Valaric studies both the muscular man and the depressed scholar one, looking for weapons and armor which they might be wearing, how are they moving with a trained step or pace. He also looks for a small stone or object he might throw.

He then decides to take a chance, moving to catch up to the muscular man and time his theft with a pushing aside from his pack to allow for the contact. Making sure the theft happens near an alley for a quick escape if necessary.

Quick grab then move to alley, if discovered drop caltrops then move to shadows for a quick strike.

wanted to make sure you understand when I use italic it is him thinking to himself.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 4):

The muscular man carrying the large backpack appears to be wearing some sort of leather armor. His gear looks like he is an explorer who just returned from an expedition. As you'd expect he's wearing a shortsword and a worn buckler on his girdle, though the way he steps down on the ground flatly with his feet indicates that he is but a neophyte in the ways of moving like a fighter.

The depressed scholar on the other hand only seems to wear a tiny knife at his front. Not nearly as large as a dagger, but perhaps sharp enough to cut open letters with ease.

While you observe them you find a few cracked up pieces of gypsum from the deteriorating walls of some of the walls in the alleyways. They could serve as tiny rocks that can be thrown.

"Oops, sorry! Coming through!" the muscular man with his man-sized backpack exclaims as you push aside from his pack. You time this at the moment where you can easily dart off to a nearby dark alleyway to your left.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:02, Wed 05 May 2021.

Valaric timed his cut purse maneuver perfectly with the movement of his target. Allowing the victims pack to appear to knock him off balance, as he used the momentum to fall down just inside of the alleyway to the left. " umph, watch where your going. Oww there is blood,I cut my hand." drunkenly as he clutches his hand.
His blackjack concealed by his hands and the darkness of the alley.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 6):

"Very sorry!" the man replies without looking back as he continues shuffling forward into the crowd ahead without noticing your actions.

You manage to cut out a tiny pouch which seems to have quite a bit of weight in it. And after touching it from its outside, you can get the feel of the shape of a few coins - though what kind you will not know until you open it up to check.

As you walk into the alley, the smell of the tea from the bright main street becomes fainter, and eventually you begin to detect the faint intoxicating aroma of opium coming out from under the caged doors built into the walls of the alley.

After a few minutes, you catch the sight of a pair of tattooed women dressed similarly to those you saw ganging up on the bespectacled man a while ago. They are walking in your direction and they seem to be aware of someone ahead of them, as they start to brandish their clubs and using them to lightly tap at their own shoulders.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:06, Wed 05 May 2021.

Valaric secures his prize, before quickly entering the main road and the safety of the crowd. His eyes and ears open for another target or sign of why business is so bad at the madam's place. Also keeping an eye out for whom the pair of women are targeting.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 8):

You quickly turn about back out of the alley from where you came and return to the brighter busy main street. As you do so you gaze back inside the alley from the corner of your eye and see the tattooed women stop short of the entrance to the alley with displeased expressions. One of them spits into a drain nearby.

It seems that though they were unable to make out your features in the darkness, they fully intended on forcefully robbing you had you not escaped back into the brightly lit street.

You survey the crowd again for more targets and for potential hearsay about the Lunfa House and make the following observations:

1. The depressed scholarly man is still gazing out at the Gulf of Morrays, but now with a woman trying to seduce him into entering whatever establishment she works at. But the man completely ignores her and after a few moments she leaves with an annoyed expression.

2. The pot bellied wrinkly man is still taking his own sweet time walking along the street. It seems that he really has trouble walking at a reasonable pace.

3. In the same alleyway where you say the man with eyeglasses being surrounded, you see now a naked man lying spread eagled, face up, with cracked eyeglasses covered in many bruises lying in a small puddle of some transparent liquid. The tattooed women who surrounded him are now gone.

4. The corpulent, wealthy toad-faced man with many jeweled rings apparently has now fallen asleep at the table, and he snores loudly to the chagrin of other patrons of the tea house.

5. You see and slightly overhear a rather well-to-do looking man wearing clothes foreign to Yoon Suin - a fine doublet and breeches - he is being guided by woman who wears the colours and emblem of "The Prowling Cockatrice" the rather well known Explorers' Guild from the nearby Balamar Market District. She speaks to the foreign man, "Good sir, it is best you confine your activities to this quarter of Uctlil. There are rumors of people going missing in the deeper parts of the district..."

Valaric's interest is piqued by the rumor of dangerous any deeper in the district.

This must be why business is slow, now need to figure out who is causing it.

He moves deeper back toward madam's place, looking and moving to a higher perch to observe from. Hoping to see such an attack happening to better decide how to proceed.

Once a perch is found he moves to it, readying his bow. While waiting for action in the perch he takes time to investigate what is in his newly acquired purse.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 10):

You manage to find a rusty spiral staircaise from which you scale to the rooftop of one of the buildings where dirty rags are being hung up to dry.

From the edge of the roof, you can only see the goings-on of the alleyways adjacent of the building you are on, and the bright main street also adjacent to the building.

As you look into the contents of the pouch, you discover 10 silver pieces and 3 ancient looking electrum pieces with the engraving of a squid on it alongside engravings of an unknown script. But biting on the pieces makes you certain that it is no doubt real electrum.

As you put away the pouch and focus your attention to the streets, you notice that the two tattooed thugs that you saw earlier are now walking in giant steps, rather pompously through the main street. They have their clubs hanging from their waist via a length of cord.

A group of four men passing by them in the direction of the busier street visibly turn their heads away from them and try to keep a distance from the two thugs who stop and stare at them threateningly as though trying to start a fight, but the encounter does not escalate and soon the men and thugs continue on their way.

Meanwhile, on the alleyway, you notice a woman in yellow robes dressed much like the nuns of the Temple of Uctlil walking into one of the alleyways adjacent to the building you are at. She appears to be unarmed, and does not notice your presence on the roof.

Valaric puts the coins back into the pouch, securing it. Continues to watch from his perch for targets, making sure to keep watch for the thug girls.

These thug women are controlling the flow, might be more to them.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 12):

The thug girls you pay attention to walk down further down the street and eventually make a right turn into one of the alleyways, and can no longer be seen from your vantage point.

Meanwhile, you hear unstable footsteps down at the main street and into your vision comes a drunk-looking man wearing a club staggering about as he moves generally in the direction further down the street. He trips over the pavement kerb and collapses on the ground, and seems to be struggling pulling himself up.

Valaric will make his way down and closer to the staggering man. Wanting to get a closer look at him, also thinking he might be perfect bait for the thug girls. Wanting a closer look at them not to mention a conversation could prove interesting.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 14):

You approach the man and he is still struggling to get up. After struggling a while, he gives up and curses.

The man is wearing an unbuttoned vest, and his arms appear to be quite well toned with bulging muscles, which have numerous marks, scratches and bruises. Considering how such a muscular looking man is unable to pick himself up, he must likely either be heavily injured or extremely intoxicared, and it appears that the latter seems to be the case.

Hanging from his red leather girdle appears to be a wooden club with the symbol of a red lobster with club-shaped claws. The paint on the club seems to be quite worn and it seems to have been thoroughly used.

"Urrgggg..... damn it.... Aye'll show'um..... hic" the man mumbles in his drunken stupor.

Valaric decides to wait it out and use him for bait, hiding the best he can close by so that he can assist the man if anyone else decides to make him their target.

This is to easy, I smell a trap either his or my own will have to wait and see.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 16):

You stand-by at a nearby alley, and wait for a few moments. The man tries to pick himself up again and now manages to, but not before losing his balance and stumbling backwards a few steps and falling on his back.

"...God damn it...! Hic..."

Eventually you notice the footsteps coming from the direction of the busier street.

Another group of three thugs of the same manner of dress as those you have previously seen walk by and notice the man, realizing that he is helpless, they begin searching him for valuables, first cutting off the girdle carrying the man's club with a sharp curved dagger.

"Is this fellow a club fighter? What a joke!"

The thugs cackle with laughter as they continue stripping the man of his things. The man is only able to groan and struggle in vain.

Valaric stays hidden in the darkness of the alley, raises his bow and takes aim targeting the thug wielding the sharp dagger. Without noise, or remorse he lets the arrow fly then quickly readies and releases a second.

Never know, might gain an ally or even a henchman by rescuing this guy. Just need to use the darkness and the distance to my advantage.
After firing his two arrows, he speaks out in hops of intimidating the thugs and either winning the fight outright or at least buying him some extra time for several more arrows.

"Get them boy's they fell into our trap, if they don't drop their weapons and coin immediately you can kill them"


No idea if I get any bonuses for surprise or anything so just rolled my base figure you can factor any bonuses you want to give me.

21:36, Today: Valaric Gryphon rolled 11,5 using 1d20,1d6.  To hit, damage.

21:36, Today: Valaric Gryphon rolled 4,6 using 1d20,1d6.  To hit, damage.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 18):

Indeed, as they are much too engrossed in stripping the man of their belongings, they have their backs faced to you and even if they were looking in your direction they would hardly be able to make out your presence in the dark alley.

The first arrow goes through the neck of one of the thug women, instantly killing her as she falls onto weakly thrashing man that she was searching. (You gain 100 XP)

The second arrow whizzes past the second thug harmlessly and lands bounces off the flaking plastered wall on the opposite side of the street.

"What the! Lasya! ... Curses it was a trap!" one thug turns about and begins to look about to search for their assailant.

The other thug glances at the direction facing the arrow and then shouts, "It came from that alley! Be on the look out! There might be bastards waiting in ambush!"

The first thug curses, but despite that possibility presented by her companion, she draws her club, as does her ally. Making a gesture, they quickly begin to run towards the street walls closer to you, such that anyone seeking to shoot them would have to peek out of the dark alley. As they were surprised, they have yet to reach their positions and you still have time to react and fire one more arrow.

It is now your turn to react. There are two thug women have apparent intent to fight back and are running towards the walls near the outside of the alleyway you are in.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Tue 11 May 2021.

Valaric steps out and releases his first arrow, getting a good idea on where his targets are and where they are trying to move to.
on phone 13 to hit 5 damage

He then moves back into the shadows and releases his second arrow.

Second arrow is at same target as the first if still up otherwise at the second one. 18 to hit and 2 damage. Elves can move and still fire 2 arrows unlike other races so he moved after the first into the darkness and is hiding. Bows also get a +2 to hit if close range.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 20):

Your first arrow manages to strike the first thug through her belly, but she appears to be still continuing her pursuit. As she is slowed by the arrow, you find it easy to add in another shot which goes through her head and causes her to crumple to the ground wordlessly. (You gain 100 XP)

"G...God damn it!!" The last remaining thug curses as she now presses herself against the wall.

"You really got balls facing the Lizard Reavers! We own this place, and you better watch out! We'll get you and cut off those balls, ya hear?!"

You cannot see the thug from where you are, but you can clearly hear her voice which echoes into the alley from the brighter street. As you soon begin to hear the sounds of running, you surmise that she finally decided that she might be outnumbered, and is probably running towards the busier part of the street.

Valaric will secure his bow and ready his dagger before moving out to loot the two dead thugs and secure the belongings of the drunk man. Once the valuables are secured he will carry the man away hoping to make it to either the temple or his brothel before more thugs come.

Will carry the man in a fireman's carry so I can drop him quick enough if needed.

If the area is clear of the thugs instead of stopping at the temple will just continue on to my brothel trying to stay at the sides in the dark as much as possible.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 24):

The only things that look valuable on each of the thugs' bodies appear to be leather money-pouches (total of 3), one of which is slightly heavier than the rest, though you have no idea what is inside them until you open them.

You try to ask the man about where he stays or sleeps, but he only mumbles incomprehensibly as he struggles weakly against your manhandling.

Fortunately it appears that the street is quite clear of thugs, as it is getting quite late indeed. You make it to the Lunfa Edifice, where you see that the noodle cart has now been wheeled away, and a few lights illuminate the curtained windows of the tall five storey brothel.

As the large double doors to the brothel are left quite open, you easily enter the establishment after climbing a few stone steps.

The interior of the Lunfa Edifice of Earthly Delights is quite spacious, with the first floor being a mix of a tavern and a performing area, but as you expected, it is quite empty, with a few of the whores just cleaning the place.

As they hear your footsteps, they quickly get up thinking to greet a customer, but recognize you and halt, though with a shocked expression at your carrying of the incapacitated club fighter.

Pyeah Que, who seems to be looking through her ledgers, notices you and addresses you.

"What's with this man, Valaric? Is he the one responsible?"

" No, but he is or was a club fighter. Being robbed by some thugs, so I intervened and plan to have him help me in repayment." Valaric then brings the man to his room to allow him to rest. During this time he will check the three purses and the sharp dagger of the one thug. Also taking the time to look at the man's club and any other objects of interest he might have.

Once done he will himself get some rest for more investigating tomorrow.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 26):

"I see... he does smell quite strongly of palm wine... Not sure how a drunkard like him will help, but I hope he will lead you to the bottom of our plight... Your room is on the second floor, room number 5"

Pyeah Que covers her nose with a handkerchief as she hands you a large brass key.

"I'm afraid you will have to watch over this man for us. Even if you pay for another room, we are not sure what this club fighter will do in the dead of the night..."

Whether you decide to convince Pyeah Que otherwise or not, you will ultimately reach your room and find that it is a rather small room but big enough for a well made medium sized bed for two. The room is well perfumed and smells slightly intoxicating.

Inside, you check the purses and discover a total of 31 silver pieces. The curved dagger appears to be made of silver, and is quite finely made. Perhaps it would be useful against some magical creatures that cannot be hurt by steel.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:28, Fri 14 May 2021.

Valaric will study and practice with the dagger for a few minutes. Then get some rest for when the man awakens from his super.

Wanting more information and to get to know the man better.

In reply to Valaric Gryphon (msg # 28):

The dagger is quite easy to use, and is much like regular pointed daggers, except that you suspect that stabbing with it would result in a slash instead of a thrust.

You rest well, and immediately awaken when you hear the rustling of bedsheets and a man's groan tinted with the tone that implies an extremely severe hangover.

It is still dark outside, but almost dawn as you spot the first few reddish rays of Sun leaking from the Gulf of Morrays. (It is now Day 2).

As the Club Fighter clutches his head, he notices you and makes a terrified expression, speaking only after pausing for a few seconds.

"Oh no... I didn't hire and sard you while I was drunk last night... did I...?"