Diaglo's Latest Debaucle - Rogue's Run

[biorph]

Success can be more of a state of mind than an actual goal

The party went to a tavern just up the road from the estate. The plan was for everyone to leave as soon as they heard the guards shouting that there was an intruder on the wall, Kem.

Kem had had enough with sneaking around these walls for one night. It's time to make sure these guys can't spot anything for a good week after we leave. He walked up to the western wall and called out to the guard up there. "Excuse me, I'm lost, have you seen a man named Thud around here?"

"Who are you, and state your business, you-" *THUD* the guard fell in mid sentence as Kem, who had jumped up the ten foot wall and nailed the guard with a quarterstaff between the eyes before the man could even react.

"Found him" said Kem to the now unconscious guard. "HEY MEATHEADS!" he called out "I'M BREAKING IN, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?" A group of men drew swords and started running across the walkways on the walls. Kem couldn't help but smile at the lack of planning. The wall walkway was so thin; no two of them could stand abreast of each other. It was like they were just lining up on both sides asking for injury and the archers couldn't fire for fear of hitting their own men in the cluster brawl that way sure to ensue. It was too perfect.

Kem felled each of them as they approached him. Guards so full of anger and eagerness were soon dropped in numbers to make their advancement impossible. Most of them were little more than thugs, hired muscle to look imposing but with no real training. Kem was slowly building a wall of fallen soldiers and the guards couldn't get past for fear of killing the merely unconscious men.

It was another couple of minutes the before he got the all clear signal from his party. With a flourish he jumped off the wall somersaulting off of it in mid-fall and launching himself 20 feet down the street. In his wake were a pile of some fifty guards and a host of angry swears.

Back on the ship Kem could immediately tell things hadn't gone as Solafien planned. Khalil was smiling and Omar and Sargazzo were biting their cheeks to keep themselves from doing the same. The half-drow looked very put out by something.

"Oh it was great" began Khalil when we got there there were a bunch of guards and this guy but we killed all them and Solafien got frozen in place by magic, and when I let the guy go he said he'd remember us and thank you and I thought Solafien would object but he didn't say anything 'cause he was still frozen and the guy picked up the two swords this other guy had and said he could get himself out and then we transported back and got you and we all met on the ship and here we are, do you think he'll rmemebr us, because it seems like it would be really good to have someone like him on our side and I think something's wrong because Solafien hasn't said anything the whole walk back and I think he mouth might be frozen but maybe not because I don't think you can do that with the spell, but wouldn't it be really neat if you could, so are you okay, did you get hurt making the distraction?"

At which point Khalil finally had to stop to take a breath again and Kem interjected to talk to Solafien. "So was the mission a success or a failure?"

"I don't know." he replied "I guess we'll find out when we see whether or not I wake up in the morning."

 

[biorph]

The Stranger

The night passed and the sun rose once again. Solafien was still alive and the ship was getting ready to set sail. If the guild knew then they apparently approved or at least didn't disapprove. Right now it seemed as if Solafien's life was hanging in the balance on the word of an ex-circle member. So far the balance had not been shifted.

The ship set sail and the days passed. The groups got more accustomed to each other and to traveleing by sea. Some jokes were made about Khalil being the 'cabin boy' of the ship, but the jokes flew over the child's head. As they entered port Solafien opened the next scroll case with his assignment. This time it was an ex Facedancer selling secrets that belonged to Circle customers. Face dancers were masters of infiltration and this one seemed to have natural shape changing abilities to augment his extensive training. He could look like anyone and if he took the time practically any THING. Omar used the sketch of his true form to attempt to scry him. The scry zoomed in on a building but stopped there. "My power is being blocked" said the bard. Omar dismissed his spell and looked around at the group"That's as good as I can -" the bard cut himself off in mid sentence. He wiggled his fingers a bit and Kem thought he was casting a spell. When he saw Sargazzo pull out his greatsword and jumped towards the bed he realized the bard had told his bodyguard something in the secret language they shared. Khalil jumped under the bed and started fumbling around in his pants. Apparently he saw whatever it was. Then there was a squeak and the entire room filled with fog.

Kem was confused as to what had just happened, and he wasn't sure if Khalil had jumped under the bed because he saw something or to get a look at the scrolls Omar kept in there that everyone pretended they didn't know about. No one could see anyone and in a minute or so the fog cleared. The bed had been overturned and everything was a mess of shattered wood, torn cloth, and scattered pornography. Kem and Solafien helped clean up the mess as Omar began counting his belongings to see if Khalil has stolen anything in the confusion. Just as they started they heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Kem called out

"Squeak squeak, now let me in" said a voice that at once sounded both irritated and irritating. "And don't attack me with a sword this time"

The party all drew weapons and Kem slowly moved over and opened the door. As the opened the door, Kem recognized a face he had last seen getting licked by a wolverine.

"I'm Digger" said the halfing in the doorway " And I'm guessing you weren't expecting to meet me quite so soon."

 

[biorph]

The City Planning Department

The halfing entered the room, to many an agape mouth.

"You're kind of far from home" said Omar "I thought we were supposed to meet up in the Dales, what changed?"

"Well after some recent...incidents" be began looking meaningfully at Solafien "The circle thought you could use some assistance sooner rather than later, so I took wing and flew for eight hard days. I loved the greeting I got by the way."

At this Solafien stared hard at Digger as if studying him.

"Perhaps next time you'll know to try the direct approach rather than sneaking about, that's my job." said Kem "So you're a druid huh?"

"Wait, huh?" said Khalil he seemed confused by everything else that was going on. "Hey wait...He's a RAT!"

At this Digger just rolled his eyes. Omar smiled apologetically and Sargazzo scowled at the druid. Solafien simply turned his head to and looked at Khalil as if studying him now. Kem felt another headache coming on.

Khalil seemed to take notice of the silence "Whaaaat?" he said with the innocence of youth.

"So what jobs do we have in this city?" said Digger, ignoring the young gold taker's lack of social grace.

"We have a facedancer who is saying things he shouldn't about people who've paid us to keep certain information secret." Began Omar. "We've tracked him down to a building, brown stone, two stories, sounded like a bar, I couldn't get any more from my scry."

Solafien gave the bard a look, but Omar either didn't notice or was ignoring it

"Sounds like The Cowl" said Digger "It's the local hotspot for apprentices. They're shielded against such divinatory intrusion. It lets the apprentices badmouth their masters all they want and their teachers are none the wiser. It's not far from the docks, I can show you where it is."

"There's also the matter of my job" began Kem "Some mages tower made out of glass."

Digger gave a slight shudder. "Yeah I know it, It's owned by a Red Wizard of Thay. The glass is incredibly slick, I've tried landing on it nemrous times. The whole thing is solid and as far as I can tell there's no way to actually enter. No secret entry, no hidden doors, but his apprentice just seems to walk in and out like the walls aren't even there."

"An illusion perhaps?" asked Omar

"Possibly" said Digger "What else have you been able to find out?"

"Nothing yet" said Kem, "I imagine I'll get the full assignment sometime tonight. why don't the rest of you go off to check The Cowl without me. I'll let you know if I have any updates when you return."

The group agreed to this and they left the ship arguing the about possible courses of action to take when they got there.

Just as he closed the door to his room he felt a blackness cover his eyes. Suddenly he was alone in the deepest darkest cold he had ever known. Blackness was everywhere, and he was trapped in this...place, nothing but him and the pitch black. No idea how he got there, no idea how he would get home, not a magic spell to him name, alone in the dark; afraid, and helpless. The cold was starting to creep into his bones.

 

[howandwhy99]

Whoever is playing Khalil must be one heck of a roleplayer. That kid is funny!

 

[biorph]

Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt...whoa, you're paying me how much?)

And before he could realize what was going on it was over, the time in the dark just a fading memory of chill.

Kem found himself standing before a desk in what he could only assume was a private cabin aboard the ship he was on. Seated at the desk was lady Sahn. Again the office was immaculate, with the desk being the only concession to entropy in the room. "Here is your assignment and your payment." said the lady in a businesslike manner. "If you have any further questions after reading the assignment ask them now otherwise I will see you when our business is concluded."

Kem looked over the scroll. It was a case, done in ivory by someone who had dragons on the brain. It was fairly long and probably very heavy. There were probably copies, but in the presence of the real scroll case adamantine began to vibrate.

"I take it that once we leave the tower it's going to be a mad dash across the city with respite coming only when we reach the boat?" asked Kem.

"Probably" replied lady Sahn "The occupant is in no way trapped in his tower and may either come after you personally or send some of his minions to do so. He is a transmuter so his minions are both numerous and...able. However once you are on my ship you will be completely safe."

As Kem unwound the last of the scroll the pouch of coins that was to be his payment fell out. With that he bid the lady adieu knowing to rude to count his money in front of her. As he left her room he opened up the coin pouch. As he looked inside he whipered angrily to himself "Damn!" The rest of the group were going to be busy for a while at The Cowl, and if she was paying this much there was really only one supply he needed. He headed off to the temple of Lathander before it closed. He had two scrolls he needed to buy.

 

[howandwhy99]

Bumping for posterity. Our new debaucle has suffered a few more deaths. :ack: