"An intelligent dagger?" Fringe asked in a hushed tone. He's heard stories about intelligent weapons. And if the dagger decided to speak with the Assassin...
"Well anyways, do you cutters mind if I still tag along? Afterall, your paranoia will lead you all to kill me if I tried leaving as well."[/i]
After perusing the card, Janus looks up at the librarian.
'Are there any records of a prime world called Kelrat?'
The librarian chuckles and says"The intelligent dagger was not the one he had me study if you were wondering, he wouldn't need me if the dagger could tell him itself."
The librarian the turns towards Janus and says "Kelrat is like a lot of small prime worlds, practically non-existant as far as planars care. We do have records of all the known prime worlds that we could get our hands on though, you could find Kelrat easily enough by looking in the K section."
Ketel waved his hands and snatched the card back from Janus. "Well, if its probably a trap, let's go where he is instead of where he wants us to go."
"Using this I can attempt to divine his location, the question is...," at this Ketel looked around, "Should I do so now or should we regroup before I use my divinatory skills? Wait until tomorrow?"
"I think that the sooner we start out after him the better," said Akhenanubis, "Before the trail has cooled. It might be useful to get at least some infromation on this prime world while it is available."
Looking resolute, he adopted a more superior tone. "Ketel, you will discern the location and any other information you can on this assassin. Janus and... Fringe can stay and make sure that the dreamling is undisturbed and Quith'mek and I will go and find the information on this Kelrat. Come and find us when the divination is complete."
Turning a mindful eye to the lycanthrope, he added, "You may be an asset to us, but if you are a detriment, we will not be forgiving."
Feeling more in control of the situation and therefore himself, the righteous priest headed for the door.
"Yeah yeah," Fringe replied dryly, having heard similar things before. Not to mention he never quite liked authortive types. He slouched against the wall, unheeding of the fact that his collar, his sole legal protection in the city, was off of his neck and on the floor.
"So, gonna get started on that divi-bit?" he asked with honest curiosity to the mephling.
The mephling looked at the lycanthrope for a moment before sitting in one of the chairs. “This will take quite some time… I’ll need a full hour of uninterrupted trance just to begin my hunt for the assassin. No matter what, don’t interrupt me, this is a very draining power and I don’t want to waste the attempt.”
Ketel then closed his eyes. Focusing on the card in his little hands, the mephling reached out with his mind and touched the crystal that sat in the center of his forehead. The crystal began vibrating and glowing and then Ketel performed the requisite mental twist and it went silent. Ketel’s little body slumped and sat perfectly still, not a sign of life stirring it.
Using my third eye to manifest Remote Viewing (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersQt...).
The assassin gets a Will Save DC 20, and, if he’s still in the Outlands, suffers a -4 to this check, or if he’s off plane he gets a +1 to this check.
If he fails his save, a quasi-real invisible spirit appears near the assassin. The viewpoint is solid and can be harmed, though its invisible and makes no noise unless it wishes to. I don’t think the viewpoint can physically affect the world, its just for watching. The viewpoint moves at 20’ per round and vanishes if it gets farther than 30’ from its intended assailant.
"...Good to know your working," Fringe muttered after he saw Ketel go into his divining trance thing that the tiefling is not quite sure on. Feeling boredom already, the tiefling took out a small journal and plucked out one of his barbs and dipped it in a vial of ink.
Fringe began thinking up some schematic for a music box to pass the time.
OOC: You guys are still alive, aren't you? What's happening with this game? James and I are off to find any information on that Prime world, and Primus is doing his psionic thing. What happens now?
OOC:Your search for info on Kelrat yields this information:
-Kelrat is a Generic prime world with no abnormal conditions.
-It has a surprisingly extensive and powerful Assassin's Guild that has recently discovered and started to expand into the planes.
-An odd feature of the guild is that every member has their own intelligent dagger that is their partner, although the powers vary from dagger to dagger.
-Gendra is the biggest city on Kelrat.
Closing the dusty tome on Kelrat, Akhenanubis turns to the githyanki. "At least there is some information, but we are no closer to our quarry. I hope the small one had better luck."
He heads back to the room where Ketel was pursuing his divination. The proxy was feeling anxious about continuing, but also fearful of loosing his head as he did in the battle, his first real battle. That was a thrill he was in no hurry to repeat.
Ketel lay perfectly still, its tiny body making absolutely nomotions, its little form as cold as ice. The others had to be wondering if the mephling was arlight, afterall it hadn't moved - even to take a breath - in the past hour.
Then with a start the mephling sat up, sweat running down its forehead. His eyes wide, he stared back and forth at the others in the room.
"He... he... he knew I was watching him. He wishes to seek a peaceful resolution of this matter or...," the mephling drew in a silent breath, "Or he will 'hunt us down and kill us.' "
Janus nods, perhaps as though he was expecting this outcome.
'I see no reason why we cannot peacefully resolve the recovery of the dagger. Did you get any information on his location?'
"Well ain't that nice of the blood. Well I'm still up fer it," Fringe replied. "Now c'mon lil guy, looks like you could use some actual rest for once!" The tiefling picked up Ketel and placed the mephling back on his feet.
"Now who else knows a nice lil recipe for Dretch Stew? I'm hungry!"
"Agreed, we should perhaps find a place to consolidate our plan. The inn which Ketel and I frequented earlier seems adequate." Akhenanubis turned to the mephling, "we should perhaps let you rest after your ordeal, but I would like to hear the details while they are fresh, and so that we may consider them during your recuperation."
An expression of contempt darkens Quith'mek's perpetually-darkened face. "The fool thinks he can kill us. It would amuse me to see him try. Let us meet with him, as the coward requests. Perhaps he is willing to surrender. Cleric, where is the tavern you found?"
"Near to where we parted earlier," Akhenanubis said. "The innkeeper seemed friendly enough and I prudently intimated that we might seek accomodations this evening. Unless there are any pressing matters here, I suggest we make our way there now. Ketel, you may tell us of your vision on the way there."
Turning to the gnomish loremistress he nodded his head in a slight bow. "Thank you for your aid, madame, know that you have aided our quest and our destiny greatly. Quickly, companions, the sands of time run freely."
OOC:I assume that you are done conversing at the library then...
You arrive at the inn fairly quickly and walk up to the smiling inkeep/barkeep.
The man turns to look at Ketel and says "Hello again, a strange fellow left a note for you."
The barkeep/inkeep hands over the note, it says: I am glad that you are willing to have peaceful negotiations, meet me at the library tomorrow. I will need your help to fend off any attacks by those masked things while the identification process is taking place.
Fringe scratched a spot behind his ear as he took a gander at the letter. "Well, the sod wants ta parlay. I'm fair game, that is if you cutters don't mind a basher like me still banging around." *Or if the guards don't come looking for me for scragging that collar.* he added mentally.
Ketel nodded to Fringe. "I also believe that negotiations will be favorable. We may be able to take him, but the dangers of combatting a trained assassin are many."
Ketel then quickly relayed his spiritual encounter with the assassin.
"First, he said... 'Do you really think I was that stupid? I know when you're scrying on me, the only reason I did not leave before you reached me in the library was becuase the librarian was already examining the dagger and I had hoped to reason with you. I still hold a small hope that you can be reasoned with...'
"And then his dagger said 'Why do you insist on using violence? Alas diplomacy is a dieing art these days...'
"So, I say, 'I do not wish to hurt you - but my associates seem to not be so inclined. We have been charged with bringing the dagger back to Sigil... it would be quite simple if you complied. I am sure the does not need to be anymore conflict.' "
"And he responds, 'If only it were that simple, sadly I'm a rather stubborn person and won't give up this dagger until I discover what qualities make it so desirable by so many different groups. If you help me find out this dagger's full capabilities I'll be willing to negotiate for it.' Punctuated by his dagger saying 'And if you do not then we shall be forced to hunt you down and kill you one by one, it's what we do best after all...'
"And that's it."
'Our course seems clear,' Janus says. 'Our target is willing to negotiate with us, and has set a time. Some level of caution could be wise, in case he's lying.' He left unstated that 'caution' meant 'readiness to act if necessary', since he considered himself always in such a state.
"Agreed, Janus. Sir merchant, may we please have two rooms for the night. Preferrably large rooms, we are numerous." Akhenanubis takes out his coinpurse to pay.
The inkeep/barkeep nods and says "Two rooms? that will be 50 jink, each room has 3 beds."
With a slightly perturbed look, Akhenanubis hands over 50 gold. "We will find you if anything is required. See that we are not disturbed." Turning to his companions he said, "Let us retire upstairs to review the situation. I would like to believe that this quest will be completed so satisfactorily but I suspect the masked creature will not capitulate so quickly."
"Mmmmm sleeeeep. Well I'm gonna grab some grub first, I'll head up later!" Fringe replied as he made a stride for the barseat and he immediately ordered a dinner of whatever is meaty and raw. Very raw.
OOC:It seems the campaign has hit a little pause, skipping ahead then...
Fringe get some sort of dinner (probably a very rare steak of some sort) which is free with the rooms while the others head to their rooms and one of the inn's cooks comes up to ask them what kind dinners they want (OOC:I shall assume you order something, it's not all that relevant). You have just finished whatever dinner you ordered and are now standing around in one of your rooms currently.
OOC:Let me know if you want to skip ahead to the morning or if your characters want to discuss their plans first.
OOC: As much as discussing our plans would be good RP-ing, it would probably come down to varying degrees of "Well I disagree with your personality, but we should indeed meet up with that assassin. Let's debate the topic for another two forum weeks before settling on doing what we knew we would do before we rented this room." and then go meet the assassin. So, I would like to find out where and when we're supposed to meet up with the guy, and then find out when we can jump to that, unless someone has something important that he or she needs to say before the encounter.
Quith'mek, as a fellow carnivore, orders something meaty, yet dignified. So he won't be joining Fringe in a raw steak dinner out of a bowl.
OoC: Rhys seems to make a good point (I'm guessing it's the Cadence). I would be okay with moving on to morning.
OOC: Agreed, I think we should just skip 'til morning. Unless some people want to go early and keep a low profile in case we need help.when fighting starts.
As Fringe woke up from under the bed, he didn't sleep on it mind you, with a drowsy head he mumbled something in Infernal before getting his stuff together, taking only a moment to flip through a small journal and write down the previous days events before heading down to the main tavern room.
Fringe arrives in the common room to find Akhenanubis sitting stiffly at a table in the corner, a cup of water before him. His eyes are closed and his face set in concentration. He dips his fingers in the bowl and touches them to his lips, then bows his head and his mouth moves in silent chanting.
This quiet praying goes on for another minute and then the priest opens his eyes, and drinks deeply from the water cup. As he notices the tiefling, his expression changes perceptibly though the new expression is not clear. "Good morrow, shifter," he says levelly, "You are readied for the meeting this day?" In a surprising gesture he pushes one of the table's other chairs out, offering it to Fringe.
OOC: Earlier I wrote "AKhenaten," which was a slip. Embarassing to mispell your own name... maybe I'm doing too many things.
"You could say that. Though I'm a tad peery at the moment," Fringe replied with a slightly light mood in his voice. Taking the seat Akhenaten offered, the tiefling more or less flopped onto the seat, then lazily stretched his legs until they took up a bit of space on the table.
"If you don't mind me asking ya, what Power do you worship?" Fringe asked as he fiddled his boot lacings. "I just want to know whose realm I should avoid in case we lose any desire to keep up a nice lil term of not bashing each other."
A flash of anger crossed Akhenanubis's jackal face, and then grim certainty. "Your levity with the divine is your own concern, tiefling. Judgement cares not for your beliefs. Anubis the Just is my Lord, the Arbiter of Divine Order in the Afterlife." He gives Fringe an amused look, "You can no more avoid Him than you can avoid death. All mortals will pass under His influence so that He may separate the chaff from the wheat."
Moving his cup away from the tiefling's outstretched feet, he determined again to discover more of this creature. The Judge of the Dead had not condemned Fringe, though he may be shapeshifter, but Akhenanubis wished the tiefling were not so... crass. "Where do you hail from, Master Fartale?"
There was the sound of tiny little feet pattering across the wooden floorboards. “Morning, gents,” the mephling said quite happily. Normal, unmotivated dreaming was a quite restful experience, Ketel had found in his time in the waking realm. The mephling took a seat beside the others and began scrawling notes of his time dreaming in a small leather bound notebook, as much to keep the dreams fresh in his mind as to offer suggestions the next time he returns to the dreaming realm.
“Barkeep!” the mephling called out, licking its lips hungrily, “I’d like a cup of water and some bacon or sausage or beef or any other breakfast mea.” The mephling was quite hungry, it was if a bottomless void dwelt in his stomach (which it did).
Quith'mek descended the stairs to find his companions already gathering. "We live to face another morning," he declared, though hardly joyously. He found that any awaking outside the Silver Void always left him disappointed in the morning, no matter how long it had gone on. He has gone through his morning mental exercises, and felt replenished.
The cleric looked to be typically dour, which suited Quith'mek fine. The githyanki said to himself that he would find it hard to be at peace if he were a servant of that dire entity, as well. Chac Mool was not one with whom to trifle. He judged all while passing through the infinite field of spiderwebbed silver. Home. It had been some time.
On the other hand, the were-beast looked to be typically frustrating, ceaselessly attempting to prove his courage, skill, or foolishness.
Quith'mek sat down without ordering food or drink, but asked the others, "When do we meet the knife-bearer?"
A nearby waiter comes over to the table and and writes down Ketel's order before saying "would anyone else like something for breakfast?"
OOC:the breakfasts are also free with the rooms
Janus suddenly appears behind the waiter, seeming almost to materialise out of the crowd. 'Yes,' he says, and proceeds to order a light breakfast before sitting.
"Hmmm.... well if you don't have any Dretches in stock, I guess I'll take some meat. Raw. Preferably alive, but I'll take whatever's in the dead-book!" Fringe replied happily before a stern look actually appeared on his face. Accompanied by some of his hair spines rising in thought.
The question that Akhenubis gave Fringe was to his mind, rather.... Borderline rude.
Then a smile spread on his face again as a resolution to the problem entered his brain-box. "Well, you know you asked a three-pronged question right cutter? One, it says what's your hometown? Two, it says where were you born? Three, it says from WHAT were you born? Now..."
The autumn green eyes narrowed at the jackal-headed priest as he took his feet off the table and planted them on the floor. "Which of the prongs did you mean? And don't call me Master Fartale. It makes me sound like a slaver." he growled.
As the group sat eating breakfast, Quith'mek began planning ahead. "When are we to meet the knife-bearer?" he inquired. The human fool had evidently gotten into this artifact situation beyond the capabilities of his meager skills, and would therefore be likely to surrender without risking his life in direct confrontation. Confrontation or no, the githyanki meant to achieve victory and complete his task.
OOC: Come on, let's get this moving again.
"Apologies, sir, I did not mean to pry or accuse. If we are to travel together I merely thought it appropriate that we share details of ourselves. I have discussed by patron lord, but if you feel that your past is too private, I will press no more." The tone of openess had left Akhenanubis's voice. A flicker of indignation could be seen briefly through his stony expression.
At the githyanki's question, he turned to the mephling expectantly. "Master Ketel, you talked to the assassin, did he give a specific time?" To the others he added, "perhaps it is wise for some of us to arrive at the library early, to look for the masked creature and any other traps from the other groups following this dagger."
Ketel shook his head. "He did not mention any specifics."
"I do agree that an advance search party would probably be our best option, though I doubt I can be of much use in such an endeavor."
"BAH! Don't speak like a barmy Clueless!" Fringe said encouragingly to Ketel. "Just stick with me cutter and I'll sniff out any traps the berk might have about! I'll go for mundane ones and you can try the more.... spell-like! Oh, and Akhenanubis. First prong's answer is Sigil. The other's are off-limits." The tiefling said cheerily with a wink.
"Well let's get started alright! Cause I don't know about any of you, but this burg is waaayyy too Guvner-like fer me!"
Quith'mek's perpetually-dark mood continued. "Were-beast, I think I actually liked you more when you were brash and overconfident," he said more to himself than anyone else, as the group moved to convene outside.
Time to head to the library.
OOC:skipping ahead to the library...
The Librarian looks at up at you and nods before saying "Go on to the room in back, the Loremaster and Assassin are waiting for you."
The librarian goes back to looking at a rather large book and you head to the back room, as you walk into the back room...
OOC:everyone make a Spot check DC 36
OOC: (Spot Check....and it's a 26)
Fringe, who tailed slightly behind the others, closed his eyes and stretched a bit, a wide yawn forming as the apparant boring orderlyness of the library started to grate on his senses.
OOC: I can't even come close to meeting that DC. So Quith'mek fails.
Quith'mek begins walking toward the back room where they are to meet the assassin. He is suspicious of the readiness of the clerk to direct them to a meeting with a dangerous killer carrying a powerful dagger. As he quietly scans the halls for exits and possible traps, his distracted eyes pass over something important...
OOC: having checked over your character sheets none of you could have made that check anyways. Fringe however does have the scent ability.
As you enter the room you see the Loremaster standing next to the table, she smiles and says "It seems only your werewolf friend there noticed the Assassin, he wanted to see if you could spot him."
The Assassin steps away from the wall as if appearing from thin air and nods at Fringe before saying "Impressive, I hadn't realized you had a werewolf in your group. It's rare to see such a diverse bunch all working together."
Fringe's nose caught the Assassin, albeit barely, and the tiefling quirked an ear to what the human had to say.
He suppressed a snarl at the Prime and instead lifted his hand off the hilt of his rapier. "It's not that impressive being a bastard plane-touched. Besides, in all honesty, a rare thing from my kind as I know it, I'm just tagging along with these cutters. I'm not a part of their group."
Eager to gain control of the encounter, Akhenanubis tries to keep the Assassin guessing. "Are you seriously injured from the last encounter, sir? Such a fight was regretable, another conflict today would be most unfortunate. As I'm sure you are aware, many others are searching for the dagger you bear and to tarry here and risk their arrival is unwise. Let us begin discussions, then: you had questions about the dagger's nature?"
The librarian looks lost in thought for a few moments before saying "It probably is a trap, but you can't really blame him considering everyone after the dagger has tried to kill him so far. I'm afraid I don't really know anything else about him, except that he had an intelligent dagger."