[IC] Evilhalfling's Dark Sun

[Evilhalfling]

Chapter 2: Raam

The Alabaster Palace of the "Great Vizier" overlooking the city.

In the public Caravanassy, another day of training goes by, as messengers head out into the city and return.

The captain crodu cavalry arrives. He spends most of his time with the traders and ignores the soldiers. The Mul captain spends most of his time with soldiers and rarely sees the traders. The barracks rumors say that most of the cavalry and the smaller caravan also reached the city, but are quartered elsewhere.
-----

On the second day the Mul announces that he is taking two squads to check on a possible new compound. He picks a squad of veteran infantry and alpha squad. Heading out into the maze of the city.

The main boulevard is wide and straight. Not wide enough as after a few blocks it turns into a mass brawl of human guards in some kind of uniform, and a mob of the desperately poor, who seem to have put together a spear phalanx, and are being led by a half-giant.

The Captain leads you quickly off the main road, there you witness two men in white robes and heavy Chitin armor, beating a prosperous-looking dwarf next to a shrine. The shrine is to some sort of being that lives in the sun. It has a large wheel covered in symbols that can be spun by visitors. On a narrower side street, there is a clatter from the buildings above and a thri-kreen leaps across the street on the rooftops, followed by two elves. While a third elf fails to make the leap and crashes to the street. He falls in front of a building which like many others is built on a 3’ raised platform. Emaciated arms reach out from under the platform and drag the body out of sight.

The Mul Captain starts out leading confidently but soon is reduced to staring puzzledly at a scrap of map at intersections.

GM: lots can happen in a chaotic city. Each player should narrate the start of a scene, and then let someone else finish it. You can use a skill roll or power to resolve a situation, but narrate based on your own estimate whether you succeeded or failed. If players agree on an escape attempt: merchants with animals, rioters or an armed group could easily cut you off from the other squad. Ill set up the first scene. @tglassy , @VLAD the Destroyer , @Salthorae , @FitzTheRuke , @JustinCase @Leatherhead

A group of two men unarmed men, and a halfling in yellow robes is moving through the crowds. Unlike most men they wear no headwraps or hats, instead having shaved heads. Most citizens make way for them, but they do stop and wait for a larger gang of elves to pass. Plool’s eyes fix on one of the three. Is that Cerk? He wasn’t bald last time you saw him. The monks are not particularly close to you and he does not seem to notice the other halfling in the crowd. They are headed in the direction of a small yellow building with elaborate murals covering the walls, a small branch of the Yellow Monastery.

 

[Leatherhead]

“Just like a rain to refill my cup!” Plool quoted an idiom on impossibly convenient events, then turns to the rest of Alpha Squad and discretely points out the other halfling.“I need to question that man.”

“And I am willing to try very stupid and dangerous things to do so.” He adds in a hushed tone, while tightening his grasp on his axe. “But first...”

Plool runs up to the Mul, “Hey Captain! I'm good with maps, let me have a look at it!” Plool grabs the map from his befuddled superior, giving it a once-over. “Looks like we head... this direction.” he says, pointing at the yellow building.


“Eh? Oh, of course! I was just testing you all.” The Mul Captain clears his throat. Then circles his arm in the air before pointing at the yellow building "Alright! Regulars, Alpha Squad, head out!"

OOC: Deception: 1D20+1 = [13]+1 = 14

 

[Evilhalfling]

The Mul heads for the small temple and enters. He is met by an acolyte “Welcome to the Yellow Temple’s house of healing. We are dedicated to stamping out Cackle fever in this district of the city. How can we assist you?” the Captain shows him the map.

Plools attention is riveted on Cerk, who is asking about where his sleeping quarters are located.
Cerk glances over at him and then away, with no sign of recognition. His voice is tinged with a strange lilting accent that Plool does not remember. You talked to him many times, and that is not how he spoke.

The acolyte tells the Mul “Yes that’s near here, you need to turn left out of the door, go past three main streets and then to the left”

The squads turn to head out.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Additions:
The Acolyte is dwarven.
He also mentions that the House is still setting up and that elves, humans, and anyone with human blood suffer most from Cackle Fever. Other races do not seem susceptible.

 

[Leatherhead]

Plool speaks in a tone that is more subdued than normal to the rest of Alpha Squad. “You know, most of this Squad could get Cackle Fever. It would be a real shame if one of you caught it. Heh, me and Chick would probably have to join you in quarantine just to make sure we weren't carriers”

Plool stretches his arms, yawns, and gives an odd wink. “Well, nothing we could do about that, right?”

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Chtckh waved his antennae in agreement and tilted his head to one side. He had seen Plool looking at a halfling monk with a quizzical look mixed with recognition, but the other halfling had not responded. Chtckh moved closer to the monk and sniffed at him, to see if the two halflings had the smell of being clutch-mates, or some other familiarity.

 

[Evilhalfling]

To Chtckh Chtckh the other halfling smells different – he is eating a different diet perhaps, and is unrelated. But he also smells a spike of adrenaline – the other halfling smells of fury. Tightly controlled and not expressed in face or body language. He says “Excuse me” and heads off into the building


Outside the branch of the temple, at the next corner a soothsayer harangues the crowd. “Not from the earth but from the sky! In Three days, comes the scouring wind! and the city will quake before it! But wait!”, he looks toward the squad, but somehow past them “It may be appeased! Send your prayers and offerings in the high places, and the city may be spared its terrible ravages! Look to the sky at Dawn!"

 

[Evilhalfling]

"Stupid soothsayers" growls the captain. "Always making up disasters that they can solve with offerings"

Finally, after longer than you expected, you arrive at the destination- a walled compound that takes up a city block, not far from an Eastern city gate. There are no squatters visible in the compound as you come in through a small locked pedestrian gate. Into a courtyard of packed earth.

The main building is 4 stories, with a flat roof. It is taller than the low walls and all the surrounding neighborhood buildings. The Mul glances around “Xi -Nalla and Neda you stay here at the gate, see we are not disturbed. Veteran's you’re with me on the main building, Alpha Squad, check the slave quarters and stables.“

He gestures for you to proceed around the side of the main building and he and four guards head straight for the front door.
You head around the side of the building and see a stable building large enough for Mellikots and a smaller slave quarters against the wall. The earth on the side of the building looks broken up, more like a plowed field than hardpacked and there are lots of holes dug into it, each large enough to fit an arm into, with small piles of dirt beside each one.

Plool and Chtckh – both recognize it. That is a Jankx warren. The small furry animals might be a good source of meat and clothing, if it wasn’t for their tendency to swarm anyone walking near the holes, and their poison claws. It doesn’t look like you can reach either outbuilding on the ground without disturbing them.

Plool, Chtckh survival : 1D20+5 = [11]+5 = 16
1D20+5 = [13]+5 = 18


Chtckh – once your pack lured them out and hit them all at once – when you really needed the meat and you had a visiting druid to entangle them, and a few archers to pick of the ones that escaped. The poison from one won’t kill, but if half a dozen swarm someone..

 

[Leatherhead]

Plool notices the holes in the ground and motions for Alpha squad to stop.

“Eh, looks like an infestation here.” Plool explains in a deliberately even tone. “Jankx, probably. If they figure out someone is this close to their home, well the little venom-toed cheek-stuffers will swarm us all.”

“It will sting. And from what I hear, it will hurt you lot more than me.” Plool thinks back to his prior encounters while rubbing a spot on his arm. “ On the bright side,” he chuckles ”they can add quite a pungent zing to your stew-pot, and often they come with their own seeds and other seasonings packed in their cheeks.”

A wicked smile creeps onto Plool's face. “Blaze, think you could smoke them out? I can make a trap real quick with some of the things around here. And if the rest of you can block off the exits, we can herd most of them into one cage where we can stab them without getting stabbed back!”

 

[JustinCase]

Blaze grins.

"Sure can. Do we have anything that smokes when burning?"

The genasi makes a fist, and a small flame erupts from it.

 

[Evilhalfling]

There is some trash that has been thrown over the walls, and a few green weeds- if your willing to tear up plants. for more substantial materials you will either have to go back out into the alleys or climb over to the slave quarters/stables and dismantle parts of them.

GM: a social skill roll to get past the veterans or Athletics to go over/across the walls is needed. Without more materials, trapbuilding will be at a penalty.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Chick gave a silent "On it!" salute, and was quickly up and over the wall. He rummaged through some abandoned debris, disturbing some scrawny rat-like creatures, which he avoided with quick movements. He gathered up things that he supposed would be useful and he wrapped them in a patch of molted lizard-skin, that had been left on the street by the creature that had lost it.

When all was gathered together, he returned to below the wall. Spinning in circles, he slung the large sack over the wall and scooted up after it, arriving astonishingly quickly from the time he'd left.

OOC: Athletics Check: 1D20+4 = [17]+4 = 21

 

[Evilhalfling]

Plool builds an excellent trap with the wood and twine that Chtckh gathered from outside.

The watering trough on the far side of the house makes an ideal holding area, once a hole has been knocked in the side, and a cover fastened on. Dukkoti builds some barriers for channeling the swatm, and everyone prepares a weapon in case things go wrong.

Lighting a crude smokey torches Blaze, Chtckh and Cal yell and stomp all approaching from the original side, while Plool and Dukkoti, wait on the far side ready to guide the swarm and close the trap. Varsk, ignoring his assigned role in the plan takes a position in the shadows.

The venomous little Prairie Dogs swarm aggressively when you approach but they are confused by the smoke. Two turn to attack Blaze instead of being herded, but Cal could tell what the animals were about to do and intercepted them with yelling and vigorous torch waving. Another one tried to leap the straight at Dukkoti on the far side but Varsk hurtles a spike of darkness, only semi-solid and trailing dark vapors. It pins a deadly fuzzy critter to the earth, then vanishes.

GM: It looks like a bunch of rolls, and im just going to fill in the results rather than waiting for everyone. Survival for Dukkoti& Plool, Intimidation (with advantage) for Blaze, cal using animal handling to support Blaze. Readied action for Varsk. Plool builds a trap ; : 1D20+5 = [15]+5 = 20 Dukkoti survival : 1D20+5 = [19]+5 = 24 Blazes intimidation : 1D20+2 = [12]+2 = 14; 1D20+2 = [13]+2 = 15 varsk: 1D20+5 = [11]+5 = 16

 

[Evilhalfling]

How are you disposing of the trapped creatures?
And are you moving first to the Melkillot stable or slave quarters?
the main house has been quiet for a while...

GM: I will take the first answers to these questions

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Chick indicated with his mandibles that the creatures would make for good eating, and mimed with his hands that the little bones were easier to get out if they weren't crushed. To that end, he proposed that the group continued to choke the creatures with smoke from the fires until they were dead or docile, and then wring their necks. It was a slow process, but it left for the most edible remains.

Later, he suggested by wiggling his antennae and pointing, that they should head to the slave quarters.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Disposing of the little fuzzballs takes a while.

But eventually, you head over to the slave quarters. It is solidly built, bunkhouse, with a stone door, which takes a lot of muscle to open, and can be barred from the outside. Inside is are rows of wooden beds built into the walls, with high clearance so you can easily see under them. There is some smashed and broken furniture in the middle of the room, and you can see the whole place with a glace from the door. There are no windows of course, and room to pack in about 20 slaves.

The thing you all immediately notice is the hole in the floor.

Although it was once concealed some of the paving stones have fallen in, revealing a crawl tunnel that clearly leads under the outer wall of the compound.

You should probably agree on what you are going to do about the hole, either just report it or..

Spoiler: ideas

Several of you are good with tools, you could conceal it again with a half-hour's work, and leave it for the future slaves.

You could explore it (all crawling single file or a few scouts), with intent to return.

You could use it as a chance to leave the employ of the merchant house, either looking for a place in the city of Raam or heading out into the wilderness. (you saw the east gate of the city near the compound)

 

[Leatherhead]

"So, what do you think? Should we go in?" Plool motions to the hole while taking a bite out of a smoked Jankx.

"There might be more of these down there." He says while chewing, then swallows. "Or maybe something better tasting, eh?"

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Chick shook his head at the idea of going down. He waved his arms suggesting that they cover it up so that it can be used in the future as an escape-route.

 

[JustinCase]

Blaze inspects the hole from a foot away, then turns to his companions.

"Freedom is on the other side," he says with a hint of fire in his eyes. "Do we seize it? Or stay on as servants to a House?"

Without waiting for a response, the genasi jumps in to the hole to inspect the bottom, waiting to see if anyone follows.

 

[Leatherhead]

"Huh." Plool didn't expect Blaze to act so brazenly.

"Well if he's goin', I'm goin'!" He says. Taking one last Jankx before hopping into the hole.