Life is Short: Live Well (IC)

[Jacon]

Sion makes his way to the Hole in the Wall.
" I left Ashren because It was time for me to leave. I was to marry but the girl did not wish to bed a monster and this monster did not have the heart to inflict himself on her. My father disagrees but in this case I would not bend knee. Instead I lifted it run. Timbral was simply the easiest road to follow."

[esorscher]

Sarai raises an eyebrow, but her face quickly resets. "That is quite... chivalrous of you. You truly are unlike anyone I have ever met, Lord Sion." She turns her attention to include the rest of the group, the Bhagwan and Nebin, if they are there. "This is not my first time in Timbral; in truth, I have worked for men and women in this city before. I am a diplomat, and my skills have been put to use by lords and businessmen alike. As a freelance diplomat, I am used to being between jobs, a state I find myself in at the moment. My intentions were to reach out to my contacts in the city to find employment, and I offer to include you in that search. Unless, of course, you have other business to attend to--in which case, if you have need of a diplomat whose skills extend beyond negotiation," she says with a wry tone indicating that she is not simply a mediator of disputes, "I offer my services."

[Rizban]

Lord Sion unbuckled his coin pouch and shook it so it clinked. " With gold." He said " I will need two suites for me and the lady and two private rooms for the Bhagwan and the gnome. I will also need my clothes washed and my bath drawn. We will be taking our dinner elsewhere. "
Lord Sion relaxed a little. Here at least he was treated a lord though only through his money and not his royal line. He would sleep well here.

"If I may, I would, like, prefer to sleep elsewhere. Perhaps there is an adequate location in the stable? I'd be much more comfortable curled up in the hay loft than in some stuffy confined bed space. I don't like being so cut off from the nature spirits, man, and this city be quite savage enough as is."

Sarai raises an eyebrow, but her face quickly resets. "That is quite... chivalrous of you. You truly are unlike anyone I have ever met, Lord Sion." She turns her attention to include the rest of the group, the Bhagwan and Nebin, if they are there. "This is not my first time in Timbral; in truth, I have worked for men and women in this city before. I am a diplomat, and my skills have been put to use by lords and businessmen alike. As a freelance diplomat, I am used to being between jobs, a state I find myself in at the moment. My intentions were to reach out to my contacts in the city to find employment, and I offer to include you in that search. Unless, of course, you have other business to attend to--in which case, if you have need of a diplomat whose skills extend beyond negotiation," she says with a wry tone indicating that she is not simply a mediator of disputes, "I offer my services."

The Bhagwan follows from lack of anything better to do at the moment.

"I go where my feet take me and receive with open arms the gifts that earth mother grants upon me. There's no purpose greater than that. So, if you were to do her will by bringing such my way, I am happy to accept it."

[Jacon]

" Well, if that's what you like than be my guest. If it is your wish I could border some peasant house outside the city walls where you could sleep... Thats what my brother did when sick of our father. He didn't much like the city either"
Sion says and tells the innkeeper that he won't requiring one of the rooms.

Almost as a afterthought he considered Sarias words. He would run out of money soon. He expected his 200 to cover him for another month but after that the gold would run low. He had never worked before, his father always had given him what he needed and plenty of it. In fact most of the money in his pouch was from selling his emerald and ruby rings. But he didn't have anymore rings to sale except for his signet ring and that would never leave his finger.
" Should you find a job for a big orc, one that pays well, let me know. Sometimes a noble must get dirty to gather his rightful coin."

[Rizban]

The Bhagwan shakes his head as he waves off the idea.

"Thanks and all, but no. Just... no. That wouldn't really be any better. Far too indoorsy. No fresh air."

[Artman77]

The sounds of the festival get louder as the minstrels try and get he people to forget the dragon attack, and as those unmoved by the music try and forget it by way of strong drinks. As you walk along the high road towards the Hole in the Wall, you notice the crowds below begin to thin out; the people migrating to the city's center.

You reach the closest stairs down, just a few blocks from the bar. On your left is the thirty-foot wall, on your right are two story apartment buildings and warehouses with alleys in between. You hear the sounds of a scuffle, a grunt, and then nothing. You look around for a guard, but see none. As you near the corner of the next alley, you hear the low, deep growl of a large canine...

[Jacon]

Sion responds with a deep throaty growl of his own as he makes his way around the corner drawing knightbeater as he does.

[esorscher]

"Careful, Lord Sion. Imagine the impression we would make if we killed the bartender's dog. By all means, defend yourself, but perhaps this is a fight best avoided."

[Artman77]

Rounding the corner of the alley, you see a massive pool of blood and tracks where they dragged the body, and a cloak flapping around the corner at the far end of the alley.

[esorscher]

"Probably not the bartender's dog," Sarai says, moving stealthily, following the trail of blood.

Spoiler

Show

Hide: (1d20+10)[13]
Move Silently: (1d20+10)[18]

[Jacon]

Sion without pauses charges after the cloak moving faster than anyone his size should be able to. His great legs pumping and his belly heaving he storms down the alley raising his club and yelling " HOLT!"

Spoiler: Movement

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40 feet

[Artman77]

As Sion rounds the corner after the assailant, you hear a feminine voice growl in orcish,
"Leave us alone! Don't listen and you die!"

[esorscher]

Sarai catches up to Sion and takes a long look at the culprits. "They speak Orcish," she says. "Maybe there's more than just a simple mugging, here."

[Artman77]

Sion flies down the alley, the rest of you doing your best to keep up with him.
"Throw down your weapons or I'll break your skulls!" he commands.
There's no time to take a 'long look'; by the time you round the corner, his club comes down on top of the head of a short half orc, the only male in the company. The club impacts with a loud crack, sending his skull cap flying, at the same time swinging his sword at Sion, slicing his coat, shirt, and belly, sending blood running over his belt and down his pants. The short half orc reels for a split second after the impact, blood running down his face.

An old man lays motionless in a pool of his own blood, his pockets outturned.

The two shorter women flee, but the third holds her ground, her mastiff growling menacingly by her side. She chants loudly, and three wolves appear in the alley behind you. "Stand down!" She yells in common, then again in orcish, "I see you friend with pale devil, you fight against own kin??" she pulls down her hood and scarf to reveal that she is also a full blooded orc.

[esorscher]

Sarai responds in orcish, "We fight against criminals." She thrusts her palm toward the wolves and a spray of color explodes from her hand.

Spoiler

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Color Spray, Will DC 15 negates

[Jacon]

Sion frozen when the girl removed her hood to reveal her orc nature. He had traveled outside his kingdom, lost and weary on the road, to find another orc and now that one was here he didn't know what what to say.
" Umm hi!" Sion says in orcish lowering his club a little and ignoring the bleeding cut in his belly that was staining his nice clothes.
" Say something orcish!" Sions minds roared and Sion tried to think back to the history books about the orc raids and what words they used.
" May your strength never desert you." Sion says the orc greeting awkwardly. " My name is lo.... is Sion. Whats yours?" He asks almost shyly. When she mentions fighting his own kin he winces. " Welll, um, if you mean the pink skins their not so bad once you know them and..." Sion stops when a sudden ray of colors comes flying from his friends hand.
" Uhh..." He says suddenly unsure what to do.

If the orc attacks him again Sion smashes his head in.

[Artman77]

One of the wolves runs off, and the other two block your escape, but do not attack. "Oorga, stop!" she commands the short one. He stops in mid-swing as the blood continues to flow down his head and into his eyes and mouth. He wobbles on his feet a bit.

"What do with you now?" she continues in orcish, looking at the body, then back at you. "Travel with flowers-in-blood, you not be trusted. Not kill you today, not let you go, then what?" She glances around, and then looks at her dog, perhaps to see if anyone else is coming.

[Jacon]

You can't do anything to me, I am....Umm....I am stronger than you,"
He said and to prove it flexes a muscle. He wasn't sure to do either. On one hand his upbringing demanded justice for the old man, on the other hand, pretty orc lady on whom he was quite smitten on....
Sion scratches his head and sighs. Really he should have expected this. Orc culture was pretty much based on the strong rule over the weak. He just expected to see it in the wildlands where it was pretty much expected by everyone. Not here in the middle of a city.

Sion looks helplessly at Sarai, maybe she had an idea of what to do.

[esorscher]

Sion may be guided by his baser desires, but Sarai is not. "You have killed a man, and dragged him through this alleyway," she says in Orcish, reminding everyone of what started this detour. "That is a crime, both against the city and life in general. Explain, then we will decide what to do with you."

[Artman77]

She mocks you with her laughter. As you are speaking, the two women that you thought ran away appear in the ally behind you, walking up casually behind the two remaining wolves. One brandishes a flail, the other a pair of knives.
"The elf knows our language, how quaint. Does she always boss you around like this?" She asks Sion in common, ignoring Sarai.

[Jacon]

Sions eyes farrow. This was not how he saw his first encounter with an orc going. She was mocking him. She didn't believe in his strength. He would have to prove her wrong. The orc way.
Sion suddenly swings his club into the face of the half orc hopefully crushing his skull and than brings it down on the wolf using his cleave.
" I am no ones servant." He growled raising his club. " Your coming with me."

Spoiler: Attacks

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Don't know if you'll use my old attack for my roll but here's the new ones just in case.
First attack.

(1d20+9)[25] attack

(1d10+18)[23] dmg

Second attack.

(1d20+9)[19] attack

(1d10+18)[21] dmg

[Artman77]

The stubby half orc's head explodes in a fountain of blood, and he collapses like a rag doll. The orc lets out a shriek of horror. The two other women rush forward to attack, the dark haired one raising her knife as if to throw it. It's too late.

Bright lights jump from Sarai's fingertips, and the redhead throws her arm over her face. "Silathe!" She cries, as her companion stands stupified, her knives falling to the ground. She places herself between you and the dazzeled brunette, her flail shaking in her hands. "You monsters!" She screams.

"You will pay for this," the orc says quietly then, screaming aloud, "Ahhh!! An orc! Help! HELP!!!" and then jumps into the air, her legs becoming clawed talons and arms becoming wings, and soars of into the sky as a raven.

[Jacon]

Sion sighs as the hawk flies off, This wasn't the effect going for...He still had a lot to learn about orc woman it seemed.
He looks at the shaking flail in the womans hand and than back at her.
" " Put that thing down. Your not going to much with it...."
He raises Knight Beater.
" Your under lords arrest. Yield and the courts might be merciful."

Spoiler: Cleave?

Show

Do I get my additional attack with cleave?

[esorscher]

Seeing that Sion has things in hand, Sarai rushes to the body of the mugging victim, to see if there is anything she can do to keep him alive. She also searches the body. "Lord Sion, when the guards come, let me do the talking. Remember, they are already suspicious of you, and more likely than not, are racists like the rest of this city, and will be ill-disposed to listen to you. I intend to tell them the truth--we came to stop a mugging, things became violent, and we subdued the muggers. They may be rude to you, but I urge you resist passively, or else bring the wrath of the whole city's guard against us."

Spoiler

Show

Heal: (1d20)[16]

[Jacon]

Sions grunts in the affirmative. Racists guards are not new to him.

[Artman77]

The wolves wink out of existance as the raven disappears into the clouds.

It is too late for the old man, and searching the body reveals no clues. The dark haired woman begins to cry as the spell wears off. The one holding the flail is on the verge of tears already, and this puts her over the edge, sending a single tear down her cheek.

The guards round the corner on either side of the alleyway, spears at the ready.
"Back a way from the bodies!" Shouts a guard at Sarai, "All of you! Throw down your arms!" The two girls jump at the sound of his voice, quickly throwing up their hands.
"Thank you! Thank you! These men were about to attack us!" They cry.

[esorscher]

Sarai raises her arms high overhead. "Thank goodness you arrived when you did, officers. These women mugged that man there," Sarai says, pointing to the old man. "We followed after them to stop them. They resisted, and attacked us. We defended ourselves, and good thing too, else we would have met the same fate as him," she says, pointing at the shorter orc's body. "Their leader, seeing that we had the upper hand, ran off. If you bring a cleric here, I will gladly submit to a Zone of Truth spell prove my honesty. We can give you an eyewitness description of the orc leading them. I suspect she is a druid, as she summoned wolves to support her."

[Jacon]

Sion puts down knight beater and takes a few steps back.
" I am lord Sion of the royal line of Tryce. The elf woman speaks the truth."

[Artman77]

"Another orc within the city walls?" Gasps the brunette, "I would never align myself with such a creature!"
"That beast was on a rampage! Look at what he did!" Cries the redhead, pointing at the half orc on the ground.

"Zone of truth indeed," says the guard, looking at the blood and bits of brains dripping from Sion's club, and the half orc's caved-in head. "You are all under arrest, pending an investigation. If it is true that you are a Lord as you so claim, you will be released in short order." Two guards move forward to take the two girls into custody.

None of them touch you or even get close. The fear shows on their faces; either because they are afraid to arrest a noble or that they might suffer injury should they try.

"Perhaps we should wait for a wizard?" One suggests to the others.
"Will you come peacefully?" Asks another.

A crowd begins to gather...

[esorscher]

"I will come peacefully, to a cleric, so that the truth can be gotten. I will not allow myself nor my compatriot to be imprisoned until after that time." She is confident that a zone of truth will reveal their innocence, and imprisonment would be unnecessary. "Surely you can see the reasonableness of this measure--in a city with such a specious view of orc blood, an investigation may take an indefinite time." Sarai says, lowering her arms and standing tall. "I will, of course, comply with any investigation, once it is clear to all that I have and continue to be entirely forthright. For that matter, I suspect the women there, and the deceased orc, may have been under magical compulsion."