Six From Gate Pass - A War of the Burning Sky Campaign (3.5)

[Gregor]

Torrent whispers a quiet prayer to Istishia. She then grabs hold of the blanket tightly after Alric urges the woman to jump.

The woman peers down at the four of you and trembles on the window ledge. Flames begin to creep up behind her and smoke is starting to blind her and force her to cough. "Oh Tymora, please don't let me die! Please catch me!" she cries as she steps forward, urged on by Alric's words.

With one look back at the spreading fire, she steps off the ledge and falls toward your outstretched blanket with a shriek. The crowd gasps in unison.

The woman lands softly in the taught blanket and bounces directly into Alric's arms. You see now that she is rather attractive, despite the soot stains, and is in a state of relative undress. She grips to Alric's neck with a rigormortis grab as she relaxes her breathing and realizes she is not dead. After a moment, she blushes, thanks you and gives Alric a kiss on the lips before running over to her waiting family. The crowd cheers and applauds you!

GM: I did not apply the guidance bonuses because they don't affect ability checks. However, with Alric's main role and a further +6 due to three aid another successes, you could have caught a giant boulder.

Torrent, Bannock, Hrimr and Alric sort themselves out and head off in the direction of Kirio, Lars and Arnir. When they arrive, they find their friends catching their breath against an alley wall. Kirio looks a bit battered and bruised and a veritable sea of humanity is pushing itself through the district gate.

 

[Bannock]

Bannock gives Alric a friendly whack on the back.

"Not so bad, was it?"

he says with a wild grin.

 

[The Bashar]

Hrimr regards the bruised and shaken Elves

"What happened? Did you try to run with a full pack8?"

Hrimr then looks around and realizes that most of the people that around them look terrified out of their minds.

"Oh dear, this is probably worse than you being a bunch of pansies."

OOC: The guidance spell has likely worn off by now.

 

[digimattic]

Arnir sneers and glares at the dwarf and spits on the ground in front of him uttering a curse

"You're right, dwarf. It's much worse. We're traveling in the company of fools who would doom a city for the sake one woman. The Ragesians are assisted by a Red Dragon. I don't expect you to comprehend the power that must be involved in compelling such a beast to assist their efforts, but know that anyone with the means is someone to fear. Your 'heroism' will see us all killed and this city leveled. Simple minded fools!"

 

[fromage67]

Lars returns to the group from where he was hiding. "Blooming Ragesians have dragons and wyverns on their side. This is hopeless. Anyways, the guards seem to let people go through. We should hurry."

Lars fiddles with his pack, tightening the loosened straps, looking sheepish and feeling ashamed of his unmanly reaction. He looks up suddenly, and asks: "Oh! Did you save the lass?"

 

[Bannock]

Bannock, happy at their achievements in the past few minutes and still grinning despite the destruction around them, clears his throat after Arnir's red-faced rant.

"Two women. Bet they'll sleep warm tonight, too. Ok! Let's go kill dragons and such."

 

[Gregor]

Torrent turns towards Lars, after using her wand to tend to Kirio's wounds, and says with a smirk: "Oh yes, we saved that damsel in distress. She took a liking to Alric as well. She swooned after landing safely in his strong arms."

"Anyway, lets get moving. We've had a few setbacks, but the tower is nearby. We need to snag that intelligence and be on our way out of here. Especially if a dragon is about!"

The party walks through the district gate, pausing only to glance at the trampled body of a Gate Pass guard and the various bumped, scraped and bruised citizens that are massing through the gate.

The next district is relatively untouched by the fire bombing and most of the civilians disperse down side streets or press on to the next district further to the East.

You soon come upon the depository tower at the centre of the district. Its a large stone structure standing approximately sixty feet in diameter and eighty feet in height. The tower is surrounded by a high iron fence, with a gate that you pass through as you step into the outer grounds which are filled with well tended gardens. Just inside the entry gate are a pair of beautiful fountains; one depicting four elemental spirits common to local legends — a dragon, a worm, a kraken, and an eagle — and the other dominated by a statue of Emperor Coaltongue, posing with his torch held high shedding light from a flame.

Immediately near the front gate is a study gate house staffed by four grizzled dwarves in well-made armor and an assortment of weapons. Torrent stops to speak with the guards and they check a registration book, presumably for her name, before one of them approaches the rest of you.

"Good evening gentlemen, though it is a strange time to visit the vaults, what with a siege taking place. Anyway, your associate has an account with us, so your entry will not be prohibited. Given the late hour, no lighting is present within the tower. However, you are free to borrow a lantern from here at the gate house before proceeding. Just help yourself. Now, I expect you to mind your weapons and your hands whilst within the depository. You are to touch only the storage locker belonging to your associate. More of my kin guard the interior and we dwarves are able to see perfectly in the dark - just ask your fur-clad friend. So if you have any sticky fingers, you may find them lopped off! If you're ready, just follow me and I'll let you into the tower.

Oh and I should mention. There is another guest in the tower at the moment. He is an absolutely hideous little gnome so don't be startled if a grim visage emerges from the shadows! Ha!"

 

[funkmamagoat]

"Never seen the likes... not in my wildest nightmares have I ever seen something so terrifying" Kirio brushes himself off and winces at the many bruises he will have to contend with. Feeling his nose for any breaks he looks at Lars and smiles "of course they did, look at them, you could bake a pie in the glow of self-contentment eminating from those three."

"Lars is right, I'd say we'll have little trouble getting throught the gate and I for one am eager to be on my way, shall we?"

OOC: obviously I'm behind in posts, consider this to be just after we meet up again, will post again soon.

 

[The Bashar]

After the Dwarf greets the party and lays out the rules for the repository Hrimr begins to speak to him in Dwarven:

[sblock]Hail Brother, I am Hrimr of Granite Hold. Has anything happened here since the siege began? Any news you can give me about the siege? If the city is taken what are you and our kin planning on doing? Do you plan on making an escape? Or hope the Empire will not sack the city?[/sblock]

 

[Gregor]

The Dwarf guard replies to Hrimr in his native tongue:

[sblock]Ah, you're from Dassen eh? I have not been back to the Borderlands in almost forty years. I hail from Adamantine Rift and by Moradin's hammer I miss the ale! I came here looking for adventure, but ended up out of coin and in need of work. I've been working for Gate Pass ever since. As for the siege, I think the Ragesians are in for a protracted battle that should last a month at the least. We've 27 districts in this city, each one protected by a sturdy wall and gate. Not to mention our sky cavalry. Anyway, should the Ragesians reach the tower, I'll be cleaving limbs with my axe. Gate Pass is my home now. Oh I should mention, especially to you, there is a half-orc on our payroll and he's working inside the tower. Resist the urge to punch him. Despite his filthy lineage, Grog ain't a bad mule! Bwa ha![/sblock]