AVB - Ishmael Mk II

[Monodominant]

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seriously? 8600xp? I mean I am pretty amazing and has been some time since I got an XP injection for story reasons but thats very nice as the stakes are getting higher and I expect my probabilities of surviving the Dayman encounter even WITH that are not more than 50% :D

Ishmael thanks the steward exchanging a few good words with him and hopefully gets something to eat before leaving.

He follows a diffrent route around the city this time and ends up behind the bank after numerous detours and changes.

He approaches the window at the office of von Darkmoor while staying in the shadows and checks to see if it has been left open.

[planswalker]

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hm... that number is far too high. let's cut it to 6,000 even. You've done a LOT of rp.

The window indeed has.

[Monodominant]

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Thank you kindly! And yea its been great! So many things!!!! I am really enjoying myself!

In the words of the Ancients.... Ding.

Can I somehow "save the game" at this point so that if I die I dont start back at level 6 :D :D :D perhaps Ishmael will start writting a journal with what he knows and leave it for his... successor ;)

Ishmael nods to himself and checks to see if there are any sewer entrances nearby and preferably ones that are covered by shadows or not near illuminates areas.

After he has found one he uses the hat to take the appearance of a City Guard just in case and enters the bank in order to retrieve the body and head back out to enter the sewers. The belt filling him with strength this time carrying a body should be much much easier!

If nothing happens indeed he does so and heads for the docks.

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hide: (1d20+29)[31]
MS: (1d20+23)[42]

I guess I need to rest first before I level right?

[planswalker]

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nope. If you die, you start over at lvl 6 just like everyone else.

yes, you must rest to level up.

You arrive at the Docks without incident.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael looks for one of his brethren and asks if possible to be taken to a black robed one.

[planswalker]

He is taken to one. "What can the Order do for you, Hand of the Spider?"

[Monodominant]

Ishmael pushes the body forward.

"I am not sure if a dead dominari is useful if dead or if you only require alive ones... this one is a Jack. A Toe called Gorvich. His people believe he betrayed them and left the city... more importantly I did not get a chance to interrogate him before ending his miserable existence" he says relishing the retelling and also realising how the priest called him.

"I thought that perhaps you may glean some information from his body if you speak with it or that you may find it useful in some way. It will help ensure noone finds him and learns of the truth and perhaps it will help the Clan with information for the coming attack." says Ishmael and bows his head.

[planswalker]

"We will add the death blood of this one to your name. Three more and we can further enhance your weapon."

[Monodominant]

Ishmael considered that for a moment. They made it sound too easy... if he really wanted to simply kill three humans it could be done so easily almost without effort.

And off course thats were the trap lay... he remembered flashes of the creature or presence that had looked at him, deep inside him and he shivered. He was not sure if he wanted to feel that again so soon if ever again.

He still inclined his head towards the Skulk with the black robe and nodded.

"Very well, just make sure you extract anything else of value from him first. By the way what kind of enchantment would you put on it?" he asked curiously before asking if he could spend the night here and finally getting some well needed sleep.

[planswalker]

"We have several choices..."

[Monodominant]

"Ah so its a matter of improving it, not some kind of predetermined path our weapons take..." he says a bit more relaxed that the ritual did not simply involve making a weapon only dedicated to human killing.

If the skulks can offer him safe haven for the night he takes it and wakes up at dawn the next day to continue with his missions.

[planswalker]

such a haven is so offered. As you are about to head to sleep, the Chief's daughter finds you and says, "Well, looks like someone's been moving up in the world. My spies report that you have a shiny new letter of marque."

[Monodominant]

He raises an eyebrow but manages to suppress the frown that was about to follow.

"Now that is very very priviledged information m'Lady... It means there are still our brethren following me around, which would be very bad form, or you have spies within her house which would be incredibly impressive yet I admit worrysome..." he says trying to consider what it could mean other than that she already knew too much.... not that it was bad in and on itself but it was reducing the operational security and causing his heart to beat faster as the andrenaline fueled his body.

[planswalker]

"Oh, nothing of the sort, I swear. I'm just good at scrying people. Our obscuras are not infallible."

[Monodominant]

"Yes... I guess I need to get that fixed dont I?" he said casually.

"In any case I believe you saw that I plan to put it to good use... Tomorrow I am meeting some non-humans that may or may not end up helping with the attack. More fodder for the meat grinder though I dont really mind them surviving since it doesnt come from out of my pocket..." he said and smiled.

"But in any case, thank you for your compliment. It does feel great to have a paper saying that you can do as you please... just as long as someone else higher up than your patron doesnt object..." he said as he sat back.

"By the way... a black cloak... called me Hand of the Spider... what did he mean by that? Hand, Nose, Foot those are all terms used by the Jacks... I mean I can see that hands are the things that get things done and all but is it that simple or does it indicate something I should know about?" he paused.

"Also more importantly... since you have been scrying me... any information on other people you may have been scrying regarding our attack? Anything strange or fishy going on?" he asked.

[planswalker]

"That's just a stuffy Black Robe being all vague and mysterious. He made up that title."

"I may have scried others as well. What's it worth to you?"

[Monodominant]

"Well, I had today a meeting with 2 prospective allies for the raid on the Jacks. If you had the chance to check them out then that would be lovely... as for what its worth to me... I guess it is worth a fair bit both for me and for the Clan, they both seemed cooperative but if there is a way to confirm it, I would be more at ease. One of them is a tree warforged and the other is a goliath, I think he is the same guy who completed an amazing climbing feat for the university..." he says pausing for a moment.

"Also... perhaps not so much through scrying but have you heard anything about our planned attack? Though I guess it should not have leaked when we involved the Kobolds and the Korps that already increased the number and possibility that someone learned of it..." he say calmly.

[planswalker]

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I am very glad to see you back.

and I would like to apologize once more for what I said and how I said it. That was wrong of me.

"Each of the three gangs will be taking on a different angle. The Korps is gonna hit two of the satellite bases, the 'bolds will swarm the others, and we will concentrate on Auntie's. I believe that Granddaddy Spider has a special assignment for you."

"As for your two mercenaries, it takes me more than just seeing them interact with a target of my scrying to get a good fix on them. I spend more of my time spying on the kobolds. The Big Boss bears watching. He may play the part of gluttonous buffoon, but he didn't get to be chief for nothing."

[Monodominant]

Ishmael nods appreciating the information he has received.

"I understand that... an appearance of vice, gluttony and wanton pleasure can be a wonderful cover for a calculating mind..." he said quietly.

"Frankly speaking... I believe that even after we destroy the Jacks we should not try to expand quickly. Our truce with the Watch has come BECAUSE we limit ourselves. If we try to expand and become what the Jacks were then our allies will turn against us...." he said contemplating.

"Perhaps we can improved our pickings and increase out turf but we should strive to create a deal that fractures what the Jacks had rather than take it. Give a little bit to the Kobolds, a bit to us, a significant amount to the Korps so we have another group owe us, allow the Watch to claim a success by keeping Mid-Market free of any gang-related crime... a win-win scenario... being greedy may end up costing us..." he says seriously.

"In any case... is there anything I can help you with? If not I will turn in for the night... I have alot to think about and alot more to do..." he says quietly.

[planswalker]

"I believe the plan is for us to add Old Town to our turf, and the Kobolds take Midtown and South Market. The Korps will take over North Market. The rest, we plan to let be filled by whoever can fill the void. Should keep the Watch busy enough that they'll be unable to coordinate against us. At the moment, the Jacks control the underworld in the surface of Old Town and all of North Market, South Market, the Guildsman District, and the Mages' Quarter."

[Monodominant]

Ishmael considers it for a moment.

"One of the mercenaries I was talking to has an in with the Guard. I do believe they are probably hugely corrupt but perhaps we could ask if the Shadow Spider would care to extend the deal we had all these years ago? I had always thought that there should be a better, more organised way to run the "underworld"." he says and pauses.

"Consider an unofficially sanctioned guild. The guild includes representatives of the Kobolds, the Korps, us and one or two other powerful crime syndicates. We agree with the Guard to keep a particular set of quotas on crime and that we will regulate our own. We force all underworld activity to come from one of the guilds agents and those thieves, assassins or even thugs operating outside the guild are hunted down by us thus reducing crime..." he says and smiles.

"Alternatively we ask the Shadow Spider to reach out to his contact and say that we will focus on new territories and that we can extend our deal for the shake of keeping non-skulk generated crime to a minimum and also eliminating the Jacks for them... thus we increase the benefit of actually going through with the plan..."

[planswalker]

"Good ideas those. I'll be sure to drop the by Granddad. I'm sure he'll want to hear about them."

[Monodominant]

"You mentioned he has plans for me... I will pass by to see him if he has need of me in the morning since you said he also wants me for something special. I have a busy day tomorrow. At 12 one of my mercs is having a duel... I need to make sure he survives it and that he attends the meeting. And off course tomorrow is the day I am going to be infiltrating the Jacks... so perhaps this is the last time I see you... I really do hope the Dayman doesnt figure me out and gut me but you can never be sure...." he says and grins.

[planswalker]

"That would be unfortunate. So, should I start calling you Sir Handy now?"

[Monodominant]

"Sir Handy? how come?" he considers....

"Oh is it because I am... his... Hand and also because I have a letter of marque? Hahah... well you can just call me Ish like everyone else... I find it works effectively and is simple enough... I like to have the essence of the position not the title" he says seriously.

[planswalker]

"Smart man, now off to bed with you..."

"Unless, of course, you'd rather bed someone else?" she says, the seductivity rather overwhelming with an undertone of danger.

[Monodominant]

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Will save for our weak willed hero.

(1d20+3)[18]

Ishmael is about to answer when the thought of Jezleen waiting for him invades his mind.

"I would really like to but I do think that the next days will be so demanding that spending my energy on what would be the best night of my life would be a bad idea. I will consider it for after I return the victor with the Jacks vanquished perhaps?" he says trying to phrase it as he is honored but too shy or worried so as not to offend her.

[planswalker]

"Oh, so you'll cheat on you 'girlfriend' with a two-bit red haired tramp you then beat senseless and sell to the guard, but not with the Chief's honored granddaughter?"

[Monodominant]

Ishmael laughs.

"Someone has been watching me for longer than I thought..." he says rallying.

"It was not cheating... I was on a mission. If the missions requires me to sleep with a woman or seduce a man I would do so... plus although I like the woman you are referring to... I would say we are dating rather than her being my girlfriend..." he says seriously.

"And in any case... I think you may be too much for me... I would be honored yes if one such as you took me in a bed but not because you are the Chief's honored granddaughter but because you are beautiful, seductive and incredibly smart... it is also exactly the same reasons that it worries me... I am not very strong willed m'lady and I am afraid it would be far to easy to become a plaything that you get tired off. I see why I would like you but I am not sure why YOU would like me..." he says and approaches her trying to appear somewhat more manly than he sounds.

[planswalker]

"Well, you're a smart one. Very well, be on your way." She turns and walks out.