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"You sure? It seems a bit of work just to avoid the local night terror, if your sources are to be trusted. Let us just hope those Claw agents are as indirect in their hunting as you are."
Jarrith nods once... acknowledging Ochem's concerns. "Well if that is a concern... we could always split up. A few of us could head up the mountain and stand watch over the entrance of the castle... see if Claw agents arrive and/or try to sneak in... and then they can either follow or ambush the agents once they leave with the tome. The others of us could go on the hunt for these two objects and when we acquire them, join up with the others mountainside and then make our own foray into the castle if the Claws haven't yet."
He glances at Janis, Daellin and Perriwimple for their reactions. "I know my Lumin Brother Sir Khensu would probably be willing to lead a guard contingent up the mountain. Marot could go too, maybe with Ladreth, and one or two of the caravan's guards. Janis, Daellin, Lady Ashlyn, and myself..." he sees Perriwimple's eyes widen at the prospect of adventuring and Jarrith gives the barest hint of a smile, "maybe even the big guy here, and Miss Tessa... could go on the hunt for the relics."
Janis notes with satisfaction the kids take a the offered snacks and munch on them animatedly. They soon loose interest in the adult conversation, however, and continue to follow the continued set-up of the expedition.
Marot nods at Jarrith's suggestion, and uncharacteristic smile on his face. "Yes. Yes, that will work excellently."
The archivist shrugs nocomittally, and pushes Danovich's journal back over the Jarrith with his stylus. The man fixates on Perriwimple a moment, and then absently asks, "And you, large one. I assume you grew up here. What of this castle or these witches or these fey whispers. Any cogent stories to tell?"
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
For some reason, Marot's attitude and sudden enthusiasm strikes the Stalker oddly. He's known the warlock for quite long time, but something just isn't sitting right. He tries to deduce what it might be. (Sense Motive +11)
As Master Ochem (with Marot looking on) engages Janis and Perriwimple in conversation... Jarrith stands up from the table, walks away towards the tavern bar and makes like he's yawning and stretching. As he stands by the bar facing towards the back wall, he speaks quietly and casts a quick prayer to Detect Evil. He then turns back and scans the room... particularly over Marot. If there's one thing Shadowbane Stalkers are good at, it's knowing when they are being played... and discovering the subterfuge.
"With all due respect, splitting up is not an acceptable course of action. We've already had multiple fatalities. These people's 'night terrors' are not to be taken lightly. If Claw agents precede us then they'll either have the strength to deal with these sorts of things handily, in which case we are over-matched, or else they'll have similar difficulties as we or greater. In any case, our strength should be a great as possible to deal with either danger and still recover the items we set out for even if there are further casualties.
These things have been here unchallenged for quite some time and, while Claw agents stalking in the night are hard to identify, once the Emerald Claw acts it opens itself up to the same discernment as any thief or mugger."
Janis cocks her chin.
" If there's an agent ahead of us, we follow it from the point where it acts...and if we're ahead of it we wait for it to come to us. Spread out, we allow it to slice through the strands of our net and fall through. We act together, then we" Janis brings her fist down on the table with an enormous crack.
" Together we kill the Claw agents. We kill those who would deny us the artifacts. We slice the cancer from the Dragon and accomplish our mission."
Janis leans back in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her.
" There's nothing quite so simple as killing, because it's only through death one discovers the essential elements of life," Janis says, turning her head away. Selase...
Jarrith's instincts were rarely wrong, and right now they screamed at him... something was wrong with Marot. There were to many subtle signs, and his... eagerness... for the work was unlike him.
Toying with something on the bar, Jarrith passed his gaze over the gathered group. He knew he would have to focus---Ochem was a slimy one, and the Stalker was already aware of the taint upon him. So it came as no shock when he saw the oily tang of evil emanating from the group. But a few seconds later, as the auras solidified, his fears were confirmed.
Marot was tainted.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
" There's nothing quite so simple as killing, because it's only through death one discovers the essential elements of life," Janis says, turning her head away.
Marot's tight grin appeared again, almost rictus. "You're thoughts are quite... sanguine," the warlock idly observes. He rises and takes a sip of some wine provided by the harried host, idly fliping through the pages of the tome the scribe was handling a moment ago.
Mateusz frowned at Janis' display. "I agree that divided we may be at their mercy. My main concern is with the Tome; it cannot be allowed to fall into the agent's hands. Whatever your course of action, be quick about it. We cannot fail."
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Marot's tight grin appeared again, almost rictus. "You're thoughts are quite... sanguine," the warlock idly observes. He rises and takes a sip of some wine provided by the harried host, idly fliping through the pages of the tome the scribe was handling a moment ago.
" Not particularly," Janis frowned. " Death is like an even flame. Even as it consigns the dead, it transforms the living. Without the testing of ourselves against it, we're merely consumed by it; and if we resign ourselves to it, align ourselves with it?"
" Death empowers the living. That's what's so repugnant about this place - the charnel energies denying the power of death? It's an abomination, an aberration. It's a false life, cheaply bought."
Janis's brow crinkles in distaste.
" What's cheerful about that? It is merely the truth, and truth is often easier than deception.." Janis seems to reconsider. " Except when it is the hardest task of all," Janis finishes somewhat lamely with a shrug.
When he sees the taint infested in Marot, his heart drops into his stomach. Not you too, my friend... he thinks to himself.
Whether Marot himself has been turned in some way... or if in fact this is not Marot at all, but a doppleganger or illusion of the man he once called Brother... Jarrith knew that answers would need to be gotten from him. But how to get his Lumin Brother in here to help restrain the warlock without tipping anyone off?
His answer comes when Janis unknowingly does him a favor... she disagrees with one of his suggestions once again. Taking that as an opening, he easily assumes the same position that he normally would whenever they disagreed... he begins to argue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Janis
"With all due respect, splitting up is not an acceptable course of action. We've already had multiple fatalities."
"Oh of course... I suggest we split up because we have the manpower to accomplish two tasks at once, and once again Janis you feel the need to disagree with me! By the gods, will you EVER agree with anything I say?!? Unbelievable!"
Jarrith storms across the tavern in a huff as he's well known to do when Janis angers him, and he makes for the door as though he's going out to clear his head. He feels a bit bad about starting another fight with the woman, but this time it's for a much more important reason... he needs back-up. He doesn't dare take on Marot by himself, not when neither Janis nor Perrwimple would take his actions at face value. Daellin might, but the elf is so stone-faced and enigmatic usually that Jarrith doesn't pin all his hopes onto him. However, his Lumin Brother will always back him up, no questions asked.
As Janis and Mateush continue their discussion, Jarrith exits the tavern and closes the door behind him. He quickly scans and looks for Sir Khensu... and when he finds him and locks eyes, Jarrith makes a motion and symbol with his right hand to tell him Brother that "we have immediate trouble". A quick wave of the head to indicate to join him inside, and Jarrith quickly opens the door back up and re-enters the inn.
Interrupting the conversation in whatever point Janis and Mateush were at, Jarrith strides quickly back in and makes his way towards the table. "You know what? Nevermind! Forget it! Do whatever the hell you want! I'm done arguing! Master Ochem... you make a decision, and I'll follow it! No questions asked. If people don't think my suggestions warrant equal value, then I'm done giving them!" As he reaches the table still ranting, he continues on past it, and begins pacing back and forth behind where Mateush and Marot are sitting, mumbling the entire time to himself in anger.
He needs to give Sir Khensu a few seconds to come into the inn, assuming he was successful in signalling to the shifter that he was needed. Jarrith knows that if Khensu doesn't show up... what he's about to do to Marot will not go over well with Janis, Perriwimple or Master Ochem. But he has no choice.
They are talking about the Emerald Claw compromising their mission...
Jarrith thinks the mission has already been compromised.
OOC: Jarrith is Readying an action to draw his rapier and immediately Sneak Attack Marot as soon as Sir Khensu has entered and is near the group at the table as he expects Khensu to back him up on what he's doing.
Preference of course is to make it a Non-Lethal attack (smashing him with the pommel to the back of the head or something) because I'm just trying to subdue him without killing him. But of course the D&D rules get all stupidly sticky around this kind of thing (Coup De Grace not counting because he isn't Helpless, Non-Lethal attacks with a Lethal weapon taking a -4 to hit), and numbers-wise and and attack roll-wise it usually ends up just makes more sense to make a regular attack because you're less likely to screw it up.
So based on how you interpret the rules in this case... if I can make an attack to subdue Marot without being penalized up the wazoo for doing so, I'll do that. However, if the odds of a subdual attack are significantly worse than just a regular one (because of penalties and whether you can Sneak Attack and how many hit point Marot has etc.), then I'll do a regular attack and face the consequences (and we won't even bother with the old "put a knife to a guy's throat" tactic because D&D makes it impossible for that to actually work). I also will spend as many Action Points as possible to get as favorable a result as I can in this.
If by some chance Khensu doesn't arrive in the next thirty seconds to a minute and Jarrith suspects he won't have back-up (or if he gets the idea that Marot is now suspecting that Jarrith knows about him being tainted), he'll spring into action immediately.
In any and all cases, once Jarrith gets his first attack on Marot off, he will exclaim to everyone within shouting distance "Marot's been tainted! He's been corrupted!"
Outside the Inn
Ashlyn, looking around while helping Tessa, notes Jarrith's sudden appearance at the door. He seems to give some sort of odd sign to Sir Khensu, then retreat back into the Tavern. It is odd behavior for the two; something unusual is going on. [Sense Motive succeeds]
Inside the Inn
The group looks at the Stalker oddly has he storms out and back in, and Mateusz seems to be in a state of minor apoplexy, but no one seems the wiser to Jarrith's true motives. Marot does not look up from his inspection of the journal, none the wiser to what is about to befall. [Sense Motive fails]
Apparently the shifter understood at least part of Jarrith's intent, and appears at the door. Taking this as his signal, Jarrith suddenly rounds on the unsuspecting warlock. "Marot's been tainted! He's been corrupted!"
Surprise in the Blood: Surprise Round
Jarrith, acting quickly, roundhouses Marot. The blow is a solid one, catching the warlock off-guard. [Unarmed sneak attack; AC 22 hits; 12 hp nonlethal]
The shifter paladin draws his axe and begins to move in.
Nodding perfunctorily at the expedition leader, Janis issues a curt " Excuse me," and dives out of her chair trying to put a body between...anything and the children.
"I don't know what's happened to you, Marot... or if you're even him... but this ends here!"
Having caught the warlock off-guard, and having the others here to help out... Jarrith immediately jumps on the warlock and tries to wrestle him to the ground. (Grapple check +6: will attempt to pin)
"And you, large one. I assume you grew up here. What of this castle or these witches or these fey whispers. Any cogent stories to tell?"
Perriwimple blinks. "Witches are dangerous," he says. "Sometimes they whisper, but sometimes they yell. My Granma Margaret told me stories about the castle. It's where the Count is."
He smiles, looking proud of his contribution.
When the violence breaks out, he stares at them, bewildered. Weren't they friends? Why were they fighting? Sometimes people fought with their friends if they drank, but nobody had any ale...
Ashlyn look up at the exchange between Jarrith and Khensu when Jarrith steps out of the inn. Unsure of what is happening, but sensing from their reactions that something is not right, Ashlyn mutters a quiet "Excuse me a moment" to the townsfolk that she has been working with and quietly makes her way to the inn after Khensu.
[Ashlyn quietly moves over to the inn, but not so fast as to be obvious to the townsfolk that something is happening. Perhaps arriving a round or two after hostilities begin.]
Picking up the staff Daellin uses far more often as a walking staff than a weapon, the elf moves up to help Jarrith. As he does so, Daellin lunges for Marot, exclaiming, "I don't know what's happened to you, Marot... or if you're even him... but this ends here!" The off-guard Marot is easily grabbed. [AC 17 melee touch to initiate grapple hits; 24 grapple checks beats Marot's; combatants grappled (not pinned---need another action)]
Sir Khensu pushes his way through a scribe, prepared to assist in Lumin Brother in need.
Nodding perfunctorily at the expedition leader, Janis issues a curt "Excuse me," and dives out of her chair trying to put a body between...anything and the children. They children immediately duck behind her, fear on their faces, as Perriwimple looks on dumbfounded and the scribes scatter back in surprise. Arik, the innkeeper, ducks under the bar, not trusting everything to be under control.
And he was right.
'Marot' snarls, and in that instant, a wave of unnatural panic emanates from him. Even with the stalwart paladin's strength nearby, the palatable strength of it unmans Daellin and Jarrith. Marrot then hisses, "Get the book!" to no one in particular. He then stops struggling a moment---and suddenly a wave of blackness erupts from the warlock, engulfing Jarrith, Daellin, and Khensu! Jarrith grits his teeth and mentally fights off the painful save, but Daellin reels, staggered by the pain while the shifter pales noticeably! [Will saves 19, 13 fail vs. fear; Jarrith and Daellin shaken. Will saves 12, 14 fail for Daellin and Khensu vs. necromantic effect, 21 succeeds for Jarrith; Daellin and Khensu take 31 hp of damage; Jarrith takes 15; Daellin staggered.]
Mateusz, seeing the necromantic power, calls out, "Its the Emerald Claw agent! Kill them!" He then begins casting a prolonged spell...
![stonegod's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft: Ch. I [IC]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/iconimages/playing-game/stonegods-expedition-castle-ravenloft-ch-i-ic_ltr.gif)
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