The midday meal came before the group was really ready for it; they had barely finished telling each other their tales of the night before, and voiced their basic plans for approaching the merchant's shop, when the noon crowd began to arrive.

   Seeing that they weren't going to get much more accomplished in the way of private discussion, the five excused themselves from their table and headed to the door. One of the serving girls had it swept off and ready for the next patrons before Narvil reached the door.

   Outside, Phent was in full swing, for a weekday. Wagons rolled past in both directions, some laden with goods for market, or for parts further along the Golden Way. Children played with sticks, dogs barked, people talked, and yelled, and cursed. A lone chicken ran loose through the scene, clucking and dodging the hooves of the horses that paid it no mind.

   Looking at each other again in the sunlight, the party blinks and wonders: are they going to hire on to this mysterious merchant and help him collect his as-yet unknown prize, or investigate him and his business based on the shroud of secrecy that is wrapped so tightly about him?

Talrylil walks along and voices his concern, " I say we go straight forward and simply hire on. I mean he needs help and the best way to make sure he is on the up and up is to work with him. Would that not be the ideal situation? I think Narvil had mentioned it before...no?" Tal looked back at the others and wondered if they had different plans. They could always get more information, he knew he was not good at it. HE figured Thac and the others were well versed in getting some type of information, " So do we gather more intel or simply go and get him to hire us? Or we could do both at the same time. I mean hire on and then at night during our break we try to get information."

Tal Snapped his fingers as a plan started to form, YEs yes Excitement clearly in his voice, " We can hire on and then get information at the same time. What do you guys think?"

Tal, smile wide was proud of his idea. Of course it was up to the others if they agreed or not.

Lia grins, but the smile fades when she looks in Narvil's direction.  He is a worthy warrior, but at times his rather strict approach to life is a hinderance, at least in Lia's eyes.

"Let's go and check the area near the shop out first.  If Narvil detects anything unsavoury, then we will decide what action we take.  If he does not, then I agree we sign on."

"Well that's all good.  At least now we al lhave a common goal." Thac says with a smile.

Thac starts walking in the direction of the merchant.  "Sorry, shall we go?"  Thac says as he stops a couple of feet from the group.

Narvil nodded at Lia's idea.

"You are right Lia, let's get there to see what's going on."

He looked then in Talrylil's direction.

"May I remind you that we can't just knock at the merchant's door and ask for work. That would sound a little bit odd as he hadn't posted any proposal of job yet and he would be automaticaly suspicious. If we want to be hired by him, we need to be sure to respond correctly to his needs, if needs there are."

   Narvil's wise counsel, vexing and tiresome as it may be sometimes, gives pause to the others, and they nod their collective heads in understanding. It's true - knocking on a door uninvited and offering to perform a job not yet publicly known could bring far worse than a dirty look, in some parts of town. Best to tread carefully in the beginning.

   The group makes its way across town, skirting the lower bazaar by a fair berth, seeing that the main road leading across the face of it is already too packed with pedestrians to squeeze through without inviting pickpockets [or worse] upon themselves.

   As they approach the section of town that contains the suspected 'closed' shop, the party is surprised to see, emerging from one of the busy storefronts ahead of them, a Thayan wizard. Red robes the color of bright, arterial blood swish around the legs of the man as he walks down the front steps, flanked by a trio of guards. He turns, makes a rude gesture at the storekeeper [who is now standing in the doorway of her shop with arms crossed over her chest], and then mounts his horse.
   "We'll see what your mayor has to say about that, witch!" he says loudly enough to be heard, before turning his group north and heading toward the mansion of the town leader.

   As there was no violence in the exchange, business quickly returns to normal in and around the street, and the shop owner goes back inside. Nobody pays any more mind to the brief delay in their individual business transactions, and soon the red wizard is forgotten, fallen into the background noise of the spirit of Theskan trade.

   The collector's shop is ahead and around the corner, according to Thac and Tal.

"Hm,"says Garik.  "That looks like someone who may definitely need help.  The shopkeep, I mean, not the Red Wizard.  Anyone who makes enemies of them may be a friend to us.  Shall we step over and see what we can find out?"  Garik is not overly fond of Red Wizards.  Their abuse of magical power makes too many people fear other honest wizards, and these little encroachments into other territories he's heard about don't sound like benign gestures to him.  There may be something to this altercation...

Lia grins.  "Let's do it." The blonde strides confidently forward, moving into the shop, hot on the man's heels.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:53, Fri 06 July 2007.

   The shop's interior is warm and inviting: several stands and tables line the walss and fill the corners, and no signs of a struggle or other disturbalnce seem to have occurred, despite the Thayan's harsh words outside. Homemade crafts seem to be the hallmark of this shop, from handwoven items to knicknacks to the odd assortment of jewelry and accoutrements.

   The female proprieter, a woman in her mid thirties, smiles at Garik and Lia - obviously recognizing them from the street scene outside. It would seem she is a very perceptive businesswoman.

   "And another fine pair of gentlefolk comes to peruse my wares...or should I say company?" She quickly amends her statement as the rest of the party follows their fellows inside [assuming the other three do].

Lia smiles back.  "Very nice establishment you have here." Her eyes linger over the pieces of jewellry before she gets back to business. "If you don't mind me asking, what's the story with the wizard?  He seems a strange sort to be in somewhere like this."

   "Oh, I don't mind...but there are others who would say that business is business, and this is none of yours. Though that would be others, as I said."
   She watches the others mill about the place for a few seconds, then returns her attention to Lia.

   "He thought to cheat me with an object he claimed to be from the frozen northlands of Icewind Dale. I used a spell to determine the truth of his claims, and in the process destroyed one of his precious items he was trying to sell. Now he seeks to be reimbursed for damages that do not exist...ah, the mayor will see to him. What can I do for *you* today?"

Tal follows the others inside the store, keeping quiet. He turns and with a wide eye stare and looks at all the nick nacks. He has never been in a store like this one before and was simply amazed. He was looking,prodding and willing to buy something. But then he frowns as he remembers he is low on cash. Maybe next time, Tal thiinks to himself.

He turns back towards Lia and listens intently, wondering to himself , Why did we come in here? He smiles at the lady and waits for Lia's answer to the womens question.

Narvil stopped at the front door as he saw the items sold in the shop. Jewelry was not the kind of goods he used to purchased. He finally entered into the shop to hear the woman's story.

"To tell the truth, we were just intrigued by the attitude of the Red Wizard of Thesk and wondered what was the matter. Their dark arts are source of many dangers and problems ... However, in this case he will probably gain reimbursment from you as you destroyed his good and nothing might prove that it was not what he claims. "

Narvil paused to examine the woman intensively.

   The shopkeep regards Narvil with a critical eye. "One would expect that if the scrimshaw item he claimed to bear was *truly* made from the bones of a knucklehead trout it would be somewhat more resistant to cold, being from that region, wouldn't one? In any case, the deed is done, and I'll abide by the good Lady's decision." She does not seem terribly worried that the mayor will decide against her, should it come to 'trial'.

Lia smiles at the merchant.  "I am sure Lady Luck will smile on you.  After all, your intentions were only to ensure you were not swindled." She looks in Narvil's direction, a twinkle in her green eyes, before turning back to the merchant.  "Have you been involved at all with the merchant that has just taken up premises around the corner?  Folk tell us that he is very mysterious, and is not actually selling anything."

   "Involved?" The woman's demeanor changes slightly...cools a bit, though her smile only fades just a bit. "No, I can't say that I have. Can't say that anyone has, really." She glances at one of the other party members who seems interested in something on one of her shelves, but dismisses it as simple curiosity.
   "That place used to sell music and instruments some time ago. Not much call for that in this town, or from passers-by, so it packed up and moved on. Whoever this new merchant is, they haven't opened up yet, nor have they decided to make the acquaintance of the rest of their neighbors, at least not formally." She shrugs, not knowing what else to say on the matter.

   "This would look lovely against your skin" she says, switching the subject smoothly as she steps over to a rack of earrings and picks one out for Lia.

Lia looks in Garik's direction and grins, before looking back at the merchant.  "I know of someone who probably should buy me something from here, so I might bring him back later.  For now, thank you for your time.  I meant no offense when I asked of the other merchant, please forgive me if I caused any."

" It is sad indeed when a red wizard would attempt to fool an honest person trying to make a living. I cannot imagine someone doing that..why not just make money the legal way." Tal shrugged and looked at the others wondering if they could learn anything else from the shopkeeper. HE was still a bit confused as to what they were goign to do next. Good thing for him the others seemed to know exactly what to do.

" So the other store is not even open? Hmmm interesting.. Talrylil looks at the shopkeeper and smiles and simply waits patiently again.

Lia bids the merchant farewell and leads the group out of the shop.  She then turns the corner and goes looking for the closed shop.

While leaving the shop Tal asks a simple question," I may have forgotten but what exactly are we going to tell the shop owner? Are we just checking it out ?  What is our play here, if you will? Tal looks about while walking down the street making sure he was not over heard.

Lia shrugs her slender shoulders.  "To be honest I am not sure.  I was planning to ask Narvil to check the place out for sinister people, and if that failed, I was then going to knock on the door."

Tal chuckles and then follows along, "Well I guess that is as good a plan as any. But ummmm I mean what if he does not answer? If he does answer then what are we goign to say? And then what if he is evil or Narvil feels some evil intent? And then what if there is no evil intent but they answer? And then what if they answer and we ask about getting a job and he asks about how do we know? And then.... Tal pauses a bit as he realizes he was starting to act a bit paranoid. He chuckles at himself and smiles sheepishly. Quiet to hear some answers or a plan from the others.

Sorry...a bit excited as you can tell.

   Tal's energetic stream of questions serves at least one purpose: it shortens the conscious amount of time it takes for the party to exit the curio shoppe, walk down the avenue, and go around the corner to where this merchant's shop is supposed to be located.

   People mill about in the street, chatting with one another, showing goods just purchased in a nearby shop or discussing which one to enter next. One nearby patron makes a point of exclaiming how much more pricey the goods are here as opposed to the upper bazaar...and is quickly driven off by one of the shopkeepers! It seems that false advertising by 'seeding the crowd' has a firm root in Phent on market days!

   The distraction passed, the group finds itself standing before the closed and shuttered frontage of their target building. It is a rather narrow shop, not much more than twenty or thirty feet across, and has no awning or signage to speak of to display the possible wares within.

   It is difficult to say from who or where the feeling of being watched comes, because at one point or another, nearly everyone is glancing at the group: some as they move past, some as they stop to look with them, and others as they stand in or near the nearby shops' doorways. No one makes eye contact with the group for more than a second at most, and likewise, none offer words or conversation, either.

   Still, if they wished to be known as adventurers, they couldn't let a simple closed door stop their progress every time, or they wouldn't get much accomplished, now would they?

Lia is used to being watched, mostly in taverns, but she finds the quick glances rather unnerving.  When they arrive, she turns to Narvil.   "Well, can you detect anything unsavoury?"

Narvil glared at the building as much concentrated as possible. He then looked at the poeple gathered around he begun to move around the corner, trying to seem uninterested by the building but in reality, still examinating it with attention.

OOC : Narvil is of course using his detect evil ability

   The knight of justice moves forward slowly, methodically, concentrating on his divine power to discern the auras of his enemies. He is at first somewhat distracted by the negativity of the small groups of people passing by; hucksters with selfish intentions against their marks, several orcish mercenaries on leave from their garrison duties to the east, and even the lingering residue of what he presumes is the passing of the Red Wizard some sixty paces to his rear, at the intersection they crossed.
   His movement around the front of the building helps him narrow his focus, though, and at first he is surprised - and to some small extent, relieved - to detect only one aura of darkness within the building. Pursing his lips, he recalls hearing that it was a small group that entered the city gates, which gives him cause for thought: where are the others?

   As his concentration continues to draw focus, he becomes aware that the subject of his scrutiny is moving...toward the front of the building!

   Narvil barely has time to react, much less warn his fellows, when suddenly the front door of the place opens up, and a man, a human male, is framed in the doorway. Dressed in simple commoner's garb, the figure looks out and down from the top step, glaring for a few seconds at the party members milling about the front of the unopened shop.
   "Hrrmph" he snorts through his nose derisively at the nearest one, then walks down the steps and past them all, out into the street.

   Behind him, someone comes to the door which has been left open a crack. An eye peers outward into the street, then closes the door behind the exiting man. A bolt can be heard sliding into place.

Thac looks around for the others.  Crap!! I was daydreaming. Thac sees them exit a small shop and start walking toward the unopened one.  Thac starts after them.  However, he only manages to catch up with them as a figure steps out and past the group.

"Good day sir, can I perhaps bring some elven wine over later.  It's from the age of old."  Thac says in rush just like an auctioneer at auction.

[Private to DM Lobo: Attempting to act like a wine merchant.  (Just trying to stop him for a mintue.)07:49, Today: Thac Morne rolled 9 using 1d20+3. bluff (wine merchant).]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:52, Mon 16 July 2007.

   The man's steps barely skip a beat as he brushes past the quick-witted Thac and continues on his way without a backwards glance. It seems he is not in the market for wines or spirits today.

Tal looked around the building with a sour expression. He looked at the locked up establishment and knew that they were out in the open. The looks given by others passing by are a testament to that. He knew they were known by the people inside. What were the others expecting? He shook his head in disgust and asked in a harsh whisper< " Hmmm I really suggest we go and at least have some sort of plan...no? Tal did not like standing out here in the open. He looked back to the others, Should we not at least go somewhere we can talk?"

Tal noticed that Thac had ran to follow the other guy, he figurd he had a good idea. IF it worked or not was not the point, right now he wanted to get away and not seem so conspicious. He turned without waiting for an answer from the others and followed Thac, " Hey wait a sec Thac...."

Narvil came back to the others and urged them to react.

I sensed only a single darkened aura, and it comes from the man Thac just talked to. And he is the only link with the building and their inhabitants we have. Someone should follow him to see what's going on. The occasion might never happen again before days. It's not time to lose his trail !
This message was last edited by the player at 14:45, Wed 18 July 2007.

   Thac is still standing in the roadway, having just been rebuffed by the man who exited the shop. Nodding his agreement with Narvil's observation - even though he doesn't necessarily agree with the paladin's ethics sometimes - Thac roughly shoves Tal to one side, then steps quickly opposite him in the thin crowd.

   The diversion seems to work, and while the man pauses briefly to see what the commotion behind him is about, Thac scoops up a bit of drab cloth off a nearby display rack, draping it over his shoulders. He tosses the proprieter a few coppers and a smile, and begins shadowing the suspicious man as he briskly walks away down the street and around the corner.

   The two are quickly out of sight, leaving the other three to stand around again in front of the now-locked shop. Well, once Tal stands up and brushes himself off, that is.

Tal gets up and scoffs. He was a bit angry and almost thought about attacking. Almost, though for he knew it was not out of anger but to cause something of a distraction. He shook his head and turned to face Narvil. He looks at the locked building and back at Narvil, " Now you agree with me that we need a different plan...no? I mean I doubt you want to break into a locked building...right?" Tal starts to clean himself up a bit while trying to look like he belongs. He still did not like the idea of all of them standing in front of a locked door. He looks around the area and chooses one shop, " Cmon let us go buy something....at least get our thoughts together and plan a bit better..." Tal looks over at Narvil, Tal was out of ideas and he knew that they should not be out here in the open.

He left hoping at least the others would follow and not stand in the middle of the road like fools.

Tal chooses any random shop or store or whatever and starts to browse around.

"Hum ... All i wanted to know was if there was something special with this building ... if i was able to sense dark forces at work. But it seems on this point."

Narvil followed Talrylil into the shop.

"For the moment, what kind of plan would you like us to imagine ? We don't even know what our goals are ! If it had seemed that something evil was taking place thereby, it would have been easier to figure what to do. But now ?"

Narvil stared at the first articles exposed in the shop, wondering why Talrylil had chosen this one.

Tal looks at the wares in the store and simply looks as if he was interested. He notices the look Narvil gave him and smiles, " I only came in here so we could get off the street, I did not want to look like fools standing in front of a locked building. I mean lets say for instance you did not find anything evil about the place..then what???" Tal looked around to make sure no one was listening before he continued,

" To be honest with you I am at a loss as to our next step...I agree that our goals are ...well we have none! But if we draw to much attention to ourselves then we lose our advantage."

Tal starts to think,  wondering what they could do to see what the hell was going on. He was a bit frustrated and wanted to bash the door in. He knew that would not work though and he thought for a minute, " Ok so we knock and simply ask about it. I mean that might be dumb and all but I have nothing else. I mean what else can we do? WE find out if he has a job or not and go from there? What do you think?" Tal did not know if that was tbe best plan but he wanted to at least throw some things out there. Something was better then nothing. He looked around to make it seem like he was interested in buying something.

[posted by DM]


   Garik, who had also followed the paladin and warrior into the shop of choice, nods from his position a step away, and with his back to them. No stranger to intrigue, he prefers to keep stares *within* the shop to a minimum as well.

   "Sounds like a fair plan. We know that they have been discreetly asking for help around town, otherwise how would rumors that they were hiring have even left such a tightly guarded door, right?" He moves around them to examine another display while remaining in earshot for a response.

Narvil considered it for a few seconds. He nodded to himself before answering them.

" It seems we don't have any other option. I propose that you see to that, it won't look serious that a follower of Tyr ask for this kind of job. Afterall, i am only assisting you so we can help those miners sooner."

Tal did not like the plan but could think of nothing better. He looked back at Narvil and laughed, " Indeed you are correct....I guess we are assuming the worse then eh ? Ok ok I guess I will go and see what happens. Are you sure though? I mean I do not mind you staying out of sight but are you sure?"

Tal looks at the wares in the store once again and shakes his head. He then walked towards the exit and smiled at the store owner. Outside he looks to Narvil and simply nods his head, " Want to meet at the tavern then? Or you gonna be around here incase something goes wrong? Up to you....just if you stay around try to blend in...." Tal looked at Narvil and then laughed, it would be hard for a follower of Tyr to blend in.

He shook his head and sighed loudly. He checked his weapons and dusted himself off. NOdding again at Narvil Tal heads back to the locked building. He walks straight up to the door and knocks hard, waiting patiently.

   Lia is still outside, apparently engrossed in the collection of silky fabrics at one shopkeeper's displays. Garik breaks away from the other two men and heads over to her side, then turns to get a better view of the doorway to which Tal will be approaching. Narvil remains behind, in the doorframe of the shop they are leaving.

   Tal takes a deep breath and walks across the somewhat busy street, past the display table that Thac knocked him into, and up to the steps of the closed shop. Once more he gets the distinct feeling that he is being watched, but he manages to control the burning sensation in his pointed ears, and remains calm.

   He climbs the short set of four steps and reaches up a hand to knock on the wooden door...

   And knocks.

   The door is almost immediately opened the same crack as before [Tal notes that he did not hear a lock or bolt sliding back, oddly enough]. An eye peers out at him from the other side, and a hoarse voice whispers to him:

"Yes? What is the password?"

Talrylil could not help but laugh, of course. Of all things to happen, a password! A password was needed, I cannot believe these guys, why did we not plan enough ahead of time? We rushed into this, like like fools! He wiped his grin off his face and stared hard through the crack. "Interesting..." He flexed his fingers as he started to think. He knew that he did not have enough time and could not think of a good enough lie.

Then it hit him, why not tell the truth? Why not be upfront and simply ask if they have a job for him or not. He tilted his head and in a loud enough whisper to be heard through the door he speaks his mind, " Well to be perfectly honest with you I do not have a password to give you. But alas I must be at the wrong place, for I heard there was some type of job to be done and this was the place to ask about it. I have certain talents that would be of aid..." Tal paused a bit unsure how to continue. He then shrugged his shoulders trying to appear as if he did not care one way or another, " I am looking for work and hence want to work...you need a job done or not?" A bit of anger crept into his voice, more to his friends at not thinking things through then at the man at the door.

Tal looked at the man in the crack and stared at him hard. He figured a mean stare would work better then a smile.

   The visible eye narrows slightly as the man takes stock of the warrior before him. Lines form under the eye, upon the cheekbone of the mostly-hidden face. Tal cannot see the rest of the body, or even the hands, and for a moment imagines that the person to whom he is speaking is readying a sneak attack with some weapon, and any moment now will throw open the door and gut him like a fish.

   "Heh, heh. Of course, there is no password! Only a fool or a person with no business here would attempt to make one up." The wrinkles were laugh lines; he sees this now as the man chuckles to himself.

   The door opens, and Talrylil is ushered inside. The door closes quickly behind him, though not before a silhouette of the man can be seen by those observing from the street.

[Private to Talrylil: Inside, the shop has been arranged in such a manner as to make it almost impossible for anyone to crash through the door and continue on into the room at a charge; tables and chairs are staggered in their setup, forcing a weaving pattern for people moving through the area, slowing them considerably.
   At the far end of the room sits a pair of cloaked, robed, and hooded people - just as you'd heard, looking like they walked straight out of the desert this morning. Behind them stand two obvious guards, whose chests are bare, showing well-defined musculature...though their heads are similarly turbaned and masked. At the guards' hips each carries a wide-bladed falchion.
   There seems to be no actual merchandise in the store, at first glance.]

ooc: spot checks for Narvil, Garik, and Lia if you wish.
Tal, you and I will continue to post here, but strictly through PMs.

Tal turns his head as the door closes....

[Private to DM Lobo: Tal then smiles wide, he wanted to seem a bit relaxed. He knew he was in over his head. His mother always told him to at least appear you knew what you were doing. So Tal tried to appear relaxed, calm, and even confident. HE looked around the room and noticed the guards. He was suprised at the layout of the room but knew that he could get away if he needed too. He bowed his head to the two owners? Tal looked around for a seat but could not find one near him. He smirked and then spoke in a low voice, "So I was correct that you did need help. So anything I need to know before we conitnue? Anything you need to know?

Tal looked at the guards again and then as an after thought spoke again, " Name is Malthinan from ....well I guess where I am from is not really relevent. So lets get down to details, unless of course like I said before , what do you need from me to continue our business?"

]

Narvil's eyes caught the last glare of Talrylil as he passed the door and hoped it was not the last time he saw it.

[Private to DM Lobo: As Tal disappeared behind the door, he considered the situation. He doubted that his companion was in danger but with this kind of persons, a simple gesture or word could turn the discussion in a bloodbath. He decided that to be prepared at anything he should go back to the inn to recover his warrior things. Then he would be back there, waiting.]

Thac was somewhere in the town following a dangerous being and Tal was locked in this strange building without any possibility to ask for help. He didn't like it at all !

   Tal is cut off from the group....

[Private to Talrylil: One of the figures sitting at the table grunts in response to his opening statement, in a voice just as coarse as the doorman's. "You are right; we don't need to know your name, or where you came from...but I thought most elves were gone these days...?" The suggestion might be considered rude, if the speaker were a local; perhaps this man has been in the far east too long, and does not know that the retreat has ended.

   "And yes, we are looking for help. In case you're wondering, the man who left before you did not take the job." The two seated share a look with each other that conveys nothing to the standing elven warrior, but he catalogues it away just the same.
   "Where we come from, some items are worth a king's ransom - literally. There is a thing that will help us...our lord, that is...regain his rightful seat of power. If this appeals to you, I will continue with the offer." One of the guards shifts his weight on his feet, but otherwise remains firmly locked in his crossed-arm pose against the far wall.]

   Outside, things get thin.

[Private to Garik Marison; Narvil Duncan; Lia Essmoor: Narvil glances over at the other two who are watching the shop from a different vantage point. Garik stands idly beside a shop door, looking around as often as he looks at the door Tal just went through. He catches NArvil's eye and gives the man a shrug. Should they follow, or at least close on the door, just in case their warrior needs a hand?
   Narvil indicates that he is weaponless, and Garik agrees with a nod, wiggling his fingers to show that he still has access to some spells, even though he is also without weapons at the moment. Only Lia wears her light leather surcoat and bears her fine Songblade about in the town today....
   The paladin casts about once more for Thac, who has not yet returned - though in truth only a few minutes have passed since he left - and then cuts away, heading for the inn where they left their gear this morning.

ooc: please indicate to me if you bring anything back for Garik: his grtsword or bow&arrows]

Door Shut...

[Private to DM Lobo: Tal nods and listens intently. He was glad that the man did not want details, which suited him just fine. He smiles when he mentions his race and the retreat. Tal was an outgoing spirit, always roaming the area and the world. Tal also noted the look shared between the two and wanted to speak about it, but thought better of it. HE looked around the room again wondering how many more rooms were on the first floor.

He shook his head slightly and responds in kind, " Well I see...yes so far it soudns good. But you must realize there are certain things people will not do. State the job, whatever it might be and let me see if it is not too dangerous. I am no fool and will not throw my life away to the dangers of the world or the dangers of the city." He looked at the guard and then back at the seated men, " I am interested, when money is involved I am always interested. But keep in mind I will not do something foolish..." Tal smirked at that last statement, he wanted to make sure these guys understood that he was no fool and that he would make sure the job was good for him. If not he would leave then and there.



]

   Talk isn't cheap, inside.

[Private to Talrylil: The figure who has not spoken yet gets a flash of what looks like anger in his eyes (for they are all that is visible of the face, behind the mask), and a sputtering, rumbling voice coughs out from behind the hood.
   "Foolish?! Are you not-" The figure sits forward in the chair, and might well have made it to Tal in one strong leap, if not for the restraining hand of his partner upon him. Another shared glance between the two, and the angry one sits back again, placated.

   "Are you not a mercenary, is what my friend was about to ask you" says the primary dealer with a silky smooth glossing of what almost became a fistfight. "This is, after all, what mercenaries do; they accept dangerous missions for those who prefer to lose coin than blood in their endeavors. Do you not wish to have coin for your troubles?"
   The man who opened the door steps away from the wall, dropping two fat purses upon the table in front of Tal. One spills open, and if both hold the same, there's probably three or four hundred gold coins between the two bags.

   "Yes, mister elf, we've come prepared to pay more now for less blood later. And more later if there's no blood at all, if you get my meaning. Twice this, perhaps a bit more. We're not in town for murder, you can rest assured." The man's voice becomes a little scratchy again - less the silky tones of his interruption, but Tal shrugs it off as merely having spoken to so many other applicants. Probably.]

Talk is not cheap

[Private to DM Lobo: Tal had to look hard at the man, if he wanted a fight he could protect himself. He only smiled though when he was held back. Tal was not afraid but knew he was outnumbered. BUt then again this was a meeting. Tal looks back to the speaker and nods his head, trying to digest everything. HE was unsure what the others felt about this and was thinking about telling them no right then and there. But they had all agreed to see this thing through, regardless of what happened.

" So Human I am a merc eh ? very well I agree that does make some sense. I also agree that it is easier to waste money then waste blood. Fine I understand you. BUt my question still stands, are you going to state the job or not? Tal pauses a bit to control his anger, he was not an angry person by nature at all. But the way they were speaking to him was getting under his skin.

With a low voice he continues, " I knew already that this would be a dangerous job, but I still came. Take comfort in that and speak the job and stop speaking in riddles. I never said you were in town for murder but I can be hanged in this town for less then murder. So lets stop the games and be blunt..what do you need of me."

Tal looked at the bag of gold and back at the speaker, he would take the job only to see what they wanted. He had a feeling that these people were up to no good and what a way to stop them by pretending to work for them. Yes unless of course the job was easy enough, then they would do it and be done with them. Money always helps....





 ]

   Narvil is still on his way to the inn, and Garik speaks softly with Lia about who she thinks will return first, Thac from his tailing, Narvil from his errand, or Tal...in pieces?

[Private to Talrylil: The main speaker shakes his head and waves a backhand at the elf standing before his table.
   "Then be off with you, beggar. We've no time for greedy or pompous types. You will get no further information on this delicate matter until you have promised to perform for us the required service, and that is final. If we were to divulge the particulars to every male consort who walked through that door, it would hardly be a secret, now wouldn't it?"

   Tal's heart skips. Perhaps he *was* a bit hasty in tossing insults about to potential employers...but how badly did they need this coin. And what would Narvil say if he came back with no information at all?]

Boarded up house...

[Private to DM Lobo: Tal chuckles and that chuckle turns into a great laugh. When he was done he tilts his head at the speaker and thinks for a good minute. He stares at the man and in a low voice, " I wonder why you anger so easily...I mean what insult did I offer you that put you so off? You are a business man yes? I mean it appears you are." Tal pauses wondering how far he could go with this man, " Anyways you know as I know that you cannot simply say yes to anything without knowing something. I mean what if I say yes to find out you want me to rob a rich merchant...or if it is a mission that is impossible. If you are waiting for some idiot to come in and say OK then you will not get any to say yes. Unless you want a pawn to fail on purpose."

Tal paused a bit wondering what else he needed to say. Once again the truth came to him as the best answer, " As you can see I am still interested...else I would have already left. The money is good but you have to respect my reservations. I simply want to know more information. What is so wrong about that? What is so wrong about knowing what you are going to do. LEts say I say yes and you tell me the job and I simply do not do it? At least you will know right away that I will not do it because I cannot. But you ask the impossible...which person will come in here and say yes. Which idiot will you send off to the wolves...yes for I am not going to say yes wihtout something else."

Tal wanted to speak more about it but figured he had said enough, this whole situation did not sound right and something was really wrong. He figured he would be pushed out now but wanted to wait and see what he had to offer.


]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:10, Mon 06 Aug 2007.

Still loitering...

[Private to DM Lobo; Garik Marison; Narvil Duncan: Lia stays near Garik, biding her time for the most part, but also using her savvy to look for anything suspicious.

17:50, Today: Lia Essmoor rolled 18 using 1d20. Spot. ]

   The seconds tick by mercilessly....

[Private to Talrylil: At the elf's mention of robbing a rich merchant, the main speaker lets out a clipped, sharp laugh; it is easy to see even under the mask he wears that he is smiling at the suggestion by the warrior. He motions with his hand to Tal to continue.

   The second half of his statement is not so well recieved, and again the elven chainsman's heartbeat flips once, slightly.
   "We need respect nothing of yours, mercenary" growls the gruff, rude man on the right, interrupting Tal briefly; "least of all your precious reservations.". The other glances over at him, and Tal is allowed to continue to the end.

   When he is done, he takes a breath and waits. And waits. Truly it is only seconds that pass, but the only sounds he hears to help him bide the time are the muffled passings of wagons outside, and the even more subdued sounds of merchants hawking their wares. Odd, really, how quiet those sounds were.
   And then it occurs to him what the woman shopkeep had told them, about this having once been a place that sold musical instruments to bards and composers. OF course this would be as 'soundproof' as any building could be, given the location and structure of the place.
   And here he was, goading these armed men into at best - an argument, and at worse - well, he hoped his friends weren't too far from the front door....


ooc: don't post speech, but post thoughts or tiny actions like shuffling feet, etc, for now.]

   And it's even worse for Narvil...

[Private to Lia Essmoor; Garik Marison; Narvil Duncan: Narvil makes it to the inn without interruption, as most people have gotten out of the way of a charging knight of the realm, and he has become a recognizeable figure of late, given his status and friendship among the local guard. He races to the room to retrieve his things....
   Lia's eye roves over and across the myriad of sights available to her in the street, and the stunted marketplace that serves the people who do not want to wander the actual bazaars of the north and south ways.
   What she sees only confirms the rumors and information that she and the others have already gleaned - that the occupants of this place do not have mounts, or at least not ones they keep tethered to the outside of their building, and that no one approaches the place, even out of idle curiosity. The shop is closed and not advertising, and so serious business is easily found in other places; hardly a glance is tossed in the store's direction.
   Neither she nor Garik see anyone else casing the shop, nor does either one spot Thac Morne returning. He must still be shadowing the other mark...assuming he hasn't been spotted and caught.]

Tick tock...

[Private to DM Lobo: Tal did not understand why these guys were getting so angry. Was he really doing anything wrong after all? If these were business men they should be used to the haggle and such. Why the silence? Tal flexed his fingers, looking around the room for the best exit. He really did not want to fight but he wanted a bit more information before saying yes.

He moved a step back and was about to just say yes to ease the tension but....

ooc:I figure I can say yes now, since at least two others are back and ready to post ;)
 ]

Getting bored...

[Private to DM Lobo; Garik Marison; Narvil Duncan: Lia looks more and more agitated; standing around is not her thing at all.  She finally decides to take action.  "I'm going in there.  I cannot stand to wait around here any longer." Lia wanders over to the door casually, then knocks.]

   Within, one is left without....

[Private to Talrylil: Just as Tal is certain that the first in a series of telltale beads of sweat will burst forth from his brow and run down the side of his face, giving away his extreme discomfort at his current situation, the man on the left sits forward and smiles behidn the mask.
   "Very well, mercenary. We will trust that you are not so foolish with your own mortality that you won't attempt to cross us, or let spill the wrods I am about to tell you." He waves off the man to his left, putting him back in his seat with a mere gesture and a narrowing of his eyes. Truly, this one was in charge here.
   "As I said before, our lord is such by virtue of right. Such is the way of progression in our realm. But a *thing* of importance we have located in this town would help solidify his basis for rule, and bring to him many...followers, with which he could expand his influence over the lesser, petty lords that squabble amongst themselves. Wars are fought and famines brought upon the masses because of a few jealous and greedy nobles; our lord seeks to undo these vile men through divine right. Do you understand so far?" It seemed Tal did, for he nodded silently, and the man continued.
   "We seek an item. Jade, specifically. We know where it is but-" He is cut off by a knock at the door which seems to startle them all. The two guards against the wall draw their blades up to a ready position with a faint swoosh while the doorman trots quietly to the front of the shop and cracks open the door a fraction of an inch....]

   Lia is standing alone at the door when it opens a crack, just large enough to expose the eye set within the masked face of the one who opened it. Such is the coverage of the person that she cannot be sure of gender, much less race, though she suspects it is a male, and probably a human at that.
   The man looks her up and down with that eye, and before she can say anything, the door closes again. A latch clicks into place, securing the door from within.

[Private to Talrylil: "Who is it?" asks the leader.

   "Some woman. She looks lost, though she wears a blade."

   "See what she wants." The masked head turns to Tal. "Friend of yours, or perhaps another rival for this simple task of retrieval? Should you like to accept now, and we can turn her away immediately?" There is a hint of anticipation in the man's voice.]

Trying again...

[Private to DM Lobo; Garik Marison; Narvil Duncan: Lia knocks again.  "I am only showing concern for my friend.  Will you not let me enter to join him?"]

inside...

[Private to DM Lobo: Tal was listening intently and was glad the coversation was moving foward. He was afraid that he over stepped his bounds. He was suprised at what was being asked, he knew there was more to it. He was nodding his head thinking that he would say yes then and there. I mean the group did agree already that they would take this mission. Tal was about to speak his thoughts when someone knocked on the door.

Tal wanted to scream , why did Lia have to be so impatient. Hell she should be in here not him. He tried to relax but was unable to contain his nervous twitch. HE did breath a sigh of relief when he the leader did not seem to upset about it.

"Yea she is with me, this seems like a job that needed to be done with friends. Either way you can let her in or not. But we will accept. If its getting an item then we can do it. Tal paused as he looked back at the closed door, he flexed his fingers and looked back at the leader. So what are the specifics and what do I need to know in order to be successful?" Tal was anxious himself to start and get out of this building.


]

   "No" comes the muffled [to Lia's ears anyway] response to the question posed by the woman on the other side of the door. Tal, with no such wooden obstructions blocking the guard's voice, can only guess at what she had asked or said to elicit such a reply.

[Private to Talrylil: The leader-speaker grins again behind his mask, and then - astonishingly - removes it as he shakes his head in the negative to Tal's question.
   "No, it won't be necessary for her to come inside; I'll complete this business deal right away." His features are definitely eastern, more Shou than Theskan, that's for certain, and his eyes slant slightly at the corners, giving Tal the impression that he is regarding him with an inquisitive stare at all times.
   The man unrolls a bit of parchment that he takes from his belt, and sets it on the table. Using the two bags of coin to hold down opposite corners, the third is held by his hand as his finger points to the crude map of Phent that has been drawn on the paper.
   "Here is where we suspect it is" he says, as his finger stabs down onto a building just south of Sparkle Way, near one of the taverns there. "Appropriate, no doubt, because of the jewelers along that road. Jade...what a waste!" Tal is unsure what the man means by that statement, but shrugs it away as impatience to be done with this whole western affair.
   "I am certain that because of its size and value, there will be no other things of importance in the room holding it. Your task is simple: bring me every bit of jade you find there. Kill no one. Damage no merchandise...unless you must break down the door to get in, of course." The guards and the man still seated chuckle slightly at this.
   "I expect this to take you no more than two nights; we leave town on the third morning, and must have this by then. Our lord is...unforgiving. I would not want to disappoint him." There is an undertone of fear mixed with malevolence in that statement, and *almost*, it makes Tal rethink his decision to take the job. But as he said, they are already committed.
   He is walked to the door as he tucks away the two coin purses into the folds of his clothing.]

   The door opens, and Lia is staring at the door with an unpleasant look on her face. Tal sees her, but his initial facial expression is unreadable.
   "Two days" says the masked doorman to him as the portal is closed so quickly behind him that it nearly pushes Tal down the steps and into the bard's waiting arms.

   Narvil comes jogging back to around the corner....

Narvil's hand immediatly went to the hilt of his sword as he saw movement at the front door but relaxed when he recognized his friends at the distance.

Then he walked to Garik to meet everyone away from suspicious looks.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:22, Fri 17 Aug 2007.

Tal looked back at the closed door and the man who said two days. His sneer was long and hard, even still staring at the door when it shuts. He sighes and looks to Lia, he motions for her to follow and whispers in her ear, [Private to Lia Essmoor: Tal gave her a serious look," It is an easy smash and grab job, get an item and return it to them...I am telling you this now becuase I do not think our goodly friend will like it. YOu have known him longer, how can we include him in this venture? Also should I mend the story. I have a lot of details to give...but I am unsure what to say to risk the ire of Narvil."He sighes loudly once again. ]Tal pauses and then looks back at the building.

He begins to walk away trying not to stay near the area too long. Heading , slowly a bit, to the meet destination.

Lia keeps in step with Tal, responding to his question. [Private to DM Lobo; Talrylil: "Even if the cause is just, I suspect that we may have to break rules to achieve it.  This means he will take no part.  Who were they, and what did they want?"]

Talrylil slows down a bit to make sure he gets his point across, [Private to Lia Essmoor: " Yes I know I know but I only want to tell the story once so let us wait till we catch up to Narvil no? It sounds like we have to break into something and take something. Should I leave something out or no? Just tell the whole thing? Would he not turn us into the watch if he knew that we were breaking into a building ?"] Tal looked back at Lia and really wondered if she understood what he was trying to get across to her. Either way he picked up his pace to catch up to the others.

" Let us catch up to the others before I speak my tale, then I only have to tell it once. We have time, two days..." Tal shivered a bit and looked back at the building. He had a bad feeling about this whole situation.

Lia keeps stride with Tal.  [Private to Talrylil: "I do not believe he will turn us into the watch, but he will not knowingly commit an unlawful act, even if the end justifies the means in our minds.  I suggest you be honest; if he chooses to walk away, that is up to him."]

Tal nods his head towards LIa and said , " I agree, but I wanted to make sure first. Let us go catch up so I can speak on what went on."

Talrylil moves to meet up with Narvil...

   The four collect to hear what Talrylil has to tell them, but the elf continues on past the front of the shop where Garik and Narvil are waiting, preferring to move to a location where they can't be observed from the shop he just left.

   Thac is still nowhere to be seen.

Narvil slightly looked into his companions direction to note where they were heading. A few minutes later, he moved to meet up with them.

Talrylil continues to walk slow and looks at everyone around him. He took a deep breath and with a low voice attempts to weave his tale, " Where to start...first off let me give you my impressions.

Tal pauses again and thinks for what seems like forever, then continues , " Ok well these men we cannot trust, but we knew that already. Something is strange about them. THey all wore masks...which I thought strange but oh well. They also seem to be strangers, as if they are from somehwere else but I could be wrong. Anyways they are not being up front with me." Tal chuckles as he realzies that last statement was obvious.

" Well its pretty much a smash and grab job, they want us or they want me to get a jade item in a shop. They say they want it for their leader to grab power. So it appears it's a power play and this item will give him some type of leadership over someone. They were not very specific."

Talrylil pauses and attempts to remember every little detail, " So he stated , if I remember...due to its size and value it will be in a room by itself. Get the jade, kill no one and break nothing. He gave us two nights, they leave on the third morning. He also added a threat saying that his lord is unforgiving. Tal eyes Narvil wondering his thoughts on this whole mission so far.

He pauses a bit before he conitnues again, "The reason it took so long becuase when I first entered they gave me little information. They did not want to tell me anything but simply asked if I can do a job for them. I asked for some specifics and they were all ready to kick me out or attack. After a few tense moments they relented a bit and gave me some more information. Saying they just wanted to get an item. They gave me the speicifs and timeline after I agreed to do it. So in short we have two days to head to Sparkle way , get the jade in a room and give it to them. It sounds too easy but something is simply not right about the whole thing. What do you guys think? I did not ask any speicfic questions or anything. They pretty much just told me the basics as I felt they did not want to tell me anything more.

Talrylil pauses a bit, waiting for the questions to come in.

Lia looks increasingly frustrated as Tal gives his account of what happened.  "So we have no idea at all of their motives, only that they want power, which is not exactly unusual in Faerun." She turns to Narvil.  "You didn't pick up much evil, except for the one person who left the premises prior to Tal going in, correct?  At least that gives me some confidence that this masked group's motives are not all unsavoury." She brushes a delicate hand through her blonde hair.  "They were extremely secretive, so we cannot trust them at all.  We have two days, so I suggest we find as much as we can about the current holder of this jade item, and if they know where it came from, and go from there.  We can decide if we should procure the item for this group closer to the deadline."

Narvil shouted at the two of them as he heard them discuss about it

"Have you lost your mind ?! This is thievery ! And you want ME to be implicated in this plot ! How dare you even suggest that i would be interested in ?"

Narvil blue eyes were colder than ever and made anyone looking at him feel like his blood would froze instantly. He felt like the simple fact of hearing the story was outrageous.

He calmed down to analyse Lia's suggestion before giving his final impression.

"Lia is right, we should profit the time they gave us to collect any information about the holder of item and the item itself. But in any case, it is out of order that we take part into the stealing of the jade. I should refer instantly to the authorities."

ooc: posted by GM


   Garik seemed thoughtful as he listened to Talrylil's tale of the events that took place inside the building, rubbing his chin as he sometimes did when contemplating his spellbook.
   "I wonder if this is such a simple job of thievery, why they didn't just ask the local thieves' guild to do it for them? Sure, maybe they want to avoid the fees associated with hiring a local, but I'm sure they know we're not doing this for free...assuming we decide to help them" he added hastily, with a look toward the paladin.

   "Surely they know that 'doing business' in a town without the approval of the local guild would be dangerous? Unless this is a rival oustide guild trying to stir things up. Seems a waste to steal one thing if you want to eliminate the competition, if you ask me." He knits his brows, thinking more on what Tal has said.
   "And you mentioned something about them wanting to help their leader grab power? Where? How? Unless this jade thing is a weapon or magical artifact, what good will it do them in their move for a throne...in any country?" He shakes his head, finding more questions than answers so far.

Tal chuckled and looked at Lia, " See I knew Narvil would not like it.." Tal shook his head and continued, " Yes that was my point Lia, they did not want to tell me anything. By the way they were acting they did not even want to tell me about their grab for power. But as Garik mentioned maybe it was a lie. Why steal a jade for power ? Maybe its all a ruse for a distraction or something. Tal paused before he continued.

"Of course we cannot trust them, they were not being honest with me. Their guards were even mad when I started to question their motives and their means. But I agree we need more information. We need to find out who is holding it and why. Is it for sale? Is it some special item? Is it tied to anyt kingdom or not? I think if we find these answers then we know if anything they told me was the truth or not."

Tal was trying to remember every little detail about the meeting, he knew he was leaving something out but could not remember. He started to concentrate as he waited for the others thoughts.

Lia grins back at Tal.  "Well, the only way we'll find out more is to do some poking around.  If this is just some local power struggle, then we are better out of it, but if it's not, then we might be in a position to tip the balance in the right direction."

"So then we all agree that we should gather some information about the item and person who holds the Jade?" Talrylil asked in a frustrated sigh. He was not mad at Narvil but was frustrated at the people who hired him for the job. He knew he was shortchaning Narvil and Lia. He paused before he conitnued

" I know I may be missing some important information but they did seem to be in a rush. IF we choose NOT to complete the mission, remember that they may come after us."Tal looked over at Lia and Narvil with a low whisper, " Let us head over near the item and start looking for some answers."

Lia nods her agreement.  "Where is the shop?"

"Near sparkle way...lets head there."Tal leads the way...

   Narvil stands with arms crossed, a noted look of displeasure forming a scowl upon his face. Several things are running through his mind, that much is clear, thugh whether they include turning in his fellows - with whom he most recently thwarted the machinations of a rather evil wizard - for conspiracy to commit thievery.
   In the end, though, his future conscience takes a back seat to curiosity and the desire to help those in need. In this case, he isn't sure if it's the men in the locked shop, or the people from whom they want to 'acquire' this jade item. For now, he figures he'll just go along until his senses prick up at the wrong time, then deal with things properly.

   The group moves en masse, though not in a directl line, toward the south end of Sparkle Way, directed by Tal's apparently unfailing sense of direction from the map he was shown.
   They pass many shops open and closed [mostly open] and encounter several people that they are sure are either hucksters or thieves, plying their own form of trade in the streets. Most are either sidestepped, or in the case of a pickpocket, avoided themselves when Narvil is seen among them. Nobody really wants to anger a junior templar in this town.

   Eventually, the intersection turning north is reached, and Tal stops the party, pulling them off to the side of the road to let a cart trundle past, while they talk a bit more about what to do next.

Lia inclines her head in the direction of the shop.  "If you like I'll go and take a look in there.  I can do some browsing, and then make some discreet enquiries about the Jade."

Tal looks over at LIa, " Do we want to tip our hand yet? Why not get some information about who owns that shop? Or how long has that shop been here? Or the owner...anything before we actully go into the shop. No?

Tal looked at the shop, trying to get a layout. He figured sooner or later they would be going in. He wanted to make sure they were as prepared as they could be.

Tal looks back at Lia, " Can you get that information from others? Maybe we can get some information like we did last time. Plus I am sure we can find some things out before we go straight to the shop. Plus we do not want to tip them off. " Tal pauses a bit before he continues, " Also if we go in and ask about the Jade, and then its missing in two days...."

He left that last thought hanging, hoping tha Lia would understand his meaning. HE was lost but he knew they had to get more information, at least for Narvil's sake.

Lia wrinkles her nose.  "Well, no-one has any reason to link me to the Jade, and I was only going to ask some general questions, like where did the merchant get it from, and how much does it cost.  I was hoping to gauge the merchant's reaction as to how important this gem really is and whether he knows any more.  I actually think that asking about it in taverns and on the streets might draw more attention."

Tal nodded his head, " Ok point taken...I was only adding my advice. Which I thought wise...but I will leave it in your hands. Tal smirks and looks at Narvil.

He then looks back at Lia, " Do you want to go in by yourself? Or should we all go in?"

   Garik wrinkles his brows at Lia's offer to frontally scout the place during daylight hours.

   "I'd prefer not to have *any* of us running off on their own, given what Tal has told us about these prospective employers, at least until Narvil and the rest of us can get a better read on their intentions for this gem thing." He eyes Lia again as he speaks.
   "And if my...er...talents will be required to retreive this item, then I should definitely not be going inside to talk with abyone. But among us all, Lia and Narvil would likely arouse the least suspicion: her for her silver tongue, and he for his status among peers. Don't you agree?"

Lia looks slightly offended at Garik's suggestion she should not go and look alone.  "I am more than capable of checking this gem out without arousing suspicion, although I think if I was a merchant I might find it odd that a paladin was interested in it, as might anyone watching the premises.  Unless anyone objects further I will go."

Tal nods his head," But what is our plan right now? To get information right? Lia if you feel going in will help us then by all means go ahead. I will follow and watch your back so to speak. Narvil should come as well...lead away miss.

Tal did not like the idea of going in asking about it but he figured Lia had some plan. HE was lost and simply wanted to take the dam item. But he knew patience was their friend. They had two days, they might as well see the layout of the store.

[posted by DM]


   Just before Lia can make her move away from the trio of friends and approach the building in question, A figure detaches itself from the trailing shadow of a passing covered wagon and steps up beside her. His move is so smooth and unexpected that at first, no one even realizes he is there.
   "And hello to you, too!" Thac grins mischeviously as he nods acceptance, and his return to the group of fellow adventurers.

   "Whew! That man led me on a merry chase, no doubt about it. Wonder if he knew he was being followed, or just suspected it." Though he is speaking common, the others look at him - or rather, slightly behind and down - with a quizzical set of expressions. He doesn't seem to understand the focus of their attention until he turns and spots the female dwarf behind his shoulder.

   "Oh. Yeah. Folks, meet Durga. She's an old...acquaintance of mine. I've asked her to help, and I think you'll be happy to have her assistance before this thing is through." He looks at Lia and Garik.
   "So...what *are* we doing?"

Lia smiles in Durga's direction.  "Well met. I am Lia Essmoor, a Bard by trade." She looks back in Thac's direction. "I was about to head over to a merchant's premises and try and find some information on a gem a third party is interested in.  The others were going to keep an eye on me, but from a distance." Lia keeps her description vague for the time being.

"Bah! Help, assistance, that be what all want, nay? And always fer free! But I no be here for free, a' course, no, never. There be some fun t' be had, I could smell it from the coast t'ere as I could smell yer loincloths from around the corner lad." Durga grinned and bounced on her toes. With a comely face, of an average height for her race but half in width, she looked kinda weird. Short as she was, she elbowed Thac in the thigh, "That what ye bin doin' smartie? Chasin' after pretties this last couple a' years, ey?"

She looked at Lia with a broad grin. "If ye voice be as fine as ye look lass, I'll be buyin' ye a drink or three next time we hit a tavern. I be Durga Copperbeard. And yes, I know it be funny I don't have a beard. Me ma and pa and brother do, though. They always said I bin in the wrong family with no hair growin' out a' me cheeks and chin." She shook her head while managing to look disappointed with herself and sniffing twice. "Aye, but that be tales fer another time over some ale and roasted lamb chops. Want me to go look fer the shiny, too?"

Lia grins.  "My voice is better than I look, and I will take you up on that drink.  I think I'll check out the gem on my own, if its all the same, but please do not take offence."

Tal looks at the newcomer and nods his head. He then turns to Garik THAC and straight up asks , "How long have you known her?" Tal did not care if he asked in front of her or not. He figured now was better then any other time.
Plus he wanted to make sure she was on the up and up.
He then looks back at Lia and asks a simple question, " Do you think you will get more information by yourself? For Garik has a point...going alone without any...ummm backup might be dangerous to your health. Ya know..."

Tal shrugs his shoulders trusting in Lia's judgement. HE would wait or go along, whatever she desired.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:37, Tue 18 Sept 2007.

Durga shrugged at Lia's comment. "Meh! And I be havin' an eye fer pretties, I do." She looked up at Talrylil with an incredulous look. "My, how long has he known ye, uh? Me and Thac go way back, nay lad?" She elbowed him once more with a wink and a grin. "Anyway, I be agreein' with that Garik person whomever he be. It be a waste fer those pretty curves o' yers... I be doin' guard duty 'fore, even if I don't look like it."

It takes all of Lia's self control and considerable people skills to remain calm when she is asked again if it is safe to proceed.  "It is a merchant's shop I am going into, not a dragon's den.  I am also more than capable of looking after myself, particularly in this kind of area.  The more of us there are snooping around, the more likely we are to draw attention to ourselves."

[posted by gm]


   "How long have I known who?" Garik seems a bit confused at being questioned by Tal. "Lia? I've known her for as long as I need to know that I trust her as well as anyone else."

Tal bows low towards LIa, " very well miss, we shall wait here. Good luck and god speed."

Tal turns to THAC, " Very well. Turns back to Dura and simply asks, " So how long you been in town? Are you a resident? Maybe Dura could shed some light on this merchant. He figured people who lived here would know more about the residents then people passing through.

Narvil didn't know what to expect of all this. The whole story didn't seem to be for him and the only thing he was able to do was to check that his partners wasn't doing anything bad. He didn't like the idea that Thac had brought someone unknown into this jade's affair nor that Lia wanted to enquire by herself.
He looked to the dwarf women and examined her while Talrylil was asking her questions.

"Mind puttin' yer good manners first, eh? Ye haven't even given me yer name yet, elf." Durga didn't sound angry or looked like it, she simply grinned. "'Neways, I don't be here in the city fer that long. Bin travelin' around Thesk fer some time now, though. Me home be back in Waterdeep, and why I be 'ere now, let's leave it at... bein' at the right place at the wrong time. Thus, I don't know much about the goin' ons around 'ere, but I could learn all about it in a few hours if need be." She pointed at Thac with her head. "And he be lazy explainin' all about what ye be doin'ere. Said y'all are more eager to speak so enlighten me while Lia takes care of the snoopin'."

Tal chuckled as he realized he was being a bit rude. All this talk with masked men had him on edge. He turns towards the dwarf and bows, " Well miss excuse me. My name is Talrylil, I am also new to this city. WE were hired by someone to procur an item. Now we are in the process of gaining information about the item and its owner. Fair enough?"

Talrylil thought he said too much but really did not give it a second thought, he figured he would give the dwarf something of substance since she was a friend of Thac.

   While the rest of the group discussed the finer points of companionship and histories, Lia separated herself from her friends [and the newest addition - who hadn't been classified just yet] and walked with the same liesurely determination as every other normal shopper and pedestrian on the street that day.
   Crossing the road was no difficult task, given that the wares generally found on Sparkle Way were small enough to be transported by saddlebag and porter; few carts and drovers were needed, and so the congestion of the street was mainly foot traffic. A practiced eye and good balance kept more than one person from 'accidentally' bumping into her...and in a section of town known for its jewelry, at least one of those was sure to be a pickpocket.
   She steps up onto the low porch and opens the front door....

[Private to Lia Essmoor: The inside of the shop is brightly lit, despite the closed door. Several small, square holes in the joint between walls and ceiling allow light from outside to pass through an enhancment array of highly polished mirrors and illuminate the indoors. Coupled with the displays of fine gems and jewelry, the effect is the closest thing to walking through a cavern studded with precious stones. Now you know what gnomes must feel like when discovering a new vein!
   The shopkeeper and his assistant are in here, each conferring quietly with a separate customer. Both look up at your entry and nod politely, then go back to their hushed conversations with their charges.]

Durga looked at Tal incredulously. "Fair enough? Ye kiddin' me lad? Yeh be repeatin' the exact same line Thac tossed me when he told me he needed me help." She harrumphed and turned to her friend. "They be not as talkative as ye promised. Or they be tryin' to be smart when they should know they can't, feh!" She turned to Tal again and grinned, inclining her head towards the other man in their little group and speaking in a low voice. "Who be that? He stares at me oddly, and he smells funny from 'ere. And just tell me about that jade, will yeh? Ah?" Obviously, she knew some things.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:01, Mon 24 Sept 2007.

Lia peruses the merchant's wares...

[Private to DM Lobo: After smiling in the direction of the proprietors, Lia takes her time, imagining she is browsing for something that a lover might buy her after a particularly spectacular performance, either in bed or in the tavern singing.  She hums a tune gently to herself as she admires what is an excellent stock, all the time looking for the jade.]

Tal sighed loudly enough. He then motioned for them to follow him. He lead them away from the shop and simply started to appear to be looking at the other stores. Turning towards Durga, " You are correct...I am being a bit tight lipped...I am not trying to be smart. I am being pragmatic. I just met you myself, do you think I would live long if I simply told anyone I just met what I am into. Yes Thac has vouched for you so I told you what we were doing. What else do you need to know exactly?"

Tal looked to Narvil and nodded his head, " This is Narvil, he is a bit upset at our current job." Tal was unsure what else to say, he felt strange talking about someone in front of them. He figured Narvil could explain and introduce himself.

At the mention of his name and feeling observed, Narvil cleared his throat.

"My name is Narvil Duncan, humble servant of Tyr, the fair."

On his last words, Narvil glared straightly into the dwarve woman's eyes, as much to avoid she mocked his lady Tyr as to look into her soul.

   

   Thac perks up, turning away from whatever it was he was looking at in another direction. "Actually, what I said was more like: 'If you don't want to end up in the bottom of Telflamm Harbor wearing mortar for shoes, you should probably stick with me for a while'." He grinned his casual, lopsided grin and turned his back on his old pal again.

Durga grumbled under her breath and made a show of looking around her suspiciously and almost whispering to Thac, "Hush, don't say such things that loud here 'cause there be ears everywhere and I be not in the mood fer some swimmin', aye?" Looking up at the paladin or priest, she nodded to herself. Of course he would smell funny to her, all of their kind did. It could be a problem with him around. "Bah! Fair? He be old, wrinkly, blind and missin' a hand! Yeh be fair, though." She grinned at him broadly.

   Garik and Thac share a look, both of them knowing the paladin well enough to want to save the hide of Thac's newly-refound friend, and so while the rogue grabs his dwarven pal by the ear and leads her away to look at something *not* within swinging distance of Narvil's blade, Garik steps in front of the templar to block his path and engages him in conversation.
   "So...isn't Tyr also known as 'the even handed one'? I've often wondered about that, with the scales of justice and all...."

---

   Lia is approached....

[Private to Lia Essmoor: It only takes a few minutes for one of the other buyers to conclude their business and exit the shop, freeing up the elder of the two merchants. He approaches Lia and stands politely within arm's reach, waiting for an opportunity to comment or respond to her inquiries.
   The younger of the two tosses a glance at Lia and her salesman.

ooc: Lia you can make a retro search check looking for the jade you want, and a sense motive as well.]

PM

[Private to DM Lobo: Lia cannot see the gem on display, so turns to the merchant and hopes to find out more that way.  "Good day to you.  My gentleman friend has promised me a gift, and I feel your fine establishment is the place for me to bring him later today.  I have a particular fondness for Jade as a precious stone.  Do you by chance have any I could look at?"

OOC: 09:52, Today: Lia Essmoor rolled 5 using 1d20. Sense motive.
09:52, Today: Lia Essmoor rolled 10 using 1d20+3. Search.
09:53, Today: Lia Essmoor rolled 25 using 1d20+11. Diplomacy. ]

Tal chuckles, he could see where this is going. " So ummm yea...some people simply do not understand certain relgions. Anyways Durga what exactly did you want to know? If anything?"

Tal looked at the shop that LIa entered, wondering how long it would take for her to find any useful information.

   While Tal and Garik try their best to keep Narvil's mind off the excommunication of their newest ally, and Thac tries to teach his old friend the finer points of diplomacy among paladins, Lia continues to smile brilliantly....

[Private to Lia Essmoor: You haven't already seen anything of consequence crafted of jade in the shop - at least nothing that would cause a kingdom to topple - though that is not to say that the place is absent of that fine gemstone. Several small sets of earrings adorn one of the stands, while a pleasant-looking broach in the shape of a flower sits on a shelf near the corner of the 'checkout counter'.
   The gentleman aproaches Lia with a merchant's smile and hands clasped loosely before himself. At her words, his smile broadens slightly to become more genuine, and he directs her back to the earrings that sit on a tree stand. He picks several of them up, explaining the system of cuts, clarity, and colorization in the sunlight that distinguish good pieces of jewelry from great ones.
   The man comments on her 'local' look, noting that while he normally only finds Shou this interested in specifically purchasing jade items, it is not uncommon for western ladies or their lovers to understand the beauty and elegance of the shiny green stones.
   "And what...if you'll pardon my crassness...would my lady's purchasing limit be on this glorious day?" He re-clasps his hands before him, awaiting her response. She gets the feeling that either this man is an excellent agent skilled in the art of double talk, or else has no clue as to the possible alternative meaning in her inquiry.]

PM

[Private to DM Lobo: Lia grins back at the man.  She checks out the earrings.  "These would really go well with my eyes, but to be honest the piece I hope my friend will buy for me doesn't necessarily need to be already cast in gold or another material.  It might be more fun to take a raw stone and have it made into something.  Actually my friend is more than a few years my senior, but that does mean he has substantially more coin to spend on me than other potential suitors.  If I see a piece I really like, then hopefully the price is not relevant."

OOC: 19:27, Today: Lia Essmoor rolled 18 using 1d20+11. Diplomacy. ]

Narvil looked hard at the dwarf. He relaxed his fists he had closed thighly when he heard the blasphem.

"Only ignorant and stupid people can critisize something they don't understand. Obviously, your case confirm this old say."

Durga jabbed a finger in Thac's chest. "What's the problem with that one, eh? Yeh tell 'im the truth and 'e bloody swears at yeh fer it." She shrugged helplessly and mumbled under her breath irritably, _{"Yeh can't even tell them how cute they be anymore, bah those blasted holy warriors..."} Suddenly a dagger was in her palm from out of nowhere and she spent her time waiting for Lia balancing it vertically on one finger with the tip down.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:19, Fri 05 Oct 2007.

   Lia's conversation gets interesting...and potentially dangerous.

[Private to Lia Essmoor: The middle-aged man smiles broadly at this; perhaps because of the coin hinted at, and perhaps because he thinks he sees in Lia (an attractive woman by most standards) a chance to use his own mature charms on a customer not adverse to such advances by older men.
   "We do very little stonecutting in-house - the particulars are of course irrelevant to the common customer - but it manages to make our wares affordable on a grander scale, and broadens the scope of our distribution to a wider variety of income levels." He walks her over to the broach on display a few paces from the earrings, and when he stops to explain something else to her about the color or faceting of the stone, manages to place himself a few inches closer to her side than at their previous position.

   "Uncle," calls the younger (only a few years out of his teens) from halfway across the small shop, "would you mind helping this man decide how best to wrap something for an overland trip to Waterdeep?" He catches Lia's eye as she, too, turns to see what the man is talking about.

   "Can't you...bah." The older shop steward begins to protest, but, with a glance at the bard beside him, thinks better of whatever he was about to say and instead excuses himself politely from her side. He walks past her and over to the other merchant, and though his back is to her, Lia is certain he is mouthing something to his nephew, or at least giving him a hard face.

   The youth sidesteps his disappointed boss and moves over to Lia with a smile, his eyes widening slightly.
   "I am Nepham" he says, extending his hand tentatively. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." He looks her up and down, then glances out a nearby open window at the street out front. When he speaks again, his voice is lowered so that only she can hear it.
   "I had no idea their contact would be so attractive. When will the pickup be made?"

ooc obviously if you plan on bluffing you will need to use the appropriate skill!  :)]

PM

[Private to DM Lobo: Lia doesn't expect the young man to arrive so quickly, but she is glad of the diversion from the old man, who is in danger of being brushed off by the bardess.  She accepts the handshake, deliberately returning it in a weak fashion, not wanting to show any assertiveness beyond her current facade.  She inwardly cringes at the direct question, knowing she has not prepared a suitable retort.  She is not ready to reveal her hand, so she attempts to bluff her way out of the situation. "Well met, I am Lia."" She does her best to feign a confused expression, batting her eyelashes.  "I thank you for the compliment, but unfortunately I am not aware of any pickup, unless you refer to my gentleman friend?  Perhaps he has surprised me and already come here and chosen something for me?"

OOC: 08:08, Today: Lia Essmoor rolled 16 using 1d20+5. Bluff.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:38, Sun 07 Oct 2007.

Tal was a bit impatient but he knew things like this took time. He noticed that Narvil and Durga would become best of friends. He sighed loudly and begain to make small talk while waiting, " So what would we like to do next in case our friend comes up empty? What else can we do to find out information about this seller?"

Tal looked back at the shop and wondered if she would be successful or not.

   Garik points out that this shop is not necessarily the place of any sort of 'seller' for the jade boject they have been asked [tasked] to retrieve; it may just be the holding point, being a secure building in a jewelry market. Besides, who would expect otherwise, given the precious nature of that type of stone anyway?

---

   Lia's hopes and dreams end abruptly.

[Private to Lia Essmoor: The young man's demeanor changes from outgoing and friendly to a more reserved, cautionary one. He licks his lips and inhales slightly in his unease, and glances once more over her shoulder and out the window into the street out fromt. Lia hopes the others had the sense, again, to move off to another area while she was inside.
   "Forgive my comment; it was offhanded and rude, and not meant to imply anything against your...friend" he says recovering quickly, shaking her hand again and half-bowing as he backs away. "I think my uncle is in fact better suited to take care of your business now, after all. Please have a good day m'lady."
   He nods again and dismisses himself from the front room of the shop, tapping the other merchant on the shoulder as he passes and jerking his head in Lia's direction. The older gentleman glances over at the bard and smiles as all merchants do when they spot a potential customer; he quickly concludes his business with the other client and returns to Lia's side.
   "So, have you made your decision? I hope my nephew wasn't too harsh with our prices...everything is negotiable, you know."]

PM

[Private to DM Lobo: Lia silently wonders if the others will notice the young man leave and follow him, but she doesn't harbour much hope; she didn't expect to be approached so easily.  She turns her attention back to the old man.  "I must admit your nephew has intrigued me.  He mentioned a rather special piece, but when I said I didn't know anything about it, he became cautious and left.  I would very much like to know more about this piece.  Can you help me?" She smiles sweetly.

13:19, Today: Lia Essmoor rolled 18 using 1d20+11. Diplomacy.]

   Lia's smile isn't working.

[Private to Lia Essmoor: The man frowns. "If my nephew is taking and filling special orders, then this is news to me, lass." He glances over his shoulder at the back room where the younger boy went, but makes no move to leave the sales floor. Another customer walks in through the front.
   "Are you saying then that there will be no further need of my assistance?" Clearly he feels that if Lia isn't going to buy something, then his skills would be better served with the new customer, who just might spend some coin today.

ooc: the younger man didn't leave thru the front, he went out the back, probably into the storeroom or something.]

PM

[Private to DM Lobo: Lia silently curses Narvil and he do-gooding ways.  If she had not already committed to checking motives first, she is convinced she'd have the stone now or at least be in a position to pick it up. She represses a sigh and turns back to the merchant.  "I think I am fine, for now.  I will let me friend know about your fair establishment and we might be back later."  She then leaves the shop and goes back to find the others.]

   Lia exits the shop, crosses the street, and quickly finds the others.

Tal notices the walk and waves her over, " So instead of questions let just wait and hear what you have to say. Then we can ask...any luck ?" Talrylil looks around to make sure no one was watching them. He doubt they would spot anyone but then again you can never be too careful.

As Tal speaks, Lia bows her head, as if she is greeting a stranger.  She gives him a look that says, not here and keeps going for a few dozen yards until the turns a corner and is out of sight of the shop.  She then waits for the others to join her.

Tal was a bit confused and almost asked what the hell she was talking about. Although he held his tounge. Once he followed her away he asked again, " That bad huh?"

   Garik knows the play, and walks at first with his friends, then beyond them by a few steps, to stand with his back to their conversation, and keep an eye on things from that direction. Thac joins him, as if they were just a pair of travelling buyers in town.

Lia shrugs.  "It's more a precaution than anything else.  The owner of the establishment is an older gentleman, who appears to have a younger member of his family working with him.  I pretended to be window shopping for jade, which of course goes with my eyes.  My story appeared to be taken on face value, as I said I had a weathly suitor I expected to bring in later to buy me something expensive.  When I mentioned un-cut jade, the younger man approached, and suggested I was there to pick something up, clearly the gem we seek." She glances at Narvil, a slight tension in her eyes.  "Because of our agreement not to intervene until we understand the motives of all involved, I feigned innocence.  Unfortunately the young man said no more, and I could glean no more information.  To be honest I am not sure if he believed me or not, hence the need to keep out of sight.  The one saving grace is that the boy is still in the shop, so we could stake him out and follow him, to see if he will lead us to a more profitable lead."

   Traffic continues to move around the small collection of heroes....

[Private to Durga Copperbeard: just as she is mentioning this, you spy one of the town's messenger boys coming around the corner of the gem shop Lia just left, across the street from you all. The youth looks around, left then right, and then dashes off down the street to the north.]

"Blimey girl, yeh should've said yes anyway," Durga complained with a sigh. Not sure they would have any better chances, but that was when she caught some movement with the corner of her eye. "A' right, got some job to take care of right now, see yeh 'round later. I'll find yeh wherever yeh be lads and lass." She left them and was lost in seconds among the people walking the streets or the corners of the buildings, one couldn't tell for sure.

[Private to DM Lobo: Well, I read some "tailing" rules in Complete Adventurer, so here's a try to follow the guy, if we could apply them here. Hide check sucks, of course, but pretty high Bluff one to pretend I'm not following him if he notices...

Durga Copperbeard rolled 12 using 1d20+9. Hide Check.
Durga Copperbeard rolled 29 using 1d20+9. Bluff Check. ]
This message was last edited by the player at 08:23, Wed 17 Oct 2007.

Talrylil tilted his head as he listened to what Lia had stated. He wanted to ask questions throughout her recap but though better of it. After he finished he saw Durga leave and attempted to stop her , "Wait where are you going? We tell you our play and then you get up and leave? What is this about?" Tal was not being rough but wanted to make sure he grabbed her before she was able to get away. Something about her rubbed him the wrong way. Was she a spy? What was this all about? She waited for Lia and then wants to leave?

Tal looked into her eyes to make sure the truth would come out.

Tal never looked into Durga's eyes, he never had a chance. She was swift, nimble and gone before he could even get close to her. He heard a voice from up ahead somewhere, "Just goin' ter bring yeh some juicy apples ter fill yer belly lad!"

   Without anyone else to question her, Durga takes off through the crowd, blending in almost immediately among the stocky forms of overweight gnomish merchants, wiry orcish laborers, and the occasional teenage human youth on an errand to or from someplace else. Thac reaches out and takes Tal by the crook of the arm and shakes his head.
   "She's got a nose for something, and I'll wager it isn't a stuffed pocket. She must've seen something that looked important to what we're talking about; I've no problems trusting that she'll return, and neither should you." An arched eyebrow told the elf that their resident shadow-walker knew this dwarven friend of his quite well, and that the matter should be dropped, for now.

   [Private to Durga Copperbeard: The young boy, probably not much past his tenth summer, weaves his way in and out of the crowds of merchants and townsfolk with expert ease; it is rather difficult for you to keep pace, and keep him in sight, and not give yourself or your intentions away. While he does not seem terribly worried that anyone is following him, it becomes readily apparent that he is used to carrying messages around for people who don't want to have them intercepted; several times the boy doubles back, or ducks under a passing cart, or jumps a ditch to discourage anyone following him.
   Eventually you follow him to a building near the same block that you met Thac earlier today, just north of the South Bridge on the west side of town (heh confusing-sounding). The boy looks around once before knocking on the door to a building there, then is ushered inside when the door opens a crack. A minute later he exits, heading east along the main street through town. You decide to follow him again, and though he takes a circuitous route around town, he eventually returns to the gem shop he left. You rejoin the others less than a half hour after you leave them.]

   Durga returns less than a half-hour after she departs, crossing the street from the east, even though she left heading north.

Nearly half an hour later the skinny dwarf emerged from the crowd and took her time strolling towards the group, occasionally taking bites from a juicy red apple. When Durga reached them she took another bite from the apple, wiped the juice trickling down from the corner of her mouth on her sleeve, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why yeh smarties, didn't I tell yeh I'll find yeh wherever yeh go, eh?" She sighed, shook her head in disappointment and took another bite. A swift motion of her hand resulted in a green apple appearing out of nowhere in her palm, which she tossed to Tal.

"The sour one fer yeh, matchin' nay? Thought yeh'd like it I did. Hope it chokes yeh, too." Another bite, taking her time to munch and swallow it, which should be getting on their nerves. She explained several seconds earlier, once the food had found its way to her belly, "Almost made me lost me lead back there lad, but yeh can thank me later fer bein' small and smart and swift. Aye, those three s's be useful, led me to a house they did, with creepy and curious and cautious residents. But yeh see, those three c's always be bad news, and they seem interested in this shop, as well..."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:13, Sun 21 Oct 2007.

   Garik shifts his position slightly, but still manages to keep his back to the party at large. "What in Hades are you on about, woman? Almost lost your lead? What do you mean by that...did the shopkeep leave and we missed it?"

Durga took another last bite and tossed the little remaining of the apple on the street behind her, frowning at the man all the while. "Aye me smart friend, someone left the bloody shop but it wasn't the shopkeeper I wager. A child 'twas, no taller than me and no smarter than yeh to let me follow'im. Didn't see if he came from inside the shop or not, but in any case he had information to give to those guys hidin' in that house." She poked at her teeth with a nail for a couple of seconds and then spat at the ground. "Might be they wanted to know who was the charming lass that paid a visit today. Yeh feel like askin' them about it, eh?"

Tal was about to grab her again but then he trusted Thac. He tried to watch her go but lost her in the crowd. He did not trust her yet but then again he will wait to judge her. When she returns and thorws him an apple he smiles and actully takes a bite, " I perfer grapes but I guess an apple will do." When Durga stated her tale and intentions he simply bows low and states , " Could have said something no? geez..." Tal smiled at that last statement as he looked to Durga.

" Ok so now they know we are on to them...we still need information about that person or the jade. What is next? What can we do to figure out anything about this place, the owner or the jade?"Tal looks at Durga wondering if she had any ideas.

Talrylil was getting a bit frustrated and it showed, he wanted to get in and get it but figured they needed information. Good thing he was not rash for he would walk in right now if he could. HE shook his head and stated his own thoughts, " Well we can do two things, we can find more information or we can go check that house where that kid went into. What do you guys think?"

   Thac shrugs, though any can plainly see his mind is a whirlwind of activity. " We now have no less than four parties involved in this gem-plot. Not counting ourselves, there are the merchants who hold it, the merchants who want it, the man I followed, and the house of people that Durga just discovered. No matter which direction we go, we should definitely be watching our backs."

   He turns to Narvil with a crooked eyebrow. "Would you say, now, that there is sufficient intrigue to warrant your involvement in the situation?"

Durga grimaced at Tal. "Aye, yeh can go and tell them: sorry friends, bin lookin' fer a gem so bright and this big and kinda green, 'ave yeh seen one? Or even try the other approach: pardons friends, thought me cousin was 'ere, grandpa left us couple days ago and I bin searchin' fer his house to give him his share of the fortune 'e left behind, was told 'e lives around 'ere." She sighed heavily. "And we be too many to loiter about and watch it, but I got a plan fer that, no worries. More importantly, Thac yeh bloody rascal, what man yeh bin talkin' about, eh?"

   Thac proceeds to explain to his dwarven 'former accomplice' about the man who they ran into leaving the shop of the merchants who hired them, and of his subsequent tailing of that man across town and over to the area very near where he met Durga.
   As it turns out, the man - whom the merchants say was *not* hired to retrieve the gem for them - went into the same building that this messenger-boy...sent from the jeweler's shop...also went into!

   How very strange....

Lia considers their options.  "Well, I think we have enough information to move on.  It appears it is worth checking out the building the boy went into." She glances at Narvil again.  "Narvil, do you want to see if there is any evil in the building before we proceed?"

" So we are checking the building the wanna be boy went into?" Tal stated with a sigh of relief. HE turns and nods his head, " Ok after Narvil checks that building, what is the plan then? Walk in like we own it ? Or like Durga stated, we are looking for someone. Either way works for me. Plus with 4 different groups getting the same item we better be careful. Never know who might want to eliminate the competition."

Tal was ready, ready for anything. But each minute it seemed his patience was thinning.

"Well I don't have any problems with unleashin' yer hound on them thugs to check things out, but blimey lad! Yeh tellin' me yeh took what I said 'fore seriously? I was merely jokin' back there, makin' fun of yeh smarts to be precise!" Obviously, the dwarf didn't hold paladins in high regard unlike most decent folk. Durga frowned and chewed the corner of her lower lip for a moment before speaking again.

"All of us checkin' out the house is out of the question. A plan could be fer Thac and our fair friend here," she waved a hand towards Narvil, "to stroll by it while takin' a walk around town and check it out with, well, whatever trick 'e has. That has to be very, very quick. Then I can 'ave someone, not so reliable but who can pass almost totally unnoticed, to watch that bloody house and notify us of any activities 'round it..."

Tal looks over at Durga and sighs loudly, " PLease miss, Narvil is not my hound at least show some resect...no?" Talrylil could not believe her, but then again maybe she had some nasty run ins with other holy knight types. Still, it did not give her a right to treat Narvil with such a lack of respect.

" Well so in that case lets split up then and let Narvil do his thang...so to speak Tal states with a resigned voice. He moves to the side and motions for Narvil and the other, Thac,  to go on their way and inspect said building.

While waiting he turns back and again asks, " So what is the next move of our plan?" Tal might have missed what was indeed next but he wanted to make sure he was at least understanding what they were going to do next. Did they even have a plan?

   Durga groaned and rolled her eyes at Tal. If the paladin was too uptight couldn't take a joke and criticism without insulting her like he did, why would she spare him any respect, hard as it was to find these days? She replied to Tal's question, "As I said only a minute ago, better get someone who may pass unnoticed to watch the place and 'nform us of anythin' goin' on about that place. Not the most reliable one but perhaps the only one we 'ave." She frowned and grumbled under her breath.

   "A'ight, let's put all those bloody pieces together, shall we? Some masked individuals promise gems and gold and whatnot fer some flaming jade a shopkeeper in the town is keeping, and they want it within to days so they can make their leash-holder more powerful, nay? 'Nyway, there be an evil person leaves their place whom Thac followed into that suspicious 'ouse. Then it turns out a boy from that shop leaves after cutie asks about jades and goes to that very same 'ouse right away."

   Durga chewed at the corner of her lower lip once more, a sign she was troubled with something and trying to puzzle out things. "Yeh know, if they wanted a flaming jade they could just bloody storm inside and steal it, or even break into the shop at night. One person can do it easily, don't yeh think so, eh? I could do it all by meself yeh know, I'm good at that thing. Local thieves' guild...er, Shadowmasters, right?...should be, too. They could hire one to take care o' that bloody job fer them, and they would pull it off without a 'itch."

   Durga closed her eyes and pondered on something, then quickly said, "Hmm, the guys in that bloody 'ouse be either Shadowmasters interested in why stealin' a jade does not go through them, or an antagonist of yer employer's leash-holder. Former most likely, seein' as how they got boys deliverin' news to them like that about the shop the jade be kept in. Which means, it be almost impossible to watch that 'ouse and their bloody movements. Hells, what are yeh guys into? It be so exciting me belly's flutterin'! I really want to, uh, see that jade!"

   Thac smacks his little accomplice on the back of the head, loud enough to make a sound, but not so hard that she'd want to retaliate...in public.

   He whispers harshly to her. Ixnay on the Shadow-talk, dummy!" The taller of the two rogues looks around at the passers-by and imagines that all of them are now listening to their conversation.
   "We don't talk about them in public here. Not unless you want to go fishing without a boat."

Tal really did not have much to add. He was suprised by the way Durga's mind worked. He raised an eyebrow when she mentioned the shadowmasters. The Thac speaks and Tal starts to look around as if everyone is a suspect.

He whispers , " OK sounds like you have some things sorted out already. So the big question is why hire us? Why use pawns? A trap and we are bait? Or are we fodder?" Tal was starting to worry about this little adventure. He thought for a minute and then asks so it can be simple to his own mind, " So let Narvil go and check it out and then meet at set tavern? What do you think Lia? How was the layout of the shop....was it well guarded? The jade that is..."

   Narvil doesn't seem to have a problem with using his gods-granted talents to ferret out more hidden dens of evil in this particular town, and seems twice as willing as before after Thac Morne's little head-slapping display on the dwarf [a move he had been contemplating himself for several minutes now].
   He nods and gestures to Thac, indicating that he is ready to leave unless anyone has any last minute words or thoughts for them.



ooc: will post their return this weekend and move things along

Thac's hit on her head made her turn around towards him and then sigh and rub it furiously. One with keen eyes observing her might have spotted how a dagger found its way to her hand somehow, just for a second there before it disappeared after she realized who it was that hit her. Durga seemed to act on instinct, which wasn't that good for her sometimes.

"Why yeh bloody fool, didn't I tell yeh before I be not in the mood her some swimmin'? Well, yeh'd know by now that I hate fishin' too. Hate the bloody sea in general, actually. Last time I had to travel on a flamin' boat I spent 'alf of the trip tryin' to calm me bloody belly." She made a shooing motion with her hand to him, "Now off with yeh, do yer job now. Go go, shoo."

They were bound to find at least one evil person in there, the one Thac had followed, but she was curious to know how many more could there be inside. Perhaps a gang was hiding inside instead of a single person. Her idea of having someone check things out with those Shadowmaster people around and Thac's reaction to even mention of their name made her all the less willing.

Then she turned to Tal, beaming at him this time. "Aye, looks like yeh can think when yeh want to. Indeed, the big question is why hire some random people like us and not look fer some others more experienced with thievin' and all. Usin' people as pawns is what all bloody rulers or individuals with authority do, can't 'ave their flamin' hands dipped in sh- uh, I mean, mud all the time, nay?"

Lia responds to Tal's questions.  "I think our best course of action is to let Narvil do his thing.  In terms of the shop, I am not convinced the jade is actually there.  It's a hunch, nothing more, but this plot is thicker than a bugbear's head."

OOC: Sorry everyone, I am flat out at the moment with work.

[posted by GM]


   "Because we are not random people." Narvil's sudden declaration turns all heads to him. A man of few words, when he speaks, it is usually after some careful deliberation.
   "I am known to the local watch, though these out-of-towners might not know this, judging by the welcome they gave to Talrylil" Explains the paladin, gesturing at the elf as he says his name. "But we should assume also that the man with evil intent who left their shop is either with them or against them. If he is with them, then Thac Morne's tailing of him to that shop was no accident, and they know all about our little group. If he is against them, then we *are* random people to the merchants, but not to the man Thac tailed."
   He waited a moment to let that line of thinking sink in.

   "In any case, the merchants know we know our way around this town, else we would never have stumbled upon the rumors of their need for hiring someone to 'take care of business' in that hidden building" he says with obvious distaste. "They can be confident that we, as locals, will either do a good job to protect our established position, or else we will turn them in. So far, they have only conspired to steal something which we cannot prove is not rightfully theirs to begin with...."
   He rubs his chin thoughtfully, then turns slightly away, indicating he is ready to go check out the other house with Thac, if there are no more comments to be made.

"So do we worry about the tailed man or not? That is the question, to figure out if he is with us or against us." Tal stated in a frustrated voice. He knew he was out of his element and simply wanted to hit someone. THe frustration, once again, was getting to him. He had to think for a few minutes to wrap his brain around this problem. He knew he was missing something but simply could not put his finger on it. " I think he is with them...only seems logical which means they know about us."

Tal looks at Narvil, Meet ya at the tavern.."

THey did not find more answers, only more questions.

   Without further discussion, Thac and Narvil disengage from the party and move off down the street without looking back...no small feat for the rogue, who seems both relieved and mildly worried that Durga will be out of his sight for a while.

   The remainder of the group makes their way in two teams of two across town and back to the tavern where they had been sitting quietly earlier that day. They order small but hearty meals, and Garik takes this opportunity to first tell Durga a bit about their last adventure which took place in an old tower to the east [with interruptions from Lia and Tal on certain points], then inquire from her as to what she has been doing with herself lately.
   "Don't worry; what Narvil doesn't know won't hurt him" adds the armored arcanist with a smile.

   Durga, for once in her many and varied career, is studiously silent when asked a question. If Thac Morne had been here, he probably would have poked her to assure himself that she was not an illusionary double of herself. Garik shrugs at the lack of discourse and excuses himself from the table to use the outhouse, and disappears out the back just as Thac and Narvil make their way in through the front door of the place.
   "Well if *that* wasn't a grand waste of time, I don't know what is" complains the rogue loudly as he takes his seat and motions for the serving girl to attend their table with drinks.
   "Yes, if by that you mean 'why did we leave when we could have burned the place to the ground and saved the local warden the trouble', friend." Narvil has on his usual countenance: grim and brooding. "The place is already lit like a beacon to me. Had I heard chanting in the tongues of darkness it would have been no less surprising." He takes one of the mugs set before them and sniffs it before filling his mouth with the refreshing liquid inside.
   "Yes...another non-mercantile building that apparently isn't for public use" explains Thac to the others at the paladin's quieting. "Not much going on there except that his hand started shaking when he concentrated on the place" he says, jerking a thumb over at the paladin.
   "I thought his hand was going to fall off. Must be some *really* bad people inside." Thac didn't have to say that he, of course, believed it to be a safehouse for the Shadowmasters. He didn't say it, and wouldn't say it, nor would he let anyone else invoke the name of the deadliest guild in the country.

Tal understood now that they could be in trouble. Too many angles and too many enemies on either side. He really did not understand how anyone could get involved in something like this. He chuckles to himself as he realized he was dumb enough to get involved. He sips his drink as he muses to himself. After a while he simply asks everyone, " Our next move? Or do we have one yet? With more information we only get more questions. Correct?"

Tal leans against his chair as he attempts to get a bit more comfortable, in a low whisper " Can we all agree that the building has something to do with a certain guild?" HE stops and looks around again before he continues, " So are they looking for our item as well?" Tal shook his head as he realized he kept asking the same questions over and over again. He needed to understand all the intrigue to get a better grip on what was going on. He almost wanted to yell in frustration. Yet he was able to keep calm, for now. " More questions...do we need more information?" a resigned Tal asked.

Lia takes in the information offered by Thac and Narvil, and responds to Tal's questions.  "There are two options at least.  First, we can attempt to inflitrate the guild, and find out what is happening from within.  Second, we can obtain the jade and spring the trap.  I'm not a very good liar, so I'd vote for option two.  But before we do that, does anyone else have any other ideas?"

   Narvil reminds the rest of the group of two of the things he heard when he went out the day before hunting rumors:

- the collector came into the town on foot with a half-dozen or so guards and attendants, yet they were dressed as though they travelled from Mulhorand. They brought no goods and requested no charter to purchase, transfer, or co-sign any goods while here, so it is presumed they are either heading north to the Festival of Grapes in two weeks' time, or taking a ship out of Telflamm soon.

- there has been a dropoff of reported thievery in their part of town, with about an equal rise in other parts of town, as if the local guild is giving them - or someone else in that zone of town - a wide berth.

   Narvil believes that Thac may be right, and that the Shadow guild is somehow involved. The paladin is unsure whether they are actively helping the merchant or actively opposing them. Even though the merchants did not register to his senses as inherently evil, Narvil understands that greed coupled with opportunity does not always mean good things, either...he does not trust the merchants much, and the jeweler at all, given that a messenger boy was sent from the shop to the house of evil.

   Thac also agrees with Lia that infiltration of a guild they know little about would be a dangerous move, but if anyone was to attempt it, he should be the one. He is visibly unsteady at this prospect, though, and would prefer to investigate *anything* else first, as an option to the guild. Check out the house he and Narvil went to, ask the local constable or Temple of Waukeen for aid, spy on the shop some more, or almost anything else but butt heads with the Shadowmasters.

   Durga seems to be thinking.

" remember we only have two days to get the item...else we have more enemies looking for us." Tal stated in a calm voice, He looked to the others and thought before speaking, " I like option two..spring the trap. What is the worse that can happen. We might find more information if we spring the trap. Do you agree ?"

   While the party is mulling over the possibility that they may be moving forward with the 'snatching' part of the mission on the very first day of their two-day mission, a decidedly NONnative of Phent enters the tavern where they are sitting. Paler of skin than most, Thac and Lia at first think it is one of the Shou kabuki-style actors away from their travelling troupe of minstrels. But it is not makeup, apparently, and after a swing of the head left and right, the figure sets his eyes on Narvil and makes for the paladin.
   "Lord Duncan?" he asks, tentatively.

   "In some lands, yes" replies the holy knight, sitting up and turning to face the newcomer.

   "Sergeant Kraansh said I'd find you with friends" says the man, eyeing the rest of the people at the table. There was an amount of self assurance present, now that he seemed to have found who he wanted, and his voice and demeanor changed subtly to reflect this. Narvil, too, seemed to notice something 'different' now about this person, and stood to shake the man's hand with a smile.

   "Ah, he did, now, did he? You haven't the look of a bounty hunter about you, and I doubt you're one of those criminals who routinely turns themselves in, so you must be here for something else..." He cocks an eyebrow, awaiting a response.

[Private to Lyssander the Pale: There is your 'in', remember you are looking for someone to help you investigate the mining colony/community, but if you have to help these folks with something else first, you can spare a few days if it means a stronger group to deal with the undead. :)]

"No, neither bounty hunter nor hunted am I," the newcomer agrees amiably, "merely a traveller making his slow way south."

The man's pale hand, having been extended to greet Narvil, returns to its place underneath a dark, thigh-length cape.  As the cape billows slightly, the sharp of eye can glimpse an emblem on the right side of the tabard beneath, some blazon featuring a jawless skull.  Meanwhile, his left hand holds a tall wooden staff; its upper end is shod in metal, but if its bottom end is similarly shod, a wrapping of rags conceals the metal and considerately prevents it from scratching wooden or stone floors.

The man continues, in a measured, quiet tone.  "I am Lyssander Khiver - Lyssander the Pale, in common parlance.  The Sergeant told me you were assembling a team to deal with an infestation of the Bitch Queen's progeny, by Ethvale.  If that is the case, I would like to offer you my services in aid of this necessary task."

OOC:  Characters who speak Celestial will recognize that "khiver" means "pale" in that tongue, and will thus be able to derive the lingual origin of Lyssander's cognomen.

   Lia recognizes the reference of 'the Queen' to mean undead, as does Narvil. The paladin admits aloud that he had spoken to Kraansh, the commander of Phent's garrison, during his sortie into the town earlier. It would seem that providence has sent someone Narvil trusts openly, at such a dark time in your current quest.
   Now if only he *wanted* to help with this task, rather than rush off to the mines and destroy undead....

Durga was indeed thinking more than she wanted to this time, which made her all the more curious to find out what was going on, yet quite reluctant to go fishing with the Shadowmasters. Why was a bloody jade the center of so much attention then? She had stolen so many jades before to know how easy it should be, and the traps she had taken care of were elementary. What kind of trap could it be to need a handful people to take care of it instead of one experienced thief? Could the jade be some gem of extreme magical power one should stay away from?

In any case, this was quite fun by her standards. Things haven't been all that interesting around here lately, Waterdeep was so much more fun. Well, she'd already have gone back if she didn't know what to expect once she set her foot inside the city. She downed her double-sized mug of ale with one large attempt and burped audibly, wiping around her mouth with the back of her sleeve. "Well smartie, option one ends with all o' us chattin' with the fish or our long dead ancestors, so 'course we'd go fer option two. 'Sides, when yeh know yeh're springin' a trap yer already on guard, nay?"

She fronwed for a moment. "'Course, we could also try option three, which be me checking out the targeted place sometime after midnight. That be pretty risky, though, especially with other hounds sniffin' about it. Last time I was careless enough to get caught, strange things happen let me tell yeh..." But then she lowered her voiced and trailed off as her eyes went to the one approaching them. She raised an eyebrow as she realized he wanted to speak to Narvill and so she waved her mug at the serving wench indicating she'd like to have another one.

Durga buried herself inside her mug, drinking slowly this time while studying the newcomer. She had seen that symbol before, Kelemvor gave her the creeps. She wondered what he meant with Bitch Queen, then she fondly recalled Sheilla that elven lass back in Waterdeep. A leader of her own unit, a Bitch Queen indeed if ever there was one. "Well, what yeh standin' up there like some sort o' statue, eh? Me neck's gotten cramped already. Sit down and 'ave a drink lad, then yeh can tell us about the Ethvale situation and all. We got some stuff to take care of 'fore first, but if Master Fair wants to go with yeh right now then by all means..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:45, Mon 19 Nov 2007.

Lia smiles briefly at the stranger before casting her mind back at the task in hand. "Springing the trap it is, then.  I got the feeling that I could have got my hands on the jade when I went to the merchant's place earlier, had I suspected there was foul play at hand.  Perhaps another among us could go and try the same approach, this time accepting the offer of the pickup?  If not, I can always use magic to disguise myself and try again."  Lia then looks to Narvil, and then to the newcomer. "If we spring this trap, whatever unsavoury people that are interested in this gem will come looking for us, and we have an opportunity to put an end to their seedy lives once and for all.  Are you with us?  If we finish this quickly, we can deal with the undead problem earlier than we thought."

   Narvil nods his head, still pleased with the karmic turn of events that has led an agent of good to them in such a fashion. He had, of course, wanted to go and deal with the undead incursion in the mines all along, but now there was even more reason to deal with this current crisis and move on to the mountains.
   "Say..." he says, straightening up in his chair, "has anyone seen Garik? He's been gone for some time now."

Tal listens to lia and Durga speak about the plan and watches with intent as the newcomer introduces himself. He had never heard about anything he was speaking about. Bitch queen ? He shook his head and took another sip of his drink. When it appeared that the new guy would sit with us the elf nods his head and simply states in a friendly voice, " Please to meet you Lyssander, my name is Talrylil. As someone stated before we have a job to finish up. BUt we could help you if you help us."

Tal always knew that the more people around the more safe you can be. He tilted his head as he tried to figure out what Lyssander could even do. Was he a fighter?

Tal turns his head to LIa , " Did you say one of us go and get the gem? Would that work? Is it the same one...you mean walk in and run and get it? Tal was confused and it showed on his face.

After a few minutes of waiting for answers Tal also realizes what Narvil had stated, "Yea what did happen to Garik...what was he supposed to do again? Should we be worried?" Tal looks around the room as if the shadowmasters were watching then and there.

The newcomer nods his thanks at Durga's invitation, and approaches one of the available empty chairs, placing his free hand on the chair's back.  He remains standing a few moments longer, however, as the other members of the small group evaluate his intrusion on their discussion.  At Narvil's welcoming nod, and the generally friendly response by some others of the group, Lyssander proceeds to seat himself and follow the dwarf's directive to "'ave a drink" ("A pint of Miner's, if you please," he calls to the barmaid, "Iron Ore if you have it, otherwise Peat is fine").

Though he tries to follow his table-mates' conversation, there are too many references to people and places with which he is not familiar; he does, however, clearly grasp that the team is considering springing a potentially lethal trap - and is kindly extending him an invitation to attend the event.  He is about to ask Narvil, or perhaps Talrylil - the only two whose names he knows - for more details, when the conversation turns to a certain "Garik" who appears to be missing.  Lyssander eases himself further into his seat, and continues to listen to the group's discussion, hoping to find out more about this current job of theirs.

   "...I can always use magic to disguise myself and try again" says Lia.

   "I'm not saying I'm familiar with your spell's power, but would it also hide your voice? Seems to me you mentioned something about this younger man inside taking a shine to you, or something. I know *I* wouldn't so soon forget a pretty lass' voice..."

   At the mention of Garik not being at the table, Thac frowns as well. "Was we supposed to meet him somewhere? He wasn't here when Narvil and I arrived."

Lia smiles. "When I put on my spoiled young woman act, I said I really wanted my gentleman friend to buy me Jade to match my eyes.  What happened was the young man approached me and asked if I was making the pick up.  I am sure if someone else takes a different approach but basically asks the same question, we can get the jade."



Lia smiles again. "You of course are right.  I suppose if I made myself really ugly, he might not recognise the voice, but I agree it's not the best option."

Durga grinned when she heard Lyssander order and turned her attention to Narvil after she heard his question. "Meh, might've been offended cause I didn't tell him any stories earlier. I'm not his milkmaid." She shrugged and drained the mug again with one try with Lyssander sitting. She flashed a smile at Lia and said, "Nay lass, I can't bear fer yeh to lose yer shine. I be goin'stead, what say yeh? And don't worry, I won't be doin' what I always do with shinies this time, rest assured."

" So Durga is going in? Would that work? It is suprising that he would give it away to anyone without some type of password or description of the buyer...no?" Tal stated in a low whisper. HE takes a sip of his drink and pauses for a second before he continues, " I understand now what you meant Lia, it just seems odd to me. BUt if Durga wants to try it then by all means..."

Tal turned his attention to Lyssander, " We have left you in the dark, we will give you more information once we are in a safer enviornment. One cannot be too sure on who would want to listen to us." Tal looked around the tavern, then a thought hit him, " Maybe before we do anything else we should go find out what happend to Garik. No?"

   "Yes, let's" agrees the paladin, who rises slowly from his seat, placing a hand upon the hilt of his sword as he does so. He glances at the newcomer, a man of the order, for lack of a better term, and indicates that he, too, should accompany them to wherever Garik has gone off to, if he wants to join forces for the completion of their mutual causes.
   "Which way did he go?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:09, Sat 24 Nov 2007.

Lyssander, roughly halfway through his rust-colored pint of ale - the inn did, it turned out, have Iron Ore - signals his agreement with a nod and an open palm.  His eyes reflect some puzzlement at Talrylil's contradictory approach to secrecy, on the one hand seeking to avoid prying ears in the inn, but on the other hand so willing to trust Lyssander himself, without proof of the priest's good intentions.  He puts his mug down and leans slightly toward the lithe Elf, to ask him about this contradiction, but Talrylil's attention is already elsewhere.

At the paladin's gesture, Lyssander quickly gulps down most of his remaining ale.  With one hand he tilts his mug, dips the fingers of the other hand in the little brew that is left, and taps the tabletop a couple of times, daubing it with some drops of the beverage.  Leaving a few copper stubs near the mug, the priest rises to his feet, grabs his staff, and prepares to follow Narvil.  Mindful of the latter's grip on his sword-hilt, Lyssander queries him in a low voice, "Are you expecting trouble?"

   "Had you just visited the district of town that Talrylil and I came from, you would" came the paladin's terse reply.

Tal still looked over at Lyssander and wondered what he was all about. He smiled widely and nodded his head again. Once Narvil was ready to leave Tal simpply asked, " Ok sounds good, where did he go? He looked to Lia and Durga wondering if they remembered what Garik was up to. Tal was too busy thinking about the job that he simply forgot about Garik. He was feeling guilty about it as well but kept those thoughts to himself.

Ok so lets get moving before we waste anymore time.."

Tal looks around and remembers where Garik went off to, " Garik was just with us....did he not have to use the outhouse?" Tal looks where Garik went off to and then looks back at the group. Without waiting for another answer or response he gets up and shoots off towards the rear of the tavern. Attempting to follow the path that Garik headed out to relieve himself.

He was a bit worried and figured something bad might have happened to Garik.

Durga made a shooing motion with her hand towards Narvil and Tal while raising her flagon high so a wench can see it and refill it. "Off yeh go now, check it fer me will yeh? I don't fancy those places, and 'sides he might just be havin' a little trouble that's all. Vegetables are the answer, or so ma used to say." She grinned at Lyssander's comment and told him, "When yeh're smart yeh're always on the lookout. Might be too late otherwise..."

   Tal, Narvil, and the new addition, Lyssander, all exit the building by the back door in a retrace of Garik's path, while the other three remian inside. Lia seems too pensive for action, Durga is still drinking, and Thac prefers not to move about too much and become a greater target for his imagined enemies.

[Private to Talrylil; Narvil Duncan; Lyssander the Pale: The three of you walk out the back and into the daylight, moving quickly but cautiously to the outhouse, where Tal seems to think you'll find Garik.
   Approaching the small structure, however, you can see that something is amiss. The door is open, one of the hinges is bent, and there are signs in the dirt before the door that there was a struggle out here recently. It could be from a drunken brawl the night before...but the man standing slightly off to one side with a smirk on his face indicates otherwise.

   "Put aside your blade, warrior" he challenges Narvil, who seems to have no intention of doing so. The paladin growls and stares at the man with what seems to be contained fury.
   "I am surprised you can stand upright, snake. Your aura of evil is visible from a distance to me" responds Narvil. He tightens the grip on his weapon, but does not continue to advance.
   "I am not here to discuss whose patron deity is more forgiving, fool" responds the stranger with an oily smile. "Simply know this - your friend's life is forfeit unless you bring me the jade you have promised those so-called merchants."

   An interesting turn of events, indeed!]

Lia watches the others leave and then turns to Durga.  "Are you going to try and obtain the jade while the others are away?"

Outside

[Private to DM Lobo; Lyssander the Pale; Narvil Duncan:
Tal stares down at the man and shakes his head. Intersting turn of events indeed, he takes a quick scan of the area to make sure he is indeed alone. He figured he would have help but then again having Garik as a captaive changes things. He releses some tension by flexing his fingers, all the elf wanted to do was run over and kill the man.

He takes a deep breath and asks both Lyssander and Narvil, " Is he alone?" He then steps a few ft away from the others to surround the man. Tal does not smile but questions the man before acting, " How do we even know our friend is still alive? Tal thought about playing dumb but figured this man was too smart for that move, he was trying to stall for time.


" Who are you?" Tal stated more out of reflex, he did not think he would get an honest answer but at least he might get something of importance. Then Tal starts to simmer. His mind races over the past few hours of the frustration and anger. He starts to think of this whole mess, how he was tired of the games and intrigue. He wanted to pommel someone or something at that very moment.

HE then gets angry and frustrated and resorted to the thing he knows best, threats. a growl slips out before he even realizes what he is doing. In a low voice , " Perhaps your life will be forfiet if our friend is not returned unharmed. Maybe that would work...no?" Tal growled through clenched teeth. THe elf narrows his eyes, he does not like to be told what to do at all as his anger clouds his judgement.
]

Durga waved her flagon vigorously in front of her as one would a finger to say no. "Nay lass, that wouldn't be too smart o' me. Yeh see, the employers wanted a bunch of people to do their task, right? So, given that one person alone should normally be enough to carry a jade in their pocket, don't yeh think the rest o' the group are supposed to be there to guard the one carryin' it? That said, I'd rather have Master Fair, Master Pointy-Ears and perhaps even Master Pale guard me back while springin' the trap. Uh, no offense to your martial prowess lass..."

Outside

[Private to DM Lobo; Narvil Duncan; Talrylil:
At the oily stranger's mention of deities and forgiveness, Lyssander smiles faintly, not quite benignly, and reflexively reaches to touch the spot, in the center of his chest, where his god's-mark lies underneath his tabard.  The smile quickly fades as Talrylil appears to let his anger get the better of him.  Unhurriedly, in the manner of a watchful spectator - curious, but wary - the priest puts a few steps between himself and his two fellows, as though declining to be drawn into a fight not his.  Planting his staff in the yard's earth, he leans on it, carefully observing the unnamed stranger and the proceedings before him.]

[Private to DM Lobo: Move to J12; observe stranger; try to see any sign of the kidnapped "Garik".  Note that the rags around the spearhead (it isn't really a staff...) are tied so as to be loosened with a single tug, which should take about the same time as drawing a weapon normally does.]

   The conversation turns gritty....

[Private to Talrylil; Narvil Duncan; Lyssander the Pale: The paladin twitches a curled lip, grunting his acknowledgement that the man before them is indeed alone, or at least the only one of such baseness and vile disposition to show up to his heightened senses versus evil.
   "You *don't* know whether the man is alive, but I assure you that he is" responds the weasel-in-human-clothing with a smile. "A dead captive is fertilizer, not a bargaining tool. Do you think you are dealing with orcs, elf?" The man chuckles sarcastically and shakes his head.
   Lyssander's slight movement to the side does not go unnoticed, and the man points with one waggling finger, bidding the priest to stop in his tracks, or else. Clearly, Narvil and Tal would like nothing better than to take the solitary figure up on his offer of 'or else', but with the fate of their companion, Garik, unclear...they choose discretion over valor.
   "Who I am is a *true* merchant. A merchant of divinity and power, and your threats of death hold no power over me, elfling, for death is only the beginning of a long and glorious future in my world.""

   "Cultist." Narvil practically spits the word as if it is a curse, rather than a title. "Necromancy is a blight, not a gift. Your partners will know the error of their ways when I find them." The holy knight moves to take a step forward, but the man speaks again before he can advance.

   "You wish to doom this entire town by your actions? Assault me, defy me, and not only does your friend perish in unbelievable agony, but you put in motion the death of everyone in Phent!" His voice begins to rise, though whether from excitement or nervousness is unclear.]

[Private to Lyssander the Pale: You do not notice anything particular about this man, though he dresses more like a travelling merchant and less like a common bandit or thug would. His clothing (color or design) holds no clues as to his origins nor does his complexion or build. Coming from Waterdeep, you know that people from all over travel everywhere, and this man seems no exception - you've only been in this region a short time, but can tell his accent is not native to Thesk.]

[Private to Talrylil: You've lived in this region long enough to recognize that this evil little man's accent is not native to Thesk, though you can't really place it otherwise.]

... and continues to be gritty.

[Private to DM Lobo; Narvil Duncan; Talrylil: As Narvil and the stranger exchange barbs, and the latter's necromantic practices are brought up, Lyssander's eyes grow noticeably darker - some trick of the light, perhaps, since they were black to begin with.  His stance does not change, but it... tenses slightly.  "Sar hametim, shofet hanoflim, reshom-na befanekha," he whispers a curtailed prayer under his breath, his lips barely moving, urging his god to record the cultist's words and threats in the Book of Doom.

Aloud, controlling his voice to an even tone, the priest addresses himself to the stranger.  "Forceful threats.  Fanciful, some might say.  Defying you would end the lives of this entire town's populace?  Who are you, that you imagine yourself of such interest to the fates?"

OOC:  The prayer is in Celestial:  "Lord of the dead, judge of the fallen, write this before you".]

   Blasted interruptions....

[Private to Talrylil; Narvil Duncan; Lyssander the Pale: The man shakes his head. "Oh, it is not I who will be the cause of so much suffering...by the way, haven't you noticed the dramatic increase in piracy in the bay lately? The-"

   The man's callous attitude is cut off by the sudden appearance of another tavern patron exiting the rear door of the place. The new arrival blunders past the talking trio of adventurers and only comes to a stop when he is finally standing directly in between the conversationalists. He stares blankly at the damaged outhouse door, then at the four men standing around.
   "What? Does it smell that bad inside?"

   "Meet me in the stand of trees at midnight across from the orchard" growls the other to the party, as he uses the distraction to back up to a break in the surrounding brush. "Follow me, and your associate dies just as surely as if you do not show." He turns and trots off, away from the backyard of the inn.]

ahhh no interuptions...


[Private to DM Lobo; Lyssander the Pale; Narvil Duncan:
Tal tried to contain himself, wanted to contain himself for Garik. He then closed his eyes and calmed himself before he did something stupid. He then breaths a loud sigh when Narvil and Lyssander speak up, it was giving him time to control his emotions.

Once calmed a bit, Tal listened and stated, "A wizard of the undead arts eh? A man scared? But yet now we are to bargin for the life of Garik...I-" Tal stops when the guy walks out and asks about the outhouse. The whole time he was watching the man walk away. When he heard his threat again, Tal could do nothing but punch the side of the tavern in frustration, " Bring Garik with you"was all Tal stated as the man walked off.  Tal wanted to follow but did not know if his threat was true or a bluff.

WHen the man left Tal turns to Lyssander and Narvil, " He was not a native....Now we have more problems it seems. This is getting better and better..." Tal sighs loudly enough for all to hear.
]

Too late - interrupted.

[Private to DM Lobo; Narvil Duncan; Talrylil: Lyssander looks from Talrylil to Narvil, and back.  Approaching them, he asks softly, "I take it Garik is one of your companions, and has been kidnapped; I am sorry to hear that.  While we are away now from prying ears - would either of you care to explain to me what tangled skein of intrigue and villainy you are asking my help with?  Merchants, necromancers, jewelry and spies - what exactly is the nature of your task?"]

   A brief explanation ensues.

[Private to Talrylil; Narvil Duncan; Lyssander the Pale: Narvil, still clenching both his teeth and his large blade, is the first to respond.
   "We heard rumors of merchants in town seeking a rare item, and their search seemed to coincide with a subtle shift in the workings of the thieves' guilds operations. Tal's conversation with them revealed their claim that they represented a deposed king in the east who required some sort of jade artifact to return to power. My own gift was put to the test, and did not reveal any treachery on their part...now it seems we may not have been given all of the details on who is involved in this kingdom's power struggle." He seems just as angry at himself for failure as he is at the situation they now find themselves in.]

Conversation continues.

[Private to DM Lobo; Narvil Duncan; Talrylil: "In some eastern religions," Lyssander muses, "jade is considered blessed, a ward against evil spirits and moral taint.  Be that as it may - what are your plans now?"]

continues...

[Private to DM Lobo; Lyssander the Pale; Narvil Duncan:
" that is a good question, let us go back in and tell everyone what happened. THen we plan and get ready for the meet. Come.."Tal then walks back into the tavern to look for the others.
]


Tal walks into the tavern and looks for the others. Once spotted he sits down and shakes his head slightly, " As if this whole thing could not get any worse...Garik is captured it seems. By who? Dunno but they want the jade for Garik, a trade if you will." Tal did not continue to explain he simply started to think to himself. As if he was trying to wrap his head around something. He sits quiet for a minute before he continues, "THey want to meet tonight to contnue the coversation we were having outside....."

   "I am sure they do not want to *just* talk. They will expect us to have their prize to trade for Garik. I suggest we find some way to either collect the item through non thievery, perhaps a lending of the thing by the current owners...or else find some way to duplicate it to give ourselves a bit of time when this bargaining takes place." Narvil still seems raw about being caught in the middle of an outside feud over such a paltry thing as an art object.

Lia pales a little at the thought of Garik being in danger. "Then we must assemble and acquire that gem.  Garik wouldn't want us to give it up without a fight though, so I don't want to just hand it over unless we have no other choice."

" I do not like handing over objects, lets see if we can give them a fake. That way we get Garik back and we are still able to keep the real one. Tal stated in a harsh whisper. He sits down and orders another ale as he realizes they are on a HUGE time crunch. They had a plan, and very little time to make a decent one.

With a loud sigh, " Do we have enough time to acquire the real jade and get a fake one? Before midnight tonight? Lia were you able to see the item itself? Or should we just take the real one and use it as bait for them to give us Garik. WE ambush them? Getting rid of evil is always positive. So I guess the first step would be to go get the real jade.

Tal looks around again as if someone was watching them, " Also lets stick together from here on out. I do not want to be lost like Garik. So we have to get the real jade first, any thoughts or suggestions?"

Lia nods her head in Durga's direction.  "I think Durga is willing to have a crack at getting it by trying a similar approach to mine, as long as there is support for her in case things turn ugly."

   *Ahem*

   Narvil clears his throat and makes a stern, disapproving look, which he then uses on the three he has adventured/explored with in the past. His gaze then shifts to the newly-acquired rogue of the group without changing his expression a bit.

   "Perhaps I was not understood the first time. We need to acquire this gemstone item without stealing it. Theivery, besides being contrary to public order, is an act of base desire and low morals; we must hold ourselves to higher standards if we wish to continue to receive the support of our chosen patrons." Of course, he was talking about himself, but being closer to his own god, it was possible he had some insight into the workings of other deities as well....

   "Can we not somehow involve the local authorities in this? Or the mayor herself, if we can prove this artifact is either dangerous, or likely to cause a war between guilds or factions in her town? There must be some other way to deal with these...now three(!)...conflicting groups of criminals." Frustration was evident in the paladin's voice.

---

   ooc: Now, as mentioned before, Narvil is not suggesting plans, but rather brainstorming based on his INT, WIS, and character profile. Some of his ideas may work, and some might just be vicious little plots by the nefarious DM to lead you astray, or into more trouble. >:)
   Ultimately, though, you'll need to either convince Narvil of your own plans' merits, or trick him into going along with you [without resorting to the Bluff/Diplomacy skills], or find some way to send him off on an errand while Durga does her thing.

"I suspect that involving the authorities too directly would endanger the life of your associate Garik," Lyssander points out quietly.  "Though they might have useful information on the pirates that your cultist had mentioned."

He looks around the table, then back at the paladin.  "Three groups of criminals?  I must be missing part of the story."

   Narvil quickly recounts the remainder of the story, from his point of view.

   "When Talrylil first approached the merchants from the east, a man of dark disposition was just leaving their shop. Inside, the so-called art dealers assured our man that the one who had just left had asked to be hired, and was refused. Both that man and a later messenger sent from the jeweler's shop where the jade is located ended up in a house teeming with wicked people...which is where Thac and I had just returned from before your fortuitous meeting."

Tal sighed loudly once again, he was just as frustrated as Narvil but for vairous reasons. Now he had to find a way to 'trick' Narvil into stealing a gem. He looked at Lia and Durga and asked, " Ok lets go over ways to get our little jade. Is it for sale? I mean that may be a stupid question but its worth asking....no?" Tal looked at Naril and asked him, " Lyssander is right, lets leave the authorities out of it for now. We never know if they will help us or not. Maybe you can go find out some information about them, the mayor to see if they would help. We can wait for you and plan? Tal was trying to get rid of the paladin, he hoped he was not being too obvious about it.

He shook his head again, "Three groups, does anyone know anything about this meeting place? We should also scout it out before we meet so we can determine our best course of action. WHere to hide, what to bring...so forth. The best way to deal with this is to have a good plan. So maybe one of us could also go scout the area out. Tell us whats around or the best hiding spots. No?"

Tal was just brainstorming, talking out loud to get his own thoughts together. He was a bit lost but wanted badly to do something. At least get things moving in the right direction. Time was not on their side in this...

Tal looks over at Lyssander , " Priates? I am sorry I am bit confused...what do you mean by priates?"" Tal looked over to Durga and LIa wondering their thoughts, he was ready to move on and get the jade.

" We ready ?" asks a confused Talrylil.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:52, Tue 18 Dec 2007.

   Narvil nods his head in silent agreement, and the group moves as one to the exit. Once outside, the paladin speaks.
   "Since there is no harbormaster in Phent, and we haven't enough time to travel all the way to Telflamm, there are really only two..well, three...good places to go for information on the pirates of the bay. That would be the two merchant guilds in town - the Golden Wayfinders and Fornot & Sons, and of course the tavern scene. I don't believe any of us would be welcome in the house of Platinum Dreams, but the Tack and Tower or the Golden Nugget might have merchants or guards who have recently come from the west."

   Thac agrees, and sets off on his own to scour the Golden Nugget [which, coincidentally, is a hangout of some of his less savory counterparts]. He waves goodbye, and agrees to meet them all in a few hours at this spot, or, failing that, to be at the orchard an hour before midnight.

   The rest of the party moves westward to the river, then stops and looks left and right, waiting for a sign, or a first step, toward either of the two merchant houses.

" The golden wayfinder sounds like a good place to start eh? Lets go quickly since we have other matters to attend.... Tal looked back over near the tavern and hoped that Garik was ok. They also needed the jade and they had to come up with something to attain the item. He kept looking over at Narvil wondering how they were going to do that with the holy man around.

   Narvil seems satisfied with Tal's decisive comment, and turns his shoulders to square off down the street before moving himself and the rest of the party in the direction of said merchant guild.

   As it turns out, the primary building that houses the guild merchants and their accountants and ledgers is just up the road from them; they reach the edge of the small compound in minutes. On the western side of the street, between the cobbled road and the river that runs parallel to it, sit four distinct buildings.

   The first, a two-story mansion-like structure, has one main entrance just left of center, facing the street. Tacked prominently over this portal is the guild sign and registry, a baord that depicts the name and 'heraldry', or symbol, of the guild. More than one person is amazed at how closely the smiling golden coin resembles the benevolent flaming sun of the priests of Pelor.

   The second is an obvious warehouse facility, with various horses and wagons moving into and out of both ends. Several teamsters mill about, waiting for their turn to on- or offload goods, while nearly a score of sweaty, grunting laborers are busily doing all the work. A solitary human figure with a writing board and charcoal sticks in his hands walks among the activities, oblivious to how close he comes to being crushed several times, as he makes notes about goods and carriers.

   The third is a stable, obviously, though the entrance is positioned so that looking inside from the street is not possible. There are almost no sounds coming from the building, though, which probably means business is good.

   The fourth is a smaller structure, probably quarters for guards or stablehands, whose jobs require them to be on hand at all times.

Tal stares at the 4 distinct buildings wondering out loud, " ummm ok where do we start? Narvil you heading to the Heraldry? We are getting information on pirates right? Should I go ask the guards? Again Sorry....

Tal was a bit confused with the turn of events. HE knew they were here to get information, but for what again? He looked at the others for their thoughts and ideas.

"Likely the guildmaster would respond well to a knight; if Narvil could check there, perhaps someone more... earthy... might more gainfully speak with the foreman there by the warehouse."  The priest looks steadily at Durga with those last words, then gestures at the rest of the team.  "I can converse with the guards if you wish.  With trouble afoot, their thoughts will turn to my lord and they may be receptive to my presence.  Certainly they will know if their comrades have faced pirates recently."

Durga raised an eyebrow and faked annoyance. "Earthy? As in, closer to the earth? Shorter, is that it lad?" She grinned and then shrugged. "Well I suppose I could. And I bet ye a gold one that I could take care of the guildmaster as well. I can be as earthy as the foreman is, and as airy as the guildmaster and his bloody breeches are, too. Should I, hmm? Ah well, Narvil is the fair one, not me." Her eyes seemed to sparkle with the prospect of doing something fun again.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:16, Mon 14 Jan 2008.

" Well there we go then...We each have something to go find out. Lets go see what we can and then meet back here in a few minutes. That way we can gather all the information and see where we are.....dam whole thing hurts my brain. I like it better when I can simply bash something." Tal knew he sounded like a dumb brute but he was being honest for once. He liked a fight anyday of the week to all this walking around.

He nods his head towards Durga and Lyssander, following Lyssander. Tal figured Durga can handle the rest.

The priest turns back the edges of his cape, revealing a rich, almost luxurious black lining - and, not coincidentally, displaying the skull-and-scales blazon on his tabard.  He nods to the strange Elf, composes his features into what he imagines a cleric should look like when tending to his flock, and walks into the guards' small structure.

   Narvil grunts his own response to the priest, sticking both thumbs into his weapons belt and moving off in the direction indicated without looking back.

   Durga finds that the short trip to the foreman is as fraught with perils as the last dungeon she delved - which was actually the sewer hideout of a group of mongrelmen and cultists, but that's a story for another time. She ducks and dodges the heavy foot and cart traffic, neatly avoiding both causing a disturbance to the flow of goods as well as meeting a terrible end there as well.
   The foreman seems not to notice the addition of another body beside his own [followed as he is from moment to moment by someone either handing him a sheaf of papers or taking one from him after he marks on it], but neither does he completely ignore her; he sidesteps her several times, and spits on the ground before her feet at one point to make her pause long enough for some workers to move by, but otherwise does not initiate a conversation with the dwarf.

   Lyssander and Talrylil are the only ones who initially are met with an actual greeting.
   "Ho there!" calls out a guardsman as the two approach their position. The footsoldier moves to intercept the pair as they get closer, sticking out a meaty hand toward the elf with a smile and tapping his broadsword's hilt with the other. "Like ta thank ya again 'bout the nice work ya done on this blade, sir." He seems genuinely happy about some service he believes Tal performed for him.
   "No Gil, it ain't the same elf. They all just *look* the same*" His partner interjects, holding the other by the upper arm to stop him in his advancement. The second guard nods his head apologetically, but the two remain in place, barring further progress by the two adventurers.

"A peaceful passage to you, goodmen," Lyssander greets the two soldiers, without elaborating on where the passage might be to.  Those who ken, ken.  "My friend here, who is decidedly not a weaponsmith," he glances at Tal, "and I are travelling through this town, and heard some nasty rumors about pirate activity.  Since someone in your position would be well aware of such developments, I was hoping you could let us know what we should watch out for.  Wary travellers mean less clean-up work for the guards, you know."

Tal was about to answer when Lyssander spoke up and beat him to it. With a scrowl on his face Talrylil listens intently. Interesting, he sounds like he has done this before....maybe I should add something. Tal wanted to add something badly to the conversation but thought better of it. He felt that Lyssander did a great job, what more could he add. He fingered his weapon and looked over at the broadsword, " I would have done better... He mutters under his breath.

Tal smiled as he realized that he blurted that out loud. oh well what could happen? He waits paitently for the answer from the guards.

   The action in Tal and Lyssander's corner of the compound perks up first, and the guards shift their feet slightly, both to address the men talking to them, and to futher 'check them out', as they have made their presence known. Apparently, these guards are quite competent.

   "Ain't no pirates this far inland, sir" replies the one known as Gil, "Telflamm and Nyth are the port cities. You new around here or somethin'?" He narrows his eyes suspiciously, but again receives a steadying hand upon his arm by his partner.

   "No need to get defensive; I'm sure they're just looking for work, or a clear path for their own employers" inserts the other swordsman. He turns his head to face the pair of adventurers and gives them a look-over.
   "There's always been fair pirate activity in the coastal waters down here; people try to make the Golden Way by any means necessary, which means sailing through the mouth of the beast, so to speak. Of course, the place is regularly patrolled by our ships, and old Filaux of course...say, come to think of it, there *have* been more reports of raiding in the last few weeks." The man rubs his chin thoughtfully at this.

The priest nods gravely at the second soldier's words, but first turns to address his more hotheaded comrade Gil.  "'New around here'?  Yes, I suppose you could say that," he notes with an amused smile, "as I mentioned, we are travelling through here.  For the next stage of my journey, I must needs decide whether to head west to Telflamm and proceed by ship, or to head south and take the overland route by way of the Sere Road."

Lyssander directs his next words to the more level-headed soldier.  "You must come into contact with merchants from the coast - and your fellows-in-arms who guard them.  Anything you could tell us about these raids, from what you have heard, would be helpful."

   The two men shrug as one, apparently being of the same mind where pirates are concerned. The second speaks up while the first eyes the priest carefully.
   "What's to tell, really? They're pirates: they attack ships in the bay and either board and loot, or sink and flee. Sometimes they seem to hit a good cargo, and other times they fire on a ship full of nothing but passengers. Can't say they've got connections...just great big brass ones."

   Gil nods his agreement with his friend's assessment of the situation out there on the water. "Didn't used to be like this, but then again politics makes for strange happenin's. Thay got quiet and the sea-hunters got rowdy 'bout the same time. Maybe the Red Wizards'r hittin' us from the other side now!" He doesn't quite seem to convince himself, but nods knowingly as if trying to sell the idea of a grander Thayan scheme than anyone else is willing to speculate aloud.

When you say it was not like this before...what do you mean exactly?" Tal asks Gil as he finished his sentence. Again the elf was a bit confused as to what they were trying to gain from these two. They wanted to help, that much Tal could tell. Yet for some reason they were acting funny.

Tal shook his head slightly and asked another question, " You mentioned Old Filaux...what is that, or is it a who?"Tal was still unsure if he was asking the right questions, once again his mind was starting to hurt. Too many angles for this little jade affair. Maybe Narvil was right, killing undead might be the way to go. HE smirked though as he realized he asked to get involved with the night masks.

   The two men look at the elf, as if noticing for the first time that he is still there. Either they aren't used to speaking with elves in general, or have begun making assumptions about this pair of men asking them all sorts of questions about pirates and such.
   The moment passes just as quickly, though, and the second speaks up. "Lately, meaning like in the last few weeks I guess." He shrugs slightly and looks at the other, who nods in agreement. "I mean, as long as there's merchants with gold there'll always be bandits on the road and pirates on the seas, right?"

   "Sure as shootin'" chimes in Gil, who seems to be a bit more relaxed now that the conversation is back on familiar ground. "If the Duke didn't have the headaches of greedy guilds and Thayan merchant-mages and the wine festival next month, then maybe he'd be able to clamp down a bit harder on the offshore problems we're having."

   "You know, I hear there's Halruuan mages making more of those skyships my pop used to tell me about. Bet *that* would put an end to pirates off our coast" The guard chuckles heartily at the mental image that conjures.

   "An' old Filaux...wow, you must really be new to Thesk." Guardsman Gil cocks an eyebrow at the questioner before going on, turning his shoulders away and facing south, to point south and west alternately during his speech.
   "Filaux is a dragon...copper maybe? Maybe bronze?" He looks to the other but gets another shrug for his efforts. "Comes from the Dragonjaw Range down south, and set up some sort of dragon-sized castle for himself out on The Tooth, overlooking the bay" he says, shading his eyes as if he, or anyone else, could see the lofty peak of that place from this far away.
   "Filaux gets along fine with the gnomes and miners up in his range, but doesn't suffer others very well, especially pirates who try to raid the ships of his friends. Couple cargoes of gems got nicked a few years ago, and he's pretty much declared war on the pirates that come too close to our ports now. Except for the last few weeks, though." Again comes the all-too-familiar shrug of the swordsman.

Lyssander sighs.  "Well, looks like the land route it will be, then.  I say, my boots will be worn thin as a Sembian smile by the time..."  his words trail off with a sorrowful shake of the head.  "Come, Tal, we have arrangements to make.  Goodmen, thank you for your time and courtesy.  May you rest long and well."

With a dignified nod to the two soldiers, the priest touches Tal's elbow and heads back in the direction of the other buildings, hoping Narvil or Durga managed to elicit more details about the pirates.

Tal was suprised when they mentioned a dragon. Yes he was new to these parts and never knew a dragon was around the area. He shook his head and simply said , " Wowa dragon huh...interesting." He paid attention to what they had to say and nodded his head. He heard Lyssander's explanation and was about to blurb out that they were not going anywhere. BUt he caught himself as he realized that he was just saying it to these guards.

Well good day gentlemen, see ya around. Tal was friendly enough to wave bye and he followed the cleric as he left.

WHen they were far enough away, " So did we find anythign useful? Do not forget that we have a meeting at midnight tonight...WE have to figure out once and for all if we are going after the REAL jade or not. WE have some planning to do as well. Why did we have to find out about the priates now?Tal asked , with a bit confusion. He was a bit impatient becuase he knew that they needed a good plan in order to save their friend. THey had to get the jade...again too much was going on that Tal could do nothing but sigh.

After covertly looking to ensure no-one is within whispershot, Lyssander turns to the Elf.  "Since your friend's kidnapper mentioned a connection to the pirates, it would have been helpful to find out more about them - and by extension about him.  The more we know, the more options we have in dealing with the kidnapper.  Unfortunately, these soldiers did not appear to have much in the way of details.  Perhaps your comrades had better luck."

   "Actually, I don't think the kidnappers have anything to do with the pirates, directly" came the stern, even voice of the paladin as he rejoined the other two. His brows and face were set in a hard line, as if the information he had gathered while apart was brewing in his thoughts like a bad bit of thundercloud stew.
   "I think it was a reference designed to get us looking for scarecrows while the vultures did their dirty work in town. Still, I've placed wants and watches with the local authorities in my absence, so all cargoes leaving town by the western roads that are large enough to hold a person's body will be searched. If they *are* the pirates of the bay, or in league with them, they won't be so easily putting our mage into a press gang." Narvil straightened his shoulders and stood a bit taller at his declaration, feeling much more confident that they would at least hold the forces of evil at bay while they sorted out the mysterious goings-on in this otherwise quiet little town.
   The pirates have been busy lately, in the absence of a good navy, and a friendly brass dragon who lives in the overwatching peaks. It is entirely possible that some fortune hunters disturbed his lair and turned his thoughts against humans...or perhaps the Thayans have a hand in all this..." The holy knight seemed more inclined to believe the second of the two possibilities.

   Thac, of course, had not returned yet; his decision to investigate the tavern might take several hours, if he was to get any information at all from the patrons there without arousing suspicion.

   Durga was conspicuously absent from the meeting place, and Lia...she had mentioned wanting to go pray at the temple of Waukeen for the safe return of her longtime friend and part-time lover, so was not expected to meet them again until after dark.

"But no leads on your new friends."  Lyssander's voice is softer than the paladin's, but his face is not.  "Where does this leave us?  We could attempt to take delivery of the... package, could we not?  The current owner will have an interest in informing us of our opposition.  Or approach a diviner to locate your friend - you do have some items he has handled, I assume?"  The priest ponders a moment.  "Or try both, I suppose.  What other options do you two see?"

Hardly any options." A dejected Tal answers. Again the elf was not his happy go lucky self. This intrigue was taking a toll on the usually upbeat elf. He shook his head in frustration and continued, " Well like I said before....we need to get the jade. Either the real one or a fake one. One way or another we have to be prepared for tonight. What information we can find we will continue but lets at least get the jade first before we go off looking for more information? Agreed?"

Talrylil was looking a bit nervous, friends were missing and others were out and about town. Too many seperated. " Your idea sounds good though, how much would it cost to hire a wizard to find our missing friend? So our next question is how to go about getting the jade. I was informed that we simply take it. Although that would not be a wise course..... Tal looks near Narvils direction and conitnures his train of thought, " Why would the owner tell us anything about who wants the jade?

Lyssander looks curiously at the elf.  "So that it would not be wrested from us.  If he is willing to entrust us with the item, he will not wish us to lose it due to lack of preparedness or forewarning."

[posted by GM]


   "I am not so certain that the current holder of this jade item is also the owner of it. Did you notice how quickly...perhaps even eagerly...Lia said the shopkeeper thought she was the courier coming to take it away?" Narvil stroked his chin as they walked along the edge of the roadway, careful not to get run over by passing carts, and mindful that their conversation was not being overheard.
   "And don't forget, someone leaving that shop went to a house brimming with evil. They were not kidnapped and dragged inside; this messenger boy was let in. To truk with evil makes the jewelers just as guilty, if only by association. I cannot trust them, either to give us the item without trouble, nor to tell them of our situation and expect sympathy."

---

ooc: once again, I have two people who seemed willing to join, sent me rtjs, and showed me character sheets. Neither has been back in touch with me in several days, but one should be a mage.... :)

Looking back and forth from Narvil to Tal, the priest holds his peace.  His two companions are discussing details unknown to him, and he is content to let them - having the benefit of greater knowledge - determine a general course of action.

Tal starts to explain, "Lia went into the shop to get a feel for the guy and the jade. She came out saying that the guy was ready to hand it over. I thought that was odd and Narvil makes a good point. He wants to get rid of it for some reason. Maybe one of us should go in and say we are the carrier and simply take it?"

Tal starts to scratch his chin, " I really cannot think of anything else right now. I do think that we need to get the item. Should we head back to go retrieve it now or go scout out the area where the meet is supposed to happen?" Tal was simply thinking out loud he was a bit nervous but anxious as well.

   Narvil shakes his head. "Even a fool doesn't offer his ale to two strangers in one night. No, I think we had one chance at that, and it has passed. Speaking of which, where is Thac's little friend?" The paladin makes to look around for Durga, who still has not returned from her own search of the merchant's compound. He makes a face, something between a grimace and a frown.
   "We are most certainly being watched by someone - note how quickly Garik was kidnapped when he left us for a moment at the tavern. This makes contacting the local constable about a raid on the place even more difficult...especially if we want him to be alive when we get to the orchard later tonight. No, I think we should determine which of these factions we want to learn more about, and follow them. Either the merchats who hired us, the kidnappers, the jewelers, or the den of iniquity. I do not advise splitting up again" he added solemnly.

---

ooc:...sorry to leave it so open, but you do need to have an actual PC make your decisions for you. :)

The priest nods at Narvil's words - more in reflection than agreement.  His own inclination is to track the jewellers; if nothing else, that would enable the group to snatch the jade if need, and justification, arose.  But it was not his friend taken hostage, and so he continues to watch in silence, amenable to whatever course of action is chosen by his new companions.

"Agh....I cannot believe this mess.. Tal states in a frustrated voice. He takes a deep breath and then closes his eyes. He murmurs to himself and then speaks in a low tone, "Yes Narvil you are correct about the jade. My vote is we find out more information on who hired us. The merchants who hired us...for why and who are they? Plus I do not like being threatened and they did indeed do that. Tal's eyes turn to slits as he remembers that fateful meeting.

Tal scratches his head continues, " Also that means we have to get the jade somehow...do we need the item to rescue Garik? what do you think? can we use a fake or would they know if it was taken or not? Too many people watching us and the item. Tal looks around as if he was being watched righ this second, in a whisper he simply asks, "So I say the merchants....do we need the item for the meet tonight or not?

   "Despite our former companions' attempts to the contrary, this is not a democracy, and there is no voting" Narvil declares with an air of finality. He crosses his arms and stares hard at the elven warrior for a moment, then shifts his gaze to the priest, in whom he seems to have a fair reserve of faith.
   "Voting by the masses leads to judgements based on false hopes and fears. We, as seasoned men of the world, must select the option that allows us to fulfill the two most important aspects of our current quest: to return the jade item to its rightful owner - whomever that may be; and to bring those of evil action and intent low, either by blade or by justice. No other things need be considered...save the safe return of Garik, if possible."

---

ooc: again...it absolutely slays me that you two are doing your best to shrug off the leadership role of this situation. Tal seems the most obvious, being a member of the party longest and by virtue of his class [ie leadership on the battlefield, in these settings, tends to make you a leader elsewhere]...while Lyssander has Narvil's respect, for now, and could probably sway the NPC paladin to a good choice of action.
   You know, rather than sit here in the street and discuss it while two potiential allies are waiting to join the group. :/

   In the meantime, I'll continue to flesh out Narvil's 'paladinesque' attitude a bit more. Lol

ooc:  Well, I know Narvil's an NPC, and you know it, but Lyssander doesn't - and it would not be typical of him to impose his own views in these circumstances.  *sigh*  dag nabbit... I guess people can sometimes act atypically...

Lyssander meets the paladin's stare with a steady, almost unnervingly so, gaze of his own.  A moment of silence lengthens, and the pale-faced cleric realizes, disquietingly, that Narvil has no plan to offer, for all his resolute tone.  Reluctantly, the Sealer outlines his own views.

"The item is the fulcrum," he begins, still stubbornly refusing to name the jade in public.  "We have not the leisure to approach it indirectly; perforce we must come directly to its current possessors, to follow or accost them.  It seems, too, that their establishment is near the center of the web, with messengers and spies bearing tales around.  Again, it appears the fulcrum is located there, and so we must be there as well."

He looks at the elf, then back at Narvil.  "And again," the priest spells out another argument, "if they are not the rightful owners, we will discover that, and be free to take the item and use it for the just purpose of saving your friend's life.  In any event, approaching the item directly offers the best chance of discovering its true owners without depending entirely on the say-so of dubious interested parties."

And if the current possessors are the rightful owners, they will no doubt be glad of your protection, paladin, for surely they cannot be entirely blind to this tangle of conspiracies; and the coin in which we will take their gratitude will be information, Lyssander completes his reasoning, silently.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:09, Fri 22 Feb 2008.

ooc:I am not trying to hold up anything, I mean I can boss everyone around but figure at least asking would be wise. If I am leader by default...lol then I can do that. Just trying to play Tal the correct way. ;)

Tal nods his head and simply states, " Then it is settled, lets go get the jade and then rescue Garik..fair enough? Cmon on then the store is this way... Tal starts to head back to the store where the jade is held. He did not understand Lyssander's way of tak and Narvil was starting to get to him with his holy attitude. HE chuckled as he realized the trouble they were about to get into. All for a job and a bag full of money, in a whisper to himself, " Remind me later that money is not everything....

   Narvil seemed satisfied with the decision made, and signified this by cracking his knuckles and rolling his head around once, to pop his neck. Apparently he seemed to be preparing for what might turn into action.

   Doing an about face, he strode through the streets again with purposeful steps, making a beeline march for the jeweler's shop down on the south end of Sparkle Way. He did not pause to wait for Durga - probably expecting her to find them easily enough [or link up with her pal Thac] - instead moving along and almost forcing the other two to jog to keep pace with his long strides.

   Reaching the shop he looked left, then right...Tal had seen this subtle use of his ability to detect evil before...then pushed open the door and moved inside the store proper.
   "I'm sorry folks" he announced without hesitation to the three customers and two shopkeepers in the place, "but this business will be closed for the next few minutes. Please exit at once." Though Narvil did not have the look of a typical street thug, nor was he wearing the livery of the town constabulary, the trio of merchants quickly left the shop, while the older of the two owners [one being 40ish, the other late 20s] stepped forward to protest.

   "Now see here, good sir, I-" A hand and a glare from the paladin stopped his speech in its tracks.

   "You've begun that statement well, recognizing me as a force for goodness and law. See that you don't end it poorly." To emphasize his point, Narvil shifted his grip on the sheath of his unlimbered greatsword, bringing the hilt across in front of the man's face so he could see just what he meant.

   The man fell silent, and Narvil looked to Lyssander and Tal to begin their questioning.

---

ooc: isn't intimidation great? Esp with a good CHA bonus. :D

Taking a slow step forward, Lyssander makes no effort to conceal the grim sigil emblazoned on his tabard.  "There is a certain item you possess, a piece of jewelry," he begins.  His voice remains level as he addresses the gem-merchant, even calm; but there is a tone in it, some curious and subtle inflection, that his comrades have not heard before.  There is something of the crypt in this tone, something patient and ominous and implacable.

"This item has been the subject of considerable discord in this town; discord that is on the verge of claiming lives, and worse.  Begin by telling us what you know of this item, and the strife surrounding it, in your own words.  We shall interrupt from time to time, to ask questions or to confront you with any falsehoods you utter.  The former kind of interruption will be painless for you."

His stare still locked on the more senior of the owners, the priest fingers his chain-borne godsmark, perhaps unconsciously; then lets his hand drop back to rest at his belt, while he awaits the merchant's response.

[Private to DM Lobo: The tone is not merely an affectation, btw; though Lyssander can pass for a human (albeit an oddly pale one), here he is deliberately letting the mask slip - a little.  If Narvil has the relevant knowledge base, he may recognize Lyssander as an aasimar, or at least as an outsider; and he may pick up on Lyssander's negative energy plane connections, the traces of undeath that have lingered with him since his birth.  (I mention this because it is an important part of the plot development between Narvil and the cleric; this is as good a place as any to have Narvil begin to find the dots, to connect later at his leisure.)]

Talrylil was suprised by Narvil's directness. He was even more surprised by Lyssander. He shook his head and smiled. These guys knew what they were doing. He then added, "Yea...no lies." Tal shrugs when they all look at him. He was going to finger his chain but figured enough intimadation had already taken place. The elf was trying hard to hold back his smile.

He wanted to help but waited for at least the merchant to speak. He does ask one question, " You still have the item in question correct?" Tal wanted to make sure that it was stil here. Well he hoped it was still here...

   "We have much in the way of jewelry, mister" comes the guarded tone of the elder merchant as he looks sidelong at the other. "What you sound like you're asking about isn't something to be discussed lightly. There are certain...formalities-"

   "Are you friends of the woman that was here earlier?" blurts out the younger of the two, seemingly having put two and two together in the short span of time that Narvil and the other two had been in his shop. He seems a little nervous.

   "Hush, Vanyo!" admonishes the senior partner, making cutting motion with his hand to silence his junior. The move elicits a grunt and a tensing of the paladin's shoulders, but otherwise things proceed normally.

   "But if they all know...I told you this was too dangerous! Now the church is involved; what should we do?" The one identified as Vanyo nears a state of what can only be described as hyperventilation - he begins sweating, his skin flushes, and his breath becomes quick and shallow.

   "You will keep your mouth shut and wait for our friends to arrive; they will tell us how to proceed." The shopkeeper turns back to the paladin and the priest [apparently not recognizing the symbol borne by Lyssander, or not acknowledging it] and tries to smile benignly...though it comes out more as a grimace than an actual grin.
   "Unless you have plans to arrest us on the spot and confiscate our inventory, good sir?" Something in his tone clues in the trio of adventurers that this might not be such a good idea; in a town where merchants and money make the rules, there is sure to be a convoluted system of laws in place to protect people like this, in situations such as these.

Talrylil listens intently to the banter going back and forth and tilts his head. He looks over at the nervous guy and wonders what information we can gather from him. Tal looks over at the lead merchant, " Which friends are you talking about? He then turns to Narvil and Lyssander, " Maybe we can question them seperately to make sure their story is straight and true....then maybe we can get some REAL answers.

Tal looks around for another room, he figured they could get more information from the guy who was sweating, Vanyo. Tal nods towards Narvil, " Let Lyssander and I question, Vanyo right? Then we can question this guy. We will be in the other room."

Tal ignored the lead merchant about arrest and such. He was not a man of the law but he could take control and made sure that they could question each, and alone.

Tal looks for another room and indicates for Vanyo and Lyssander to follow, " This way..."

The priest slowly inclines his head in agreement with Tal's suggestion.  "If you will attend to our host's 'formalities' here, sir, I will accompany his colleague to the other room," he says to Narvil, deliberately avoiding speaking the paladin's name.  Stepping to the jewelry store's stout door, he promptly bars the entrance against any "friends" of the owner that might appear.  "There," he explains to the others, "the better to assure a... peaceable, non-confrontational conversation."

Light on his feet, Lyssander quickly closes the distance to the younger of the merchants, and lays a gentle but unyielding hand on his upper arm.  "Come, goodman Vanyo, we have much to discuss."

[Private to DM Lobo: Lyssander scans the room for signs of hiding spies (especially child-sized ones) - just in case.]

   Tal's decision leaves a sour look on the older man's face, and a worried one on the younger. A protest forms on the man's lips as the group begins to split, but his words have not yet formed when the door to the street out front bursts open, letting in two men in casual - though drab - clothing! Each draws a shortblade, much more suitable for combat in the confines of this small shop than Narvil's large weapon.

   Tal has only just turned his head at the sound of the front door when he spies movement from the corner of his eye. Blocking the doorway to the back room of the store is a third man, a similar gladius-like blade in his hand, threatening the warrior immediately. He must have been back there the whole time....

   "Your plan will never succeed, worm!" spits the one beside Tal as he lunges forward to stab him!

---

   Obviously, as per the map, O is the old merchant and Y is the younger one; #1, 2, 3 are the opposition here. 5 feet per square...very cramped quarters, what with the display racks and all.
   If you make it into the back room/office you'll discover the predrawn storage room attached to it. :)

Initiatives
Narvil - 14
opponents - 3

OOC: 17 initiative for Lyssander Khiver.

If the priest is surprised that the two intruders managed so easily to bash their way in through the jewellers' solid-seeming door, he hides it well.  "Vanyo - on the floor, now!" he warns the merchant, whipping the rags off the bottom of his "walking staff" to reveal a glittering, wickedly sharp spearhead.

Securing his flank, Lyssander sidesteps quickly to the wall, next to one of the newcomers.  As the latter swivels toward him, the priest executes a moderately convincing feint and proceeds to thrust his spear powerfully at the man's stomach.

[Private to DM Lobo: Lyssander is attacking man #1 with a spear, while standing in the square just below him (having taken a 5' step to get there).
Attack rolls:
15:46, Today: Secret Roll: Lyssander the Pale rolled 10 using 1d8+3. Damage #1.
15:45, Today: Secret Roll: Lyssander the Pale rolled 17 using 1d20+3. Attack #1 (w/o flanking mod).
*(I'm not sure if Lyssander and Narvil now flank foe #1; if they do, add +2 to attack roll)*
I realize we haven't finalized Lyssander's feat selection; I propose we settle on Dodge as a temporary placeholder in line with his general emphasis on mobility and quickness.  If this is acceptable, I declare opponent #1 to be the focus of the Dodge feat for this round (i.e. Lyssander gets +1 dodge bonus to AC against him).
]

Talrylil is a bit surprised by the man standing in front of him, he acts with quickness. "Vanyo, stay down and out of the way." With that Tal's wrists flicks up as he turns his chain belt into a weapon. He grabs a the end of it and flips it to the man in front of him. He was unsure about the cramp area to fight but figured he would at least try. Attempting to attack the man he does not even bother to talk or parlay. Why would he when they attacked without warning.

INIT- 12

[Private to GM:Not sure if I can attack with my spiked chain. I also can get AOO with 10 ft, should I roll or wait for those? Would that even work with others around? I doubt it but I am just asking to make sure.

10:59, Today: Talrylil rolled 7 using 2d4+3. damage.
10:59, Today: Talrylil rolled 19 using 1d20+8. attack.
10:59, Today: Talrylil rolled 12 using 1d20+4. init.
]

   Lyssander reacts immediately to the threat of the newcomers, sidestepping and flourishing his spear-tip in the blink of an eye. Apparently he had been expecting something to happen with the thinly veiled threat of the elder merchant about friends arriving, and his wariness pays off as his weapon finds purchase in the body of the first one through the front door.

   Vanyo, meanwhile, is so shaken by the sudden appearance of the trio of armed invaders that he shrieks in a rather unmasculine way, ignoring the orders of both the priest and the warrior beside him, instead making a dash for the front door.
   He not only manages to foil Narvil's attempt to silence one of the grey-clad enemies, but also is rewarded for his efforts by having the thug's shortsword make a clean slice in his own side. A cry of pain comes from the youthful merchant, just before he collapses on the ground in place.
   "Damn fool!" shouts the boy's uncle from his corner of the room.

   Talrylil's head turns only briefly at this commotion, being instead more concerned with what's going on before him at the rear exit. Threatened as he is, he still manages to contort his body enough to bring his chain belt to bear on his opponent, slashing a gash across the man's chest.
   In return, that foe, and Lyssander's own, manage to connect with both their targets; their blades fail to find flesh, though, and the men redouble their efforts to bring down at least one of their targets quickly. Narvil's opponent opts to step away from the fallen Vanyo and get a better angle on the paladin....

---

Results: Tal and Lyssander are hit for zero dmg [in fact missed by the AC bonus of your armor]
Opponents: #1 wounded, #2 unhurt, #3 wounded

Continued initiative order:
Lyssander - 17
Narvil - 14
Tal - 12
enemy - 3

[Private to Talrylil: the AoO won't work when they first appear, as it is an unexpected event/movement. The AoO will only work for subsequent rounds if they move into or out of your area of control and move more than 5'.]

The priest tugs his spear from his adversary's gut, giving it an extra twist for good measure, then quickly shuffles back a half-step, raising his left arm defensively as the drab-clothed man thrusts his own, smaller weapon forward.  The gladius rings harmlessly off of Lyssander's forearm, drawing a metallic clang from something hidden beneath the Sealer's sleeve.

Vanyo's fall does not go unnoticed, but Lyssander's focus is elsewhere.  Moving swiftly while his foe is still recovering from his failed attack, the cleric-militant swivels and drives his spear brutally at the injured man's thigh.  "Yield, and live," he urges, his voice oddly calm amidst the ongoing battle.

[Private to DM Lobo: Attack rolls:
22:16, Today: Secret Roll: Lyssander the Pale rolled 5 using 1d8+3. Damage #1.
22:15, Today: Secret Roll: Lyssander the Pale rolled 20 using 1d20+3. Attack #1 (w/o flanking mod). ]

The battle rages on, Tal's smirk was genuine. He was happy that they were doing something he was good at, fighting. He smiled as his weapon hit its mark. He ducked and doged away from the short sword and followed up his dodge with a twist of his spiked chain. Throwing his weight with his flick he hit yet again, doing some damage but enough for the man to feel some pain. The blood coming from the man's wound made Tal happy...

The elf did not even speak, showing in his eyes that he was fighting to the death.

[Private to GM: Ok on the AoO,attacking the same guy.
10:41, Today: Talrylil rolled 5 using 2d4+3. damage.
10:41, Today: Talrylil rolled 24 using 1d20+8. attack.
]

   The priest's spear repeats its earlier performance, stabbing into the swordwielding man before him and causing the target to stagger from the pain.

   Narvil, distracted by the fall of Vanyo and the splitting of his nearest enemies, coupled with the uncomfortably small space in which to swing, manages to bring one of the displays crashing to the ground with his big blade as the thug ducks under his chop.

   Tal finds similar success, again wounding his own target while receiving not a scratch in return. Desperate to turn the tide of battle in their favor, the men all make sudden moves with their off-hands and a series of *puffs* go off around the room, sending an irritating powder into the air [and eyes] of the trio of heroes....

   The one on the far side of the paladin moves to the side again, coming close to the older merchant as Narvil is flanked. "You should never have been trusted with this! If you survive, you'll regret this day." The merchant pales visibly.

---

   Each of you must make a DC 14 reflex save to avoid the 'blinding' effects of the powder they've thrown; failure indicates the irritant has gotten to you and the effects will be as if you were mildly sickened: -2 to hit, +1 to be hit for d3 rounds.

Party: unwounded
Enemy: #1 near death, #2 unhurt, #3 wounded

Tal smiles widely as the man he hits continues to bleed. These guys were not fighters but simply street thugs, he could tell by their tactics and weapons. He then noticed the tactic they were going to use next, with a puff the elf ducks out of the way. He was nimble enough to not feel the effects of the irritant.

"Is that the best you can do ? Tal replies in a mocking voice.

He smiles and then twists his full body while bringing his spiked chain around. He put his weight into it, adding the momentuem to help aid in his strike. It worked for a gash appeared in the rib cage area. Tal smirks, this was something he was able to do. "Had enough ?"

[Private to GM: attack the same guy.....
09:51, Today: Talrylil rolled 10 using 2d4+3. damage.
09:51, Today: Talrylil rolled 23 using 1d20+8. attack.
09:51, Today: Talrylil rolled 21 using 1d20+6. ref save .
]

[PM]

Evading the worst of the powder, the pale-skinned Sealer nonetheless inhales a shallow breath of it, and stifles a sneeze as the irritant works its way through his system.  He casts a baleful, if somewhat watery glare at the thug confronting him, and angles his crimson-tipped spear in a vicious jab upward, piercing the ill-starred man through the lung.  The rogue manages some vague choking sounds before, eyes rolling up in his head, he slumps to the floor.  A reddish froth appears on his lips as his life begins to ebb; another voyager bound for Kelemvor's Halls.

Lyssander's jaw is set in a stern, hard line as he frees his spear and advances to stand by Narvil's side.  He levels his bloodied weapon at the as-yet unbloodied thug, forcing him back against the display case.  "Your friend ignored my request that he yield.  Will you?"


[Private to DM Lobo: Text (please let me know if this is okay for posting - I assume the thug is finished, but I didn't want to post publicly, in case you had some additional card up his sleeve):
Attack rolls:
00:14, Today: Secret Roll: Lyssander the Pale rolled 7 using 1d8+3. Damage #1.
00:13, Today: Secret Roll: Lyssander the Pale rolled 19 using 1d20+1. Attack #1 (w/o flanking mod).
Save roll:
16:09, Yesterday: Secret Roll: Lyssander the Pale rolled 13 using 1d20+2. Reflex (DC 14).
Movement:
Lyssander finishes his round in the square to the left of Narvil.  If the thug dashes to the door, Lyssander will try to get there before him (he has a shorter route because he can go through Narvil's space) and block him.
DM Note: you say 'to the left of Narvil', but with his doing an about-face at the death of your target, he is now looking north instead of southeast, so you mean on his right, right (blocking the front exit from that guy)? :)
]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:09, Mon 10 Mar 2008.

   The surrogate warpriest jabs again with his martial weapon, and is rewarded, despite the flashy defense put on by his target, with the *thud* that accompanies the falling of the lifeless corpse to the floor. He neatly steps over his former adversary, moving alongside the paladin's right to block exit through the front door, even as Narvil turns to face his would-be flanker.
   Slightly fearful of cleaving through the shortsword wielding man and into the shopkeeper, the knight of justice holds his weapon in check - and is rewarded with a face full of the gritty powder being thrown.
   "Yield? To the likes of you cultists? Never!" The man's odd phrasing is just a distraction, though, as he leans left to speak, then tumbles acrobatically to the right, along the wall, to come up beside the suddenly surprised Talrylil.
   Not surprised enough, though, as the blade of the tumbler fails to make a mark on the elf, even as his partner falls to the ground, his lifeblood draining away through the floorboards.

   "...protect it..." are the dying man's last words to his fellow.

---

ooc: no map update till tomorrow, though I'm sure you can figure out how it looks easily enough.
   Speaking as a free action is generally only a sentence [or two]. Speaking as a standard or full-round action can be much more, if you like. :)

" We are not cultists....." Tal paused in his fighting stance and stopped turling his weapon. HE could still strike but something was not right about this whole fight. He knew that the statements just made had some meaning behind them. He does not attack but twitches his fingers as if he was ready to attack.

" You wish to speak now and stop fighting? or not...?" Tal did not attack and his stance was relaxed. But under that facade was a willingness and readiness to attack. IT was up to the man before him to choose...

[Private to GM:
Standard Action- Ready an action to attack if he attacks or attempts to leave.
10:46, Today: Talrylil rolled 9 using 2d4+3. damage .
10:46, Today: Talrylil rolled 24 using 1d20+8. attack .
]

Crouching next to the fallen young merchant, Lyssander quickly tears off a few strips from the clothing of the thrice-wounded thug lying nearby, and fashions them into makeshift bandages.  As his fingers deftly ply their task, the priest's eyes are restless and vigilant; he seems ready to pick up his spear and stab anyone who approaches.

At the remaining intruder's words, the cleric's ears prick up.  "Cultists?" he repeats mockingly, "The gentleman with the sword is a champion of Tyr, you benighted footpad - drop your knife, and you may live to stand trial."  He returns to his bandage-making, leaving Tal to obtain the thug's surrender, if the street criminal has a shred of self-preservation in his head.  But just in case... he casts his glance for a moment at the man he has just defeated, to see if the bloody froth was still issuing from his mouth.  Alive, or gone already?

   The elven warrior's declaration that he and his men were not, in fact, cultists...followed closely by Lyssander's own expose of Narvil as a force of goodness and law only manages to further send the one remaining survivor of the attack over whatever edge his mind is standing upon.
   "You'd say anything to get what you want. I know your kind too well!" The man veritably screams his curses at the two, and though Tal is able to strike at the man and draw blood, the greycloak manages to once again tumble past the waiting warrior and kick shut the door to the rear of the shop.
   In the ensuing silence of the slamming door, an audible *click* is heard as a bolt is driven home into some mechanism on the other side of that same door.

   "Blast!" Curses the paladin as he roughly shoves aside the older merchant - who was just now moving to his nephew's side to tend to him - and charges the door with his broad shoulder turned to the side. Even with the weight of his armor, the door only slightly moves on its hinges. It is enough to encourage the holy knight, though, and he drives against it again, urging the elf to assist him by alternating their bashing attacks.

   Lia comes running to the front door with someone in tow and looks around the scene of battle, giving a slight gasp at the sight of three dead [or nearly so] and Lyssander bending over one of them, hands upon the body.

The cleric looks for a moment at the slammed door, then turns to Lia.  "Thief in the other room, wounded.  If this place has a back door, milady, or a window for that matter, you would do well to secure it - he may try to steal away with The Item."  His pronunciation of the last two words leaves no doubt as to which item he is referring to.

Sparing a glance and a respectful nod at Lia's companion, Lyssander turns to the injured merchant.  He tears the young man's shirt down the middle, exposing the puncture wound.  Deft, sure fingers probe the bloody gash, and pluck out a small fragment of cloth that had been driven into the lad's flesh.  "He'll live," the cleric pronounces in a low voice, lifting his gaze briefly to look into the uncle's eyes.  After wiping off most of the blood from around the wound, Lyssander grabs one of the makeshift bandages.  "Help me lift him," he orders the elder merchant, and, with the latter's assistance, quickly wraps the bandage around Vanyo's torso and ties it off, leaving extra padding over the site of the stab-wound.

[Private to DM Lobo: OOC:  Healing, take 10, should be enough to stabilize Vanyo.
Is the fallen thug next to Lyssander dead, or just unconscious?  If he's still breathing, blood-bubbles on his lips should be visible.]

" Dammit to hell." Tal swears as the man slips away. He then does indeed listen to Narvil and starts to pound the door. He wanted to get the man and when Lyssander speaks about the item he tries even harder. With his shoulder low he grunts against the door, waiting for it to break in.

"We cannot let them get away with the item... Tal continues to aid Narvil in breaking down the door, hoping that they were fast enough to catch the man.

   Narvil and Talrylil bash against the door several times, interrupting the brief discussion that the elder shopkeeper is trying to have with Lyssander about his nephew's state of health. This does not concern them much, and they continue for another few bashes until the door finally gives way [perhaps 20 or 30 seconds of shouldering].
   The splintering wood and broken deadbolt fly across the room to reveal....nothing! The room seems empty, but the paladin is shrewd enough to kick the door fully open, lest someone be hidning behind it and waiting for another ambush opportunity. There is no one there, though, and the two warriors spy across from them another sturdy door - open - leading further back into a supply room off this main office/study.

   Out front, Lyssander finds that the two wounded men are indeed dead, and Vanyo is but wounded. In fact, the boy seems to have fainted more from fright and pain than from any real blood loss or physical trauma [brough to zero exactly].
   Lia moves to a point equally distant from the two men in the back room and the priest administering to the wounded, pointing to the front door and telling her newfound associate to remain there, for now.
   "Rennan, I don't know if this is the kind of thing your friend meant for you to get involved in, but you're quite welcome to leave if it's too much trouble." The bard flashes the lady a lopsided grin that said this was actually a pretty normal day for her, but she wouldn't think less of the lass for taking off anyway.

Lia's companion shakes her head, while the sight of numerous recently mangled corpses would reasonably call for a quick withdrawal from the area, the sensible course of action doesn't appear to be in the one identified as Rennan's immediate future.  Yet it seems the pale cleric's words to Lia seem to have registered with the new arrival, and although Lia's suggestion to stick to the relative security of the front door no doubt beckons to the (more than slightly) nauseous-looking woman - if a thief is making a break from the shop then perhaps her sightline is better suited towards identifying the footpad's route than those still dwelling within.  Hefting her beautiful crossbow, Rennan moves swiftly to find a better vantage point of the exterior of the building.

[Private to DM Lobo: Heading around the exterior of the building to the right of the front door and depending on the coverage of the foliage there maybe a bit of the rear?]

Tal growls as he realizes their 'theif' has a huge lead. He does not waste a second and continues to run off in search of the  man. He goes through the door and simply states towards Narvil, " We better hurry, he already has a decent lead..." Tal knew they were in trouble, if the man made it outside then he seriously doubted they would be able to follow him through the crowds.

Lyssander watches Tal and Rennan leave to corner the remaining thug.  As for himself, he remains by Vanyo, positioning himself squarely against the front door; if the footpad should burst out of the back room and attempt to escape the way he came in, he would find it hard to avoid being impaled on the priest's spear.

He also uses the opportunity to ask a few quick questions of the merchant.  After reassuring him about his nephew's prospects, the priest gestures at the back room.  "Quickly and truly, now - where is the stone, and why do these criminals want it?"

OOC:  To escape through the front door, the thug will need to do better than just tumble through Lyssander's space - because the priest is defending the door specifically, rather than just occupying the square he is in.  Adjust the DC as appropriate.

   Rennan, the newest member of 'the team' and as-yet uninitiated into the entire scheme of things, offers her assistance in the form of a flanking maneuver of her own. She moves back out through the front door just as Lyssander secures the portal from further egress; turning the near corner, she continues on around the edge of the building and to the side where she suspects an entrance from within may be located...but finds nothing.
   [Private to Rennan Geist: you do notice, however, that two men are standing in the street between this shop and the next, and seem quite interested in your activities outside this particular building. They are not hiding this fact, and seem to be quietly discussing whether to approach your position or not.]

   Lyssander, meanwhile, begins his brief interrogation [some might simply call it a heavy-handed interview] of the shopkeeper who remains conscious still. The man seems to be a bit more level-headed than the greycloak who was spouting dire threats and claims of cultism, and shakes his head at the priest's question.
   "They are...self-appointed protectors. Business associates who work without faces or names, and do not suffer well the loose tongues of those, like myself, who speak freely." He half-snorts, ruefully looking at the ground. "I've no doubt that they believe me in league with you, and by association, with one or both of the enemies at our gate this day. We will all be dead by morning...mark my words."

   Tal and Narvil burst through the small office and into the storeroom in time to spot: [Private to Talrylil: the two of you see the last faint wisps of a darker-than-normal smoke, perhaps the trailing ends of a magical smokescreen or spell just cast. Narvil doesn't react to it other than to barge through the dissipating cloud and swing his sword in several short arcs, expecting to connect with the man you two are chasing.
   Instead, what he finds is a small child, no more than ten years old, staring fearfully at him from behind a pile of crates. The first thought that runs through your head is that this is the messenger-boy that Durga mentioned seeing run out the back of the building earlier today...but you see no other exits from this room save the one you came in through, nor can you find the man wounded by your chain.]

The merchant's nervous assessment of the situation is met with Lyssander's calm, deliberate cadences as the priest continues the interrogation.

[Private to DM Lobo; Lia Essmoor:
The Sealer's lips quirk, at the gem-dealer's words, into what might have been a tiny smile, if it had been born with any mirth.  "As I reckon it, if you tell us about these factions and cooperate fully, you will increase our chances of protecting your life, and your young associate's, from none to slim.  What have you got to lose?  Tell me of this gem, and of those who seek it."]

In the room [Private to GM: Tal could not believe it where the heck did he go. He did a quick search of the room and was suprised that a boy was in here. He kneels down by teh boy and quickly asks, " There was a man that ran into here...did he go through some door that we cannot see? Did he use magic? Please please...where did he go?" Tal was so caught up in trying to capture the theif that he did not even ask why a small boy was in the back room. It never occured to him that it should be odd for this boy to be here like this. He waited for an answer while looking around. " Narvil, see any doors? Tal asks with a hint of anger, not towards Narvil but towards his own uselessness.]

Rennan returns from her brief expedition with an even pace.  Upon arriving once more at the front door her gaze falls briefly upon Lyssander, Lia, and the troubled merchant before she whispers her findings.  Her voice is sharp, though far from unpleasant, her unmistakable Sembian accent coloured by an overly refined pronunciation of her vowels, "I'm afraid I caught no sight of anyone fleeing the building, however we may now have more pressing concerns.  Two are watching even now from across the street, and they certainly don't seem in the least bit worried about letting their presence known.  They might be here any moment and I very much fear they won't be too happy with what they find so prepare yourselves."

However with a mischievous wink she adds, "Then again maybe they just scamper off right quick but if that is the case they won't be leaving with just two shadows."

   In the main room, the conversation takes a turn in the road:

[Private to Lyssander the Pale; Rennan Geist: The return of the lady-friend of Lia gives pause to the elder merchant's train of thought, and he stands, moving only slightly to one side so as to perhaps get a glimpse of the two men Rennan is describing.
   "Not like them to keep tabs on each other so obviously..." he mutters as he cranes his neck around to peer out from behind the window drapes (without moving them...he seems to be quite used to suspicious activity) into the street. His shoulders visibly slump, though, and he turns back to Lyssander with a look of resignation on his face.
   "It is as I suspected; those do not seem to be allies of these three. They were here earlier, 'window shopping' but really just snooping around. Bren - the one who escaped out the back - told me not to allow them into the shop again. I agree with his judgement of their low character...no doubt they were looking for jade as well."
   He turns a critical eye to the pale priest and the two women who flank him. "You have a paladin among you. How...? I mean, if you're not with them (he points out the window) or them (he gestures at the two dead men on the floor) then why are you here? Unless your holy knight is beholden to a god other than Waukeen..." Again the fear returns to his eyes, tinged with suspicion and curiousness.]

   Narvil shakes his head as Tal continues to voice his thoughts. Sounds of combat have ceased in the back room, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening....

[Private to Talrylil: Though not enough time could have possibly passed for the thug to have done so, Narvil moves aside a few crates and boxes, testing the walls with his hands and shoulder to see if there is a flip-door or hinge he isn't seeing in the dimly lit storeroom. It occurs to Tal then that he hadn't even noticed; his race is blessed with low-light vision, making this room seem like all the others in the place.
   "Pleashe shir, don't hurt me" replies the boy with an oddly twisted lisp to his words. His stance, however, changes rapidly as he catches an eyeful of the armored warrior behind Tal rapping and pushing on the walls. Tal thinks he sees something in the boy's eyes, something very much like the look Narvil gets when he is assessing the worth of a person's soul (ie detecting evil).
   The boy straightens up, all pretense of fear removed now. "Bren used magic to eshcape, he did! I shaw it!" He proudly beams as he gives this information to the elf, then leans forward to gently touch the pointed ears of the kneeling warrior.
   "Wow! A real elf! I've only ever sheen gnomesh and humansh before. Are you really old?" All thoughts of answering more questions are gone as the boy, true to form, begins rattling off a series of his own inquisitive thoughts.
   "Is that shword real? Do you know magic? Are you friendsh with Bren or the shopkeepersh here? Ever fight any demonsh? What'sh your favorite color...green?" and so on and so on.]

   Narvil laughs out loud heartily.

The conversation continues in the main room.  Lyssander's voice remains even, though it seems to carry a darker edge now.

[Private to DM Lobo; Lia Essmoor; Rennan Geist: "The good knight serves Tyr, not Waukeen," the priest replies, "and therefore his patience toward merchants is curtailed when they conspire with criminals - even if they do so profitably."  He pauses, giving the merchant a moment to absorb the thinly veiled menace in his words before sharpening them further.  "Particularly when such merchants choose to evade questions rather than cooperating with those sworn to uphold the law."

Narvil's laughter booms out from the other room.  "He seems in a good mood for the nonce," the priest observes, "why spoil it?  Start explaining who these groups are and why they seek the gem."]

The corner of Rennan's mouth quirks upwards. Although her eyes never leave the street, it is clear she is addressing the merchant.

[Private to DM Lobo; Lyssander the Pale: "You are right in one thing, we aren't with them.  After today, I would surmise neither are you.  You seem clever enough to see its time to make yourself scarce though I wouldn't think you'd get very far after so public a falling out."  The Sembian indicates the two corpses, "It is possible you could try to plead your case with them but I shouldn't think they'd be too open to your interpretation of the events."  Nodding her head towards the street she adds, "Or try begging them for sympathy.  No, your eyes tell me you know how far that would go.  Low character indeed!"

Rennan shakes her head.  "Or...or...perhaps there is one more option.  Us.  One could question the low character of those paladins of Tyr, sure, but I'm not even suggesting you trust us.  You need to get your affairs in order and flee however you simply won't be able to do so on your own, not after today.  You'll need them to have far greater immediate concerns than yourself to escape their net.  We are that concern.  With our help, and a healthy dose of Tymora's favor, you may even survive this day but not if we don't have the tools to help you.  I will be the first to admit it isn't a very profitable deal, but then again, dead men make few coin."

The Sembian's gaze hardens, "Answer the good man's question, none of us has much time to waste."]

And more talk...
[Private to GM:
Tal chuckled to himself as the boy went crazy with his questions. He turned a sour look at Narvil and then asked him, " Could be true, magic to escape...great." Tal looked back at the boy, " Easy there...thanks for your help. Come along let us go make sure everyone is ok. Tal then looks over at Narvil, " Let us go report back...maybe Lyssander is getting more information. WE are done here for now...
Tal pats the little boy on the hand and walks by Narvil back into the man room.
]

Tal comes back into the main room and simply states, " He got away...whats happened so far. Any come back from the front door?"

The Sealer turns to Tal, keeping half an ear on the Sembian woman's interrogation of the merchant.  "In Jergal's name, how?" he exclaims at the Elf, surprised.  "You had him cornered like a rat.  More importantly - did you secure the gem?"

He snaps his eyes back and forth between the gem-dealer and the fighter, seemingly able to keep track of both conversations.

"None came this way, nor was there any sign of the runner outside," Rennan comments to Talrylil.  A better introduction can wait for later.  Must wait for later.  "Another pair observe us from outside.  They don't appear to be...associates...of those you've met in here."

Despite her otherwise nonchalant demeanor, the Sembian certainly appears to be making every effort to avoid stepping in the worst of the pooled blood.

Tal had a confused expression on his face. He looked to Lyssander and then back to Rennan and then back to Lyssander. " What?!? Who...wait what is going on here? The elf was so perplexed that he forgot to answer Lyssanders question. He then looked at Narvil and shrugged and then his senses were back to normal. Looking at Lyssander, "He used some magic to escape...so says this kid. He looked back to make sure Narvil was bringing the little child with them.

Tal then slapped his forehead, " Doh the gem....no I did not see it. I did not even look for the gem. Tal looks to Narvil, " Can you check to make sure the gem is still there at least.Tal takes ahold of thekid and simply staes, " Come in here...


"So where are we?"

   While Tal and the others are busily discussing the ramifications of losing the third attacker to magic and being unable to secure the item for which they came in the first place, the boy holding Talrylil's hand looks curiously at Lyssander.
   "Gosh shir" he says with wide eyes and that same funny lisp he had in the storeroom, "you are the palesht pershon I've ever sheen! Are you a ghosht?" He moves forward to poke at the priest, but for some reason refuses to release his grip on the elven warrior's hand, and so cannot quite reach his target.

   "Didn't Durga the dwarf mention something about a runner or messenger exiting this place?" The paladin casts an accusatory eye at the middle-aged merchant, who slowly rises to his feet from where he was crouched beside his fallen nephew. "Is there a hidden door we could not find? A secret cache that encases this gemstone?"

   "My lord, forgive me" says the merchant as he bows slightly in Narvil's direction, where he stands beyond the others at the entrance to the back rooms. "I was not strong enough to do my duty. I pray your father does not think too harshly of me in the afterlife."

   "Tyr takes a dim view of those who use duplicity and false repentance. Do not think you can avoid justice for trafficking with criminals by tossing about a few honeyed words. You have much to explain this day."

   The merchant, though, seemed not to hear a thing Narvil said...for his eyes were locked on the boy, the one for whom his words were meant.

As the boy enters, Lyssander returns his curious gaze.  "Nay," he responds to the child's question, "no ghost am I, and my flesh is warm as other men's."  These days, anyway, he finishes silently.

His attention is drawn to the exchange of words between Narvil and the merchant, but when he follows the gem-dealer's eyes to the child, the priest's own eyes narrow thoughtfully.  Tal, you may have found it after all...

"Lia, perhaps you could introduce your new friend to us, and us to her; this will give the shop-owner here a chance to collect his senses, so that he may then introduce himself and -" the Sealer nods in the boy's direction "- the jade."

"What?!?!?! Once again Tal is left speechless as he looks down at the child then back at Lyssander, then back at the child. He was at a loss once again and his brain simply could not wrap around what was going on. They were hired to secure the child? THis is it? Well of course that makes sense now....Tal slapped his forehead as he begins to put some of the puzzle together.

" It just gets better and better... stated the elf in a strained voice. HE turns to Lyssander, " So we were hired to get this child? Crazy... Talrylil looks over at merchant, " Explain what is going on here....what was your duty exactly? Who are you trying to protect him from?"

Talrylil looks over at Rennan, " Lia's friend eh ? My name is Talrylil...here to help eh? That was all the introduction Tal was going to give, for his attention turned back to the merchant. They needed some more answers before they could move on.

   ...the Sealer nods in the boy's direction "- the jade."

   "That'sh *my* name!" beams the youth from behind the wide smile on his face. Still not willing to relenquish his hold on the elf's hand, the boy - now known by the name Jade - does indeed seem to bear his namesake in those inquisitive eyes. They are as deeply green as any precious stone pulled from the earth.

   Lia marvels at the strange turn of events, and stares hard at the boy before shaking herself free of her introspection and nodding to Lyssander's request for an introduction.
   "This is Rennan; I met her at the temple of Waukeen on the north side of town. I think fortune must favor us this day." She shares a happy smile with the woman, glancing back at the child once more, before continuing.
   "Rennan is...well, of similar mind and tutelage as myself, though not in the historical sense. She also has contacts in town that-" A glance at the merchant stops her for a moment, remembering Narvil's comment about the man trafficking with criminals. "Well, she has friends, apparently one whom we impressed in one of our earlier walks through town. She sought me out, we tested each other's stories, and it just seemed right that we come together and see this through. Besides, her contacts might be able to help us get Garik back tonight." She didn't need to add that this last thing held a personal importance for her.

"And, Of course, I'm very much here to help," Rennan adds, addressing Talrylil question at the conclusion of Lia's introduction.  Rennan crouches down,assumes an absolutely radiant smile and fixes the young child with a warm glance and soothing word, "And that includes you Jade."  The Sembian's mind whirls with the ramifications of the child's plight, not the least of which being this boy's value far outshines the entire collection of merchandise in the jewellery shop - in every sense of the word.

"You've been very, very brave," Rennan says softly as she interposes her body between the boy and the doorway leading to the street, "Can you be brave for us a little longer?"  Glancing towards the merchant she asks, "You wouldn't happen to have another way out of here would you?"

"And my name," the priest responds - though whether he is responding to Tal's, Rennan's or Jade's self-introduction is unclear, as he fixes each of them in turn with his glance - "is Lyssander."

He notes approvingly the newcomer's prudent move to put herself between the door and the little lordling; as for himself, he steps to one side, placing his back to the wall next to the door, with his spear at the ready to lance any intruders.

Less approvingly, he sighs silently as Rennan's line of questioning provides another distraction for the merchant, leading him away from the prior line of interrogation.  Six weeks' pickling in a jar of brine, with mashed garlic, a fistful of dill, some ravenweed and a little cracked black pepper... I swear, if the man doesn't start explaining about the different factions here, I'll find some better use for his tongue...

The cleric's face darkens as he focuses his stare on the gem-dealer, waiting for him to speak.

[Private to DM Lobo: Jade: How old is he, roughly?  What ethnicity?  Does his slur sound like an accent or a speech impediment?

Btw - in terms of gamestyle preferences - I get a kick out of connecting dots like Lyssander just did; more than, say, triumphing in some minor skirmish.  (So you know).]

Tal chuckles once again, trying to understand what was going on. " Too much.... was all he said as he looked at the boy again. He was starting to understand but how could they give up the boy for Garik, they were simply going to have to get Garik without using the boy or putting him in danger. Tal looks back over at the merchant and Lyssander," What was going on...did we miss something? What were you trying to get from him...

Tal nods over at Rennen and in a low voice, " One thing at a time miss before we get out of here lets see what the merchant has to say...we need some answers before we can leave.Tal takes a peak out of the window, we have some time to try and get some answers. He hopes they have time.

He looks down at Jade and smiles, he did not even realize that he was still holding his hand. Either way he would help the boy out one way or another.

   Lyssander is forced to wait a wee bit longer for his answers from the merchant as the young boy, one Jade by name, continues to hold everyone's attention with his exhuberance and charm. The boy nods vigorously to the lady, Rennan, when asked if he can be brave for a little while longer.
   "Being brave ijsh what I'm besht at. And thish, too!" The boy (finally) lets go of Tal's hand, scooping up a handful of trinkets off the desktop beside him and begins juggling them - quite a feat, a boy not yet ten summers old with a half dozen objects sailing in a tight circle between his hands.
   [Private to Lyssander the Pale: it seems to be a speech impediment, not an accent, like maybe his jaw or palate is slightly malformed, or his tongue is too large for his mouth. He otherwise seems to fit in with the multiracial background of Thesk quite well - not quite shou, not quite Rashemi, not quite 'westerner'...]
   Rennan's eye is caught by one the items being juggled by the boy. A quick hand darts to her ear, and...yes! He has somehow managed to relieve her of one of her own earrings! How...?

   "As amusing as this interruption is" Narvil says, clearing his throat and stepping over one of the fallen thugs' bodies to reach the front of the building, "we really do need this information, sir." He fixes the middle-aged proprieter with his stern gaze once more.

   "Ah...yes, of course. Eh...there *is* another exit out the back, but as I'm sure you've already been told by the boy, the leader of the three you fought used magic to escape.""As he says this, though, the man casts nervous glances to his left and right, as if half expecting the disappearing man to pop up and stab him any second. Thankfully, he does not.
   "My duty, of course, was to serve as guardian of the boy...Jade, if you will" he says with a smile and a chuck under the lad's chin. Jade sets down his trinkets and takes the merchant's hand, moving closer beside him and looking out from under the arm of his robe. "Men who had discovered, through their contacts with his father, about a plot to...to...urk!"

   The merchant's eyes begin to bulge, and his hands claw at his neck as if trying to grapple with some unseen force crushing him there.

---

ooc: spot checks for those who feel so inclined....

PM.

[Private to DM Lobo: Thus inclined.
01:05, Today: Secret Roll: Lyssander the Pale rolled 24 using 1d20+5. Spot.]

Tal was amazaed at the boys deft hands. His eyes were wide when he started to juggle 6 items. He shook his head wondering who this child was. He then hears to the merchant speak and before long he stops, " What ?!?!?!? Tal looked around for the person responsible, but could not see anything.

What is going on? HE took his chain out ready to attack but could not spot anyone to attack.....

OOC: spot check 2 , LOL

Rennan claps as the boy displays his cleverness, wholly appreciating Jade's nimble display.  Nonetheless, her delight is short lived with the next startling development...

OOC:  Spot Check = 9

   Talrylil and Rennan stare about the room in a mild state of confusion, having had the bulk of their attentions turned toward the young boy's aerial display of agility. Lia, too, fails to instantly connect the dots at the first signs of trouble with the merchant, but Narvil reacts swiftly to the situation, moving forward to place his own hands atop those of the choking man, in an attempt to use his greater strength in the event it was an invisible foe.

   Lyssander's eyes narrow....

[Private to Lyssander the Pale: your thoughts of course immediately move as the paladin's, but realize that he should have been able to sense the presence of an assassin - unless the strangler is instead a summoned creature or spell that would not trigger the holy knight's gift.
   A quick glance out the window proves you right; the two men who were intently watching Rennan, and who she pointed out to you all when she returned, have been joined by a third. This third, though your view is partially blocked by the others and by additional pedestrians, seems to be mimicing the choking actions of the invisible hands around the merchant's throat....]

"Rennan, your friends across the street include the arcanist who is strangling this man," the priest observes, thankful that Kelemvor lifted mortal veils and allowed him this insight.  His tone alters, becomes more forceful as he tries to organize the group into some coherent plan, any plan, rather than milling around while a source of information is being choked off.  "Get Jade behind that counter, Rennan, and do not let him go!  Narvil - " the cleric approaches the struggling paladin, "here, let us move him into the corner, break the line of sight."  A quick shove, and the merchant is no longer visible from the street.

"Tal, Narvil, come - let us chastise this wizard if we can."  Nodding at Lia, hoping that she can take care of the tumult in the shop for a brief period, Lyssander sallies forth, wondering how long the odds were that the three mischief-makers would still be there, across the street, by the time the small group got to them.

Tal was at a loss but then Lyssander was able to bark out some orders and the elf was all to ready to follow. He did not hesitate at all, took his chain weapon and dashed outside. Scanning the area for the three who they were talking about the elf charged. ( if he can see them )

OOC: are they visible? Do I need to roll?

The unknown wizard has already demonstrated he possesses a number of interesting abilities however he is certainly not the only one with a few tricks to call upon.  Rennan scoops a fatty substance from a small pouch at her belt and quietly intones in the language of the arcane, "Pinguis luminare olearinor..." Her left hand traces intricate sigils in the air, each finger moving in a precision with the movement of her arms and even the swaying of her body.

Despite her haste in catching the boy's attention, the Sembian yet manages to state in her best attempt at a comforting tone, "Come dear, this way," as she moves from the doorway and gestures for Jade to join her behind the safety of the counter.

[Private to DM Lobo: Casting grease in an area to catch as many of them as possible.  Grease is a conjuration spell so Cloudy Conjuration feat should create the 5' black cloud adjacent to her (in the doorway) with the spell and before she makes her move action.]

   Lyssander takes several actions in sequence, trying his best to alleviate the danger on the merchant - assuming the trio of suspicious men in the street are responsible for his nearing date with death - and then moves outside himself, intending to engage, or at least disrupt the actions of those men.
   Calling to Narvil is not neccessary, as the paladin is already moving toward the door, his eyes ablaze and his sword gripped tightly. Tal recognizes that look - there is evil about, and no doubt it is out in the street. The elf nimbly moves ahead of the holy warrior, intent on being a part of this newest threat to their mission...whatever that may be now that the 'truth' behind Jade is becoming clearer!
   Out in the street, several passers-by glance at the three of them rushing from the storefront, but (thankfully) none can see from their current vantage points the pair of dead bodies left behind in the jeweler's shop, and so no great alarm is raised.
   One unsuspecting commoner, however, finds himself directly in the line of travel that one of the runners - Lyssander at the head - wishes to take in his headlong flight. Beyond the human roadblock, the three suspicious men seem only to barely notice (or care) about his fast approach; the one making the choking gestures continues to do so, though his attention is focused more on his own hands than the shop itself.

   Inside, after Rennan casts her own magical spell, Lia finds it is impossible to stop the merchant from having his life slowly strangled from him, and so comfort the older gent while maintaining their positions next to Jade...the apparent focus of everyone's ire this day.

---

ooc: note that the three inside the shop are each two squares to the left of where they appear on the map, placing them behind the counter as requested.

Light on his feet, the priest weaves his way around a couple of passers-by, giving them an ample berth as he makes his way on the street's eastern edge.  A few rapid heartbeats later, he is standing near the murderous mage, within the span of a spear's thrust.  "Cease your death-magic - NOW!" he calls to the arcanist, ready to spit the man through if he continues his spell - or attempts any aggression against Lyssander and his comrades.

OOC: Lyssander is making his stand one square east (to the right) of thug #3.

Holed up in the shop is certainly not the optimal position Rennan imagined however it certainly does offer valuable cover from the apparent threat lurking outside.  With the boy seemingly safe behind the counter for the moment, Rennan decides she would be of greatest aid by offering some ranged support for her new allies.  "Stay there," the Sembian implores the boy as she utilizes the screening walls of the jeweler shop to advance stealthily back towards the front doorway and take up a firing position.

[Private to DM Lobo: Making a hidden move to stand inside the doorway (basically where the map shows her now rather than the two spaces left behind the counter).  Ready action to fire her crossbow if Lyssander initiates combat.]