NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Joshua Randall" data-source="post: 725751" data-attributes="member: 7737">kestrel [ME castrel, fr. MF crecerell] (15c): a small European falcon (Falco tinnunculus) that is noted for its habit of hovering in the air against a wind and that is about a foot long, bluish gray above in the male, and reddish brown in the female; broadly: any of various small Old World falcons (Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary) Our story begins with the PCs accepting an invitation to join the Company of the Red Kestrel, an adventuring group of moderate prestige, as junior members. Each PC met briefly with the Company's founders, a wizard by the name of Michael Dellarocca and his sister, Sara, a priestess of Ishir. Dellarocca spared little time for the PCs, as he had pressing business in Lof. He passed along a note he received from one Alessandro Simovicci requesting the Kestrels' assistance on "a matter of utmost importance." Dellarocca told the PCs that the Simoviccis were a Durenese family of minor nobility, but that was all he knew. Their curiosity (not to mention their need for work) prompted the junior Kestrels to agree to meet with Alessandro the next day at noon "in the warehouse of the Green Scepter." The Company of the Red Kestrel - junior members: Quaddla, Knight of the Moon (female dwarf Pal 2 of Ishir)Banda Blushing Crow (female Vakeros Sor 2)Brogun Rumenheim (male dwarf Clr 2 of Kirabá) [ not present until later ]Madrak (male human Ftr 2)Bilt Stokeestakt (male human Rog 2) = = = Inquiries revealed that the Green Scepter was a shipping company with a small warehouse near the Ragadorn docks. The group approached the door of the warehouse, knocked, and heard a quavering voice call, "Enter!" The warehouse was a two story rectangular structure. Slants of sunlight illuminated a large collection of crates, chests, and barrels stacked haphazardly about the lower floor. Along the inside of the wall ran a catwalk, providing access to the upper storage areas. Towards the back of the warehouse sat a man at a rough table, a bottle of ink and several sheets of parchment laid out before him. Alessandro Simovicci turned out to be a short, unkempt man who smelled of sweat and alcohol. He was exceedingly nervous, especially when he discovered that the Kestrels took no special precautions to avoid being followed. "You can never be too careful in Ragadorn," Alessandro warned. He narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the group. "Tell me about yourselves. Where were you from before you ended up here?" This query elicited only blank stares from the group. Alessandro sighed; why were adventurers always so vague about their backgrounds? Shrugging, he continued. "No one's really from Ragadorn, you see. It's just where people end up when they reach the end of the line." The little man gulped unhappily. The Kestrels' inability to account for their lives prior to this very meeting filled Alessandro with foreboding, as did their unusual appearance. Eventually, Quaddla calmed him down; her soothing words convinced Alessandro that he could trust the group, and they promised to help him.  "It is vitally important that this message reach Edward Marrero in Port Bax." Alessandro withdrew a sealed envelop from his shirt and laid it on the table in front of him. He then reached down to retrieve a small box from under his seat. "In addition, please be sure that he receives—" TWANG. Alessandro fell back, blood fountaining from his neck. Banda reacted quickly. Whirling around, she spotted a man on the warehouse catwalk. "There!" yelled Banda, even as the man reloaded his hand crossbow and fired again. But his shot was hurried and it sailed high overhead. The Kestrels sprang into action. With a mighty leap, Madrak hoisted himself up onto the catwalk and charged the sniper. Bilt flipped the table over, forming a barrier in front of the stricken Alessandro. Quaddla moved to the injured man's side. She covered Alessandro's eyes with her hands and intoned a brief prayer to Ishir. A soft, moonlit glow showed through her fingers, and the horrible neck wound closed enough to allow Alessandro to suck in a ragged breath. The sniper got off one more shot, which embedded itself in the table near Alessandro, before Madrak was upon him. The two grappled with each other, and the lithe assassin proved a worthy foe to the muscle-bound Madrak. By this time both Banda and Bilt had loaded their crossbows, but neither wished to fire into the scuffle. Quaddla, after ensuring that Alessandro was alive, raced towards the door to cut off that avenue of escape. The assassin dropped his crossbow and drew a dagger, plunging it into Madrak's side. The big man grunted and with a mighty heave tossed the assassin over the edge of the catwalk. The Kestrels gasped in unison as the man twisted in midair and landed on his feet, unharmed. Banda and Bilt both fired, and their target staggered as two crossbow bolts slammed into him. But the assassin refused to go down. He raced for the table behind which Alessandro was hiding, only to be cut off by Bilt and Quaddla. The three sparred ineffectually. Finally, Madrak ended the fight with a vicious elbow to the assassin's face that sent him crashing to the floor, unconscious. "Damn," someone said. "Who is this guy?"</blockquote>

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