The Reconquista: Part I (Shadows over Istivin)

[Scotley]

"A better time than the perfect one?" Reivik mutters to Morley, as Ren takes George aside.

Morley snorts derisively, "Well, I sorta took what he said to mean it was a perfect time for an elf, but there is always a better time to have a dwarf or a human around. Perhaps you had the right of it. Maybe Beau can sniff out the mess hall. I just hope we can order breakfast without having to use that feyspeak you all seem so fond of."

 

[Branding Opportunity]

Spoken in elvish
"By the swinging balls of the dead orc, of course they can be trusted. Why one of them is the hero of Fentil (sic). If they could not be trusted I would have not brought them. Hell I am the least trustworthy of the group. Also, they speak elvish as well."

Ren nods as he listens to you, then switches back into Common but keeps his voice barely above a whisper so that only George can hear him, "Very good. I have a proposal to make to you, my brother, but I do not know if your ... companions would necessarily be interested. It is not without risk, but this is not a time for the faint-hearted as I am sure you well know." He stretches his arms and cracks his neck a few time, continuously scanning the courtyard for anyone approaching, then continues.

He then looks at George in the eye, his stare fixed on him, "Come to think of it, I do not trust you completely either, my brother. Much time has passed and you may have changed. I knew you as an elf who understood how to get things done, even if that meant stepping on a few toes. Are you still that person? The dark clouds are gathering quickly here in Istivin, and the time for talking is coming to an end. I do not know if you still have the stomach to do what must be done."

He sighs and looks down at the ground, "Maybe it would be better if you take a look around and see for yourself what this ... city (and he almost spits out this word) has become. Then if you want to make a real difference, come see me again. What say you?"

 

[Branding Opportunity]

Morley snorts derisively, "Well, I sorta took what he said to mean it was a perfect time for an elf, but there is always a better time to have a dwarf or a human around. Perhaps you had the right of it. Maybe Beau can sniff out the mess hall. I just hope we can order breakfast without having to use that feyspeak you all seem so fond of."

The elf's ears perk up and he gives you a sly smile, "Help yourself to what Cook is offering in the mess hall, if you can stomach it. I have yet to learn how myself."

 

[Branding Opportunity]

The Other Group

Mavic, flanked by two of his more respectable Red Dogs, Anastasia and Latalya head north toward Krelont Keep. On their way out of Gate Square they pass the smallish Temple of Fhalanghn. A lonley adept is sweeping the doorway, clad in his religon's brown and green travelling clothes. He looks up briefly as you pass by and quickly resumes his work.

Travelling north on Market Street you soon come to Istivin's central square, flanked by many of its most prominent buildings. Bounded by three gates, warehouses to the northwest, and tenements to the east, Qualtaine Square bustles with traffic. Several businesses and temples alike face the square, with swarms of customers and worshipers milling before them. To your left is the impressive structure of the Gilded House, so named for the ornate gold leafing which decorates the columns on this temple to the god Zilchus. The holy money lenders have already set up their stalls in its shadows, protected by a number of somewhat shady-looking temple guards.
Yet even this building is dwarfed by the cathedral that looms to the northeast. The largest and most beautiful structure in town, the House of Radiance's walls are festooned with statuary and glittering golden inlay. An intricate bell tower rises above the main entrance and prominently displayes the sun-shaped symbol of Pelor. At the south side of the temple is a network of scaffolding swarming with laborers makign repairs to some of the iconic statues. Hundreds of flowers and bouquets lie in heaps on the ground below, arranged in some form of makeshift shrine. Nearby an old woman wrestles with a handcart piled with bouquets of wildflowers obviously gathered from outside the city. As pedestrians move around her, she calls out, "Flowers for Pelor?"

 

[Ranger Rick]

He then looks at George in the eye, his stare fixed on him, "Come to think of it, I do not trust you completely either, my brother. Much time has passed and you may have changed. I knew you as an elf who understood how to get things done, even if that meant stepping on a few toes. Are you still that person? The dark clouds are gathering quickly here in Istivin, and the time for talking is coming to an end. I do not know if you still have the stomach to do what must be done."

He sighs and looks down at the ground, "Maybe it would be better if you take a look around and see for yourself what this ... city (and he almost spits out this word) has become. Then if you want to make a real difference, come see me again. What say you?"

OOC: Use skill check Diplomancy (+21) to influence.
Put my hand on his shoulder and stare into his eyes, "Ren I understand your reluctense. I will not push you to speak. You have been under a lot of pressure from with in the military and from the political & commercial outsiders. I am here to assist some friends reclaim their land through legal channels. I do agree I have changed a bit. Before I was willing to cut off those toes, now I will step on on them. That is why I am here instead of powdering my nose like a courtier. I will follow your advice and take a tour of these edifaces. I shall come back." Whispers, "if you are lucky it may be the dark of night. So anything you want to talk about before I grab those two chow hounds?"

 

[Thanee]

Latalya

Watching the House of Radiance and all the beautiful flowers and decorations, Latalya stands there for a moment, as if she had never seen this before.

“I had almost forgotten, how beautiful this place is,” she says after a while. “It doesn't look like there is anything wrong here, unlike closer to the gate.”

 

[Branding Opportunity]

As Mavic, Anastasia and Latalya gaze about Qualtaine Square a loud, sharp crack rings out above the low background murmur of the square, reverberating off the buildings. Everybody's heads snap up and look about, trying to pinpoint the location.

OOC (EVERYONE)
Listen check, DC 15!
Anastasia: 3 + 1 = 4 (failure)
Latalya: 14 + 5 = 19 (success!)
Mavic: 15 + 0 = 15 (success!)
Mishell: 5 + 2 = 7 (failure)
Merres: 2 + 2 = 4 (failure)

Latalya and Mavic know where the sound is coming from but need to make DC 20 Spot checks to see the exact detail of what is happening.

Latalya: 12 + 8 = 20 (success!)
Mavic: 6 + 0 = 6 (failure)

Anastasia:[sblock]You desperately search around the square, but the various echoes are so confusing that you can't track down the origin of the sound.[/sblock]

Mavic & Latalya:[sblock]You quickly pintpoint that the crack came from the scaffolding that the workers are using to repair the temple of Pelor.[/sblock]

Latalya:[sblock]Your sharp elven eyes notice that the source of the noise must have come from high atop the scaffold. You can see that a wooden support is about to give way as a heavy stone block begins sliding out of the facade of the building, and that one of the workers is directly on the street below it! If you do not do something quickly, he will surely be crushed. The worker seems completely oblivious to his impending doom, and is standing 40 ft. from your position.[/sblock]

Everybody needs to roll Initiative, as every second counts in this event. Everyone except for Latalya is surprised during this round, which means that only she gets to make one standard or move action. Also, Latalya is the only one currently aware of the danger.

Initiative:
Latalya: 17 + 4 = 21
Mishell: 16 + 2 = 18
Merres: 15 + 1 = 16
Mavic: 4 + 5 = 9 (goes before Anastasia due to higher Dex)
Anastasia: 9 + 0 = 9

Note: Since nobody has posted otherwise, I'm assuming that everyone is still mounted.

 

[Branding Opportunity]

OOC: Use skill check Diplomancy (+21) to influence.
Put my hand on his shoulder and stare into his eyes, "Ren I understand your reluctense. I will not push you to speak. You have been under a lot of pressure from with in the military and from the political & commercial outsiders. I am here to assist some friends reclaim their land through legal channels. I do agree I have changed a bit. Before I was willing to cut off those toes, now I will step on on them. That is why I am here instead of powdering my nose like a courtier. I will follow your advice and take a tour of these edifaces. I shall come back." Whispers, "if you are lucky it may be the dark of night. So anything you want to talk about before I grab those two chow hounds?"

OOC: Diplomacy check made.
The Captain seems to be warming to George's entreaties until he mentions Mavic's attempt to reclaim his lands. At this Ren's eyes grow narrow, his breathing quickens and he moves within a nose length of his former brother-in-arms, his breath hot against the elf's face.

"What?" he nearly barks, "You have aligned yourself with the petty nobles who squabble over the rotting carcass of our country? They tear at the heart of the motherland and care nothing for the greater good!" His intensity continues growing and he begins to gesture about more violently, "Can't you see what these vultures are doing? They, and those who make common cause with them are what is behind this decay!"

Morley:[sblock]Unbelivably, you see that Ren's hand is slowly inching down towards the pommel of his short sword. No one, including George who is standing right next to him, seems to have noticed this.[/sblock]

 

[Thanee]

Latalya

Latalya points to the temple and to a worker standing there about 40 ft. away, near the wooden construction.

“The stone will crush him! Quick! We must get him out of harm's way!”

Within the blink of an eye, the elf has cast a quick incantation, and is now flying towards the temple...


OOC: Casting extended Swift Fly. Now, it depends a little on the situation...

Spoiler

if she could stand up there on the support (she can fly for this and next round only) and reasonably keep the stone block from falling down, by pushing it back in, she will do exactly that (Latalya has at least a little knowledge engineering & architecture, which might be helpful here). If this seems rather sheer folly to do, then she will just fly by the worker and "charge-bull rush" him away from the position, shouting at him, that the stone is falling down, so he hopefully will realize, that Latalya is trying to protect him, and is not attacking him.

OOC: I would have thought Latalya had given back the borrowed horse at the gate already, where she had dismounted and is on foot inside the city, but this way, with the fly spell, it is no matter, whether she is mounted or not, anyways.

 

[Branding Opportunity]

OOC: I would have thought Latalya had given back the borrowed horse at the gate already, where she had dismounted and is on foot inside the city, but this way, with the fly spell, it is no matter, whether she is mounted or not, anyways.

OOC: I hadn't remembered that, so yes, let's say that you were indeed on foot. By the end of the surprise round you could be in the square next to the mason.