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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 3282353" data-attributes="member: 198">Halflings? I'm Just Glad They Weren't Full-Lings!The next day, Six heads down to the Cogs, using his hat of disguise to look like another warforged. He travels down to Lower Tavick’s and enters one of the access shafts that leads down to the Blackbones area. Once there, it takes only a few minutes to get directions to the Red Hammer inn. Six finds it in a large cavern slightly separated from the central areas of Blackbones, where most of the industrial work occurs. He pauses to resume his normal form and then enters. While externally quite normal, the inside of the inn is very distinctive. The clientele consists exclusively of warforged, most of them merely sitting around and talking, while one is doing delicate filigree work on another's metal breastplate. There is a bar and shelves as in the common room of a normal inn, but nobody is eating or drinking. There is, however, a warforged behind it, who waves Six over. Most of the others turn to look at him.“Hello,” says the warforged who beckoned to him, “You’re new here,” and extends a hand. “I am Blue.” Six shakes and says, “I am Mithral Six of Six. Call me Six.”“Good to meet you,” says Blue, turning to indicate another warforged who just entered from the back. “This is Crucible. She and I are the co-owners here.” Six quickly discovers that Blue and Crucible are both among the relatively rarer warforged who have chosen a female persona. Blue also introduces him to some of the others present, such as Tale, the unusually garrulous local storyteller, and Fixer, who performs artwork on other warforged.Six tells them that he’s interested in information about the job offer that House Cannith has made to the warforged in general, and Blue and Tale give him some information about it. What they tell him is mostly what he knows, including the fact that the Blades of Arakhain (Fett’s former adventuring group) had helped with getting the offer officially passed by the Sharn city council, and they mention that the Blades had addressed the council along with Smith, the warforged priest and one of the leaders of the warforged community. From what they tell him, many warforged have taken up the offer from House Cannith and the warforged in the inn evidently feel that it has helped to improve the options and situation for warforged in Sharn, in general, and the Cogs, in particular.During the discussion, Tale recognizes Six as a member of the Guardian Angels from the articles in the Korranberg Chronicle, which leads to a number of the other warforged coming over to introduce themselves and makes Six feel like a minor celebrity. Six thanks them for the information and says that he might be interested in hiring some warforged himself, as guards and general helpers around the house his group has recently bought. Blue turns to one of the warforged and asks, “Block, weren’t you looking for work?”Block, a heavily armored warforged, nods silently. Blue says to Six, “Block here was a model built just before the War ended, so he only saw a few months of service. But he’s a good fighter.”Six talks to Block, who is a particularly quiet, almost shy, individual, and decides to hire him. He then asks for directions to Smith. Blue says Tale was to visit him later and suggests he guide Six, which Tale readily agrees to, and Six, Block and he leave for Smith’s home. Along the way, Tale tells Six that Smith lives beside a shrine known as the Pool of Onatar’s Tears, dedicated to the deity of creation and forgework that Smith worships. He also mentions that Blue and Crucible are almost as influential as Smith among the warforged, due to their strong personalities as much as due to their ownership of the inn. Blue built it with a cache of gold she found during the War, and it is understandably very popular among local warforged, as the only establishment in Sharn catering uniquely to them.Tale’s knock is answered by a warforged wearing a toolbelt and a leather apron. He invites them in and introduces himself as Smith. Six talks to him for a while, learning more about the Cannith job offer. He also asks Smith about warforged origins, but the priest says that he knows little about such matters, though he believes that Onatar inspired humanity to invent the warforged for some unknown reason. Six says that he is curious about the connection between Xen’drik and the warforged, and Tale says that he’s heard too much about discoveries on that continent to believe that there is no connection. Smith agrees, but says that he knows little about it and does not have much interest. He suggests Six talk to House Cannith about it. Six says he will do so and then whether Smith knows anything about new warforged being created. Tale laughs and says there are always such rumors but never any proof. Smith does not laugh, but says that he has never seen any real proof of it either. He does mention the Blades of Arakhain (about whom he speaks with respect and fondness, as well as regret for their death in the Mournland) having believed that they had met warforged created by the Lord of Blades, who they thought had a functioning creation forge. Six thanks Smith for the information and takes his leave, with the latter inviting him to stop by again any time. Tale remains behind, and Six and Block return to the city proper and up to Ocean View and the Gray House. There, Six introduces Block to the others and says that he would like to hire him, as well as perhaps a few others, for security and to look after the house. After a little discussion, they agree. Six tells Block that he should check and see if he can find two or three more warforged who might be interested in the job, making sure that they are such as can handle themselves in a fight.* * * * * *By the time the Angels are leaving for the Burning Ring to meet Halak Boromar the next day, their contingent of warforged guards has swelled to four. Six runs through the rigmarole of visiting the local courthouse and obtaining them permits to carry weapons in Upper Tavick’s as well as identification as members of the Angels’ household. The Angels decide that two of the warforged will be permanently present in the guardhouse at the near end of the skybridge leading to the Gray House, and Six provides them with a thunderstone each, so that they can sound the alarm if attacked.“After all,” says Nameless, “If anyone capable of threatening us attacks this place, those guys will be a minor distraction at best.”On the subject of threats, that morning Fett returns after one of his days off, to report that he has done a little extra checking on Halak. Though details are sketchy, the halfling warrior is apparently especially good at taking on larger enemies single-handed. Fett says that actual battles between the Boromars and Daask happens rarely, since the Boromars have holdings across the city, so a Daask strike force will often appear, hit a Boromar holding and disappear before the latter can bring their forces to bear. A fairly reliable source says that in one of the rare occurrences when a protracted battle occurred, Halak eviscerated a Daask ogre with a single blow. Somehow, this additional information does not raise the level of confidence in the room. Nor does the information that the Boromars brought in a new contingent of troops from the Talenta Plains a few days ago, who arrived by airship along with a few dinosaurs. Nevertheless, the group proceeds as planned. They descend to the Firelight district in Lower Menthis, which they find to be bright and buzzing with the night life that the red light district attracts. Their guide, a halfling with a green hat, is waiting at a corner near the popular Changeling’s Kiss brothel. He recognizes the Angels as soon as he sees them, says, “Follow me. And stay close,” and leads them around the nearest corner. The guide depicts a circuitous route through the streets and alleys of Firelight. Though the Angels pass a number of streetwalkers, their martial and forbidding appearance significantly lowers their chances of being propositioned. A couple of hardy – or desperate – prostitutes do make an attempt, but are quickly rebuffed, gaining nothing more than a parting crude jest from the Endless Blade. The halfling eventually leads the group to the door of another brothel of patently poor quality, lacking even a name outside the door. Entering, he passes a bored-seeming guard and a pair of tired-looking women who seem more like slightly under-dressed maids than prostitutes, none of whom seem at all surprised at the entrance of a well-armed group. The guide proceeds down into the cellar, where he reveals a hidden doorway leading into a tunnel. He heads down the tunnel, followed by the Angels, and leads them through a few of them, of varying size, width and quality of construction.Eventually, they climb a set of stairs and emerge into the back room of a warehouse, from which they emerge into the streets again. They realize quickly that they are in the theater district of Torchfire now, adjacent to Firelight. Their guide leads them to a shabby theater, which seems to have an unusually large crowd going in. As soon as they enter, the group – along with some other members of the crowd – is led away from the stairs leading up to the performance towards the back rooms. They enter a large chamber which has a big hatchway at the end, revealing steps leading down to a doorway, from behind which emanates the loud murmuring of many voices. Two burly warforged, each wearing a spiked metal gauntlet that would better fit an ogre, stand guard, flanking a man who is taking money from people before they head down the stairs. When they reach him, the halfling says, “No, they’re competitors,” and leads them down the stairs and through the door. Beyond it is a huge space, full of talking, laughing, shouting and cheering people, hot with the presence of so many excited bodies, and smoky from the flames of dozens of torches. It is a makeshift amphitheater, with a huge twenty-foot deep pit in the center opening onto the arena below. Most of the people are standing, but the middle of the room has three long rows of seats on sturdy wooden steps, allowing some to sit and look down into the arena. Beside the triple row of seats is a large table with a board behind it, which bears numerous names and numbers beside them, indicating the matches and the current odds on them. The crowd is very eclectic, including armored goblinoids, a pair of gnolls, a female ogre, numerous half-orcs and shifters, a few warforged (including some which are evidently guards), a few people with remnants of military uniforms worn over their armor, as well as a large number of middle class and a few apparently upper class folk (the latter all accompanied by armed bodyguards). As the Angels enter, the halfling says, “Here you are!” and walks away. While he is doing so, there is the sound of combat from the pit, which accompanying shouts and yells from the crowd. The Angels move forward to look in at the arena, which is a large rectangular space strewn with sand and earth, with portcullises in all four walls. It is currently occupied by an armored warforged with a two-handed flail, who is facing a man in plate-mail, armed with longsword and shield. As they look in, the warforged smashes the longsword out of his opponent’s hand and then unleashes a flurry of powerful blows, beating down his defenses and eventually sending him bleeding to the floor. Instantly, a man with a wand rushes out of a doorway where the portcullis was raised. He hurries to the bleeding man and uses the wand. As the latter slowly stirs, the warforged raises his flail to the crowd and walks in a slow circle, to a chorus of “Steel! Steel! Steel!” An athletic-looking shifter in black walks out behind the healer and claps Steel on the back, before announcing to the crowd, “The winner and still undefeated – Steel!” As more yells and claps resound, the shifter and the others leave the arena.“So,” says a voice behind the Angels, “You had the balls to show up!” They turn to find Halak Boromar eyeing them, with six more halflings behind him. “So,” replies the Endless Blade, addressing Gareth, “This is the shortarse who you told me about?”A look of confusion crosses Halak’s face, followed by anger, followed by confusion again as the sword continues to speak. They are interrupted by the arrival of the shifter from the arena, who introduces himself as Hoas Junter. “I’ve heard a lot about you people,” he says to the Angels. “Are you ready to go? What will it be – one on one or a group thing?”“Group would be better,” says Luna hurriedly, not wanting to miss out, and Korm nods. “I’d rather sit this one out,” says Six. “Do you allow magic use?” asks Nameless, turning his now permanently glowing blue eyes on Hoas. “I am a wizard, so that is the only option I have.”Hoas shakes his head. “No options for a mage duel here,” he says. “We very rarely have those, and when we do we need to pre-plan. So, sorry, but no.”Halak, who has turned to talk to his companions, turns to say, “How about three on three then? Me and them,” he points at two halflings who are evidently identical twins, “against you three,” he points at Gareth, Luna and Korm.The three Angels agree and Hoas asks them to follow him. “Put a thousand galifars on me,” says Luna to Six and Nameless as she goes, causing Korm and Gareth to say the same. Hoas leads them through one of the many doors set into the walls and down a flight of stairs into a large area that is clearly behind one of the portcullises leading into the arena. Some other gladiators and a few attendants are present too. “So,” he says, turning to the six combatants, “Any preferences?”“Can we fight in armor and use magic to prepare?” asks Gareth quickly. Hoas looks at Halak, who shrugs and says, “Armor and magic is fine. We’ll be using potions.”Hoas nods and beckons over a man wearing a metal circlet on his head, which is set with tiny dragonshards, who has silently been watching them. “Check them.” The man gazes at the Angels and then winces. “How much magic do you people walk around with?” After focusing for a bit, he recites the number of magical auras on each of the Angels. He then checks the three halflings, and does the same, mentioning much smaller numbers. After a second’s thought, Hoas says, “Okay – you can use three spells or potions on each of you. And then, you head into the arena. Once you’re in there, no spells or anything else, until you’re told to begin. Just line up on either side of the arena and wait for the signal. Since this is a team thing, it ends when all members of one team are down. Anyone who goes down unconscious is out and a healer will try to get to him. Don’t hit one of our healers by mistake; they cost a lost. Leaving the arena floor counts as fleeing, so anyone who does that is out too. That’s about it. Any questions?”“No,” says Luna, before changing into a large brown bear. Korm too changes in his own manner, growing a row of poisoned fangs. Then the two druids and Gareth begin to cast their protective spells.The three halflings produce a few potions each and drink them too. Then they reach into their packs and produce ornate hunting masks, which they don. As they do, Korm and Luna have a second when they think they catch an incredibly faint, near-invisible form of a rearing dinosaur behind each halfling, which then fade away. Korm mentions it, causing Gareth to ask the circlet-wielding man suspiciously, “Are those masks magical?”He focuses for a few seconds and then says, “No. And what are you asking for? You three are loaded down with about thrice the things they have.”Gareth doesn’t respond, and Korm says to him, “I’ve heard of those. The Talenta warriors believe that their hunt masks give them a link to the dinosaurs they ride. I always thought it was just a spiritual thing, but I’m sure I saw something.”“All right,” says Hoas, who’s been talking to others in the area. “Time to go.” He walks into the arena, followed by the six combatants, and motions them to their places. Korm, Luna and Gareth line up at one end, while the three halflings stand at the other, Halak in the center. He menacingly twirls his tangat, while his companions slide open their hunting jackets, to reveal a dozen boomerangs lining the insides. Hoas steps into the center and waves to the crowd, before announcing, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, for your pleasure, a special treat. Here, we have members of the famed Guardian Angels, the number one adventurers in Sharn! And their challengers, Halak Boromar and two newcomers to our city from the Plains! Please – place your bets!” There is a commotion above as people hurry to do so. Six and Nameless, watching with great interest, also do so, placing a thousand galifars each on their friends too, making a round five thousand galifars placed by the Angels.Below, Hoas looks at either trio and says, “All right. Wait for the signal.” He walks jauntily away, waving to the crowd, and enters one of the side chambers. A healer takes his place, waiting with wand in hand for the first person to go down. The Boromars and the Angels eye each other for a long moment.“Begin!”The fastest to move are Halak’s two allies, hands blurring as they hurl, draw and hurl more boomerangs at incredible speed. One slams into Korm’s forehead, momentarily staggering him, and then ricochets* off to painfully smack the side of Luna’s head. Even as she begins to growl, another smacks her right between the eyes, causing her vision to blur, and bounces off with unerring aim to hit Gareth in the ribs. One bounces off his armor, and then another smashes into his throat and causes him to gag and almost drop the Endless Blade, which is yelling, “Come on! Hit them! What are you idiots doing?!”Unfortunately, the barrage of boomerangs keeps the Angels just enough off balance to prevent them from acting immediately**, and Halak is already moving, with unusual speed for a halfling. He comes in fast, bent even lower than usual so as to not get in the way of the boomerangs, and then spins in a deadly circle, laying open Luna’s shoulder and burying his tangat into Gareth’s side, who staggers at the blow.“Come on!” pleads the Endless Blade, almost shaking with frustration in Gareth’s grasp. Whether that be the cause or not, Gareth shakes off the distraction of the boomerangs and swings back at Halak, smiting him with the Silver Flame’s power. Or he tries to. To his surprise, the halfling snarls, pivots and neatly smashes*** the sword out of the way with his tangat. Korm and Luna are also shaking off the effects of the boomerangs, at least partly because only one of the twins is still hurling them, while the other flips out two daggers and rushes into combat. Korm slashes at him, but he dodges, taking only a flesh wound, and lays open the big orc’s thigh with a slash. Simultaneously, another boomerang bounces off Korm’s chest and into Luna’s side. Another hits Gareth on the side of the head, staggering him.Luna notes Gareth’s weakened condition and realizes that one more of Halak’s inordinately powerful blows might drop him. She calls upon the power of the beast spirit that resides within her, feeling it heal some of her wounds, and simultaneously reaches out a paw to touch him, growling the words of a rejuvenation cocoon. Gareth sighs in relief as the spell envelops him in a protective barrier, but the crowd above is not as impressed. Boos and hisses ring out, with multiple cries of “Cowards!” Apparently equally unimpressed is the Blade, which howls its indignation. “What are you doing? You’re hiding from a halfling?!”Outside the cocoon, Halak turns to Luna, infuriated that she has robbed him of his target. He howls like a wild animal and then crouches and leaps upwards. As he does, Luna and Korm again see a momentary flicker in the air behind him, the shape of a clawfoot dinosaur leaping up to slash at its prey. As the shape disappears, Halak comes down, tangat biting deep into the back of Luna’s neck, ripping and tearing. Luna howls in agony, only a lucky stumble keeping her from near decapitation****.From beside her, Korm shouts, “Luna! They’re lined up!” Shaking off the pain, Luna looks up to see that the twin boomerang-throwers have ended up at two ends of a line thirty feet apart. Before they can realize the danger they’re in, Korm hurls his sword, calling upon one of the enchantments the Gatekeepers placed within its meteoric iron. It whirls through the air, laying open the chest of the dagger-wielder and continuing on to bury itself right through his twin’s abdomen and emerge from his back. The latter looks down, too shocked to scream, and grabs at the sword, which is longer than he is tall. As his hands close around it, the blade disappears and reappears in Korm’s hand. Following Korm’s lead, Luna unleashes an arc of lightning along precisely the same path. Though the first of the twins leaps aside, his wounded brother is much too slow. The arc strikes in the middle of his chest, and he is hurled backwards to land as a smoking corpse. The waiting healer rushes to him, but after one look at the charred corpse, looks up and shakes his head. The crowd promptly erupts into cheers.Within a couple of seconds, the second of the twins drops under Korm’s blade, but not before Halak and he have reduced Luna to a gory mess, only on her feet through sheer bloody-mindedness and the extra healing she is able to provide herself even while clawing and biting at her foes. As the halfling goes down, Korm turns and uses a cocoon on Luna too, again drawing boos from the crowd. The near-dead***** shifter thankfully sinks down behind the magical globe of force, healing herself as best she can.For a second, Korm and Halak face each other, before rushing into combat. Despite his size and weight, as well as being much less wounded than Halak, who has blood streaming from claw wounds on his sides, Korm finds himself well matched, the Boromar enforcer launching a series of slashing blows that he barely deflects. Korm does also land some powerful blows, but Halak shows no signs of quitting.Unfortunately for the halfling, his other enemies were only temporarily out of the fight. Even as Korm and he momentarily lock weapons, the Gatekeeper using his greater bulk to shove Halak backwards, the cocoon behind him dissolves, to reveal a completely healed Gareth, stepping out with sword upraised. Even as Halak attempts to turn and bring his tangat to bear, Gareth brings the Endless Blade down. There is a momentary flash of silver flame and the Boromar enforcer drops, a now blood-smeared snarl still on his cloven face. “Yes!” exults the Blade, “Eat that!” before adding sotto voce to Gareth, “I still can’t believe you had to hide from that shrimp!” Above them, the crowd goes wild, clapping and cheering at the bloody finish. Only Nameless and Six look at each other somberly, though relieved at their allies’ survival. “So,” asks Six, “What sort of payback do you think Saidan Boromar provides for someone killing his primary enforcer?”* Boomerang Ricochet feat from Races of Eberron** Boomerang Daze, also RoE. Nasty, nasty feat!*** Wall of Blades maneuver (Book of Nine Swords)**** Critical on a Soaring Raptor Strike (Bo9S). 80 pts of damage, which got turned to 50 pts via a lucky swashbuckling card***** She was down to -9 hp, which she can fight till due to Shifter Savagery</blockquote>

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