Is'Merith - Campaign Thread

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Alejandro looks sheepish.

"He...erm...that is, His Lordship, says he'd like to be left in peace".

"So. What's the plan? I think I might know a way to get us near the Guild without being seen perhaps."

[sblock=OOC] Do I?
Also, can I expend a hit die if this counts as a short rest to heal the damage I took in the pub?[/sblock]

 

[Sezarious]

That goes for the whole party. As for Alejandro. He knows how to make it through at twice the speed, but this may or may not lesson the likelihood of danger in this district depending on where you go.

 

[Matthan]

Daedarai smiled at Shen’s enthusiasm even as he winced slightly from the friendly jab. That went smoother than he anticipated. “You’ll be just fine, Shen. You’ll like being in the guild. Some people gather the wealth and some people protect those that gather it. No matter what area best suits you, it’s a life of constant excitement and something tells me that you’re built for it.”

With a nod to Alejandro, “You know the best routes here, so we’ll trust your lead. We’ll be travelling through Peer’at though. We need to be ready for a fight and we need to secure our friend. Knocking him out is simple enough, but even the people in Peer’at would notice a group carrying an unconscious man through the streets. Do you have anything we can put him in for transport? Maybe a crate of some kind to hide him in?”

[SBLOCK=OOC]For the short rest, I would spend a Hit Die to recover what hp I could. Grassy Knoll, I’m okay with you taking the lead for the next scene and narrating us out into Peer’at.[/SBLOCK]

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

"I don't have a crate but we can easily get him underground a ways til we're underneath Tolbar's brewery. They'll have crates enough, I reckon."

Alejandro, almost absent-mindedly, reverses his morning star and clonks the old man on the head, just enough to knock him out.

Able to talk normally now, he continues to outline his plan. They'll follow some of his secret routes beneath the city proper for about 2 miles. Lugging the dead weight will be a pain but they'll be away from people enough to not be noticed and can take turns carrying or dragging or being on KO duty.

The route takes them through more of the forgotten tunnels and through a dry sewer, up a crumbling staircase in what used to be a dwelling of some sort, and underneath a couple of the city parks.

Before he left, he quietly asks the Lord Admiral to send word to his people to earn them of any danger, if he would condescend to help such lowly folk as they.

The way doubles back on itself at least three times (he still wants to keep his secrets, secrets, after all), and comes out eventually by a stone wall. Listening for any noise within, he is satisfied they're alone and removes half a dozen of the stones carefully revealing the interior of a cellar with the unmistakable smell of beer permeating it. It is a cavernous space filled with barrels and crates.

"A gnome's got to quench his thirst every now and again", he whispers.

"So, what do you say? Crate or barrel? They usually have empties of each outside at the far end where the cart ramp entrance is, ready for taking away and refilling once they're returned and the fresh filled barrels are collected."

He explains that Peer'at proper begins about a block away, and from here on out its an above ground trip. There are two ways on from here - out the cart ramp and up, or head up the stairs.

"Depends whether you have any connections with the beer people, forger. Any chance you can arrange a special delivery to the guild while we make our way across town? I reckon a quarter filled with liquid and the rest with human'll weigh about what a full barrel would, or a crate for bottles will do?"

He smiles. "I reckon between Daederai and I we can provide sufficient, ah, liquid if need be. Though a crate might be better. Or...we barrel him up ourselves and roll the gender neutral old geezer to the guild. Whatever happens, I'd best look different in case his mates are looking out for me."

He waves his hand across his face and stood there is a short dwarf with a bushy braided red beard wearing Alejandro's clothes. He waves his hand the other way and returns to his usual features.

[sblock=OOC]Minor illusion again[/sblock]

"I can't guarantee it'll work for long though. So, what do you reckon, elves? Special delivery or barrel through town?"

 

[Macv12]

Still unconsciously rubbing the pinpricks on her hands, Shen peeks through the hole in the wall, glad to see a bigger room. The tight walls of this place are crushing the air out of her lungs. Also, beer. As Alejandro explains their options, she lays her stuff down and slinks through the hole like a cat. "No sense in choosing before we get to investigate the beer. Er, the crates and stuff, I mean."

Nearing a crate, she whispers back "hey, since we're thief's guild, it's okay to take some stuff right?" The grabs four bottles and heads back to the group to pass them around. "Just in case this gets crazy and one of you dies, let's start this venture off right." Leaning through the hole, she holds the bottle in their sleepy friend's hand and toasts herself. "Couldn't do it without you." She then turns to Daedarai and Alejandro. "Oh, and I vote for whatever's the plan that involves less peeing on folks. Anyway, toast?"

[sblock="OOC"]I'm certainly not the one with any connections, nor am I any good at lying, so I'll have to leave the actual decision to Daedarai here.[/sblock]

 

[Sezarious]

The three companions have a quick swig of alcohol before leaving the establishment, taking a crate with them as it was unmarked. Alejandro bricks up the wall again, before leading everyone to a grate. Looking down, everyone sees the grate is attached to the top of a sewer pipe. Jumping down and lowering the crate it awkward, but after this is done, Alejandro leads the party around one more corner and they find themselves standing at the end of a pipe that overhangs the muck filled river of sludge that runs below the district of Peer'at.

The district is built out of a combination of old stone buildings coming out of the walls and some floors and a series of timber towers and bridges. Some of the stone towers are only still standing because of the timber scaffolding underneath, or because of the scaffolding and bridges surrounding it, keeping it together. The buildings on top of the scaffolding are mostly small shacks made of rotting timbers, but some appear to be made of old materials from demolished noble homes, long forgotten.

Peer'at you see is in fact the city dump. It is also conveniently located at the centre of all sewage and water networks and the filth and detritus is said to get washed somewhere miles and miles away from the city underground. Due to natural ventilation, it actually doesn't smell nearly as bad as you'd expect and is naturally better lit than any other district by a series of mirrors, which brighten up the major centres. This also prevents the need for this smelly populace to rise above the ground morning and night and stink up the outer ring.

Down below, you can see children and adults competing for the garbage which is constantly sliding down a large chute 40 degrees to your right, about 500ft away and 60ft below. Alejandro snaps to it after momentarily taking in the sight with the rest of the party and leads them to the left along a 3ft wide stone service bridge. He leads you up a part of the slope NOT caked in slippery mud and onto a timber made structure that creaks with the gnomes every step.

The companions move toward the city centre, Alejandro weaving them around dangers as best he could...

[sblock=OOC]Alejandro making a wisdom based stealth role - ([roll0])[/sblock]

 

[Sezarious]

Only a block away from the tower, suddenly a burly man with scruffy beard and most of his teeth missing blocks your path. "Well, well, well, what have we 'ere then fellas?" The man stinks of urine and alcohol. He's quite solid in stature and he's holding what appears to be a large club which he rests casually over his shoulder.

A man about 6ft 5, bald, shirtless and extremely overweight appears next to him holding a sledgehammer. He has a dumb grin on his face.

Behind you all as you try to look for other manoeuvring options is a half-orc, holding a big heavy chain. Next to him is a half-elf with a horrible warty growth over half his face. He holds a pair of lit torches.

"Aven't seen you lot 'round ere before", the leader says, chuckling to himself, his eyes fall on the crate; "And what do we 'ave here? You brought me a present? Bu' we only jus' met"! His expression goes hard, the joke dying with his smile "-give it 'ere".

What do you all do?

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

[sblock=OOC] I would like to Rage and cast Minor Illusion to make me look like a shape shifting sand devil that locals tell their children about at bedtime and try to Intimidate them. If that doesn't work I'll attack the leader and then the half Orc.
Is there an option to attack the wooden staircase so that the folk behind (I presume below) can be cut off/ dropped into the rubbish?[/sblock]

 

[Macv12]

[sblock="OOC"]I'd love it if I could throw my trident toward one of these guys' necks to pin them to a wall. Next move would be to shove someone off the edge, if Alejandro hasn't already taken care of that. Otherwise I'll use my halberd to vault at someone and kick them. Shen will keep it non-lethal until they hurt us.[/sblock]

 

[Matthan]

[SBLOCK=OOC]If I'm reading it right, there are four of them and we're surrounded on a narrow walk way? I would like to key off of Alejandro's attempt to intimidate through illusion to hopefully gain Advantage on whichever one looks scared to try to get a sneak attack in using my rapier. Peer'at is to dangerous for subtlety so I'm going for lethal damage in hopes that it'll scare them off. Whichever side I start attacking (front or back), I would likely stay focused on in hopes of clearing a position where Alejandro can hold the other end and I can move to use my bow after my end is clear. I would try and communicate this with Shen.

In following rounds, I will try to maintain either nearness to an ally or advantage (maybe if Shen pins a guy) to keep up sneak attack.[/SBLOCK]