CH. 16: Homecoming

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn, Ouragana, Baeros, Gallath and Drav (Enott Harbor/Sardonx 15th, 5 PM)
Baeros launches into an explanation of the wonders of being a ranger. The children in front of him are very inattentive, constantly interrupting to ask questions and otherwise keeping his focus on them. The children behind him and flanking him, however, are very quiet.

Baeros is about half-way through a story about the wonder of hunting when suddenly the kids disperse without a word, running in different directions and disappearing into alleys, buildings and around corners. Just like that, they are all gone.

Val and Naras (Under the Sea/Sardonx 12th, 1 PM)
Naras checks over the three bodies for keys, but they have no pouches or packs, as they have no limbs or hands to manipulate them. Therefore, she finds nothing on any of the bodies.

She then inspects the wound Cye received. She isn't sure how to treat it, as she's never done this while underwater before. Would soggy herbs work? Would damp bandages make things better or worse? She does her best, but she decides to top it off with a healing spell, as well. That helps considerably. "Thanks," Cye tells her.

Naras takes the lead toward the cavern entrance. The entrance is wide enough that Mist might squeeze through, but she won't be able to turn around, which means if the cave gets smaller or leads to a dead end, the orca would be trapped inside and eventually suffocate.

The cave entrance descends into a four-way intersection. There is a path to the south, west and east...plus the north side they just entered through. No sign of anyone so far. It's very cold and very dark. Naras' and Val's infravision works, but is limited. And while they can breathe, they are quite chilly this deep beneath the ocean.

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Naras makes a healing check on Cye [TN 15] (1d20): 20, fail.
Naras casts Cure Light Wounds on Cye, restoring (1d8): 8 HP. Cye's condition improves to seriously wounded.

[Chris1234]

Naras announces, repeating in the second language being used, "Unless any of you know better, we go right."
If no reply to the contrary, Naras leads off the the right.

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn watches the kids disperse, and purses her lips together in a frown. "Check your pockets," she says as she makes her way into the orphanage. "And try not to be too surprised about what is going on in here."

[Breila]

Ouragana opens her belt pouch, anxious about missing spell components, and slowly follows Jocelyn.

[BishGada]

Baeros also looks at his belonging to check what was stolen from him.

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(OOC: I knew it is a robbery as soon as you wrote "The children in front of him are very inattentive..." but hey, that's what happen when you quantize the timeline to posts
No roll for feeling pick-pocketing? No help from his dogs?)

[spyguy1503]

Gallath looks at Naishe. "It's a she. We used to date. I have... bad luck with women."

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn, Ouragana, Baeros, Gallath and Drav (Enott Harbor/Sardonx 15th, 5 PM)
None of the children were near Ouragana, but she checks her pouches anyway. She's relieved to discover that nothing appears missing.

Baeros, however, discovers that one of his belt pouches is missing--the one that contained five copper and seven silver. Fortunately, he kept the bulk of his coin in his backpack or back on the ship, so it's not a huge loss.

Naishe seems surprised and perhaps a little intrigued by Gallath's confession. "I see...is that why you hate demons so much then? Did she leave you for an incubus or something, and now you want revenge?"

The group enters the orphanage with Jocelyn at the lead. They step into some sort of reception area. It's exactly as Jocelyn remembers it; this is where the orphans would be first brought in to be registered.

The place is quite a dump. There are more children here, but they tend to keep a distance from the party. Not all are human, either. There are dwarves, halflings, orcs and even an elf or ogre here or there. They watch the party fearfully, but with interest.

Jocelyn remembers well the sort of people who would come to the orphanage, looking to 'adopt.' Slavers, assassins, thieves' guilds, brothels and pirates--people who needed to recruit nobodies who would not be missed. She can only imagine what the children must think of the party; they probably look fairly frightening, armored and carrying weapons on them.

Jocelyn leads them to the back, to some kind of training room. There are dummies set up here. Some are used for fighting, but others have pouches and bells on them, to train for pickpocketing. Young teenagers are training on both of them. In the center of the room is a man, the only adult present. He has long brown hair (with a streak of grey) pulled back into a ponytail. He is walking around the room, instructing the various teens. Despite the fact that many of them are engaging in completely different activities, he seems to multi-task quite well, moving from teen to teen, giving pointers and observing their progress before moving on.

He walks by a halfling lad who is deftly removing belt pouches from one of the dummies covered in bells. "Good job, keep at it," he tells him. He then approaches two young women, both human, who have applied thick makeup and are wearing scant clothing. He grabs one by the chin and and brings her face closer to his, inspecting it. He holds her there a moment, then releases her. She rubs at her chin while he orders the second one to turn around so he can see her backside. Then he nods to both of them. "Head up to my chambers. Your next lesson will start there."

Finally, he comes across two young men, both human, wrestling with each other. "Don't hold back now," he tells them. "Remember, mercy is a sign of weakness. You'll never survive out there if you hesitate, even for a second." It's only then that he notices the arrival of the party. "Keep at it," he tells the lads, then approaches the party. "Well, well, well...what have we here? Prospective buyers? Hmm, but a priestess of Octhanus? Oh, dear, oh, dear. Have you come to lecture me on my wicked ways?" he asks, evidently not recognizing Jocelyn.

Raven.jpg (172.1 KiB) Viewed 5530 times

(OOC: BishGada, you say you knew it was a robbery right away, but would Baeros have? He has an INT of 5 and you said yourself he lowered his guard at the sight of the children. There was a roll to detect pickpocketing, but I rolled it privately. As for his dogs...what would they have done?)

Val and Naras (Ixitachitl Lair/Sardonx 12th, 1 PM)
Serenna shoots Naras a dirty look when she begins barking orders again, but otherwise does not say anything.

The dwarf turns right, taking the western tunnel. After a short distance, it opens up into a small chamber. It looks like it's used for storage. There are old barrels and crates stored here, likely salvaged from shipwrecks. On the other end of the room is a single ixitachitl. It just floats there near the only other exit of the room, watching the party.

[HorizonsDream]

A shiver travels down Jocelyn's spine as she watches Raven instruct the various teens in the room what to do. ~I hated this place,~ she thinks to herself as Raven approaches. "A lecture wouldn't do any good," she admits as she crosses her arms over her chest. "We were directed to you about information on the Poison Curse," she explains. "And it makes sense. I vaguely remember you selling kids off to them every once in awhile." She decides to wait and see if Raven comes to recognize her or not.

[Chris1234]

Naras advances and tries to stab the ixitachitl relying on Val & Cye to take care of anything lurking in the left-hand alcove.

[Breila]

Ouragna's lips tighten when the two girls are sent off to their "next lesson", but she says nothing. The incident only strengthens her resolve to take one of the girls - a younger one, preferably - as a maidservant and possible apprentice. At least one to get away from here, to a future she eventually could decide for herself. She only loosely follows the conversation between Jocelyn and Raven.

[spyguy1503]

Gallath looks Naishe dead in the eye. "She summoned a demon and destroyed my village and everyone I knew. Everyone but my sister."

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn, Ouragana, Baeros, Gallath and Drav (Enott Harbor/Sardonx 15th, 5 PM)
"The Poison Curse? The pirate ship?" asks Raven. "Wait, what do you mean, 'you remember?' Have we met before." He moves closer to Jocelyn, then like he did before, grabs hold of her chin and forces her face closer to his, examining it. "Wait...I do know you," he says, releasing her. "Joyce...no, Jocelyn, wasn't it? About four years ago...yes, you were sixteen. I remember now. The brothel wanted to buy you, but you ran off. I heard you joined up with some pirates...wait, the Poison Curse?" He laughs, as if suddenly having a realization. "Why are you asking me to find the pirates that you ran away to join? And why are you dressed in that ridiculous outfit?"

He looks around at the others. "And who are these folks? A storm sorceress...and a sailor, from the look of her," he comments, noticing Ouragana and Naishe. "But the rest of you all look like landlubbers to me. Hired goons, I'd guess?"

While this is going on, Gallath and Naishe continue to whisper to each other. "Yeah, that would do it," she remarks. "But why destroy your own home and everyone you know?" she wonders. "Did she have a reason or was she just mad?"

[BishGada]

Noticing the missing pocket Baeros curses, "Those brats!" but realizing it was not his whole fortune he smiles, "Let's call it charity." When he sees the Ogre children he gets a lot of mixed feelings. On one hand they belong to a murderous species, but on the other hand they are children. Big, ugly, stupid and probably as strong as himself if not more... but still... children. Fortunately the conversation with Raven is distracting enough, especially his grab of Jocelyn face. Immediately he reaches out to stop the man by catching his hand and then with a slight shift holding his thumb and gives a little leverage so he won't be able to hold Jocelyn firmly. "Are you always welcome visitors so politely?" Baeros asks intimidatingly.

[HorizonsDream]

Despite Baeros' help, Jocelyn rubs at her chin after Raven lets her go. "I'm a priestess and I'm not with the Poisoned Curse anymore," she finally says. That was pretty much the vaguest answer she could give Raven. "But I still need to find the Poisoned Curse."

[Breila]

Ouragna looks around to see if anything in this house needs mending.