Planejammer Factions: Red Party

[afroakuma]

Having just returned from a whirlwind first mission for your new guild, you find yourself in Ways & Means Plaza in Sigil's Market Ward. As your recruiter's untimely and rather gruesome death left him little time to discuss guild policy with you, a guild official is to give you a formal orientation.

The Plaza is vast and crowded with all manner of beings. Five of them, roughly as tall as humans and draped in pitch-black cloaks, huddle together in a nearby alley, with colored glows escaping the folds of fabric from time to time. A wanderer with a light-emitting head strides by, and you note that his cranium is separate from his body. Two oxlike creatures reeking of sulfur banter with a large, blue, six-armed worm. A being like a housecat with four giant arachnoid limbs glides down a main thoroughfare. Wings, horns, snouts, auras, reeks and tails of all manners assail your senses.

You've been given a letter containing directions to Radical Avenue and the Wayfinders' Guildhouse, where you are to meet with one Paumpa Sas.

[Lyndworm]

Norixitu Koniwasi watches the beings go about their business quietly. He has a fleeting urge to taste the worm, but shakes the idea out of his head. Nori knows better than to start something here, especially now. With a sadistic-sounding rasp escaping his throat, Nori makes his way towards Radical Avenue and the Guildhouse.



OOC: Are we (the Red team) separated or together at this point? Also, I call 006655 for dialogue.

[afroakuma]

The team is together but has only just met through the recruiter.

[Eldan]

Takhra Shir's face displays a mixture of fascination and disgust as he glances over the collection of garden dwellers surrounding him. So much wasted meat.
Still, the Nathri could not complain: his new occupation couldn't be much worse than hunting cranium rats and gallow ravens for food.
The three-foot tall warrior looked up at his companions. Even his considerable amout of hair included, they were taller than him. That would make them easier to hit if necessary.
"So, will any of you be able to help me in any useful way?"
Talking revealed, as always, his finger-long razorteeth.
"Or do I have to give you a part of the money for just standing in the back looking stupid?"

[Emong]

Elros

Elros glances at the creatures milling about him with disdain. They all seem so vulnerable, almost as if he could just reach out and crush one of them with one hand.

The savage Nathri's comment jolts him out of his reverie. He slowly turns to face him as he begins to speak.

"As much as I'd love to have you do all the work, I will be helping with this missions to the best of my ability."

[Lyndworm]

Amused by his comments, Norixitu turns back to his smaller comrade. "Don't worry little one; you won't be having all the fun." As he speaks, Nori's scars stretch and pull at his face, combining his outer beauty with a hideous secret.

[ForzaFiori]

"Do you really think I'd be here if I wasn't going to do anything? I have much better things to do with my time." Kirikus replies offhand. "So does anyone know where the piss were supposed to meet this guy?"

[Lyndworm]

"Of course not. I'm deliberately moving towards a specific direction out of pure wanderlust and have no idea where I'm going." Nor replies sarcastically. He continues moving towards Radical Avenue, albeit somewhat more annoyed now then a moment ago.

[afroakuma]

You follow in the wake of the crowd left by an intimidating minotaur, with Norixitu in particular drawing concerned stares. You pass a pair of floating silver sharklike creatures, a golem who has been hit in the face with a duck, a group of what look to be paladins protesting a brothel, a sentient puddle whipping around along the ground, several three-headed bats, the odd fairy and an armored humanoid wrapped in bandages.

Moving along, you pass several taverns, including the Sulfrous Stain, and find yourselves on Radical Avenue.

[Lyndworm]

"Gentleman, we've arrived." Looking around, Nori can't help but feel a little impressed with the city around him. "I don't know about you folks, but I could use a drink before we jump back into bed with the Guild."

[afroakuma]

Off on a side street, you hear a thunderous noise as something large, beige and featureless drags itself along, and chaotic sounds in its wake.

There are several taverns nearby, including the Spitting Giff, the Silver Skipper and the Ten-Eyes Tavern. It looks like there is a more elite pub on the third story of a nearby building, La Merchant. There is also a shadier den, with a few protesting paladins in front, whose sign proclaims "Elizinia's Emporium of Evil and Eatery."

[Lyndworm]

"I'd suggest avoiding Elizinia's unless you want to draw more attention to yourselves. La Merchant might not let us in without a fight... Something low-profile would suit our needs best. Why don't you put it to a vote while I pretend to care about your opinions?" Nori crosses several of his arms and leans into himself while he waits for a valid response.

[Emong]

Elros

"I'm inclined to agree the Marilith about Elizinia's. And I'd rather avoid having to battle with someone, so that rules out La Merchant. Out of what's left the Ten-Eyes Tavern appeals to me the most."

After speaking Elros looks around at the others, waiting for their responses.

[ForzaFiori]

Kirikus glances around and thinks to himself quickly before speaking. "I say Ten-Eyes. Its closest, and there isn't much of a difference in the three taverns. They all have luke-warm beer, almost pretty girls, and less than savory characters.

[afroakuma]

With relative concord, you proceed to the Ten-Eyes Tavern, denoted by a wooden beholder hanging from its door. Inside, you find a comfortable tavern atmosphere, with a bar and stairs leading both up and down. Raucous tavern noise rings in your various hearing orifices.

Various beings move their various supports to the side to let Norixitu pass. It's clear that this tavern has accommodated larger guests in the past. On the stairs going to the next level, a tall, winged humanoid with emerald skin surveys your party and narrows its eyes, appearing to speak with some unseen presence before coming down to call a waitress. A party of various adventurers are in consultation with a muscular, vaporous spirit with a stout jaw and a thick-woven hat. A pair of bariaurs pass you on their way out.

Various others, including tieflings, githzerai, a skeletal being who sips from a black stone ewer and a couple of beholders, mill around this floor.

[Lyndworm]

"Now this is my kind of tavern... Good choice, Kirikus, Elros. Let's get to relaxing then, shall we?" Nori nods to his companions and makes his way towards the bar, relishing in the movements of the crowd, and how quickly they all try to get away from him. Nori knows it could be just as easily from politeness as fear, but their movements bring his darker tendencies to the front of his mind. Now against the bar, he slaps a fistful of gold pieces against the counter. "Bring me something strong and dark. A rich taste, preferably seasoned. The sooner the drink is festering in my gullet, the more trinkets are in it for you."

[afroakuma]

The barkeep turns and fixes Nori with a hard glare, then separates five gold pieces from those on the counter, casts them into a till under the bar and hums menacingly. The stone wall behind him ripples and a crimson bottle with a narrow, spiraling neck floats through it as though through water, coming to rest in the barkeep's hand.

His hard gaze flicks back to Nori, who can see that the barkeep's eyes are quite bloodshot, and have jagged lines transfixing them horizontally. He grunts in a low voice: "Thrushed ashenport. No color. Broken or no?"

[Lyndworm]

Nori watches the man with a detached sort of amusement. When the barkeep asks Nori about his drink, a smile creeps onto his face. "Surprise me. I have a feeling you know what you're doing."

[afroakuma]

The barkeep scrutinizes the smug marilith for a moment, then hoists the bottle by the base and smashes the neck of it against a stone striker on the countertop. As the liquid spills over his hand, he passes Nori the shattered bottle, which is filled with a deep red liquid and smells heady and pleasant. The barkeep then takes a shaker from a sidebar and shakes out some fine gray powder over his hand before rinsing it in a basin.

[Lyndworm]

"Ha ha! Ha, good show, barkeep." Nori looks at his bottle thoughtfully for a moment, runs a finger around the broken edge and looks back up. He leans in over the bar and all trace of emotion drains from his face, save a touch of rage about his eyes. In a voice so low that only the barkeep is meant to hear it, he says "Don't do it again." Nori straightens up, and puts his mask of amusement back on. "We don't want any misunderstandings." Nori throws the man another GP as promised, drains the bottle in one gulp, and moves to a corner of the bar where he can keep an eye on things.

[afroakuma]

Norixitu

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I'm going to need a Will save, please.

[Lyndworm]

Afroakuma

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Norixitu has Spell Resistance 5, just so you know.

(1d20+1)[12](13)

OOC: Huzzah, some action. Not that I was bored or anything, I was just hoping we/I could get into some shenanigans before we went back to the Guildhouse.

[afroakuma]

Norixitu

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I assure you, it won't help. There are disadvantages to being on the lam from demon society. Not understanding a barkeep's offering is one of them.

You have suffered Wisdom damage - (2d4)[2] and Charisma damage - (2d4)[5] (temporary) and your alignment shifts to chaotic good for the next hour. You feel indescribably wonderful as a rush of pleasing euphoria runs down the length of you.

At least it tasted good. Could have used a little something, though.

On the bright side, I imagine you'll be in quite a foul mood when it wears off.

The barkeep maintains his hard look at Nori, who drinks his beverage in one gulp and promptly keels over backwards with a goofy smile on his face. A couple of the patrons gawk; a few more smirk and the barkeep shakes his head while looking mildly curious.

Within a minute, the crowd is ignoring him, and Nori has righted himself, still with a rather stupid smile on his face.

[Lyndworm]

Afroakuma

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OOC: Haha! I am indescribably entertained right now. Good idea, good plot device... I'm already playing the game and you're continuing to get me psyched for it. You do not disappoint, Afro.

Nori, with a pleasant smile on his face, weaves his way back to the barkeep. "I'd like to thank you for the drink... and apologize for my earlier rudeness. My fortune smile on your endeavors." Nori smiles at the man, and finds a table at which to rest.


OOC: I'm going to head to bed soon, and I'm not sure how tomorrow will go. I should definitely be able to post a few times, though. Good luck, and good night.

[Eldan]

Takhra Shir

The Nathri watches his new companion while he collapses on the floor like the useless garden-dweller he is, before turning back to the barkeeper.
"Got any Liquid Vapors? Deep ethereal, preferably, and not too intoxicating. Oh, and do you have any snacks? I'd prefer something crunchy, if you have that. Bones, perhaps, or whole nuts."

[afroakuma]

The barkeep grunts, "Six gold," and then hums again. A conical, ice-blue glass comes through the wall and is passed to you. The barkeep grabs a wooden bowl from under the counter, calls "nuts" and tosses it to a nearby waitress, a tiefling by the look of her, who goes over to a large barrel and scrapes near the bottom, coming up with a bowl filled with various nuts in shades ranging from pasty beige to dusky gray.

[Emong]

Elros

Elros stifles a chuckle as Nori's attitude is modified.

"Fool, he should have known that this is not a place where anyone can be a barkeeper. Oh, and I'd like something... flavorful, if at all possible."

OOC: I'll be on the road most of today, so this'll likely be the last post I make for a few hours.

[afroakuma]

The barkeep reaches into midair and begins flicking his fingers as though paging through a book. He then peels aside the air to reveal a wine rack, from which he selects a bottle.

"Berry wine. From Rashemen on Toril. 4 gold. Yes?"

[Emong]

Elros

"That sounds perfect, I'll take it." Elros reaches into his pack and pulls out the gold, which he places on to the counter.

OOC: Okay, I lied this will be it for a few hours.

[afroakuma]

The barkeep passes off the bottle to a waitress, who fills a glass and takes the money as the barkeep closes the dimensional wine rack and attends to another customer. He spares a glance for the whacked-out Nori and comments, "Didn't think he'd be ready for that, arrogant berk. Still, never had thrush before? I thought he was a fiend?"