Chapter 1: A Peaceable Kingdom

[Jeff]

In the Tenement Building Above

His path denied by three people, Dhaz stops. He looks mournfully at the door back into the stairwell. "Hav'to go somewhere."

Taymra waits for the hold-up, then leads on. She chooses the right-hand path. Soon you find yourself walking along an elevated path with large windows facing north and the great Chalice Center compounds. The glass here warps the view, but it's still pleasing to look upon, a profusion of lights and vague architectural shapes. Somewhere a cool draft sweeps in.

This section of the building has no lift, but you soon find another stairwell. When you get to the fifth floor, Taymra pauses at the landing, cocking her head to the threshhold of a hallway.

Then you hear it. A clash of weapons and a grunt of pain somewhere in the hall beyond, here on the fifth floor.

In the Tavern

The bar and the stage are on opposing walls, so Goran won't be able to position the bar between himself and the stage. When he speaks to the halfling, the stage is behind him.

The barkeep raises his brows at Goran's words. "Are you sure? How do you know? What type of happening?"

Goran sees nothing unusual or amiss over by the stage. The elf is performing his juggling and illusionary tricks, and the crowd is mixed; some uncaring, but most are attentive, amused. Goran does see, however, the rogue finally climb to his feet again and push his way out the front door.

[Lara]

"In a moment," Pellorien says to the shifter. "Somewhere... more appropriate."

When the group pauses and the noise of an altercation filters through the air to them, she asks Taymra, "Is this your floor? Is that from the direction of your flat?"

[Ed]

Oss tenses at the noise and moves into the nearest shadows (assuming they aren't far away). He listens closely to hear what else may be heard.

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Need a hide check and a listen check, por favor.

[Joe]

Streko sighs, then mutters, "May Olladra favor the bold!"

Streko inches into the hallway and moves along whatever shadows exist. He grabs both a thunderstone and his sickle from the backpack and looks back to see if his friends are following...

[Jeff]

In the Tenement Building Above

Oss backs himself into the corner of the landing, in case whatever they are hearing approaches. Taymra shakes her head at Pellorien's question. "No. My place is three floors up still. I'm not sure what's—"

The clash of weapons, somewhere around the corner, suddenly stops. There is no more grunting or exertions of combat. Now you hear rustling noises. Pellorien and Streko can make out the sound of rifling paper...then it stops abruptly, as if whatever is doing the rifling has stopped, and is listening in turn.

Grafth detects, ever so slightly, the scent of outdoor air, as if there is a draft in the hall beyond.

__________________________________

Oss's Hide check = 7
Listen checks: Grafth (15), Kal (10), Tangat (17), Oss (15), Pellorien (23), Streko (24).

[Darren]

"Well, we won't find out anything standing here, and there's nowhere to go but forward. Let's proceed with caution. Goran, would you care to take the lead, or shall I?"

[Jeff]

Heh. Sorry, Darren. Goran is not currently with the rest of the party. See above.

[Jeremy]

Goran watches the rogue leave, making a mental note of how much time elapsed between when they let him go, and when he left. Then he turns to the halfling barkeep, a smile on his face:

"It's nothing I'm sure...a hunch, that's all. I'm following the others now, but stay frosty tonight, I'm just getting a strange vibe about things here."

With that he walks back through the door and follows the way until he can see the rearmost member of the party. He gets their attention with a low whistle, then signals that he will remain where he is for a moment, and join them soon.

Goran will find a place to stash himself in the passage, if possible, and wait for about ten minutes. If nothing happens, he will continue until he finds the rest of the group.

---

Presumably he knows where to find Tamyra's apartment?

Also, Hide check please. If anyone follows the group, he will slip behind them and see what they're up to (in that eventuality, a move silently check please).

[Darren]

Whoops. My brain doesn't work so well. Okay, I guess I'll go first, then!

[Joe]

Streko turns to the rest of the group and holds up his hand, demanding silence. He motions for Pellorian to get Grafth and join him in the hallway, SLOWLY AND SILENTLY, alerting them to be wary of sounds, sights and smells. Streko then motions for Oss, Kal and Tangat to stay at the entrance for a moment. He finally shows both Grafth and Pellorian, once they arrive, that he is carrying a Thunderstone and to be ready for it before nodding and inching further down the hallway slowly.

_____________________________________________

Hide, Listen and Move Silently checks apply here I believe.

[Jeff]

Goran

Five minutes passed between when the rogue sat at the table and exited the tavern. Goran finally decides it's time to follow the others, slipping beyond the back door into the series of stairwells. He knows the apartment number, so he's confident he can make his way to the eighth floor.

In the Tenement Building Above

"What izzit?" the shifter whispers to Grafth, but it's a few notches above whisper on the volume scale.

There are few shadows in which to hide, but Streko does his best to avoid the brightest sides of the hall. After motioning the others to wait, only Streko walks the hall.

He hears nothing. Whatever lies around the corner is waiting...or moving too quietly to be heard.

_____________________________

Streko's Hide = 15
Streko's Move Silently = 20

[Josh]

Grafth looks at Dhaz, "What else would it be, but trouble?" He grins slightly, then shrugs and continues to move into the hall.

[Jeremy]

Presumably while the others are whispering and waiting, Goran catches up. He will quietly making his way to front of the group, and ask what's going on...in a whisper of course.

He will draw the dagger given him by the Lady d'Deneith.

---

Listen check, please.

[Jeff]

Goran

Goran does not, however, catch up with the rest of the party yet. He draws out the dagger, which glows with hits soft ghostly light.

When he gets to the first junction, he chooses the left-hand direction, unsure which way the others went (there are no footprints to track). When he nears the stairwell on the 3rd floor, he hears footseps behind him. Then turns to see a man walking toward him. Goran senses nothing amiss about the man; he looks Aundaurian, middle-class, and probably just lives here in the tenement building.

However, something else bothers Goran. Not about the man...about some other sort of presence nearby. Invisible, or insubstantial. Something hidden.

Further down and behind the man, a door begins to open from one of the apartments in the hall. Before opening far enough to allow whoever's coming out to pass through the doorway, the door slams shut with great force....pushed by something unseen.

The Aundairian man walking towards Goran turns, startled by the sound. Then something of frightening force strikes him. The man's head turns violently to one side and Goran hears the familiar and all too disturbing sound of a breaking neck. The Aundairian drops.

Whatever killed him is only thirty feet away from Goran, if indeed it is a creature at all. Goran has only two obvious places to go: forward to meet it, or up the stairwell to the 4th floor.

On the 5th Floor

"Trouble..." Dhaz looks back at Grafth, musing over the word.

Grafth makes his way past the others until he is in the hall along with Streko. Despite his efforts, he can hear a slight scuffle to his steps. Grafth definitely smells the crip night air. One of the windows in the hall around the corner must be open.

Just then, the rest of you hear the sound of heavy feet approaching the corner of the hall. Perhaps metal-heeled boots...

__________________________

Grafth's Move Silently check = 11

[Joe]

Streko prepares his thunderstone. He motions to Grafth to cover his ears if he needs to throw the device. He also motions to the others to approach from behind to provide quicker assistance, as he believes that they have been discovered.

Safety in numbers, and all that...

[Jeremy]

GORAN VS. THE INVISIBLE NECK-SNAPPING MENACE:

Goran gazes for a couple more seconds, trying to lodge the 'feeling' of this presence in his memory, he considers screaming like a banshee, brandishing the dagger and running straight through it.

Then, deciding that discretion is the better part of valor, turns and dashes up the stairs like a spooked cat.

The moment he gets to the top of the stairwell he gives a quick glance down the passage and then turns, watching the stairs he's just scampered up. He holds the dagger out so he can watch it's blade, too, hunkered down by the edge of the doorway frame...

---

Jeff, when Goran 'sensed' this presence, did he notice a particularly evil bent to it? I mean, I realize anything that goes around randomly snapping people's necks can't really be considered "good", but you know what I mean. Did it seem, demonic?

[Jeff]

Goran

The fact that the thing—whatever it is—is invisible and quick to dish out death is disturbing, but Goran possesses no magical sensibility to detect any inherent sense of evil. Whether it is an evil force or not, it isn't strong enough to exude such an aura without divination magic on Goran's part.

Goran makes it to the next stairwell unscathed. He looks down, dagger out, and sees nothing. The thing is silent and unseen, and as he catches his breath, Goran can sense nothing at all yet.

On the 5th Floor

As Streko readies his thunderstone, a tall figure steps into view at the corner. A warforged. If you didn't know that warforged were once mass produced by House Cannith and that some created from the same 'batch' resembled one another, you'd think this warforged was the same one you'd left behind at the Ferenthoron residence. But this one is perfectly unharmed. It carries a small steel shield like the last and holds a military pick in hand. The sharp tip of the pick is slick with blood.

"Surrender to live," the construct rumbles, pointing at Streko with the head of its pick.

[Jeremy]

If Goran doesn't hear/sense/feel anything in a minute or so, he will quickly (but not hastily, he remains cautious and aware) find his way back to the party, as best he can. He can probably figure out what floor they're on by hearing the squeaking floorboards that a large group of folks would make in an large wooden building such as this*. If not, then he'll just have to do his best!

---

* I'm assuming it's a wooden building?

[Jeff]

Actually, it's mostly stone. No creaking floorboards.

[Josh]

"What do you want?" calls Grafth, wondering how many of his companions have shown themselves. He holds his pick at the ready, giving no sign of surrender. Will this 'forged make note that he carries the same weapon?, he wonders.

If this warforged advances, he thinks, he will hurl the pick at him with all his might, then attempt to get behind the thing while it is distracted by the attack. His burns still sting, but are forgotten for the moment. He feels his hand tense, calling out for his handaxe.

[Darren]

"By the gods, will this never end?" Kalarian moves in front of Pellorien to guard her from the warforged, then decides to move up near Grafth to protect the halfling he has grown attached to. He drops into a ready stance with the sharash in front of him.

_____________
If the warforged moves to attack, Kalarian will cast True Strike.

[Jeremy]

The floors are stone?

[Joe]

Streko stands his ground, hearing his friends approach from behind in his defense.

"Olladra works in mysterious ways," he mutters to himself with a smile.

"Your blood-soaked weapon doesn't make our surrender likely, Warforged. However, I am willing to make you an offer. Tell us why you are here and why you have seen fit to rain violence down upon someone and perhaps the nine of us who are ready to defend ourselves against you can come to an understanding."

___________________________________________

Diplomacy check. Also, should the Warforged simply wish to hurt my little self, I will toss the thunderstone at it, then use my dodge feat against him and work to get behind his big self and attack with my oh-so-dangerous "sickle of warforged cleaving." ;D

[Jeff]

At Streko's words, the warforged swivels its torso away. "It is HERE!" it bellows in the direction of the window, or the hall behind it. Then it turns and swiftly advances...

_______________________

Heh heh. Diplomacy schmiplomacy. Combat has begun!

ROUND 1

21 = Warforged
20 = Dhaz / Pellorien / Taymra
17 = Goran
13 = Oss
9 = Tangat
5 = Grafth / Kal / Streko
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The tall construct pounds down the hallway and brings its pick down in a deadly arc. Streko loses a tight grip on the thunderstone in his hand, slowing his reaction time. It is all he can do to try to dodge the incoming pick—which he does, just barely. The steel tip of the pick rings loudly as it strikes the ground.

One flight down, Goran hears the sound. He races for the next stairwell...

Taymra curses, pulling out a light crossbow and sets it to load. She steps forward and waits for a clear shot. "Khyber! Are these things everywhere?"

Dhaz, Pellorien and Oss are at the top of the steps, and it's evident to them that the hallway is getting crowded. The shifter turns his head when he hears the clash of weapons in the hall. His eyes sharpen, and his lips curl back to reveal a silent snarl.

Kal is ready with his sharash, but Grafth is in his way. As Tangat tenses beside him, he waits for the right moment—

Grafth launches the pick he took from the last warforged, sending it spinning clumsily into the air even as he dashes past Streko. The throw is remarkably solid but not quite sufficient to do any damage; it clangs off the warforged's composite plating. The construct reaches for the shifter, but Grafth is too nimble. He rolls himself just past the warforged and rises again behind, hand axe already at the ready.

—with space now vacated by Grafth, Kal steps in closer and readies his sharash for a swing (it should be manageable above the diminutive shape of Streko). He speaks the words of a spell, and feels—just for this moment—precisely where the warforged's body will be in the next few seconds.

With too many of his allies around him, Streko is forced to abort his thunderstone throw. Otherwise he may deafen Grafth, Kal, Tangat, and himself. However, his sickle is ready and he aims at fibers of its knee. Unfortunately the blade skitters off a metal plate.
_________________________

• Warforged's attack = 15 (miss)
  
• Grafth's attack: 18 +4 -8 (nonproficient & throwing into melee) = 14 (miss)
  
• Grafth's Tumble check = 25 (success)
  
• Kal delays from initiative count 12 to 5, then casts True Strike
  
• Streko's attack: 3 + 3 = 6 (miss)

[Joe]

Streko attacks the leg on the side that the Warforged is holding his weapon. He will try to make his way slowly behind the Warforged, but he will use his sickle for all he is worth to eliminate this damned monster once and for all.

"We need everyone in here! I think this beast has friends!!"

[Jeff]

From Grafth's position in at the corner of the hall, he catches a glimpse down the hall.

Just beyond the third door, a body lies in a pool of blood. Some sort of scholar, perhaps. A small stack of books that he was probably carrying now lie scattered around him. They look hastily rifled through. The window just beyond the body is shattered as though something big—warforged-sized, perhaps—broke through it. The only thing is, there's no obvious balcony or rail or protrusion outside the windows.

Grafth smells the fresh open air...and something else. Fire? It isn't strong.

[Josh]

Grafth moves quietly around the corner, giving a quick look at the others as he disappears behind the wall. He pauses for a moment, then draws the shortspear from his back, holding it in a defensive, blocking manner in his left hand. In his right, the singed handaxe swivels in a quick circle.

He crouches low and jogs toward the body and the opening, watching for movement, and trying to focus on the sounds around him as he nears the scene.

[Joe]

Streko will continue to move to the Warforged's backside, defending himself with his Dodge feat and trying to get behind him where he can do much more damage and also attempt to keep an eye on Grafth should the shifter need assistance.

_________________________________

If need-be, Streko will attempt the tumble thing with his good luck, good looks and a +2 to his roll.

[Jeremy]

Goran pulls his bow off his shoulder, nocking an arrow as he runs. The dagger is in it's sheath, but pulled out just a half inch or so, so he can tell if its glowing with a quick glance (he will only do this if he feel that the blade is still safely wedged in the sheath. He doesn't want to lose it).

As soon as he sees a target, he will stop...compose himself, and fire.

[Lara]

"There's not a lot I can do with my other resources," Pellorien says, as she nocks an arrow in her shortbow. "Our earlier fracas was wearying. I really hope this will do for now."