Size Matters? Anteo Shortshanks

The young woman with a rat's tail, who had at first regarded Anteo with a mixture of curiousity and surprise, immediately scowls at him darkly.  "Wha?!"  She squawks.  "You-"  Instead of saying anything else to him though, she turns back to the man behind her and smiles sweetly.  "Well tell ye what love, teach this li'l berk a lesson an I'll give ye a discount.  Wadda ye say, 25 jinks?"  The only man looks down at Anteo, then leers up at Sophitia and grins.  "Hm, I say ye've got a deal, lass."  He starts to draw his sword but the woman grabs his arm.  "Hey!  I didn't say ta put him in the dead book ya leatherhead!  I said- augh!"  "Git off." The man shouts, backhanding her, and causing her to stumble back hard against a wall and cry out in pain.  He turns back to the two confused and lost people standing before him and grins again.  "So... here's an idea.  How about ye give me all yer jink, or the girl, and I let ye go."

Please roll initiative. Spells work a little differently in 3.5, you have a difficulty class that = 10 + the spell's level + the bard's charisma modifier + any misc. modifiers from feats or whatever. So in your case it would be DC 14. Also, don't forget to keep track of your spells per day. Also, you may want to consider taking a free five foot step back, as casting a spell with an enemy in an adjacent square has a chance for painful results, for you.

Please roll initiative.  We can't procede until the combatants roll initiative.  It's 1d20 + dex modifier + any other modifiers you have for it, like the feat, Improved Initiative.

Sophitia isn't quite on top of things, and doesn't step back in time, but neither does she resist Anteo shoving her back. Anteo takes a step back, keeping Sophitia behind him, but it seems to have been unnecessary after all as the thug simply glares at him stupidly while he casts his spell, perhaps not quite realizing what he is doing. Around the time that realization starts to dawn on him however the spell has begun to take effect. His eyes, still locked onto Anteo, widen with fear, and he recoils. His hand dropping away from his weapon, he takes a step back, then another. Then with a shriek, he turns and flees, turning right at the end of the alley and running down the street. Several passers by stop to watch him for a short moment before continuing on quicker than before.

The tailed woman stands at the end of the alley grimacing as she holds onto the back of her head with one hand and the base of her tail with the other. She turns and smiles nervously at the gnome. "H-hey love, n-no hard feelings right? I was only playin' that leatherheaded berk didn' get it an thought I was serious, see?" She starts to walk but grimaces again and looks back at them. "H-hey, wadda ya say I make it up to ya? You two look like you're from out-o-town. Lemme help ya! I can show ya around, yeknow, I won't even charge as much as a tout, an' if ye need some other services, I can help withat too..." She grins hopefully, showing surprisingly large canine teeth.

She seems sincere, but Anteo really isn't sure.  The one thing he's sure about is that she didn't offer anything for free, just for less. 

 "Of course, cutter."  The woman answers immediately.  "You're in Sigil, the City o' Doors, or The Cage as locals call it.  The one city in the in all existence where if it exists, it can probably be found."  She looks a bit unnerved by Anteo's assurment, "Uh, I don'... Y- Yeah, of course not... Uh, don' worry abou' me.  I've had worse."  Though just as she says this she flinches visibly.

Sophitia smiles at her little man, but looks worried as she looks down at herself, her lovely dress stained with the dirt and grime of the alley floor. "Uh... did I... Oh that's right!" The young human woman reaches into her bodice and retrieves a small, finely crafted velvet pouch. "Here it is." It seems at least that she is starting to recover from her near catatonic state of shock.

The woman seems temporarily stunned by Anteo's manners. "Er, uh. I... Please ta meet such top self bloods as yourselves." she mutters, making an abortive attempt at a curtsey which she quickly gives up on when she remembers just how short her skirt is. She looks embarrassed, again smiling nervously, and adds, "Uh, me? Uh, I'm just Nelia.... Oh yea, I'm a tiefling... Ye'know, if ye want to know." She holds out her hand hesitantly and Anteo can see that her fingernails are over about an inch long from the base. They're also dark, sort of clawlike. However, her hands don't look terribly dirty. Seeing Sophitia's pouch she adds "Oh, one jink'll be good miss."

Sophitia raises an eyebrow in Anteo's direction, but doesn't otherwise say anything.  Nelia however, immediately tenses, and he get's the feeling that she would yank her hand away in an instant if she weren't still worried about angering him.  When it becomes clear to her that the gnome is not in fact going to bite her, she slowly relexes, but continues to look worriedly at him.

 "Ye won't find many top self bashers 'round here.  This is The Hive Ward.  If ye do see one though ye can be sure they're up to no good, and best avoided.  This blood a friend of yours?"

 "I... What?  Blood- Bash- what?"  Sophitia chimes in.

 "Oh right, forgot you two were Cluele-"  The tiefling pauses nervously, looking from Sophitia to Anteo and back again before stuttering out, "Forgot you two were... ye'know, new in town...  Uh...  What I meant was, 'Is he your friend'?"

 Sophitia's eyes somehow widen and she let's out a light and lovely giggle.  "Heavens no... He's my fiance.  Hopefully I'll never see the cowardly brute again.  Nor his... Bugbear."

Nelia shrugs.  "Well....  Ye say ye want somewhere ta lay down?  I guess we could go back to my place, but it;s really a mess, and I don't have drinks.  If you're looking for drinks, there're a few places I can take you c'mon."  She turns and starts moving back towards the street again with a visible limp.

"Me, a healer?" Sophtia utters in surprise, then lets out a small giggle. "Oh, I think I'd be terrible at that. I get faint at the sight of blood. But are you sure it's a good idea to trust this tramp? I mean, she did just tell her brute to attack you, and look at her. She's got a tail, and claws... and her clothes..." The young noblewoman shakes her head. "Though I guess she's the only... person... we know, and I could use a drink."

Nelia stops and turns, rubbing her hip. "You bloods comin'?"

"Anteo, I'm not a child, I don't need you to lead me by the ha- a... alright... Maybe just for a little bit" Stepping out of the alley, Anteo realizes that this was perhaps in one of the better alleys in this area.  The cobbles on the street itself are in terrible shape, some large patches are completely unpaved.  Looking around reveals more obvious poverty, several beggars sit against the walls of buildings or attempt to solicit passers by for coppers.  "Don' give em anythin', you give ta one, the others'll swarm ya like vermin.  You're gonna get bobbed somewhere in that mess, for everything you've got."  There's graffiti on almost every surface, and more of those strange spikes and strange plants which Anteo's hand still hurts from touching it, though the bleeding has slowed.  It would still hurt to use the hand to grasp anything.  "Are you sure your hand is alright Anteo?"  Sophitia asks, remembering her lover's injury since the immediate threat of violence is gone.  "Ooh, looks like ye found some Razorvine.  Yeah, ye don' want ta be touchin' that with yer bare skin.  Nasty stuff."  Nelia comments helpfully.  "I gotta say though, you're lucky you ended up here.  That is, in that alley.  You're in the Gray District.  One o' the safest, an cleanest places in th' Hive.  Ye won' find no deaders in the streets here. The Dusties make sure they're all collected and taken to the Mortuary.  Big building in the middle o' the district.  I'm takin' you to a tavern though called the Smoulderin' Corpse.  Dunno what the name's about either.  Heard somethin' abou' a flamin' guy useta work there or somethin'.  Like, a human torch."  She shrugs.  Continuing the walk , Anteo notices more beggers, and several scantily clad beings of various races standing around, apparently soliciting sex to passers by.  If he knows anything about modern civilization, he'd be fairly certain they were prostitutes.  Most of them are women, but a few are clearly male, and several are... ambiguous.  Some of them are rather reminiscent of his guide.  "I knew it!"  Sophitia blurts out.  "She's a whore!"  The Tiefling turns stops and turns to the Human with cocked eyebrow that clearly says she thinks she's nuts.  "You barmy?"  She asks.  Sophitia seems both confused and embarrassed, and looks away, then down at the ground, folding her hands in front of her.  "Well, I guess now's as good a time as any ta ask, got any questions?"

"Whoa whoa, calm down Cutter." Nelia responds, making placating hand gestures.  Like I said, I'm a Tiefling.  I dunno what "species" means but, I aren't one if you aren', an' neither is anyone else s'far as I know.  There're lotso humans about, an' a few smaller fellows like you as well,"  Looking around, it's pretty clear that there are in fact several human's around, and Anteo also spots a rather shady looking pointy eared fellow that is at least half elven.  As for the city, well, where else would it be?  I mean, it's a ring in't it?  If you're standin' on one side, t'other's above you."

Nelia shrugs and continues walking. Anteo sees several other strange beings as he follows, creatures with the body of an animal but the torso and up of a humanoid sprouting from where the animal body's neck would be. Several winged humanoids fly overhead at one point, quickly disappearing among the roof tops. And a strange, tall, thin creature with horns on it's head floats past, it's feet hovering several inches above the ground. "Oi, hold up a moment. See that there?" Nelia says, stopping to point out the floating humanoid. "Thats a Dabus. They're sorta like... well, they're servants of The Lady, it's best not to bother them if ye don't want trouble. And if ye hurt one, yer only chance is to take the first portal you see an' get outa town.... oh... an' here we are." Nelia turns to her left, and points to a building about thirty feet away that seems to have several prostitutes hawking their services nearby. Some of them notice Nelia and look annoyed. The large black building has a sign on it that reads, 'Smoldering Corpse Bar' in large text, and underneath, in smaller text it reads 'Hear the harrowing tale of a MAN ON FIRE and his quest for vengeance, inside.'

Throughout the tour, Sophitia has held onto Anteo's hand, she's managed to handle everything about as well as he has, though she has been a bit too shocked to ask any questions.

Nelia returns the scowls of the prostitutes before turning her gaze back to the two she is guiding with a much more pleasant expression. "Stupid greenskirts think this is their turf or some screed. Never you mind em though." She starts to walk past them, scowling, but Sophitia holds Anteo back for a moment. "I knew it!" She whispers, "She's a... dirty woman! We can't trust her!"  Several of the "greenskirts" are now eying Anteo appraisingly, while others eye Sophitia with obvious contempt.

Sophitia at first glares at Anteo as he silences her, but as he speaks she seems to calm down.  "I... alright... yes... Though I'm not sure I even want to go back.  What is there for me there?"  She shakes her head and follows him towards the Bar, they pass by the greenskirts and several of them make lude but complementary comments about Anteo's appearance, and what they'd like to do with him if he paid them a few "greens".  A world weary looking halfling, the only in the group, suggests he's overcompensating with such a "large" woman as Sophitia.  Right about then it starts to rain, and the greenskirts squeal and scatter.  "Ah!"  Sophitia exclaims, and hurries inside.  It becomes clear why as a droplet lands on Anteo's exposed skin, and causes a stinging sensation before he reaches the door.

Inside, the scantilly clad Nelia turns to look at them with her hands on her hips.  "Here ye're Cutter.  The Smolderin' Corpse."

 (OOC:  Thanks to Azriael for this description, it's mostly his words.)

As Anteo steps in from the organic reek of the hive into the flickering semi-darkness of the smouldering corpse bar the first thing that hits him is the heat of the place, though somewhat uncomfortable and smoky the hot, dry air is a welcome change from the grimy drizzle. One massive, blackened iron grate in the centre of the entryway seems to contain a tremendous fire-pit, the flames stopping just short of the metal. Oddly enough the stones surrounding the grate seem to have been somewhat melted at some point in the past from a intense heat coming from above rather than below. The main fire-pit is supplemented by a series of smaller pits dotted around the large entryway, providing illumination for the rest of the unlit establishment. The worst of the heat and smoke is carried out through several brass chimneys in the roof, cunningly crafted to avoid any intake of rainwater.

His gaze is immediately captured by what appears to be the illusion of a badly burned man, wreathed in flames who writhes in apparent pain as he hovers above the main pit.

The entryway is separated from the encircling taproom by a railing supported by bladed pillars as is the local style with three large, barbed arches allowing passage from one area to the other. The taproom is 3’ above the level of the entryway and grows progressively dimmer as one moves away from the flames. This area houses a scattering of sturdy tables for the mostly quiet crowd of beings who fill the bar.

The bar itself sits towards the rear of the establishment, manned by a large surly looking human.

"So! Let's get pissed!"  The tiefling calls out.  Sophitia stares at her blankly.  Several of the rather colorful asortment of patrons look over at the newcomers, some clearly leering at the imodestly dressed young Tiefling, the unbelievably gorgeous young human, and the handsome Gnome.

Nelia seems surprised by the response but quickly replies, "Oo, I'll have an Elf's Blood Ale! Don't worry it's not real Elf's blood, they don't carry that kinda bub here... Least I don't think so. Anyway you oughta try it too, it's great!" Sophitia seems worried, but follows after Anteo without any more comment. Nelia on the other hand leads the way to the bar, excited at the apparent prospect of a free drink.

The bartender looks up from scrubbing at a dark spot on the counter and 'harumphs', then greets Anteo in a subdued tone. "Welcome to the Smolderin' Corpse Bar. Aven't seen you aroun' 'ere before. You from out of town? Well no matter, your gelt's just as good as any. What'll it be? An' what for the ladies?"