The Scouring Of Gate Pass

[Duke of URL]

Your instructions are simple: Meet up with a Cleric named Torrent and find a way to get her out of Gate Pass, along with information vital to the Resistance's plans. You are to meet her at the Poison Apple Pub just before midnight on the eve of the New Year. Enter through the alley door.

(( Those of you who are natives or long-time residents of Gate Pass are aware that the Poison Apple Pub has been closed down since its owner was arrested. ))

The people of the city know an army is on the way, so the streets are fairly deserted and normal festivities muted, letting you travel unmarked and unmolested. The pub is in a poorer district about a mile from the western city wall, filled with slush-covered cobblestone streets and dark, snow-filled alleyways. The evening is dark and claustrophobic, the multistory buildings of the city looming in the night, no lights in most windows.

The pub is a two-story building attached by a rooftop bridge to a neighboring house. The door and windows are boarded up, and the curtains drawn. A notice has been posted on its door:


“Trehan Finner, owner of the Poison Apple Pub, has been taken into temporary custody under the protection of the city guard, until such time that he can be questioned by representatives of the Ragesian Empire, and found innocent of hostile collusion. The Poison Apple Pub is hereby closed until further notice.”

[harmonictempest]

Norven Arroway, human wizard

Ye gods, this is exciting.. Above average height with bright green eyes and black hair, Norven gratefully buttons up his recently purchased thick wool coat against the bitter night air as he approaches the tavern, humming tunelessly to himself. Too bad there's no way to get on that roof - the best way would be to come in through the door they least expect, but I'd probably make a fool of myself trying to climb up to that footbridge. Ah well, dramatic entrances through the front door work fine as-- Seeing the notice posted on the door and quickly recognizing it, Norven casually turns away and continues walking down the street. Right...we were supposed to use the alley, weren't we. After circling back around another block until he's convinced he's shaken off any pursuers in true adventuring fashion, Norven cautiously approaches the alley door, knocking quietly before easing it open.

[Duke of URL]

The door does not budge, but shortly after you knock, the door opens a crack and you can see a female face peeking out, checking that the coast is clear, and then beckoning you inside.

(( More details as additional folks show up ))

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah Wolfsbane, Half Elf Druid

A young half elf looks around while walking up to the condemned pub. She sees the sign on the front door and knows what it says without looking at it. That poor guy... She makes a waving motion with her hand and a small fox comes out of the shadows to her. The alley entrance. It should be in the alley. They walk carefully around to the side where they see the other door. Leiah tries to push open the door without knocking. It's not like anyone's there who doesn't know we're coming.

[The Bushranger]

Andromeda Russkij, (mostly) Human Bard

A fairly tall, slender figure slips through the night in the direction of the Poison Apple Pub. It pauses outside the door and reads the note, the moonlight revealing it to be a young female human...although with dusky skin and striking white hair, completely out of place for her age.

She shakes her head, her icy blue eyes sad as she turns to head for the alleyway.
It's a sad thing that people will do these kind of things to other people, for no better reason than because they can...
When she reaches the alley, she spots someone else attempting to open the door.
Good evening.

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah Wolfsbane

With her hand on the door, Leiah is disturbed by someone talking to her. She and the fox turn around to look at the same time. Leiah takes in the features of the other woman. Strange. That color hair and skin is not usually seen on humans... She shakes her head of the thought and smiles.

"Good evening. I'm assuming you are also here for the delivery mission?"

[Weezer]

Zosimus, Human Warblade

Zosimus, a tall human with brown hair and eyes who is dressed in a serviceable surcoat with the emblem of the city emblazoned on it, approaches the door spying the two people outside of it. Move along inside, there is a reason we are meeting in a closed pub he says in an admonitory tone before entering the pub himself.

[The Bushranger]

Andromeda

Leiah gets a smile in reply, but a faint one, the kind of smile that indicates the person smiling doesn't allow their emotions to show freely.
Indeed I am. Andromeda Russkij, and you would be?
At this point the warblade makes his brusque way past, which merits the raise of an eyebrow.
I suppose he does have a point...

[Duke of URL]

When the warblade tries to open the door, he finds it is locked.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

A hint of amusment crosses Andromeda's face as the door fails to open.
Allow me, if you please good sir?
She steps forwards and knocks on the door, gently yet firmly.

[Duke of URL]

The door opens and a whispered voice invites you inside.

Your host is a human female, as tall and strong as the typical warrior. She is a distinctive looking woman with tanned skin and short white hair. Under a dark winter coat she wears a breastplate decorated with blue wave-like etchings, and a holy symbol to a sea god is tied to her wrist with a leather cord. Her demeanor is smooth but forceful, like an ocean wave.

She gestures casually to a table where she has set up a lamp, a map, several mugs, and a small keg of beer. “The name's Torrent. Thanks for coming,” she says. “Have a drink. Just because we’re about to go to war doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the new year.”

The darkened pub is mostly empty now, its many tables and chairs pushed to one wall and covered with sheets. A single table sits in the middle of the room, with enough chairs for all of you. A small oil lamp and a keg sit on top of it, along with several mugs. At the back corner of the common room beside the bar, a staircase leads upstairs. The windows and door facing onto the street are closed, and you know they have been boarded up from the outside. On the wall behind the bar hangs a bronze bust of the former emperor of Ragesia, Drakus Coaltongue, a regal, aged half-orc with a scar cutting diagonally across his face. You and Torrent are the only people in the room.

Torrent sits down with a mug of beer, seeming content for the moment for everyone to make small talk before getting down to business.

The Map:

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u119/kevkrom/gatepass.jpg

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah nods her head at the warblade. He is right. It is not safe to dally around like this. She then turns back to the bard, Andromeda.

"I am Leiah Wolfsbane."

She ducks past the doorway and into the pub. The fox follows close behind her. This place looks different without people in it... she notes. She sits down in a chair and the fox curls up beside her. She takes a glass and fills it with beer from the keg. The woman was right. Grave circumstances shouldn't stop them from celebrating.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

It is a pleasure to meet you all.
Andromeda introduces herself to the others present, then accepts the offer of a drink.
Afterwards she quietly sips it while she studies the map.

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Spinning the chair around in an intentionally overt way, Norven sits down with the chair facing the wrong way, resting his arms on the back of the chair (which is between him and the table) as he raises his glass. To a New Year, and may it bring success and fortune to you all. After sipping a bit from the glass, he adds So, what brings you all to the Resistance? My motives are obvious, as a mage myself, but what of you?

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

An eyebrow is slightly raised at the wizard's antics.
I suppose my motivations are much the same as yours, sir. Considering that I found myself here when this...crusade was launched, I have no intention of finding myself prematurely dead.

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah debated whether or not telling them the truth would be wise. The fox felt her stress and licked her hand. She decided against it. "I suppose my circumstances are the same as yours. Except I was born here. You see, I too am a magic user."

[Weezer]

Zosimus

After knocking and entering the pub, Zosimus takes a beer and seats himself at the table. The names Zosimus, I'm here primarily because I've been ordered here by the city guard. He says as he takes a drink. So are we all here or do we have to wait for any more?

[Duke of URL]

Torrent turns an amused eye to Zosimus. "To business so soon? I would recommend that you learn to enjoy life more, when you have the rare chance to. Ah, well," she continues. "To business."

(( Anyone who rolls a 20 or better on a Listen check hears that bells are ringing in the distance, celebrating the arrival of the new year. ))

Torrent grimaces and straightens in her chair, saying, “That’s one year gone.

“The city’s in trouble. The Ragesian army is marching on us, and will be here by tomorrow. Before then, we have a mission.

“I used to study at a magic academy to the south, called Lyceum. They’re good people. So when word reached them about Ragesia’s ‘Scourge,’ they sent out messages calling for anyone fleeing Ragesia to come to them. They want to stand against the Ragesians, and the resistance wants their help. We just need to get a message to them.

“Normally we would have sent something by teleporting courier, but something strange is going on with planar magic. The last courier who teleported into Gate Pass, rumor is that he showed up burnt to a crisp. Not that I have that sort of magic anyway, but if we’re going to talk to Lyceum, we’re going to have to go overland. And that’s a problem, because the city’s walls are sealed.

“Ever since their emperor died, the Ragesians have been trying to show that they’re not weak, and they’re marching an army in our direction, since the mountain pass we’re in is apparently ‘strategically valuable.’ Either way, a few idiots on the city council want to negotiate with the Ragesians, and rumor is they’re going to invite a group of inquisitors into the city to look for ‘magic-users who are hostile to the empire.’ They’ve sealed the gates of the city so no one can get out, to make sure they look like they’re cooperating, and only military personnel can get in or out.

“We’re going to have to get out of the city, and I’m open to suggestions on how. Once we’re out, I can get us safely to Lyceum, but before we get ahead of ourselves, we have a mission tonight.

“The short version is that we’ve got to meet a contact — a gnome named Rivereye Badgerface — in about an hour at a guarded depository about a half-mile from here." She indicates the spot on the map marked "B". "He’s carrying a case of vital military intelligence which he stole from the Ragesian palace, and the heads of the resistance think that it needs to reach Lyceum. We’ve got to get that case, get out of the city, and get far away from here before the idiot city council lets the Ragesian inquisitors in. Once that happens, the odds of us escaping are —" she finishes off her mug of beer in one long guzzle “— slim.

“I know I’d love to stay here and fight against the Ragesians, but I’m no soldier, and this mission might be more important. Worst case, you get away from the Ragesians and we can part ways a few days down the road. Best case, you can come with me to Lyceum, and we come back with an army of our own to drive off the Ragesians. But we’ve got to act fast either way. Are you ready for this?”

[harmonictempest]

Norven

The young human studies the map, forgetting to strike a pose as he becomes absorbed in the problem at hand. Well, the logic there is simple. The only way to get out of the city is either through a gate or not. To get through a gate, either we have to be military folk or we have to make the gate unguarded.

[Duke of URL]

(( Everyone make Knowledge(Local) checks... just use a straight INT check if you haven't trained that skill. ))

[harmonictempest]

[roll0]
[roll1](untrained)

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah ponders this for a moment. She is at least grateful that they don't have to fight anything for a good while. She studies the map. What if we were to create a diversion?

Listen: [roll0]
Knowledge: [roll1]

((Edit: Sweet! Natural twenty.))

[Duke of URL]

@Leiah

Your thought about a diversion made you think of the magicians at Gabal's school of war (and magic) [map location "C"]. They'd clearly be sympathetic to your cause and might be able to help you sneak out of the city in some way shape or form.

Norven's comment about being "military" made you think of city councilman Erdan Menash, who is a bit of an oddball known to be sympathetic to adventurers in general. He may be able to provide some way to get around the lockdown. His estate is located at map position "E".


@Norven

As you speak, you recall city councilman Erdan Menash, who is a bit of an oddball known to be sympathetic to adventurers in general. He may be able to provide some way to get around the lockdown. His estate is located at map position "E".

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Norven frowns, considering. I don't know much about soldiers, but I think it'd have to be damn good to get all of them away from their post. Of the three options, not using the gate seems like the most feasible - I'd rather not try to disguise and bluff my way past anyone. My uh, my lying could use a little work. We might try Councilman Menash, assuming we have time. He's enough of an eccentric to defy the lockdown ordinance if he's in the right mood.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Listen: [roll0]
Knowledge (local): [roll1]

Andromeda listens to Torrent's tale, then nods.
I am ready and willing to help in any way that I can...

((Sorry for not making a longer post, but am kinda rushed right now.))

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah thinks for a moment. That could work but I have another idea. The students at Gabal's school of war and magic are probably very sympathetic to our cause. They might be able to help us sneak out. She points to the letter C on the map.

[Duke of URL]

At both Norven's and Leiah's suggestions, Torrent nods approvingly, but offers no additional advice herself.

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Hmm, also a good idea. Well, we may have time to split up and visit both, but barring that, we'll have to figure out which is the better option. My gut says the school of mages is more likely to be able to help us, but with a number of them there, there's also more likely to be some unhelpful ones with enough power to try and stop us. The councilman may be only one, but if he's unhelpful that would be in our favor, as he'd be able to do little against us even if he becomes hostile. He looks around, hoping for other opinions.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Andromeda considers Norven's words.
Well, I would suggest in that case that it might be best to seek out the councilman first. Then approaching the mages depending on how much help he is able to provide.

[Duke of URL]

Torrent continues to let the others discuss plans, only interjecting at one point, "don't forget we still need to meet my contact at the repository before we go anywhere."

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah shrugs. Well, the magic school is closer to her contact then the councilman is but if that is you decision, I won't stop you.

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Norven shrugs right back. I've no pressing need to be right - we may find that we are able to split up and visit both. For the time being, though, we don't have much to do until our meeting in an hour. We may as well pass the time pleasantly. He pours himself another drink. If no one minds, I'd like to offer a humble memory - it's old tradition in my village to share our fondest memories of the old year on the eve of the new. Mine this year was the day after midsummer, when I was finishing preparations for my journey here. I stayed up late into the night with an old friend, talking late into the night. He raises a glass to the memory, then takes a sip and sits quietly.

[Duke of URL]

Torrent, sensing the conversation winding down, starts discussing the contact she needs to meet with. "Rivereye is a spy for Lyceum, and he should have important information about the Ragesian army. His usual contact, a human name Peppin Tallman, was found dead not long ago, so it's up to us to get..."

A series of muted thumps suddenly can be heard in the distance. Torrent's face suddenly turns very serious and a little sad. "It has begun. Those sound like Ragesian devices being dropped from their wyvern riders. So much for a peaceful solution."

@Norven, Leiah, and Zosimus
You also hear what sound like floorboards creaking overhead.

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah sighed inwardly. Of course we can't come to a peaceful solution. We never can. She then hears the floorboards creak above them. She looks up. There's something above us. We should leave...

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

The bard looks up and frowns.
I thought this place was supposed to be empty except for us...
One hand falls to the whip fastened to her belt.

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Rising to his feet, Zosimus grips the hilt of his greatsword, peering upwards to the noise Its probably someone we dont want to meet, lets get out of here He moves to the door, opens the door a crack and gazes into the darkness looking and listening for anyone waiting outside.

Spot:[roll0] Listen:[roll1] yay internet is working again

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Agreed.
Rommie decides to pass on the whip and readies her crossbow instead, trying to quietly move behind Zosimus as he looks out the door.


Move Silently: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]
Listen: [roll2]

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah follows her comrades and looks out the door.

Move Silently: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]
Listen: [roll2]

((@^ Sweet another nat. 20))

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Norven quietly readies a bolt in his crossbow, following the others to the door as his eyes glitter with excitement.

[Duke of URL]

Just as you start opening the door, you all (except Zosimus who failed a DC 5 listen check!) hear a shout from outside, "front door: go!" Through the narrow crack, you see what appears to be four burly human-sized shapes running with what appears to be a battering ram. Right at you.

Torrent starts loading her crossbow as well.


Map (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pApovhCeRf6Sw8QXLjXqMUA)

Legend:

Blue squares indicate difficult terrain (tables, bar, etc) that can provide cover
Yellow square indicate windows (boarded)
Orange squares indicate interior doors
Purplish squares indicate exterior doors
Green squares indicate stairwell
L(eiah), N(orven) R(ommie), T(orrent), Z(osimus), and Thugs 1, 2, 3, and 4


Roll initiative please.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Oh crap!

Initative: [roll0]

[harmonictempest]

Awesome.
[roll0]

[Weezer]

Initiative: [roll0] if the listen was dc 5 zosimus passed it with an 8 right?

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Shoot!
Leiah arms herself with a scimitar.
Isn't there a back way out?

Initiative: [roll0]

[The Bushranger]

Rommie
Maybe we should let them in and take them down!
She moves to get behind the counter for cover, resting her crossbow on it and standing ready.


Move over the counter/table/whatever, one square up and then one diagonally up/left.

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Zosimus steps quickly to the side of the door and raises his sword, prepared to attack the first grunt that comes through the door.

5 foot step to be just to the left of the door, activating punishing stance readying action to attack the first thug through the door with sapphire nightmare blade.
attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
concentration for sapphire nightmare blade: [roll2]
additional d6 for sapphire nightmare blade: [roll3]

If the concentration check is greater than the targets AC I get the +1d6 and the target is considered flat footed

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah thinks. If they said 'front door: go' does that mean they might have someone at the other door too?

Leiah uses a move action to stand by the table on the opposite side of Norven.

[Duke of URL]

Zosmius attempts an elaborate strike, but misses the moving target. Torrent., who had held her crossbow ready as well, misses the same target, with the bolt narrowly missing Zosimus as well. She drops the crossbow and pulls out her battleaxe.

One of the thugs shouts, "drop your weapons and come quietly. We don’t want to break your valuable little heads." Torrent simply replies, "just try it, buddy."


DM Rolls: Torrent Initiative 14-1=13, Torrent Attack 2+0=2

Map (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pApovhCeRf6Sw8QXLjXqMUA)

Initiative order:

20 - Norven
16 - Zosimus
13 - Torrent
11 - Rommie
9 - Leiah
0 - Thug 1
0 - Thug 2
0 - Thug 3
0 - Thug 4

Don't worry about posting in initiative order. I'll resolve conflicts between actions as best as I can if someone with a higher init posts later.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Andromeda's voice is low and dangerous.
Come and take it.
She steadies her crossbow at Thug #1...
Twang!


Fires crossbow at ThingThug One.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Reloading

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah moves on the other side of thug 2 for a flanking bonus. She goes for him with her scimitar.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Duke of URL]

Norven plugs a crossbow bolt into the lead thug, who promptly drops to the floor. Zosimus is a flurry of blades, attacking both of the standing thugs within reach -- one dodges the blow, but the other is caught squarely for a finishing blow. Torrent and Leaih both take swipes at the new lead thug, but miss, as does Rommie with her crossbow. The thug, in turn, whiffs in Torrent's general direction.

The last thug manages to enter the doorway, and connects a vicious (but non-lethal) strike with his sap on Zosimus in retaliation for dropping his companion. The creaking overhead can now be heard plainly, as footsteps start pounding down the stairs. At the same time, the building shakes and a deafening boom sounds overhead. Ceiling boards crack and buckle, and flaming oil leaks down into the room like a fiery rain. Overhead, a handful of screams sound out as some more of the thugs are caught in the flaming burst and slain. Two make it down safely, but a third stumbles down the stairs, on fire, and quickly dies in the flames. The bronze bust of Emperor Coaltongue falls off the wall and lands with a thud on the floor. The thug in the doorway takes a small amount of damage from the fiery oil.


Everyone inside the building needs to make a DC 10 reflex save to avoid fiery spray (1 hp damage on failure). The red squares on the map indicate flaming debris -- difficult terrain and you will take fire damage for trying to get through.

Zosimus takes 12 points of non-lethal damage (critical hit, ouch!). Thugs #1 and #3 are unconscious and dying.

DM Rolls: Norven Crossbow 16+2=18, Norven Damage 7, Zosimus uses Steel Wind, Zosimus Attack #1 3+3, Zosimus Attack #2 18+3=21, Zosimus Damage 9+3=12, Torrent Attack 4+4=8, Thug 2 Attack 6+3=9, Thug 4 Attack 20+3=23*, Thug 4 Confirm 19+3=22, Thug 4 Damage 8+4=12, Thug 2 Reflex 15, Thug 4 Reflex 8, Thug 5 Reflex 17+3=20, Thug 6 Reflex 19+3=22

Map (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pApovhCeRf6Sw8QXLjXqMUA)

Initiative order:

20 - Norven
16 - Zosimus
13 - Torrent
11 - Rommie
9 - Leiah
1 - Thug 5
1 - Thug 6
0 - Thug 2
0 - Thug 4

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Managing to stay calm, at least to outside appearances, as things quickly go to Hades complete with fire, Rommie's attention turns to the thugs coming down the stairs, and she squeezes off a crossbow bolt at Thug #6 before diving over the counter to escape the trap her position has become.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Reflex save: [roll2]
Move three squares right then one diagonally down and right.

((Ouch...))

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Staggering slightly from the blow and feeling as if he is going to black out, Zosimus steadies himself and launches a fearsome blow, using its power to toughen his very skin. He then begins to flee, backing up till his back is to the stairs to stop the thugs from flanking him.

stone bones strike, if it hits dr 5/adamantine for 1 round
Attack: [roll]1d20+3[\roll] Damage: [roll]3d6+3[\roll]
moving back 10 ft and left 10 ft i move to a spot where the thugs can only approach me one at a time.

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah looks disturbed at why there is suddenly firy objects around her but keeps trying to attack. Should we try to escape through the alley? She swings once again at Thug number two.

Reflex Save: [roll0]
Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[Duke of URL]

Norven tries to stay on a roll, but after dodging burning oil, his next bolt thuds into the wall. Zosimus cuts the thug in front of him in two and just misses catching the one in the doorway with his follow-through. He then tries to withdraw to a more defensive location, but the thug behind him seizes the chance to strike when an opening presents itself, and drops Zosimus to unconsciousness. Torrent steps forward and finishes off the thug in the doorway. Rommie misses again, and then moves to a location not quite as much on fire. Leiah moves over to take care of the thug that dropped Zosimus, but in their exchange of blows, she misses and catches the thug's sap square on the temple, dropping her into the realm of the not conscious. The last thug navigates the bodies on the floor and manages to land a mild shot on Torrent, who merely glares at him as if that just made her mad.


harmonictempest is AFK though tomorrow, so I'll NPC him again for this fight...

Leiah, Rommie, and Torrent all take 1 point of fire damage.

Zosimus takes two points (after DR) of non-lethal damage, which brings him to 0 by my count. Leiah takes 14 points of non-lethal damage. (Myth Weavers is temporarily down, but I'll assume that's enough to make her hors do combat).

DM Rolls: Norven Reflex 13+2=15, Norven Attack 5+2=7, Torrent Reflex 2-1=1, Torrent Attack 18+4=22, Torrent Damage 4+2=6, Thug 5 AoO Attack 18+3=21, Thug 5 AoO Damage 5+2=7-5(DR)=2, Thug 5 Attack 20+3*, Thug 5 Confirm 20+3, Thug 5 Damage 10+4=14, Thug 6 Attack 18+3=21, Thug 6 Damage 2+2=4

Map (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pApovhCeRf6Sw8QXLjXqMUA)

Initiative order:

20 - Norven
16 - Zosimus (Unconscious)
13 - Torrent
11 - Rommie
9 - Leiah (Unconscious)
1 - Thug 5
1 - Thug 6

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Slightly singed and seeing two of her companions down, the bard's expression hardens as she reloads her crossbow and draws a bead once more on Thug Six...


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
then a five-foot step forwards ("down" on the map)

[Duke of URL]

Crossbow bolts fly wildly off mark, but Torrent's axe hits home, killing another of the thugs. The last one picks his way across the bodies on the floor, apparently figuring that if he can drop torrent, the casters (whom he came for in the first place) will be easy marks to finish up, but he misses.


DM Rolls: Norven Attack 2+2=4, Torrent 20+4=24*, Torrent Confirm 11+4=15, Torrent Damage 12+6=18, Thug 5 Attack 11+3=14

Map (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pApovhCeRf6Sw8QXLjXqMUA)

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Andromeda steps behind Norven as she reloads her crossbow then unloads it at point-blank range in the remaining thug's back.


Five foot step to the left on the map.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[harmonictempest]

Norven

"'Ware the stairs, this tavern's not empty yet!" Norven echoes, bravely attempting a worthy quip as he unloads his bolt alongside Rommie. With two down, this isn't looking great - well, better save my spells rather than use it on just one, now.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Moofin Bard]

Todd

Todd finally joins the battle. If the bolt doesn't kill the thug, he'll be ready to attack. He is standing to the right of Torrent.

Initiative: [roll0]

[Duke of URL]

Norven's bolt bites deeply into the thug's body, staggering but not felling him. NorvenLeiah's fox manages to find an opening, but just fails to connect. Torrent and Rommie both miss as well, while the thug manages a lucky shot on Torrent in return.


Torrent takes 7 points of non-lethal damage.

DM Rolls: Todd Attack 9+2=11, Torrent Attack 6+4=10, Thug Attack 17+3=20, Thug Damage 5+2=7

Map (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pApovhCeRf6Sw8QXLjXqMUA)

(New token X if for Todd)

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Cursing her luck, Rommie reloads her crossbow and prepares to go 0-for-5, swearing to stick to bardic music from now on...


"Trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results is a sign of insanity."
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Afterwards, she drops her crossbow...

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Surprise, surprise. I don't usually do nearly this well with a weapon, but no complaints here. Hoping a last shot will finally end the battle, Norven reloads and fires once more.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Duke of URL]

Norven shoots wildly again, but Torrent, angered by the blow from the sap, finishes the battle with her ax connecting a solid hit. Todd dances on the thug's body for a second, taking a slight nip at it before trotting back to Leiah's side.

Torrent channels some healing energy to rouse Zosimus and Leiah. "We'd better get out of here soon before the fire gets worse."


I'm going to DM fiat here and say that Torrent's will burn two 1st level spells to fully remove all non-lethal damage from Zosimus and Leiah, and she herself recovers from her non-lethal damage as well by burning a 0th level spell.

Everyone gets 360 XP (even those unconscious at the end), which should bring you all to 860 XP each.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie scoops her crossbow back up.
Agreed. Sorry I was such a poor shot...


According to the PHB, expended ammo that didn't hit has a 50% recovery chance...can I roll a d6 to see how many bolts she can recover (with 6 being "none"?)
[roll0]

[Weezer]

Shaking himself and recovering as Torrents healing energy pours through him, Zosimus stands feeling refreshed and recovered, he searches the bodies for anything interesting, ignoring their saps and armor. After stowing the loot he says Lets get out of here and find your contact he moves towards the door and peers into the dark again, hopefully there aren't any more battering rams

Listen: [roll0] Spot: [roll1]

[Duke of URL]

The thugs carry little more than their arms and armor. Each has an identical red armband with an image of a black horse and black lettering in an unfamiliar language. (Ignan, actually... if anyone can read that, let me know.) The thug who crashed down the stairs is covered in too much fire to retrieve any items from safely.

Loot:

Scale mail (x4)
Studded leather armor (x2)
Shield, wooden light (x4)
Sap (x6)
Shortsword (x4)
Morningstar (x2)
Crossbow, light (x6)
Bolts (x60)
Armband (x6)
Battering ram, portable
30 gp


You think you still hear someone outside, but can't see who it is (or they are). No one seems to be currently approaching however.

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah shakes her head as Torrent's healing energy flows through her. Todd goes over to lick her face and she stands up. Thanks Torrent. Sorry about that. she says as she heads for the door. Todd follows her while brushing up against her affectionately. I'm going to feel that in the morning.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Andromeda looks longingly at the armour and shields, but winds up pulling aside a morningstar and 10 crossbow bolts.
Does anyone mind if I take these? Also, we should divide up the money evenly.
She gives Torrent a smile.
Good hitting. Sorry I wasn't more help.
She then goes to join Zosimus at the door, hefting said morningstar (presuming nobody objected...)

Listen: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]

[Duke of URL]

Rommie sees what looks like a mounted figure at the edge of the shadows. The figure is facing the doorway.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Mounted guard over there in the shadows, Rommie whispers to the others. Looking this way too. Anyone else who's a better shot want a crack at him?

[Weezer]

Zosimus
I'll give it a shot, Zosimus responds as he sheaths his sword and draws his crossbow, carefully sighting down the shaft at the shadowed figure. He pulls the trigger, seeing the bolt speed towards the guard.

attack: [roll0] damage: [roll1]

I pick up the 30 gp and the 6 armbands from the possible loot

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah shakes her head in disbelief. Why are you shooting? We don't even know if this is friend or foe yet. she whispers.

[Duke of URL]

An authoritative voice booms out, "surrender. Now."

The mounted figure moves forward. Hidden under gray plate armor is a tightly muscled man, his armor worn from many battles, and humbly marked with symbols of sacred honor. His eyes have a darkness like a judge laying sentence. A broken helmet, cloven in the face, hangs from his belt. His greatsword, on the other hand, is held ready as the heavy warhorse steps forward.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Well, I think that answers THAT question...
She looks over at Torrent.
There's a back way out of this place, right?
She then turns to face back out the doorway and shouts.
That's funny, that's what we were about to tell you!

[The Bushranger]

((Sorry, forgot to put the roll in my original post.))

Bluff: [roll0]

[Duke of URL]

The man seems unimpressed. "And what has happened to the squads that were sent in to capture you?"

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

They came, they tried, they're all extra crispy now!

...yes, she has a...quirky sense of humour. :smalltongue:

And she tries Sense Motive on the chap:
[roll0]

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Zosimus draws his sword and prepares for combat
If you don't watch it the same will happen to you. He says to the figure.

intimidate: [roll0]

[Duke of URL]

"I see," the man says. After a brief pause, he turns the horse away and you hear him riding off.

"Well, that was ominous," interjects Torrent.

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Dangit, I wanted the armbands, but I couldn't post fast enough. Hmm.

After the battle ends, Norven takes a moment to examine the bodies. So this is death - I wonder why the others are so cavalier about it. Turning, he sees Zosimus pocket the money and carefully remove an armband from each fallen figure, while seeming to give no further thought to the dead soldiers.

Ignoring the short exchange at the door for now, which seems to already be over, Norven addresses Zosimus. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have one or two of those armbands myself - probably wouldn't be a bad idea if we all had them, to be honest. And thanks for counting the money they had; does it divide into five shares evenly?"

As he walks toward the door, he comments "Is anyone else a little sobered by the idea that we just killed a bunch of people? Not that it wasn't justified, but they weren't trying to kill us, y'know?"

Are any of them still alive? Norven will probably try to pull them out the door so they don't burn to death, if that's the case.

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Responding to Norven's request Zosimus gives each of his companions an armband (if they want one) and 6 gold. After this he says We should get moving, I didn't like the sound of the figure outside, he could be bringing reinforcements.

[Duke of URL]

Two of the thugs are still alive, but are bleeding badly.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Indeed - I've got a bad feeling about this, the bard replies to Torrent's observation. She takes the armband and cash. Perhaps we should wear these armbands, they might help us slip through...

Rommie then turns to Norven. They may have not been actively trying to kill us, however they sought to deliver us to that fate in the end. This is war, we are on one side and they are on the other. Basically, both here and along our travels, it is going to be them or us, and I would really rather it be them. Now lets get these two outside and then get the hell out of here.

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Nodding his agreement with Rommie, Norven sets about helping drag the two still-living thugs to the door. Before they move them, he makes some clumsy attempts to bind their wounds.

Heal checks: [roll0], [roll1]

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Andromeda helps Norven with his fixing-up of their erstwhile attackers.


Heal checks against DC10 per the 'aid another' rule:
#1: [roll0]
#2: [roll1]


She then straighens up and looks around.
Lets hit the road, shall we.


Aand a Spot check:
[roll2]

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah takes the armband and the 6 gold. She shivers at the encounter with the mounted figure. Todd stretches and gets ready to leave. Leiah walks to the door with him. Yes. It's probably about time to meet that contact.

Will roll later. Myth-weavers is down.
Listen:
Spot:

[Duke of URL]

Torrent watches as the others take the armbands. "Those aren't any sort of local militia insignias..." Focusing again on the mission, she continues. "Well, that unpleasantness aside, we'd best hurry along to meet Rivereye."

The icy streets are starting to fill with panicking citizens. People are running around trying to put out fires, and some simply lie in the street, burned or injured by falling debris and just looking for the safest place to stay. One man cries out for help as you pass, clutching the burned body of his wife and huddled with three children.

Meanwhile, the sound of the bombing stops, and soldiers rushing toward the western wall to fight only add to the confusion. All the while, bells ring up and down the pass, sending (probably needless) warning signals throughout the city.

It is all noise, smoke, cold, and confusion.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie nods in agreement and goes to follow Torrent as they begin to head off.

Checks:
Spot: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]
Move Silently: [roll2]

natural 20! :D

[Weezer]

Zosimus

That we should Zosimus says as he follows Torrent into the streets.

[spoiler] listen: [roll0] spot: [roll1]

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah takes her armband off and follows them with Todd at her side. She doesn't seem to be able to look at the people in the streets. I think it would be best not to wear these now. Those thugs were probably responsible for this and if anyone else knows that, we might get mobbed by the entire town.

Listen: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]

[harmonictempest]

Norven

When they walk outside, Norven looks around for a moment before giving a low, clear whistle. Out of the dark night around them, a glossy black-and-brown owl swoops down to land on Norven's right fist, which explains why he only wears one glove. Cooing softly to her, he strokes her for a moment before releasing her to circle invisibly above them as they walk the frosty streets toward their meeting.

No active Spot/Listen checks.
Passive ones are made at Spot +6/Listen +3 for Norven, and at Spot +16/Listen +14 for Sul, the owl. Her stats are on my sheet if you need anything else.

[Duke of URL]

Torrent scowls at the group. "We may be in a hurry, but there's no need to not grant aid when it is asked of us." She pauses long enough to apply some healing magic as well as basic first aid before moving on.

As you continue on, the crowd becomes difficult to navigate. Four clustered buildings have caught on fire and suddenly from the top floor of one of them, a window smashes open followed by a woman's cries for help. "I'm trapped! Flames are everywhere!"

[The Bushranger]

Rommie looks sutiably chastened by Torrent's rebuke, and moves to help the cleric with the first aid as the progress along their route.

General Heal check: [roll0]

When they reach the burning buildings and hear the woman's call for help, she quickly starts shrugging off her pack, looking around at the group as she does so.
We need to help - who's with me?

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Hearing the womans shouts for help Zosimus shouts aye we must help, but how?. He pulls his rope out of his pack and ties a grapple to the end of it.

[harmonictempest]

Norven

The young human stands at the ready, though unsure what help he could be in this situation. Perhaps Sul could fly the rope up there if you can't throw it high enough, he offers.

Details, please? How high is the window, how rampant are the flames (would a rope get burned in short order?), how big is the house, etc?

[Duke of URL]

The window is 4 floors high, so figure about 30 feet (assuming less than the standard 10 feet for floor that modern buildings use). The exterior of the building appears to allow a rope to be used safely.

[Duke of URL]

(( So... does anyone have a plan of action yet? ))

[The Bushranger]

((well, I was waiting for someone else to post first... <_< ))

Rommie

Rommie spins around to face Zosimus, her long white hair whipping around behind her. Can you get that grapple on the windowsill? Do it!

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Zosimus runs up to the base of the building whirling the rope around his head. He then throws it, aiming for the window that the screaming is coming from.
When/If it catches he climbs up the rope, being watchful for signs of encroaching fire.

I'm not sure what checks to use for throwing the rope so I'll roll when you tell me, but here is my climb check anyways
climb: [roll0]

[Duke of URL]

Climbing up is simple enough. Now you're faced with the prospect of carrying a roughly 150 pound woman down the same way.

(Roll another climb check.)

[The Bushranger]

Rommie watches, shifting nervously from foot to foot, wishing she could help...

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Zosimus quickly scales the side of the building, and climbs into the window. Picking up the woman he carefully attempts to climb down the ladder with the additional weight bearing him down.


climb:[roll[1d20+6[/roll]

[Weezer]

messed up the roll heres another go climb:[roll0]

[Duke of URL]

Zosimus easily manages to carry the stranded woman down, and even manages to free the rope from the building with a stylish flourish after he sets her down on the ground.

The woman looks sadly at the building for a moment, then turns to Zosimus with a grateful expression. "Thank you, kind sir," she says, "for helping a woman in need. I only wish I could find some way to reward your generosity, but..." her voice trails off as she gestures to the burning structure.


(( However, as the DM, I can reward you, so everyone gets 120 XP. By my calculations, that puts everyone just shy of 2nd level... ))

[The Bushranger]

Rommie gives the woman a reassuring smile.
I'm glad we were able to help, ma'am. Will you be alright?

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah stands there thinking. Maybe I could help with that. Leiah concentrates and attempts to cast Create Water as a downpour over the building. If her spell succeeds, the fire might go out.

[Duke of URL]

"All right? I'm alive, which I'm grateful for. That's all I can really ask, I guess."

The conjured water makes an ineffective dent in the roaring flames.


Sorry, cut at 1st level, you're only conjuring 2 gallons, not much use against a full-fledged fire....

[Moofin Bard]

Leiah

Leiah frowns but she doesn't dare to try anymore. Sorry. There's just too much fire.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie gives her companion a small but reassuring smile. Don't feel too bad, we saved the most important thing. Property can be replaced, lives cannot.

[Weezer]

Zosimus


Nodding in agreement Zosimus echoes his companions reassurance Rommie is right, at least your still alive.

[Duke of URL]

Torrent smiles at Zosimus. "Well done. We must always remember that what we are doing, we are doing for the people of this city. That was a very good deed... but now we must hurry."

As the group starts off again, she tries to keep up a background briefing amidst the noise and bustle. "Now, Rivereye is a gnome -- funny thing is, he's quite ugly, but he doesn't realize it, according to the information I got, along with some humorously related stories. His contact, Peppin Tallman, was found dead about a week ago, so we're going in his place."

You reach the gate between two districts of the city. It is very crowded, with too many people in too narrow of a space, trying to move in both directions with everyone in a hurry. Suddenly, you feel a chill wave sweep over you.


Everyone, spot checks and a Will save vs. fear

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Norven has wordlessly watched the small drama play out, and now follows at the back of the group, slightly frustrated that he could do nothing about it. As the wave sweeps over them, his head snaps up, eyes wide.

The owl is 20-30 feet overhead. Does she need to save, too?
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Duke of URL]

( (Re: Owl -- yes, she will need to save as well. ))

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie smiles a little at Torrent's description of Rivereye. It seems to me that men always overestimate their attractiveness, you know...

She spins around, one hand on the hilt of her rapier, trembling a little as she tries to see what might be out there.


Will save: [roll0]
Spot check: [roll1]

[Weezer]

Zosimus

While listening to Torrent describe their contact, Zosimus suddenly whips his head around, staring into the night to discover the source of the wave.

spot:[roll0] will: [roll1]

[harmonictempest]

Geez, we are not doin' so hot here...
[roll0]

[Duke of URL]

(( Wow, I know it's a tough save for level 1, but I figured at least one of you would make it... but... nope. Well, except Torrent , who rolled a 17+4=21. Even the animals failed. ))

Everyone except Zosimus (( seriously, a 2 on a spot check? )):

You notice a crimson, bat-winged shape the size of a house swooping through the sky about a hundred feet overhead. As it passes out of view over other buildings, a surge of panicked screams rise along its path. It is too dark to make out clearly what the creature causing the fear is.


The crowd (including all of you and your animal companions) panics, running everywhere at once... at least as well as the cramped space allows. You hear people screaming and see them tearing at each other to get around or through, and you start doing likewise. Only Torrent and a few others seem to remain calm in the storm, but too few to do anything about it.

(( Reflex saves, please, DC 10 or take 1d6 nonlethal damage from the crowd ))

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie dives for the nearest nice, dark hidey-hole...

Reflex save: [roll0]

[Weezer]

Zosimus

The wave of fear overides his discipline and he runs as part of a human stampede away from the unknown being.

reflex: [roll0] were rolling so bad because the forum rollers are cursed:smalltongue:

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Caught unawares, Norven panics with the rest of the crowd, seeking a nook in a wall where he can hide from the thing that just flew overhead. He runs, calling Sul down to him and away from that thing as he does.

Reflex save: [roll0]
Knowledge (arcana) check to know IC what that dra thing is: [roll1]

[Duke of URL]

@Norven

It is too dark to be sure, but you'd guess it was a dragon or a wyvern flying overhead.

[Moofin Bard]

((I can make my reflex save but after that you might have to NPC me for awhile.))

Leiah

Todd whines in fear and Leiah grabs onto Torrent's arm.

Reflex Save: [roll0]

[Duke of URL]

As chaos bursts all around you, the press of people running in all directions is almost unbearable. Nearby, you can see the unconscious form of a gate guard who fell from the wall and was trampled by the crowd. Many other citizens bear bruises and scrapes, but fortunately there are no serious injuries.

As the wave of panic subsides, Torrent is able to usher you quickly into the next sector of the city, toward the depository. Here, the damage seems somewhat lessened, as the buildings are of sturdier stone construction, which has been more resistant to fire damage.

A richly dressed man stands out in the crowd as he wanders the streets, calling out, "where is my baby? Kiki, where are you? Come to daddy!"

[The Bushranger]

Rommie looks a little shame-faced at having taken fright so easily, but does her best to hide it as they hurry along.
Just what in the world was that thing, anyway?!
She notices the richly-dressed man and looks around, seeing if she can spot anything amiss.

Spot: [roll0]

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Too excited to be embarassed, Norven hustles along through the crowd, stroking a still-shaken Sul. It might've been a wyvern, or maybe a dragon! I've heard their presence would strike fear into the hearts of entire armies, but I didn't believe it until now!

When they pass the man, Norven notes him as out of place and quickly brings his faculties to bear on the problem. He whispers to Sul Fly up and look for a girl dressed richly like that, and maybe looking lost or with someone else. While Sul obeys, he studies the man, comparing his dress to that of the other nobles' he's seen during his brief stay in the city.

Knowledge (nobility) check, untrained: [roll0]
Sul's Spot mod is +16, if you need more than one check (she'll be looking around for a little while). If just one check, you can use [roll1].

[Duke of URL]

@Norven

From his manner of dress, you conclude he is not a member of the nobility, but is more likely a well-to-do artisan or merchant.

Sul does not relay spotting anyone fitting the given description.


@Rommie

Other than the general chaos and destruction, everything looks normal to you.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie hesitates a little, considering, then approaches the man.
Excuse me, sir, are you looking for someone?

[Duke of URL]

The man looks slightly relieved when Rommie appears to offer assistance. Still, he is quite agitated and speaks more in fragments than any kind of coherent sentences. "Yes... my Kiki... not much more than a baby... the noise... she was scared... ran off... what will happen to her?"

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Huh, for new agents, we certainly seem to have to do a lot of trivial things...I guess it's the price for being one of the good guys. Norven mentally shrugs to himself before approaching the man.

Can you describe your daughter, sir? Especially what she might be wearing?

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Andromeda nods in agreement with Norven. Also, if you know where she was when you last saw her, and do you have any idea which direction she might have gone in?

[Weezer]

Zosimus

We dont have time for this Zosimus thinks, waiting impatiently behind Rommie and Norven, keeping an eye out for any more thugs.

[Duke of URL]

"My... daughter?" He looks temporarily confused. "Oh, yes, Kiki! She was wearing her collar, of course."

[The Bushranger]

Rommie facepalms.
Sir...you mean you're looking for your dog?

[Duke of URL]

"A dog?" The man seems aghast. "No, no... my Kiki is my pet weasel... what people call a 'dire' weasel, but I think of her more as my 'dear' weasel. Who knows what will happen to her in this... chaos?"

Torrent, for her part, appears to share Rommie's frustration.

[Weezer]

Zosimus

We dont have time to deal with this pet, we have more important things to do.
Zosimus says angrily

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

I agree. I'm sorry sir, but there's bigger things at stake here than finding a lost weasel. I hope you find her and good day.

And if you see a mini-lop carrying a switchblade, RUN! :smalltongue:

[Duke of URL]

The man seems crestfallen. He then re-composes himself and starts wandering off randomly, calling out "Kiki! Come to daddy!"

Torrent smiles slightly after he leaves. "Yes, well, while helping people is all well and good, I'm quite certain we would have been unable to provide the help that poor man truly needs." She then leads the group toward the depository, an eighty foot high tower located in the center of the district that is surrounded by a fenced compound.

"Hold," says a suspicious voice from inside the gate. "State your business."

"I am Torrent Degarth," Torrent replies, "seeking access to my vault." After a few moments, the gates open, with a small squad of armed guards standing just inside, at the ready. "Move quickly," the guard leader says. "We don't want any rioters in here."

The grounds of the depository are 120 ft. square, while the tower itself is 60 ft. in diameter and 80 ft. high. A 20 ft. high iron fence rings the compound, with the space between the fence and tower filled with well tended gardens. Just inside the entry gate are a pair of beautiful fountains; one depicting four elemental spirits common to local legends — a dragon, a worm, a kraken, and an eagle — and the other dominated by a statue of Emperor Coaltongue, posing with his torch held high.

One of the guards escorts you to the only apparent entrance, offering you a lantern if you require it. "Be sure to only open your own vault," he cautions, "as there are additional guards patrolling inside in case you... ah... should accidentally open someone else's, if you get my drift."

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Norven quietly follows BitTorrent into the building, slightly cowed by the heavy security and wondering what sort of contact they will meet here.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie follows quietly to the tower and inside, giving the guard a small grin as he comments about not opening other vaults. But of course. We wouldn't want that to happen, would we. It'd be...most unfortunate.
Giving him a wink, she follows Torrent inside.

[Duke of URL]

The first floor of the tower is one huge room, and though the far side is hidden in shadows, it looks to be about sixty feet in diameter. A broad stone ramp circles clockwise upward to the left of the door, while the interior of the room is filled with aisles of metal lockers, each slightly larger than a coffin propped upright. The ceiling is twenty feet high, supported by squat round columns.

A pug-faced, ugly little gnome with blue robes and a runny nose and a cough heads down the ramp from the floor above and feebly nods to you. "I'm sorry, but I *cough* seem to have caught a *cough, cough* cold on my trip here from the Ragesian capital."

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie looks curiously at the lockers, but then moves as far away from the gnome as she reasonably can.
I'm sorry to hear that...may I ask what you were doing there?

[Duke of URL]

"Hmm... caution is always welcome in these matters, but come now, Peppin," the hunched gnome replies, "surely you knew you were coming here to meet me? Please, come with me upstairs, I need your password to open the vault."

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Whispering to Rommie Do we know a Peppin? speaking to the gnome You can never be too cautious, now I'll need your name.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Shaking her head, Rommie motions slightly in Torrent's direction.
Pet name, perhaps?
She nods to the gnome as Zosimus addresses him.
Yeah, given that all nine circles of Hades seem to have broken loose out there, we need to be sure who you are before giving up any passwords.

[Duke of URL]

"Come, now... who else would be here at this hour? Stop joking around with old Rivereye," the gnome prattles on while heading back up the ramp, "and come up here so we can get you the information that you need."

[The Bushranger]

Rommie looks at her companions, then shrugs and goes to follow the gnome.

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Watching Torrent, Norven prepares to trust the gnome as much as she does. Wary of possible betrayal for now, he follows the gnome.

[Weezer]

Zosimus
Following the gnome up the ramp, Zosimus is wary looking out for any signs of falsehood or deception from the gnome.
Torrent, are you the "Peppin" he is referring to? He whispers to Torrent

[Duke of URL]

@Zosimus


Torrent hangs back slightly to whisper to Zosimus, "no. That's quite odd, actually... Peppin was Rivereye's old contact... and he's dead."

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Hurrying slightly to catch up to the rest of the group Zosimus whispers in both of their ears
We have a problem here, Torrent says that Peppin was Rivereyes old contact but he is now dead, could we be dealing with an imposter?

[Duke of URL]

On the second floor, the gnome stops in front of one of the vaults. "Now, I'll need that password to open the vault, just to make sure it's you, don't you know, and then you can have the case with the information. I'd simply tell you myself, of course, but the Ragesians have placed some sort of spell on me that keeps from actually saying anything about it... but they couldn't stop me from delivering a case with the same data."

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

I...see.
Rommie looks over at Torrent, seeing as she would be the one with the password...or to decide if other means are needed.

[Duke of URL]

@Rommie

When you glance over, you think you see Torrent give you a subtle shake of the head in a "no" gesture.

[Duke of URL]

The gnome starts to look impatient. "Please, we don't have all night. The password, now."

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie pauses for just a moment, then shakes her head.
I'm sorry, but your story just isn't adding up. I'm afaid we can't trust you with the password given what you've been saying.

[Duke of URL]

A slight bit of panic comes across the gnome's eyes, but then he composes himself and turns to flee, while shouting "stop them!"

(( Everyone: Roll a spot check and initiative ))

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u119/kevkrom/tactical_map-1.jpg

( "Token" colors match your IC color... the gnome is yellow. The staircase on the right is up, the one on the left is down, and the doors lead to the tower balcony. )

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

A look of disgust crossing her face, Andromeda hefts her morningstar and sprints across in an attempt to cut off the gnome...


Initative: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]
Looking at the map, the stairs haven't climbed that much directly to the right of her - does it count as 2 squares/difficult terrain to hop onto them?
If so, move four squares right (count as 5) then one down...and if the gnome is then in range...

Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Shaking his head at the turn of events, Norven darts forward, trying to cut off the gnome's retreat.

He's moving toward the head of the downward stairs whenever it's his turn. Which way is Rivereye fleeing?
Norven's intiative:[roll0]
Does the owl get separate initiative? If so, use [roll1], else just use Norven's.
Norven's Spot: [roll2]
Sul's Spot: [roll3]

[Duke of URL]

(( Separate init. The gnome's plans will become clear(ish) on the first turn... I can adjust actions accordingly. ))

[Weezer]

Zosimus

initiative: [roll0] Spot: [roll1]

[Duke of URL]

(( Okay... NPC'ing Leiah for now... ))

The gnome makes a break for the nearest door, which opens seemingly by itself as he runs toward it, heading onto the balcony.


20 - Gnome
19 - Sul (tiebreaker: coin flip)
19 - Todd
7 - Leiah
4 - Rommie
3 - Norven (tiebreaker: higher Init bonus)
3 - Zosimus
1 - Torrent

Yes, the animal companions got the only decent Init rolls; better than the gnome, actually, but he has Improved Initiative.

Sul is up. Everyone else can modify their actions accordingly -- note, Norven gets no AoO since he's still flat-footed when the gnome runs.

[harmonictempest]

Norven (Sul)

Flying swiftly off of Norven's shoulder before anyone else reacts, Sul darts across the room and after Rivereye, making no attempt to get within striking range, but merely to keep him in sight so that he doesn't escape.

[Duke of URL]

Todd runs after the gnome, followed shortly by Leiah. Rommie makes it to the lowest step, slightly frustrated that the gnome went out the door, rather than up. Norven follows the rest outside, and sees "Rivereye" climbing up the wall, about 10' up from the base of the balcony, with Todd growling slightly as he scratches at the surface.

(( Zosimus is up. ))

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Running out after the gnome Zosimus pulls out his grapple and attempts to throw it to catch on the gnome. If it catches he pulls on it to bring the gnome back to the ground.

not sure what you want for rolls to do this

[Duke of URL]

(( Hmmm... creativity. How about we call it a ranged attack with an improvised weapon, so take a -4 penalty using your ranged AB. No damage, but on a hit, I'll let you make a STR check against the target's DEX to make him fall to the ground. Sound fair? ))

[Weezer]

sounds fair
attack: [roll0]

[Duke of URL]

Torrent follows out to the balcony, and loads her crossbow. The gnome climbs up another 20' toward the roof. Sul follows along while Todd continues to growl.

Suddenly from behind you, coming down the stairs, you hear a voice saying "stop, I say, let him go!" A blast of light hits Torrent. Leiah seems unsure of what to do, and does nothing.

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Turning Zosimus draws his sword and prepares to charge at whomever it was that attacked Torrent. He curtly says Why? before charging at the assailant.

attack: [roll0] damage: [roll1]

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie spins around to face the new threat, trying to see who's come up on them from behind...

[harmonictempest]

NorvenHuh, I got skipped in the init order somehow.

Mentally reviewing his options as he dashed out the door, Norven cursed. Why did it have to be an elf? His only useful spells were all enchantments - if only he'd prepared that grease spell.
Rivereye is an elf in disguise! he shouted as he crossed out onto the balcony. Seeing him climbing he paused briefly, then quickly sketched a brief pattern into the air, whispering urgently as he did.
Casting Ghost Sound as close to Rivereye and as jarringly loud as Norven can - a loud and brassy discordant brrraaattt would be great. Sound level is equivalent to "four humans", according to spell description.(The intent, if it wasn't obvious, is to surprise him enough that he'll fall. This presumes that I understand correctly when I envision him falling onto the balcony - Norven isn't trying to kill anyone.)

[Duke of URL]

(( Sorry about that... We'll place Norven's turn properly in the previous round... and then you may go ahead and post in this round ))

Adjusted Action:The "gnome" pauses for a few seconds to see where the noises came from, and then continues up the wall, making it 10' higher.

When Rommie and Zosimus spin around to face Torrent's assailant, they see a floating ball of light near the bottom of the stairs.

(( Zosimus may keep his action or you can change it, if you like. Metagame note: none of the PCs (or even Torrent) recognize what this "ball of light" is. ))

[Weezer]

Zosimus

Restraining his charge at the last moment Zosimus shouts Who are you to order us?

[The Bushranger]

Andromeda

Trying to think of someting witty to say and failing, Rommie settles for merely glaring menacingly at the intruder.

[Duke of URL]

(( Still waiting on Norven... moving along with "free actions" anyway... ))

The ball of light stops. "Well, I... uh... that is to say... ahem. Can't we all just be reasonable about this?"

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Grimacing at the failed attempt, Norven surveyed the tower, attempting to figure out where Rivereye could be headed.

I mean, there's only so far you can go climbing *up* a tower, right?

[Duke of URL]

As far as Norven can tell, there is nothing unusual on the roof of the tower, yet the "gnome" is still climbing that way. He reaches the roof and pulls something out of his bag. Sul continues to keep an eye on him.

Meanwhile the ball-o-light seems to back down the aggressiveness. "I'm quite sorry for that scorch," it says toward Torrent, "but it looked like you were about to harm him, and I'm charged with his safety." Despite the conciliatory words, the tone is quite clear that a violent response will meet those who attempt any harm toward the "gnome".

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

What exactly are you doing here, and may I ask why you're charged with his safety? Seeing as he was deliberatly misleading us, he doesn't seem like the kind of person you'd be associating with.

She's presuming it's a lantern archon...

[Duke of URL]

"The matters of who I serve and why are not any of your business. Suffice it to say that the information in question is valuable to more than just one side."

[Duke of URL]

As crickets seem to be chirping around you, the fleeing "gnome" quaffs a potion, runs to the end of the roof, and jumps...

... over the outside wall. With a wave of his hand, his descent slows and he gently drops out of sight.

"Ah, good," the ball of light says. "I am so glad we could end this with additional violence. Have a delightful evening, and if we meet again, I hope it is under better circumstances." It rises in the air and exits over your heads, following in the general direction the gnome went.

[The Bushranger]

((I was hoping somebody else would post first... >_>))

Rommie sighs, gives the archon a scowl, then looks over at Torrent.
So...now what do we do?

[harmonictempest]

((It, uh, wasn't my turn...I was waiting for Zosimus. Weren't we still in initiative?))

Norven waves Sul to follow the gnome, then turns to the group. If we want to follow that elvish trickster, we'll have to move fast.

Sul has Spot/Listen at +16/+14 and a fly speed of 40 ft, in case you need to know for any reason.

[Duke of URL]

((It, uh, wasn't my turn...I was waiting for Zosimus. Weren't we still in initiative?))

(( Actually, I was waiting for Norven, but frankly, after two days of no one posting, I just decided to move it along. Two things to note -- 1) do not wait to post in initiative order, things slow down way too much in PbP when you do that; post your actions and let me resolve them in the most sensible way... I will ask for clarification/offer options if things change mid-round. 2) don't worry too much in this case, nothing happened here that breaks the story or makes things significantly harder; in fact, I read it as the "intended" result of the encounter, though the module does provide options should you actually have "won".

Sul is capable of keeping up, if you're willing to let him go that far from you. ))

[harmonictempest]

Yeah, Sul's taking off after him (and no big deal at all, but for future reference it's a she :P).

Norven

Without waiting too long to see if the rest are following him, Norven takes off down the stairs and out of the tower, heading toward where the gnome jumped the wall and trusting his link with Sul to guide him in case the spy had changed direction.

[Duke of URL]

Norven runs smack into a patrol of guards coming up the tower from the direction of the gate. "Halt! What's all the racket in here? Where's the patrol?"

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Aren't you guys the patrol? Something came after us when my friend went to open her vault. I was just trying to get away, Norven says, clearly not interested in stopping to chat as he tries to continue around the patrol.

How many are there?

[Duke of URL]

(( There are four of them, and they have no intention on letting you get past. ))

[harmonictempest]

Norven

Chastened and unwilling to take on an entire patrol, Norven leads them back to his group.

[Duke of URL]

"Right. What's been going on in here, and where did the interior patrol get to? No one is leaving until we search this entire place."

[The Bushranger]

Rommie

Rommie stays quiet, letting the others speak. She doesn't like dealing with cops.

[Duke of URL]

The guards are looking suspiciously at the vaults, to make sure they haven't been tampered with. Torrent joins Rommie in just staying quiet and hoping this all blows over.

[Duke of URL]

The guards treat everyone suspiciously as they herd you up the tower, checking the vaults along the way to make sure they haven't been tampered with. At the top (the fourth level), they stop when they see a group of people tied and gagged -- a couple of guards and a gnome, who looks exactly like the "Rivereye" who just fled from you.

Nearby, there is one guard, a half-orc, dead on the floor. The watchmen turn to you, weapons drawn.

[The Bushranger]

Rommie holds up her hands. We didn't make it this far up. There was another gnome who was impersonating him, he wasn't perfect so we called his bluff, and he fled...