Game: We're Still not Quite Dead Yet

OOC: Now would be a good time for you to describe Finrik, Jurgen.

Canzon:

Surprisingly, Yebena is actually being social. She has been wandering around herself talking mostly to other fiends, as well as a few mortals. She does not seem to have evoked much of a reaction from most of them. Eventualy Yebena decides to leave.

As she pases you, she says telepathically: "The package is where it must be. I would be glad to show you the contract you inquired about and give you the captured papers. Where would you prefer to meet?"

(you didn't see Yebena hand off the package--probably a good thing)

OOC: You can inquire about the package if you like, but there is the risk that you reveal too much information to somone who may be set up to take a fall.

Drum:

"Come in Su'oure Drum, and be seated. I your magic is useless when can easily smell you from here." Yebena gestures to a chair next to Fenrik and several seats away from her

(OOC: the choice of "be seated" as opposed to "take a seat" was intentional )

OOC: I will describe how each situation plays out and give everyone time to ask questions and declare what they are doing with their downtime before I post the next scene (as it were)

Bruce and Sidharta:

Bruce blasts the armchair with a blast of sonic energy, which tears fabric and stuffing off the chair's wooden frame (which buckles and shatters shortly thereafter. A black bolt leaps from the hand of a now visible wizard. He has long, greying black hair, and wears a deep blue coat. In one hand, he carries a staff made of light-colored wood topped with a steel cap. The ray strikes a section of floor between Bruce and Sidharta and explodes in a vaporous burst of black energy. Floorboards wither, warp, and rot, and both Sidharta and Bruce feel the blast leechin their health too (but manage to resist the spell's effects). On the other hand, any nonmagical and organic gear Bruce or Sidharta is carrying is now rotten and flimsy. Sidharta casts dimensional anchor from his scroll on the wizard. Bruce points his rod at Oakry and traps him in a cage of force. He follows up with several blasts of icy energy, which manage to drop the caged wizard. Before either Bruce or Sidharta can fully apreciate their victory, Lors Oakry's body and all his gear disintegrates into a vaugely human shaped pile of clay (both of you recognize that this is a duplicate created with simulacrum (OOC: use of snow seems stupid to me, a caster can use whatever the hell they feel like to make a simulacra (?)).

This means that the real Lors Oakry must be upstairs if he is even present at all. Carfefully climbing up the now rotten stairs by puuting most of your weight on the railings, you discover that this floor has been vacated in a hurry. Oakry's (you presume) effects are scatered across the floor. Entire bookshelves (or most of them) have been cleared, and papers are strewn across the floor (there is still a huge ammount of stuff up here). In one wall, there is a giant hole, resulting from what sems to disintegrate spell. It leads to the street.

You begin searching the room for anything enlightening or valuble, but soon, you hear the golem's plodding footsteps and then the thud and rip of what you assume is it's fist through the wall. The same thing happens again, and you are certain the golem's last order is to bring down the house. The groaning of overstressed supourt timbers seem to confirm this. Both of you lower yourselves out the hole and drop to the street (taking 1d6 damage, but that's not especialy relevant). Each of you is carrying a rather eclectic pile of things you managed to loot (when you find time to identify them, I'll tell you what each item is).

Sidharta casts invisibility on himself and (at his request) Bruce as well. Both of you split up and flee in seperate directions. to your respective residences. There is no way you can catch Oakry in time at this point, and there's no point doing a job you won't be paid for.

Canzon:

Yebena also arrives exactly on time in the same disguise she used in Carceri. She casts a spell you aren't familiar with before handing an immense scroll case to you. As far as you can tell the contract is genuine (the genuine signatures of a Lord of the Nine are magical and have a very stron aura of law and evil, to insure they aren't forged. As far as you know this magic would be beyond even the most highly skilled wizards' abilities to duplicate.

The contract is signed by Dispater, Mephistophles, and Fashaq, have all signed the contract. Titivilus (Dispater's lawyer and spokesman), Bele (Mephistophles' Cheif judge and somone or something that signs it's name with a circle containing the Yugoloth word for wizard are identified witnesses.

You learn the following in adition (the contract itself is probably the equivilant of a few hundred pages of regular sized parchcment, but Yebena's scroll case is very large, the writing is very small, and the paper seems to have more words on it than it should (this is fairly common Baatezu and Yugoloth magic for contract writing):

The contract is relatively recent--made only a matter of months ago

It required that Fashaq produce a weapon in accordance with the specifications written in an apendix (which Yebana has not provided)

It required that Fashaq complete his work by the day you were sent to Carceri

It required that Fashaq not share any information here with annother party (party is defined as a faction in this case, not an individual, presumably, Fashaq would not be violating his agreement by sharing this information with Yebena, his (apparent) superior. The contract aslo required the same of all the witnesses, and references more specific contracts where these signatures can be found are mentioned.

The contract forbids Fashaq and any other parties privy to the knowledge from producing and or selling defenses against this weapon until a certain time period exactly 1 day from now

(OOC: If you have any specific questions about what is or isn't in the contract, please ask)

Fenrik and Druim:

I'm out of time now and I have to be off the computer soon. I'll post your stuff later this evening.

OOC: Okay, noted.

Sorry. Just replying to your post to get a full screen and a post button I can see

you have three days and need to spend 1000 gp identifying everything including what appears to be potions andd cheap truff. Also, nobody has established a meeting time or place. Presumably Ephaez will contact you.

Finally. That took longer than expected. I'm going to let some of this play out before skipping to your next summouns by Ephaez to allow you to learn what's going on.

Canzon

OOC: More specific about what you're selling, please. The gear from the Crossed Daggers is worth 33,000. The Archon's gear was all temporarily enchanted. You have some masterwork stuff. It would be prudent to hold onto it for the time being in case somebody recognizes it)

When you return to your house (after you've sold whatever you want to get rid of), an imp servant presents you with a heavy, fireproof envelope with Ephaez's lead seal on it. The envelope contains all of the papers you need for promotion (strictly demotion and then promotion, because you need to be an erineyes to be promoted to a brachina). You immediately make your way to the lakes of fire in Phegelthos, specifically the section claimed by Dispater for promotions and demotions. It orders your immediate summons to the lakes of fire.

 You lose track of time in the haze of burning pain, but when your new form is dragged from the flaming pit of helfire, the first thing you notice after taking some time to recover your composure and get used to your new form is that something is very, very wrong in the pits. While you were being promoted, great walls of iron have been raised around Dispater's claimed portion of the lakes of fire (when you entered, they were constructed of jagged stone, and stood only a few hundred feet tall). These walls are manned by countless Cornugons wearing the heavy, lead colored plate of the Iron tower's elite guard. The entire area is also being patrolled far more frequently and by greater numbers of fiends.

 A harried looking Livrezu aproaches you. He is flanked by six barbazu and carries a giant book under one arm.

 "Former name and rank? Current name and rank?" (OOC: Baatezu are permitted to take a new name after promotion, though it is not strictly nescesary, and in Canzon's case probably needlesly complicated as contacts go also). The sage devil also hands you a large sheaf of papers from his pocket. "Fill these out before departing. Use the portal."

 (you do not recall any portals here)

Sidharta:

(I will post more when you reply to the PM I sent.)

In any case, Hell's gate turns into an armed camp  practicaly overnight. When you come closer to observe, you are turned away by the hamatulas guarding the gate (there used to be only one) for want of papers. From the gate, you can see fiends in the colors of all the lords of the nine. Especially conspicuously, you see pairs of black and gold cloaked cornugons--elite First Command soldiers from Malsheem. They roar indescriminately at any Baatezu who quarrel, demanding silence and order. You cannot tell who is fighting who from the scene in the street.

Drum:

As the days pass, you observe the situation in Hells Gate and many surrounding neighborhoods dominated by the Baatezu is rapidly deteriorating into chaos and violence, with fighting in the streets. This is an ideal oportunity to loot and cause mayhem indescriminately while taking a few (or more) stabs at those boring lawful berks

OOC: Depending on the priority Drum gives to looting, burning, terrorizing, and destroying, I will provide an apropriate scenario for him.

Fenrik: 

While you are sitting in the room you have rented, you receive a sending from Yebena, summoning you to her house.

 "Walk with me, please, mortal," says Yebena. You walk  with Yebena, who wears less imposing and expensive robes, but otherwise does not disguise herself. You walk from the Lady's ward to the lower ward on the other side of the ring (which is, infuriatingly, where you just came from). Yebena stops at the mouth of a street leading to one of the neighborhoods near Hell's Gate and leans idly against the the side of a building. In the middle of the street, only fifty feet distant, you see two mortal (mostly tiefling and human) gangs wearing the colors of Malboge and Stygia battling each other.

"Heh. See what we have wrought, mortal," says Yebena. "You have played a part in many plots over the years, I am sure, but even an unwilling participant can apreciate the novelty and tremendous magnitude of this situation. You should enjoy your participation here, pawn or not. Perhaps you will gain something from it too." (Yebena streses this part, though you fail to see anything you stand to gain that won't be taken away by the 'loths save for experience and grevious wounds)

Yebena continues to stare thoughtfully at the madness ahead of her, and you see a faint, fanged smile cross her features.

Bruce:

Portals tend to open randomly in places in the center of Sigil. Little ships fly about mapping and marking these.

 You receive a sending from Yebena while aboard your ship:

"Bruce Maxson. I have an archon in my possesion, and I tire of keeping her alive. I expect payment soon or I will find something better and more profitable to do with her. I would ask that you meet with me to discuss an apropriate payment."    

 OOC: I can't post fully now, within a few hours, I'll be back.

Drum:

You want to search the hive for some Tanar'ri to help you out or not?

Bruce:

You find the following

 2 wizards (ooc: 5th level ish) who will work for 10 GP per day when you are actualy traveling

 OOC: I'm finalizing the loot list and will have what you get soon. Also, what do you intend to do about the Archon?