, and then looks back at the gate and the corpses patrolling the dark and gloomy place. He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and turns to face their halfling guide. "What was that about a floating eye?" And just slightly softer, "Is there any other way into this hell hole?"

Knowledge Religion for the walking corpses
1d20+6

[quiet1mi]

"Another way around may take too long and would increase our chances of being detected,we will just have to take out those guards as quietly as possible... I suggest we plan first and state what is known to be known, known to be unknown so we can react to what is unknown to be unknown..."Paan motions everybody to huddle up

"here is what I know that is known."

I know that there is two guards who are currently zombies.
I know,from past experiences,that zombies are easy to trick.

"here is what I know that is unknown to me."
how quickly will the disposed guards become noticed.
how many more guards there are.
how strong those guards are.
what you guys are physically capable of.
"As my old master used to say about the six Ps..Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance, and from what that package said... we can not afford to preform piss poor..."

"Rasputin, you are free to sit out this fight however if you got a better idea or a safer route in please do tell."

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt kneels motionless.
Well, my good friend I can sneak behind them (though that's not a big accomplishment), I can steal their lungs without them noticing, or I can hack them into little zombie pieces. Which one would you prefer?
The very sharp sarcasm can easily be noticed, but it seems to originate from uneasiness.

[Tyrael]

"Am to be thinkink the hackink of the zombies into the small pieces beink a good idea, da?" A heavily foreign-accented voice rumbles behind the group. A massive Lizardfolk steps into the flickering light of the coldlamps, his tough and chipped green scales interspersed with sodden leather armor, a huge mace and shield over his back. His right eye socket appears to be brutally crushed into his skull, and his remaining yellow slit-pupiled eye glares down at the tiny halfling Rasputin. He jerks a claw-tipped thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the tavern. "Leetle man please to be with the rememberink of the peoples not havink the exact directions, da? Boshi lucky to be with the havink of the good underground directional mind."

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt opens his mouth, then closes it. Then opens it again...
What...?
He seems confused.
How did Scaly followd us, without us noticing?

[Lady Tialait]

The halfling shrugs "If you've no farther use of me...i'll be on my way" he starts to walk off...whistling.

[Bandededed]

Talm shrugs at Paan. "Well, points one and three are answered by: They're zombies. Unless someone's watching, they won't notice a thing and aren't too inhumanly powerful, other than the being dead thing. I'm rather, sneaky, as well, but not as good at it as Grainsalt seems to be. However, we do need to find out how many there are. That sounds like my job,"

The lizard man's sudden appearance takes him off-guard. Clearing his throat, he says "Well, hacking them up is fun as well..." rather faintly, before strengthening his voice and asking, "Wait. Why are you here, again?"

Talm also catches at the halflings arm as he begins to leave. "I think, friend, that we are not yet finished with your services. I see zombies, but I do not see a blazing sign that denotes this place as the Necromancer's Swath. I fear you may have to journey with us, so we can be sure that our money has been well spent," he says with a wink, while thinking "I don't trust someone who'd whistle this close to undead..."

[Tyrael]

The hulking Lizardfolk steps further into the light, revealing himself as a massive, scaly brute with a steel shield strapped over his back and a heavy steel mace nestled behind it. Dingy brown leather armor covers his over 7-foot-tall green-scaled body, over which appear to be short brown breeches, an olive undershirt, and a long, black cloak with a deep hood.

The Lizardfolk's face is elongated and saurian, one small yellow eye squinting with a vaguely menacing air at the world around him. His right eye socket appears to be crushed into his skull. Sharp, cruel fangs are visible whenever he opens his mouth, and his tough-looking scales are chipped and broken in places, as though they were scars. Huge even by Lizardfolk standards, this reptilian thug towers over the rest of the group as he stares down at them from his remaining eye.

"Am her're bekoss of assignmentink of Boshi to Nekr'romans'es Swath by the Lucky-man." The Lizardfolk eyes the party suspiciously. "Am beink told of r'rest of gr'roup to be with the meetink place of the others for the doink of the job-mission. Lucky-man send out Boshi late, say to Boshi, ''please to be getting Boshi ass out ther're with r'rest of boys, or am to be havink Boshi's head as soop bool.' So, Boshi her're. Is you being the r'rest of boys Lucky-man say?"

((This is my first time trying to type a thick Russian accent. The whole r'r thing is supposed to be him rolling/trilling his R's the way Russians do. Bear with me, folks, and let me know if it's too hard to read.))

[serow]

"Ah... ya, we're Lucky's fellas. You got the right guys," I think, Fraeya mentally adds to himself. "And Talm here -" motioning with a wave of his hand, "- was just saying that he wasn't too sure if this place is the actual Swath that we're looking for. Although those zombies do make it look very convincing." Fraeya pauses a moment to readjust his armour a little, before continuing, "So basically that's about it, I think. Hello by the way, I'm Fraeya."

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt jumps up quickly, conjures his hand crossbow from under his cloak and aims it at the halfling.
Not so fast shorty...you have 10 seconds to convince me the whistling was only to show off your easy going nature and charms.
His gaze burrow deep in the short creature's skull

[Lady Tialait]

The halfling squirms a bit "You've never heard whistle while you work?...I mean...come one..." he shrugs.

[Bandededed]

Talm glares at him. "You. Are. Not. A. Dwarf. And: Tick tock, tick tock..."

[serow]

"You. Are. Not. A. Dwarf."Fraeya raises one eyebrow, just slightly. What? And then for just a moment, the affairs of the swath are forgotten as he tries to recall did he ever hear a dwarf whistle before.

[quiet1mi]

Paan sighs...

"guys, we have a job to do and if you treat everyone we meet like this, then our chances of getting another guide will be slim to none..."

Paan's thoughts..
could this guy be leading us into a trap? No, that is highly unlikely as the benefits of pocket change are outweighed by lucky"s and the Wizards wrath...hmm if there was going to be an ambush then it would of already happened while we were disorganized and separated in a line rather than us in a group... maybe there is some truth to Grainsalt suspicions,at least the one about us being in the wrong place...

[quiet1mi]

Paan slowly tilts his head slightly while straining to hear anything that resembles an ambush...

[roll0]

[Bandededed]

Talm listens to Paan, and reluctantly pries his hand off of the halfling. "Tch, forget it. Does anyone mind if I scout ahead a bit, to see if there are any surprises waiting for us if we take out those guards?"

[serow]

"Eh, you ok with going in there alone?" Fraeya asks, jerking towards the zombies.

[Tyrael]

Boshi taps his massive clawed feet impatiently, his talons clicking against the stone. He grumbles to himself, "Если мы получит скоро, уговорил как раз начать черепа независимо."

[serow]

Fraeya ventures a guess. "You want to go with him too?"

[mechanicalmarz]

For a very long minute Grainsalt stares at the halfling, then with a sigh he puts away his crossbow
"We will see each other little man..."

Then with a smile he joins the group.
"I'm pretty sure Lizzy said he's afraid of the walking corpses" - Grainsalt says in a jokingly manner, patting the lizard's shoulder
"So, it means I will be going with you" - he looks around the group
"In the meantime you rangers could cook up something good...I'm starving"

He looks back at the halfling
"Maybe we could eat him, eh?" - he then starts laughing

[Tyrael]

The Lizardfolk grins, revealing sharp, brutal teeth. It's not entirely clear whether he's joking or not. "Am hearink Halflink meet being tender'r unt joosy. Boshi always open to new types of sandweech."

[serow]

"Am hearink Halflink meet being tender'r unt joosy. Boshi always open to new types of sandweech."Oh that's not good, not at all. Fraeya hurriedly tries to change the subject. "Eh, so, we were thinking about a plan to go into the place? Another entrance? Or just straight in here?"

[mechanicalmarz]

Grainsalt yawns. Hack them I say...

[Bandededed]

"Eh, sounds fine with me. I'm just getting tired of waiting,"

If no one disagrees:
Talm saunters forward, towards the zombies, trying to avoid their limited senses, until he is within charging distance. He mutters a few words to himself, delving into his mind for his power.

Starting Inertial Armor for 1 PP (feels like pokemon all of a sudden, huh?)

Initiative: [roll0]
Hide: [roll1]
Move Silently: [roll2]

[Lady Tialait]

As Talm approaches the zombies sniff the air and start shambling forward. They do not seem to notice anyone there but are more aggressive.

[Tyrael]

Impatient with all the hesitation, Boshi unlimbers his heavy mace and shield from behind his back, loudly clomping forward. He slows slightly as he nears the undead guards, trying to think of the best way to charge in. His sharp fangs glisten in the torchlight as the Lizardfolk grins to himself.


Spot check to see Talm: [roll0]
Initiative check: [roll1]

[serow]

"Oh cra..." begins Fraeya as he watches Boshi move towards the zombies. He then draws his weapons, ready to help when needed.

[quiet1mi]

Dox gives a small sigh of disappointment as others can not be as patient as he is ...never the less he pulls out his silver dagger and prepares for battle...

ooc
When the time comes Dox will lure the zombies away with a combination of silent image and obscuring mist...if it is necessary otherwise he will not show off his powers until he has seen everyone else's powers.