[Vile] Puppy Kicking PCs at Work

[Fangor the Fierce]

Aligor Thunderaxe Male Dwarf Fighter/Barbarian

Alev raises his eyebrows in greeting to the dwarf, seeming not to care much whether the whittler had seen him walk around the corner.

"Good friends, I take it? From the fact that you still have a face after than Sunny comment... I've been dying to use the nickname myself, but I still have too much use for this," he says, running a hand across his cheekbones, softly, careful not to wipe away any powder.

"But anyway," he says, passing a serious tone for a moment, "we're here looking for this fellow Hectares, a magician or something, who may or may not know anything about some missing whores. If you know anything about him, or about whores, or about anything, well, our take's spread so thin as it is, it can't possibly hurt to split it another way."

OOC - Hey Sunedilar....hope you don't mind me using the shortened name, as a fellow 'accomplice', I am sure that they have had their own battles together...If it proves to be a possible conflict, then just let me know and I will ammend the post.

"In times of battle, names are unimportant, and the longer they are, the worse off. Short names for quick orders. If'n you need to shorten mine, you best call me Gore; it suits me better! And what's yer name?" Aligor pulls his cloak to the side, showing his newly assorted fangs and claws, blood still soaked on them.

Turning to Sunedilar, he grins. "So it seems that you are not employed by this Hex guy. That is good, for this would surely have been a tense situation! I had to relieve two of his hired swords of their lives, plus a few coins. Seems as though you have business with him also. And as for tha take, I might have a way to ensure that we can gain more. It seems as though this Hex guy was sendin' those brothers I killed on a job tonight, to meet an assassin that works for the government. I may have spoiled his plans, and saved someone's life. Not intentionally, mind you! But they went ahead and messed with my ale! Rusty said he would take care of the guards, telling them whatever story he wants, but to keep my name out of it. They were holdin' this map, which looks like the locations of this here Inn, Rusty's place, and the last location seems to be the building that this government assassin is in. Supposed to be a scary feller'. If'n this Hex guy finds out that I took out his hired hands, then sure as hell he will send some others to try and take care of me! So I thought I might get a surprise on him, by comin' here and speakin to him before he finds out his guys are dead, and I had anything to do with it. But it appears that you need to talk to him too. I'll take you up on yer offer, and split the fee. I got a place we could go to find more treasure later on if'n yer worried 'bout funds. But that will wait till after this job's done. Hex is said to be a punk, tryin to get his hands on things, makin others pay fer 'protection' and such. Small time thug with dreams, you know, the usual. And him havin a government assassin doesn't help much...damn government. Might as well offer my services to Hex, and double-cross that bastard! That'll teach him to mess with my drinken time!"

Bane is growling lowly at Alev, but Aligor lightly kicks the dog, making sure it remembers it's master. "Shut yer trap, mutt!" Aligor will keep an eye on the whittling man, making sure that if the man moves, he will notice where and when. He will try and talk low, so as not to alarm the man.

 

[Telsar]

Gwyn kicks in the double doors, and the surrounding walls and ceiling seem to creak in protest, but stay stable for now. Within, Gwyn finds a large dark room, filled with row after row of pews, with a raised platform and an altar at the far end. Nearly every surface, the walls, the floor and ceiling, the seats and the stage up front were apparently on fire at one time, their surfaces scorched and covered in black ash. One notable exception is a silhouette on the wall behind the altar, a vertical jagged shaped area, at least 8 feet high, where the wall isn’t burned. Apparently something was hanging there and took the fire damage, sparing the wall behind it, but since the fire, the ‘something’ must have been removed.

Gwyn notices what might have made the shuffling sound; two yellow-furred dogs sitting on the stage up front, who look up menacingly at the intrusion. Gwyn looks around and notices another dog in the pews, and then another, then yet another entering the aisle between the seats. Yet, when Gwyn looks back to the stage, those two dogs are gone now. It’s hard to get an accurate count of how many of the beasts are in here. And Gwyn also realizes that he saw no dog tracks outside, nor any way for the animals to have gotten in through closed doors.

Outside, T’aria can see through the double doors from her vantage point, observing roughly the same thing as Gwyn, when she hears a voice about 50 feet behind her. “Hey, what are you doing there?” T’aria freezes, realizing that she is mostly concealed by one of the large bushes in the yard [Hide rolled 20+9=29]. Peering around the bush, she sees two women coming up the street, looking toward the broken doors, probably having heard them being kicked in. The women match the description of the first two missing whores, Miri and Jeleneth, although they are dressed in much simpler and more rugged looking clothes than whores typically wear.

[The girls' yell either refers to the doors being kicked in, or Alicia, since I'm not sure what she's doing]


Back at Brie’s, Loni looks to Accalon as he makes his request. She whispers “I… I can do it. If you think the constables can help.” She very quietly opens the door leading to the hallway, and whispers back, “You’ll be OK? And Heliah? Please help her.” She looks pleadingly at the warrior, and after Accalon’s response, she quietly but quickly heads downstairs.


In the bedroom, Ezuvial’s voice is firm. “I have sensed the level of evil in your two allies, and although there is danger, the strength of my faith will protect me. Of course, I still don’t know who else I might be dealing with, as… you… won’t… tell… me.” He still seems a bit upset, obviously expecting Aeweth’s cooperation. He looks at her for a moment, while she bars his way from the room, then he resheaths his sword and puts his hands on Aeweth’s shoulders. “But I do think it’s telling that you are so concerned with my safety. I don’t want to have to forcibly move you out of my way, but I think you know I’m capable. I suggest the following; since you don’t mind if I free the girls, I’ll go deal with Brie, and you can call your friends together and convince them that whatever she’s paying you isn’t enough to warrant saving her life. Then, you can do the right thing and leave them.”

“As far as black and white and grays go, there is only right and wrong. But do you really perceive yourself as gray? What a horribly drab color.” He takes his hands away for a moment, and notices a bit of make up left on his hand. Looking at Aeweth’s shoulder, where a tiny bit of her colored scales have become visible, he says “But only gray on the outside. You wouldn’t have to hide your true colors, not to me. I have been hiding mine through necessity, since the corruption in this city makes openly doing what’s right very dangerous, but I will help you accept what you are, when you come with me.

[Note: Accalon can’t see the scales from his vantage point, and neither can Heliah if Aeweth avoids very close contact until she adjusts the make up]


Near the Hearthgate Inn, Aligor, Alev and Sunedilar can see that the old whittling man hasn’t seemed to take any note of them, still just sitting there intent on his craft. However, Aligor does hear the very faint sound of metal scraping metal somewhere behind the building they’re all standing next to. [Aligor rolled default Listen 15. Alev rolled 7 and Sunedilar rolled 9, both failing. Bane failed too.]

 

[Goddess FallenAngel]

[OOC: This is assuming that Gwyn is standing in the doorway, waiting to see if the building collapses, and that the women are too far away to easily hear a whispered comment.]

The women match the description of the first two missing whores, Miri and Jeleneth, although they are dressed in much simpler and more rugged looking clothes than whores typically wear.

Perfect... we've hit the jackpot. Here they come. T'aria glances back toward the burned out church.
Maybe the dogs will stay in there... or we can send Alicia in to deal with them.

"Gwyn," she whispers. "Those are two of the missing whores - get out of the way... preferably back out here where the dogs aren't."

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

"They're not my friends," says Rhesa, pissed at the "when you come with me." "They're in it for the money and all about as moral as Lydia, so I doubt I could dissaude them." She says this while adjusting her makeup, and with that done, steps out of the way of the door. "It's not like I could stop you anyway, but I wouldn't reccomend it." She shrugs. "We're on different sides of this one, I'm afraid. And it's not my fault I have to be gray- it's your damn monochrome morality." She smiles a little. "You get a thirty second head start, and I reccomend you use it to run." She adds grudgingly, "Best of luck." And she does wish him such- it would really make her day to see Brie righteously smoted (smitten? Smut?), even if it means no payment.


Incidentally, in case it wasn't clear, Rhesa honestly doubts his chances against the assembled group.

I'm off now, as per sig. Rhesa'll sit down and talk calmingly to Heliah for a while, persuading her to stay in the room. Once he's gotten his head start, she'll walk at an unconcerned pace in the direction Lydia headed, knocking on doors and calling for Lydia (I don't think she gave a fake name, so I'll just use that) and making an obscure theological reference about there being trouble ("Lydia, dear, there's a problem with those draperies. You know, the Heironian canonical draperies?"). An innuendo check again- "The trouble is of a most paladin-like nature, and powerful." Having informed her of the problem, Aeweth will opine that they can't take him, and advise very strongly that they remain where they are. In any case, she'll follow her own advice and hide away from any fight. She'll use her spells to save any innocents (i.e, prositutes) that get caught in a crossfire, though.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Accalon Darcanda: Human/Male (Unholy Warrior)

Accalon nods his head quickly in the hopes that Loni will depart while his mood darkens, Not much I can do to protect Heliah, its up to the new whore to avoid a fight…

Accalon breathes easier after seeing the zealous Ezuvial sheathe his sword.

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

Aligor Thunderaxe Male Dwarf Fighter/Barbarian

Near the Hearthgate Inn, Aligor, Alev and Sunedilar can see that the old whittling man hasn’t seemed to take any note of them, still just sitting there intent on his craft. However, Aligor does hear the very faint sound of metal scraping metal somewhere behind the building they’re all standing next to. [Aligor rolled default Listen 15. Alev rolled 7 and Sunedilar rolled 9, both failing. Bane failed too.]

"Seems as though we aren't alone here lads. Sounds like a sword unsheathing to me..." Aligor whispers while turning and peering behind him to the back of the building while quickly grabbing his shortbow and readying an arrow for whomever peers around the buildling. "Draw your weapons! If we wait, they could attack, and send others behind us to flank. I say we surprise them! Come Bane, we have work to do!" (Defend - Aligor)

Aligor will get in a defensive stance, total defense, and ready an arrow, waiting to make sure that Sunedilar and his friend have their weapons drawn before any other actions take place.

 

[Serpenteye]

Alicia followed her two companions, skulking along as good as she's able, and she stays a few paces behind them when the door is kicked open.

“Hey, what are you doing there?” T’aria freezes, realizing that she is mostly concealed by one of the large bushes in the yard [Hide rolled 20+9=29]. Peering around the bush, she sees two women coming up the street, looking toward the broken doors, probably having heard them being kicked in. The women match the description of the first two missing whores, Miri and Jeleneth, although they are dressed in much simpler and more rugged looking clothes than whores typically wear.

[The girls' yell either refers to the doors being kicked in, or Alicia, since I'm not sure what she's doing]

Alicia turns quickly to face the speaker, her sword still in hand. When she notices her two colleagues and friends (in her mind at least) she smiles childishly and starts walking towards them. "Miri, Jele, Goblin-Brie is very worried about you two. You should not have run away, that was bad. But you don't have to be bad anymore, so be happy. I have come to bring you back home."

 

[Paxus Asclepius]

Gwyn moves behind Alicia, his hands behind his back and his smile beaming assurance. Should either girl flee, he runs them down and subdues them with his truncheon.

 

[Cepter]

Catching up; Sunedilar al Hazir Human/Male Fighter

(OOC: Sunedilar probably wouldn't care for the nickname, but not so much that he;d do more than say something about it. It seems to fit you character to use it anyway, so by all means! Also, this post is going to do a bit of temporal jumping, as I catch up. Stupid finals, lousy kids aren't passing anyway...)

Sunedilar scowls for a moment at Aligor's use of the shortening, but he quickly regains his control. After all, if it pleases his erstwhile allies to believe he has a genial side, let them. They were just spear carriers in his people's destiny. He greets his ally of old cordially, if somewhat coldly, as is his wont, then listens to Aligor's story, taking in the details of the prospective thief, if that is the word to describe this Hex. Though he seemed less and less like the one they were seeking, since he seems to be trying to connect with the government of the city, and they would not need subtle means to close a brothel, nor the desire to open one themselves. though he could be trying to offer the closing of Madame Brie's establishment as a gift...

But he lets that though slip away as they approach the Hearthgate.

"We would be best suited to draw Hex out here, away from witness and hopefully any guards. Alev, you seem likely to be the type that would hire one such as him. Perhaps you can lure him outside with promises of the sort of work only a guild could accomplish. Stroke his ego, offer him outlandish sums, just draw him out here to us. Once he is outside, we can employ more direct means of persuasion to find out about all of his recent ventures."

At Aligor's warning, Sunedilar once more draws his sacred chain, setting it whirling to create a dazzling wall of steel and spines, waiting for the currently unseen assailant(s) to make a move.

(Full defense for now)

 

[Telsar]

At the church, Miri and Jeleneth seem a bit worried about seeing Alicia here, but Jeleneth talks to her pleasantly enough. “Alicia. Hello, it’s good to see you again. But, um, we don’t live at Brie’s anymore. We have a new home.” Miri looks towards Gwyn and says to Alicia “I don’t think we know your new friend. Who is he?” Before Gwyn can actually reach the girls, he notices movement somewhat behind him, and turning, sees one of the dogs now standing in the doorway. The dog looks out, and makes a few yelping sounds and a growl. Jeleneth says, “Alicia, it’s good to see you, but we’re on our way somewhere, so we’ll have to catch up with you again sometime.” Neither girl runs, but both appear ready to.


Meanwhile, Aligor, Alev and Sunedilar wait with weapons drawn, to see who approaches. After just a few seconds, a young lady rounds the corner, about 10 feet away. She wears leather armor with a sheathed short sword, and has her red hair tied in a pony tail. She seems startled by the collection of warriors. Aligor has to wonder how he missed her; since in circling around to greet Sunedilar and Alev, he passed right by where she came from.

[Note-this is a surprise round. Any PC can take a move or standard action (not both) before the first round begins. I’m not suggesting anyone attack her unless they want to, but anyone who waits to see what she does basically foregoes this free surprise round action. Of course, maybe she’ll just want to talk, in which case there won’t be round-by-round action anyway]


At Brie’s, Ezuvial smiles at Aeweth, saying “If we’re on different sides, and you realize I’m following morality, no matter what it’s hue, then I think you at least partly know you’re on the wrong side. I imagine it will be a bit more than thirty seconds before I can return to you, but not much more.” He turns to Heliah, who has backed into a corner, and says “Stay here with Felari. But don’t trust her friends if you see them. And soon I’ll be back to take you to your friends. They miss you a great deal.” With that, still keeping his sword in its sheath, he heads out of the room and downstairs, casually calling out “Madame Brie! If you don’t mind, I need to discuss some… displeasure I have with your girls’ training.”