The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Walking Dad]

AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 29/39, F +5,R+3,W+6 (Spells: 0:3/5, 1:3/4, 2:2/3)
Ape Form (AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13)

"I can track. If you help with the paper lanterns, I will help you at your task, too." Ape says, sounding like making an oath.

[sblock=ooc]
I stay human in the city.

Spells (CL: 3, DC: 13+spell level)
5/Day Level 0: Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic
4/Day Level 1: Produce Lightning, Shillelagh, Summon Nature's Ally I.
3/Day Level 2: Summon Nature's Ally II

Baboon Traits:
AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13
Fort: +6
Refl: +5
Will: +6
Move: 40', cimb 40'
Init: +4
Listen/Spot: +9
[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

Rain falls in the night; heavy, persistent rain that battesr the shutters on the windows of the narvinda, hammers off the roof and pours down off the overhanging eaves. Although Mystal still frets about the possibility of revenge by the spider shaman, at least he can take some comfort that he is not out in the forest on a night like this, and that even spell-casting giant spiders may prefer not to get wet.

The next day dawns and the rain has stopped, although low grey clouds threaten more to come. Breakfast is steamed bread, jams and dried fruits, and the Vashti mutters a sutra over Shakou, who feels the weakness leave her body. Refreshed, and prepared, you head for The Court of the Shading Willow.

The court is not far from the narvinda, about 5 minutes walk through the streets of Cormondal. It is a square of old buildings, mostly 4-5 storeys tall and built in the elaborately carved Old Imperial style. The carvings have weathered away to vague outlines of gods, humans and animals, and more than half the buildings are boarded over and crumbling.
The eponymous willow tree stands in the centre of the courtyard, overhanging a paved drainage culvert running north to drain into the Leng River. Except that the culvert was made with insufficient pitch and so the rain water doesn't drain, but sits in a stagnant puddle pilled with rubbish, human waste and leaves from the willow tree, a festering miasma. This open sewer is crossed by small footbridges either side of the willow.

Perhaps, long ago, the court was a bustling hub of commerce but there are only three businesses in evidence today. A tinker is setting up his small pitch for the day in one corner of the yard, just a blanket on the ground arrayed with tools and various bits of metalware that he is still working on. On the ground floor of the building next to him is some kind of general store, an old lady and a young girl setting out their wares - anything from vegetables to cooking pans - in front of the shop. Across the square from these two is a scruffy-looking tea house with a dark interior. Two old men are playing dragonscales at an outside table. All the inhabitants of the square are Nekuuese, and impoverished-looking.

[sblock=OOC]
Lesser Restoration on Shakou, who is now restored to full Strength. Anyone else with Health damage is healed as well, so you are all at full hit points, with all spells returned.
[/sblock]

 

[Walking Dad]

AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 39/39, F +5,R+3,W+6 (Spells: 0:5/5, 1:4/4, 2:3/3)
Ape Form (AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13)

"Where shall we start has anyone experience in this?" Ape asks the others, leaning on his staff.

[sblock=ooc]
I stay human in the city.

Spells (CL: 3, DC: 13+spell level)
5/Day Level 0: Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic
4/Day Level 1: Produce Lightning, Shillelagh, Summon Nature's Ally I.
3/Day Level 2: Summon Nature's Ally II

Baboon Traits:
AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13
Fort: +6
Refl: +5
Will: +6
Move: 40', cimb 40'
Init: +4
Listen/Spot: +9
[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

Ping!

 

[Blackrat]

No, not really. Three Flowers answers. I have had very little contact to less fortunate people. I think we should just ask someone about this gang.

 

[Neurotic]

"I'll keep an eye out. I'm not well suited to talk to you, big folk." With that, Mystal fades from sight among his bigger companions and goes (invisibly) toward the willow.

He climbs just high enough so he can see surrounding streets or, if that is impossible, to be able to see first floor of the buildings at eye level.

OOC: Cloak of Deception, move slowly (by 5' steps) up the tree recovering the maneuver as he goes...after reaching the tree he recovers the maneuver and hides in the branches, alert on any potential threat to the party.

 

[Shayuri]

"The people may be too afraid to talk to strangers about this," Annika points out. "But if we are here long enough, I'm sure we'll see gang members throwing their weight around. Then we can stop them, and earn some trust from their victims."

 

[Theroc]

"If we do get into a fight, I'll need someone to help find my stuff after the dust clears..." Shakou noted, smiling pleasantly as she looked around to the others, and the impoverished locals. It reminded her of what she'd managed to avoid through her exploits with Gengoro, though it was by no lawful means.

 

[Dr Simon]

You don't have to wait too long. A large group of men emerges from a blocky five storey building on the edge of the square. Quite large - nine of them in total - but they are attired in tatty leather, clubs swinging in their hands as they swagger towards you. Three Flowers, Annika and Growling Ape recognise the man who walks at the front of them - last time they saw him he jumped into the river after holding a knife to the Vashti's throat. He looks twitchy, his eyes red-rimmed and watery, his appearance unkempt and unshaven. The other men are all similar; low grade thugs of Nekuu and Anhoi heritage, with the same gleaming red-rimmed eyes and unhealthy pallor.

"This's our patch," slurs the leader, stopping the gang about 10 ft. away. "F*** off, if you don't want to get f***ed up."

[sblock=Mystal]
The surrounding buildings are too tall realtive to the tree to get a view outside the square, although you can see down the streets well enough. You can reach first floor height no problem. The windows of the building that these men came from are boarded over, like many of the windows on the square.
[/sblock]

 

[Walking Dad]

AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 39/39, F +5,R+3,W+6 (Spells: 0:5/5, 1:4/4, 2:3/3)
Ape Form (AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13)

[sblock=ooc]

Did they looked this unhealthy / possessed / undead the last time we had seen him?

--------
Spells (CL: 3, DC: 13+spell level)
5/Day Level 0: Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic
4/Day Level 1: Produce Lightning, Shillelagh, Summon Nature's Ally I.
3/Day Level 2: Summon Nature's Ally II

Baboon Traits:
AC: 17, Touch: 17, Flat Footed: 13
Fort: +6
Refl: +5
Will: +6
Move: 40', cimb 40'
Init: +4
Listen/Spot: +9
[/sblock]