Planescape 3.5e - Cold Black Mask

[Dire Lemming]

Tony turns to Dinah and gives her a brilliant smile and starts to chuckle. "Hah, You make it sound like I challenged them to a melee!" His laughter quickly fades however and he becomes concerned. "You were the one who was about to let em chiv ye in the gut. Course I'd get a bit barmy with what I heard... They didn't nick you did they?"

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Pierce blinks at the sudden appearance and disappearnce of the gnome. He was practically worse than the imp, but at least he was supposed to be on her employer's side.

"Are you all well? I'm not sure what the gnome went after, but I'm now gravely concerned about the security here. However, I'm not certain we should move either. We could be easily set up in the streets for further attacks."

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Heinrich grits his teeth as the Gnome hares off again, muttering "That Gnome is going to get himself killed one of these days..." under his breath before turning to Pierce. "As dangerous as it may be here, I think that moving would invite yet more trouble. I suggest we board up the window to reduce access and wait out the night."

 

[Cage-Rattler]

Hagen looked somewhat bewildered as István again made his sudden departure, then gritted his teeth as the toxins in his body attacked his systems. After a moment, he began to breath easier, and he flexed his fingers experimentally.

"I think the worst of the sickness has passed," he murmured to Sindr and Heinrich. In a louder voice, he addressed the others in the room. "I can't imagine that anyone would be so foolish as to try to assault the building again; not after the defense you put up. The city watchmen will probably be here soon as well, after all that commotion. I think we're best off staying in one place, for now."

There was a soft knock at the door, and Cang entered the room with a polite dip of his head. "I've secured one of the attackers downstairs. He is wounded, but alive -- all in all, much better off than his companion."

István Angushtri:[sblock]The gnome speeds out into the night once more, keen eyes straining to pierce the thickening fog. For the first few moments, István can't make out any trace of the hulking warrior -- perhaps his quarry had somehow given him the slip, or perhaps he was magically concealed somehow...
Then came the heavy clank of plate mail from the darkness ahead, and István spotted the familiar brutish shadow, making its way to the warehouse ahead (Listen 22; Spot 27). The golden glow from Sindr's spell had faded, and the four-armed troll seemed to have regained his sight as he strode purposefully forward.[/sblock]

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"They didn't nick you did they?"

Dinah absently rubbed her throat where the half-elf thug had grabbed it. "No, I'm okay. Kalel's right, though; they'll be back once they hit the blinds tryin' to check out that 'Clerk's Ward' screed you fed 'em."

 

[Ambrus]

The gnomish harrier slows to a jog once he catches sight of the armored brute; just enough to lighten his step as he approaches his quarry (Hide +23, Move Silently +17, -5 penalty for moving less than full speed). Advancing steadily at a trot, István suddenly leaps forward in a great bound, up and over his quarry's head (move action to advance and jump the last 15-ft. up and over the reave, Jump +30). Arcing through the air, the whisper-gnome lashes out with his crystal shard while upside down in mid-air (+1 height bonus to hit), aiming to strike between the brute's pauldron and gorget (Melee skirmish attack, rapier +12, 1d4-1 +1d6). Completing his flip, István alights gently on the ground in front of the reave, between his opponent and the warehouse.

 

[Dire Lemming]

"Screed?" Anthony burst out into something just between a hearty chuckle and full on laughter. "Oh it's no screed. Those berks'll find who they're lookin' for alright, and wish they hadn't. First of all, there are four o' those primes, secondly, each o' them is far more than your average clueless sod. They're a canny bunch, an they know they're bein' looked for. Third, one o' them hired a spiker for a little extra muscle if they somehow get in over their heads, and forth, they made friends with an odd fellow who looks like he was raised by zerth monks..." He tilts his head back, letting the laughter die down, and sighs. "Just hope those three are canny to surrender while they still have their lives."

He glances back at the guest beds. "I'd better check on Lilly. If she's woke up, she's probably goin' barmy, worrying what's happened... She... gets a bit nervous." with that, he turns and walks back to where Lilly was resting. Speaking in a soft voice through the curtains. "Lilly, you ok?"

 

[Cage-Rattler]

István Angushtri:[sblock] Sparks flash in the night as István once again vaults over the "troll" (Hide 28, Move Silently 13; Jump 40), his crystal rapier scoring another line in the brute's armor (AC 27 hits; 6 damage before DR). The reave snarls a surprised curse at the sudden assault. "Powers damned...you again?"
Before he could do or say anything else, István was on him again. (19 initiative for István; István acts first). ooc: My rolls are all over the place; natural 20 for István's Hide, natural 1 for Move Silently. :b[/sblock]

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There was a rustle at Anthony's question, and Lilly drew back the curtains, looking curious. "Tony! What's going on here? I woke up and you were gone; I was going to look for you, but Kalel told me to stay out of sight."

 

[Dire Lemming]

OOC: Maybe I should have waited to see Kalel and Dinah's responses before I walked off like that, I'm really regretting it now... :\

Anthony does his best to avoid smiling cockily at her as he is proven right and replies in a firm and reassuring manner. "Nothin's happenin' now. We just had some unwelcome guests, but they were convinced to leave before they could do anything leatherheaded."

 

[Ambrus]

[sblock=Cage-Rattler]Landing in a crouch before his opponent, the gnomish harrier raises his crystal shard into a defensive position. Through his thick scarf, István offers the reave a terse response: "Now you know: you can't flee from me. You would have been wise to surrender." Abruptly, the wayfarer hops backwards a few steps and begins weaving an evasive and confounding course around the brute before leaping up to lash out suddenly with another attack (move-action to tumble [Tumble +15] approx. 30-ft. around the reave while jumping up [Jump +30] to gain a height advantage [Melee rapier +12, 1d4-1 +1d6, as a skirmish attack] and landing back between it and the warehouse.[/sblock]

 

[Cage-Rattler]

Ambrus:[sblock]István continued to flit around his oppenent while battering him with his rapid strikes. The brute's thick armor, however, proved exceedingly difficult to get through, and the battle cause a fair amount of noise as the gnomes crystal rapier crashed again against the metal plates. (Tumble Check to avoid AoO 24; Jump check for height advantage 41; István hits AC 25; 5 damage before DR.)
The reave seemed infuriated by the gnome's rapid attacks and retreats, and with a snarl, he lunged forward in a cunning move and grabbed István in one gauntleted fist. (Reave attempts grapple. István's AoO misses on a Natural 1; Reave's melee touch hits AC 23; Reave's strength check beats István's 12.)
The massive creature drew the gnome up to eye level -- István could make out two pairs of eyes glittering from within the recesses of his helm -- and spat.
"Leather-headed piker; it weren't you I was worried about."
With his free hands, he pummeled the gnome in his grip. (Reave deals 7 nonlethal damage before DR
Status:
István:= 21 VP /12 WP, in grapple
Reave = Fighting Desperately, in grapple[/sblock]

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"Unwelcome guests? Lilly echoed. "Is it safe to stay here? What if they come back?"

Kalel and Dinah had been murmuring amongst themselves while Anthony turned to check on his tiefling friend. After a few moments of close conversation, Kalel turned and strode purposefully out into the night.

Dinah moved in turn to where Anthony and Lilly had been speaking. "Things should be pretty calm for the rest of the night," Dinah said in reply to Lilly's question. "Tony was able to work his trademark charm on those cross-traders. The question is, what happens come morning? Provided those Dogs aren't laisted by your prime friends, they're going to remember sooner or later that I lied to them about not knowing where you are. If the primes do jangle 'em up, the ones left standing might come after Tony for revenge."

She gave a darkly ironic smile. "And that's all assuming that the primes don't come looking for you, Tony, for sending those Dogs their way." She paused. "Whatever this 'mask' is that the Black Dogs are looking for, they're going to be going for it with all that they've got -- especially if the baatezu've lit a fire underneath their bums.
"I'm thinking that, in the morning -- or even sooner -- maybe you should catch up to those primes you touted earlier today and...I don't know, maybe you can convince them to just let the Dogs have the mask. The Dogs'll let everyone alone after that, I'm thinking. The primes'll probably listen to you, Tony; you're probably the only cager they've met so far who hasn't tried to peel 'em yet."