039: Livin' for givin' the devil his due

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> While the party returns to Belinda's house for further inquiries, Anton proposes to monitor Dalton's house to track the movements of his servants. At Belinda's the door is once again answered by her maid; though a livid red handprint now mars her cheek, and she cannot entirely suppress a flinch at your reappearance, she greets you with a professional curtsey and, "Greetings. You have further business with milady?"
* Franceska ends up staring at the maid's cheek.
<Steph> "Oh, yes! Is she in at the moment?" asks Stephanie.
<Julia> So it seems the maid got hers for her part in poisoning her employer? Rather a small punishment considering she's still working there however...
<El-Cideon> "Of course," she says, politely declining to comment on Franceska's rudeness. "Follow me, please." Belinda is still at her desk gauging inventories; whereas she previously refrained from ornament of any kind, an amulet adorned with a glittering sapphire now adorns her neck. "I'm afraid I'm not entirely prepared to leave just yet," she says, shifting through paperwork. "I was not aware you were in such a hurry."
<Julia> "Actually we weren't quite ready ourselves, only it occurred to us you might be able to help with our other reason for being here," Julia says as they all settle in the study.
<El-Cideon> "That being?" she asks simply.
<Steph> "Have you heard of a Captain Dalton?"
<Franceska> "It occurred to us that it might have happened professionally, considering the respective business both of you are in."
<El-Cideon> "I should think so," she replies. "I've fulfilled several orders of arms and armor on his account. Why do you ask?"
<Franceska> "It is good to hear that we weren't wrong," Franceska muses. "Is there any particular attachment to this man on your part, Ms Haverbrook?"
<Steph> "Because he is a terrible, terrible person, who has done some terrible, terrible things. Right now, the terrible thing he has done is kidnap someone," explains Stephanie. "We believe she's being held in his house."
<El-Cideon> She gives Franceska a penetrating look. "That is a leading question if I have ever encountered on," she says. To Stephanie: "Well, that was quite brazen of him. Possibly even illegal, even here. If she was anyone of importance."
<Julia> "That's always the rub, isn't it?" Julia concludes.
<Franceska> "It seems that there is not enough proof of the crime. At least, not enough against a man such as he. Still, there are other ways to resolve this situation."
<El-Cideon> "For which purpose you require my assistance?" she guesses.
<Steph> "He's holding a party at his place, and we'd like to go..."
<Franceska> "Of course, if there is a way for us to get in even before that and mount a successful rescue, that would do as well," Franceska adds. "Naturally, knowledge of the layout of his house would not go amiss as well."
<El-Cideon> "He often does so upon landing a new contract," she says. Rifling in her desk for a moment, she withdraws a slip of parchment and examines it. "I do not much enjoy such gatherings, but it would be unprofessional to snub a customer." She looks up. "Am I to infer that you mean to do some manner of mischief here?"
<Julia> "We're going to kill him. Probably his devil friend as well," Julia replies bluntly.
<Franceska> "Going off what we know of his personality, that seems quite inevitable," Franceska agrees. "Our differences cannot be reconciled."
<Steph> "Any decent person would think the same, if they'd seen what he's done," agrees Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Straight to the point," she says with an approving nod. "I've no sentimental attachment to the man, but nor do I wish to be accessory to a massacre. Simply allowing the possibility that I might return to this city one day, though that remains to be seen pending the nature of my sister's unfinished business."
<Franceska> "Would there be a way for you to provide us with a way in, and yourself with a way to deny that you were a party to it?" Franceska inquires. "Such as by means of a good forgery?"
<El-Cideon> "I am entitled to bring a guest," she admits, "but that hardly provides me with a means to deny involvement if my companion should later demonstrate murderous intent. As for a forged invitation, well, that is hardly a favor I would grant without compensation."
<Julia> "We can do the forging ourselves, Stephanie just needs a look at yours," Julia says in case Belinda thinks they want her to make the forgery.
<El-Cideon> She taps her chin thoughtfully, giving Stephanie an appraising glance. "Well, if the document should happen to be resting on my desk while the rest of us should retire to the parlor for tea, and if someone's companions should happen to provide me four thousand gold to cover priestly services required of an associate of mine...well, I hardly see any *immediate* victims..."
<Julia> "I think we can cover that," Julia agrees, looking at her companions for agreement.
<Steph> She's still getting her enchanted sword cheap, so Stephanie doesn't have a problem- though having to pay to do work...
<Franceska> "It is for a good cause," Franceska agrees.
<El-Cideon> "Of course," she acknowledges, "an invitation only gets you inside the house. Dalton himself will certainly recognize uninvited strangers on sight should he encounter you personally. But no doubt you are accustomed to skullduggery and will exploit the opening for what it is worth. Come along then, I'll have Mia prepare us a repast while someone takes advantage of my carelessness," she says, gesturing to the desk as she sweeps out of the room.
<Steph> "Don't mind if I do," muses Stephanie, walking into the room and seeking out pen and parchment.
<Franceska> "Ah, but would he really be able to recognize every single guest of those he had invited?" Franceska wonders, heading out of the room after her. "Going by previous events, how many people might be attending? And where would he be likely to hold someone captive?"
* Julia follows along while digging into her satchel for money. "You can all pay me back," she says, thinking it easier to pay the full amount rather than have everyone fiddle around with their coinage.
<El-Cideon> Downstairs, while Stephanie works (seeing that the event is tomorrow; guests are suggested to arrive at four in the afternoon for socialization and light refreshment prior to the dinner proper), Belinda answers Franceska's questions: "I believe he would," she says. "He strikes me as a very careful man. For attendees, I speculate half a dozen or so representatives of his clients from across the worlds? And whatever incidental hangers-on accompany them. As to where he might choose to hold a woman against her will, I've no knowledge of such matters and hope never to do so," she sniffs. "I've only ever been permitted to look around the main floor of his residence. Dining room, parlor, armory, and a rather ghastly trophy room, if I don't say so myself."
<Franceska> "Scum like that seem to prefer basements. Would it be too much to hope that you know where the entrance to his might be?"
<El-Cideon> "I believe it would be," she says. "Though I observe the servants' entrance descends to below street level."
<Julia> "What about high up? Any barred windows or lack of windows entirely?" Julia asks.
<El-Cideon> "I have noticed bars upon the second floor windows, and no aperture whatever for the third-floor apartment," she recalls. "As I said, a careful man."
<Julia> "I think that's a better way than the basement, then," Julia concludes.
<El-Cideon> "Well, I suppose I should now find some excuse not to attend?" she speculates. "That is, if you mean for this to be a bloodbath. OF course, if you *die*, you are hardly in a position to fulfill our earlier arrangement. I imagine I must attend just to see for myself."
<Julia> "We might also have to make a quick getaway before whatever passes for law here can get to us," Julia says as she hands over four thousand gold worth of platinum. It takes several handfuls. "I'll probably have to leave my skeleton behind unless we really finesse it."
<El-Cideon> "I will take that into consideration," she says. "Until tomorrow, then?"
<El-Cideon> One of the archon brigade is hovering outside the Red Scale Lodge, humming tunefully, upon your return. "Anton says to follow me!" it chirps conspiratorially on recognizing you.
<Julia> "Has he found something?" Julia asks, bidding Esgara to come as well as she follows the archon.
<El-Cideon> The archon leads you down a secluded alley several streets away (which might be a sinister direction in less exalted company). Anton is here with an elven woman: long blond hair, pretty in spite of obvious malnourishment, dressed in the plainest roughspun tunic. A shining metal collar with no obvious means of removal is around her neck. "Didn't know how things'd go on your end, so I tracked down one of the servants. Lamp mob says she's okay, so I thought I'd try being more straightforward."
<Julia> Having expected a well dressed maid like Belinda has, Julia is startled to see that servant and slave seem akin to each other in the captain's house. "You don't get paid, do you?" she asks the unfortunately collared elf.
* Franceska finds herself feeling strangely conflicted.
<Steph> "Geez, how'd they get that thing on you? Want me to cut it off?" ask Stephanie, peering at the collar.
<El-Cideon> She inclines her chin delicately. "Working is my means of repaying past debts," she says. "Or so I am instructed by civic authorities." To Stephanie, she shakes her head vigorously: "It will only make your interference obvious when I return. Anton and the archons tell me that my master is...of interest to you? We should not give him reason to suspect."
<Steph> "Of interest, yeah, that's one way," replies Stephanie with a cheerful nod. "I'm seeing no love lost here. Know anything about any captives he might have stashed away?"
<El-Cideon> "He has two," she says. "Though they seem of little interest to him. Prisoners are more Lady Vixri's concern. Though our quarters are a floor above the cells, we cannot help but hear the screams." She shivers.
<Steph> "Lady Vixri?"
<Julia> "Vixri would be his devil friend?" Julia assumes.
<Franceska> "Also of interest is what happens to his indentured servants if he happens to meet an untimely death."
<El-Cideon> "She is an erinyes," she says with a grimace. "Vile creature, and his chief client. It is her joy to inflict suffering whenever able." To Franceska: "Our debts will devolve to the state. Though one might reasonably guess her next assignment would find her in a more pleasant household, even here."
<Franceska> "So the erinyes resides somewhere in the basement? And so are the two captives? Do you know who they are?"
<Steph> "How much are your debts, and would you consider just running away?"
<El-Cideon> She shakes her head. "Oh, no. Vixri shares his bed whenever she visits. He won't touch another woman while she's present; the lady of the house never ceases to complain about it. Out of Vixri's hearing, of course. I know little of the captives. One of them was some subordinate of the master's that swindled him out of payments or some such fraud? Vixri will kill him, though long after he should wish her to. The other was brought in secret. All I know is that she is a woman." To Stephanie, with a faint smile: "Are you proposing to assist in that?"
<Steph> "One good turn deserves another!"
<El-Cideon> "If you may. But my term is brief by elven standards. I'd not have you take unnecessary risks."
<Franceska> "If the servant's quarters are underground, and the cells are beneath them, just what is so important about the top floor that it lacks any windows?" Franceska asks curiously.
<El-Cideon> "We're not permitted there," she admits. "Given my master's nature, one guesses his treasury."
<Franceska> "Makes sense. Just how many servants does he have? And are they all elves?"
<Julia> "Which would be nice, but I suppose we shouldn't get greedy. So, if we're to get to the basement where the prisoners are, what's the best route from the ground floor?" Julia asks.
<Steph> "I can be greedy," affirms Stephanie. "Oh, what sort of guards does he have?"
<Franceska> "If someone is greedy," Franceska agrees, "he might well misunderstand our reasons for going there."
<El-Cideon> "There are four of us," she answers. "I am the only elf among the lot. If you trouble to free any of us, I would request that it be Grey. The poor girl has known nothing but bondage. I should see her freed while she is young enough to ever understand anything else. As for guards, they are plenty. There's a band of fiendish archers on site, Vixri's personal escort--minor devils mostly, and her nightmare mount--Tolliver, the master's pet mage, has pets of his own, though they patrol the house after we've gone to bed for the evening...to say nothing of the master himself, hardly a minor threat. I have witnessed him engaged in duels." To Julia's inquiry: "Possibly you could slip into the servants' entrance? It leads directly to the lower floor. Of course, you would have to pass unseen by the watchful eyes of the archers on the roof. If you were very adventurous, I imagine you might try the garbage chute? It must empty out somewhere...it is routinely locked on the inside, but I may prove forgetful if need be..."
<Steph> "Could someone hide in the Captain's bedroom?" muses Stephanie. "Slip in during the party, then wait until he comes in and sleeps?"
<El-Cideon> "She could, with sufficient ingenuity. My master's private quarters are routinely locked, and trapped. As one of my late coworkers discovered to his misfortune."
<Julia> A pity Esgara lacks wings, else he could deal handily with those archers. "Perhaps if we split up, some attending on invitation and some slipping in the servant's entrance?" she ponders. "Though we would have to be sure of regrouping together to make our escape."
<Steph> Stephanie mutters an obscenity. "Traps, of course. Know what kind?"
<El-Cideon> She shakes her head. "I am afraid I am not knowledgeable on that subject."
<El-Cideon> "Shouldn't be much of a surprise he's got everything trapped," Anton observes. "Traitor expects betrayal from everyone else, right?"
<Franceska> "I suppose so. How many of us could we bring in on an invitation?"
<El-Cideon> She shrugs. "I am afraid I an not intimately familiar with such details. I am only tasked with the material preparations." She nudges a sack on the ground by her foot. "I am unlikely to be set to serving during the dinner itself, as my presence would only enrage one of the master's clients, an orc of fanatical temperament."
<Steph> Stephanie is nodding to herself. "How about this, then? Anton and I could use the invitations to sneak in, and we'll set up to kill him and cause a commotion upstairs, keep the guards busy. Meanwhile, you guys can go after the hostages? We should be able to sneak back and regroup after..."
<Franceska> "If there is a commotion, the archers might be drawn away to deal with that," Franceska agrees. "And even if not, we just need to avoid them long enough to get inside."
<Julia> "You can take Esgara to help," Julia volunteers in the spirit of cooperation.
<Steph> "Will they let him in?" wonders Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> The elven woman eyes Esgara. "I think that...unlikely," she decides.
<Julia> "Well if not you can just have him bash down the door and join in once things get hectic," Julia offers. "Or try and see if he can climb up the wall and take on the archers? I don't know how good a climber he'd be though. Perhaps I'll see about buying a potion of fly before tomorrow..."
<Steph> "We'll probably be fine. You know, on any other plane, I'd just set everything on fire, but it feels so pointless, here!"
<El-Cideon> "I should not know too much of your plans," the servant concludes. "Nor should I linger here overly long. No doubt the mistress or Lady Vixri have already noticed my tardiness." She withdraws a bottle from the sack by her feet, casually drops it to shatter on the cobblestones. "Oh dear, in my careless elven clumsiness I have broken the Chateau Mourmond that Vixri specifically asked for. I am afraid she will now be too angry to ask me searching questions." She sighs.
<Julia> "Good luck dealing with that anger," Julia says with a wince.
<Steph> "You are so brave," says Stephanie, in awe.
* Franceska once more feels herself being conflicted.
<El-Cideon> "It has not killed me yet," she says confidently. "Good luck to you all, strangers." She gives you all a bow, and mutters thanks in celestial to the archon before slipping away.
<Julia> "What a very nice young lady," Julia concludes after she's left.
<Franceska> "Which approach do you think we should take?" Franceska asks Anton.
<El-Cideon> "For my part, sneaking in suits me best," he says. "I'm not much for socializing. I fancy myself a competent liar, but do I trust myself not to run a blade through the captain's face the second I see him? No, I don't think I do."
<Franceska> "How about I take your place, then?" Franceska muses. "Stephanie and I will use the invitation to make for the treasury, and hopefully be noticed. Julia could direct her minion to deal with the archers, and make her way with you and Rosemund to the prisoners. We'll likely see from there."
<El-Cideon> He eyes Rosemund. "She any good at quiet infiltration in all that armor?" he wonders. "Or are we three looking to climb up from below?"
<Julia> "We're going down not up," Julia says, "Through the servant's entrance to rescue your archon's friend. And perhaps kill a devil."
<El-Cideon> He nods. "I'm just saying, it'll be watched. There's a lava moat around the place and a narrow bridge across to the servants' door. Hard to hide crossing unless you've real skill. Or you're invisible I guess, anything you could do about that?"
<Franceska> "From that point on, we could regroup or you might try and kill your target," Franceska tells Anton. "There is really no good way to plan that far. It would help if we could remain in touch, though."
<Franceska> "As for that," she adds, "if Esgara will be flying at the archers, they might have more pressing matters to worry about than anyone crossing the bridge."
<El-Cideon> For their part, the resident archon pipes in that they would be more than happy to assist in the rescue effort and, climbing posing no difficulty for them, may attempt the garbage chute entrance on their own.
<Steph> "I was planning to hide in the captain's room, then off him when he sleeps," notes Stephanie. "I guess we're nixing that? Be plenty distracting when I'm leaving."
<Franceska> "It feels impractical," Franceska admits. "The rescue comes first, and he wouldn't just be calmly going to bed after that."
<El-Cideon> "I don't care how he dies as long as he's dead at the end of the day," Anton vows.
<Steph> Stephanie nods slowly. "Alright. You and I should just try and off anyone important on our way up," she says to Franceska. "While they're all split up."
<Julia> "After we've rescued the prisoners we'll rush up as well to join you for our escape, or else help finish off any battles in progress," Julia says.
<El-Cideon> And so the party rests and prepares, then sets out from the Red Scale Lodge to do the job.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie and Franceska make their way directly towards Dalton's house. It is, as Anton described, a stately two-floor house ringed immediately by a moat of lava. A ten-foot-wide bridge leads across to a rather grand front door. Up on the roof, queer figures patrol regularly: furred, dog-headed humanoids with broad, feathery wings armed with bows circle and eye the ground below.
<Steph> "What're those things?" asks Stephanie- or, rather, 'Faris Finagola', as is written on her invitation. She's disguised herself as a human woman, though without her magical hat, she remains tanned and ominous-looking. Her horns are concealed under a great blonde wig, whilst her tail is tucked discreetly down her pants, where it itches furiously. "I ain't see those kind before."
<El-Cideon> OOC: K:P if you've got it
<Franceska> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+10 and gets 22."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> Franceska recognizes them as Marrash, outsider residents of the more wicked and lawful planes. They favor combat from afar and are fond of employing arrows tainted with disease.
* Franceska is herself posing as the likewise human secretary to Faris Finagola, however much it might grate on her. Raven hair gathered behind her in a ponytail, a face quite similar to the gith in her employ and a suit; no one will mistake her for being there at the party to have fun, just as none would cast her efficiency in doubt. "Devil archers, Miss," she reports crisply. "Commonly known as Marrash."
<Steph> "I see we'll be well protected!" Stephanie, at least, is certainly there to have her own sort of fun, and heads for the front door.
<El-Cideon> A servant is at the front door--human, serious, graying temples, dressed in a black suit more respectable than the elven woman's garb. At your approach, he tilts his head, reaches out, and says simply, "Invitation?"
<Franceska> "Here you go," Franceska says crisply, stepping forward and retrieving their forgery from within her jacket. "Miss Finagola of the Furies and guest."
<El-Cideon> He examines the invitation critically, pauses. Narrows his eyes and carefully looks over both of you. "Of course," he says smoothly, opening the door. "Enjoy your visit."
* Franceska gives him a curt nod and then waits for Stephanie to head in before following her.
<El-Cideon> He glances upwards at a sudden commotion on the roof, frowning, but apparently deciding that's someone else's problem.
<Steph> Stephanie sweeps inside, giving the servant a regal nod as she passes by.
<El-Cideon> Inside is quite the tasteful manor house, if a bit dark in terms of decor. Mostly fine wood interiors, no doubt expensively imported on a world such as this. Two grand staircases sweep upwards immediately before you, another double door evident on the far side of the house past them. On your right and left are smaller doors; from the right door comes the sound of chattering and occasional laughter.
<Steph> Stephanie sweeps up the stairs, intent on listening in on them before trying to open them!
<Steph> roll 1d20+12 perception
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 perception and gets 24."12 [1d20=12]
<Steph> OOC: Whoops, let me reline
<Steph> OOC: To clarify, is there a door at the top of the stairs?
<Steph> OOC: Or do they just go upsomeplace unseen?
<El-Cideon> The second floor is an open cross junction with a variety of doors. Northwest/east and southeast these lead into what must be quite large rooms; southwest is a collection of three smaller rooms.
* Franceska follows Stephanie up the stairs, planning on casting Barkskin first on Stephanie and then upon herself followed by Stoneskin once they are there, barring Stephanie spotting something.
<Steph> Stephanie remains alert whilst Franceska makes with her spellcasting, and then heads towards the north-eastern door; she takes a moment to listen in and search it for any unwanted traps...
<Steph> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13  and gets 15."12 [1d20=2]
<El-Cideon> Stephanie does not hear anything on the other side, or find much in the way of obvious traps.
<Steph> Stephanie tries to open the door and slip inside.
* Franceska checks for magic, intending to back Stephanie up while she handles the locks.
<El-Cideon> The door is locked and, as she discovers at about the same time Franceska detects the enchantment, magically warded--a bolt of lightning lances out for the intruder, and then for Franceska in turn!
<El-Cideon> OOC: ref saves, folks
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+17 and gets 30."12 [1d20=13]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+3 and gets 11."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> roll 12d6 elec (Steph made the save, Fran did not but takes half due to the nature of the spell. Evasion applies if you have it)
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 12d6 elec (Steph made the save, Fran did not but takes half due to the nature of the spell. Evasion applies if you have it) and gets 38."12 [12d6=5, 4, 2, 5, 1, 4, 4, 2, 2, 1, 3, 5]
<El-Cideon> Downstairs, as lightning ricochets around the floor, there is a sudden commotion of marching boots and shouted infernal--though they don't sound like they're coming this way.
<Franceska> Giving Stephanie an evil look, Franceska checks for the enchantment.
<Steph> Stephanie glares balefully at the door and mutters an invective against all wizards, everywhere.
<El-Cideon> Franceska no longer detects a spell. The trap seems to have exhausted itself with one shot.
<Franceska> "It's gone," she mutters. "Let's see what's so important past it."
<Steph> Stephanie mutters something to herself, but then goes ahead and tries to break into the door.
<Steph> roll 1d20+18
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 and gets 28."12 [1d20=10]
<El-Cideon> The lock clicks open--perhaps a timely development given what anyone fluent in infernal can hear barked out below: "Check upstairs. Guest quarters only!"
<Franceska> "They are coming up," Franceska tells Stephanie quietly.
<Steph> Stephanie pulls the door open and heads in, holding it long enough to let in Franceska as well.
* Franceska slips into the room after her.
<El-Cideon> A heavy tread sounds on the carpet outside--a small gang of men, at the least--rushing around the second floor fruitlessly. Some doors bang open. In your immediate vicinity is a splendid bedroom: there's a fine wooden desk and wardrobe, a grand canopied bed suited for a group. Set into the wall by the desk is a small panel--locked and latched from this side--and in the far corner is a narrow door.
* Franceska looks for magic to help her choose their destination.
<El-Cideon> There is no magic present in your current surroundings.
<Steph> "Ugh. Just think of all the horrible obscenities committed on that perfectly nice bed," mutters Stephanie, heading over to the panel to try and crack it open.
<Steph> roll 1d20+18 unlock locked things for fun!
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 unlock locked things for fun! and gets 24."12 [1d20=6]
<Franceska> "What a pleasant mental image," Franceska laments, checking the desk.
<Steph> roll 1d20+18 I am prepared to try again if that doesn't do it
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 I am prepared to try again if that doesn't do it and gets 25."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> In fact this lock seems to have been intended more to keep anyone from slipping through on the *other* side--Stephanie easily unworks it from this side, even without a key. This is in fact a dumbwaiter. For her part, Franceska finds extensive correspondence--frequently in Infernal, but sometimes in common--and a revenue book detailing incomes from Burning Hand companies stationed around the planes.
<Steph> Assassins can come from anywhere, she supposes. She moves on to check out the small door.
* Franceska takes it with her. Anton might like it, if nothing else.
<El-Cideon> This door is also quite locked!
<Steph> roll 1d20+18 not for long!
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 not for long! and gets 30."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> This is quite a tricky lock indeed! It takes Stephanie some effort to work through this one but it does in time fall to her efforts like so many others. Within is a cramped spiral staircase leading upwards.
<Steph> She whistles. "Hey, Franzy, I think we found something nice," she opines. "Get over here and come up, make sure there's no more lightning this way, yeah?"
<Steph> roll 1d20+13 continuous trapsearching
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13 continuous trapsearching and gets 20."12 [1d20=7]
<Franceska> "I see no magic this way," Franceska affirms, heading up past Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> Up above is a small room lined with a series of heavy metal safes and otherwise devoid of decoration. Save one other thing, this room is empty--and that one thing is a dog of terrible proportion, long, gangly, nearly the height of a man, with a terrible hellish glow to its eyes and between its teeth. It snarls and lunges instantly upon the arrival of strangers!
<El-Cideon> OOC: init~
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+1 and gets 2."12 [1d20=1]
<Franceska> "Oh look, it is your turn again!"
<Steph> roll 1d20+7
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+7 and gets 12."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 doggy
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 doggy and gets 10."12 [1d20=4]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: fire magic enhanced, cold magic impeded, -2 to CHA-based checks/skills for Good creatures) | Steph (12) > Grimjaw (10) > Franceska (2)'

<El-Cideon> ~

<El-Cideon> The second group stops a couple streets over, so they can down their potions and then approach under a cloak of invisibility. "Ready when you girls are," Anton says. The archons themselves have already disappeared down a nearby sewage maintanece access grate.
* Julia casts false life and then hands the potion of flight to Esgara, instructing him to wait two minutes before crunching it in his teeth and attacking the archers atop the house ahead. "Alright, lets go," she nods, downing her invisibility potion and starting off towards the servant's entrance at a steady pace so as not to lose her unseen companions.
<Julia> roll 1d10+10
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d10+10 and gets 14."12 [1d10=4]
<Julia> roll 1d20+22 I didn't think I'd have to roll stealth
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+22 I didn't think I'd have to roll stealth and gets 35."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+27 Anton
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+27 Anton and gets 42."12 [1d20=15]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+21 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+21 Rosey and gets 32."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+13 eyes
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2#1d20+13 eyes and gets 52."12 [2#1d20+13 = 33, 19]
<El-Cideon> Anton and Julia slip across the bridge to the relative security of a short descending set of steps without incident--but some telltale flicker must have betrayed Rosey's presence, because one of the guards on the roof barks a dismayed obscenity in some fiendish tongue and releases an arrow in her direction!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+13 and gets 24."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+2 and gets 9."12 [1d8=7]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d100 er miss chance first!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d100 er miss chance first! and gets 53."12 [1d100=53]
<Julia> "Open the door, now!" Julia hisses at where she assumes Anton to be, starting to cast a summoning spell so the archers will have a distraction before Esgara reaches them.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12 Rosey fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12 Rosey fort and gets 29."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17 DD
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+17 DD and gets 34."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> Anton works through the lock on the servants' door with contemptible ease; the interior is a dimly lit corridor with doors immediately on the right and left and a second set of ascending stairs just before the rightward door.
<Julia> And as the door opens a mummy suddenly appears on the roof, growling and going for the nearest archer! "Rosemund, hurry!" Julia hisses, slipping inside once the door's open and leaving her minions to handle what's on the roof.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund hustles inside!
<El-Cideon> It's relatively cool inside. At least as much as it ever can be on the plane of Fire. From the door on your right the sound of dishes clanging can occasionally be heard. Across from you you can now see that a corridor branches to the right and left.
<Julia> Ignoring the kitchen, Julia moves ahead to the T-junction, looking either way.
<El-Cideon> Left is a staircase that only goes down. No light emanates from the depths. Right is a series of plain doors leading into what must be very small rooms.
<Julia> Probably servants bedchambers. "Downstairs," Julia hisses to her unseen companions. "Give us some light?" she asks Rosemund, starting that way and wishing she could see in the dark as the undead can.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods and obligingly lights up her mace. Downstairs is a corridor that terminates in a dead end past four doors, all of these heavy, metal, with grilles set in at eye level. Immediately to your right is a sliding panel set into the wall, closed but unlatched. There is a persistent murmuring on the inside that sounds like frustrated celestial. Rosemund walks over to it, slides it open, and a pile of archons tumbles out. "This is an awful day not to have thumbs!" one of them declares.
<El-Cideon> "There was a crocodile down there!" one of them adds. "Big and zombied! It tried to eat us, but we were too fast."
<Julia> "The garbage chute is in the dungeon?" Julia asks in surprise, peering into the other three doors.
<El-Cideon> Anton shares Julia's quick appraisal of the other rooms. On seeing the first of them--a grimy stone chamber replete with obvious torture devices--he concludes sourly, "Must make cleanup easier for the captain's infernal bedwarmer." (more)
<El-Cideon> The remaining three rooms are all simple, unfurnished cells. The last in line is unoccupied, but the first two are not: one contains a naked man bound in chains to the wall, bloodily missing an eye and with a plethora of recent burn wounds over his body; the second room contains a woman. Alabaster skin makes a marked contrast to her shockingly orange hair, which flutters about on its own impetus like liquid fire. She wears nothing more than a halter and a loincloth to keep her decent, and it may be seen that a series of tattoos decorate wrists, ankles, and neck. She is bound to the wall by chains, but also appears kept here in some manner of stupor.
<Julia> "Can you unlock the doors, Anton?" Julia asks. "Rosemund can heal that man and I'll see if I can dispel whatever ails the woman."
<El-Cideon> The archon brigade chatters happily on peering inside the second cell. "That's her!" they confirm. Anton nods and goes to work on the cells. "Though I'd rather we left this first one," he adds. "If he's one of the company, he deserves whatever he got here."
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+17 and gets 34."12 [1d20=17]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+17 and gets 27."12 [1d20=10]
<Julia> "You were part of the company as well," Julia reminds him. "He may be interested in striking against his tormenters yet."
<El-Cideon> The doors creak open! In spite of Anton's preferences, Rosemund hustles in and sees about restoring some degree of vitality to the prisoner, though that eye's probably beyond her skills.
<El-Cideon> Anton merely snorts skeptically, but doesn't dispute this.
* Julia goes to examine the celestial, checking first to see if it's poison or a spell that keeps her in fugue.
<Julia> roll 1d20+15 spellcraft
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+15 spellcraft and gets 24."12 [1d20=9]
<Julia> roll 1d20+12 heal
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+12 heal and gets 26."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> Vigilia is heavily sedated, you're sure. It's also obvious to you from cursory glance that someone has been drawing blood from her arm. She seems otherwise unharmed physically.
<Julia> Fishing out her healer's kit, Julia tries to whip up something that'll purge her system with some haste, since Rosemund's busy for the moment.
<Julia> roll 1d20+14 heal with kit
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+14 heal with kit and gets 32."12 [1d20=18]
<El-Cideon> Julia's expert skill dictates the proper mixture of stimulants to awaken the strange woman. Her eyes open--pupil and iris are both a depthless black, lending her an expression of childlike surprise that is starkly at odds with the basic angularity of her exotic features. "Who...?" she starts in a voice laden with curious and vaguely discomfitting harmonic overtones. Then the archon horde swarms in and gushes a chorus of apologies.
<Julia> Putting away her healers kit, Julia goes to see how Rosemund's doing, asking, "Anton can you unlock her bindings?"
<El-Cideon> He nods, and goes to work. The man--tall, muscular, with military-cropped blonde hair and a rugged, workmanlike face--looks fundamentally healthy now, if exhausted from recent torments. "I hope you know who you're crossing," he breathes, with a one-eyed look at the ceiling. "Who do I have to thank for my unexpected salvation?"
<Julia> "People who've already crossed the company plenty," Julia replies. "My name's Julia, if it matters. We intend to kill the good Captain. Will you help us?"
<El-Cideon> "Just put a sword in my hands," he says with a terrible grin.
<Julia> "Have to make do with this," Julia sets her pick down, which she only seems to carry for lending to people they run into. Maybe she should trade it for a sword or a bow next time they're in Solata? "Anton, free up this one too," she says to their resident rogueish type, going back to see how the celestial's doing. "My name's Julia, these two are Rosemund and Anton," she introduces everyone.
<Julia> "You're free to go with your friends if you want, but we won't say no to help dealing with the Captain and his devil if you're able."
<El-Cideon> "I want his mage as well," the strange woman says with quiet rage. "My mind is no man's plaything. They will all die." The archons gather around her and murmur a soothing hymn, which does have the effect of softening her expression, if not necessarily her determination.
<Julia> "Okay, everyone ready?" Julia asks. "Hopefully Stephanie and Franceska will have started the festivities upstairs."
<El-Cideon> "We can hope," Anton allows. "Girls are good at killing, I can say that much for you all."
<El-Cideon> ~