This is a homebrew D&D campaign where YOU are the Villain. Unravel the secrets of an ancient artifact of power while simultaneously terrorizing a nation of innocents to achieve your goals! Just don't let the guards catch you!
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The Villain's Ascent (D&D 3.5 campaign)
- Thread starter nihartma
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Prologue
The Villain's Ascent : A Prologue
"I want you to retrieve an artifact for me."
You lean backwards in your padded leather chair, steeple your fingers and study the man before you. You are currently seated in a well appointed office, which is much nicer than the rest of the unassuming warehouse, especially considering its location.
You normally would find this kind of work beneath you, but your circumstances as of late leave you little choice in the matter. It isn't as though you're about to find 'Honest' work.
"I'm listening." You say calmly, your face betraying no emotion.
The man to whom you are speaking has been introduced as Darius the Dealer; a squat, homely man, with greying brown hair and an overly bushy mustache, dressed to the nines with so many jewels on his fat fingers he can hardly bend them. His associate had described him as a "Fixer", a man who hires unsavory characters for the most unsavory of jobs.
"Your target is a man named Charrin, a black market dealer of stolen antiquities and other illicit goods. Well, I say your target is the dealer, but what I really need is in the safe behind his counter. He's recently come into possession of a pair stones, part of an old tablet I believe. My client has expressed an interest in these tablets. I am prepared to pay one thousand gold if you retrieve these stones and bring them here to me." Darius tells you seriously. "He has a set of stalls in a back alley in the Dwarven District. My man out front can give you more specific directions when this meeting is concluded."
He leans back, his chair creaking loudly and rests his hands over his ample stomach, "Any questions?"
You cock your head and ask, "Does it matter if the man lives to see the next sunrise?"
Darius smirks but says, "I leave it to your discretion. It matters not to me his fate."
"What kind of resistance should I expect?" You ask curiously.
"It used to be just his three guards, but I've heard recently that he's added another. An ogre if I'm not mistaken. I care not what happens to any of them."
"What time of the day is he usually at his stalls?"
"He's been known to open his stalls at dusk and be gone by first light." The man says. "I should also mention, this needs to be done as quickly as possible. The client was very clear on that. Charrin already has a buyer lined up so it is rather time sensitive."
You nod your understanding. "I see. That won't be a problem. Consider it done." You stand and note he isn't offering a handshake to seal the deal. You shrug inwardly and leave the office without offering one of your own.
You glance at the guards stationed outside the office doors and without a word one of them leads you out of the warehouse and back onto the street. You take a quick moment to secure proper directions to the right alleyway from the man leaning against the building, before nodding your thanks and heading toward the Dwarven Quarter, intending to scout ahead to get the lay of the land before nightfall.
It doesn't take long to find the right alley, from what you can see of the city, or the Dwarven Quarter at least, the streets and houses are separated into very tidy blocks, each block containing the same amount of houses, or shops, and all around the same size. It is, you realize, extremely uniform.
The alley in question seems simple enough in its layout. There are rundown apartments, in front of which the tables are laid out, completely bare at the moment. There is a burnt out shop next to a ramshackle building with a man passed out on the cobblestones next to the door. An abandoned looking warehouse, a building with dirty windows and cracking paint that boasts itself a butcher shop, and a brothel surround the rest of the crowed alley. You think this will be fairly easy to deal with, especially if you can obtain some assistance from some lovely ladies come nightfall.
You decide to return to the room you rent at the inn, to rest a bit and prepare for the night ahead. You ignore the barkeep and patrons as you climb the stairs and enter your room.
You have been hired by a man called Darius the Dealer to commit a back alley robbery. You'll need to prepare for the forthcoming, and to do that we need to know You.
Choose one of the following:
[ ] Grunk the half-orc barbarian, who has forsaken the human side of his heritage, and wishes to raise orc-kind to the top of the food chain as it were, subjudating the other races to their whims. He prefers the direct approach to most situations, and unlike the stereotypical orcs is not stupid, although the finer points of civilization evade him. He prefers to wield a large two handed mallet.
[ ] Omar Briarwood the Human Bard, who uses his talents to con unsuspecting folks of their hard earned cash, and obtain favors from higher ranked officials. Fancies himself as the eventual power behind the throne. Not incapable of combat, but prefers mind magics and a quick tongue.
[ ] Elan Everly the Human Cleric, who worships the god Xom of Chaos and Anarchy. She will do whatever she can to destroy structured government and send society into chaos. Wields a sword whip, a unique weapon favored by her god.
[ ] Breen the half-elf druid, who as a child in the middle of a shapeshifting lesson watched as soldiers slew her entire druid circle in front of her, unable to change back until much later. Something in her mind snapped and she killed the raiding party. She hasn't been the same since. Her mind is cold, calculating, and thirsting for blood.
[ ] Henry (Hank) Tinkerwhistle the Gnomish Fighter, who by sheer accident of birth was born a Gnome. He hates Gnomes. His father was a Gnome. He killed his father, and changed his name to the least Gnomish sounding name he could come up with. Wants nothing less than the complete extermination of the Gnomish race. He's a serious man who doesn't take kindly to any form of joke.
[ ] Moric Bronzeheart the Dwarvish monk, Kicked out of the monastery due to his incredible greed, left after having stolen any and all valuables in the building. Uses his monk status to rob unsuspecting noblemen. After all, who would suspect a simple monk? Carries a long gnarled staff.
[ ] Sita Silvervine the Elvish Blackguard, She believes herself the chosen one who will unite all factions into one supreme religion. Is willing to raise an army of like minded individuals to war with the non believers, and rise to head this new religion. Does not see herself as Evil, rather she believes herself to be pure, and her methods are just. Wields a sword and shield cloaked in black fire.
[ ] Tyrus Overbranch the Halfling Ranger, hates any and all magic with a burning passion, and seeks to eradicate it in all its forms. Has a hawk familiar who spies and lures enemies to its master. Has a telepathic connection to his hawk, which is technically a form of magic, but we don't talk about that.
[ ] Xaryn Balafae the Drow Assassin, is the eldest daughter of the Queen of the Drow. She was next in line to the throne, but her mother hired men to kill her so that her younger sister, a simple minded girl would be the next queen, and her mother could continue her rule in secret. She escaped and now has her eye on the new kingdom she finds herself in. She will be queen, and when she is, she will destroy her mother, and the rest of the Drow who would oppose her. Has a particular proclivity for poisons.
[ ] Sethus the Teifling Sorcerer, consorts with demons and their ilk, wants to create a cult to gather support and talent for summoning, so they can destroy the barriers between the Abyss and the prime material plane. Likes watching things burn. So pretty.
[ ] 'The Reaper" the necromancer, No you can't know her true name, it's dead. Much like this lovely corpse, she has risen as the reaper. She seeks mystical power and transcendence over death. Prefers the subtler forms of magic.
Authors note:
Hello everyone! Thought we'd try our hand at this Quest thing. This is a Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 quest, and as you can probably tell from the choices of character, this is an Evil Campaign. I feel it important to note that while the characters may do a great many morally questionable things I neither believe in or support any of the views or actions these characters espouse. I will, however, do my best to portray a character who does. Therefore this quest may not be for those True Paladins out in the threads.
You may have noticed the term We, this refers to my Wife and I. I created the lore and actual quest, while she is definitely the Writer. This is our first quest, so please be patient with us and any technical difficulties we may face. We will not turn down advice and constructive criticism.
Please enjoy The Villain's Ascent!
"I want you to retrieve an artifact for me."
You lean backwards in your padded leather chair, steeple your fingers and study the man before you. You are currently seated in a well appointed office, which is much nicer than the rest of the unassuming warehouse, especially considering its location.
You normally would find this kind of work beneath you, but your circumstances as of late leave you little choice in the matter. It isn't as though you're about to find 'Honest' work.
"I'm listening." You say calmly, your face betraying no emotion.
The man to whom you are speaking has been introduced as Darius the Dealer; a squat, homely man, with greying brown hair and an overly bushy mustache, dressed to the nines with so many jewels on his fat fingers he can hardly bend them. His associate had described him as a "Fixer", a man who hires unsavory characters for the most unsavory of jobs.
"Your target is a man named Charrin, a black market dealer of stolen antiquities and other illicit goods. Well, I say your target is the dealer, but what I really need is in the safe behind his counter. He's recently come into possession of a pair stones, part of an old tablet I believe. My client has expressed an interest in these tablets. I am prepared to pay one thousand gold if you retrieve these stones and bring them here to me." Darius tells you seriously. "He has a set of stalls in a back alley in the Dwarven District. My man out front can give you more specific directions when this meeting is concluded."
He leans back, his chair creaking loudly and rests his hands over his ample stomach, "Any questions?"
You cock your head and ask, "Does it matter if the man lives to see the next sunrise?"
Darius smirks but says, "I leave it to your discretion. It matters not to me his fate."
"What kind of resistance should I expect?" You ask curiously.
"It used to be just his three guards, but I've heard recently that he's added another. An ogre if I'm not mistaken. I care not what happens to any of them."
"What time of the day is he usually at his stalls?"
"He's been known to open his stalls at dusk and be gone by first light." The man says. "I should also mention, this needs to be done as quickly as possible. The client was very clear on that. Charrin already has a buyer lined up so it is rather time sensitive."
You nod your understanding. "I see. That won't be a problem. Consider it done." You stand and note he isn't offering a handshake to seal the deal. You shrug inwardly and leave the office without offering one of your own.
You glance at the guards stationed outside the office doors and without a word one of them leads you out of the warehouse and back onto the street. You take a quick moment to secure proper directions to the right alleyway from the man leaning against the building, before nodding your thanks and heading toward the Dwarven Quarter, intending to scout ahead to get the lay of the land before nightfall.
It doesn't take long to find the right alley, from what you can see of the city, or the Dwarven Quarter at least, the streets and houses are separated into very tidy blocks, each block containing the same amount of houses, or shops, and all around the same size. It is, you realize, extremely uniform.
The alley in question seems simple enough in its layout. There are rundown apartments, in front of which the tables are laid out, completely bare at the moment. There is a burnt out shop next to a ramshackle building with a man passed out on the cobblestones next to the door. An abandoned looking warehouse, a building with dirty windows and cracking paint that boasts itself a butcher shop, and a brothel surround the rest of the crowed alley. You think this will be fairly easy to deal with, especially if you can obtain some assistance from some lovely ladies come nightfall.
You decide to return to the room you rent at the inn, to rest a bit and prepare for the night ahead. You ignore the barkeep and patrons as you climb the stairs and enter your room.
You have been hired by a man called Darius the Dealer to commit a back alley robbery. You'll need to prepare for the forthcoming, and to do that we need to know You.
Choose one of the following:
[ ] Grunk the half-orc barbarian, who has forsaken the human side of his heritage, and wishes to raise orc-kind to the top of the food chain as it were, subjudating the other races to their whims. He prefers the direct approach to most situations, and unlike the stereotypical orcs is not stupid, although the finer points of civilization evade him. He prefers to wield a large two handed mallet.
[ ] Omar Briarwood the Human Bard, who uses his talents to con unsuspecting folks of their hard earned cash, and obtain favors from higher ranked officials. Fancies himself as the eventual power behind the throne. Not incapable of combat, but prefers mind magics and a quick tongue.
[ ] Elan Everly the Human Cleric, who worships the god Xom of Chaos and Anarchy. She will do whatever she can to destroy structured government and send society into chaos. Wields a sword whip, a unique weapon favored by her god.
[ ] Breen the half-elf druid, who as a child in the middle of a shapeshifting lesson watched as soldiers slew her entire druid circle in front of her, unable to change back until much later. Something in her mind snapped and she killed the raiding party. She hasn't been the same since. Her mind is cold, calculating, and thirsting for blood.
[ ] Henry (Hank) Tinkerwhistle the Gnomish Fighter, who by sheer accident of birth was born a Gnome. He hates Gnomes. His father was a Gnome. He killed his father, and changed his name to the least Gnomish sounding name he could come up with. Wants nothing less than the complete extermination of the Gnomish race. He's a serious man who doesn't take kindly to any form of joke.
[ ] Moric Bronzeheart the Dwarvish monk, Kicked out of the monastery due to his incredible greed, left after having stolen any and all valuables in the building. Uses his monk status to rob unsuspecting noblemen. After all, who would suspect a simple monk? Carries a long gnarled staff.
[ ] Sita Silvervine the Elvish Blackguard, She believes herself the chosen one who will unite all factions into one supreme religion. Is willing to raise an army of like minded individuals to war with the non believers, and rise to head this new religion. Does not see herself as Evil, rather she believes herself to be pure, and her methods are just. Wields a sword and shield cloaked in black fire.
[ ] Tyrus Overbranch the Halfling Ranger, hates any and all magic with a burning passion, and seeks to eradicate it in all its forms. Has a hawk familiar who spies and lures enemies to its master. Has a telepathic connection to his hawk, which is technically a form of magic, but we don't talk about that.
[ ] Xaryn Balafae the Drow Assassin, is the eldest daughter of the Queen of the Drow. She was next in line to the throne, but her mother hired men to kill her so that her younger sister, a simple minded girl would be the next queen, and her mother could continue her rule in secret. She escaped and now has her eye on the new kingdom she finds herself in. She will be queen, and when she is, she will destroy her mother, and the rest of the Drow who would oppose her. Has a particular proclivity for poisons.
[ ] Sethus the Teifling Sorcerer, consorts with demons and their ilk, wants to create a cult to gather support and talent for summoning, so they can destroy the barriers between the Abyss and the prime material plane. Likes watching things burn. So pretty.
[ ] 'The Reaper" the necromancer, No you can't know her true name, it's dead. Much like this lovely corpse, she has risen as the reaper. She seeks mystical power and transcendence over death. Prefers the subtler forms of magic.
Authors note:
Hello everyone! Thought we'd try our hand at this Quest thing. This is a Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 quest, and as you can probably tell from the choices of character, this is an Evil Campaign. I feel it important to note that while the characters may do a great many morally questionable things I neither believe in or support any of the views or actions these characters espouse. I will, however, do my best to portray a character who does. Therefore this quest may not be for those True Paladins out in the threads.
You may have noticed the term We, this refers to my Wife and I. I created the lore and actual quest, while she is definitely the Writer. This is our first quest, so please be patient with us and any technical difficulties we may face. We will not turn down advice and constructive criticism.
Please enjoy The Villain's Ascent!
Last edited:
A History of the Kingdom
In the beginning, not long after the first recorded history, the island continent of Sezan was populated primarily by nomadic tribes of Humans and Gnomes. While they are not believed to have been the first inhabitants of the island, it having already been named, they are the earliest known to the history books.
The first incident of note to scholars is the arrival of the Elves. They came in droves from a distant land in large warships; with the intent to colonize and were much advanced over the local tribes in terms of warfare, knowledge and most importantly, possessed great magics the locals couldn't even dream of. It was child's play for the Elves to push the Humans and Gnomes into the most distant and undesirable corners of the land, and take the best for themselves.
This state of affairs is estimated to have lasted for the next several centuries. It was during this time the Elves built a grand civilization for themselves, while the others were quite frequently treated as second class citizens at best, and pests to be disposed of at worst. Eventually a new element introduced itself into the mix.
A clan of Dwarves arrived in much the same fashion as the Elves had done years earlier. They came seeking new minerals to mine, and new mountains to tame. At first the Elves considered them to be as lowly as the Humans and Gnomes had been, only useful as labor and then to be thrown aside when their usefulness had run its course.
However, when it became clear that the Dwarves were not interested in their lands, but rather the badlands and mountainous regions of Haust, they relented and suffered them as neighbors. This is not to say that their relationship was entirely cordial; there were of course the occasional disputes or diplomatic incidents, but for the most part the two races were able to coexist without outright war.
Things played out in this manner for approximately six hundred years before things truly came to a head. The Humans and Gnomes, having experienced a long enough period of peace to have developed their own advantages, decided enough was enough. The Gnomes, being a naturally intelligent race, had begun developing science and technologies that were a match for Elven Magics. The Humans, on the other hand, had found many clever leaders and simply had more strength in numbers than the other races. While the two groups weren't necessarily friends with each other, they could see the opportunities the other presented.
Thus began the first surprise forays into the Elven heartlands. The previously oppressed groups showed no mercy to those who had slighted their ancestors, and committed many atrocities in the name of revenge. The Elves, for their part, responded to the unexpected attack with the full might of their battle mages, killing many a would be freedom fighter. The Dwarves feared that the battle would spill into their lands, and holding no particular fondness for any of the other races of Sezan, simply declared war on all three.
And so the one hundred year war was waged. A four way battle in which, to the surprise of all parties involved, no one group was able to gain any lasting advantage over another. The largest Elven fresh water supply had been poisoned by the Gnomes, the Elves cast a mighty earthquake upon the greatest Dwarven mountains, destroying their capital city. The Dwarves started an immense fire in the Gnomish forests that lasted for years. Everyone gleefully destroyed the human villages as fast as they could pop into existence. Eventually all four races agreed that something had to change.
Each race sent their strongest leaders and best diplomats to the center of the island to meet in the nameless ancient ruins that had somehow been untouched by the hundred year war. There, the groups spent the next months attempting to negotiate a ceasefire. The trouble was, no one could agree on how exactly they were to accomplish that.
The Humans and Gnomes were quite firm that the previous state of affairs were unacceptable to them. The Elves, however, were equally firm that they would not be placed beneath those they considered their lesser. The Dwarves simply wanted to make sure they got an equal share of their land. The only thing that kept the talks from dissolving completely was that everyone agreed that the war had to end.
Eventually the idea was proposed that all four races would unite into one shared kingdom in which none were above the other, where instead they would be equal. At first this idea gained a lot of traction, as it would solve the concerns of the two nomadic races without costing the others more than they were willing to give.
The talks stalled when the subject of who should lead this new kingdom was broached. While every race had a favored candidate to be the new king, there was simply no fair way to select one over the others without any feeling slighted. A variety of methods were offered to attempt to fairly choose, everything from a tournament of arms, to asking the Gods for a sign, to instituting a grand lottery that would select randomly from everyone in the populace. This last idea was considered ridiculous of course, and so it might surprise the reader to discover that this is what was eventually chosen.
The first Queen of the United Kingdom of Sezan, was an elderly washer woman by the name of Edith. She possessed no skills useful to running a successful government, had no living relatives to continue her line, and was on her deathbed a scant few years of having been elected. This was naturally a source of high concern for the leaders of the four factions, who feared the war would begin again in earnest.
Queen Edith, from her deathbed, gathered the four leaders to her, and gave quite an impassioned speech of unity, and helped the leaders to come up with ideas to write up a proper constitution for the kingdom, which would help solidify the Grand Lottery, as well as various legal protections for the citizenry. A second Grand Lottery was held, and the name of the next to rule Sezan was drawn by the Queen herself. An officer of the Dwarven military was selected. Using the skills he'd acquired during his time in said military, he was able to keep the country unified after the death of its first ruler.
We may paraphrase the next few thousand years, suffice it to say things ran as well as possible when your royalty is quite literally chosen at random. Some reigns lasted only a few years, and others went on for centuries, due to the longevity of certain races. Some rulers were fair and just, while others were assassinated promptly.
This brings us to the current day, where the most recent human king has died with no heirs to continue the rule, and the newly selected king is casting fresh doubts into the system. King Nemo Drimbal, a recent Gnomish immigrant, whose citizenship papers still sport fresh ink, does not seem stable enough to properly administrate. He is much more interested in tinkering with his inventions and toys. He arrives at a particular fractious time as the four nations all grapple with internal struggles.
Amongst the Elves talks of seceding from the nation have arisen amongst the populace. The Dwarves struggle under the yoke of a particularly greedy Lord. The Humans are experiencing an explosion of religious turmoil, and the newly risen Lord of the Gnomes seeks to solidify his new power at all costs.
This is the world in which you find yourself. The choices you make from here will affect the world around you in many, many ways. Some desirable, some less so, but the choice is yours.
The first incident of note to scholars is the arrival of the Elves. They came in droves from a distant land in large warships; with the intent to colonize and were much advanced over the local tribes in terms of warfare, knowledge and most importantly, possessed great magics the locals couldn't even dream of. It was child's play for the Elves to push the Humans and Gnomes into the most distant and undesirable corners of the land, and take the best for themselves.
This state of affairs is estimated to have lasted for the next several centuries. It was during this time the Elves built a grand civilization for themselves, while the others were quite frequently treated as second class citizens at best, and pests to be disposed of at worst. Eventually a new element introduced itself into the mix.
A clan of Dwarves arrived in much the same fashion as the Elves had done years earlier. They came seeking new minerals to mine, and new mountains to tame. At first the Elves considered them to be as lowly as the Humans and Gnomes had been, only useful as labor and then to be thrown aside when their usefulness had run its course.
However, when it became clear that the Dwarves were not interested in their lands, but rather the badlands and mountainous regions of Haust, they relented and suffered them as neighbors. This is not to say that their relationship was entirely cordial; there were of course the occasional disputes or diplomatic incidents, but for the most part the two races were able to coexist without outright war.
Things played out in this manner for approximately six hundred years before things truly came to a head. The Humans and Gnomes, having experienced a long enough period of peace to have developed their own advantages, decided enough was enough. The Gnomes, being a naturally intelligent race, had begun developing science and technologies that were a match for Elven Magics. The Humans, on the other hand, had found many clever leaders and simply had more strength in numbers than the other races. While the two groups weren't necessarily friends with each other, they could see the opportunities the other presented.
Thus began the first surprise forays into the Elven heartlands. The previously oppressed groups showed no mercy to those who had slighted their ancestors, and committed many atrocities in the name of revenge. The Elves, for their part, responded to the unexpected attack with the full might of their battle mages, killing many a would be freedom fighter. The Dwarves feared that the battle would spill into their lands, and holding no particular fondness for any of the other races of Sezan, simply declared war on all three.
And so the one hundred year war was waged. A four way battle in which, to the surprise of all parties involved, no one group was able to gain any lasting advantage over another. The largest Elven fresh water supply had been poisoned by the Gnomes, the Elves cast a mighty earthquake upon the greatest Dwarven mountains, destroying their capital city. The Dwarves started an immense fire in the Gnomish forests that lasted for years. Everyone gleefully destroyed the human villages as fast as they could pop into existence. Eventually all four races agreed that something had to change.
Each race sent their strongest leaders and best diplomats to the center of the island to meet in the nameless ancient ruins that had somehow been untouched by the hundred year war. There, the groups spent the next months attempting to negotiate a ceasefire. The trouble was, no one could agree on how exactly they were to accomplish that.
The Humans and Gnomes were quite firm that the previous state of affairs were unacceptable to them. The Elves, however, were equally firm that they would not be placed beneath those they considered their lesser. The Dwarves simply wanted to make sure they got an equal share of their land. The only thing that kept the talks from dissolving completely was that everyone agreed that the war had to end.
Eventually the idea was proposed that all four races would unite into one shared kingdom in which none were above the other, where instead they would be equal. At first this idea gained a lot of traction, as it would solve the concerns of the two nomadic races without costing the others more than they were willing to give.
The talks stalled when the subject of who should lead this new kingdom was broached. While every race had a favored candidate to be the new king, there was simply no fair way to select one over the others without any feeling slighted. A variety of methods were offered to attempt to fairly choose, everything from a tournament of arms, to asking the Gods for a sign, to instituting a grand lottery that would select randomly from everyone in the populace. This last idea was considered ridiculous of course, and so it might surprise the reader to discover that this is what was eventually chosen.
The first Queen of the United Kingdom of Sezan, was an elderly washer woman by the name of Edith. She possessed no skills useful to running a successful government, had no living relatives to continue her line, and was on her deathbed a scant few years of having been elected. This was naturally a source of high concern for the leaders of the four factions, who feared the war would begin again in earnest.
Queen Edith, from her deathbed, gathered the four leaders to her, and gave quite an impassioned speech of unity, and helped the leaders to come up with ideas to write up a proper constitution for the kingdom, which would help solidify the Grand Lottery, as well as various legal protections for the citizenry. A second Grand Lottery was held, and the name of the next to rule Sezan was drawn by the Queen herself. An officer of the Dwarven military was selected. Using the skills he'd acquired during his time in said military, he was able to keep the country unified after the death of its first ruler.
We may paraphrase the next few thousand years, suffice it to say things ran as well as possible when your royalty is quite literally chosen at random. Some reigns lasted only a few years, and others went on for centuries, due to the longevity of certain races. Some rulers were fair and just, while others were assassinated promptly.
This brings us to the current day, where the most recent human king has died with no heirs to continue the rule, and the newly selected king is casting fresh doubts into the system. King Nemo Drimbal, a recent Gnomish immigrant, whose citizenship papers still sport fresh ink, does not seem stable enough to properly administrate. He is much more interested in tinkering with his inventions and toys. He arrives at a particular fractious time as the four nations all grapple with internal struggles.
Amongst the Elves talks of seceding from the nation have arisen amongst the populace. The Dwarves struggle under the yoke of a particularly greedy Lord. The Humans are experiencing an explosion of religious turmoil, and the newly risen Lord of the Gnomes seeks to solidify his new power at all costs.
This is the world in which you find yourself. The choices you make from here will affect the world around you in many, many ways. Some desirable, some less so, but the choice is yours.
Character Sheet
Xaryn Balafae Drow Assassin HP: 49
Female 120 years old
Character Level: Rogue lv 5, Assassin lv 2
Languages Known: Common, Undercommon, Thieves Cant, Drow Sign Language
Money: 50 Gold
Strength: 13 +1
Dexterity: 18 +4
Constitution: 13 +1
Intelligence: 16 +3
Wisdom: 14 +2
Charisma: 15 +2
Saving Throws:
Total = base + ability + misc.
Fortitude: +2 +1 +1 (+1 vs poison)
Reflex: +10 +6 +4 ( Trap sense +1)
Will: +3 +1 +2
Armor Class: 18 Flat foot AC: 14 Touch AC: 14
Offence: Total = Base Attack + Ability
Melee: +4 +3 +1
Ranged: +7 +3 +4
Grapple +4 +3 +1
Weapons: Name Attack Bonus Damage Critical Range Type
+2 Stiletto +6 1d4 + 4 17/20 x2 Piercing
Sickle +4 1d6 + 4 x2 Slashing
Heavy Crossbow +4 1d10 19/20 x2 120 ft Piercing
Sap +4 1d6 +4 Non-lethal x2 Bludgeoning
Skills: Total Skill Check Ranks Misc
Spot 9 5 +2
Listen 10 6 +2
Search 11 6 +2
Hide 13 9
Move Silently 12 8
Tumble 6 2
Balance 6 2
Jump 3 2
Climb 5 4
Bluff 8 6
Sense Motive 5 3
Gather Info 7 5
Sleight of Hand 12 6 +2
Escape Artist 6 2
Use Rope 8 2 +2
Open Locks 12 6 +2
Disable Device 13 8 +2
Disguise 8 4 +2
Forgery 7 4
Decipher Script 5 2
Appraise 8 5
Craft (Poison) 10 7
Knowledge (Local) 6 3
Feats:
Weapon Finnesse- With Light Weapons, use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls
Deft Hands- +2 bonus on sleight of hand and use rope
Urban Tracking- You can track down missing or wanted persons within communities.
Special Abilities:
Sneak attack- 4d6 dmg
Trap Finding- Use search skill to find traps. You can use disable device to disarm magical traps. If you beat the trap's DC by 10 or more with a disable device check you can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it without disarming it.
Evasion- a successful reflex save against an attack that normally deals half dmg on a successful save, you instead take no damage.
Trap Sense- +1 bonus to Reflex saves to avoid traps and +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps.
Improved Uncanny Dodge- You can not be flanked and cannot be sneak attacked unless the opponent has 4 more Rogue levels than you.
Poison Use- You are trained in the use of Poisons and never risk accidentally poisoning yourself when applying poison to a blade.
Death Attack- Study the victim for three rounds, successfully sneak attack with a melee weapon, you can chose to either paralyze or instantly kill your target. You must remain focused on your target and your target must not recognize the threat.
Fortitude Save- DC 10 + assassin levels+ intelligence mod.
10+2+3=15
+1 Fortitude against Poison
Spells: 2 first level spell slots per day. Must be prepared beforehand.
Disguise Self- Changes your appearance
Detect Poison- You determine whether a creature, object, or area has been poisoned or is poisonous. You can determine the exact type of poison with a DC 20 Wisdom check. A character with the Craft (alchemy) skill may try a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check if the Wisdom check fails, or may try the Craft (alchemy) check prior to the Wisdom check.
The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Ghost Sound- Makes illusionary sounds
Obscuring Mist- Makes a fog cloud around you.
Spider Climb- Climb walls like a spider.
Inventory:
Masterwork thieves tools
2 potions of Cure light wounds
grappling hook
caltrops
hemp rope (50 ft)
1 vial of antitoxin
1 flask of oil
Mirror
Disguise kit
Map of Kingdom of Sezan
1 vial of carrion crawlers brain juice (DC 13 Lasts 2d6 minutes (paralyze))
1 vial of Oil of Taggit ( DC 15 takes effect in 1 minute, unconsciousness lasts for 1d3 hours)
Female 120 years old
Character Level: Rogue lv 5, Assassin lv 2
Languages Known: Common, Undercommon, Thieves Cant, Drow Sign Language
Money: 50 Gold
Strength: 13 +1
Dexterity: 18 +4
Constitution: 13 +1
Intelligence: 16 +3
Wisdom: 14 +2
Charisma: 15 +2
Saving Throws:
Total = base + ability + misc.
Fortitude: +2 +1 +1 (+1 vs poison)
Reflex: +10 +6 +4 ( Trap sense +1)
Will: +3 +1 +2
Armor Class: 18 Flat foot AC: 14 Touch AC: 14
Offence: Total = Base Attack + Ability
Melee: +4 +3 +1
Ranged: +7 +3 +4
Grapple +4 +3 +1
Weapons: Name Attack Bonus Damage Critical Range Type
+2 Stiletto +6 1d4 + 4 17/20 x2 Piercing
Sickle +4 1d6 + 4 x2 Slashing
Heavy Crossbow +4 1d10 19/20 x2 120 ft Piercing
Sap +4 1d6 +4 Non-lethal x2 Bludgeoning
Skills: Total Skill Check Ranks Misc
Spot 9 5 +2
Listen 10 6 +2
Search 11 6 +2
Hide 13 9
Move Silently 12 8
Tumble 6 2
Balance 6 2
Jump 3 2
Climb 5 4
Bluff 8 6
Sense Motive 5 3
Gather Info 7 5
Sleight of Hand 12 6 +2
Escape Artist 6 2
Use Rope 8 2 +2
Open Locks 12 6 +2
Disable Device 13 8 +2
Disguise 8 4 +2
Forgery 7 4
Decipher Script 5 2
Appraise 8 5
Craft (Poison) 10 7
Knowledge (Local) 6 3
Feats:
Weapon Finnesse- With Light Weapons, use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls
Deft Hands- +2 bonus on sleight of hand and use rope
Urban Tracking- You can track down missing or wanted persons within communities.
Special Abilities:
Sneak attack- 4d6 dmg
Trap Finding- Use search skill to find traps. You can use disable device to disarm magical traps. If you beat the trap's DC by 10 or more with a disable device check you can study the trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it without disarming it.
Evasion- a successful reflex save against an attack that normally deals half dmg on a successful save, you instead take no damage.
Trap Sense- +1 bonus to Reflex saves to avoid traps and +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps.
Improved Uncanny Dodge- You can not be flanked and cannot be sneak attacked unless the opponent has 4 more Rogue levels than you.
Poison Use- You are trained in the use of Poisons and never risk accidentally poisoning yourself when applying poison to a blade.
Death Attack- Study the victim for three rounds, successfully sneak attack with a melee weapon, you can chose to either paralyze or instantly kill your target. You must remain focused on your target and your target must not recognize the threat.
Fortitude Save- DC 10 + assassin levels+ intelligence mod.
10+2+3=15
+1 Fortitude against Poison
Spells: 2 first level spell slots per day. Must be prepared beforehand.
Disguise Self- Changes your appearance
Detect Poison- You determine whether a creature, object, or area has been poisoned or is poisonous. You can determine the exact type of poison with a DC 20 Wisdom check. A character with the Craft (alchemy) skill may try a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check if the Wisdom check fails, or may try the Craft (alchemy) check prior to the Wisdom check.
The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Ghost Sound- Makes illusionary sounds
Obscuring Mist- Makes a fog cloud around you.
Spider Climb- Climb walls like a spider.
Inventory:
Masterwork thieves tools
2 potions of Cure light wounds
grappling hook
caltrops
hemp rope (50 ft)
1 vial of antitoxin
1 flask of oil
Mirror
Disguise kit
Map of Kingdom of Sezan
1 vial of carrion crawlers brain juice (DC 13 Lasts 2d6 minutes (paralyze))
1 vial of Oil of Taggit ( DC 15 takes effect in 1 minute, unconsciousness lasts for 1d3 hours)
Last edited:
future info
Chapter One
Chapter One
You look around your rented room and begin gathering what you need for tonight. The place itself isn't terrible, but it is far from the lavish rooms in your personal suite back home. The walls are bare save for the yellowed, peeling paint. There is a small bed with scratchy blankets and thin pillows, a single side table next to the bed, and against the wall is another table with a wash basin set into it. You are used to fine carpets, but the floor beneath your feet is rough wooden planks with gaps between them. A single shelf is nailed crookedly onto the wall, and there is a single nail hammered into the back of the door where you had hung up your cloak upon renting the room. A tall mirror, with a tarnished surface and wooden frame, leans against the wall.
You don't need your large bag for this job, but you do pull out a smaller leather satchel and fill it with the essentials. Your specially crafted thieves tools, a pouch of caltrops, your grappling hook and a length of rope. As an afterthought, you slide a bottle of healing potion inside as well, before closing the satchel and securing it properly. You turn to the larger bag and dig through it until you find your darkest clothing. You are quite adept at stealth, but a little help never hurts.
You stand in front of the mirror undressing swiftly and don the black hose, wincing at the large wound that crosses your left breast and ends at your stomach. A last gift from your mother, the Queen of the Drow. You touch it lightly, testing the wound and finding that while it has knit together, it's still a bit tender. You close your eyes, the still fresh memories flooding your mind.
You stand on the balcony that overlooks the pond in middle of your suite of rooms. The softly running water calming your temper as nothing else does, and after the conversation you just had with your Mother and Queen, you need the soothing.
"I am the eldest daughter of Queen Zesstra." You explode and start to pace. " I am the rightful heir to the throne, how dare she suggest that I let my younger sister take her place instead! I who have been studying court training and protocol since I was small! That idiot girl, who can't even drink a glass of water without choking, is to be queen?! Preposterous!"
You whirl to face the door. "Mother must change her mind. That imbecile will run the kingdom into the ground in the first week, and then what will be left for me when she is assassinated?"
You storm through the corridors and past guards who, when startled by your rancore, follow you closely. You pay them no mind, after all, it's their job to protect you and the rest of the family.
You approach the Queen's suite and pound loudly on the door, before entering without permission. "Mother."
She is facing away from you, and barely spares you a glance as she lifts a glass of wine to her lips. "Xaryn." Her voice is smooth as silk, a subtle warning to watch your tongue. "As I said earlier, the decision has been made. The discussion is ended. I am the Queen. My word is law. Any further outbursts will be met with punishment." She takes another sip of wine.
"Mother, can't you see what this decision will do to your reputation? What shall the nobles say?" You begin, ignoring the warning signs radiating from your mother. "That Queen Zesstra gave the full might and power of the Drow to a Simpleton? I won't stand for it!"
At these words, Queen Zesstra turns to face you. She pulls herself up to her full height and looks you in the eyes. "That is enough." She says softly. "You were warned, Xaryn. Who do you think you are to make demands of me?"
You glare at your mother. "Someone who can't stand idly by and let my birthright be stolen from beneath me. If you insist on making this choice, then I will do what I think is best." You turn to leave the room.
"And just what do you think is best, dear daughter?" Your mother's voice chilling you to the bone.
"I will make it so that there is only one left who can take your place." You say, determined to slit your sister's throat by the end of the night.
"If that is what must be, then so be it." Your mother's voice is colder than you've ever felt it. "Guards."
Three of the Guards who had been outside your mother's chambers quickly stepped in. "Yes, Majesty?"
"Kill her."
The fight that had ensued resulted in all three of the Guards being killed. Your own mother had given you the scar across your chest, courtesy of the broken wine glass in her hand. You shake your head to clear the memories from your mind.
"No time to get lost in thoughts." You mutter as you pull on the rest of your clothing and shoulder the satchel. you sheath your Stiletto into your belt and the scythe for good measure. You leave the room, locking the door behind you.
You emerge into the Drow Slums. When you first arrived in Sezan's capitol city two weeks ago, you were immediately repulsed by the area. However, the longer you spend here the more you realize that it suits your needs perfectly. Honestly, the longer you are here, the more similarities you see between the Slums and home. The window boxes, for instance, are filled with different types of mushrooms, and many of the buisnesses are using Faerie Fire in their advertisements and decorations. You do note, with some regret, that they aren't using any spiders in the decorations, and you haven't seen a single temple to Lolth at all.
The people here seem to fall into two broad categories, the first group are much like you, various nobles and merchants who had chosen poorly where their political ambitions lay and had chosen exile over death. The other group were people who, for reasons you cannot begin to comprehend, objected to the morality or culture of their homeland and left to make their fortunes in a land they felt more suited to their own morality.
As you make your way through the streets toward the Elven District the slums are located in, you realize that you recognize a few Drow milling about in the streets. That man over there for instance, your mother had had him banished for some idiotic reason. He recognises you, and although shocked, nods respectfully, if not fearfully. You school your expression into one of boredom and pass through the gate into the city proper.
The difference between the slums and the Elven district is vast. The slums are crammed up against the outer wall in the very back of the district, and the buildings are dilapidated almost, any and all repairs made are by the Drow that live there, the city refusing to acknowledge the needs of a people so steeped in controversy. The rest of the area by contrast is bright and green. Trees on every corner, lots of sweeping arches, and tall columns make up the architecture of most of the buildings, and flowers of all things fill the streets.
The elves seem to be a disgustingly cultured people, you decide as you pass the fifteenth fresco in as many minutes. 'It's not even that good. Honestly, I could make that if I had access to enough blood.'
You look ahead of you and see a tall bridge that seems to span the wall. It catches your interest enough that you decide to take the scenic route instead of dealing with the stares of the commoners. As you climb the stairs to the bridge, an Elven man, who was brave enough to speak to a Drow, approaches you.
"This is a thing of beauty is it not?" The man says unbidden. "It is a work of art in and of itself. It was a collaboration between us and the Dwarves you know."
You blink at the sudden and unwelcome trivia. "I don't really care." You say and push past the man, smirking at the look of disappointment on his face.
You take the time to glance out over what you can see of the city from the top of the bridge. Dusk has fallen, and the firelights glimmering throughout the city give the place a comforting feel. You curl your lip in disgust. 'These useless people have never known hardship. Look at them all down there, happily going about their days as if they are immune to a knife in the ribs.'
Shaking your head, you continue on and pass into the Dwarven Quarter, following the path you had made earlier in the day, finding your way easily and decide to sneak into the abandoned warehouse to make use of the many windows facing the alley.
From your vantage point, you can see the target. His dark hair and beard are trimmed nicely, and he is wearing expensive but tasteful clothing, much unlike Darius the Dealer. You think you can see a bit of armor through his clothes as well. He bears an expensive looking shield on his back and a well made mace at his hip. The tables are lined with goods, from clothing, to items of varying rarity and expense. The safe is against the wall of the apartments behind the tables, with a lock the size of a man's hand on the thing.
You scan the crowd, looking for men fitting the description your were given, and spot a few that might fit the bill. The ogre is the obvious one, of course, standing near the tables while bearing his...tree trunk? You think that's what the wooden things are called.
There are another three men at either entrance to the alley, bearing spears, and swords. One of the men keeps looking toward the entrance to the brothel, and you smirk realizing where he'd rather be. Perhaps some of the ladies would be amenable to helping you out.
The rest of the people in the alley look normal enough. There's one woman who is conversing with the merchant. Her hair is golden, and skin pale as milk. She's wearing robes of deep blue and is flanked by a pair of heavily armored bodyguards.
The rest of the crowd seems to blend in to each other, and you see one man knock another to the ground, and spit at his feet. When the man leaves, a woman with hair the color of fire helps him from the ground, laying a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to console.
You believe you are thoroughly prepared for the task at hand. Before you left the room, you were able to prepare two spells for use, which are they?
[ ] Change Self
[ ] Detect Poison
[ ] Ghost Sound
[ ] Spider Climb
[ ] Obscuring Mist
Spells prepared, you are ready to act. How do you proceed?
[ ] The Direct approach. Slit the throat of the nearest guard, and fight the rest as they come. Risky, but not impossible for one of your skill.
[ ] The Prostitution Proposition. Hire some of the ladies of the night to distract as many of the guards as they can. Improves the odds of getting to the safe unobserved.
[ ] The Instigation. Some in the crowd are looking as though they are one provocation away from blows. See if you can hurry that along. May cause a much needed distraction. Cheaper for your purse, but greater odds of losing control of the situation.
[ ] The Assassination. Watch Charrin for several moments and strike when the opportunity presents. Hopefully, with no employer, the guards won't be interested in guarding anything.
[ ] Write in.
Voting is open until Sunday 22, 10:00 pm eastern time.
You look around your rented room and begin gathering what you need for tonight. The place itself isn't terrible, but it is far from the lavish rooms in your personal suite back home. The walls are bare save for the yellowed, peeling paint. There is a small bed with scratchy blankets and thin pillows, a single side table next to the bed, and against the wall is another table with a wash basin set into it. You are used to fine carpets, but the floor beneath your feet is rough wooden planks with gaps between them. A single shelf is nailed crookedly onto the wall, and there is a single nail hammered into the back of the door where you had hung up your cloak upon renting the room. A tall mirror, with a tarnished surface and wooden frame, leans against the wall.
You don't need your large bag for this job, but you do pull out a smaller leather satchel and fill it with the essentials. Your specially crafted thieves tools, a pouch of caltrops, your grappling hook and a length of rope. As an afterthought, you slide a bottle of healing potion inside as well, before closing the satchel and securing it properly. You turn to the larger bag and dig through it until you find your darkest clothing. You are quite adept at stealth, but a little help never hurts.
You stand in front of the mirror undressing swiftly and don the black hose, wincing at the large wound that crosses your left breast and ends at your stomach. A last gift from your mother, the Queen of the Drow. You touch it lightly, testing the wound and finding that while it has knit together, it's still a bit tender. You close your eyes, the still fresh memories flooding your mind.
You stand on the balcony that overlooks the pond in middle of your suite of rooms. The softly running water calming your temper as nothing else does, and after the conversation you just had with your Mother and Queen, you need the soothing.
"I am the eldest daughter of Queen Zesstra." You explode and start to pace. " I am the rightful heir to the throne, how dare she suggest that I let my younger sister take her place instead! I who have been studying court training and protocol since I was small! That idiot girl, who can't even drink a glass of water without choking, is to be queen?! Preposterous!"
You whirl to face the door. "Mother must change her mind. That imbecile will run the kingdom into the ground in the first week, and then what will be left for me when she is assassinated?"
You storm through the corridors and past guards who, when startled by your rancore, follow you closely. You pay them no mind, after all, it's their job to protect you and the rest of the family.
You approach the Queen's suite and pound loudly on the door, before entering without permission. "Mother."
She is facing away from you, and barely spares you a glance as she lifts a glass of wine to her lips. "Xaryn." Her voice is smooth as silk, a subtle warning to watch your tongue. "As I said earlier, the decision has been made. The discussion is ended. I am the Queen. My word is law. Any further outbursts will be met with punishment." She takes another sip of wine.
"Mother, can't you see what this decision will do to your reputation? What shall the nobles say?" You begin, ignoring the warning signs radiating from your mother. "That Queen Zesstra gave the full might and power of the Drow to a Simpleton? I won't stand for it!"
At these words, Queen Zesstra turns to face you. She pulls herself up to her full height and looks you in the eyes. "That is enough." She says softly. "You were warned, Xaryn. Who do you think you are to make demands of me?"
You glare at your mother. "Someone who can't stand idly by and let my birthright be stolen from beneath me. If you insist on making this choice, then I will do what I think is best." You turn to leave the room.
"And just what do you think is best, dear daughter?" Your mother's voice chilling you to the bone.
"I will make it so that there is only one left who can take your place." You say, determined to slit your sister's throat by the end of the night.
"If that is what must be, then so be it." Your mother's voice is colder than you've ever felt it. "Guards."
Three of the Guards who had been outside your mother's chambers quickly stepped in. "Yes, Majesty?"
"Kill her."
The fight that had ensued resulted in all three of the Guards being killed. Your own mother had given you the scar across your chest, courtesy of the broken wine glass in her hand. You shake your head to clear the memories from your mind.
"No time to get lost in thoughts." You mutter as you pull on the rest of your clothing and shoulder the satchel. you sheath your Stiletto into your belt and the scythe for good measure. You leave the room, locking the door behind you.
You emerge into the Drow Slums. When you first arrived in Sezan's capitol city two weeks ago, you were immediately repulsed by the area. However, the longer you spend here the more you realize that it suits your needs perfectly. Honestly, the longer you are here, the more similarities you see between the Slums and home. The window boxes, for instance, are filled with different types of mushrooms, and many of the buisnesses are using Faerie Fire in their advertisements and decorations. You do note, with some regret, that they aren't using any spiders in the decorations, and you haven't seen a single temple to Lolth at all.
The people here seem to fall into two broad categories, the first group are much like you, various nobles and merchants who had chosen poorly where their political ambitions lay and had chosen exile over death. The other group were people who, for reasons you cannot begin to comprehend, objected to the morality or culture of their homeland and left to make their fortunes in a land they felt more suited to their own morality.
As you make your way through the streets toward the Elven District the slums are located in, you realize that you recognize a few Drow milling about in the streets. That man over there for instance, your mother had had him banished for some idiotic reason. He recognises you, and although shocked, nods respectfully, if not fearfully. You school your expression into one of boredom and pass through the gate into the city proper.
The difference between the slums and the Elven district is vast. The slums are crammed up against the outer wall in the very back of the district, and the buildings are dilapidated almost, any and all repairs made are by the Drow that live there, the city refusing to acknowledge the needs of a people so steeped in controversy. The rest of the area by contrast is bright and green. Trees on every corner, lots of sweeping arches, and tall columns make up the architecture of most of the buildings, and flowers of all things fill the streets.
The elves seem to be a disgustingly cultured people, you decide as you pass the fifteenth fresco in as many minutes. 'It's not even that good. Honestly, I could make that if I had access to enough blood.'
You look ahead of you and see a tall bridge that seems to span the wall. It catches your interest enough that you decide to take the scenic route instead of dealing with the stares of the commoners. As you climb the stairs to the bridge, an Elven man, who was brave enough to speak to a Drow, approaches you.
"This is a thing of beauty is it not?" The man says unbidden. "It is a work of art in and of itself. It was a collaboration between us and the Dwarves you know."
You blink at the sudden and unwelcome trivia. "I don't really care." You say and push past the man, smirking at the look of disappointment on his face.
You take the time to glance out over what you can see of the city from the top of the bridge. Dusk has fallen, and the firelights glimmering throughout the city give the place a comforting feel. You curl your lip in disgust. 'These useless people have never known hardship. Look at them all down there, happily going about their days as if they are immune to a knife in the ribs.'
Shaking your head, you continue on and pass into the Dwarven Quarter, following the path you had made earlier in the day, finding your way easily and decide to sneak into the abandoned warehouse to make use of the many windows facing the alley.
From your vantage point, you can see the target. His dark hair and beard are trimmed nicely, and he is wearing expensive but tasteful clothing, much unlike Darius the Dealer. You think you can see a bit of armor through his clothes as well. He bears an expensive looking shield on his back and a well made mace at his hip. The tables are lined with goods, from clothing, to items of varying rarity and expense. The safe is against the wall of the apartments behind the tables, with a lock the size of a man's hand on the thing.
You scan the crowd, looking for men fitting the description your were given, and spot a few that might fit the bill. The ogre is the obvious one, of course, standing near the tables while bearing his...tree trunk? You think that's what the wooden things are called.
There are another three men at either entrance to the alley, bearing spears, and swords. One of the men keeps looking toward the entrance to the brothel, and you smirk realizing where he'd rather be. Perhaps some of the ladies would be amenable to helping you out.
The rest of the people in the alley look normal enough. There's one woman who is conversing with the merchant. Her hair is golden, and skin pale as milk. She's wearing robes of deep blue and is flanked by a pair of heavily armored bodyguards.
The rest of the crowd seems to blend in to each other, and you see one man knock another to the ground, and spit at his feet. When the man leaves, a woman with hair the color of fire helps him from the ground, laying a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to console.
You believe you are thoroughly prepared for the task at hand. Before you left the room, you were able to prepare two spells for use, which are they?
[ ] Change Self
[ ] Detect Poison
[ ] Ghost Sound
[ ] Spider Climb
[ ] Obscuring Mist
Spells prepared, you are ready to act. How do you proceed?
[ ] The Direct approach. Slit the throat of the nearest guard, and fight the rest as they come. Risky, but not impossible for one of your skill.
[ ] The Prostitution Proposition. Hire some of the ladies of the night to distract as many of the guards as they can. Improves the odds of getting to the safe unobserved.
[ ] The Instigation. Some in the crowd are looking as though they are one provocation away from blows. See if you can hurry that along. May cause a much needed distraction. Cheaper for your purse, but greater odds of losing control of the situation.
[ ] The Assassination. Watch Charrin for several moments and strike when the opportunity presents. Hopefully, with no employer, the guards won't be interested in guarding anything.
[ ] Write in.
Voting is open until Sunday 22, 10:00 pm eastern time.
Chapter Two
You finish scanning the alley and decide to make a quick visit to the brothel. Surely the ladies would enjoy having some extra coin without working too hard. You quietly leave the apartments and make your way to the front entrance to the brothel. As you enter, the smells of incense and candles fill your nose and while individually the scents would be pleasant, together they are overpowering. You keep an even face though, and approach the woman behind the desk at the far wall.
You stop before the desk and clear your throat. She looks up at you and gives you a once over. She is human, around her mid fifties if you were to hazard a guess, with graying blond hair and hazel eyes. From the looks of her she probably played the bed herself before age and her weight caught up with her.
"Yes?" She asks, clearly annoyed that you aren't her usual clientele.
"I'd like to rent three girls for an hour." You say, ignoring the insult in her tone.
She looks at you again, considering. "Three you say?" She asks. "You'll want the room with the largest bed then, I take it?"
You shake your head. "No. No need for a room at all. They'll be serving me in other ways."
The woman looks even more annoyed now. "This is highly irregular." She says shortly. "Usually, the client uses the girls here, and leaves when he's done. Where are you intending to take them?"
"Just to the alley behind the building." You say simply. "What are the rates?"
"Twenty five gold per girl." The woman declares crisply. "So it'll be seventy five gold in total."
You scowl. "If I were intending to bed these women that would be a fair price. However my need for them does not require them to spread their legs for me. I'll pay you twenty gold for all three." You say, before adding, "You'll end up with three men looking for a warm bed tonight doing this my way."
The woman narrows her eyes, thinking it over before nodding reluctantly. She reaches to the wall behind her and pulling three different woven cords. A gentle chiming fills the house and three beautiful women approach.
"This customer has need of the three of you. You will do as told or there will be punishment."
One of the women shuddered and all three nodded.
"Yes Matron." They agreed.
"Come with me," You say and lead them to the apartments. They follow you up the stairs like the dutiful males back home. When you reach the room with the view of the alley you beckon them to look out.
"Those three men just there," You point them out. "I need you to each pick one and entice him to follow you back to your rooms at the brothel. I need them out of the way, and quickly. I've got business down there and can't have them interfering."
The girls looked at each other and nodded. "That's easy enough. Two of them are regulars, so I don't think it'll take much insistence on our parts."
"Excellent." You say with a smile. "Now go."
Together they leave the way they came in and a few minutes later you see them enter the alleyway and slowly make their way through the crowd in the direction of the guards. You watch in fascination as they sidle up to each of the men, running their hands slowly over their chests, feeling their biceps and pressing against them provocatively. It doesn't take long before the men are pawing at the women and being pulled into the brothel.
"Males are so simple." You mutter as you open the window silently. Pulling out a small pouch with your spell components you open and pull out a tiny vial of bitumen and using the dropper ingest a single drop of it before putting it back. You take out a small box and open it while saying a prayer to Lolth, begging forgiveness for the necessity. You pop the spider into your mouth and chew. Nasty spell, but useful. You secure your satchel and climb out the window, your hands and feet sticking to the wall as easily as the spider you just ingested. You stick to the shadows cast by the sconces and slowly climb toward the safe that the idiot merchant so helpfully placed against the wall for you.
It doesn't take long to reach the safe, and you don't think that anyone has seen you. You adjust your satchel so that it is sitting in front of the safe, and pull out your special tools. Even upside down as you are, you have no trouble with the lock, and your fingers nimbly work the tools until you hear the soft click of metal. You glance around, and almost smile when you see the merchant hasn't noticed you.
You go back to the task at hand feeling carefully for any thing amiss before opening the door. Your fingers just brush against something sharp, and you peer closely at it. A smirk flits across your face as you realize the trap. Poison. You carefully dismantle it and slip the mechanism into your bag. You grasp the handle of the safe and slowly open it. It creaks ominously.
'Shit.' You glance again at the merchant. He's tense and starts to turn, but the woman at the counter holds up a black jeweled necklace. "How much is this? And what is the spell on it?"
He relaxes and begins to explain the enchantment.
You grab the bag of coins first, and then pull out the first tablet and slide it into your pack and are just reaching for the second when you feel a shiver down your spine. You glance around and freeze when your eyes meet the ice blue ones of the blond woman holding the necklace.
'Oh fuck me.' you think as she stares at you. 'The hell isn't she saying anything?'
Never taking your eyes off hers, you slowly grasp the second tablet, pull it from the safe and secure it in your bag. You are just beginning to secure the flap when the bastard merchant finally notices you.
He opens his mouth and shouts loudly, "Thief! Thief, damn you! Do your job you-" The breath was knocked from his lungs as one of the woman's bodyguards tackled him to the ground. It was enough though.
You see the Ogre rushing at you, and leap up just as his club crashes into the wall where you had been moments ago. You kick off the wall and attempt to dive over the Ogre's head. Unfortunately you misjudge his height, and your boot catches his head, throwing you off balance. His arm raises, trying to grab your leg, but with the club in his hand, all he manages to do is hit you in the back, and sends you crashing into the table, scattering goods across the alley.
As your body smashes through the table, almost on instinct you throw out your arm and snatch at the nearest trinket. Your fingers find purchase and you pull the object towards your bag. You feel a second thump as another object is knocked into the bag as well. 'Oh, this I get lucky on, not the fucking escape part for Lolth's sake.'
You push yourself to your feet, and survey the situation. 'Okay, so two options, I can stay and fight, seems like blondie over there is in the mood for some action, or I can book it, and get the fuck out of this blasted alley.'
You've successfully retrieved the tablets, and some small trinkets to boot. What do you do now?
[ ] skip the fight and escape the alley, you got what you came for and more, why risk it right?
[ ] Fight the bastard ogre and perhaps make a new acquaintance of the blond woman, she seems to be helping after all.
Authors Note: The Rolls
Nat 20 on swiping loot, that's why she got the second one.
Stealth rolls were kind of mediocre but half the guys here rolled way worse.
Fumbled the acrobatics roll though so enjoy dealing with the Ogre.
AN2: The vote
Voting will be open from now until Wednesday oct 2nd at 9 pm eastern time.
You stop before the desk and clear your throat. She looks up at you and gives you a once over. She is human, around her mid fifties if you were to hazard a guess, with graying blond hair and hazel eyes. From the looks of her she probably played the bed herself before age and her weight caught up with her.
"Yes?" She asks, clearly annoyed that you aren't her usual clientele.
"I'd like to rent three girls for an hour." You say, ignoring the insult in her tone.
She looks at you again, considering. "Three you say?" She asks. "You'll want the room with the largest bed then, I take it?"
You shake your head. "No. No need for a room at all. They'll be serving me in other ways."
The woman looks even more annoyed now. "This is highly irregular." She says shortly. "Usually, the client uses the girls here, and leaves when he's done. Where are you intending to take them?"
"Just to the alley behind the building." You say simply. "What are the rates?"
"Twenty five gold per girl." The woman declares crisply. "So it'll be seventy five gold in total."
You scowl. "If I were intending to bed these women that would be a fair price. However my need for them does not require them to spread their legs for me. I'll pay you twenty gold for all three." You say, before adding, "You'll end up with three men looking for a warm bed tonight doing this my way."
The woman narrows her eyes, thinking it over before nodding reluctantly. She reaches to the wall behind her and pulling three different woven cords. A gentle chiming fills the house and three beautiful women approach.
"This customer has need of the three of you. You will do as told or there will be punishment."
One of the women shuddered and all three nodded.
"Yes Matron." They agreed.
"Come with me," You say and lead them to the apartments. They follow you up the stairs like the dutiful males back home. When you reach the room with the view of the alley you beckon them to look out.
"Those three men just there," You point them out. "I need you to each pick one and entice him to follow you back to your rooms at the brothel. I need them out of the way, and quickly. I've got business down there and can't have them interfering."
The girls looked at each other and nodded. "That's easy enough. Two of them are regulars, so I don't think it'll take much insistence on our parts."
"Excellent." You say with a smile. "Now go."
Together they leave the way they came in and a few minutes later you see them enter the alleyway and slowly make their way through the crowd in the direction of the guards. You watch in fascination as they sidle up to each of the men, running their hands slowly over their chests, feeling their biceps and pressing against them provocatively. It doesn't take long before the men are pawing at the women and being pulled into the brothel.
"Males are so simple." You mutter as you open the window silently. Pulling out a small pouch with your spell components you open and pull out a tiny vial of bitumen and using the dropper ingest a single drop of it before putting it back. You take out a small box and open it while saying a prayer to Lolth, begging forgiveness for the necessity. You pop the spider into your mouth and chew. Nasty spell, but useful. You secure your satchel and climb out the window, your hands and feet sticking to the wall as easily as the spider you just ingested. You stick to the shadows cast by the sconces and slowly climb toward the safe that the idiot merchant so helpfully placed against the wall for you.
It doesn't take long to reach the safe, and you don't think that anyone has seen you. You adjust your satchel so that it is sitting in front of the safe, and pull out your special tools. Even upside down as you are, you have no trouble with the lock, and your fingers nimbly work the tools until you hear the soft click of metal. You glance around, and almost smile when you see the merchant hasn't noticed you.
You go back to the task at hand feeling carefully for any thing amiss before opening the door. Your fingers just brush against something sharp, and you peer closely at it. A smirk flits across your face as you realize the trap. Poison. You carefully dismantle it and slip the mechanism into your bag. You grasp the handle of the safe and slowly open it. It creaks ominously.
'Shit.' You glance again at the merchant. He's tense and starts to turn, but the woman at the counter holds up a black jeweled necklace. "How much is this? And what is the spell on it?"
He relaxes and begins to explain the enchantment.
You grab the bag of coins first, and then pull out the first tablet and slide it into your pack and are just reaching for the second when you feel a shiver down your spine. You glance around and freeze when your eyes meet the ice blue ones of the blond woman holding the necklace.
'Oh fuck me.' you think as she stares at you. 'The hell isn't she saying anything?'
Never taking your eyes off hers, you slowly grasp the second tablet, pull it from the safe and secure it in your bag. You are just beginning to secure the flap when the bastard merchant finally notices you.
He opens his mouth and shouts loudly, "Thief! Thief, damn you! Do your job you-" The breath was knocked from his lungs as one of the woman's bodyguards tackled him to the ground. It was enough though.
You see the Ogre rushing at you, and leap up just as his club crashes into the wall where you had been moments ago. You kick off the wall and attempt to dive over the Ogre's head. Unfortunately you misjudge his height, and your boot catches his head, throwing you off balance. His arm raises, trying to grab your leg, but with the club in his hand, all he manages to do is hit you in the back, and sends you crashing into the table, scattering goods across the alley.
As your body smashes through the table, almost on instinct you throw out your arm and snatch at the nearest trinket. Your fingers find purchase and you pull the object towards your bag. You feel a second thump as another object is knocked into the bag as well. 'Oh, this I get lucky on, not the fucking escape part for Lolth's sake.'
You push yourself to your feet, and survey the situation. 'Okay, so two options, I can stay and fight, seems like blondie over there is in the mood for some action, or I can book it, and get the fuck out of this blasted alley.'
You've successfully retrieved the tablets, and some small trinkets to boot. What do you do now?
[ ] skip the fight and escape the alley, you got what you came for and more, why risk it right?
[ ] Fight the bastard ogre and perhaps make a new acquaintance of the blond woman, she seems to be helping after all.
Authors Note: The Rolls
Nat 20 on swiping loot, that's why she got the second one.
Stealth rolls were kind of mediocre but half the guys here rolled way worse.
Fumbled the acrobatics roll though so enjoy dealing with the Ogre.
AN2: The vote
Voting will be open from now until Wednesday oct 2nd at 9 pm eastern time.
Last edited:
Chapter Three
New
Chapter Three
You draw your stiletto and hold it with practiced ease. You take in your surroundings quickly but efficiently. Plenty of people in the crowd, and although most have stepped back and left you some room to fight, a few are still a bit too close for comfort. The merchant is struggling against one of the blond woman's bodyguards, and the other is standing close to her.
With no warning, you lunge forward, and attempt to slide between the Ogre's feet as you slice at it's leg with your stiletto. You feel the blade scrape lightly against the creature's ankle and swear when the Ogre kicks you away, his heavy foot catching you in the stomach.
Pain blossoms in your side and you gasp to catch your breath, pushing yourself to your feet and waiting for the paralytic to take effect. From where you're standing, you catch a glimpse of the fight between the merchant and the blond woman. You blink in surprise when you see the man being held by a centipede the same size as him. 'Huh. Neat.'
When it's obvious the poison on your dagger isn't going to work, you leap once more at the Ogre, stabbing deep into it's bicep. The Ogre roars with anger and swings its club at your head, but you duck low and it swings harmlessly inches above you.
You pull the stiletto from the muscle and attempt to slash again, but your opponent steps away, swinging the club. Screams from several women in the crowd fill your ears as they fall back from the ogre. One man rushes toward the exit and knocks into you just as you are about to launch yourself into a flurry of attacks. You stumble and see the ogre's knee as it just misses your face.
You recover your balance and leap away from it, dodging another kick. The ogre raises it's club and swings it wide. On instinct, you grab the nearest male and spin with him, shoving him at the ogre. The club hits and the man goes flying.
You dance back and take advantage of your spider climb spell to clamber up the wall, sheath your stiletto and draw your readied crossbow.
A thick mist is streaming through the alley, and as it just reaches your target you aim carefully, grin evilly and let the bolt fly. The Ogre shrieks as the bolt strikes his left eye. He clamps his hand over his ruined eye, the blood pouring between his fingers, and down his face. It's huge hand grasps for a second, before lifting a crate and launching it full force directly into the crowd of onlookers.
The screams of pain and fear make you laugh as you climb higher, before pulling yourself to the roof. The ogre is flailing blindly as it tries to find you, and mistakenly hits another bystander, crashing him into the wall opposite.
You pull out the components for your next spell, and mutter the words to invoke it. Once you feel the power surge you whisper.
"HEY DUMBASS! I THOUGHT WE WERE FIGHTING? I'M OVER HERE!" The words emanated loudly from the merchants last location. The ogre roars with anger and charges into the mist. You can hear the crunch of bone and an agonized scream as you leap to the next roof, leaving the fight behind.
Mission complete, you think to yourself as you begin the journey back through the dwarf quarter towards your employer's warehouse, still chuckling at the idea that the stupid ogre may have injured or even killed its own boss. You suppose it's also possible that he struck the blonde woman or her associates, but who cares. You don't know why she was helping, and you don't want to know. All that matters now is getting these weird rocks back to-
"Hello."
In an uncharacteristic moment of clumsiness, the unexpected voice almost has you sliding off the roof, but you quickly recover and have your stiletto out in a flash. A woman, taller than you but not by much, with dark red hair, heavy looking armor, an oddly colorful cloak, and a sword belted at her hip, has just stepped out from behind the nearest chimney directly in front of you. She smiles at you in what she probably thinks is a friendly and disarming way, and ignores the knife you have pointed at her.
"An excellent fight back there. You are clearly very good at what you do. Might we chat for a moment?"
You can't really think of anything this lady might want to talk to you about that won't end with you stabbing her shortly thereafter, but if she wants to run her mouth first and give you some potentially useful info, then why not.
"Ok, fine. Let's start with how you managed to beat me here."
You watch in amusement for a moment as she visibly flounders trying to come up with a good answer, before she shrugs.
"Alright fine, you got me. I didn't actually see the fight itself. I saw you pick the safe, took a guess at where your most likely escape route would be, and left early to intercept you. But as you clearly lived and got away, I can only assume it was a successful fight, and that you must be good at what you do."
"The very best," you reply, and begin circling carefully around her, stiletto still held out threateningly between you. On the one hand, you are mildly annoyed that yet another person so easily spotted you at the safe. Clearly you need to practice more at working near light sources. On the other hand, you aren't about to let some jumped up twit of a knight or whatever the hell she is, get in your way.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have pressing business on another rooftop."
"I wish to purchase the contents of the safe from you." She continues as if you hadn't just dismissed her.
Oh here we go.
"In fact I only really need one thing from the safe, you can keep whatever else was in there. There was supposedly a pair of stones within, one white and one black? I would happily pay you three hundred gold for them." She offers.
She must think you a real imbecile to let such obviously magical things go for such a low price, and unfortunately for her, you already have a better buyer lined up.
"Tempting." You say dryly. "But unfortunately there were no such stones. Just a measly bag of coins, hardly worth all the trouble I went to."
"Really," she says, clearly not buying it. "And I don't suppose you're likely to turn out your pockets to prove it?"
In response, you turn and run away. A surprised shout comes from behind you, followed by a lot of clanking as the armored woman attempts to give chase. A mere two rooftops is all it takes to convince you she'll be easy to lose, as she spends a lot more time swearing and tripping than she does running.
Then she begins cheating.
As you begin scaling a taller wall, thinking to cut her line of sight and simply end the chase, you suddenly hear the rushed chanting of a magic spell, and your Spider Climbing spell abruptly ends. Unprepared, you fall almost ten feet and rather painfully aggravate your ogre related bruises, and by the time you get back to your feet, she has closed the distance a fair bit. This might be more difficult than you thought.
Things continue in this vein for an annoyingly long time. At one point she magically commands you to sit, and to your extreme irritation you do for a moment, before getting up and taking off again. She attempts to paralyze you, which you are fairly certain you only shrugged off due to the natural spell resistance of your drow heritage. Once while you are jumping between buildings, a sudden gust of wind knocks you off course, and you quickly conclude that you are tired of being magically compelled to fall long distances.
She even has the audacity to flash some sort of light spell in your face, completely blinding your poor Underdark eyes, and you decide then and there that at some point in the future you are going to have to slowly disembowel this woman with a pair of blunt knitting needles.
For now though, you are being forced to recalculate. You don't think you can take her in a fight right now, thanks to the ogre. Your best bet, or so you hope, is to make your way to the warehouse where the local thieves and ruffians will hopefully recognize the contractor working for their boss and step in. You're almost there anyway, you're pretty sure it's just at the end of this alleyway...
You run headlong into the blonde woman from the merchant stall.
"Hey! Watch where you're - wait a minute! It's you! How convenient, now I might not have to tell my employer I failed. I need those stones you took from the safe." She informs you.
"Oh for Lolth's sake, get in line!" You practically shriek in frustration as you shove her off you and attempt to get up. The warehouse is right there, it's like sixty yards -
The red haired woman tackles you from behind. "Give me those stones!"
"Fuck off, get your own!"
The blond grabs the other woman by the hair and pulls her head back.
"Now wait just a minute, I need those stones!"
Red Head swings an elbow back into Blondie's gut, you headbutt Red head, and just like that all three of you are rolling on the ground, biting, clawing and kicking each other. You're pretty sure a group of drunks nearby have started picking favorites to bet on, and more than one lewd comment is heard, but you'll kill them later, right now you're busy.
After about a minute of undignified wrestling, with no clear winner in sight, the Red headed bitch suddenly sits up and shouts, "Wait, wait, wait, WAIT! Everyone stop fighting for a second!"
You and Blondie freeze in place, her on top of you with her hands on your throat, and you about to gouge out her eye with your thumb. Blondie gasps out, "What? I finally have an advantage, can't it wait?"
Red Head looks down at you for a moment. "Were you running to that warehouse over there?" she asks, pointing to your destination.
You're not sure what to make of her sudden question, so you opt for the honest route. "Maybe? Why?"
Read Head looks at Blondie. "And you were also here, near this particular warehouse, looking for the stones?"
Blondie looks a bit nonplussed. "....Yes? Well, sort of. Actually I was here to tell my employer that I didn't get the stones."
You think you can see where this is going, and you don't like it.
Red Head looks at the ground, sighs, then looks at you both. "I was also intending to bring the stones to this particular warehouse."
"Oh for the love of- please tell me you aren't both working for Darius," You say pleadingly. The exasperated sighs are all the answer you need.
"Is the fight over? Who won?" One of the drunks calls. "We need to know so we can settle the bets."
The three of you climb to your feet, draw your weapons, and begin marching towards the lot of them. They scream and scatter like cockroaches.
The three of you watch them flee for a moment, then look at each other.
Red Hair says, "Hi, I'm Elan. Nice to meet you."
"Xaryn."
"Reaper." The two of you of look at Blondie, who rolls her eyes. "It's a work name."
Then, with the energy that only a group of very angry women united in purpose to yell at an idiot male can muster, the three of you march in unison up to the warehouse.
The door guard, in what was probably the smartest move of his entire career, immediately opened the door and waved you through without question. You make your way to the back stairs, swiftly climb up, and stalk through the short maze of offices to Darius' door.
There are two guards loitering outside, who straighten up as you approach. "Hello ladies, nice night, isn't it? Go on in, Darius is waiting for you."
You narrow your eyes in suspicion. Something about this strikes you as off. You don't recognize either guard from your first visit, so they shouldn't be letting you in this easily, and you don't like how they're grinning at you. But the other two are already going in, so you reluctantly follow.
Sure enough, Darius is there, but not waiting for you. His dead body lays on the floor behind his desk, having clearly been stabbed multiple times. You're pretty sure you actually recognize what's happening from your years at the Assassin's academy, and sure enough...
"Murder! They killed Darius! To arms everyone!"
You sigh. Yep, it's the old 'murder your boss and blame the next guy who walks in' routine. It certainly doesn't help that you three walked in here looking like you wanted to kill someone. As you look back through the office door, you can see the hall quickly flooding with people armed with daggers and swords, and none of them look like they're going to listen to your explanation of how it wasn't actually you.
Now what?
Well, you got the stones, and have a few new acquaintances. You are also being blamed unjustly for a murder you didn't even get to commit. What do you do now?
[ ] The straightforward approach. There's three of you and...fourteen of them. You like these odds. Cut through them and get the fuck out of dodge.
[ ] Bunker up in the office. There's three of you and...fourteen of them. Maybe you can figure a way out of this shit you find yourself swimming in.
[ ] MAGIC!! You could blind them with darkness, or whatever other spells the three of you can concoct between yourselves. Three against fourteen is just the kind of odds cheating can deal with.
[ ] The diplomatic route. You could attempt to sweet talk your way out of the building, or bribe, or threaten. Whatever works really.
[ ] Write in.
Authors Note: Hi Everyone. We would like to apologize, as clearly this wasn't posted in seven days. We have three children, three jobs, a play, and the annoying need for sleep. We will not be making timeframes for updates due to these obstacles, but we will be posting as often as we can in spite of them.
Authors Note 2: We will be calling the vote on Monday Nov 11 at 10 pm eastern time.
You draw your stiletto and hold it with practiced ease. You take in your surroundings quickly but efficiently. Plenty of people in the crowd, and although most have stepped back and left you some room to fight, a few are still a bit too close for comfort. The merchant is struggling against one of the blond woman's bodyguards, and the other is standing close to her.
With no warning, you lunge forward, and attempt to slide between the Ogre's feet as you slice at it's leg with your stiletto. You feel the blade scrape lightly against the creature's ankle and swear when the Ogre kicks you away, his heavy foot catching you in the stomach.
Pain blossoms in your side and you gasp to catch your breath, pushing yourself to your feet and waiting for the paralytic to take effect. From where you're standing, you catch a glimpse of the fight between the merchant and the blond woman. You blink in surprise when you see the man being held by a centipede the same size as him. 'Huh. Neat.'
When it's obvious the poison on your dagger isn't going to work, you leap once more at the Ogre, stabbing deep into it's bicep. The Ogre roars with anger and swings its club at your head, but you duck low and it swings harmlessly inches above you.
You pull the stiletto from the muscle and attempt to slash again, but your opponent steps away, swinging the club. Screams from several women in the crowd fill your ears as they fall back from the ogre. One man rushes toward the exit and knocks into you just as you are about to launch yourself into a flurry of attacks. You stumble and see the ogre's knee as it just misses your face.
You recover your balance and leap away from it, dodging another kick. The ogre raises it's club and swings it wide. On instinct, you grab the nearest male and spin with him, shoving him at the ogre. The club hits and the man goes flying.
You dance back and take advantage of your spider climb spell to clamber up the wall, sheath your stiletto and draw your readied crossbow.
A thick mist is streaming through the alley, and as it just reaches your target you aim carefully, grin evilly and let the bolt fly. The Ogre shrieks as the bolt strikes his left eye. He clamps his hand over his ruined eye, the blood pouring between his fingers, and down his face. It's huge hand grasps for a second, before lifting a crate and launching it full force directly into the crowd of onlookers.
The screams of pain and fear make you laugh as you climb higher, before pulling yourself to the roof. The ogre is flailing blindly as it tries to find you, and mistakenly hits another bystander, crashing him into the wall opposite.
You pull out the components for your next spell, and mutter the words to invoke it. Once you feel the power surge you whisper.
"HEY DUMBASS! I THOUGHT WE WERE FIGHTING? I'M OVER HERE!" The words emanated loudly from the merchants last location. The ogre roars with anger and charges into the mist. You can hear the crunch of bone and an agonized scream as you leap to the next roof, leaving the fight behind.
Mission complete, you think to yourself as you begin the journey back through the dwarf quarter towards your employer's warehouse, still chuckling at the idea that the stupid ogre may have injured or even killed its own boss. You suppose it's also possible that he struck the blonde woman or her associates, but who cares. You don't know why she was helping, and you don't want to know. All that matters now is getting these weird rocks back to-
"Hello."
In an uncharacteristic moment of clumsiness, the unexpected voice almost has you sliding off the roof, but you quickly recover and have your stiletto out in a flash. A woman, taller than you but not by much, with dark red hair, heavy looking armor, an oddly colorful cloak, and a sword belted at her hip, has just stepped out from behind the nearest chimney directly in front of you. She smiles at you in what she probably thinks is a friendly and disarming way, and ignores the knife you have pointed at her.
"An excellent fight back there. You are clearly very good at what you do. Might we chat for a moment?"
You can't really think of anything this lady might want to talk to you about that won't end with you stabbing her shortly thereafter, but if she wants to run her mouth first and give you some potentially useful info, then why not.
"Ok, fine. Let's start with how you managed to beat me here."
You watch in amusement for a moment as she visibly flounders trying to come up with a good answer, before she shrugs.
"Alright fine, you got me. I didn't actually see the fight itself. I saw you pick the safe, took a guess at where your most likely escape route would be, and left early to intercept you. But as you clearly lived and got away, I can only assume it was a successful fight, and that you must be good at what you do."
"The very best," you reply, and begin circling carefully around her, stiletto still held out threateningly between you. On the one hand, you are mildly annoyed that yet another person so easily spotted you at the safe. Clearly you need to practice more at working near light sources. On the other hand, you aren't about to let some jumped up twit of a knight or whatever the hell she is, get in your way.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have pressing business on another rooftop."
"I wish to purchase the contents of the safe from you." She continues as if you hadn't just dismissed her.
Oh here we go.
"In fact I only really need one thing from the safe, you can keep whatever else was in there. There was supposedly a pair of stones within, one white and one black? I would happily pay you three hundred gold for them." She offers.
She must think you a real imbecile to let such obviously magical things go for such a low price, and unfortunately for her, you already have a better buyer lined up.
"Tempting." You say dryly. "But unfortunately there were no such stones. Just a measly bag of coins, hardly worth all the trouble I went to."
"Really," she says, clearly not buying it. "And I don't suppose you're likely to turn out your pockets to prove it?"
In response, you turn and run away. A surprised shout comes from behind you, followed by a lot of clanking as the armored woman attempts to give chase. A mere two rooftops is all it takes to convince you she'll be easy to lose, as she spends a lot more time swearing and tripping than she does running.
Then she begins cheating.
As you begin scaling a taller wall, thinking to cut her line of sight and simply end the chase, you suddenly hear the rushed chanting of a magic spell, and your Spider Climbing spell abruptly ends. Unprepared, you fall almost ten feet and rather painfully aggravate your ogre related bruises, and by the time you get back to your feet, she has closed the distance a fair bit. This might be more difficult than you thought.
Things continue in this vein for an annoyingly long time. At one point she magically commands you to sit, and to your extreme irritation you do for a moment, before getting up and taking off again. She attempts to paralyze you, which you are fairly certain you only shrugged off due to the natural spell resistance of your drow heritage. Once while you are jumping between buildings, a sudden gust of wind knocks you off course, and you quickly conclude that you are tired of being magically compelled to fall long distances.
She even has the audacity to flash some sort of light spell in your face, completely blinding your poor Underdark eyes, and you decide then and there that at some point in the future you are going to have to slowly disembowel this woman with a pair of blunt knitting needles.
For now though, you are being forced to recalculate. You don't think you can take her in a fight right now, thanks to the ogre. Your best bet, or so you hope, is to make your way to the warehouse where the local thieves and ruffians will hopefully recognize the contractor working for their boss and step in. You're almost there anyway, you're pretty sure it's just at the end of this alleyway...
You run headlong into the blonde woman from the merchant stall.
"Hey! Watch where you're - wait a minute! It's you! How convenient, now I might not have to tell my employer I failed. I need those stones you took from the safe." She informs you.
"Oh for Lolth's sake, get in line!" You practically shriek in frustration as you shove her off you and attempt to get up. The warehouse is right there, it's like sixty yards -
The red haired woman tackles you from behind. "Give me those stones!"
"Fuck off, get your own!"
The blond grabs the other woman by the hair and pulls her head back.
"Now wait just a minute, I need those stones!"
Red Head swings an elbow back into Blondie's gut, you headbutt Red head, and just like that all three of you are rolling on the ground, biting, clawing and kicking each other. You're pretty sure a group of drunks nearby have started picking favorites to bet on, and more than one lewd comment is heard, but you'll kill them later, right now you're busy.
After about a minute of undignified wrestling, with no clear winner in sight, the Red headed bitch suddenly sits up and shouts, "Wait, wait, wait, WAIT! Everyone stop fighting for a second!"
You and Blondie freeze in place, her on top of you with her hands on your throat, and you about to gouge out her eye with your thumb. Blondie gasps out, "What? I finally have an advantage, can't it wait?"
Red Head looks down at you for a moment. "Were you running to that warehouse over there?" she asks, pointing to your destination.
You're not sure what to make of her sudden question, so you opt for the honest route. "Maybe? Why?"
Read Head looks at Blondie. "And you were also here, near this particular warehouse, looking for the stones?"
Blondie looks a bit nonplussed. "....Yes? Well, sort of. Actually I was here to tell my employer that I didn't get the stones."
You think you can see where this is going, and you don't like it.
Red Head looks at the ground, sighs, then looks at you both. "I was also intending to bring the stones to this particular warehouse."
"Oh for the love of- please tell me you aren't both working for Darius," You say pleadingly. The exasperated sighs are all the answer you need.
"Is the fight over? Who won?" One of the drunks calls. "We need to know so we can settle the bets."
The three of you climb to your feet, draw your weapons, and begin marching towards the lot of them. They scream and scatter like cockroaches.
The three of you watch them flee for a moment, then look at each other.
Red Hair says, "Hi, I'm Elan. Nice to meet you."
"Xaryn."
"Reaper." The two of you of look at Blondie, who rolls her eyes. "It's a work name."
Then, with the energy that only a group of very angry women united in purpose to yell at an idiot male can muster, the three of you march in unison up to the warehouse.
The door guard, in what was probably the smartest move of his entire career, immediately opened the door and waved you through without question. You make your way to the back stairs, swiftly climb up, and stalk through the short maze of offices to Darius' door.
There are two guards loitering outside, who straighten up as you approach. "Hello ladies, nice night, isn't it? Go on in, Darius is waiting for you."
You narrow your eyes in suspicion. Something about this strikes you as off. You don't recognize either guard from your first visit, so they shouldn't be letting you in this easily, and you don't like how they're grinning at you. But the other two are already going in, so you reluctantly follow.
Sure enough, Darius is there, but not waiting for you. His dead body lays on the floor behind his desk, having clearly been stabbed multiple times. You're pretty sure you actually recognize what's happening from your years at the Assassin's academy, and sure enough...
"Murder! They killed Darius! To arms everyone!"
You sigh. Yep, it's the old 'murder your boss and blame the next guy who walks in' routine. It certainly doesn't help that you three walked in here looking like you wanted to kill someone. As you look back through the office door, you can see the hall quickly flooding with people armed with daggers and swords, and none of them look like they're going to listen to your explanation of how it wasn't actually you.
Now what?
Well, you got the stones, and have a few new acquaintances. You are also being blamed unjustly for a murder you didn't even get to commit. What do you do now?
[ ] The straightforward approach. There's three of you and...fourteen of them. You like these odds. Cut through them and get the fuck out of dodge.
[ ] Bunker up in the office. There's three of you and...fourteen of them. Maybe you can figure a way out of this shit you find yourself swimming in.
[ ] MAGIC!! You could blind them with darkness, or whatever other spells the three of you can concoct between yourselves. Three against fourteen is just the kind of odds cheating can deal with.
[ ] The diplomatic route. You could attempt to sweet talk your way out of the building, or bribe, or threaten. Whatever works really.
[ ] Write in.
Authors Note: Hi Everyone. We would like to apologize, as clearly this wasn't posted in seven days. We have three children, three jobs, a play, and the annoying need for sleep. We will not be making timeframes for updates due to these obstacles, but we will be posting as often as we can in spite of them.
Authors Note 2: We will be calling the vote on Monday Nov 11 at 10 pm eastern time.
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