Liberate Tutame IC

[Archmage1]

"Fair enough. We do know where to go next, the compound of riverside that he mentioned. Alternatively, we could hit Silver Allies, and see what she knows about all of this. She may be inclined to tell us, as she was betrayed."

After saying this, she drags the body back to Matt's.

"Matt, do you have some way to get rid of the body, or else just dump it in some alley at night."

[Grimsage Matt]

"You want it burned for melted? Fire or acid?"
Matt drags the body into his workshop, and after about thirty seconds, emerges holding some ashes.

"Opted to burn him. Can always dump the ashes in the river."

Spoiler

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Spent 1 Inovvation point on a fire bomb. 7/9 left.

[Archmage1]

"Works. Time to investigate this compound. Any questions?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Red

"You should have waited to kill him after he led you to where he was going. Now we only know what he's told us, which may have been a lie. If you had followed him, then we'd know for sure."

[Grimsage Matt]

"Thats why I saved the Skull. So, lets go see cleric. Unless one of you can speak to the dead?"

Matt opend the jar hes carrying the ashes in. On top of the ashes, is the head. The hacksawed off head.

"First lesson I got from a corrupt regime, always keep the head intact. That, and pay them off so your not on the rack."

[Archmage1]

"Well... the thing is, does it really matter? Either way, this compound should be interesting, and all he needed to do was to tell the town guards about us, and they would likely try to kill us, which would get tedious.
Realistically, we are at worst, where we started before the attack. At best, we got to skip a step or two along the way."

In other news, Lillith is now using the adamantium dagger as a weapon.

[ZeroNumerous]

Red

"A hired thug couldn't go to the town guard, because he'd just get arrested or killed as well. And yes, it does matter if he lied about the compound, because we could be walking into a trap or nothing at all."

[Archmage1]

"Red, I don't think you are thinking this through. He was a lone human, running from monsters. How exactly do you think the guards would react? He might be imprisoned, but that would not matter to us. Walking into traps is often a good way to set them off. The trick, of course is to not actually be walking into the trap when it goes off. The only thing more dangerous than a trap, is a trap that has been turned against it's creator."

[Grimsage Matt]

Matt looks sad.

"I'm not a monster, just a sociopath. Maybe a pycopath. Need to see my theapist about that. But anyway, lets head there, wait for sopmeone to come out, jump 'em and then get those guys to spill it?"

[Archmage1]

"That is one possibility. We might also get bored, and just assault the compound as well."

[Ophiuchus]

After prying through Matt's inventory and ultimately concluding that he was glad that he couldn't read most of the labels, Ysh'set downs one of his own healing potions and returns to observe the interrogation. "By the sound of things, you didn't opt to drug, blindfold, and dump him at Silver Allie's." [shrugs] "Maybe we're lucky he even knew what he did. So, now what? Can we perhaps trust Silver Allie is scorned enough to aid us in some way?...................................Unless we have something to hold over her head...I wouldn't."

[Marlowe]

"There's also the possiblity that a Boss that doesn't let him in the door is not the sort he's going to run to for his protection. After a failure. And we don't have the resources right now to afford to telegraph our base of operations and a good part of our composition to a group that's already hunting us. Far too many assumptions in your plan Red, and far too many dangers. And you embarked on it unilaterally without running it past anyone else." Inferes's fangs are showing. "On top of which, it would have involved splitting us up again. And put the one member of the team we already know is recognised by them, which incidentally is me, out on the street by herself"

Hssssssssssss

"And how did they go straight to me? I don't know, maybe not seeing the rest of you was just average Martial incompetence. Whatever, I don't think there's any point in attacking Silver Allie. Not now at any rate. Making a gift of our guest to her did occur to me, but that option is extinguished.

" This compound is interesting, but we'll need some prep time and the rest of the group. Esse and the rest will want in, and we need to find Luke anyway. Matt-" a thought occurred to her. "You said something about "Xanian Clerics", you meant those that follow Xan Yae? Was there a context to that?"

[hoverfrog]

Loras stands on a chair so that he is of a level with the shortest members of the group, "Regardless of the actions of Red it seems that we do have a way forward. This complex should be investigated. I propose that the less obvious of us scout the area and return here tomorrow night with a map of the exterior and details of guard numbers, movements and obvious defences. That should give the rest time to return and prepare." He looks around for confirmation and then climbs down from the chair.

[ZeroNumerous]

Red

"How would the guards react? They'd come here, ask questions, and the weight of our denial versus the accusations of one man would be too great to pursue the case. I would know. I was one of them. As for killing people who fail: That's utterly impossible to maintain. Why would anyone willingly follow someone who kills their subordinates? Further, he could only tell anyone anything about us if you actually let him get to safety. You only need to let him lead you there, but not actually enter. On top of that, you didn't have to go after him. I'd trust Loras the most to not get caught. Finally, I couldn't tell anyone else because everyone had all gathered together when I was interrogating him. If people had actually listened and let me interrogate the prisoner with just the one other person I requested, then maybe you would have gotten in on the ground floor of the plan."

Red faces down Inferes in particular.

"You're an idiot who wasted a great opportunity, because you can't think before you act."

[Marlowe]

"And you." replied Inferes coldly. "Confuse your assumptions with reality. And act on them without regard for reason or the welfare of your companions. As for wasting an opportunity, did you ever think of asking any specific questions? Risking us all and giving the enemy information they don't deserve is not thinking.

You "opportunity" was taking a terrible risk and would have guaranteed the enemy an intelligence windfall, with minimal or zero gain to us. It's only your assumption that he'll be heading back to his employer and not some bolthole. Wherever he went, he'd be giving information away. And did it occur to you that a Psionic warrior with short legs is not a good choice for what you had in mind?"

She turns away. "Enough of this. Matt, it's time we regrouped. You shouldn't wander around alone. I'm heading back to Esse's, with all of us that don't wish to spend the time behaving like children. Let's not get split up again. Esse will want to hear what we've been doing, and we're several hours past our appointment already."

[Ophiuchus]

"Agreed. She'll likely make worth of the information we've acquired."

[ZeroNumerous]

Red

"So you're just an idiot. Wonderful. Stop to think for a second. If he had ran to a bolthole, then we'd know where their group would run to hide after an attack. If he had went to his employer, we would know he was telling the truth or lying. We would have gained something no matter how he reacted. Finally, they only get information if whoever is following him can't kill him after he's served his purpose. In the future, leave the planning to people who actually think little girl, because you're worthless at it."

[Marlowe]

"Assumptions again. If he had run to a bolthole, we only know for sure where he would go. If we wanted to know if he was telling the truth or lying, we had plenty of other ways to find out without broadcasting our own bolthole to the general.

As for your "finally", you expect Loras, or myself, or Ysh'sed to follow him into a fortifed compound and kill him undetected in the few seconds after his employer emerges--assuming again, the employer wishes to deal with him personally--and before he tells enough to compromise us? And then escape by himself? Unsupported? Really Red." her voice goes very flat and her pupils vanish completely.

"You want to take insane risks? Take them with your own body. Not with mine, not with my sisters', not with Loras, not with Ysh'sed, and not with Matt's life and livelihood. And I wonder...you say little girl. Is that what all this is about? I would think a Warforged should be above that sort of bulldikery. Well." She turns away from him.

"It's still mid-afternoon. Scouting can wait until darkness. As of now, we are divided and acting on impulse. We need locate Luke, tell Esse what we know, and find a way to make our strokes bite before they find out how to hurt us. So, Esse's, ladies and gentlemen? There's markets on the way, and we have some good swords that just fell off the back of a wagon". She smiles. "Honest."

[Marlowe]

Spoiler

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((XP Time!

Red: 100 bonus for a some decent alley scouting, putting a good guess to rumours, and eavesdropping+720 for the fight=820 xp

Ysh'sed: Bothered to check the window and behaved swiftly in a social situation. 100 bonus +720 combat=820 xp.

Loras: 50 bonus for discovering the actual properties and limitations of his race's traditional weapon+720 combat=770xp

Matt: 150 for the "banter" and hospitality, 50 for gathering a useful piece of information, and 100 for making my eyes water with your interrogation techniques=300xp

Esse: 125 for the "banter", + another 125 for putting up with me loading her down with details stemming from her backstory and behaving in character=250xp (sorry, need more posts)

Luke: 125 for "banter". Needs to tell me what he's doing more. 125xp

Cadfael: Is that the name? 100 xp for nice in-character work and passing on some useful information quickly and clearly. Where are you right now?

Lilith: 125 for banter+50 for casual danger dialog+720 for combat=895xp

Inferes: 125 for the banter and 720 for the fight=845 xp.

And hopefully we can get Esse, Luke, and Cadfael more in focus soon))

[ZeroNumerous]

Red

"You certainly didn't have any trouble killing him quickly this time, so would your bow suddenly become useless if he kept walking? 'Cause your brain certainly seems to be. Any damned fool knows that a group of mercenaries are a cohesive unit. They have to be, because they have to be able to trust the man at their side in battle. We know where he'd go, and thus we know where his brothers in arms would go. And if you think hardened soldiers would abandon one another for separate boltholes then I'm just wasting my time. As for telling them where we live and risking our necks? We dragged him here. In plain view of anyone willing to look. This place is as safe as a forest fire, but you don't seem to complain about that. Or did you not think of that either? And yes, I call them like I see them. Here's a petulant child who thinks she knows tactics arguing with a damned soldier, so yes, you're quite the little girl."

When Inferes goes on about waiting here, Red just walks out. "And the damned idiot wants to stay here until nightfall. They already know where we took one of their comrades. This place will be ash, and you'll all be dead if you get your way child."

[Malak'ai]

As Red opens the door Esseandra strides through, "My thanks, though I never knocked. Now, Who's going to explain to me what's going on? I've just had a gaggle of unwashed street brats barge in my door all babbling at once." she growls, staring at each and everyone of you in turn, "Now I walk in here and find two of you arguing like men over the last whore in the bar." her voice getting more and more menacing.

Walking over to the table, pulling a rolled piece of paper out of the bust of her low cut, very snuggly fitting diaphanous gown and slams it down before she spins back to face you, "If I were you, I'd give over the bickering and FOCUS on what the HELL is going on here!" Esse screams, her hair gaining a dark blue tinge, eyes glowing red as blood. "I want to know who took Wandaaga and I want to know NOW!"

[Grimsage Matt]

"Heard From Capone that the women with the Falchions would be Xanian clerics, and that from what he heard, they're currently quartered above Gripthorn's Armaments Emporium on The Street Of Multiple Abrasions. Also, the fancy guy would be Lucian Gallbright. Got kicked out of the house for doing something to a realitive, or at least thats how Capone put it.

Also, seems that Gallbright is working for some cleric of Baccob, and that ya, Silver allie was behind the kidnapping. Gallbright did it however. Also, Allie got her backstabed by 'em, and took a lot of her stuff.

Also Red, never argue with a lady. You'll never win, and they'll never let you have a moments peace. So, lets find a cheap catapult, I'll whip up some pitch, and we'll fire bomb their compond from one side, while the stealty types sneak another way? Also, give a hour or two, and I can get some blast powder whiped up, lay some explosive charges.

Also, about this place being unsafe. You really don't know Capone."

[Marlowe]

Inferes sighs, and drops into the armchair, her bow held to her chest. "Assumptions. Again. And belittling language. Of those who are more experienced killers than yourself. Nothing he said suggested a tight-knit group of mercenaries. His commander won't even let him in the door. And I never said to wait here, You do just not listen. And you? A soldier? I've known soldiers, sir. Don't make me laugh. You have no discipline.

"Also, Matt? Tell me more about this places defences sometime. I'd love to act as though they were impenetrable, but I don't tempt fate with another's property. Attacking with artillery, though. I like that idea." Her fingers twitch. ""Again, though, why are we talking about the worshippers of Xan Yae? The Followers of the Black Lotus? How did, exactly, The Perfect Mistress come into it?"

She stands up, and turns to Esse. "We got jumped. It went badly for the jumpies. Apparently, Wandaaga's kidnapping was a sideshow in another operation. Silver Allie was involved, but apparently she got backstabbed. The operation was directed against her, with Wandaaga apparently as a stalking horse and side benefit to the field commander. Who's name is, as Matt says, Lucian Gallbright. And who works for another man. Who doesn't like him much."

EDIT: Changed the obviously wrong "unpeneprable" with the correct "imprenetrable". After the site and Chinese internet would let me.

[Archmage1]

Shaking her head at Red's antics, Lillith moves to support Inferes, while getting ready for a trip to the market.
"Red, you are being illogical. As best I can tell, your argument is based on four things. First, that the terrified prisoner lied to us, which is possible, although unlikely. If he did, we will be going after an innocent compound in riverside. Wait... it is a compound in Riverside. There are no innocent compounds in Riverside. It is the retiring location of pirates, and the center of smuggling. There may be innocent shipyards, and innocent individuals, but a compound... they are guilty of something. Second, you are arguing that we could follow him back to base with no risks. That is unlikely. They were skilled enough to find us while we were essentially wandering the city at random. We have no reason to believe that they would have been unable to detect us during daylight. And third, you are assuming we were followed back. Again, that is unlikely by the same reasoning, as we would have had a good chance to detect any followers. Fourth, you are assuming that these fellows were part of come group of mercenaries. I find that unlikely. They are thugs, nothing more. A mercenary team would have focused fire, and lead with a ranged attack or two. These did not. We made the right choice in killing him. You made the right choice in carrying him back to be interrogated, however, where we would would just have killed him.

Esseandra, We have learned a bit. The attack seems to have been performed by someone who follows Boccob, named by Gregor. He has a compound in Riverside, which we will attack tonight. The Gotch-eyed man is named Lucien, who acts as Gregor's number two. Silver Allie has been providing them with information, but apparently became... annoying, so they attacked her fairly heavily. It would also seem that Gregor is someone else's servant, although we do not know by whom. We were attacked by some thugs in the street, and Red has been arguing that we made some poor choices in dealing with the aftermath. Inferes and I disagreed.

Matt, that seems like a fine plan. But, why just use the firebomb? We could also gather up some rocks to throw at them. There are two issues with the plan though. You will likely be attacked, as your position will be fairly obvious, so you may want to keep a sharp eye out, and then run for it. See if you can meet up with us in the compound. You will probably want to use the explosive charges defensively, to delay and harm those that go for you. Red, I think you should stick with Matt, and protect him. The second problem is a lack of information. We should probably take a look at this compound before making definite plans.

In other news, is anyone able to appraise the values of the things we got from the guards? Bargaining is easier if you have some idea of the value of your goods."

Lillith casts detect magic on the stuff that was collected by the group from the thugs.
If it is magical, she will cast Identify on it.
Otherwise, appraise rolls for the 5 swords, and the amulet.

Spoiler

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appraise(1d20+4)[24] (1d20+4)[8] (1d20+4)[21] (1d20+4)[16] (1d20+4)[6] (1d20+4)[6](amulet)

[Marlowe]

((Identify reveals the the swords are simply masterwork longswords.

The dagger is a +1 Keen adamantium dagger.

The amulet is a +2 amulet of Natural Armour.

And don't say I never hand my players favours.))

[Archmage1]

Whispered, to Inferes, in Infernal
"Sis, the amulet will boost your defenses by a bit. Do you want it? The dagger is also magical, but I will be replacing my sword with it. Looks like you were right about the sword being a poor choice."

To group:
"The swords we recovered are masterwork, but other than that, are of no special worth. I will sell them, unless someone wants one."

[Marlowe]

Inferes gives the amulet a hungry look. But responds; "Sweet sister. I'm an archer and a rather poor mage. There are many things worth less than this that would profit me more. Ysh'sed needs to have this, or Red, if he's done with his tantrum. For me, this would put me in debt to the party for a long time. And prevent me owning what I do need.

I am quick and evasive. I have almost as much protection standing naked as you do in your Chain, and almost as much as Red in his skin. And I have things aside from that. I don't need this, Sister. We could do much better giving it to one that fights in close, or even selling it.

"If I trusted Red to do anything but walk out the door and rust right now, I'd say give it to him. As it is, well. I say give it to Ysh'sed, and as with both of them note the cost against our gains, and deduct their share accordingly. I'd love to have it. But I'm not the best owner. I don't work around being attacked."

[Archmage1]

"Then it would seem that we need to value these items, before distributing them."

[Ophiuchus]

"Hmmm...I would prefer to enhance my senses or stealth; but this too might help protect my skin." He trembles slightly as the item takes effect.
"...Literally."

[hoverfrog]

"Ahem, I wouldn't mind the amulet", Loras pipes up. "I don't wear armour other than these bracers and it would certainly help me if I did have the misfortune of being waylaid by toughs. Last time I clambered up to a rooftop but next time I might not be so lucky."