[IC] Evilhalfling's Dark Sun

Evilhalfling

Adventurer
Chapter 2: Raam

The Alabaster Palace of the "Great Vizier" overlooking the city.
RaamCity-1.png

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.
 
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Leatherhead

Possibly a Idiot.
“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!"

 
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Evilhalfling

Adventurer
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

Adventurer
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

Possibly a Idiot.
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?”
 
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FitzTheRuke

Legend
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

Adventurer
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!"
 
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Evilhalfling

Adventurer
"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

Possibly a Idiot.
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

the magical equivalent to the number zero
Blaze grins.

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

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

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