A Knife in the Dark

Background of Krishinia:
The kingdom of Krishinia, far to the north, fell to a massive horde of orc and goblinoid lead by the orc king Ralgar a couple decades ago. The royal family sought refuge in the grand empire of Tallunguard to the south, and the survivors of the invasion split across the globe. Krishinia seemed lost forever, until four years ago, when news of the capitol city being left relatively unguarded as Ralgar had returned further north to check on his holdings, young priestess Mara raised an army with the help of Tallunguard and marched to reclaim her home. The army arrived to find the cities gates wide open and scores of dead orcs and goblins everywhere. Upon entering the throne room, she found Valdun Desalun, a childhood friend, waiting with his two companions upon the throne. Apparently Valdun had also received the news and in the night before, with the help of a sorcerer, Jamal Mueton and a monk, Johnathon Partal, had slain the company of orcs left to guard the city. Mara was crowned queen and the kingdom began rebuilding. A call was sent out to all peoples near and far, that opportunity awaited in Krishinia and all were welcome. Many traveled to make Krishinia their new home.

Valdun stayed in Krishinia to help rebuild, even kindling a relationship with Queen Mara. Many said Valdun would eventually be king. Seeing a need for protection, Valdun hand picked the first group of thugs, thieves, and vagrants that would become the founding members of The Night Watch. The Night Watch’s primary mission was the protection of the empire from all enemies, from without or within. Using unorthodox methods, The Night Watch became a powerful organization and was critical in the detection of Ralgar’s return to reclaim Krishinia. Valdun and The Night Watch quickly set out to intercept the invading horde, slaying many of them silently in the night over the next several days. When the invaders finally arrived at Krishinia’s gates, they had lost over 1/3 of their size and had a shaken moral. The new army of Krishinia, with the help of The Night Watch, just barely turned back the horde and won the day. This is when problems for the organization began.

Valdun insisted that Queen Mara order her armies out of the city, in pursuit of the horde, to finish off Ralgar and end any chance of another invasion. Queen Mara refused to sacrifice more of her people for such a mission. A huge fight between the two spawned over the issue and their relationship officially ended. Over the next few months, the two were often at arms against each other, Valdun taking actions and ordering The Night Watch on missions that would serve the greater good of the empire, even if such orders were against Queen Mara’s wishes. Things finally came to an end when, on the grand celebration of Queen Mara’s 20th birthday, Valdun entered her private chambers and reprimanded her for celebrating when so many problems were occurring within the empire. Queen Mara was furious with Valdun and in an argument that almost ended in bloodshed; Queen Mara banished Valdun from the kingdom. Valdun silently gathered his belongings, and after an extremely long talk with his right hand man, Jarrett Strife, Valdun left the empire, never to return.

That was three years ago, and The Night Watch has changed greatly since then. No longer welcome in the city, Jarrett Strife, the new leader of The Night Watch, moved the band to a series of caverns in the mountains, a couple miles from the city. Shortly after, the Queen met a young paladin, Jorgen Lightblade, and they wed. Jorgen quickly formed a band of paladins known as The Order of the Shining Sword to protect the kingdom. With the new King in place, such operations as The Night Watch were no longer welcome, and all caught within such a group would face the same fate as Valdun.

The Night Watch of today is covert, quiet in their operations. Only a handful of people outside the group know that they still remain, including the captain of the Krishinia guard, who, knowing we are doing the kingdom some good, tells his soldiers to turn a blind eye if they encounter The Night Watch performing a mission. The Order of the Shining Sword is constantly looking for members of any “rogue” group, but The Night Watch remains hidden and takes great fun in toying with the paladins. A favorite game is to intercept a mission of The Order and complete it, so when the paladins arrive, the task is already done, leaving the paladins quite confused. The Order is a great rival of The Night Watch, but not its enemy. The Night Watch continues its silent protection of the land and is ever looking to the North for the return of Ralgar and a new horde.

OOC(http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91685)

After settling in Krishinia, each in your own way, The Night Watch began to take notice of you, for whatever reason. You were each separately approached by an agent of The Night Watch and granted entry into the organization. For the past six months they have been honing and refining your skills, teaching you to use them for a greater good and not just for personal gain. You six now know each other fairly well and, even though some of you might not get along, you have a degree of respect for each other. It is now the day of graduation from your basic training to the next level of skill development, field work.

You have all been woken up early from the sleeping quarters in the cave, knowing you have your final trials today. You are led by Shingles Bandersnatch, the excitable halfling who serves as your locks and traps instructor, to the training rooms. Awaiting you there already is the sour human Shalkar Tulun, your combat instructor, and the shadowy elf Talithal Nightbreeze, your stealth instructor. Shingles lines the six of you up against the wall and takes his place to the left of Shalkar. Shalkar steps forward and addresses the six of you;

"When we found you, you were nothing more than common criminals, wanderers and vagrants. You entered our organization as you were, and given the title of 'Thug', an unthinking, unskilled heap of a creature. You have trained hard over these past months and have finally earned the right to shrug off that title and take on a new one, 'Thief'. Today, you will all face three trials testing you in the skills myself, instructor Bandersnatch, and instructor Nightbreeze have taught you over these past six months. How well you perform in these trials will not only effect your class placement, but will determine who will be leading you once you enter the field and will put you that much closer to full membership in the organization and the title of 'Knave'. Instructor Nightbreeze, please, lead them to their first test."

Gregor

Months of training and preparation had led to this. Gregor knew it was time. Time to put his hard-fought skills to good use. No. Perfect use. The group is only as strong as it's weakest member, and the mind was only as strong as it's weakest process. You couldn't strive to be perfect in the Academy - you had to be perfect. You don't try - you do. Now it was time. Time to prove to his insightful instructors the true nature of his skill.

The early awakening had done nothing but provide Aramina with a shortened temper. She stood on the outside of the group of six being addressed, blinking sulkily at Instructor Shalkar. The first six months had passed with hardly a word spoken, for the only female of that six-man team had been holding herself aloof with an air of superiority that lent buoyancy to her spirit. The nobly-bred desert dweller snorted contemptuously during his speech when labeled an, "unskilled, unthinking heap of a creature," and covered the snort with a sneeze. She at least had the presence of mind to recognize when her own moodiness was getting the better of her. When he had finished her attention turned to Instructor Nightbreeze with an intensity that was almost palpable. Such was Aramina's way: focused, calculative, a compass for the task at hand. Too bad it was Nightbreeze: stealth was not her forte, and it would be a shame to start her already-ruined morning off with a poor display. She sighed, her whisper audible in the stillness of the cave.

Couldn't it have been traps first...?

Knuckles

Knuckles turns to Gregor and makes small talk as they await Nightbreeze, "After much reflection, I think I will have to go with vagrant... criminal and wanderer just never seemed to fit. Thug, now that's a better word, but Thief.... that I will have to grow into."

Gregor

"Aye, I've never stolen a thing in my life. Sure, I've taken other people's things, but by no means were they in any shape to protest." Gregor returns, an easy smile breaking the slate-like features of his face.

"This most be the begging of the test- Glard tought-, if we have to start with stealth, noone shal see me". And so Glard stayed behind an hid beneath the shadows and started followingsilently to the rest of the group.

Grimble grinned. Stealth was definitely his forte, and he was confident he could get an early crack at showing up his classmates.

"I've never stolen, either. I've only taken gold from those who would willingly hand it over to me. Of course, I may have falsely inflated the man's confidence before the wager!"

Aramina allowed herself to smile at the,"thieving virgins." A person did not have to be stealthy to be a good thief: they just had to know their target's schedule. Better not to risk being caught at all than take the chance of the masters of the household catching you in the act. That being said the story behind her thievery was an unusual one: although born into nobility, the city in which she was raised was a stiff, class-oriented community where a person could be nothing more than what they were born to be. Stealing the personal belongings of her countrymen had become an addiction in the same way heroine is addicting: you take it once, maybe again, and become hooked for life. Only now...

She looked to Instructor Nightbreeze, letting the boys puff out their chests and brag about their abilities as they would.

May we begin?

"SILENCE!", Instructor Tulun harshly shouts at the six of you. Instructor Nightbreeze motions for you to follow and as you exit, you hear Instructor Tulun commenting to Instructor Bandersnatch, "Lord, you tell them their first test is stealth and they can't keep their mouths shut. Maybe they aren't ready for the trials......"

Instructor Nightbreeze leads you right, to a small side chamber with a large crafted double door at the end. She stops in front of the door and turns to address the group, "Your first test will be stealth. Behind this door are three chambers, one after the other. You must pass through each without being noticed, and make it through the final door and out the other side. The more chambers you successfully make it through, the better your score on this trial shall be. Gregor, would you start us off."

(OOC: Everyone, in the OOC Thread, roll a Move Silently check, a Hide check, and then a Move Silently and Hide Check.)

Instructor Nightbreeze opens the large crafted doors. The doors make not a sound, well oiled and greased, as they swinging open. Gregor goes first, but you will all pass through those doors when it is your turn.

You enter into a dimly lit circular chamber, about thirty feet in diameter. Across from you is a door identical to the one you passed through, but most eye catching is a large wolf laying in the center of the room, sleeping. Knowing you must be quite as possible to make it through, you creep along the side of the room, planting your feet silently, as you were taught. Almost all of you make it across the room and through the other door without a sound, but Glard makes it to just over half way across when bad foot placement causes a small sound, and you see the wolf's eyes pop open. With one mighty leap the wolf springs at you, its jaws closing around your throat. You wince, expecting the pain but the figure of the wolf dissipates into nothingness leaving you alone in the chamber. Knowing you have failed, you return through the first set of doors to rejoin your classmates.

Those who make it to the second room enter behind a stack of crates. Peering around the side of them, you see this chamber is identical in size and shape to the last; however, this room is filled with scattered junk; broken crates and barrels. In the center of the chamber sits a giant spider, at least six feet in length, its eight eyes scanning the room. You creep from shadow, to crate, to barrel, attempting to stay hidden from the monstrous arachnid. a few of you successfully avoid detection and enter the final chamber, but Aramina and Knuckles are not so fortunate. Unable to hide your full frame behind a crate, you hear the spider let out a low hiss. It suddenly bounds upward and down upon you, its two poisonous fangs sinking into your chest. You feel no pain as the spider disappears. Having failed the second room, you return through the first chamber, now without a sleeping wolf, and back to Instructor Nightbreeze and your classmates.

Those who make it to the third and final room enter, just like the previous chamber, behind a stack of crates. You scan this room, very identical to the last, save for the arrangement of the junk, but with a very attentive and prepared elf standing in the center, holding an arrow notched in his ready bow. You know this is what it’s all about, sneaking past a waiting guardian. You silently skulk around the room, hiding behind the strewn debris, aiming for that final door. Gregor can’t avoid the elf’s piercing gaze, and Grimble and Kai, his keen ears. Honing in on you, he levels his bow at you and lets lose the arrow, right into your eye. Your head jerks back instinctively, but when you level it back you still have vision in both eyes and are now staring at an empty chamber. You return through the first two rooms, now empty, and back out the main door. “Well done”, Instructor Nightbreeze comments to the class, leading you back to the main room with the other two instructors.

Aramina did not seem inclined to accept the compliment -she had not made it to the final room- but since she didn't do horribly accepting the bitter pill of failure was easier. As they left she looked over her shoulder at the door that led into the stealth rooms, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. She spoke more to herself than anyone else.

We're not finished yet, you and I.

Only for now, she was. Her piercing blue eyes swiveled to one of the other humans in the group, noticing (but not for the first time) that they were an evenly split team of halflings and humans. Aramina would work with the "little people", but for companionship the desert girl found it much easier to talk to people nearer her height. Right now that meant Gregor, who she fell into step with.

So where did you come from?

Knuckles

Knuckles sighs, "If by well done, Professor Nightbreeze, you mean that my goose was thoroughly cooked, I agree." The short man rubbed his head before going on, "I have never had much issue with being overlooked, but it certainly looks like more practice is in order."

Ashamed of the results, Glard took his place among the shadows in the back.'This is not the end' he thougt 'they'll see i'm worthy'. It may have been a good result for the group, but for him the actual field of work was the real test.
He saw his companions from the dark, they knew nothing, they were not worthy of his trust, they were happy to be taught to steal and eager to be seen as great thieves. He knew the only important thing was his survival.

"To know I must survive, and to survive I must know." He says, clenching his fist until he looses the feeling. His piercing eyes gaze toward Gregor and Aramina, whom caused his gaze to.. lighten. "You were pretty amazing back there." He says toward Gregor, not realizing Aramina had spoken.

Spoiler

Show

AH! I read a book named Gregor! :smalltongue:

Grimble

"Amazing, indeed," Grimble grumbled. "If that sulking leotard-wearing oaf hadn't stepped on my foot in the last room, I'd have made it." Grimble was never good at admitting his own mistakes, and Gregor was the easy scapegoat. The two of them didn't get on very well because Gregor was so untrusting, and quite frankly, Grimble couldn't be trusted. "As for you, Frank, don't be so hard on yourself!" Grimble continued in his normal, jovial tone. He added with a wink, "Besides, you're more the type to distract the enemy while someone like me slips in!" Grimble took a shine to Knuckles because he reminded him of the barkeeper that often pulled his ass out of the fire on the very rare occasion that he couldn't escape his victim's detection.

When Gregor didn't answer her for some time Aramina gave him a searching look and shifted her conversation elsewhere. She looked to Grimble, who was just going into his jovial bit about being the one to sneak in someplace. A rueful grin stretched out her cheeks, revealing teeth polished to an almost mirror-like state.

"Hey, you shouldn't be one to complain. At least you didn't get the jump on by an imaginary spider."

She shuddered, only half-faking it. If there was one thing that the desert was capable of breeding in abundance it was arachnids, but that didn't make it easier to face off against eight-legged freaks. Beetles, scorpions, spiders... more spiders... yuck.

Instructor Nightbreeze returns to her spot next to Instructor Tulun as Instructor Bandersnatch motions for you to follow. On your way out, you hear Instructor Tulun ask Instructor Nightbreeze, "How did they do?". Instrutor Nightbreeze gives a disappointed shrug as you step out of sight.

Instructor Bandersnatch leads you left, to a small side chamber with a large crafted double door at the end, identical to the last. "Your second test will be traps and locks. Ahead are five chambers, each with their own tricks. You must simply pass through all five, easy enough, right?" Instructor Bandersnatch says with a chuckle. "Gregor, you're first."

(OOC: Everyone, in the OOC Thread, roll 5 Search checks, 5 Disable Device checks, and 2 Open Lock Checks)