Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="ThirdWizard" data-source="post: 2969634" data-attributes="member: 12037">"What if I just hurt them a little?"-Grum, learning about the finer points of diplomacySession 7/8/06 - In Search Of (continued)“A wild goose chase!” Jackal exclaimed, not caring what attention he attracted at this point. Black Dagger had assured him that Greydust would point him to Caradver. No one bothered to try to calm him down.Eventually Black Dagger caught up with them.“This is your informant? You brought us all the way out here so he could tell us someone who could tell us where Caradver is? You could have handled that. What am I paying you for?” Jackal went on, as the object of his frustrations rolled his eyes.“Hey, that cost me some good jink. And, I was assured that he knew where our mark was, so I’m the one that got bobbed here. Besides, you got a lead.”Malbi decided it was time for him to speak up. “I don’t like this. The Chapel of Tombs is a major Dustman temple, and they’re followers of Orcus! Orcus is a major demon lord of the undead, and Dustmen are already known to associate with undead. What are we going to do? Just walk in?”“Yes.”Malbi opened his mouth for a second, but closed it back. Jackal was looking for a fight.They headed straight to the Lower Ward and to the Chapel.The billowing stacks of the Great Foundry loomed overhead as they made their way through the Lower Ward. A lone man with the insignia of the Believers of the Source stood on a small box espousing the ideas that anyone can aspire toward godhood, and a crowd had gathered around him, notably mostly other Godsmen. The pedestrians had notably changed from mostly thugs and beggars to a variety of armed beings, some of which looked extremely fiendish. This is where they called kip.As Malbi directed them nearer the Chapel where they were headed, the group talked a bit more about their battle plans.“I’ll wait outside in case you need help,” said Black Dagger.“It never amazes me how willing you are to put yourself in danger,” Jackal replied.Malbi sighed and checked his spell component pouch. “Maybe we’ll be able to talk our way through this. They might not even want to fight.”The others just looked at him.They turned a corner and the Chapel could be seen over a few rooftops. As they approached, they saw a couple of teenage tiefling girls in provocative clothes waving their tails suggestively at them. Black Dagger waved his back. Jackal cut him an icy look, and Black Dagger rolled his eyes again.“Here we are,” said Stock. “We just walking in?” The doors were open.“Of course,” replied Jackal.The structure of the temple was circular, with only one room apparent upon entrance. Inside were countless mummified corpses, all lined along the walls on four levels. They peered down upon the group as if daring them to enter. The floor was a honeycomb, each bit with a nameplate sealed on. Two pillars stood holding up the arching roof, and a stone alter stood on the far side of the room. Two attendants and a priest were inside the temple, all praying.The priest stood as he heard the footsteps echoing in the halls and turned toward the party, gazing around the room. He smiled as best he could. “What can I do for you?” It was obvious they were not Dustmen come to pay their respects.Stock and Grum kept to the rear, watching the exit while Jackal stepped forward, the voice for the party as usual. Malbi stayed between them, watching the attendants for any signs of a pre-emptive strike. These were moves that didn’t go unnoticed.Jackal wasted no time in getting straight down to business. “Are you Grahas Xas?”He looked at Jackal peeredly. “I am.”“Good. We were told you could point us to Factotum Caradver.”Xas looked at Jackal piercingly, glancing at the entourage behind him. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”“We were told you would know where he is.” Jackal’s voice started to sound impatient. Malbi sighed quietly. He didn’t like where this was going.“By whom?” The Grahas’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Jackal carefully. His two attendants stood and started watching the exchange. Jackal didn’t hesitate to drop the name after all the trouble he had been through. “A Dustman named Greydust.”“Never heard of him.”Jackal was about to respond when he noticed movement on one of the upper landings where the mummies were arranged. One of their hands was moving! Turning quickly, he began to take out his crossbow, now finally glad he could blow off some of his steam.It all happened so fast that Malbi couldn’t even follow along. Figures emerged from the walls and he heard spellcasting. Grum and Stock were now beside him on either side and Jackal was aiming a crossbow somewhere! He felt searing pain in his side as a ray of fire flew down from above straight for him. Seconds later he saw Stock’s face contort and change, a voice from the other side of the room “Kill the man beside you!” and Stock’s two bladed axe fell on his head, splitting it open. Malbi’s corpse crumpled to the ground.Jackal fired a shot at the figure above and heard a cry of pain at the same time he saw Stock turn on Malbi. He knew that it must have been some kind of spell. Behind him a figure in a black cloak emerged and attacked Grum with a short sword, Grum crying out in pain and turning to face his attacker. At the same time Jackal caught sight of a second spell slinger, the one who must have turned Stock. Xas stood there with an expression of both amazement and rage growing on his face.“Assassins,” said Jackal under his breath.</blockquote>

Verification