Path of Evil (IC)

[Morithias]

Edit: OOC - http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259378

I am going to start with Karsht due to the whole "Magic blooded Changeling" is the easiest to start off with...everyone will be given their chance to shine however.

"Elves versus Dwarves"...
"Humans versus Humans"..
"Gnomes versus halflings"...

This stuff used to happen all the time. Rivalry and general dislike was rampant until a few years ago. Good people of the good alignment disliked each other for reasons so minor you would think they were taking advice from the beholders, but now almost all the evil has been sealed up, broken, or are in hiding. Evil people aren't murdered off knight templar style, but there is so much good in the world it's getting hard to do any kind of real damage....What happened?

This Woman.

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Meet Demon King Miki. Not an actual demon, but she could probably fool you with that. Created an army seemingly out of nowhere and nearly crushed the whole planet under her heels. Zeth, Leazus, Takeda, Shimazu...and endless other countries...until she was miraculously defeated by a united force of the whole planet putting aside their differences and working together against her. Some even say if I wasn't for her right-hand man Kentaro backstabbing her at the right moment that she would've won anyway.

However after the war, the world was in ruin. There was nothing left to fight with. Everyone decided to stop any sort of conflict. The remnants were quickly crushed and driven into hiding, and the world is at peace.

...Well...at least until you guys came along.

Karsht.

You live in the country of Zeth. Under the manipulation and mental corruption of the demon kings forces, this country until a few years back had a strict anti-mundane law. You could either cast magic spells, or you were a slave. One the corruption was cleared, the princess Magic the Gandhi took the throne and repelled the law.

You wander through the streets when you notice something out of place. A merchant has a small shard on display, but you find it weird none of the guards are questioning her. The shard is clearly glowing with an evil aura. You don't even need detect magic to see the aura, this thing looks like a chunk of metal taken from Baator.

Edit: Other people you can post too, I've just decided that since the first chunk of the campaign starts in urban areas, that Karsht gets the first piece of the artifact. Keep in mind that that doesn't mean she gets to KEEP the artifact, and you guys may find that shifting artifacts to different people to suit your needs might help your cause.

Of course you could just give one guy all of them and have him one-shot everything, like my one party did with the Arma Golem.

[Jaelesh]

I spend a few minutes watching her to try and get a feel for what the situation might be, and then walk over to her in the guise of whatever species she is and ask, "Hello, do you mind if I browse your wares?" and start browsing while making small chat to see if I can make her warm up to me, all while working my way to the metal shard.

Spoiler

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Rolls, if relevant
Sense Motive (1d20+8)[27] For 'Hunch' use
Disguise (1d20+24)[41] +2 if this counts as acting in character
Diplomacy (1d20+14)[16]
Wow that dip roll tanked.

[Morithias]

The merchant notices you looking at the shard. "That is...well...nothing special..." She says, your extremely good sense motive check tells you she is lying, but she doesn't want to be lying. She's more paranoid of the guards. She looks at you with piercing eyes, but comments with nothing. You come off a bit blunt but she doesn't seem to mind.

Suddenly you hear a voice in your head, it sounds like the merchant's voice. "Can you see it?" She asks.

[Jaelesh]

I reply mentally "Yes, I see the aura of this item. I might be interested in it, though, I am more interested in you and how you got it." all the while pretending to observe her other wares to not attract attention.

[Morithias]

I reply mentally "Yes, I see the aura of this item. I might be interested in it, assuming it comes with a decent price?" all the while pretending to observe her other wares to not attract attention.

The women looks around trying to hide her paranoia. "Come to the bar tonight. I'll have a back room rented." She tells you in your head. "Gather as many evil people as you can find. But keep it subtle! This is not something light, and this might be the chance we need. I have this eye of detect evil, that I'll give you for free. They make them dirt cheap in order to keep the crime down." She pulls out a small eye glass and pretends to examine the shard with it before handing it to you so you can pocket it after pretending to use it as well.

You gain a minor item. This item can use Detect Evil at will, but it is subject to all the same rules, it can be blocked by lead, undetectable alignment, etc.

[Jaelesh]

I send my thought to her, "I will meet you later at the bar. I will try to gather as many as I can... for a price. You were planning to pay me for this request, right?" and begin to examine the shard with the glass. After a few moments of examining the shard, I pocket the glass and hand the shard back to her saying out loud "Nice selection of wares, but you don't seem to have what I am looking for, unfortunately" for the benefit of those who might be listening, and stroll off down the street to think up a plan.

[Morithias]

I send my thought to her, "I will meet you later at the bar. I will try to gather as many as I can... for a price. You were planning to pay me for this request, right?" and begin to examine the shard with the glass. After a few moments of examining the shard, I pocket the glass and hand the shard back to her saying out loud "Nice selection of wares, but you don't seem to have what I am looking for, unfortunately" for the benefit of those who might be listening, and stroll off down the street to think up a plan.

You hear her voice in your head as you leave. "What I will be paying you with is much more than coin." the merchant voices before going back to her wares and putting the shard away.

(Okay this is the part where you gather the party, we'll want as many people online as possible, plus it's 4 am where I am, so I'm retiring for the night. I'm happen you're enjoying it so far, feel free to gather the party and roleplay without me. I'll be on again tomorrow)

[Jaelesh]

(In that case, don't mind if I do)

As I stroll down the streets I begin to take small glances at people through the glass, canvasing as many people as possible as I go...

[Eisen_Hammer]

Sitting atop a bridge is a young human who is giving off a faint aura. He is watching the water flow beneath the bridge with not paying much attention to what is going on around him.

[Jaelesh]

I send a tentative, whispering thought to the man one the bridge "Say, how would you react to a job offer?" while walking to the side of the bridge and staring out at the river.

((Sorry, tis late, and I have an early class tomorrow, so see y'all later))

[Eisen_Hammer]

The sudden incursion into his thoughts startles Baldor he jumps a little sending him into the shallow river. Who is in my brain? My thoughts are my own... What kind of job are we talk...thinking about here?

Baldor stands up walks out of the river and proceeds to dry himself off. "Some people have no respect for their superiors." Baldor sulks to himself.

[Kolosan]

A loud laughter is heard not too far away, at a look you see a dwarf looking at the human in the water, while trying to stop laughing he says "You okay there lad?"
The walks over to the bridge, holding his laughter back till it's just a chuckle.

[Eisen_Hammer]

"Me fine? I am soaked because someone wanted to ask me if I wanted a job without any sort of hello how are you? Oh that is good I am doing fine thank you for asking. Where I come from I should whip whom ever dare to approach me from behind and scare me half to death." Baldor vents while attempting to dry himself off.

"But other than that why yes I am fine, thank you for being a civilized person. Are you the one who asked if I wanted a job?" Balred lowers his voice. He was chosen for a reason no need to bring more attention to himself.

[Kolosan]

"Me? Job? I'm afraid not, what sort of job? I sure don't hope it's as a fisher"

Taron still can't help but chuckle at the human.

I'm Taron, and you are?
Taron reaches out his hand to the human.

[Eisen_Hammer]

"Not sure on the type of job. I am Baldor." Baldor shakes the Dwarf's hand firmly. "So do you know of any good pubs in the area I can get a drink at to get my insides as wet as my outsides?"

[Kolosan]

"Well i know a few pubs, but how about this whole job thing you talk about?"

Taron starts leading the way to the nearest pub he know of.

"So what kind of job are we talking about?"

[meemaas]

Findo

Findo took a table in the pub, his body covered in his cloak so none around could actually recognize him for what he was. He liked the pubs, not for the food or drink, but for the information he gathered from being there.

[Toska Moriarty]

Overhearing most of this, a thickly robbed and hooded creature skulks out behind the unlikely pair from under the bridge, where it had been sleeping. Cloak drawn up tight, concealing it's otherwise-clearly goblinoid features, it shuffles about, hunched over, drawing as little attention as possible while trying to decide what was worse: Dwarves or Humans.

Deciding that regardless of his answer, it was a close call here, that finding a way to either hex them or steal from them during their apparently very important job would be a perfect way to repay a ruined nap.

As Narrik, the little angry shuffling mass of rags, moves behind them (Several paces back, far enough not to be too obvious) and discusses (with himself) the various awful qualities of both the Tall-Men and the Beard-People, his evil aura flares rhythmically with contempt, disgust, and awful intentions.

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Stealth to avoid them noticing me: (1d20+7)[11]
I really dont think from the angle I'm at and the way I'm doing this that it'd even be possible for the one on the bridge to miss me.

Moments after heading out, anyone observing the bridge can see a small snake unravel itself from what appears to be a makeshift bed, slither along the cobblestones toward the shuffling, muttering shape, and disappear beneath the rags.

[Kolosan]

As they reach the pub Taron takes a quick look around and finds a table to sit at, then looks at Baldor and asks "So what would you like to drik?"

[Morithias]

The waitress comes up and takes your orders. A fairly cute elf girl with tanned skill (not drow, actual tan). She smiles and asks you want you want. The tavern is fairly busy, but no one seems to have suspicion of anything, it's mostly commoners with the occasional off-duty guard.

The merchant from before sneaks in, takes to the bartender and pays her coin for the backroom before heading in.

[Toska Moriarty]

After hesitating a few minutes across the street from the bar, the small form of the en-cloaked goblin shuffles through the door and into the crowds, trying its best not to be seen, and immediately seeking out the most poorly-lit area in which to hide. Clawing it's way up into a seat, it sits low, watching the dwarf and formerly sopping human from across the room.

[Kolosan]

Without waiting for an answer from Baldor, Taron says to the waitress "Bring us your best ale, Elf! And something strong to warm my friend here up!"

[Morithias]

Without waiting for an answer from Baldor, Taron says to the waitress "Bring us your best ale, Elf! And something strong to warm my friend here up!"

The elf looks you over. "'Best' is subjective." She says. "But I'll try to do the best I can without costing you 100 gold a bottle. As for warm, I think I know just the thing."

She leaves after writing down your request.

She comes back a while later after talking to the bartender. "This might not be what you're looking for exactly but, this Dwarfhead Stout, seems it would sastify you, as for your friend, the bartender recommended frenzywater."

She places two mugs in front of you. "3 gold please." (I can't find how many mugs are in a bottle in the arms and equipment guide so I'm just guessing).

[Kolosan]

"Frenzywater eh? Bring one for us both!"
Taron hands the Waitress 3 gold, then leans back to drink from his mug while takeing a look around the inn.

[Morithias]

"Frenzywater eh? Bring one for us both!"
Taron hands the Waitress 3 gold, then leans back to drink from his mug while takeing a look around the inn.

She brings back a nearly empty bottle of Frenzywater and places it on the table. "Not enough left in the bottle to fill a full mug, and it's a waste to just leave it. The bartender says you can have the rest for free."

She smiles at you and walks off keeping other tables. She moves slyly and quickly, sometimes seeming to vanish for small periods of time when she gets stuck behind chairs or something.

A bard is sitting in the corner playing a lute fairly well, but he seems to be focused on the backroom as if deep in thought about the merchant that came in.

[Kolosan]

Taron looks at the bard, and then at the backroom before beckoning the waitress over to ask her about the backroom and the merchant from earlier.
Once she comes over Taron hands the waitress a gold coin as an excuse for haveing her come over to their table, then says in a loud voice "Here is your tip!" before asking her in a low voice The merchant from before, do you know her, and whats back there? Taron nods towards the backroom while asking.

((Diplomacy if relevant))

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(1d20+0)[17]

[Morithias]

"Some kind of meeting." The waitress replies. "Apparently some kind of merchant meeting. Some major sale or something, we used to get weird meetings back there all the time. One time we actually had a succubus and a pleasure devil back there playing cards. Of course that was before Demon King Miki, and all the portals to the lower realms were sealed or at least protected." She shivers. "Miki was nuts, to this day they still say they haven't found all her artifacts or strongholds. For example we know for a fact they never found her crown or Kentaro's sword." She takes the tip and smiles at you. "That's pretty much all I know, people tend to try and keep the topic off this stuff, but I think if we forget that it happened we won't be prepared for the next guys."

[Kolosan]

Thank you that was all
Taron puts up a polite smile at the Elf

[Jaelesh]

After following the human, the dwarf, and the strange little creature for a bit, Karsht is pleasantly surprised to find that they seemed to head right to the bar he was going to take them anyway.
Looking around in the bar and taking small peaks through the glass to find the evil ones, he comes up with a mental list...

1. Human: does funny things when you surprise him.
2. Dwarf: Seems like a jolly little drunkard.
3. Short Thingy: Not sure, but think he is either wanted, or a disliked race.
4. Bigger Thingy: Might also be wanted or a disliked race.

Yeah... This should be fun.
Karsht sends out a thought to the Human, waiting till he is about to take a drink. "That was hilarious by the way, watching you fall into the river" not even bothering to keep the amusement out of his thoughts.
To the dwarf he sends The human is funny right? Well then, would you be interested in a Job as well?"
To the short thing at the bar "Greetings small one. I am curious as to why you hide your appearance, and was wondering, how would you react to a job offer?"
To the big thingy sitting alone he thinks Hello there... whatever you are. Would you be interested in a job offer?"

[Eisen_Hammer]

Baldor takes the cup up cheers' this new Dwarven friend he puts the drink to his mouth and drinks deeply. This time not acting surprised. "Fool me once." Balred whispers with a smile. Now time to figure out something about that job. Who in here would be a likely person to offer me a job mentally and then contact me again without showing themselves.