Canzon steps up to the gates of the mansion and uses the door-hammer, bell, or whatever device is used to signal arrival.
Game: We're Still not Quite Dead Yet
Bruce wakes suddenly and sits up. Looking around, he realizes he is in an alley behind the Gatehouse, again.
You know, you really need to stop doing that.
When I can control the blackouts, you'll be the first to know. What did I do?
You just walked around and mumbled alot, never responded to a damn thing I said. I hate to say it, but you might be crazy.
Says the alternate personality.
Call me what you will, but I'm not the one having black outs.
Bruce recieves Min's Message while eating breakfast, and responds "I will be there shortly."
After finishing his meal, Bruce walks to 4 Assembly Square with the slow, unhurried walk of a man who has all the time in the world.
OOC: We're back!
Canzon and Bruce:
Bruce arrives while Canzon is knocking on the gate. The two skeletons watching the gate swing it open, and make jerky gestures indicating that the two of you enter. When you have done so, the gate is closed behind you, and you are escorted to the double front doors, which have the blueish tint of adamantine. The doors are opened inwards by annother two skeletons.
You find yourself in a large circular receiving room. As with the exterior of the mansion, the floor is obsidian, and the walls are polished Onian granite, although they are adorned with an elaborately and exactingly carved reliefs depicting a panoramic view of a harbor and city. There are no visible doors in the two-story room. The centerpiece of the room is a heavily stylized statue of a featureless human carrying a sword and staff.
(I'm waiting for everyone else to arrive to add more)
OOC: Trias, how to you plan on attacking the bar? Killing everyone, or taking the money and running? And I still can't get to your character sheet, which is a problem if I'm running combat. The site still seems to be down.
The falxugon reverts to his natural form and nods to Bruce.
“So, Mr Maxson, we meet again. You seem to be well, if somewhat a bit tired - sleep certainly is a peculiar mortal need. Quite a display of power you exhibited at the incident earlier, too. I must say, it spurs my curiosity as to its origin...
Canzonzabar asks his question and looks around for some form of seating.
OOC: Welcome back Berk, join in on the glorious evilness!
Canzon:
There are seven chairs in the room, arranged with tiher backs to one section of the wall. They are made of brass, and have thin grey cushions. OOC: Is Trift with you?
Canzon takes a seat and waits patiently.
OOC:
No, if it’s only 5 hours past antipeak, Trift would still be asleep at home for a little while longer.
After a moment, a door didden in the relief swings open. Two figures step through, but neither looks anything like Min. The first is gaunt and stands slightly less than '6"6. She wears a hoodless robe with the texture and color of bone and a matching staff. She is covered in thin white and tan fur, though grey skin can be faintly seen beneath it. Her head looks like that of a wolf or jackal's but with the edges smoothed out and the features less clearly defined. The large and glowing eyes are sunken slightly into her head and the sockets are surrounded by a blue half circle painted onto her fur. She has an extremely large mane of hair running down to her shoulders with a longer ponytail held that way by a steel cylinder. Most surbrisingly, she has a small and neatly trimmed 'beard' at the end of her jaw.
The second figure looks disconcertingly similar to the first, though he is slightly smaller and even thinner. He wears an identical robe and carries a pockmarked metal staff. He has longer hair, and much larger, though still well trimmed beard--over a foot-- which is braided into thin strands with the ends dyed blue.
"Hello, Canzonzabar, Bruce," she says looking at each in turn. She speaks in Min's voice--which sounds odd coming from something so different looking. "Forgive me for creating confusion," she says with a hint of sarcasam, a flash of blue in her glowing orange eyes, and a familiar grin, "But I am still me, and this is my twin brother, Ixa," she says pointing to the figure standing behind her. Both of them sit down next to each other. "I will wait for the others to go into greater detail, but I have found information on our attackers last night."
Any surprise that Bruce might show is hidden by his bandages. He responds in a surprisingly cheerful voice. "Heya Min, maybe its just me but theres something differant aboutcha. Can't place it though." You can clearly hear the accent that Bruce sometimes used last night.
"How very astute of you, perhaps it's the robe."
Bruce turns to face Canzonzabar. There is no emotion as he speaks. "It wasn't intentional. There was an... accident involving a rather large crystal of some sort in the hold of a Nautiloid. I don't remember the specifics, or much of anything involving the next few hundred years."
Suddenly his eyes light up. "Whatever happened, it did a number on us. And it is US, now." The accent is back. "There's a bit of a quibble involving who's the real and who's the copy, I say its me on acount of my having all of the personality and all. Neat thing is, I haven't aged a day, I can blow crap up with my mind, and I'm damn near invulnerable. Seriously. Knife to the throat, not even a scratch. It's happened."
OOC: Bruce Maxson, in a nutshell.
"My, what strange company you have chosen to invite today, larger sister," says Ixa, giving Bruce a sidelong glance. You see one clawed hand shift slightly to a pocket of his robe. The action is almost exactly the same as Min's when she first met Drum.
Penance takes his time traveling to the manor, drawing the element of superiority into question. He is no handservant to be chimed at a moment's notice. As he draws near the address, he slips from sight while his form molds into the stately human. He studies the place and attempts to get a bearing of the person who resides there.
OOC: Invisibility then Disguise into "human"
Spot: 23
Listen: 30
Sense Motive: 6+12=18 (he's trying to see what the structure "says" about the owner)
Search: 7 (nat 1) no matter...
IC:
Once he is sure of the place, he slips into sight, standing right in front of the guards as though he has been waiting all day for admittance.
Bruce looks over at Ixa. "Strange is a relative concept, and one apt to change." He says dully.
"Relax! If I was going to start trouble, there would be alot more rubble. I aint exactly the subtle type."
Try not to start a fight with the family members of our...
Friends?
Lets start with acquaintances and work our way from there.
As long as he doesn't try anything, I won't fry him.
Your words could be interperated as hostile.
Then letls hope he's the calm sort.
All:
Ixa looks at his sister, and there seems to be a quick telepathic exchange between the two. Ixa raises an eybrow and then shrugs.
Penance:
The skeletons follow the same procedure letting you in.
So, the servant of law is late. How very ironic. Says Min telepathicaly.
"Good morning, Penance," says Min switching back to the voice she used the previous night, "I am myself, and this is my twin brother Ixa. Do sit," she says pointing. "As I was just saying, I've learned something about our attackers. I'm waiting for our beloved Xaositect before starting."
To Penance (and Canzon): Someone hs to take the fall for whatever we do, no?
OOC: Berk, you beat me to the post, just note the edit.
Penance smiles and allows his thoughts to wander. "Yes, plenty afoot these days...some codices come before another--making law quite detained at times."
"Good day to you as well, Min. I see you are looking slimmer this early morning." He courteously smiles and sits, rather unphased by her change of appearance. Too many shifters in the multiverse to cause concern, esp. among fiends. At her notion, the well-toned human grins cannily. "Indeed, they do. Did he respond?"
To Penance:
It seems improbable that Drum would have the courtessy to to respond. I think he is counting on showing up unnanounced again, but perhaps he has devised some other brilliant trick. In any case someone who is probably an expert arsonsist is useful. Magic is too easy to trace.
With dazzling smiles, Canzonzabar greets both his hosts and all guests that later arrives.
“Ahh, I am reminded of business trips to the Grey Wastes… My lady, you certainly are resourceful and I look forward to confirmation that these summons were worthwhile.”
The falxugon listens attentively to Bruce’s story, noting the periodic shifts in speech.
“A fascinating tale, truly. The Multiverse is ripe with unique happenstances such as these, and such potency should rightfully be exploited by those strong enough.”
With an innocent grin to Penance, Canzon muses on the present.
“And so we are assembled, again Mr Penance. Punctuality does not strike me as a virtue quite grasped by our missing colourful member, though deviation from norm will inevitably happen for even the most orderly of men.”
OOC:
Knowledge (the Planes) check to confirm if Min and Ixa are (appearing as) arcanaloths.
Canzonzabar:
Tho look (mostly) like arcanaloths, but they are both larger and more gaunt looking than the norm. The eyes seem to be from an ultraloth, as do the less clearly defined facial features. Her manner of speaking is not similar to either of those to fiends however--it seems more infernal.
Why do I catch a common them in your greeting, Canz...how kindly axiomatic of you.
I love innuendo.
![Laughing out loud Laughing out loud](sites/all/modules/smileys/packs/Example/lol.png)
![Cool Cool](sites/all/modules/smileys/packs/Example/cool.png)
I can tell--but so do I.
Penance grins back at the courtly fiend and says, "Yes, it is quite an infernal affair to get through Sigil these days. Too many souls wanting to be bobbed or bought."
A gentle, though perhaps too perfect, chuckle resounds from the human as he reclines in his seat with a regal fashion.
OOC: Trias, how to you plan on attacking the bar? Killing everyone, or taking the money and running? And I still can't get to your character sheet, which is a problem if I'm running combat. The site still seems to be down.
The site still seems down..man, I have no other record of Drum saved on my computer, which is a real bummer -- any suggestions before I redo the character?
Anyhoo, I plan on doing both - first killing everyone, and then taking the money and running.
Sorry about backing the game up.
We can run the combat retroactively if you want, or just assume you managed to kill them all. You're free to narate it if you want. Theres nothing above CR 6 in there. No suggestions on any changes.
OK, well, seeing as how there's no fun in that - Drum will simply decide to have a few drinks from the bar (not gathering info, just having a few drinks) before returning home.
I've sent you a PM with some pertinent History. Posting Drum's entrance soon.
WHAM!
the door slams open.
AhahAHAHHAAHhAHhAHA!! OOOH I'm so excited! Comes the detached, dreamy voice from the manor entrance.
I've brought applesauce and stolen meat for everyone to enjoy!!! The Joker is wearing a similar outfit to the one he was wearing yesterday, only the colors are darker, more intense.
He is holding a bucket of urine-colored liquid in one hand, attached to which is what appears to be 10 pounds of fresh bariaur flesh.
"Accidentally," his opposite, sword-wielding hand hand 'slips,' and slices some of the meat away from the other .
Now Now Mary, be a good girl and behave! You wouldn't want daddy to send you to the corner, now would you?
He looks intently at the sword which gives no apparent response...
What? Don't you take that tone with me!
He gives an exhasperated look towards the others -
Kids these days, no respect!
Looking back at the sword.
WHAT?! of COURSe they'd love it - who the hell wouldn't love a batch of stolen meat?
Oh Hush - I'll deal with you later Missy He scolds it as a parent would scold a disobedient child.
Absentmindedly picking up the raw meat from the ground, and taking a casual bite out of the chunk, he expectantly looks at the others.
I hope someone brought mead!
Any attempts at mind reading would reveal that he isn't actually joking.
Bruce looks over at the joker. "Sorry, but I already ate. I can cook that for you if you want, though." he says, pointing at the raw meat.
OOC: Berk, you beat me to the post a second time.
Ixa's eyes narrow at Drum's entrance and then and move slowly between Bruce and Drum, trying to decide who is the barmier. "Bariaur meat is too stringy." he says flatly.
"There will be no drawn weapons here...and no burning either," says Min to Drum, also glowering. "Nobody wants applesauce. Sit." Min pauses to allow Drum to comply but continues regardless. "I have taken the time to scry on our attackers last night. I have discovered where the person who shot me lives. Hopefully, we can learn more from him, or failing that, get revenge. This person is a human who calls himself Jowen. He lives on 196 Blue way (ooc: in the Clerk's Ward) with a wife and five children. He does not work today, though his two oldest will not be in. He has no neighbors that should be the source of any particular worry on our part. I would like to capture all four who are in the house, we will have more leverage that way. When we're done, we can set the house on fire," said with a nod to Drum.
"Sounds like a plan, when do we depart?" Bruce asks.
"If there are no objections, now."
Still standing, but lowering his weapon, the Joker quickly asks:
OOH, wait - I have two quesitons:
The tone he takes is as if he was a child and this was a children's game
Second: Do we set the house on fire with the family inside, or not?
Third: Where should I keep the applesauce?
Third: Why should we care so much as to attack them? It's not like this doesn't happen in the Cage everyday- what makes them so special?
Drum feigns deep thoughtfulness, furrowing his brow and producing an exaggerated frown of contemplation. The red makeup around his mouth obviously wasn't made for frowns, and it looks very odd when he does frown.
OOOh yes... and
First: Who the hell are you?
Penance rises and brushes off his toga. While casting a caustic glance at the Xaositect, his garb shifts into a military jerkin of a legionnaire. He draws a wickedly long greatsword of onyx hue from the collar of his chest tunic and straps it to his back. "Yes, let's get on with this. I'm more than eager to discover where these plots originated--though I doubt the thrall knows its elder brain."
Trias, you play barmy a bit too well--does your house happen to come with complimentary padding?
JK! Good job RPing, suren.
With forced patience, Min responds, "I am myself," she says in her original voice. "We are attacking them so we can gain more information about our enemies--and because they had the poor judgement to shoot at us. Unless you fancy going into a burnig house to retrieve them, we wait to set it on fire. Oh, and you will remove the applesauce from this house and set it down somewhere else on the way there.
"It would be wise to leave my house in the same shape you entered it with; people tend to watch who enters and leaves my door. A disguise will obviously be called for, but later."
Innevitable, where is your common sense? We become suspects if we walk around the street waving swords around. Please disguise yourself as something inconspicous when a disguise is called for.
Min and Ixa both stand, but leave last.
OOC: Benyamin, you have a +1 unholy, impact greatsword--forgot to mention that earlier
Bruce starts toward the door. "I'll walk in front, in case anyone tries anything."
OOC: I'll asume the party will stop at some point along the way so they can disguise themselves. Once I know who Canzon and Penance are impersonating, I'll describe the next encounter.
Penance merely smiles and the sword fades out of sight. Instead a thick cloak and cowl appear on his back, a greatsword design on its back.
OOC: Disguise Self to merge the gear
Min and Ixa both transform into very ordinary looking humans--though they still look disconcertingly similar--wearing the robes of scribes under the employ of the PTC.
(To all) We shouldn't move in a group like this. It's too suspicious
Canzonzabar makes no attempt at hiding his contempt for Drum, resenting his ethic standards and crude offer of obviously low-standard untreated bariaur meat.
“Let us be off before any of our culinary accomplices initiates the arson prematurely.”
The devil shifts into his former tuladhara form, and addresses the siblings before leaving.
“Do you have any further information on this subject and his relatives? Particularly pertaining to the two currently absent descendants – unaccounted factors should be minimized, when possible. Furthermore, once the family members have played their part, I would have… plans for them, that exclude fatality.”
A wicked smile on his lips, Canzonzabar ponders the vile deed of having the children shipped to Fherinia to be raised and brainwashed into everything their father seems to be fighting.
When the group is on their way, the harvester will take on the form of a planar human with the emblem of a courier.
OOC:
Sliding across campaigns, are we?
"The two who are not present both work as junior administrators at a smallish import company--not a serious threat as far as I could tell, but I have paid two assasins to remove them just in case. Once the prisoners are no longer useful I have no wish to hold onto them. You can have them."
OOC: sorry, I should be putting more info into each post.
Once Jowen's house is visible. It is a simple and thin three story building made of stone with a tiled roof. Min holds up her hand to bring the dispersed group to a halt. She (and Ixa) step into an alley out of view of the house and wait for the others to do the same.
"I would like to asses our targets again once more before we strike. Canzonzabar, if you would come with Ixa and I,"
(to Penance) I apologize, but as much as I would apreciate your assesment of the situation, I would like to leave our best swordsman to keep an eye on those two to prevent them from causing undue problems.
Edited above. Sorry.
Penance smiles and thinks of the long blade hidden against his back. "Of course, I shall see what I can do to keep them preoccupied if necessary."
Wearing his human guise, Canzonzabar tags along.
“I have a proposal for a plan of action, Lady Min. If we can get a good vantage point and observe the wife, I could take her form. Then, one of our members silently subdue her, while I slip in and take her place. I will quickly round up the children and lock them in a room, then let the rest of you in. Is such a scheme feasible in the light of your intelligence on the family?”
“Another concern is that the early morning light from the radiance of Sigil is gaining – how are we to transport our quarry out of the house?”
Canzon:
"I am uncertain that such a small ammout of observation is sufficient to pull off a convincing imitation, and I have no intelligence on what thier routine is during the day, save for what I've told you. Also, you would probably have to get inside in order to do any subduing, and stealtily beating someone senseless isn't easy. Jowen is a paranoid man--and rightly so, he may notice the ruse. Ixa and I can handle the transport of prisoners and our own escape. We have a bag of holding."
“Indeed, for a mere ragtag con artist, such a feat would be nearly impossible to pull off… But yours sincerely have honed this skill to perfection, and need but a moment to study her speech and appearance. I would also wager that there are talents in our troupe for silencing the woman quickly and efficiently - despite his rowdy nature, I noticed that the jester seemed fairly skilful in gliding stealthily through shadows once combat had ensued.”
“However, I would heed your words and take caution in Jowen’s paranoia. Let our first objective be to gain entry, and then take it from there.”
Canzonzabar offers no more input on the planning stage for now, and follows the lead of the sibling.
"Ixa and I are both familiar with the inside of the building and can teleport in, but we need to make certain there is an unocupied floor."
"I will do that, sister," says Ixa, stepping behind the wall, sitting, and closing his eyes. Almost a minute passes before he stands again.
"Canzonzabar, Su'ore Drum, you will come with me. We are entering quietly and giving the devil time to observe. Then you," he says looking at Drum, "are to quietly subdue the wife of Jowen. I have heard that both of you can become invisible for some time. Please do so now and hold onto one of my claws."
Drum and Canzonzabar:
Assuming you comply, you both find yourselves in a simple bedroom with a well made bunk bed, large-ish wardrobe, and two chests. The door is closed. Ixa releases both of your wrists and kneels, pulling a large and highly polished black wooden case etched with an elaborate pattern from his robe (most likely using an extradimensional pocket). He then fades from view.
(Canzon) [i]Be quick, devil, our beloved jester does not seem to have much in the way of attention span.[/i]
(Drum) You will wait until instructed to strike. If you create a situation that causes the fight to drag on needlessly, the Hardheads will arrive and there will be...problems. He leaves the rest of the threat unsaid.
Drum specifically:
The room seems far to neat for a child's, and there are no toys, etc strewn over the floor. Either these are exceptionally boring kids or something's up. Regardless, the perfect order of the room is worrisome to you.
(assuming Drum would have activated his invisibility before entering the room)
He quietly draws both weapons and prepares for an ambush, though not getting so tense as to affect his judgement (which isn't that sound to begin with)
OOC:
This is gonna be tough without a character sheet.
OOC: Yeah, assume you have a BAB of 14 and a strength bonus of +3 plus whatever weapon bonuses you had. In the future I'm going to print out the character sheets in case this happens again)
OOC:
Canzonzabar doesn’t have invisibility as a spell-like ability or even as a known spell. He could have it cast on him by Min or someone else with that capability. If no other sources are available, he will have used one of his scrolls.
IC:
Once invisible but just before taking hold of Ixa’s paw, the harvester chants the arcane verses to gift his sight with ability to sense the Art.
“We will signal you by a window facing the alley. At this point, have the rest teleported in to join us.”
After arrival, the falxugon skims his surroundings carefully to determine who might be sleeping in this bedroom. He then puts his ear to the door and tries to detect if there is anyone present at the other side, while scanning the bedroom and the room beyond the door for magical auras. If he finds any, he will focus in on it and learn its nature.
Canzonzabar reaches out to contact Drum telepathically:
“Remember, we need them all alive. If you can manage, keep the woman conscious as well.”
If no auras or sounds are detected, the devil opens the door slowly and silently and slips into the next room where he orients himself.
OOC:
Listen check.
Sense Motive to determine who lives in the bedroom.
Note that Canzonzabar will automatically identify the school of magic auras of up to 6th level spells (though likely succeed on levels 7-9 as well).
Canzon:
This is a children's bedroom. The entire floor is clear, and you see no magical auras.
Canzon:
You are the first to arrive, and you are still convinced that the building is familiar. You think you saw a head peering down at you from a window, but it is too far away to make out details, and the head darts to the side after a few seconds.