Planescape 3.5e - Cold Black Mask

[Ambrus]

István listens to Sindr' rant and then calmly responds: "I told you I was heading to the large warehouse three blocks down the street. It's kind of you to want to help my friend, but it seems that at least one of you could have walked down the stairs and out the door to help me. And what poisoned Hagen?"

 

[Cage-Rattler]

"How did the one survivor come to be free and hiding upstairs?"

Cang opened his mouth to reply, then waited patiently for Sindr to finish his rebuttal before calmly interjecting.
"The surviving thug had given us useful information; apparently a local group of criminals called the 'Black Dogs' have a put a bounty on the the four of you, for some reason. He agreed to provide details on the group if we released him, but that obviously didn't work out too well."

"And what poisoned Hagen?"

Hagen, who had recovered enough to make himself present during the Harmonium's questioning, spoke up.
"The imp jabbed me with its tail, which was apparently coated with some kind of soporific. I'm quite alright now, though," he added quickly. The older man turned to Sonata. "You said you followed that group of toughs here? You know who they are, then?"

Cang spoke up again, nodding slightly to the colorfully-dressed man who had interrupted the earlier interrogation of the thug. "You mentioned something about having information that could help us as well, did you not?"

 

[Ambrus]

"The surviving thug had given us useful information; apparently a local group of criminals called the 'Black Dogs' have a put a bounty on the the four of you, for some reason."

István shakes his head sadly in disbelief and asks of no one in particular: "We flew over two leagues to escape those who would follow us. How is it that all of these creatures managed to track us down in this massive city in but a few hours?..."

"The imp jabbed me with its tail, which was apparently coated with some kind of soporific."

At that, the gnome appears altogether incredulous. "What? There was a second imp?!? Did the four of you manage to slay it?"

 

[Shayuri]

Sonata nods at Hagan. "Oh, I know them all right. One was a Black Dog, another was from one of the other gangs...but it was the Dog I was after. Sons of forked-tongued marilith bitch queens, the lot of them!"

Something registers abruptly, and she gives the group another look.

"The Dogs put a price on you all? Why's that then?"

 

[Ambrus]

"The Dogs put a price on you all? Why's that then?"

Busily righting chairs, the diminutive gnome shrugs and looks at his lovely companion. "We just arrived in the city. You're the one who knows these Black Dogs. You tell us."

 

[Shayuri]

"Stop just repeating what I ask you back to me," Sonata demands of the little man. "You'll make me sorry I saved your life."

She looks at the others, "The Black Dogs have been a curse in the Hive since they started their reign of terror. Finally the people couldn't take them anymore, and formed the Screaming Angels to fight them off. We kicked them out...kicked! Like dogs! I've been trying to keep an eye on them...make sure they don't take us by surprise."

"So I don't KNOW why they'd want a bounty on you...but I'm keen to find out."

 

[Ambrus]

"Saved my life? There is only one in this room who has saved my life wenii Sonata, and you dishonor him by equating your actions with his." István nods respectfully towards Hagen. "A mandra hiiriil in your place would offer an apology I would think." The diminutive gnome reaches up and pulls his dark goggles down off his forehead to cover his eyes before returning to his labor.

 

[Shayuri]

Sonata gives Istevan a petulant look.

"Are all of you so serious all the time?" she asks. "You can't put a foot right with this little one here."

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Pierce Spinecrusher, female spiker fighter

When the gnome had returned, hauling along the body of the reave, Pierce had been terribly impressed. Size was no measure of fighting skills, but it certainly helped in many ways. The little one had won a great victory, though he seemed to count it to be no great measure.

When questions and explanations began flying thick and fast, Pierce waited for an opportunity to insert her own observations.

"The last thug we questioned. We were going to-," Pierce lowers her voice to a dull murmur, "-let him go so we could deal with him later. Information is better gathered from the living than the dead. The Harmonium deals the harshest justice. However, he did not have the wit to save himself when given the opportunity. Thusly, he is better off where he is. I dislike dealing with low-life beings like that, but it seems you primes have acquired sudden enemies.

"However, the man did mention that the Black Dogs have high-ranking Blood War mercenaries in their ranks. I may be of some assistance there. I know little of magic, and not as much of Sigil itself, but if you need to speak of the mercenary trade, there I can help..." Pierce trails off for a moment, and then glances at Sindr. "If you want to keep me on retainer, that is."

 

[Ambrus]

The helpful gnome goes about his task; collecting the scattered and broken flatware, cutlery and drinking cups which the reave had sent crashing to the ground by overturning the long table. "I don't know about these Black Dogs, but since we haven't been in the city long enough to earn their wrath, then they must be associated with those we met at the temple a few hours ago. That two imps were also here before and during the attack makes it certain. Aside from figuring out what it is they want with us, the only question preying on my mind is how did they find us here so quickly? We took great pains to elude pursuit, and yet they found and attacked the boarding house only a short while later. Either they used magic to find us or someone told them where we could be found. And there's only one person who knew we were here who isn't now present, the elfin guide who brought us here; Anthony."