CH. 10: Hard Choices

[Chris1234]

Shima looks at Felran, "Dinner?"

[Haahque]

"Well, you got to do what he was doing. You've been working here for how long? I'm sure you have an idea of what he did. You make collect people's rents, you take orders from customers for food and drink, you tell the barmaids what to do, you keep track of who your renters are and make sure all your staff get paid the correct amount and on time. We'll try and find out how long the innkeeper will be, but I have confidence that you'll do a great job keeping this place running until he comes back. Here, this is the rent for my room for tonight." Haahqae places 5 silver on the table in front of Cassandra.

He really didn't need more complications at a time like this, but Haahqae can't just idle stand by as Ro.. the innkeeper is being taken away and just hope that he'll have a place to stay tonight. He does need to make sure that she'll take over for now and provide him with the ale that he's going to need in two days time.

"So Tulbas, shall we leave Cassandra to start getting things sorted out here as I show you that book we were talking about? There's a lot we need to do and not much time so I don't want to spend too much time on this book exchange thing." Haahqae will head up to his room unless there's a compelling reason to stay here.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra's eyes widen slightly as she had never really seen Norris quite so mad before, but she purses her lips together when he lumps all adventurer types together. "Of course I believe you," she finally said. "I know you wouldn't risk me in a situation like this, but there is nothing I can do," she says. "With that in mind, I need to know how to run your business," she says.

[mgbevan]

The bard could have done a dance or sung a drinking song when he made it safely out of the candle light. Maybe he could become a professional human wall painting after this since he was so good at being one. He reminded himself how strange his thoughts have become after spending time down here in captivity. Trying to return to his senses, he again peeks through the keyhole and gently tries the handle of the door, not wanting to open it but just to find out if it is locked or not.

[BishGada]

Tulbas mind quickly changes pace as Haaque agrees to show him a spellbook. Just before hurrying up after the Gnome he tells Cassandra, "If you need help with the book keeping or anything else, I'll be glad to do it. Numbers come easy to me." he smiles and goes.

[chese780]

Felran shrugs, "Guess not. I'm nearly broke as it is."

"Now, where's this warehouse..."

[djhyland]

Arulia steps back from the door and frowns with worry. She hadn't counted on Kendra being home, but Norris certainly should have been there running the shop. First her father's arrest, then the fire, and now this...for the joy she had felt at meeting another of Fizban's disciples this morning, the succeeding hours had more than tipped her balance back into despair.

"She's not here, and Norris isn't either," she tells William, stating the obvious. "I guess we'll have to go to the fort after all. I know that it's a risk, but I have to find out why they took my father. If you don't want to take the risk on behalf of someone you barely know, I'll understand."

[JadedDM]

Haahqae and Tulbas (Steel Tankard, Room 15)
Haahqae gives Cassandra five silver for his room tonight, which he can easily afford. He then heads up to his room, with Tulbas right behind him.

Kendra Greylock (Prefect's Mansion, Ballroom)
"Run my shop?" repeats Norris, slightly alarmed. "Why, just how long do you think I'm going to be here?"

Gregeddin (Prefect's basement)
Looking into the keyhole only reveals darkness. There is no light on the other side. Testing the knob, he finds it is unlocked.

Grubnick (Haven Arms, Common room)
Delharn chuckles. "'Not to let the locals suffer?' You can't make an omelet without cracking some eggs, Grubnick. Don't think like that. If you're worried about hurting locals, then as soon as the army figures that out, they'll use that against you. This is a war, lad. People are going to get hurt. Better to just accept that now."

He adds, "So the question is, how do we get closer to the prefect? Security looks pretty tight in the noble district. I imagine his mansion is even better guarded."

Arulia Seroth (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
"No, I'm with you, unless for some reason you'd prefer I'd not go," William says, placing his hand on Arulia's shoulder in a show of support. "Lead the way, and I'll follow."

Felran, Ne-Chanz and Shima (River Way)
Despite Shima saying the word 'dinner' every five minutes, it's actually closer to lunch time at this point. However, none of the three have had any breakfast yet, unless you count the pint of ale Ne-Chanz drank down. So their stomachs are all grumbling by now.

The three exit the tavern and head down the street, toward the warehouse the woman told them about. It's big and rather dilapidated. It seems abandoned, and from the looks of it, has been since before the occupation, even.

[TristenC]

You're right, of course, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying to protect them. I just want to plan things with the least collateral damage possible... I have no idea how we'd get that close, but it's the best target. We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open for an opportunity...

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra looks down at her feet for a moment, before she looks at Norris again and shakes her head. "I...I don't know," she admits. "But I'm sure it is going to be more than just a few days," she explains.

[mgbevan]

Gregeddin wonders if he could open the door quietly enough and slip out as to not alert the Baaz. But that got him thinking, if he could be quiet enough to do that maybe he could find some thing else of use to him in that south west room. He eyed the space around him in the din, estimating how much candle light was heading to that side of the room.

(OOC From what I think I remember, Jaded, you don't play coup de grace in your games or I mean instant kills or executions. Is this so? Or is there someway I could get up behind the Baaz soldier and hold the knife to his throat in order to retrieve my things?/

[JadedDM]

Kendra Greylock (Prefect's Mansion, Ballroom)
Norris frowns. "Selling jewelry isn't any different from selling anything else. The real trick is knowing the value of what you are selling, so customers don't try and rip you off. Do you remember those things I bought from your adventuring friends, back before the occupation? Among them was a ring worth 300 steel. If you can sell that, we'll be covered for next month, at least."

Gregeddin (Prefect's basement)
Gregeddin could try and sneak around the room, staying toward the wall to avoid the candlelight, to reach the door in the southwest. He would have to be very quiet to do so, though, or risk being caught.

(OOC: If he can pass a DEX check, he'll make it to the door.

Instant kills are possible, but they require the victim to be helpless, like tied up, asleep, paralyzed or otherwise unable to defend themselves. If you can surprise the baaz (that is, they fail their surprise rolls), then you can get an extra attack or two on them before they can respond.

The other thing you describe, putting a knife to a throat, is called Hostage Taking and is covered in the Complete Book of Fighters. First, you'll need to make a Grab attack. This is a called shot (-4 to hit). If you come up behind the victim, you can halve that penalty. Then you and the victim do comparative STR checks. If you win, then you grab him. If you do that, then you can make another called shot to bring the knife to his throat. If this is successful, then at any time you can do an attack on the victim for double damage.

However, as Baaz have such tough scales (AC 4), the odds of you succeeding at this is very low. Slitting a drac's throat is not as easy as slitting a human's.)

Grubnick (Haven Arms, Common room)
Delharn nods. "Fair enough then. We'll keep our eyes open, look for a way in. We shouldn't wait too long, though. Sirrion favors the bold, after all. And the longer we wait, the more likely we might be discovered. You said something earlier about a bounty on clerics, didn't you?"

[TristenC]

Yeah 5,000 gold and permanent weapons permits... Grubnick shakes his head. I just think we need to take the time to set it up right so we get the biggest punch... make sure we use the gift to its full potential.

[Ooc: aren't we in his room and not the common room?]

[HorizonsDream]

"I can try," Kendra admits with a small smile. "But if I fail..." she trails off, as honestly she knows she'll feel horrible for failing.

[Chris1234]

Not wishing to take over other people's show, but as no one else has moved to take the lead, Shima does so and, unless stopped, advances quietly, intending to fully explore the warehouse.