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The Heroes of Tanar (Triple Update!!! 7-17-02!!!)
- Thread starter DM with a vengence
- Start date
DM with a vengence
First Post
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
Nikki walked through the open gateway of the impressive main temple of Pelor. Marble spires topped with golden globes towered hundreds of feet above the gateway with its fifty feet wide and 75 feet tall bronze doors swung against the front of the building. The nave stretched in front of her with its hundreds of gilded pews and bright red columns. Showers of bright yellow, orange, and red light streamed in through the tinted windows, supplementing the light of thousands of holy candles and bright globes of permanent daylight spells.
“High-Church pomp. Certainly impressive, and quite useless. Think how many people could have been fed and healed for the price of this.” Nikki declared, glaring at the finery.
“Hello, due you, ah, need anything.” The acolyte at the door shuffled over, taking in the light green robes marking her as a cleric of Ehlonna, and the heavy mace hanging down her back marking her as a very dangerous cleric of Ehlonna. “If your here for the weekly interfaith discussion and tea, it’s been moved to Thursday. We’re having a guest speaker. A cleric of Nerull, who said he would talk about his beliefs if we stopped shoving bamboo under his fingernails and setting it on fire. Of course now he has to argue religion and the Paladins code with the seven greatest theologists in the city. I’d rather take the bamboo myself. Aheheheh.”
“I’m not here for the weekly interfaith tea. I have a letter to deliver to the purser.” She held out the letter, displaying the seal.
“That door, go up to the fifth landing and stand on the red and blue tiles. Then knock ‘shave and a haircut. Two pence,’ on the door, don’t use the knocker, and then step back onto the rug. The door will open, then wait five seconds and go through. If you get injured in this process then we’ll give you a free healing spell. Good luck, and if you aren’t back in 45 minutes I’ll send someone to collect the piec… I mean find you.”
“Crazy sun worshippers.” Nikki shook her head, and began the climb up to the fifth landing.
Standing on the red and blue tiles, she knocked ‘shave and a haircut. Two pence.’ being very careful to bring to keep her hand well away from the gilded knocker. She stepped back, and the door swung open. A ruff grumbling voice spoke from inside. “Put the mace by the door, and come in with your hands in the air. Now!”
Nikki carefully laid her weapon on the carpet, and stepped in, hands in the air.
The interior of room was almost pitch black compared to the radience of the temple. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a hunched grizzled old man standing near some large device with lots of springs and wood framework, points of light glinting threateningly in the interior, his hand hovering over a lever.
“Step in, you can put down your hands.” He released a foot pedal, and the door slid closed. “I’m am Deacon Waaaaashburn, and whaaaaaat do you waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…” He growled.
“I would like a scroll of raise dead, as specified in this letter.” Nikki said, brandishing the envelope.
Deacon Washburn ignored her, “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant. Scroll of raise dead? Let me see that.” He took her letter and glanced it over. “I’ll be right baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.” He loped into the shadows with the sort of gate usually reserved for green-skinned hunchbacks who drooled “Mathter” a lot.
While he was gone Nikki examined the device he had been standing by, it was eight crossbows of varying power mounted on a wooden framework designed to all be fired at once by releasing the lever. It was currently pointed right at the doorway. Deacon Washburn loped back into the room and saw her looking at it. “That’s the Waaaaaashburn X8. My own invention.” He said proudly, inflating his chest. “Waaaaaaatch.” He pulled the lever, and the door sprouted eight crossbow bolts at various levels. “Quite effective, you’ll note how they’re grouped at chest, head, groin height aaaaaand haaaaalfling groin height. Thieves don’t mess with this. Here’s your scroll, haaaaaave a nice day and don’t let the attack baaaaaaats rip you to shreds on the way out.” He darted around the corner, and then popped back out. “Serious about thaaaaaaat last one, I’d better see if they’re in their cages.”
“Crazy sun worshippers.” Nikki said, collecting her equipment and heading back towards Sator Square, “Sunstroke always gets them in the end.”
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
Nikki walked through the open gateway of the impressive main temple of Pelor. Marble spires topped with golden globes towered hundreds of feet above the gateway with its fifty feet wide and 75 feet tall bronze doors swung against the front of the building. The nave stretched in front of her with its hundreds of gilded pews and bright red columns. Showers of bright yellow, orange, and red light streamed in through the tinted windows, supplementing the light of thousands of holy candles and bright globes of permanent daylight spells.
“High-Church pomp. Certainly impressive, and quite useless. Think how many people could have been fed and healed for the price of this.” Nikki declared, glaring at the finery.
“Hello, due you, ah, need anything.” The acolyte at the door shuffled over, taking in the light green robes marking her as a cleric of Ehlonna, and the heavy mace hanging down her back marking her as a very dangerous cleric of Ehlonna. “If your here for the weekly interfaith discussion and tea, it’s been moved to Thursday. We’re having a guest speaker. A cleric of Nerull, who said he would talk about his beliefs if we stopped shoving bamboo under his fingernails and setting it on fire. Of course now he has to argue religion and the Paladins code with the seven greatest theologists in the city. I’d rather take the bamboo myself. Aheheheh.”
“I’m not here for the weekly interfaith tea. I have a letter to deliver to the purser.” She held out the letter, displaying the seal.
“That door, go up to the fifth landing and stand on the red and blue tiles. Then knock ‘shave and a haircut. Two pence,’ on the door, don’t use the knocker, and then step back onto the rug. The door will open, then wait five seconds and go through. If you get injured in this process then we’ll give you a free healing spell. Good luck, and if you aren’t back in 45 minutes I’ll send someone to collect the piec… I mean find you.”
“Crazy sun worshippers.” Nikki shook her head, and began the climb up to the fifth landing.
Standing on the red and blue tiles, she knocked ‘shave and a haircut. Two pence.’ being very careful to bring to keep her hand well away from the gilded knocker. She stepped back, and the door swung open. A ruff grumbling voice spoke from inside. “Put the mace by the door, and come in with your hands in the air. Now!”
Nikki carefully laid her weapon on the carpet, and stepped in, hands in the air.
The interior of room was almost pitch black compared to the radience of the temple. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a hunched grizzled old man standing near some large device with lots of springs and wood framework, points of light glinting threateningly in the interior, his hand hovering over a lever.
“Step in, you can put down your hands.” He released a foot pedal, and the door slid closed. “I’m am Deacon Waaaaashburn, and whaaaaaat do you waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…” He growled.
“I would like a scroll of raise dead, as specified in this letter.” Nikki said, brandishing the envelope.
Deacon Washburn ignored her, “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant. Scroll of raise dead? Let me see that.” He took her letter and glanced it over. “I’ll be right baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.” He loped into the shadows with the sort of gate usually reserved for green-skinned hunchbacks who drooled “Mathter” a lot.
While he was gone Nikki examined the device he had been standing by, it was eight crossbows of varying power mounted on a wooden framework designed to all be fired at once by releasing the lever. It was currently pointed right at the doorway. Deacon Washburn loped back into the room and saw her looking at it. “That’s the Waaaaaashburn X8. My own invention.” He said proudly, inflating his chest. “Waaaaaaatch.” He pulled the lever, and the door sprouted eight crossbow bolts at various levels. “Quite effective, you’ll note how they’re grouped at chest, head, groin height aaaaaand haaaaalfling groin height. Thieves don’t mess with this. Here’s your scroll, haaaaaave a nice day and don’t let the attack baaaaaaats rip you to shreds on the way out.” He darted around the corner, and then popped back out. “Serious about thaaaaaaat last one, I’d better see if they’re in their cages.”
“Crazy sun worshippers.” Nikki said, collecting her equipment and heading back towards Sator Square, “Sunstroke always gets them in the end.”
DM with a vengence
First Post
Atten-hut!
Atten-hut!
Ladinya looked over the fifty foot high tower studded granite wall and solid gatehouse. A squad of spearmen with crimson tunics and polished mail trotted out of the arched tunnel leading into the and charged through the streets. Ladinya walked over to the sentry guarding the gate and asked. “Where can I find Colonel Lord Hardisson, I have an important letter. Official military business.”
“Access allowed only to designated personnel! Please stand aside!” The sentry barked.
“Listen, perhaps you didn’t understand me.” She leaned forward, placing her fingertips on the man breastplate. “I have very important dispatches for Colonel ‘Cave in’ Hardisson, and unless you want to spend the rest of your sorry life lugging dirt underground for the 3rd Spelunkers, then I suggest you let me in.”
The sentry gulped. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, ma’am. I have very specific orders. Authorized personnel only.”
Ladinya put a little more weight on him. “You must dumber than you are ugly. I’m telling you I am authorized personnel. I am a covert operative carrying ‘eyes only’ reports of drow activity around Tanar. Now when the drow conquer us all because Colonel Hardission didn’t have the information necessary to break up their plans, what are you going to do? I’ve heard that they enjoy torturing prisoners, especially male soldiers too dumb to allow people with access into a place they need to go. Do I make myself clear?”
The sentry shrunk. “Yes, ma’am, that way. I believe the Colonel is at the firing range today testing out the new Kheckler Mageworks crossbows.”
Ladinya sauntered in, towards a long line of archery butts. A group of tall, fat, senior officers in elaborate uniforms that glittered with dozens of medals and ribbons was watching a man in simple dark green fatigues was lying on the ground, firing a crossbow. He pulled the trigger, and three bolts thudded into the center of the bullseye a hundred feet away. Nearly lost in the crush of officers was a thin, slight man in well used black chainmail with dozens of weapons hanging from belts, ankle sheaths, and bandoleers. Ladinya walked up behind him, and tapped him on the shoulder, “Colonel Hardisson, I have a letter for you.”
“And what is it to you.” He said without looking at her.
“It’s from Sergeant ‘Nighteyes’ Zimmer.” She added.
“Huh? Give me that!” He grabbed the letter and sliced open the end with a dagger. He shook it out, and glanced over it. “I’ll talk to you in my office in five minutes. No, make that now. Follow me.” He marched off towards a small single story building across the dust training field, Ladinya scrambling to follow him.
The building held just a guard post and stairway down. The guard saluted as Hardisson passed, went down the stairs into a dirt tunnel with wood bracing, down three doors, and entered his office. The office was a stark room with unfinished masonry walls, a desk, a weapons rack filled with swords and axes, and several unorthodox trophies decorating the walls.
“So, according to this letter, you found a mindflayer and his drow servants in a system of corridors under Tanar. You gave chase, but it escaped, leaving behind a dead man. Now how do I know that you adventurers aren’t lying?”
“One, note the seal on the letter. If the letter is false, then I think that we’ll spend the rest of our lives in jail on charges of replicating the Royal Seal. Two, this is the head of the man we found.” She pulled the preserved head out of her pack by the ear and plunked it down on the desk. Colonel Hardisson looked at, and nodded.
“That’s real, but why do they suggest bringing along a conventional unit?” He asked.
“We believe that there is a barbarian warlord working with the mindflayers. If we were to go after the mindflayers, he might destroy Tanar in retaliation.” Ladinya lied through her teeth.
“Sounds, good I’ll be moving with Alpha Squad in 24 hours, I’ll pull any string I can reach to get heavy infantry there. This one looks serious enough that we will deploy in force. Mindlflayers acting near the surface is quite unusual. I guess that this one was spying, and decided to torture the children because it was bored. Thank the gods for the foibles of our enemies, they know we need them.” He stood up, and ushered Ladinya out the door.
Atten-hut!
Ladinya looked over the fifty foot high tower studded granite wall and solid gatehouse. A squad of spearmen with crimson tunics and polished mail trotted out of the arched tunnel leading into the and charged through the streets. Ladinya walked over to the sentry guarding the gate and asked. “Where can I find Colonel Lord Hardisson, I have an important letter. Official military business.”
“Access allowed only to designated personnel! Please stand aside!” The sentry barked.
“Listen, perhaps you didn’t understand me.” She leaned forward, placing her fingertips on the man breastplate. “I have very important dispatches for Colonel ‘Cave in’ Hardisson, and unless you want to spend the rest of your sorry life lugging dirt underground for the 3rd Spelunkers, then I suggest you let me in.”
The sentry gulped. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, ma’am. I have very specific orders. Authorized personnel only.”
Ladinya put a little more weight on him. “You must dumber than you are ugly. I’m telling you I am authorized personnel. I am a covert operative carrying ‘eyes only’ reports of drow activity around Tanar. Now when the drow conquer us all because Colonel Hardission didn’t have the information necessary to break up their plans, what are you going to do? I’ve heard that they enjoy torturing prisoners, especially male soldiers too dumb to allow people with access into a place they need to go. Do I make myself clear?”
The sentry shrunk. “Yes, ma’am, that way. I believe the Colonel is at the firing range today testing out the new Kheckler Mageworks crossbows.”
Ladinya sauntered in, towards a long line of archery butts. A group of tall, fat, senior officers in elaborate uniforms that glittered with dozens of medals and ribbons was watching a man in simple dark green fatigues was lying on the ground, firing a crossbow. He pulled the trigger, and three bolts thudded into the center of the bullseye a hundred feet away. Nearly lost in the crush of officers was a thin, slight man in well used black chainmail with dozens of weapons hanging from belts, ankle sheaths, and bandoleers. Ladinya walked up behind him, and tapped him on the shoulder, “Colonel Hardisson, I have a letter for you.”
“And what is it to you.” He said without looking at her.
“It’s from Sergeant ‘Nighteyes’ Zimmer.” She added.
“Huh? Give me that!” He grabbed the letter and sliced open the end with a dagger. He shook it out, and glanced over it. “I’ll talk to you in my office in five minutes. No, make that now. Follow me.” He marched off towards a small single story building across the dust training field, Ladinya scrambling to follow him.
The building held just a guard post and stairway down. The guard saluted as Hardisson passed, went down the stairs into a dirt tunnel with wood bracing, down three doors, and entered his office. The office was a stark room with unfinished masonry walls, a desk, a weapons rack filled with swords and axes, and several unorthodox trophies decorating the walls.
“So, according to this letter, you found a mindflayer and his drow servants in a system of corridors under Tanar. You gave chase, but it escaped, leaving behind a dead man. Now how do I know that you adventurers aren’t lying?”
“One, note the seal on the letter. If the letter is false, then I think that we’ll spend the rest of our lives in jail on charges of replicating the Royal Seal. Two, this is the head of the man we found.” She pulled the preserved head out of her pack by the ear and plunked it down on the desk. Colonel Hardisson looked at, and nodded.
“That’s real, but why do they suggest bringing along a conventional unit?” He asked.
“We believe that there is a barbarian warlord working with the mindflayers. If we were to go after the mindflayers, he might destroy Tanar in retaliation.” Ladinya lied through her teeth.
“Sounds, good I’ll be moving with Alpha Squad in 24 hours, I’ll pull any string I can reach to get heavy infantry there. This one looks serious enough that we will deploy in force. Mindlflayers acting near the surface is quite unusual. I guess that this one was spying, and decided to torture the children because it was bored. Thank the gods for the foibles of our enemies, they know we need them.” He stood up, and ushered Ladinya out the door.
DM with a vengence
First Post
No update yet 
, but my report will be in Tuesday and I can start working on this again soon.
I've already posted this in a few places, but why not here as well.
Heroes of Tanar Introductory Flash Movie
, but my report will be in Tuesday and I can start working on this again soon.I've already posted this in a few places, but why not here as well.
Heroes of Tanar Introductory Flash Movie
DM with a vengence
First Post
He was the best looking Milo Claudio had. The real Milo would have a mithril shirt, large shield, and more axes than you could count.
DM with a vengence
First Post
When Halflings go Wild Wild Wild!
When Halflings go Wild Wild Wild!
Nikki and Ladinya arrived in Sator square at the exact same time. Remarkably, there was no screaming, nothing was on fire, and a crowd of watchmen were most definitely not crowded around a group of chalk outlines. “Whew, seems like he hasn’t gotten into any trouble. Maybe we can start trusting him again.”
At that moment, a loud argument from a neighboring bar floated over the chaos of the square. “To short to play darts? I’ll dart you!” There was a thud, and the sudden, animal scream of a man who had just had his balls kicked up between his ears by someone half his size. There were the sounds of a struggle, and halfling covered in weapons was tossed out of a window, rolling to the sound of tinkling glass. Ladinya looked at Nikki, “Oh crap, let’s go!”
Milo bounced up from the toss and looked into the laughing face of the man who had thrown him out of the window just when things were beginning to get fun. He reached over to a stall and grabbed three rotten melons, dropping a silver on the counter. Seconds later the man and the window were covered in rotten honeydew pulp. The man screamed and jumped out of the ground floor window after Milo, who braced his feet shoulder width apart and stood ready to receive the man’s attack. With the unstoppable ponderous momentum of a raging elephant, the man charged Milo with full intent of violence. At the last moment Milo skipped to the side and spun, sending a well aimed blow into the back of the man’s knee. The man’s leg spasmed, and he went down hard, crushing his nose on the cobbles. Milo walked over to him and very deliberated planted a well aimed kick between his legs. The man clutched his crotch and jackknifed as Milo strutted around him. “Who’s the halfling? I’m the halfling! Who’s in the house? Milo’s in the house!”
A crowd gathered around Milo and began to mutter. “Upsy halflings.” “What gives them the right to terrorize innocent people?” “Why do you know what one of them said to my daughter?” “I say they’re too short to enjoy life properly.” “All that rage bottled up into such a small frame.” “I think we aughta teach him a lesson…”
Milo held up his hands for silence. “People of Crayvaenn, we can resolve this slight disagreement peacefully. But that doesn’t seem too bloody likely now, does it?” He flipped two axes out of their loops and grabbed them by the blade, handle forward. “Wazzzzzzzzup!” Milo screamed as he charged the crowd, pausing only to jab a kidney here or trip an old lady there. He burst through the outer edge of the crowd, and ran towards the city gate. A pair of watchmen, a half-orc and a gnome stepped out from behind a corner, and Milo skidded to a stop.
Ladinya and Nikki heard Milo’s battle-cry, and watched the ripple of falling people pass through the crowd as Milo burst through and ran smack into the two watchmen. The half-orc pulled a giant crossbow off his back, pulled back the string with one hand, loaded what must have been at least 30 bolts and pointed the weapon at the crowd. “Get cold.”
“Freeze.” The gnome corrected. “But I assure you, even if my partner’s grammar is not much, his aim most certainly is. That is a customized riot Kheckler Wallsweeper 30 1000lbs crossbow. You might recall its performance at the siege of Tuluk-Dom, where the dwarves used a similar, slightly less powerful model to prevent a goblin horde of over 3000 warriors from advancing more than 200 feet into a valley they were defending.” At this, the entire crowd gave a little gurgle of fear and pants-wetting. “So who started out this little incident?”
Milo turned, the entire crowd was pointing at him.
When Halflings go Wild Wild Wild!
Nikki and Ladinya arrived in Sator square at the exact same time. Remarkably, there was no screaming, nothing was on fire, and a crowd of watchmen were most definitely not crowded around a group of chalk outlines. “Whew, seems like he hasn’t gotten into any trouble. Maybe we can start trusting him again.”
At that moment, a loud argument from a neighboring bar floated over the chaos of the square. “To short to play darts? I’ll dart you!” There was a thud, and the sudden, animal scream of a man who had just had his balls kicked up between his ears by someone half his size. There were the sounds of a struggle, and halfling covered in weapons was tossed out of a window, rolling to the sound of tinkling glass. Ladinya looked at Nikki, “Oh crap, let’s go!”
Milo bounced up from the toss and looked into the laughing face of the man who had thrown him out of the window just when things were beginning to get fun. He reached over to a stall and grabbed three rotten melons, dropping a silver on the counter. Seconds later the man and the window were covered in rotten honeydew pulp. The man screamed and jumped out of the ground floor window after Milo, who braced his feet shoulder width apart and stood ready to receive the man’s attack. With the unstoppable ponderous momentum of a raging elephant, the man charged Milo with full intent of violence. At the last moment Milo skipped to the side and spun, sending a well aimed blow into the back of the man’s knee. The man’s leg spasmed, and he went down hard, crushing his nose on the cobbles. Milo walked over to him and very deliberated planted a well aimed kick between his legs. The man clutched his crotch and jackknifed as Milo strutted around him. “Who’s the halfling? I’m the halfling! Who’s in the house? Milo’s in the house!”
A crowd gathered around Milo and began to mutter. “Upsy halflings.” “What gives them the right to terrorize innocent people?” “Why do you know what one of them said to my daughter?” “I say they’re too short to enjoy life properly.” “All that rage bottled up into such a small frame.” “I think we aughta teach him a lesson…”
Milo held up his hands for silence. “People of Crayvaenn, we can resolve this slight disagreement peacefully. But that doesn’t seem too bloody likely now, does it?” He flipped two axes out of their loops and grabbed them by the blade, handle forward. “Wazzzzzzzzup!” Milo screamed as he charged the crowd, pausing only to jab a kidney here or trip an old lady there. He burst through the outer edge of the crowd, and ran towards the city gate. A pair of watchmen, a half-orc and a gnome stepped out from behind a corner, and Milo skidded to a stop.
Ladinya and Nikki heard Milo’s battle-cry, and watched the ripple of falling people pass through the crowd as Milo burst through and ran smack into the two watchmen. The half-orc pulled a giant crossbow off his back, pulled back the string with one hand, loaded what must have been at least 30 bolts and pointed the weapon at the crowd. “Get cold.”
“Freeze.” The gnome corrected. “But I assure you, even if my partner’s grammar is not much, his aim most certainly is. That is a customized riot Kheckler Wallsweeper 30 1000lbs crossbow. You might recall its performance at the siege of Tuluk-Dom, where the dwarves used a similar, slightly less powerful model to prevent a goblin horde of over 3000 warriors from advancing more than 200 feet into a valley they were defending.” At this, the entire crowd gave a little gurgle of fear and pants-wetting. “So who started out this little incident?”
Milo turned, the entire crowd was pointing at him.
DM with a vengence
First Post
When Halflings go Wild (con't)
Nikki and Ladinya turned and looked at each other. “I cast sanctuary. You cast fly, I run in there and get him, then toss him to you, you fly him out.” Nikki said, Ladinya nodded, and took off into the air as Nikki fixed her shield around her arm and ran at Milo in a crouch, screaming “Sanctuary! Sanctuary!”
The half-orc thought about the various people moving around for an agonizing moment. He lifted the crossbow to the flying lady and then back down onto the armored one going after the short guy. He really didn’t want to shoot her, but he pulled the trigger anyway.
Nikki saw the slight movement in the orc’s arm muscles, and started to dive for the ground. “Oh sh---.” The right arm of the crossbow snapped clean off the stock and snapped around, smashing the orc against the side of his head. Even a thick orcish skull couldn’t deflect all of the strike’s power, and the orc fell to the ground, greenish blood leaking from his ear. The gnome looked at his fallen partner’s body. “Back to the drawing board with that one. Maybe I better get there now.” He darted off down an alley and over the wall at the end.
Nikki reached Milo and grabbed him before he could react, and tossed him to Ladinya hovering twenty feet overhead. Ladinya grabbed him by the collar of his mithril shirt, and flew down the street, Nikki clanking behind and Milo shouting curses up at Ladinya. They landed a block away.
“What the hell was that about?” Milo demanded, rearranging his bandoleers of axes. “Tossing me out of there just when things were about to get good. I was ready to unleash some serious whoop-ass on them suckers.”
“Them suckers were about to spread you out all over Sator Square.” Ladinya chided.
“No, I could see the fatal flaw in the bow. I knew it would break.”
Nikki clanked up behind them and wheezed, “Lair. We saved. Your butt. I really. Have to. Practice. Running. More.” She leaned on her knees, and spat a long loogie onto the pavement. “Gah. Maybe we should get rooms here." She pointed up at the sign of a pair of kidneys wearing a crown. “The Kyngs Kidnies. Sounds good.”
At about 7:00 in the evening, Kit walked into the room with a bag over her shoulder. She spotted the Non-Gender Specific People in Tights sitting at a table pushed over into the corner, waved, and walked over.
“Hey folks.” She said, plopping down in a chair and signaling the barmaid for another ale. “How was your day. I got presents for you, and a little something for me.” She dumped four knobby wax objects on the table.
“Hey, wax noses, Neato.” Ladinya said, spinning hers around in her hands. Milo stuck his on upside down, put his hands in his ears, and made faces at them.
“And look at this.” Kit pulled a strange looking light crossbow out of her bag and held it up to her shoulder. “It’s a Kheckler Mageworks R-15, thautamaurgical, semi-automatic, magazine feed, bayonet equipped, civilian version of the latest military crossbows that just came out two days ago. This one was the last one in stock, and cost three times list price, but it was worth it.”
“Kit, how exactly did you find us?” Nikki asked.
“Just followed the rumors. Its not often a cleric and a flying woman pull an angry halfling out of a crowd.”
“But if you can find us, then the Watch probably will, and I don’t think that we’re real good friends right now.” Ladinya worried.
Kit smiled. “Don’t worry about that, I gave the watch something-several other things to do tonight.” She opened her vest and pulled a flask from a concealed pocket, tossing it in the air.
“You did what? Nevermind, we leave now. Get your cloaks and equipment, we’ll sleep under the stars tonight.” Ladinya stood up, slammed a couple of gold on the table and rapidly gathered her stuff. Milo and Nikki followed her lead, leaving Kit standing there bewildered.
“That was weird, all I did was put some Dwarfish spirits in their coffee urn.” She gathered up the noses and the crossbow and followed them out into the street.
Nikki and Ladinya turned and looked at each other. “I cast sanctuary. You cast fly, I run in there and get him, then toss him to you, you fly him out.” Nikki said, Ladinya nodded, and took off into the air as Nikki fixed her shield around her arm and ran at Milo in a crouch, screaming “Sanctuary! Sanctuary!”
The half-orc thought about the various people moving around for an agonizing moment. He lifted the crossbow to the flying lady and then back down onto the armored one going after the short guy. He really didn’t want to shoot her, but he pulled the trigger anyway.
Nikki saw the slight movement in the orc’s arm muscles, and started to dive for the ground. “Oh sh---.” The right arm of the crossbow snapped clean off the stock and snapped around, smashing the orc against the side of his head. Even a thick orcish skull couldn’t deflect all of the strike’s power, and the orc fell to the ground, greenish blood leaking from his ear. The gnome looked at his fallen partner’s body. “Back to the drawing board with that one. Maybe I better get there now.” He darted off down an alley and over the wall at the end.
Nikki reached Milo and grabbed him before he could react, and tossed him to Ladinya hovering twenty feet overhead. Ladinya grabbed him by the collar of his mithril shirt, and flew down the street, Nikki clanking behind and Milo shouting curses up at Ladinya. They landed a block away.
“What the hell was that about?” Milo demanded, rearranging his bandoleers of axes. “Tossing me out of there just when things were about to get good. I was ready to unleash some serious whoop-ass on them suckers.”
“Them suckers were about to spread you out all over Sator Square.” Ladinya chided.
“No, I could see the fatal flaw in the bow. I knew it would break.”
Nikki clanked up behind them and wheezed, “Lair. We saved. Your butt. I really. Have to. Practice. Running. More.” She leaned on her knees, and spat a long loogie onto the pavement. “Gah. Maybe we should get rooms here." She pointed up at the sign of a pair of kidneys wearing a crown. “The Kyngs Kidnies. Sounds good.”
At about 7:00 in the evening, Kit walked into the room with a bag over her shoulder. She spotted the Non-Gender Specific People in Tights sitting at a table pushed over into the corner, waved, and walked over.
“Hey folks.” She said, plopping down in a chair and signaling the barmaid for another ale. “How was your day. I got presents for you, and a little something for me.” She dumped four knobby wax objects on the table.
“Hey, wax noses, Neato.” Ladinya said, spinning hers around in her hands. Milo stuck his on upside down, put his hands in his ears, and made faces at them.
“And look at this.” Kit pulled a strange looking light crossbow out of her bag and held it up to her shoulder. “It’s a Kheckler Mageworks R-15, thautamaurgical, semi-automatic, magazine feed, bayonet equipped, civilian version of the latest military crossbows that just came out two days ago. This one was the last one in stock, and cost three times list price, but it was worth it.”
“Kit, how exactly did you find us?” Nikki asked.
“Just followed the rumors. Its not often a cleric and a flying woman pull an angry halfling out of a crowd.”
“But if you can find us, then the Watch probably will, and I don’t think that we’re real good friends right now.” Ladinya worried.
Kit smiled. “Don’t worry about that, I gave the watch something-several other things to do tonight.” She opened her vest and pulled a flask from a concealed pocket, tossing it in the air.
“You did what? Nevermind, we leave now. Get your cloaks and equipment, we’ll sleep under the stars tonight.” Ladinya stood up, slammed a couple of gold on the table and rapidly gathered her stuff. Milo and Nikki followed her lead, leaving Kit standing there bewildered.
“That was weird, all I did was put some Dwarfish spirits in their coffee urn.” She gathered up the noses and the crossbow and followed them out into the street.
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