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Shilsen's Eberron SH (Finished - The Last Word : 9/20/15)
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<blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 2821092" data-attributes="member: 198"><p>Written by shilsen - 10/24/05</p><p></p><p><strong>Session 11: Daask, Drugs and Being Rolled (again!)</strong></p><p></p><p>While the Misfits are at breakfast, they are met by a messenger wearing the symbol of the Silver Flame. He is from the Cathedral and delivers a message and a large package from the Archierophant. The note says, "Dear Gareth - Here is a gift to tide you over temporarily while you quest to find your father's sword. This sword has a lesser lineage than yours, but it is still a worthy weapon and has served the cause of the Flame before. Use it well. The potions will hopefully aid you and your companions too. Regards, Ythana Morr." Inside the package is a well-made greatsword inscribed with symbols of the Silver Flame and a set of four potions, each labeled Cure Moderate. Gareth sends a message back to the Archierophant thanking her.</p><p></p><p>While they finish dinner, Bodo tries to persuade Gareth to let him join them in the attack on the drug den and is refused. Gareth asks him what he was doing over the last few days. Bodo says that the Cathedral was really boring and he didn't want to stay at the inn, so he stayed in Callestan for the last week. When pushed by Corven about why he did so, he admits that it is because he met a nice girl there. He says that after some time he found out that she was a changeling, or as he puts it, "Eww!" Gareth tells Bodo that he will have to get some discipline and undergo schooling of some sort, which Bodo seems singularly unexcited about. He tries to distract the group by arguing about helping with the drug den again, and Gareth refuses again. When Bodo suggests instead that he try to find out about Kizmet, Gareth agrees and Bodo leaves shortly thereafter.</p><p></p><p>After breakfast, Corven and Luna head off to the Cyran embassy to report about the previous night's work. They find Tyrala seeming a little agitated about it, and proceed to give her a complete coverage of the events. Corven and Luna both tell her that they believe that Dals did not have anything to do with the Day of Mourning. Tyrala says that perhaps her information was incorrect, but says that she will let them know if anything else about it comes up. She also reveals why she is a little upset, revealing that someone left a note for her that morning, stuck to the door of her office. The note reads, "You should tell your associate Corven and his shifter friend that invisibility doesn't always work." Corven checks the note and finds that there are a few places where there is a set of four pointed indentations in a slightly curved line. He opines that it could be the fingers of someone with an unusual hand (perhaps skeletal, he surmises), but cannot be sure. </p><p></p><p>Tyrala also checks about the investigation of the missing Cyrans, saying that Cala Narain has told her about what they discovered. Corven tells her about what Nameless and he discovered about the name Zokar in their research. Tyrala asks if Corven will be following up on it that day, but he says that he is busy with some personal work. Tyrala asks about the job but Corven only reveals that it is not something related to the embassy, and promises to pursue the investigation very shortly. Leaving the embassy, Luna returns to the inn to join Nameless there, while Corven heads to the Esoteric Order to continue work on Gareth's armor.</p><p></p><p>Gareth and Six, meanwhile, visit the Deneith enclave, where they learn that Lalia and Tasra are outside Sharn on a case and should return in two days. Gareth returns the armor and sword he had borrowed and then asks to speak with Philo. Six and he are taken to a cell block, where Philo and his companions are in one cell. At their request, Philo is taken out and placed in a small room with them. He seems quite eager to talk to them as long as they do not hurt him. He reveals that he spent most of the money taken off Gareth on paying off some debts. When Six asks about the Daask drug den, he says that he visited it once, and gives them some information about the area beyond the entry room leading to the actual drug den. He also says that when he visited it, there were four gnolls guarding it, along with a gnoll leader called Caasht. He begs the pair to let him go in exchange for digging up more information, and Gareth says that they may do so in a few days, in which case he can expect to be working as an informant for them permanently. He also suggests that Six beat Philo up a bit so that he can tell his cell-mates that they beat the information out of him, but Philo says that he'll take the risk.</p><p></p><p>After returning Philo to his cell, Gareth asks the Deneith guard captain he has spoken to if they can hold Philo for two more days. Though a little reluctant, the latter agrees and says that they will hold him till Lalia returns. When Gareth asks to speak to whomever Lalia left in charge, the guard captain points out that while Lalia and Tasra are the senior most Sentinel Marshals, they do not actually run the enclave, and takes Gareth and Six to meet Sadral d'Deneith, son of the enclave head, Lord Sadran. Sadral, a tall and lean man with brown hair, greets the two and asks how he can help. Gareth explains about their planned attack on the drug den and asks for some Deneith soldiers. Sadral considers for a few moments and replies that he cannot let either the Blademark (the mercenary arm of the House) or the Defenders Guild (the protection arm) get involved with an issue such as Daask, especially on a private matter. As he points out to Gareth, it would be different if Gareth were actually a member of the House, but he is not so. Gareth asks if Sadral can let Deneith soldiers help with this on a volunteer basis, without using Deneith insignia, but Sadral says that this too could lead to the loss of valuable Deneith personnel, and he cannot allow it. Seeing that there will be no help here, Gareth and Six take their leave.</p><p></p><p>Some time after everyone is back at the inn, they are joined by Narik and his companions Lothas and Valin, along with Deemin and Finch. Moving to the Misfits' rooms, they all discuss the attack on the drug den. Though Narik wants to go along, Lothas points out to him - and the others - that the three of them are busy on a personal job and will be so for the next two days. They are, however, willing to accompany the group into the Cogs as long as it's a quick operation and they know exactly where they are going. Deemin and Finch are not keen on entering the Cogs, but agree to help with the attack on the drug den. Deemin says that they will require no payment, since this will be considered as the repayment of their debt to Gareth and the others.</p><p></p><p>Although Narik and the other two will not come along, Six asks them to check on ways to leave town quickly, in case the group has to do so. Narik seems amused but promises to do so, and he leaves with Lothas and Valin. The remaining seven make plans for the attack. Corven and Gareth leave for a couple of hours to finish work on the latter's armor, and return with Gareth wearing it.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p>Around three in the afternoon, the group heads to Tumbledown, walking north and then gradually east from the Underlook district where their inn is. As they near Tumbledown, they find that the buildings and towers fall into more and more disrepair, with chunks of stone missing here and there, and mold and mildew growing in the cracks. The people on the streets also become gradually - and evidently - poorer, with worn or torn clothing. The well-armed adventurers stick out and draw expressions of suspicion from the people as they move away from their path. Once they locate the building containing the drug den and stop a little distance away to cast preparatory spells, those nearby scurry away even faster.</p><p></p><p>The building is set into the inner wall of one of the larger towers, and has a crudely drawn picture of an overflowing tankard outside, advertising it as an inn. A dirty window looks out from either side of the door. Striding in, the adventurers find the entry room to contain a bar, with stools in front and a few tables. A door in the back wall to each side leads inside, with the group's information indicating that the one to the left leads to the drug den.</p><p></p><p>As one of the two bartenders begins to ask what is going on, Gareth says only, "Get out - now!" and heads for the left door. The two bartenders and four patrons decide not to argue and head for the door as the others in the group move in. Nameless opens the door to the right to reveal an antechamber with three more doors, while Luna tries to boot down the one to the left. She only bruises her foot and causes the hatch in it to open, revealing two eyes. Their owner begins a "What the ..." but is interrupted by an onrushing Gareth, who smashes the door open and sends him (a human) smashing into the wall. The area revealed is another antechamber, like the one Nameless revealed, with three doors. </p><p></p><p>Moving past the feebly protesting man, Gareth and Six move up to the far door, which Gareth kicks open like the first one. This reveals the actual drug den, consisting of a large room divided between a large table in the back (in front of a large, closed cabinet) and three low couches in the front. A scared-looking human is backed up in the corner, while four people sit in the couches with vacant expressions, showing no reaction to the commotion (a sure sign of dreamlily intoxication). </p><p></p><p>A gnoll with a drawn longbow stands in the corner across from the door, and he releases an arrow that gashes Gareth's shoulder. His resistance is short-lived, however. Corven, having enchanted his crossbow and Six's and Gareth's weapons with a gnoll-bane enchantment to do increased damage, promptly shoots the gnoll in his shoulder, and Luna casts a warp wood spell that turns his bow unusable. As he tries to draw an axe, he is cut down by a charging Gareth. Luna, following Gareth into the room, is set upon and wounded by a battleaxe-wielding gnoll who stood hidden against the near wall. Six, following close behind, trips the gnoll and bashes him in the head as he lies on the floor, and as it groggily gets to his feet, sends it down and out.</p><p></p><p>Six is wounded, however, by an unexpected assailant. As Gareth looks around and asks, "Which is Caasht?", a voice answers, "I am!" and a gnoll appears behind the table as it hurls a flask at Six's unprotected back. The flask hits and releases a shocking sensation. Luna tries to hit Caasht with a flaming sphere, which he dodges, but wounds and Six trips him, sending him tumbling behind the table. After throwing another flask to hit Gareth, Caasht quickly drinks another potion to turn invisible, but Gareth manages to smack him with the flat of his sword and knock him out, sprinkling some flour on him to render his position obvious.</p><p></p><p>Things are not going as well for the rest, however. Deemin, Finch, Nameless and Corven are all crowded into the antechamber, trying to make their way into the main room too, when they hear a commotion behind the door to the left. Corven opens the door to reveal two more gnolls with battleaxes, behind whom stand two more with longbows. The archers fire a pair of arrows into Corven's chest from close range and he collapses. For the next few moments, the four gnolls engage Deemin and Finch. Nameless uses first a slow spell and then a glitterdust on them, both of which affect only the axe-wielders, but they manage to cut down Deemin* and badly wound Finch. Finch wounds one in turn, and Six manages to make his way back into the crowded antechamber to help. </p><p></p><p>With the two axe-wielding gnolls now blinded by Nameless' spell, Luna and Gareth move back towards the area to help, but are stopped in their tracks as a hidden door in the wall of the main room flies open to reveal an armored ogre. The creature shouts a challenge in giantish and slashes Luna with his ogre-sized greatsword, almost taking her off her feet. Seeing the creature looming over them, Gareth calls upon the power granted him by the Silver Flame and swings with all his strength. His blade crashes into the ogre's side**, drawing a pained grunt from it, but it remains on its feet. </p><p></p><p>Nameless, who is also close to it, risks an attack and attempts to back away beyond its reach before casting a spell, but a vicious backhand sends him flying across the room*** to collapse in a heap, next to one of the drug-addled customers, who looks down at the bleeding mage with faint interest. Though wounded, Luna dodges away from a swing and tries to hit the ogre with her flaming sphere, but fails. The momentary distraction is enough for the gnoll archers, and one sends a pair of arrows into her back, dropping her into unconsciousness. </p><p></p><p>The other archer sends an arrow into Finch, who also collapses. His fall leaves only Six and Gareth up, facing the ogre, two archers and the two axe-wielders. Luckily, the latter pair are blind due to Nameless' spell, and Six quickly dispatches one. The other one stumbles around, swinging wildly and hitting only air.</p><p></p><p>The ogre, however, is more effective, its sword cleaving into Gareth's midsection. Luckily for him, his newly-enchanted armor stops the blade from cutting him in half, but he distinctly feels a pair of ribs snap****. Somehow, the paladin stays on his feet and slashes back in response. His sword bites into the ogre's neck, sending blood flying. The ogre totters but manages to stay on its feet, rage and adrenalin keeping it going. The wounds do cause its last blow to miss the staggering Gareth by a whisker*****, and the paladin buries his sword in its head.</p><p></p><p>With the axe-wielders out of the way (the blind one having stumbled into the other room), Six quickly trips and slays one of the archers, but not before he has been wounded again. The remaining archer steps back to get a clear shot at the warforged, and then Six hears a voice behind him say, "Fire!" A volley of crossbow bolts shoot by his head, narrowly missing him, and transfix the archer, who drops immediately. </p><p></p><p>Six spins around to see six armored humans standing in the tavern room with crossbows out, with another human and a pair of halflings standing in advance of them. The latter three quickly move up to Six and one of the halflings says, "Excuse me," as they move by him. A confused Six asks, "Who are you?", to which the halfling replies, "Oh, we are the collectors." More questions from Six and Gareth (who sees the three enter the room and quickly dispatch the blinded gnoll) reveal that these 'collectors' are from the Boromar clan. They politely, but firmly, ask the two conscious adventurers to lower their weapons and to refrain from attempting to heal themselves. The halflings open up the cabinet in the drug den and begin removing cases holding flasks of iridescent liquid from within, placing them in some bags of holding that they carry.</p><p></p><p>Gareth and Six are escorted into the tavern room, where the six humans keep an eye on them with weapons drawn. Questioning their guards reveals that they have been "hired for a job here today," but they do not say from where. After some minutes of waiting, the trio return and thank Gareth and Six for their help and cooperation. The nine depart, only minutes after they arrived, leaving Six to ask Gareth, "Did we just get mugged? Again?"</p><p></p><p>The pair quickly revive their companions, starting with Luna and Corven, who then revive and heal the others. Gareth and Six explain what just happened with the Boromars. They discover that all unconscious gnolls have had their throats slit, except for Caasht, who Gareth asked the halflings to leave alive. After reviving Caasht, they ask him about Gareth's sword and about which Daask members deal with the fence Maarkra, but when it becomes evident that he knows nothing about it, Nameless shoots him in the head with a crossbow and disposes of him. </p><p></p><p>Searching the building, the Misfits find that the Boromars have taken every sample of drugs in the area, but have left behind most of the equipment that the gnolls had. Corven also discovers a secret crawlspace in a bedroom that probably belonged to Caasht, and finds some hidden money and potions within. After collecting whatever they can use, the group leaves and heads back to the inn. Deemin and Finch take their leave, both looking somewhat the worse for wear.</p><p></p><p>With some hours to kill before they have to meet Killian, the group takes time to rest and identify some of what they have recovered. They visit the Clifftop Adventurers Guild, where they dispose of most of the weapons and armor they found, and then head down to Fireside for their meeting with Killian.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p>The Misfits find Killian at his usual seat. He greets them jovially, as usual, and asks them how things went. Nameless and Six simultaneously comment, "You know better than us," causing him to laugh out loud, before he says that he has heard a little bit about their success but would still like to get the details.</p><p></p><p>Killian sounds genuinely surprised to hear about the Boromars' interference, though that does nothing to make any of the others believe him. Nameless hazards the guess that he might be just as interested in the Boromars suffering as Daask, since that would help other powers gain a hold in the criminal area, but Killian does not respond to the comment in any way. Instead, he asks more questions about what happened, taking quite obvious pleasure in the partial discomfiture of the adventurers.</p><p></p><p>Corven, who has been growing steadily more irritated with Killian's antics, then asks about the remaining payment for the attack on the drug den, which momentarily interrupts Killian's joviality. The gnome quickly responds, however, that in view of the request for information about Gareth's sword, he thought that their original agreement had been renegotiated. Corven hastens to assure him that this is not the case, and when Killian argues that they probably recovered much more treasure than the amount he was supposed to be paying them, he ripostes that the treasure would have been recovered even under the original agreement. Finally, Killian says that he will be happy to pay them as agreed, as long as they no longer need the information about the sword. The group grudgingly agrees to settle for the information, with Luna grumbling to Gareth that his sword is really causing trouble for them.</p><p></p><p>Killian tells them that his sources have not yet ascertained the location of the sword, but it seems very likely that the sword is in the hands of Bhorak, a minotaur warrior (a statement which draws groans, rolling eyes, and muttered comments of "of course!") from Droaam, who trains and is in charge of some of the more recent reinforcements for Daask. Luckily, Bhorak often deals with such new arrivals at a separate location and the group may be able to attack it relatively safely if they move in and out fast. Killian thinks that he should have the precise location in a couple of days, and suggests that they meet again on the night of the 4th.</p><p></p><p>With that agreement being made, Killian settles down to needle the adventurers, joking constantly and finding more than a few areas to add to their irritation and paranoia. He implies that he could spread information about them, dropping very obvious hints that he has been keeping a close eye on them. He asks Nameless about his girlfriend Trillia, drawing only a reply that Nameless has "a mentor called Trillia, not a girlfriend." The response is less calm when he comments on the help Gareth has been getting from the Cathedral and says that faith is easy to buy there, drawing the grim question, "Are you impugning my faith and that of the Silver Flame?" Killian quickly says that he would "never even dream of saying something mean about the Flame" and changes the subject. He tells the group that if they are concerned about keeping their activities under wraps, they might want to talk to Bodo, since he believes "at least one Daask member and two of the Boromar clan" know that Bodo was asking about a certain sword.</p><p></p><p>That comment gives the group one more thing to worry about, and Corven suggests they leave and discuss their plans back at the inn. Killian bids them a supposedly sorrowful goodbye, wishing them good luck and suggesting that they not do anything that he would. With a few tired, irritated and disgusted looks at the beaming gnome, the adventurers leave. On the way back to the inn, they discuss what to do next. Six suggests that they might try to obtain some sponsorship for an expedition to Xen'drik, perhaps from one of the scholars at Morgrave University. After all, he suggests, they are quite likely to piss off Daask enough to be unable to stay in Sharn, an opinion which at least a couple of the others gloomily agree with.</p><p></p><p>* First time action pts were spent to keep an NPC alive.</p><p>** Natural 20 and confirmed crit on a smite with full power attack. Ow!</p><p>*** 26 hp to -4 in one hit. Also known as "All Power Attack All the Time"</p><p>**** Took Gareth to 1 hp.</p><p>***** Rolled a 5</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="shilsen, post: 2821092, member: 198"] Written by shilsen - 10/24/05 [B]Session 11: Daask, Drugs and Being Rolled (again!)[/B] While the Misfits are at breakfast, they are met by a messenger wearing the symbol of the Silver Flame. He is from the Cathedral and delivers a message and a large package from the Archierophant. The note says, "Dear Gareth - Here is a gift to tide you over temporarily while you quest to find your father's sword. This sword has a lesser lineage than yours, but it is still a worthy weapon and has served the cause of the Flame before. Use it well. The potions will hopefully aid you and your companions too. Regards, Ythana Morr." Inside the package is a well-made greatsword inscribed with symbols of the Silver Flame and a set of four potions, each labeled Cure Moderate. Gareth sends a message back to the Archierophant thanking her. While they finish dinner, Bodo tries to persuade Gareth to let him join them in the attack on the drug den and is refused. Gareth asks him what he was doing over the last few days. Bodo says that the Cathedral was really boring and he didn't want to stay at the inn, so he stayed in Callestan for the last week. When pushed by Corven about why he did so, he admits that it is because he met a nice girl there. He says that after some time he found out that she was a changeling, or as he puts it, "Eww!" Gareth tells Bodo that he will have to get some discipline and undergo schooling of some sort, which Bodo seems singularly unexcited about. He tries to distract the group by arguing about helping with the drug den again, and Gareth refuses again. When Bodo suggests instead that he try to find out about Kizmet, Gareth agrees and Bodo leaves shortly thereafter. After breakfast, Corven and Luna head off to the Cyran embassy to report about the previous night's work. They find Tyrala seeming a little agitated about it, and proceed to give her a complete coverage of the events. Corven and Luna both tell her that they believe that Dals did not have anything to do with the Day of Mourning. Tyrala says that perhaps her information was incorrect, but says that she will let them know if anything else about it comes up. She also reveals why she is a little upset, revealing that someone left a note for her that morning, stuck to the door of her office. The note reads, "You should tell your associate Corven and his shifter friend that invisibility doesn't always work." Corven checks the note and finds that there are a few places where there is a set of four pointed indentations in a slightly curved line. He opines that it could be the fingers of someone with an unusual hand (perhaps skeletal, he surmises), but cannot be sure. Tyrala also checks about the investigation of the missing Cyrans, saying that Cala Narain has told her about what they discovered. Corven tells her about what Nameless and he discovered about the name Zokar in their research. Tyrala asks if Corven will be following up on it that day, but he says that he is busy with some personal work. Tyrala asks about the job but Corven only reveals that it is not something related to the embassy, and promises to pursue the investigation very shortly. Leaving the embassy, Luna returns to the inn to join Nameless there, while Corven heads to the Esoteric Order to continue work on Gareth's armor. Gareth and Six, meanwhile, visit the Deneith enclave, where they learn that Lalia and Tasra are outside Sharn on a case and should return in two days. Gareth returns the armor and sword he had borrowed and then asks to speak with Philo. Six and he are taken to a cell block, where Philo and his companions are in one cell. At their request, Philo is taken out and placed in a small room with them. He seems quite eager to talk to them as long as they do not hurt him. He reveals that he spent most of the money taken off Gareth on paying off some debts. When Six asks about the Daask drug den, he says that he visited it once, and gives them some information about the area beyond the entry room leading to the actual drug den. He also says that when he visited it, there were four gnolls guarding it, along with a gnoll leader called Caasht. He begs the pair to let him go in exchange for digging up more information, and Gareth says that they may do so in a few days, in which case he can expect to be working as an informant for them permanently. He also suggests that Six beat Philo up a bit so that he can tell his cell-mates that they beat the information out of him, but Philo says that he'll take the risk. After returning Philo to his cell, Gareth asks the Deneith guard captain he has spoken to if they can hold Philo for two more days. Though a little reluctant, the latter agrees and says that they will hold him till Lalia returns. When Gareth asks to speak to whomever Lalia left in charge, the guard captain points out that while Lalia and Tasra are the senior most Sentinel Marshals, they do not actually run the enclave, and takes Gareth and Six to meet Sadral d'Deneith, son of the enclave head, Lord Sadran. Sadral, a tall and lean man with brown hair, greets the two and asks how he can help. Gareth explains about their planned attack on the drug den and asks for some Deneith soldiers. Sadral considers for a few moments and replies that he cannot let either the Blademark (the mercenary arm of the House) or the Defenders Guild (the protection arm) get involved with an issue such as Daask, especially on a private matter. As he points out to Gareth, it would be different if Gareth were actually a member of the House, but he is not so. Gareth asks if Sadral can let Deneith soldiers help with this on a volunteer basis, without using Deneith insignia, but Sadral says that this too could lead to the loss of valuable Deneith personnel, and he cannot allow it. Seeing that there will be no help here, Gareth and Six take their leave. Some time after everyone is back at the inn, they are joined by Narik and his companions Lothas and Valin, along with Deemin and Finch. Moving to the Misfits' rooms, they all discuss the attack on the drug den. Though Narik wants to go along, Lothas points out to him - and the others - that the three of them are busy on a personal job and will be so for the next two days. They are, however, willing to accompany the group into the Cogs as long as it's a quick operation and they know exactly where they are going. Deemin and Finch are not keen on entering the Cogs, but agree to help with the attack on the drug den. Deemin says that they will require no payment, since this will be considered as the repayment of their debt to Gareth and the others. Although Narik and the other two will not come along, Six asks them to check on ways to leave town quickly, in case the group has to do so. Narik seems amused but promises to do so, and he leaves with Lothas and Valin. The remaining seven make plans for the attack. Corven and Gareth leave for a couple of hours to finish work on the latter's armor, and return with Gareth wearing it. *** Around three in the afternoon, the group heads to Tumbledown, walking north and then gradually east from the Underlook district where their inn is. As they near Tumbledown, they find that the buildings and towers fall into more and more disrepair, with chunks of stone missing here and there, and mold and mildew growing in the cracks. The people on the streets also become gradually - and evidently - poorer, with worn or torn clothing. The well-armed adventurers stick out and draw expressions of suspicion from the people as they move away from their path. Once they locate the building containing the drug den and stop a little distance away to cast preparatory spells, those nearby scurry away even faster. The building is set into the inner wall of one of the larger towers, and has a crudely drawn picture of an overflowing tankard outside, advertising it as an inn. A dirty window looks out from either side of the door. Striding in, the adventurers find the entry room to contain a bar, with stools in front and a few tables. A door in the back wall to each side leads inside, with the group's information indicating that the one to the left leads to the drug den. As one of the two bartenders begins to ask what is going on, Gareth says only, "Get out - now!" and heads for the left door. The two bartenders and four patrons decide not to argue and head for the door as the others in the group move in. Nameless opens the door to the right to reveal an antechamber with three more doors, while Luna tries to boot down the one to the left. She only bruises her foot and causes the hatch in it to open, revealing two eyes. Their owner begins a "What the ..." but is interrupted by an onrushing Gareth, who smashes the door open and sends him (a human) smashing into the wall. The area revealed is another antechamber, like the one Nameless revealed, with three doors. Moving past the feebly protesting man, Gareth and Six move up to the far door, which Gareth kicks open like the first one. This reveals the actual drug den, consisting of a large room divided between a large table in the back (in front of a large, closed cabinet) and three low couches in the front. A scared-looking human is backed up in the corner, while four people sit in the couches with vacant expressions, showing no reaction to the commotion (a sure sign of dreamlily intoxication). A gnoll with a drawn longbow stands in the corner across from the door, and he releases an arrow that gashes Gareth's shoulder. His resistance is short-lived, however. Corven, having enchanted his crossbow and Six's and Gareth's weapons with a gnoll-bane enchantment to do increased damage, promptly shoots the gnoll in his shoulder, and Luna casts a warp wood spell that turns his bow unusable. As he tries to draw an axe, he is cut down by a charging Gareth. Luna, following Gareth into the room, is set upon and wounded by a battleaxe-wielding gnoll who stood hidden against the near wall. Six, following close behind, trips the gnoll and bashes him in the head as he lies on the floor, and as it groggily gets to his feet, sends it down and out. Six is wounded, however, by an unexpected assailant. As Gareth looks around and asks, "Which is Caasht?", a voice answers, "I am!" and a gnoll appears behind the table as it hurls a flask at Six's unprotected back. The flask hits and releases a shocking sensation. Luna tries to hit Caasht with a flaming sphere, which he dodges, but wounds and Six trips him, sending him tumbling behind the table. After throwing another flask to hit Gareth, Caasht quickly drinks another potion to turn invisible, but Gareth manages to smack him with the flat of his sword and knock him out, sprinkling some flour on him to render his position obvious. Things are not going as well for the rest, however. Deemin, Finch, Nameless and Corven are all crowded into the antechamber, trying to make their way into the main room too, when they hear a commotion behind the door to the left. Corven opens the door to reveal two more gnolls with battleaxes, behind whom stand two more with longbows. The archers fire a pair of arrows into Corven's chest from close range and he collapses. For the next few moments, the four gnolls engage Deemin and Finch. Nameless uses first a slow spell and then a glitterdust on them, both of which affect only the axe-wielders, but they manage to cut down Deemin* and badly wound Finch. Finch wounds one in turn, and Six manages to make his way back into the crowded antechamber to help. With the two axe-wielding gnolls now blinded by Nameless' spell, Luna and Gareth move back towards the area to help, but are stopped in their tracks as a hidden door in the wall of the main room flies open to reveal an armored ogre. The creature shouts a challenge in giantish and slashes Luna with his ogre-sized greatsword, almost taking her off her feet. Seeing the creature looming over them, Gareth calls upon the power granted him by the Silver Flame and swings with all his strength. His blade crashes into the ogre's side**, drawing a pained grunt from it, but it remains on its feet. Nameless, who is also close to it, risks an attack and attempts to back away beyond its reach before casting a spell, but a vicious backhand sends him flying across the room*** to collapse in a heap, next to one of the drug-addled customers, who looks down at the bleeding mage with faint interest. Though wounded, Luna dodges away from a swing and tries to hit the ogre with her flaming sphere, but fails. The momentary distraction is enough for the gnoll archers, and one sends a pair of arrows into her back, dropping her into unconsciousness. The other archer sends an arrow into Finch, who also collapses. His fall leaves only Six and Gareth up, facing the ogre, two archers and the two axe-wielders. Luckily, the latter pair are blind due to Nameless' spell, and Six quickly dispatches one. The other one stumbles around, swinging wildly and hitting only air. The ogre, however, is more effective, its sword cleaving into Gareth's midsection. Luckily for him, his newly-enchanted armor stops the blade from cutting him in half, but he distinctly feels a pair of ribs snap****. Somehow, the paladin stays on his feet and slashes back in response. His sword bites into the ogre's neck, sending blood flying. The ogre totters but manages to stay on its feet, rage and adrenalin keeping it going. The wounds do cause its last blow to miss the staggering Gareth by a whisker*****, and the paladin buries his sword in its head. With the axe-wielders out of the way (the blind one having stumbled into the other room), Six quickly trips and slays one of the archers, but not before he has been wounded again. The remaining archer steps back to get a clear shot at the warforged, and then Six hears a voice behind him say, "Fire!" A volley of crossbow bolts shoot by his head, narrowly missing him, and transfix the archer, who drops immediately. Six spins around to see six armored humans standing in the tavern room with crossbows out, with another human and a pair of halflings standing in advance of them. The latter three quickly move up to Six and one of the halflings says, "Excuse me," as they move by him. A confused Six asks, "Who are you?", to which the halfling replies, "Oh, we are the collectors." More questions from Six and Gareth (who sees the three enter the room and quickly dispatch the blinded gnoll) reveal that these 'collectors' are from the Boromar clan. They politely, but firmly, ask the two conscious adventurers to lower their weapons and to refrain from attempting to heal themselves. The halflings open up the cabinet in the drug den and begin removing cases holding flasks of iridescent liquid from within, placing them in some bags of holding that they carry. Gareth and Six are escorted into the tavern room, where the six humans keep an eye on them with weapons drawn. Questioning their guards reveals that they have been "hired for a job here today," but they do not say from where. After some minutes of waiting, the trio return and thank Gareth and Six for their help and cooperation. The nine depart, only minutes after they arrived, leaving Six to ask Gareth, "Did we just get mugged? Again?" The pair quickly revive their companions, starting with Luna and Corven, who then revive and heal the others. Gareth and Six explain what just happened with the Boromars. They discover that all unconscious gnolls have had their throats slit, except for Caasht, who Gareth asked the halflings to leave alive. After reviving Caasht, they ask him about Gareth's sword and about which Daask members deal with the fence Maarkra, but when it becomes evident that he knows nothing about it, Nameless shoots him in the head with a crossbow and disposes of him. Searching the building, the Misfits find that the Boromars have taken every sample of drugs in the area, but have left behind most of the equipment that the gnolls had. Corven also discovers a secret crawlspace in a bedroom that probably belonged to Caasht, and finds some hidden money and potions within. After collecting whatever they can use, the group leaves and heads back to the inn. Deemin and Finch take their leave, both looking somewhat the worse for wear. With some hours to kill before they have to meet Killian, the group takes time to rest and identify some of what they have recovered. They visit the Clifftop Adventurers Guild, where they dispose of most of the weapons and armor they found, and then head down to Fireside for their meeting with Killian. *** The Misfits find Killian at his usual seat. He greets them jovially, as usual, and asks them how things went. Nameless and Six simultaneously comment, "You know better than us," causing him to laugh out loud, before he says that he has heard a little bit about their success but would still like to get the details. Killian sounds genuinely surprised to hear about the Boromars' interference, though that does nothing to make any of the others believe him. Nameless hazards the guess that he might be just as interested in the Boromars suffering as Daask, since that would help other powers gain a hold in the criminal area, but Killian does not respond to the comment in any way. Instead, he asks more questions about what happened, taking quite obvious pleasure in the partial discomfiture of the adventurers. Corven, who has been growing steadily more irritated with Killian's antics, then asks about the remaining payment for the attack on the drug den, which momentarily interrupts Killian's joviality. The gnome quickly responds, however, that in view of the request for information about Gareth's sword, he thought that their original agreement had been renegotiated. Corven hastens to assure him that this is not the case, and when Killian argues that they probably recovered much more treasure than the amount he was supposed to be paying them, he ripostes that the treasure would have been recovered even under the original agreement. Finally, Killian says that he will be happy to pay them as agreed, as long as they no longer need the information about the sword. The group grudgingly agrees to settle for the information, with Luna grumbling to Gareth that his sword is really causing trouble for them. Killian tells them that his sources have not yet ascertained the location of the sword, but it seems very likely that the sword is in the hands of Bhorak, a minotaur warrior (a statement which draws groans, rolling eyes, and muttered comments of "of course!") from Droaam, who trains and is in charge of some of the more recent reinforcements for Daask. Luckily, Bhorak often deals with such new arrivals at a separate location and the group may be able to attack it relatively safely if they move in and out fast. Killian thinks that he should have the precise location in a couple of days, and suggests that they meet again on the night of the 4th. With that agreement being made, Killian settles down to needle the adventurers, joking constantly and finding more than a few areas to add to their irritation and paranoia. He implies that he could spread information about them, dropping very obvious hints that he has been keeping a close eye on them. He asks Nameless about his girlfriend Trillia, drawing only a reply that Nameless has "a mentor called Trillia, not a girlfriend." The response is less calm when he comments on the help Gareth has been getting from the Cathedral and says that faith is easy to buy there, drawing the grim question, "Are you impugning my faith and that of the Silver Flame?" Killian quickly says that he would "never even dream of saying something mean about the Flame" and changes the subject. He tells the group that if they are concerned about keeping their activities under wraps, they might want to talk to Bodo, since he believes "at least one Daask member and two of the Boromar clan" know that Bodo was asking about a certain sword. That comment gives the group one more thing to worry about, and Corven suggests they leave and discuss their plans back at the inn. Killian bids them a supposedly sorrowful goodbye, wishing them good luck and suggesting that they not do anything that he would. With a few tired, irritated and disgusted looks at the beaming gnome, the adventurers leave. On the way back to the inn, they discuss what to do next. Six suggests that they might try to obtain some sponsorship for an expedition to Xen'drik, perhaps from one of the scholars at Morgrave University. After all, he suggests, they are quite likely to piss off Daask enough to be unable to stay in Sharn, an opinion which at least a couple of the others gloomily agree with. * First time action pts were spent to keep an NPC alive. ** Natural 20 and confirmed crit on a smite with full power attack. Ow! *** 26 hp to -4 in one hit. Also known as "All Power Attack All the Time" **** Took Gareth to 1 hp. ***** Rolled a 5 [/QUOTE]
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