CH. 5: Vying Factions

[djhyland]

Darga meets Kendra at the appointed time outside of the Grinning Goat. He's come prepared to fight, wearing his sooty armor under his clothes and leaning on his walking stick. When Crystal arrives and Kendra introduces him to her, he nods respectfully.

Though as surprised as Crystal seems to be, Darga smiles when he sees Pen. "I 'member ya too, Pen! It's good ta see ya, an' even better if yer willin' ta go with us down below th' streets. We're sure happy ta have ya along."

[JadedDM]

Kendra and Darga (Outside the Grinning Goat Tavern, Market District)
Crystal laughs at Kendra's comment. "I'll try and not swoon too much when you heroically save the day."

Pen nods to Kendra. "Of course. Everything takes training. How else do you think people become heroes?"

To Darga, he exclaims, "Great! There's no telling what we might find down there. Maybe giant alligators. Or the walking dead! Or poop monsters! Whatever it may be, we'll be ready for it!"

[mgbevan]

"And the final two of our party. I'll remind us that a certain degree of trust is required. Remember it's this giant we're fighting not each other... " Gregeddin leaves a pause for Haahqae or Tulbas to make their introductions

[HorizonsDream]

"Poop monsters?" Kendra wrinkles her nose at the very idea. "Well, I hope it isn't poop monsters," she admits. She looks to Crystal then smirks a bit at her comment. "No swooning needed. So you in?" she asks.

[Haahque]

"Perhaps you've just had the wrong experiences. In my experience Magic always makes things more interesting, which is more often then not, a good thing. Furthermore, this is a giant we're facing, a foe that I do not expect us to overcome with might alone, we will need to use our wits, and many of the smartest people I know know at least a little bit of magic." Haahqae pauses to look over the group. His gaze lingers a bit on Ismene and her ferret, wondering if they'll be warm enough in this weather, but then he notices two people that he hadn't invited.

Haahqae gives a little bow as he addresses Mateo and Zoya. "Forgive me you two, but I don't recall meeting you before. By the looks of things I would say it looks like you plan to adventure with us, although I had thought I knew everyone who was on this trip. I'm Haahqae, by the way. I'm a juggler currently staying at the Steel Tankard who likes to occupy his days with helping out the less fortunate in which ever town he's staying in. I have heard the concerns of this fine Huntsman here," Haahqae gestures to Jaymes, "And I answered them by talking in Darewind to supply us with some cult support to slay this giant. Meanwhile Gregeddin and Tulbas are two stalwart heroes that I have previously adventured with when we slew demons infesting a local iron mine. Do you think I could trouble your for your names and field of expertise so we can better plan the downfall of our large foe?"

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin and Tulbas (Near the Main Gate, Market District)
Jaymes frowns, crossing his arms, but agrees. "Very well then. I'll trust your judgment in this matter."

The two newcomers are both humans in their early 30s or so. Both wear leather armor and have both a short sword and a long sword on their belts. Both also wear green and black tunics displaying a masked dragon. The man has brown skin and black hair, as well as a short beard. The woman has black skin, but as a strange contrast, her hair is almost blonde.

"Oh, we were hired by Gregeddin," the woman says. "I'm Zoya and this is Mateo. We're not here for the giant, though. We're just his bodyguards."

Jaymes raises a brow. "What do you need guarding from, if not the giant?" he asks.

Kendra and Darga (Outside the Grinning Goat Tavern, Market District)
Crystal scoffs. "Um, no. I just said that. If you want me to help you fight shite monsters in a sewer, you'll have to offer me more than your gratitude." She pauses and thinks a moment. "Like, a favor. A personal favor. Not for the guild, but for me. Sooner or later, I'm sure I'll have need of someone who is good with a blade. So if I help you now, you help me at a later date. No questions asked. Deal?"

[mgbevan]

"I'm good at making friends, and equally talented in making enemies it may appear." the bard offers cryptically. "It's of no concern though, they'll be valuable man power in ccombating the giant"

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra purses her lips together for a few moments before she gives Crystal a nod. "Yeah, all right. That seems fair enough."

[BishGada]

Tulbas looks around impatiently, doing his best to ignore Magnus stares at his back. When all the introductions are over he walks near Jamey, "Hello. We should get started, but as I proclaimed more than once," he glances at Haaque and Gregeddin, "we need some strategic preparation." he then looks up and raises his voice a little, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. "Hi all. I'm Tulbas." he says, fears some might recognize him from the market square he speaks straight to the point. "A quick brief before we go to save the refugees camp. I've read somewhat about Hill Giants and I believe we would have better chance fighting the giant in the open. We need to ambush or lure it to an open space, then attack from all directions, that way we can protect each other, confuse it and prevent it from concentrating it's attack on specific direction." He turns his face to Jamey, "Do you know if the giant frequent a specific place that it will be easy to find it? An open field perhaps? Going to his lair in the mountains wouldn't be a good idea since he will have many advantages over us." Then he looks at the recruits, "I heard we have illusionists and magic users here. Giants are fools, but still very dangerous. They are mighty and I bet it is very difficult to hurt them with weapons. Their weakest spot is their brain. We should use this weakness to our advantage. For start, we should make it get rid of his weapon. Then we can use illusions to direct him to whatever direction we want, stop him from chasing group members and so on." He then looks again at Jamey and say quietly, "Do you have mounts for us by any chance? That could help us put some distance between the giant and ourselves if something goes awry." Then he returns to speak loud, "Jamey will guide us. Any questions or valuable inputs?" After settling the group excitement Tulbas tells Jamey, "Well, please lead the way."

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin and Tulbas (Near the Main Gate, Market District)
"Hold now," Jaymes says, holding up a hand. "First of all, it's Jaymes. Jaymes Green, not Jamey. Second of all, this is a very dangerous mission. I don't believe it is wise to bring a child with us."

Magnus chuckles. "Although young, that 'child' is three times your age. And an apprentice mage, at that."

"Another mage? Is one not enough?" Jaymes asks.

"Oh, I'm a mage, too, actually!" Ismene announces, raising her hand into the air.

"The gods save me," Jaymes mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Regardless, I think what the boy says has some merit and should be addressed, don't you?" Magnus asks.

With a heavy sigh, Jaymes nods. "Very well. First of all, without knowing where the giant's lair is, we cannot hope to guess where it might appear from. Unless you suggest we wait by the refugees, but by then it will be too late. They will likely get caught up in the fighting if we do that. Secondly, we have no idea when it will appear again. It may be today, it may be in a week. And thirdly, I have no mounts. And if I did, I wouldn't recommend using them. Unless they were fully trained war horses, they would only become spooked in a battle." He gestures to himself. "I have fought and slain giants in the past. In my own opinion, the safest way to defeat it would be not to fight it at all. If we can find its lair, and I am certain I can, we can sneak in and kill it while it sleeps."

"Hey, either way, as long as I still get paid," Raena comments, spitting on the ground.

Kendra and Darga (Outside the Grinning Goat Tavern, Market District)
"Great," Crystal says. "But if things turn south, I expect you three to lay down your lives so I can get away."

"That seems fair," Pen says sincerely.

Crystal shakes her head. "Then let's get going. There's an old warehouse in the harbor district that has an opening into the sewers. We can get to them from there." She pulls the hood of her cloak up. "Maybe it'll be warmer down there."

She leads them to a large warehouse down by the docks. Stepping inside, they find it large and full of dusty crates. A set of stairs takes them down into the basement, and there is a sewer cover down there. Using a prybar that is lying nearby, Crystal opens it up. "Anyone have a light?" Crystal asks. "It's dark as the Abyss down there."

"I can see in the dark," Pen offers.

"That doesn't help me, now does it?" Crystal retorts.

[HorizonsDream]

"I have a lamp and oil. I just need someone to light it," Kendra says.

[BishGada]

Tulbas apologizes for his mistake with Jaymes name. "Well," he says, "if you have already killed giants in their sleep, I have no objections. But if he wakes up we still have a better chance to survive if we can get to an open space with no boulders around."

[djhyland]

Darga takes out his flint and steel and hesitantly takes Kendra's lantern from her. Kneeling, he lights it without too much trouble. After slipping his kit back under his armor, he offers Kendra's now-lit lantern back to her. After handing it back, he offers, "I kin see in th' dark, too. Mebbe it'd be best fer me an' Pen ta scout ahead 'fore th' lantern lets whatever's down here know that we're comin'?"

[mgbevan]

"Life's all about taking chances, no?" Gregeddin grins.

"Shall we?" the bard poses, gesturing towards the gate.

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin and Tulbas (Near the Main Gate, Market District)
The company of eleven men and women (and one ferret) head to the city gate. The Seeker guards there give them their citizen tokens so they can get back in the city. "Be careful," one warns. "Some of the refugees out there are desperate--they'll literally kill to get these tokens." He looks over the group. "Then again, looks like you lot can handle yourselves."

Stepping outside of the city's walls, the sight looks much as it did the last time Gregeddin and Haahqae left the city, when they went to Bear's mine. The refugees here--perhaps a hundred or so, have set up a little shanty town of sorts of tents. There are elderly and children with them, as well as sick and infirm.

"An awful sight," Miriam observes. "Such poverty would never be allowed back home. They say you can judge a city by how it treats its lowest class. If that is true, then I find Haven wanting."

"I will take us to the site of the giant's most recent attack," Jaymes says. "We should be able to find its tracks there easily enough, even after all this time."

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(OOC: You guys want to set up a marching order?)

Kendra and Darga (Outside the Grinning Goat Tavern, Market District)
Kendra fills her lantern with her last oil lamp and hands it over to Darga, who lights it with his flint and steel before returning it.

"That works," Crystal replies to Darga. "You're both short enough we can shoot over your heads, if you do run into anything nasty."

One by one, the four descend the ladder into the sewer. It deposits them on a little wooden bridge that covers a putrid, greenish liquid. The smell is quite noxious, but overall bearable. In the distance, they can hear the squeaking of rats and the creaking of old pipes. The liquid under them is still, save for the few drops of water from the ceiling that drip into it, causing small ripples. It's a little warmer down here, as there's no wind.

On the other end of the bridge is a stone ground. They can see a steel portcullis to the right, blocking a doorway. It has a padlock on it.

"Ugh, it smells even worse than I assumed," Crystal says, wrinkling her nose.

"Smells like...adventure!" Pen says reverently.

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The blue 'p' is the party's current location. Each square is about 10 x 10 feet.

Haven Sewers 01.jpg (3.14 KiB) Viewed 4775 times

(OOC: Kendra's hooded lantern casts light in all directions in a 30 foot radius. Therefore, Darga and Pen would need to be 30 feet ahead of them, or else the light will ruin their infravision. Darga can see 60 feet in the dark, but Pen can only see 30 feet. Also, Kendra's lantern is now filled with oil. It should last at least 6 hours before it burns out. So try not to be down there longer than that. )[/color]