Metropolis - The Weight of the World (and Found Wanting)

[Phoenix]

Jazick wiped his blade and slipped it back into its sheath. The fallen man's blade he leaned against the wall and snapped with his heel. There are too many blades on the street already. He expertly checks the fat stranger for valuables and rips the sodden cloak from him. He cleans the blood from the hooker's face with a gentle touch then covers her with the cloak. With a curse he turns away. Not so long ago she was a sweet innocent child playing in her mother's shop. He moves to the shadows and slips soundlessly toward the sound of the whistle wondering what strange new thing might move in his domain tonight.

It seemed that the fat man had put all his money into his cups tonight, forcing Jazick to leave empty-handed bar the man's life. The hooker would be fine, as fine as any other night she'd slept in the streets, and she was quickly left behind in the wet alley.

Through the darkness Jazick watched a halfling dressed in an expensive, dark blue suit, standing in the centre of a junction, blowing loudly on a whistle. He seemed completely unarmed, more than curious at this time of night in a neighbourhood without professional guards...

 

[Bront]

Eighteen floors in the Apartments is a lifetime, a lifetime for hundreds. Some people never bothered to leave the massive spyres that stretched into the sky, after hundreds of years of commercial and agricultural evolution the people within the suburb have found a way to survive.

The Eighth Moon Inn was as easy to discover as any other shop, simply search through the cluttered corridors for the tiny wooden signs that hung from the ceilings. As Jasmine looked through the shattered door into the small room full of drunks, the only thing that made this place look like an inn was the surly man pouring ale from a tin jug behind a table.

Jasmine's soaked form slid into the room, causing the men to look up from their cups in drunken lust. Perhaps she should be a little careful here...

Putting on the perk ('kill me now,' she thought), she saunters over to the bar and looks around while she wrings out her hair and attempts to dry herself unsuccessfully. Not finding what she seemed to be looking for, she leans over the bar to talk to the barkeep, speaking a bit louder than needed.

"'Scuse me, I's spossta meet a man here. He's kina big 'n got a," she stumbles on the next word, "Dis..risti...'stinktive black belt. He here? If not, 'spose ya could let me inta his room so I kin git reddy n'such? I'm sure he'd like ta git down ter bis'nis ya know."

[sblock=OOC]Diplomacy check or bluff check as needed[/sblock]

 

[Scotley]

Jazick

Jazick approaches the halfling, his hands open and spread wide in a non-threatening gesture. "My good fellow these streets are not safe for an unarmed man alone. This district is a lawless place. I urge you to move on to safer environs."

 

[Phoenix]

Jazick approaches the halfling, his hands open and spread wide in a non-threatening gesture. "My good fellow these streets are not safe for an unarmed man alone. This district is a lawless place. I urge you to move on to safer environs."

In the darkness the halfling's gaze maet Jazick's, forcing him to gaze into the deep mesmerizing pools of darkness that had replaced his eyes. The whistle blew once more, a haunting sound that drifted through the streets. A soft shuffling through the puddles and across the cobblestones caught Jazick's ears, and out of the darkness figures appeared in the streets, dozens of them dragging their limp bodies towards what was beckoning them.

The halfling grinned, his teeth shattered in his mouth, now bleeding openly down his expensive suit, blowing and spraying blood through the whistle...

 

[Phoenix]

Putting on the perk ('kill me now,' she thought), she saunters over to the bar and looks around while she wrings out her hair and attempts to dry herself unsuccessfully. Not finding what she seemed to be looking for, she leans over the bar to talk to the barkeep, speaking a bit louder than needed.

"'Scuse me, I's spossta meet a man here. He's kina big 'n got a," she stumbles on the next word, "Dis..risti...'stinktive black belt. He here? If not, 'spose ya could let me inta his room so I kin git reddy n'such? I'm sure he'd like ta git down ter bis'nis ya know."

[sblock=OOC]Diplomacy check or bluff check as needed[/sblock]

[sblock]Diplomacy check (DC 15) +17 - Success[/sblock]

The barkeep stared at the drunken, soaked, lady and smiled. "Shuuure luv, cummin' sit yerself over here near me, have a drink wot say? I'll keep ya company. They call me Ham, you shoul' remember that luv, y'know?"

A few of the patrons shifted nervously under the glare of Ham, one huge meaty arm around the soft young woman that had entered his lair.

"So, tell me al' about this fella you cumma meet..."

 

[Fenris]

The Stag was gone.

Alexi swore as he turned Mikla around in the narrow courtyard.

Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Did he want to see the damn stag too much? Was he homesick? Maybe that was it.

He shook his head at the possibilities, guiding Mikla back throught the alley, heedless of the human floatsam lying in it.

A good meal would help, if any could be found in this miserable quarter.

Alexi pats Mikla on her neck to say thanks for the short run and starts to look for an inn, preferrably someplace decent. If there any out on the street who look reputable he will ask them for a recommendation.

 

[Scotley]

Jazick

With a start Jazick stepped back from the bloody halfling. Moving quickly, the agile young man sought the protection of higher ground, climbing the nearest wall to assess the situation.

 

[Bront]

[sblock]Diplomacy check (DC 15) +17 - Success[/sblock]

The barkeep stared at the drunken, soaked, lady and smiled. "Shuuure luv, cummin' sit yerself over here near me, have a drink wot say? I'll keep ya company. They call me Ham, you shoul' remember that luv, y'know?"

A few of the patrons shifted nervously under the glare of Ham, one huge meaty arm around the soft young woman that had entered his lair.

"So, tell me al' about this fella you cumma meet..."

"No no no, boss not wanna me drink when I work'n, ya know? Can't let cust'ma take advantage 'm me," she says. "Juss water, k?"

"I tell ya all I know, I just go where 'm asked and do what da custm'r wants, ya know Ham? Aim ta please da boss says. So's he here r not?"

[sblock=OOC] She's playing more stupid n'drunk, but if that's what they're seeing, all the better. Sense motive on Ham to see if he's running interferance, if he recognized when I talked about the distinctive belt, and/or he's just an 'orny ole bastard.[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

With a start Jazick stepped back from the bloody halfling. Moving quickly, the agile young man sought the protection of higher ground, climbing the nearest wall to assess the situation.

[sblock]Climb check (DC 25) +1 - Critical Failure[/sblock]

The slippery surface of the street, doubled with the poorly constructed wall, caused Jazick to lose his handhold all to easily, falling backwards to bash his head on the hard cobblestone road. Laying on his back, dizzy from the blow, tiny droplets of liquid fell onto his face, one of them landing in his eye and turning his vision red and blurry.

In the darkness he could see shapes gathering above him...

 

[Phoenix]

Alexi swore as he turned Mikla around in the narrow courtyard.

Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Did he want to see the damn stag too much? Was he homesick? Maybe that was it.

He shook his head at the possibilities, guiding Mikla back throught the alley, heedless of the human floatsam lying in it.

A good meal would help, if any could be found in this miserable quarter.

Alexi pats Mikla on her neck to say thanks for the short run and starts to look for an inn, preferrably someplace decent. If there any out on the street who look reputable he will ask them for a recommendation.

On the first turn of his head Alexi's gaze fell upon a small door in the corner of the courtyard where an old sign dangled above it. The base of sign meekly advertised the inn's name, though the herald emblazoned upon it proudly displayed its characters.

The Stag and Hound Inn.