Back in the Saddle--Notes

Group goes the arena.

Maximus is the champion.
Glaskanon is a guest.
Koge is a guard.
Krylsteln is a guest.
The Count, bodyguards, Guido Oskey, and his entourage.

 Luke Guyen is the champion from Sombar. Local Knowledge tells us he is a paladin who has fallen out of favor in Sombar for a dalliance with someone above his station.

With a tooting of trumpets, people begin paying attention. The southern gates open and enormous, enhanced bulls enter; from the north gates, enter bell-clad gestures, who taunt the bulls.
All of us are in a VIP box on the Western side.  Count Drake's group is on the opposite side.  G, K, and K are in the box with Luke Guyen's enterouage:a cleric of Heironius, six armored men, and a beautiful woman. Also, Galoodle the gnome. Kavorkian is going back and forth between the boxes.

Krylsteln sends a message to the Count saying that "The wizard's council has reason to believe that a doppleganger posing as a catwoman will attack you tonight."
The Count is speaking to his chamberlain, but stops, puts his hand up, and says "Who is this? Name yourself."
Several gladiators die in the fight. One of Maximus' friends.
Glaskanon tells some bad jokes.
One of Drake's guards goes into the VIP box, gets some more guards, and heads directly over the our box.
They come and ask K if he is Krylsteln. Asks him to follow.
They go through the bowels of the arena. Come up on the other side and go to the private box of Count Drake.
Guido Oskey's brow furrows. K gives a deep bow, points hands inwards at stomach level, then as you bow, your hands rotate out. At the very end, you look up. Guido gives only the obligatory 'Hitler salute.'
The Chamberlain asks K why he is casting spells in the arena. K says he had to warn the Count. Chamberlain replies that K has put his life in danger. Says the guards so K cast the spell. The Count waves him over and asks who is behind it. K says he can't divulge that in public, but can only tell him in a lead-lined chamber. K says there is probably no danger here. Count says they will cast some abduration spells here.
The Count decides to have his cleric cast resist energy on him behind his guards' shields.

A fanfare sounds, announcing the main match.
Luke Guyen walks out in his full plate. Crowd boos him. Throw rotten tomatoes. He ignores it. A chant rises up: "Luke Guyen, you will die!!"
Northern gate opens, and Maximus walks out. People shout his name.
Women swoon. Everyone cheers for M.
Kavorkian speaks from our box: "Three gongs, let there be battle." Gong sounds, battle begins.

Maximus is wearing mithril chain mail.
Maximus does a performance check. Gets a 41. Does sensational display with greatsword. Crowd cheers.
Also does Roar of the Crowd. "Your head's goign to look good on my headpost bitch!," M shouts to Luke. Crowd goes crazy.
Luke slightly stooped. Scared. He calls out "By the power of Heironius."
Luke charges with a smite evil. Hits. Does 14 dmg.
M succeeds on a feint. M does sneak attack. 9 point str damage.
Luke waves his arm.
Luke's entourage begins casting spells. Cleric casts spells on the woman. Paladin's cast spells.
Glaskanon casts stoneskin on Koge.

Initiative:
Max: 20
Glas: 18
Kryl: 12

Maximus does a power attack, hits Luke on shoulder. Luke now bloodied. The crowd roars "Maximus!!!" M hits again. Luke still up.

K calls his crow over and tells it to disrupt the spell casters.
Guido and the Chamberlain notice. 
 Chamberlain asks: "What's going on?"
K tells him about Luke's entourage.

The woman in Luke's entourage flies up out of the box, all the way over to Count Drake.
She has a longsword and a shield. The other guys jump down into the arena. One guy breaks an ankle. 5 guys in the arena, one is down. Cleric is in the box. Kevoerkian screams at them to get out of the arena, calls for guards.

Luke does smite evil on M. Does 26 points of damage.

Maximus hacks into Luke and he cuts his head off. Crowd goes wild.
Glaskanon cast shield on himself. Koge charges cleric. Misses with a 28.
K casts dispel magic on the flying woman. Failed on Paladin spell. Worked on Fly spell.
K moves behind the guards.

The woman falls at Maximus' feet. Dropped her shield. Maximus attacks. Hits her ass. 15 dmg.
She attacks M. Hits.

Cleric turns on Koge. Casts spell. Koge hits with attack of opportunity.
G dominates the cleric.
Koge jumps off the wall and chops the dude on the ground.
Crowd goes wild.

Count Drake stands up and goes invisible. Guido Oskey goes ethereal.
The guards lower a rope. Other guards jump down.

The Count's female cleric calls forth an abyssal tiger. Appears behind Sombarians.
Guards attack.

Female paladin stands up. M slashes her with attack of opportunity.
She does smite evil. She hits. 27 dmg.
Guard attacks M. does 9 dmg M.

K shoots magic missiles and hits the paladin.

M climbs up the wall and takes a potion. The crowd cheers.

G shoots scorching rays and kills the paladin.
Koge does a shield slam, hits a guard, dazes him, and knocks him to the ground.

C. D's guard kills one Sombarian. The rest of the guards attack. Bloody some Sombarians.

K casts magic missiles. Kills a guard.

M drinks another cure mod.

Glaskanon tackles the cleric and makes him go invisible.
Koge attacks a bloodied guard, kills him.

Tiger tears one guard a new asshole.
 CD's guard kills last Sombarian. Crowd goes wild.

Next to K, CD appears with his guards. He claps for everyone regally and benevolently.

Glaskanon commands the cleric to go back to the Mirth that Counts. 

15 March 2013 - Socks pulled firmly up

G decides to visit Wainrur and tell him that the plan is for G to tell Vorg everything and hope that Vorg then relays the information to Kevorkian. G asks Wainrur to have Vorg spied on to make sure that Vorg does indeed pass on the pertinent information.

Wainrur offers to have some men and women keep an eye on Vorg and his crew, and relays that Vorg and Kevorkian are quite close friends.

G then thanks Wainrur and heads out to visit Captain Vorg. En route he gets a 15 know local and 24 gather info (diplomacy) and learns that Vorg is on his rounds and currently at The Ugly Harpy, surrounded by Thieves' Guild members and with his crew sitting around the well outside the pub. Vorg is confident enough to leave his crew outside while he alone is with the TG. It is known that Vorg takes handouts from the TG and is also known as a toughie combatant, lowlife, and chronic drug user.

G plays the room in his ladies' man costume, flirting away and keeping a keen eye out on the premises while he moves from table to table. G discovers that the women in the room are of the working kind and pays one a coin, acting like he's paying for a drink. He gets a 21 perception check and sees that one boy is watching him but trying to pretend that he isn't looking at him.

Vorg is in his element, appears to be high and possibly physically enhanced by drugs as well, he is being plied with drinks by the thieves and appears to be having a great time. He is sitting next to the fire and there are four men along the back wall playing a game of dice.

G approaches Vorg and, gazing into the fire, tells a joke with a perform check of 30. Those around the fire laugh and appreciate it, but a few also look a bit askance at him wondering who this stranger is. G tells another joke at a check of 25, and all around are taken in by G's joke and paying close attention to him. G then bursts into a bawdy song about a man who mistakes various barnyard animals for his wife at different points in one evening, the song is G's take on a well-known tune and he gets a perform check of 35. Those listening love it and are quite impressed, slapping their thighs, patting him on the back, and asking for his name. G gives his name as Raydo, from Sombar but has traveled around since the age of 10. The crowd hates Sombar and G says he does too, he wanted to come to Scornubel because he heard that it was a fun place.

G/Raydo then attempts to engage Vorg in conversation, getting a diplomacy check of 29. G/R says he is looking for a place to work where he can tell jokes, sing, and find women. He charms Vorg quite thoroughly, telling another joke at a check of 22. This joke does not go over as well but Vorg says that if G/R wishes to speak with him further he can do so outside and then Vorg does a series of actions that are obviously a signal to someone, and has something passed to him that then vanishes.

Vorg heads outside and his men form a protective group around him, heading down Gold Street. G/R finishes his drink and heads outside, Vorg is speaking to his men in a strange language. G/R gets a 15 on a linguistics check and realizes that they are speaking in a type of pig-latin, with Vorg laughing at the easy pickings of simply showing up and getting paid.

G/R heads down Gold Street towards the Eastern Gate in the same direction as the guards. It is now just starting to get dark, the time is 4:30pm and the season is late autumn. The square grey building near S on the map is the East Watch Guardhouse. The Eastern Watch guards are somewhat looked down on but monitor the main gate to the city. Vorg and his crew are worshipers of Hextor and are quite notorious for their prowess and lack of graceful virtues.

G/R goes to the Eastern Watch guardhouse and tells the man watching the door that he would like to speak with Captain Vorg, getting a 29 diplomacy. A sergeant comes out and says that the captain is busy. G/R offers to wait, giving his name and where he met Vorg. The sergeant goes into the building and about 25 minutes later reappears and calls for Raydo. He leads G/R into the building and up the stairs. The second floor is very nicely furnished and built, G/R is searched in preparation of seeing Vorg, the guard does a search check of 24 and finds nothing. He then leads G/R into a large room where Vorg is leaning back in a large leather chair, a polar bear rug on the floor before him. There are two men on either side of him.

Vorg asks G/R who he is and why he should be trusted. G/R gets a 29 on a diplomacy check and says that he had wanted to meet Vorg and is hoping to get some allies in the city. Vorg signals to his men and they surround G/R and block the exits. G/R says that he was at a club recently and heard about Vorg, offering his gift of opium by placing it on the desk. G/R gets a 28 on sense motive and can see that Vorg is trying to hide his true feelings but hasn't had any opium for a long time and is very excited. Vorg offers his help and G/R says that he wants a long-term alliance with Vorg and his men. Vorg asks who he is again and where he's from, G/R gets a 29 on bluff and repeats his background from The Ugly Harpy, adding that he can be trusted and is looking for protection. G/R says that he knows of Kevorkian but thinks that Vorg is more approachable, he wants Vorg to smooth his entry into the city. Vorg warns him that crossing any of the guilds will get him killed and wants to be paid regularly in both drugs and gold. G/R says that he can't regularly get drugs in Scornubel yet, and Vorg replies that he is disappointed and begins smoking opium. G/R says that he's heard some rumours about a plot to kill the Duke and that a dancer has gone missing and replaced by a shapeshifter. G/R sees that Vorg feels like he needs to act on the information but is passing into his fix. Vorg calls one of his men over and speaks in the pig-latin again, mentioning that Aenius is to be called for and told to send for Keeanu. Vorg's eyes then roll over and he descends into a drug-induced stupor. G/R then turns to leave and the men let him go, two of the guards leading him out and two taking turns with the opium pipe themselves.

G takes a circuitous route back to Wainrur's place, getting a 32 check on stealth and 20 on perception. He notices that he was being followed by the person has lost him. The man following him was one of the Eastern Guards. After G realizes that he is no longer be followed he casts invisibility on himself and goes to see Wainrur.

On the map:
A2 is Galoodle's Magic Emporium
To the east of A is the Great City Well
The Mirth that Counts is on the street that winds diagonally to the northern wall near there, where Wainrur's place is also. That street is the Entertainment District in this area.

Iprar Tair

Bard 10 veiled dancer 5
Catfolk (Lvl 16)

Str 10                 HP:90
Dex 26               AC: 8+
Con 14               Speed:30
Int 16                 Init 8
Wis 12               Saves 4/11/8 (9/20/12)
Cha 26


Base Attack 10/5








 Surprise strike +2d6





Acrobatics ()          Appraise (Int),         Bluff (Cha),           Climb (Str),           Craft (Int),
Diplomacy (Cha),   Disguise (Cha),        Esc Art (Dex)       Know
                                                                 Linguistics(Int),    Perc                       Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis),    Sense Motive (W    Sleight of Hand (Dex),                        Spellcraft (Int),
Stealth,                   Swim (Str),              Use Magic Device (Cha).



Dance 
DC: 10+5+7=22
lasts dncr level +con=7 rds
x5 per day



Enchanting Dance (Beguiling) Within 30 feet. Will Save. Dazed one round. Failed save equals improved attitude.
Enchanting Dance (Wearying) Req 12 ranks dance. Will save. 30 feet. Fatigued (or exhausted) as long as maintain dance.
Enchanting Dance (Frightful) Req 14 ranks dance. Will save. 30 feet. Shaken as long as maintain dance.

Bard
Bardic music
bardic knowledge
countersong
fascinate
inspire courage +1
Inspire competence
Suggestion
Inspire courage +2

Gloves dex4
Belt cha 4
Cloak res 3

Wainrur Hais

Wainrur Hais

Rogue 5 / Master Spy 10
Catfolk

STR 10                                     HP: 93      AC: 6+
DEX 14+4+4  (22)                         Init: 6
CON 12                                   Speed: 40
INT 18                                     Saves:
WIS 16                                          (1/4/1)+(3/5/5)
CHA 12+2+3+3 (20)                    5/15/9

Base Attack 3+7= 10/ 5
Sneak Attack: 3d6+4d6

Lang. Common, Feline, 

Skills:  48+48+100 (Max=18)
Acrobatics 10+6     Appraise (Int) 6     Bluff 18+5        Climb (Str),      Craft (Int),      Dipl (Cha),
Dis Dev (Int),   Disguise 18+6,    Esc Art (Dex),    Int 10+5          Know (local)10   Know (Nat)5     Know (Planes)5 Know ( (Int),        Know (Arc)10        Know (Arch)10    Know (Dung)5
Know (Geo)10  Know (His)10      Know (Nob)10         Know (Rel) 10       Linguistics5,       Perception 10 2      Perform 4
Prof (Wis),       Sense Mot 18+3,       S of Hand (Dex), Stealth 15 2,            Swim (Str),      Use Mag Dev (Cha) 18+5

Feats:                                      Special:
Trapfinding
Evasion
Trap Sense +1
Uncanny Dodge
Art of deception, 
Master of disguise,
Glib lie, mask alignment  
Nonmagical aura 2/day,
Superficial knowledge  
Concealed thoughts, 
Quick change  
Elude detection, 
Slippery mind  
Shift alignment 
Death attack, 
Fool casting
Hidden mind  
Assumption  

01 March 2013 - Double-talk and re-attached limbs

It is 3pm

G goes back to his club and sends a servant to invite K for the evening's performance

K declines and remains in his office

Benlin is compared to Falstaff by Nick

Benlin says Guido Oskey is very dangerous, sorcerer of high level, has had trouble with people stealing an object from him recently. Whispers of OD temple relation but cannot be proven. No new guards, still in same house, strengthened house defences. B can get more info if needed.

B disguises himself as a merchant from Sombar and takes 500gp from till to get info, leaves and heads West, 3:30pm

[Count Drake is said to love gladiatorial fights and often has private bouts at his house]

G goes to speak with arena master, 24 diplomacy gather info. Upcoming bout will be billed as Sombar vs Scornubel, the Duke's seating area is being prepared. All are excited for the ball following the bout. G tries to get himself invited to the ball. The arena master [Kevorkian] agrees to have Koge be in his guard retinue. G wants to be in there too, and Kevork is suspicious. G smooth talks him and Kevork agrees with some reluctance.

G returns to The Mirth That Counts and finds it fairly empty of customers. G keeps a sharp eye out for 'anyone who might know anything'. G gets a 21 on know nobility and 15 bardic know on customers as they arrive.

From all his info gathering and Benlin's to boot G learns that there have been rumours that Guido Oskey has employed Aelfric Dortmund. G does bardic know, arcana, and level check on AD and has heard of him as a renowned assassin who was thought to have been long dead but is making his way on the High Road to Scornubel and will arrive the next day. G says Guido is a real problem, and B agrees. AD is a doppelganger, a shape-changer and ne'er do well.

G goes to Wainrur and tells him all he knows, and Wainrur says that he thinks the assassin has been employed by Guido to kill Count Drake. It seems odd to Wainrur but he feels that despite Guido's public friendliness with the Count he is out to kill him.

G goes to visit the mighty Krylsteln, the most intelligent and capable necromancer of them all.

K gets a 29 on know arcana, 33 know local, 33 know nobility, 27 know history. K is a very knowledgeable man. During the Great Fissure K knows that Gracus Dio prevailed and ruled as a dictator for 10 years and employed AD, but AD was rumoured to have been killed by Mordenkainen, who is one of the current Wizard's Council Member of Five. For AD to be alive and for Mordenkainen to have failed seems implausible and highly incredible. AD's background bares out, and Guido is known to be a Teifling sorcerer. A high order member who is craven in all his desires and filthy in all his preferences. He is part of the Sorcerer's Faction, a less powerful sub-group in the council.  K knows that Guido has worked closely with the Count in the past and is one of the reasons that the Count is now able to rule, having curried favour to the Wizard's Council and allowing the Count to run the city as he sees fit. The city is a chaotic mess of the various groups vying for power with the Thieves currently on top. To K's knowledge all who have worked with AD in the past have been killed, K cannot believe that AD is alive.

K tells all that he knows to G and G relays all the info he has got from Benlin. K is a bit doubtful of Benlin's info and G likewise thinks it odd that Benlin would have been able to get all that info despite his relatively low level. K doubts that Guido Oskey would work against the Duke having worked so hard to establish him. Wainrur's fear of AD impersonating Iprar Tair seems likewise dubious but cannot be ruled out.

K says that no matter how small a risk there may be, the Count should be warned. G thinks it best to warn the Count in a manner that does not reveal their identities. K knows that the Count has a lot of protective magic and could well see through any disguises. G suggests feeding the info via a person who will tell it to Kevorkian. G says that Captain Vorg will pass on the info if he is made aware of it. K agrees. G disguises himself and goes to tell Vorg the relevant info.

G gets some drugs to feed Vorg's fix and takes that to meet him but first gets info on Vorg from the mighty Krylsteln via his knowledge local. K tells him all that he knows (a check of 33) and G puts that to good use to find Vorg

G dresses as a ladies' man type.

To be continued...

Great page for maps

http://www.gamer-printshop.com/portfolio/portfolio.html