Pathfinder – Shadow in the Sky: the Harrowed

[Ambrus]

The young woman allows herself to be led around thinking that Girri might know of a Cyphermage in the hall. She seems taken aback however once the Harrower asks for money; putting a little distance between them as she frowns with mild abhorrence. "Of course I went to the Cypher Lodge when I got here; I'm not a dolt! But I got turned away at the door right quick; the lot of em have been holed up in there ever since Blakely's Shadow* first appeared in the sky. Guy at the door said that they aren't accepting any visitors or applicants for the foreseeable future. I'm here at this... place... to look for individual Order members so I can try talking one of em into taking me on as an apprentice. I barely had the money to pay the damned entry fee; I sure as hells don't have five gold to spare for you. So thanks, but no thanks." The woman seems about to turn away from Girri.

* A local fancyboy named Argentus Blakely supposedly predicted the existence of an "atmospheric shadow" in the sky and so it was named after him when it eventually became visible above the city. Story is that he magically flew up to investigate it awhile back and reported it to be strangely cold, but that it seemed no different than a regular cloud—apart from its unusual color.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Girri grabs the bridge monkey by the arm. "Lookie here, love. 'Less you want an earth bath from a hushman, you let me do the askin' after a Cyphermage fancyboy." Muttering under her breath, Girri adds, "I don't want no quarrel with the Deck this night, might as well do its bidding." Girri gestures for the Magnimarian to sit at a nearby table beside a cheaply painted gilt screen. Scanning the room, Girri filters the occupants with new purpose, this time with an eye for a fancyboy or fancygirl.

Knowledge (local) +7. Is there a cyphermage here tonight?

 

[Ambrus]

The young woman seems somewhat startled as Girri grabs ahold of her, brusquely turns her around and all but pushes her into a nearby chair. Bewildered by the Harrower's slang-riddled declaration, the would-be apprentice seems momentarily uncertain whether she should hold still as instructed or bolt into the crowd. Girri takes advantage of the girl's confusion to turn and scan the room for possible Cyphermages slumming it in the Gold Goblin. She catches sight of Saul Vancaskerkin speaking to a well appointed dwarf as they exit the hall through a door into the rear offices. Above the large guarded chest is the brooding imp Old Scratch; he sneers rudely at the Harrower when he notices her looking at him. Unfortunately for the Varisian woman, she's had few opportunities to interact with Cyphermages; few self-respecting fancygirls ever deigned to visit the Bent Trace Futurities. Just when Girri is about to turn back in defeat she catches sight of a likely mark; a tall lanky man in dark green robes with a brocaded collar, sporting a pair of polished bracers, a carefully trimmed goatee and a predictably haughty demeanor. As she watches, the man rises from one of the gambling tables, pauses to look towards the rear of the hall and then turns as he walks hurriedly towards one of the public lavatory doors along the side wall.[imager]http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/4605/angvarthestlecrit.jpg[/imager]

OOC: I had to reread your previous post a few times to make sense of all that slang. At first I thought you'd mistakenly posted something intended for another bpb game.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

"Right, him then." Girri nods to herself in satsifaction as she watches the haughty fancyboy head to the lavatory. Quickly wheeling back around to face the Magnimarian bridge monkey, Girri sits down in the chair opposite and leans in. "Tall, male, all legs an' arms, an' wearin' fancy-dancy dark green robes. Got some kind of silvery threaded collar on his robes, plus white metal wrist bracers, and a pointy bit of beard on his chin. Just went to the loo, probably be back out in a moment. Got cyphermage written all o'er him." Girri leans back in her chair and nods once in satisfaction at the bridge monkey. "What you do with that bit o' info's up ter you, love, but that's what yer wantin' an' make no mistake."

Girri privately decides that the Deck has ordained this encounter and that she'll follow after the Magnimarian at a safe distance to see what comes of the bridge monkey's encounter with the fancyboy.

Stealth +3. If Girri thinks she a silence spell would help her pursuit (in case the Magnimarian and the fancyboy leave the Goblin together), she'll cast it on a pebble--or herself if need be--and follow after.

 

[Ambrus]

The half-elven woman straightens as if suddenly on guard against what Girri might do next when she suddenly turns and seats herself across from the would be apprentice. The woman blinks confusedly a few times as the Harrower describes the green robed man. Finally catching on, she bites her lip as she catches sight of the presumed Cyphermage making his way across the room. Standing, the young woman looks back at Girri with uncertainty. "Um, well thanks. I'll go wait for him to come out to talk to him." Turning to watch her go, Girri once more catches sight of the fancyboy as he pauses by the lavatory with one hand on the door. Half turning, he seems to be scanning the gaming hall for something but takes no notice of the half-elven woman determinedly making her way towards him. Then, curiously, Girri sees the man turn and push the door open while pulling out what appears to be a piece of folded parchment from beneath one of his bracers. He then disappears into the lavatory. A few tables away, the half-elven woman slows her pace as she looks expectantly towards the lavatory door. A raucous cheer goes up as a gambler wins a substantial pot from somewhere across the bustling hall.

OOC: Kudos on an uncanny perception die roll.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Girri gets up from her small table for two adjacent to the painted screen and slowly threads her way through the gambling room toward the lavatory. She picks a place to stand out of the way where she can see and hopefully overhear any conversation that goes on between the fancyboy and the bridge monkey.

Stealth +3, if need be. And, again, if they leave together Girri will try to follow unseen/unheard by casting silence.

 

[Ambrus]

Getting up from her seat, Girri passes a succubi waitress hurriedly moving towards the winning game table with her serving tray in hand. Neither she nor the tattooed half-elf woman seems to notice the Harrower as she moves surreptitiously past them. The latter instead crosses her arms and glances at a nearby game table as she waits for the mage to be finished in the lavatory.

Moving towards the Goblin's Tankard side-room so as to be in a good position to discreetly listen in once the mage emerges, Girri passes by a Bounder table near the the rear of the hall. She notices the eyepatch sporting woman she'd been playing alongside earlier as she drops a handful of her chips to the floor. "Oops!" In and of itself, this would seem to be a trivial incident except that the cadre of gamblers at her table suddenly tense up, shut their eyes tight (as does the woman) and put their hands on the hilts of their blades. Sensing that something is amiss, Girri is suddenly on guard.

Before she can act however, the burning braziers arranged around the central dais explode in a blinding pyrotechnic display of flashing, streaking and scintillating lights. As cries of surprise and panic begin to spread across the gambling hall, Girri distinctly hears the ringing of steel as weapons are drawn at the nearby Bounder table. As her vision begins to clear, the Harrower sees that there's pandamonium throughout the hall; most patrons and staff are rubbing at their eyes or reaching out tentatively in reaction to their sudden blindness: "WHAT HAPPENED!?!" "I can't see!" "I'M BLIND!!!"

With spots in her eyes, Girri quickly looks around. She sees that four thugs at the Bounder table have drawn swords while the eyepatch wearing woman is looking around, seemingly pleased by the mayhem. The bouncers surrounding the central dais seem mostly cognizant though have yet to react. Near the lavatory door, the half-elven woman seems to have been blinded by the explosion of lights as were most patrons. Past her, Girri notices that the lavatory door is slightly ajar.

OOC: This is a surprise round. Girri made her save and is not blinded; she can now take a single action. The four thugs have already acted by drawing swords. The eyepatch sporting woman has yet to act and neither have the bouncers.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

I'll edit in a post later today. Whew--a lot of action all at once! I like it.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Frowning at the mayhem that suddenly erupts in the gambling hall but not wanting to be caught without protection against whatever trouble is obviously afoot, Girri tries to make herself as unthreatening as possible. Girri Quickly uncoils a length of colored scarf from her left arm and gives the scarf a shake to free the blades concealed within. Her weapon at the ready, the Harrower keeps a steady eye on the lavatory door in case the cyphermage tries to make a break for it.

[sblock=OOC]The robbery is between the robbers and the Goblin's guards. Girri won't tattle, but will try to make herself as unthreatening as possible in order to not get involved and to avoid blame. Her interest is in the cyphermage and the bridge monkey, and she's not about to loose them now, not even in the craziness that just broke out in the gambling hall. If the fancyboy doesn't come out the restroom right quick, Girri is going to go in after him, if need be--since he went in right before the "explosion," Girri thinks he's somehow involved.[/sblock]

 

[Ambrus]

in the midst of a hundred panicked people blindly stumbling about, Girri has little reason to fear that her actions will be noticed. Indeed, the most threatening thing the harrower faces is a spilt drink and the probing hands of a blinded patron who stumbles into her. "Help me, please. I can't see..."

Just then, a piercing whistle causes most people to quiet down somewhat and turn towards its source. Girri glances past the blind man in front of her and sees the eyepatch sporting woman withdrawing her fingers from mouth. She calls out boldly: "All right folks! Drop to the ground and you'll live through this! Don't nobody try anything stupid." Immediately, roughly half of those in the room either sit, kneel or lie on the ground as instructed. Most of those remaining on their feet either continue to stumble around blindly or stand confused.

To the Gold Goblin's staff's credit, three of the six bouncers in the hall seem to retain their vision; one near the dais and another near the main doors even manage to draw their scimitars defensively. Then, as the four thugs surge from their table towards the dais, Girri notices the mage discretely exit the lavatory. He likewise moves purposefully towards the dais albeit in a much more covert fashion. He ignores the half-elven woman as he does the other blind patrons. As he walk, the mage withdraws another folded piece of parchment from beneath his other bracer.

The thugs draw weighted saps as they swarm over and around the dais to overwhelm the Goblin's remaining defenders. The lead bouncer succeed in delivering a wicked slash to the midsection of one of the thugs as he runs past. Unfortunately he, along with the other remaining sighted bouncer at the dais, are quickly surrounded by the thugs and beaten with saps until they collapse to the ground.

OOC: We're now halfway through the first round of combat. It's Girri's turn.
Initiative:
Mage 22
Thugs 22
Girri 18
Woman 17
Bouncers 1