3.5e Batman Campaign (2.0)

[Molan]

Spoiler: Party

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Barbara crept back into a nook between the shed and the barrels piled next to it, so that Jason was perched slightly above her, Kate standing at the ready behind and off to her left, and the man coming her direction was coming from the front, around the side of the shed. Jason was unable to see the thug until the last second, when he rounded the corner.

The man was a half orc; he sported long black hair, had a light wooden spiked shield strapped to one arm and a handaxe readied in the other. He wore rough looking hide armor, and was covered in angry looking, crude tattoos.

But when he came around the side of the shed, he didn't see anyone. He peered out, looking curious and suspicious into the night, but he failed to notice Barbara, only a few feet to his left, or Kate, just ahead of him but tucked behind cover, or Jason, who loomed unseen above him from the roof of the shed.

From somewhere behind him, a voice called out in a strained "whisper".

"Yo Dench, what is it? Anyone out there?"

Spoiler: Checks and Actions

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You can take any actions you want, but you're entitled to one additional round of spot and listen checks at this time.

Spoiler: Spoiler

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The thugs still look nervous, maybe even hostile...but their guard is lowering. Garrel sighs and holds out his hand, prompting Spoiler to toss the coin purse into it. As he does so, the other man asks, tentatively but interested; "You can show us where the other mercs are? Help us bring the armored one to Raam, we'll cut you in."

[JoyWonderLove]

Spoiler: Spoiler

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Stephanie’s blue eyes sparkled with mischief, but instead wagged a finger with the hand that gently clutched the bag. “Uh-uh. You’re supposed to be making me richer, remember?” She lowered her hand to slowly replace the contents into the side of the purple utility deftly, making sure not to rattle the would-be coin purse. The more you doubt the story, the more they’ll doubt the story. Cyrrus’ words gonged in her head like the Gotham Clock Tower, but ignored it. They started to trust her, and she always had the acid test to cinch it later.

“Yeah, no big.” The mercenary answered the guy in charge, and jerked her head back to indicate the way they came. She half turned to see if they intended to follow. The farther out of this warren she could get them, the greater the likelihood they wouldn’t get away. “Though the whole thing would be a lot faster if one of you leads the way instead. But, boss, if you’re coming with, you probably wanna wear something a little more...appropriate to the workplace.” She pointed at his exposed skull and key tattoo.

Spoiler: Knowledge: Local.

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It was implied in the last text they’re keen to meet the other mercenaries, or something. So I’m guessing I don’t need to actually roll anything special to get us moving. But...

Knowledge: Local to see if I know any customs/traditions for the Fort Clinton/Thieves Guild area. Specifically some that might help ease the obvious Guilder a little more. The Diplomacy check got them neutral (?) so now it’s the old fashioned way of building trust with little things. (1d20+10)[30]

[Molan]

Spoiler: Spoiler

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Garrel withdraws his hand in with a sour expression on his face and shrugs at both of you.

Fine. Let's just go to the water. You lead us to the other mercs we'll lead you to Raam and the crew."

The second man followed him, looking at Spoiler with a smirk in his face and seeming to flex his bicep a bit so that he brandished the illicit guild tattoo even more. It seemed like gangland posturing, as if to say, "The law's got nothing on me, this is my town."

But to Stephanie, all he said was, "Take your time, eh toots?"

The two of them started walking along with Spoiler back towards the waterline.

Spoiler: Knowledge Local

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The Thieves Guild is a massive, far flung organization with chapters all throughout the Empire and beyond. The individual thieves guild chapters are largely independent of each other and have their own territories and operations, but they share some universal customs and avoid infighting with each other where possible. Gotham's Thieves Guild is said to operate on every island, but their presence is strongest in Midtown, where you are now.

Midtown is the centermost of Gotham's three largest, principle islands, and it's divided into a number of neighborhoods. Fort Clinton, the neighborhood where the Merchant's Guild docks are located, is a poor slum, and therefore dangerous and a prime territory for a criminal organization like the Thieves Guild.

The Gotham City Thieves Guild chapter has a Boss, who's name and identity is a mystery to most people. You never got far enough in with them to learn who he is. What you do know is that under the boss are as many as 6-7 underbosses who cut up the rest of the massive metropolis, mostly by Island. Below the Underbosses are the Captains, and each Captain runs either a crew or a "store", hideaways used to store goods, conduct planning and operations, relax, and most of all, buy and sell stolen and illegal goods.

Raam is the thieves guild captain of Fort Clinton. His Underboss is a man named Kysel.

But perhaps most significant of all is your knowledge of thieves guild customs, and it's about to save your life. There is a loose, casual, "in-crowd" call and response custom between Thieves Guild members and their associates. The greeting goes:

"Take your time." and the required response is, "Steal them blind."

Responding to the call words is generally a way to let a guilder know you're "cool", and can at least be somewhat assumed to be trustworthy. It's not a perfect system; the call and response is widely known in places where the Guild operates. But failing to reply correctly, even or especially if the call is given in the casual, offhand manner the guilder just used it, means that you are absolutely *not* cool, and the guilder would likely react with extreme hostility.

[Feathersnow]

Kate channels her psionic powers and attempts to daze the lone orc!

[JoyWonderLove]

Spoiler: Spoiler

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“Steal ‘em blind,” Stephanie replied breezily, interlinking her fingers in an overhead stretch. She owed Haley and her entire web of whispers whatever they wanted when she got back. “Really, boss. Here I take the time to stalk your man through the dark to your secret meet and cut a last-second deal on a job you worked over a week to make air-tight, and suddenly you act like you don’t trust me.” She tsked.

Can’t claim it’s all roses on my end, either.

Stephanie mindfully walked beside one of them on their trek back, but always on the out skirt and never between the two. The con was going well, given she was operating solo and had thought through the long term of it about as a well as a Narrow rogue. The nearby stink of a pile of rotting fish made her near nostalgic for the Devilweed she had left behind.

“Look, I get it. My...initiative...isn’t everyone’s style, and the last thing Raam needs is some nobody trying to get in on a delicate operation. But if you grow up on the streets like I have, then you have to decide between risk or remorse. Steal or starve. We all have.” She cracked her neck. It turned out that manipulating potentially violent criminals made her more tense that she initially realized. “How long have you guys been doing this kind of thing? Any plans for your cut at the end of this one? ”

Spoiler: About that Knowledge: Local.

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!

Really Glad that score was so ridiculously high….and that I actually read it before replying.

Also, I’m loving how in depth you made the whole setting, Molan. It makes it more fun to have options to try out.

[Molan]

Spoiler: The Party

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The half-orc "Dench" walks out from behind the shed, and Barbara slinks back into the shadows of the crates and barrels near the shed. Jason looms, unseen overhead, and not far away Kate stands ready to pounce.

Barbara's spell slowly reaches its conclusion, scraping off the surface thoughts of Dench and the other men nearby. Dench snorted, shaking his head, and began to move like he was going to walk back towards his group.

Before he could turn back, Kate stepped out from her hiding spot. Tension built in the air, and the party could feel a sense of vertigo as Kate surged with wild, intense psionic energy. There was a slight "popping" sensation and the psionic power struck Dench, dazing him and knocking him still.

Spoiler: Detect Thoughts

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1. Before Kate stepped out and knocked him temporarily senseless, Dench was irritated, but suspicious. He'd been dwelling on himself and his boredom until he'd heard Barbara chanting. He was frustrated that he and his crew had been put on guard duty when the rest of Raam's crew were aboard the "Chraal".

2. A second man was also sulking about being put on guard duty, and was board. But this man also doesn't trust his compatriots very much either, and think's "Raam" is an idiot for keeping them around.

3. A third man has been uncomfortably waiting for a while, out of sight of his comrades. After they heard your chanting, he stayed quiet and out of sight, waiting to see if any potential victims came through their chokepoint. He was eager to hurt someone, and unlike his fellows, hoped that someone would come by to hurt. When they heard your chanting, he hoped Dench failed to come back; you get chills from this man's mind. He doesn't appear to feel emotions the way you do, and is more obsessively interested in seeing things bleed -- whether or not those things are his fellows.

4. There's a fourth mind too, and this one was particularly agitated. He didn't want to be there but wasn't particularly interested in helping Raam or the other men out with their task. He was mostly just cold, and was obsessed with finding a way to turn Raam's raid into profit and benefit for himself. He'd sell his compatriots down river in a heartbeat, and was actively considering ways to do so.

[hand ax ranger]

Red hood will watch form his vantage point to see if this escalates further. assuming more poured out fo the woodwork he'd put a bolt in one and go after the rest with the hammers.

[Feathersnow]

Kate steps out and attempts to wallop the half-orc with the side of her poleaxe.

Spoiler: attack

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(1d20+5)[13] to hit
this counts both the -4 for doing subdual damage with a lethal weapon and the +2 for the Wilder surge

if successfull (2d6+4)[10] damage

[Molan]

Spoiler: Spoiler

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Garrel growled, and replied in an overly deadpan manner.

"Don't know what you mean, I'm an upstanding professional docks guard working for the Guild of Merchants."

The thieves guild tough walking with the snorted in laughter.

"Garrel here's a bit pissy because he's spent too much time working for losers and highborns and he can't get accepted into any legitimate organizations."

"Pfffft. Yea, because squeezing old ladies for their life savings and knocking over House Tetch gold wagons is so fuggin' glamorous."

The guilder chuckled, unperturbed.

"And yet here you are, helpin' us pinch old Fox's last pennies out of this place before we dump his body in a river."

Garrel shrugged.

"I gotta get paid somehow. Plus I'm not goin' out like Torraine."

"I don't you man, that wasn't us."

"Right, sure. I forgot. He was eaten by a giant 'bat monster'."

"Look man, you can crap talk it all you want, but I'm telling you that thing is out there."

"Right. Right. For years some lunatic noble in black armor and bat sigils runs around the city cutting up morons like you, and now a mysterious, hideous bat-looking monster is swooping around at night gobbling folks. It's definitely not just the bloody Dark Knight."

"You can naysay it all you want," the guilder replied. "But you and I both know Torraine wasn't dirty. We tried to flip him against Fox a dozen of times. Dimble and Gohl even went to his apartment. But he never flipped. The Dark Knight only attacks criminals. Face it bud; something killed him, and it wasn't him."

As the two finished their impromptu conversation, you near the waterfront. Somewhere nearby, you thought you hear someone whispering...or chanting.

Spoiler: Checks

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Make spot and listen checks. Your move!

[Molan]

Kate's halberd smacks Dench across the side of the head; neither his shield nor any reflexes he might have had avail him, being ambushed like that. The halberd strikes true but fails to knock the half orc out.

[JoyWonderLove]

Spoiler: Spoiler

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Stephanie hide her intrigue behind half bored glances when they started talking about the missing knight, but didn’t catch herself from an eye roll when they mentioned a giant bat monster. The single dumbest alibi I have ever heard in my entire life. A flock of bats screeched their protest from far across the night sky, wheeling towards Uptown, but even at a squint, none of them looked the size of a wagon with wings, and she had never seen a single dire bat despite stealing in Gotham her entire life. Just let them keep talking. The less I have to say, the more this hustle works. Then they stopped but a quiet muttering carried on into the quiet. Memories of the Mage’s College made her tense, and she scanned her surroundings suspiciously.

Spoiler: Total defence? Take 10 into eternity?

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There’s at least one wizard, and I would prefer not to get hit by a spell.

Total defence AC, if possible: 23 (with uncanny dodge and +2 from Tumble).

Otherwise, back near the waterfront and out of the outside dungeon? It’s time for Take 10.
Take 10 Spot: 16.
Take 10 Listen: 16.

[JbeJ275]

Barabara springs forward from her crouching position, trying to move to surround the half orc and bring her sap down over his head.

Spoiler: Rolls:

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Hit: (1d20+5)[10]
(-2AC for me)
Damage: (2d6-1)[8]

[Molan]

Spoiler: The Party

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Barbara's swing missed; the half orc was too big and his shield side was facing Barbara, giving her a difficult angle to strike his head. He blinked, staggered and hurt, as he tried to recover from the daze.

Around the corner you can hear someone suddenly say, "What the hell was that?" followed by the sound of footsteps.

Spoiler: Spoiler

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Stephanie hears a noise from over the next stack of crates, nearer to the water. Garrel and the thief heard it too. Abruptly, someone calls out, "What the hell was that?"

Garrel draws his handaxe, and the thief draws a long knife from his belt.

"That's Renk and Dench."

"Sounds like trouble." Garrel replied.

"Come on," the thief snarled. He looked at Stephanie. "You too. Let's go see what's going on."

Spoiler: Checks

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You've already got your listen result. Spot check failed to reveal anything pertinent.

[JbeJ275]

Barabara moves forward past the dazed half orc to the corner, and readies a handful of dyed powders in her off hand, preparing to unleash a Colour Spray on the thugs as they round this corner to buy time for those behind her to finish off their previous oponent.

Spoiler

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Will save DC 17, effect is HD dependent found here: https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/colorSpray.htm

[Molan]

Two more thugs round the corner. One's a human carrying a pair of punching daggers at the ready, and not far behind him is a half elf wearing brigantine and carrying a bow.

They barely had time to register Kate's dark, looming armored presence before they were blasted with a burst of color from Barbara's spell. A prismatic cone splashed outward from the shadows where she was hiding, catching Dench at one extreme limit of it's reach and the half elf at the other, with the human caught in the middle.

The spell is a spectacular success -- none of the thugs manage to resist it. Their weapons clattered to the ground, and they cursed and yelped and wretched as the arcane energy stunned and blinded them. In a flash, Barbara had temporarily incapacitated the entire group.

[Feathersnow]

Kate realizes they are probably not going to be able to end this the easy way and uses the opportunity to activate her dorje.
A fluttering bat of ectoplasm emerges, acting as a shield.

[JbeJ275]

We've got maybe twenty seconds to put them down, then we need to look for the Chraal. That's where there boss is, strike fast as you can. One more guy was with them, but he might have fled.

While quickly passing information on to her teammates Barabara reached once more for her sap, charging at the human, judging a bow easier to kick aside than daggers if it came down to it.

Sap:
[roll1d20+3[/roll]
(2d6-1)[3] Nonlethal

[Feathersnow]

Kate begins a grapple of the helpless half-orc.

(1d20+3)[15]

[JoyWonderLove]

Stephanie nodded sharply at the order, knowing it had to be the thieves tussling with Fox’s forces. Popping a gloved hand into the front of her belt, she indulged in the smooth stone between her fingers. She would attempt salvaging the con long enough to disrupt the Thieves Guild across all Midtown, or ensure someone got an earful for screwing it up. The two thugs advance ahead of her, only to be completely engulfed in a twisting psychedelia cone of light and noise. They were left on the floor groaning and disorientated. Her jaw gapped at the power display.

No thunderstone did that.

“Big picture, people! Big. Picture.” Spoiler poked her head around the corner, putting the little pebble away to stab her sai accusingly at the back of the muscular, scarred man first, his axe wielding associate second, then herself finally. “He’s our contact, Garrel’s a guard, and I got us a meet with the big guy running all Middtown! Raam’s here, and damn sure leaves if we off his crew!”

Spoiler: Bluff: Secret Message To All PCs

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DC 15 gets a basic message across. DC 20 a complex one. But we’re technically in combat now, so I can’t just take 10, although I’m guaranteed to get a basic message across at least.

Bluff: (1d20+14)[33]

Simple Message: Thieves Guild guy, Garrel’s guilty, Raam elusive.

Complex Message: We can completely disrupt the Thieves Guild in all Middtown, tonight, if we let them lead us to Raam.

You three basically just won the fight, so it’s kinda in your hands what you want.

[JbeJ275]

With the interruption, Barbara turned on her heel towards the new face. Then quickly stilled as new secretive information was carefully and quickly decoded. While sliding over to pick up the dropped weapons from the stunned thugs she retorted at the new figure.

I know Raam doesn't have the most professional outfit on this coast, but if this is who you spoke about working with we're gonna have our share of issues. Sulky brats and rabid dogs, I hope whoever we're meeting next isn't the sort to end up blind, divested of thier weapons and smelling faintly of urine within ten seconds of a fight starting or this is gonna be more work than most of this type can afford. But you've been competent enough so far so I'll let you lead the way.

Speaking of which.... Selavish Nayta Pyrin.
Barbara intones in time with the blindness fading, hopefully giving an impression of much more skill with the arcane than she currently possesses.

[Feathersnow]

Without missing a beat, Kate drops Dench and falls into line behind Barbara.

[hand ax ranger]

Jason will move in on Barbara seeing as they solved the issue thus far, having no further comment on the situation. He does remain ready for more of the punks to pop out so he could put theses hammers to work.

[JoyWonderLove]

Oh, she’s good.

Relief registered on the vigilante’s face when they agreed, before Spoiler’s brows furrowed at how the slender woman in a bat mask took to the con like a knife to an artery. The capped costume might even have looked cute if she wasn’t strolling about the disabled thugs and collecting their weapons like an annoyed older sister cleaning up after her bratty little brothers. The towering mountain of steel fell in line with the mage, silent, the pike in his hand a silent promise of violence.

Really good. See, this is exactly why people join gangs. I was so busy conning the Thieves Guild I didn’t think who I’d actually need to clinch it. Cyrrus, I’ll never doubt you again.

Spoiler took dainty steps around the site of the skirmish. She faced the two men that had went ahead of her. “Boss, sorry about this huge screw up. We heard the Kyle gang might make a move tonight, so everyone’s on edge. Hard to tell who the hell is who in the dark.” She turned briefly to the dark steel mountain, and her left hand deliberately rubbed the sheathed edge of her dagger and stared directly into the visor. Glancing down where the taken weapons were not too long ago, she continued calmly. “Not sure why Sir Knight has thrown in with us, but it's still going to plan. Batgirl getting up her loins aside. Anyway, we just made a **** ton of noise, and Garrel's the only one that has sway with the other guards. You think you can put them at ease? My crew can make up for this. Do the heavy lifting.”

Spoiler had no idea what it was like being in the middle of that rainbow burst, but she didn’t envy the three that went through it. She frowned at the tattooed man despite it being covered by the mask. “Even take a smaller cut than mentioned. We still good for Raam?” Every hustle had its risks.

Spoiler: Bluff to Knight In Armor, Sense Motive, Move Actions

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1) Move action to stand before Garrel/Thief Guild Guy. Preferably between the muscly guy and our mage, just in case. I can technically draw a sai during.

2) Free action ask Garrel to both cover for us and relax playing cards with the guards. Keep the alarm low.

3) Standard action total defence. AC 23.

Bluff to Knight in Brooding Armor: A 15 is guaranteed, so I’ll Simple Message this: Hidden danger. They want you.

Sense Motive Knight in Brooding Armor: (1d20+6)[24]
Sense Motive Dangerous Girl In Cute Mask: (1d20+6)[12]

[JbeJ275]

Barbara continued letting her bored expression saturate her face as these new arrivals filtered in and found their feet. Waiting for her divinations to reveal all they could rather than risking anything by opening her mouth too early. Still, knowing at least one more of these thugs was out there she sent a mental signal to her familar. Find the one that's missing. Then refocused on those in front of her.

She and I have an accord on this and she's always played it straight before. She said her eyes indicating Spoiler as the relevant target of her trust. Though learning that this... miscommunication was allowed in hardly endearing, she still speaks for me in this place. So then, shall we go speak to Raam and try not to waste to much more of tonight on needless confusion. Where re we heading off to?

Spoiler: OOC: To Kate

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Taking 10 on bluff to pass to Kate.

This one (Spoiler) is on the same side as us. Are you capable of some careful deciet?

[Feathersnow]

The grim figure nods once and gestures for the others to lead the way.

[Molan]

Garrel looked eager to leave. Whatever the thieves had been doing waiting along the docks, this whole thing had turned into more of a mess then he'd been interested in signing up for.

"I'll go make sure no one heads over this way," he mumbled. "just uh...try to keep it the fug down will you?"

The thief who'd walked there with Garrel and Stephanie sucked in air over his teeth and shook his head.

"You're useless you know that?"

Garrel snorted. "I don't need this crap. Good luck idiots."

Garrel marched back east towards the Guildhouse.

Meanwhile, the energies from Barbara's spell began to wear off on the three thieves who'd been unfortunate enough to get caught up in it. They were, unsurprisingly, furious.

"What the fuggin' hell is this!?" Dench snarled.

The man who'd been carrying punching daggers worked to pick himself up off of the ground.

"Rickus, why the hell haven't you stabbed any of these scumrats? And who the hell is this!?" he gestured to Stephanie.

"Rickus" waved a hand at him, seeming unimpressed.

"You know you morons are about as useful as Garrel? How the hell did you get bushwacked by a bunch of mercs anyway? Your whole job was to bushwhack them when they came by. Anyway you're in luck. Fox hired these footpads to break up the raid, but they'd rather get paid then wind up in a gutter. And now that I'm here, they won't kill you for getting in their way. Probably."

They dusted themselves off, and glared at Barbara, who was standing between them and their weapons. Rickus has clearly bought Stephanie's line, but the thieves who'd been attacked weren't so sure.

"The fug are you all anyway?" Dench growled.

"You gonna give us our weapons back?" the human added.

The half elf who'd carried the bow didn't say anything, but he looked cagey and suspicious, though he didn't challenge what his fellow thugs were saying.

Rickus turned his eyes to Kate, and his expression soured.

"And uh, what about you, huh big guy? You decided to join the winning team too?"

There was something about the way Rickus spoke that seemed to be a signal to the other thieves. The three of them turned to glare at Kate at the same time.

Spoiler: Oracle

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Julius takes flight, flitting off into the night to look for the missing thief. You can feel his eagerness, but after a couple of minutes go by he still hasn't returned. Even as the distance between you lengthens, you can still feel his dogged persistence as he tries to satisfy your request.

Detect Thoughts

All of the thieves you stunned are angry, startled, and apprehensive. Their thoughts come to you in a rush as they're propelled around their heads bg adrenaline.

Dench: He'd prefer to just deck you and take his weapons back. He's big and powerful and he sees you as a small, weak victim, if only he had the opportunity. You get the sense that he's solved most of his problems in life through violence, and it's hard for him to see other alternatives. But he's generally afraid that Kate will hack him open if he tries. He was planning on ambushing whoever came along the docks from the direction of the Guildhouse; Raam had sent him out here with his crew for exactly that purpose, so being ambushed himself has left him feeling vulnerable. He gets angry when he's vulnerable.

Rickus seems to have thrown him off, though. The human thief implied he'd failed his task and embarrassed himself. That makes Dench much more cagey. Reputation is everything in the thieves guild (and on the streets of Gotham more generally), and the idea that he might now be seen as weak has paralyzed his thoughts. He's not spending much time or effort considering whether the explanation that you all are turncoats makes sense.

"Daggers": the human who's follows Dench into your trap is similarly furious, but more so at Dench then at you. He immediately started feeling like their predicament was Dench's fault, not just because they got ambushed but because they were on guard duty in the first place. "daggers" is sure that the thieves who got to join Raam on the docks or even just guarding Pier 42 are going to get an unfair cut of the spoils.

"Half-Elf": He shares a lot of Dench and "Daggers":s feelings, but he's squirrlier and scares more easily and wants desperately to get out of this situation. He doesn't like any fight that isn't unfair and would prefer to rob defenseless victims than ones who fight back. But more than that, he's preoccupied with someone named "Holt". Specifically "Where the fug is Holt? Where'd he go??"

Rickus: His thoughts are only now just beginning to bubble to the surface, but you can't read them. Seeing him you can feel that his consciousness is present, but it is shrouded from you completely.

[Feathersnow]

"That'd be redundant. Whatever team I'm on is the winning team. Lucky for you, I pick wisely."

Kate says this matter of factly, ignoring the act they all thought "she" was a "he." That they now probably know better might put them off balance and sell the intimidation, or it might make them doubt her. Either way, it was of minor importance. They'd take her to the thieves guild, one way or the other.

Spoiler: trying to convince them to fear me

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(1d20+3)[16] Intimidate

[Molan]

Rickus looks appropriately impressed, and the half elf is downright cowed, backing away towards the edge of the brackish water beneath the docks, putting every inch of space between himself and Kate as possible.

But Dench and the Punching Daggers Human just look angry, if a bit surprised.

" You're a woman?" the half orc snarls. "Grummsh's eye. You don't scare me hag."

He stares at Barbara, fuming but fundamentally helpless given his missing gear and Kate's nearby halberd.

"You stupid fairies were lucky you caught us by surprise. You wouldn't last two minutes against Raam."

"[B]Twelve above who fuggin' cares." Rickus sighed. "You idiots got handled. Deal with it. This night's already turning into a way bigger pain in the arse than I ever woulda thought. We did what we needed to do -- Fox's mercs aren't going to disrupt the job. Let's just go find Raam and the others and see what he wants to do."

Rickus looks pointedly at Stephanie.

"Who knows, maybe he'll cut you in for helping us out." he said. "Or maybe he'll split you open and hang your corpses from the mainmast so Old Fox finally gets the fuggin' message. Let's go find out."

With that, Rickus turns and walks off, putting his back towards the assembled thieves and adventurers.

" Pier's this way." he calls back.

Spoiler: Oracle

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Julius returns, his subsonic chirping ticking the back of your neck. He doesnt land though; you can hear him chittering as he flutters up above you but he seems to feel too urgently to settle back down. You get the distinct sense that he found what you were looking for, but he's eager, earnest, and perhaps even frustrated. He wants to go back and watch whoever it is. You get a flash of instinct, as though Julius was insisting "He's going that way! Julius wants you to follow him west.

[JbeJ275]

"More fool you then if you're stupid as well as weak. And fair fights are for princesses and castles, so go play with fairies of your own if you think that whining is going to help you here. With that she met Dench's eyes, smiling with an unusually vulpine grin. For a few long seconds, Barabara waits to see if he responds.


"Anyway, you all have bigger problems for the moment. If we're going to find Raam, I'm going to swing by and pick up that Holt cur on the way, you're welcome to come with if you think Raam would like a coward and a turncoat to nail to the wall."

Spoiler: OOC

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Trying to provoke Garret into attacking without support if possible, giving us an excuse to knock out a thug before we leave. Do I need to rol anything for that?

Taking all out defense.

Spoiler: Original Post

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"They're not wrong you know. Though in this case the class of opposition might have a little bit more to do with her good odds, while I take care of the finer arts it's good to have actual competent fighters at your back. With that she met Dench's eyes, smiling with an unusually vulpine grin. For a few long seconds, Barabara waits to see if he responds.


"Anyway, you all have bigger problems for the moment. Which one of you thugs is Holt? And what does the Dark Market give to turncoats these days?

Spoiler: OOC

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Trying to provoke Garret into attacking without support if possible, giving us an excuse to knock out a thug before we leave. Do I need to rol anything for that?

Taking all out defense.

[JoyWonderLove]

Stephanie watched Garrel stomp off with triumph in her heart, concealed by looking away from the awkward confrontation. Luckily the downed goons were soon roused and soon berating the people that beat humility into them. She winked when the downed human asked of her, but Rickus coordinated his unarmed thugs with another coded message – this one against the knight. Before there was need to speak up, the knight – a woman – voiced the subtlest hint of a threat. It was clearly not wise to press their luck here; the half elf and Rickus appreciated that differently.

A stand-off happened then, with the woman knight and Batgirl on one end, and the emasculated and disarmed thieves on the other. Her two impromptu partners were safe. A stab of sympathy for the fearful half elf had Stephanie sidle nearby him. Watching the drama unfold between the four of them, she spoke in a whisper of elven, standing sidelong next to the unarmed archer.

“Listen carefully. You’re not getting that bow back. You’re not getting calmer around the knight. And you’re not getting any sympathy from the captain when Rickus won’t even tell strangers not to finish you. Raam seems a little less understanding than that. This evening isn’t over for you; Midtown is. Unless...you know who your friends are.” She handed the half-elf a stone when the half-orc accused the odd female duo as fairies. “Thunderstone. Ten feet radius. You nail the next guy to take a swing at me, when I’ve made some room, and I’ll pull strings so you get a better gig than ambushes and abuse.”

Stephanie took a deliberate step away from the half-elf then, looking as unassuming as a dock crate. Rickus was halfway through his rant, and blue eyes refocused on the vruiser fully when he finally spoke to her directly. Her crew of would-be thieves would either get a cut of the spoils, or be cut open. The Thieves Guild were a lot more cut-throat than House Kyle, that much was obvious. She nodded slowly, before following after Rickus, the wizard saying something about a Holt.

“Boss, we leave those four starring into each others eyes all night long, they’ll get handsy again before midnight, or too distracted to do anything useful. It’ll screw up the job either way.” She tapped her dagger helpfully, and nodded at the human that had lost his own to the unknownable Batgirl. “Let me give the baby back his buy-in. The sooner he stops crying, the sooner we all go home richer. What’s his name?”

Spoiler: Take 10 Diplomacy to Half Elf, Take 10 K: Local on Raam

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Take 10 on Diplomacy to the half elf. Result 28. He should at least be friendly now? So I hope that ‘chuck this rock at whoever is a jerk to me when I give space’ counts as limited help.

Asked Rickus what Dagger Human Guy’s name is.

Take 10 on K: Local. Do I know anything about Raam? Preferably his fighting style, but whatever really. Result 20.