[3.5e, IC] The Swashbuckling Assassin

[Dragodar]

"Stole some fish from them earlier today," he responds between mouthfuls of cod. "Pretty good, huh?"

[Nightwing32193]

Tvik laughs and nods, he beckons Lep to follow him as the walk around the island, taking in the sights and smells. Making their way back to the customs office, the odd looking pair sit down on the grass and continue to eat, watching the comings and goings. Looking at the guards specifically for any signs of weaknesses, but also any suspicious characters that they may have to deal with later.

[Dragodar]

T'vik and Lepp sit and cheerily munch their fried fish as they observe the comings and goings around the Customs Office. Lepp's legs hang over the bulwark and his toes almost reach the water. Typical noontime traffic mills about on the waterfront and the guards at the Customs Office man their posts with bored looks on their faces.

Spoiler: Date and Time

Show

It is just after noon on Friday, Kusa 27th.

[Nightwing32193]

After awhile T'vik gets up and beckons Lep to follow. He leads him around the customs office to a building a little way away that looked easily climbable, but still tall enough to use as a decent vantage point. He looks at the youngster and says, "How well can you climb, Lep?".

[Dragodar]

The lad frowns slightly. "I'm not terrible," he says. "But I'm not amazing. Why?"

[Nightwing32193]

Tvik scrambles up the wall and looks back at Lepp, "Follow me if you can lad"

[Dragodar]

Lepp watches in amazement as T'vik effortlessly moves up the wall. The boy follows but at a slower pace, struggling in certain places. Finally, Lepp catches up with T'vik and stands on the roof, looking out over the city. The hot noontime sun blazes down, and there's no shade up on the roof. T'vik already feels himself beginning to break a sweat, and Lepp is red faced and breathing hard from the climb.

[Nightwing32193]

T'vik takes a deep breath and smiles at Lepp, "Very nice Lepp, not bad at all." He casually walks over to the edge and looks out over the island, specifically at the customs office to see if a new view presented itself.
After a few minutes he decided the sun was too hot. They climbed down and went in search of some ice water.

[Dragodar]

The view from on top of the building was a wider vista than from the ground, but it did not reveal anything about the Customs Office that T'vik did not already know. The two companions climb down the building and go in search of ice water.

It takes almost an hour, but T'vik is finally able to locate a vendor who sells ice. The man is extremely tall and slender, with dark skin and short black hair. He wears loose, brightly colored exotic robes.

T'vik asks him about the ice and the man responds slowly in a smooth, deep voice. "Yes, good sir. I have ice. It has been transported from the Northern Isles and our supply is slowly melting in a dark storeroom somewhere in one of our warehouses. I have a small amount here with me in an insulated box, if you would like some. It is ten gold pieces per pound. Or if you would simply like one glass of ice water, you may buy one for three gold pieces."

[Nightwing32193]

T'vik looks at him, slightly shocked. He understands the supply and demand of ice, but 3 gold pieces is sort of ridiculous in his mind. He looks down at Lepp, clearly not as accustomed in the same way that he was, he made a choice,"One for the lad, I'll find my own.".
He looks up at the son, back still sore from the arrow wound he learns Lepp back to his hotel. Handing him a small dagger the he picked up between vale and Mantle, he bids the boy stand guard while he sleeps, "Any trouble wake me immediately, I don't care if you have to scream like a small girl, wake me at sunset."

[Dragodar]

Lepp chugs down the icy water and hands the cup with ice to T'vik. "Here, just put more water in it and you can have some too." The companions head down the road toward T'vik's inn. As they walk down the docks, they are passed by a small group of about five town guards, running at a light jog with determined looks on their faces. Something must be amiss somewhere.

The sun is growing low in the sky as they return to the inn. The purple shadows of evening begin to stretch across the road. From above, T'vik hears a raven's call. He ignores it at first, until he realizes that there is no raven population on this island. Looking up, he sees a large black raven alighted on one of the buildings to his left. It is looking right at him and ***** its head to the side when he looks up. The bird eyes him curiously, as though waiting.

T'vik recognizes Umber, Adrianna's Raven companion. Knowing that Assassin familiars are trained to wait for a signal before approaching their target (in case their presence would give away the Assassin's location or compromise a mission), T'vik realizes that he will have to beckon to Umber if he wants the bird to approach.

[Nightwing32193]

T'vik looks around out his window before beckoning the raven. A fleeting thought crosses mind, were those guards they had passed earlier on the some sort of Arianna's doing? He shook his head and smiled. Hopefully this wasn't the case but not entirely unlikely. He beckomed the raven. Once it was in his room he checked his leg for any notes from his fellow Assassin.

[Dragodar]

T'vik makes the signal for Umber to follow him, and makes his way back to the inn with Lepp. Once they are in the room, T'vik opens the window nad motions for Umber to enter. The large bird flies in through the window and alights on the table. T'vik sees that there are actually two notes attached to its leg. One bears the wax seal of the Order of Assassins, the other is tied with string and unmarked.

Spoiler: Assassin note

Show

Scarlet Ember,

We have received your message and the council has agreed to send aid. Adrianna Seral has been dispatched to your location and should be arriviing on Mistmantle by Monday. Her ship will dock in the same port that you arrived in, on the south side of the island in Vale. Maintain contact and keep the council updated on the progress of your current mission.

Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted.
Grand Master Adewalè

Spoiler: Unmarked note

Show

T'vik,

The Council has sent me to Mantle (at your request?) and I will be arriving in a few days. Stelios was tired from the journey so I sent Umber. I'll have Stelios with me when I arrive. Keep your head down until I get there, we don't need you dying before I arrive. When I dock, I will send Stelios to find you so you can send me your location. I've missed you, T'vik; it'll be good to see you again.

Adrianna

T'vik finishes reading the notes, then turns to Lepp, handing him the dagger. "Any trouble, wake me immediately, I don't care if you have to scream like a small girl, wake me at sunset," he tells the boy.

Lepp nods and deftly flips the dagger a few times in his hand, testing the weight. "Get some sleep," he says. He takes a seat in the wooden chair as T'vik opens the window to release Umber.

"Go get yourself some food, then come back," T'vik tells the raven. He closes the window, walks over to the bed, and lays down. The Assassin closes his eyes and drifts off to the sound of Lepp tossing and catching the dagger.

*********************************************

T'vik is awakened by Lepp shaking him gently. "Sun's just about to go down," the boy says. He steps back and takes a seat on the chair as T'vik wakes and rises. "So," Lepp asks, "What's the plan?"

Spoiler: Date and Time

Show

It is about 8 PM on Friday, Kusa 27th.

[Nightwing32193]

Tvik sits up and rubs his eyes, sighing he reaches in to his haversack and pulls out his flask. After taking a stiff pull he hands it to Lepp. "The plan is to get into the customs office and find the docking manifest. How we go about doing that is quite simple now. I sneak right up to the door and let myself in with the keys you gave me." He looks at Lepp, grinning, "Easy as maiden on her sisters wedding night." He stands up and stretches before buckling on his light armor, scimitar and making sure his hidden blade was secured around his wrist. Kneeling in front of the young boy he looked him directly in the eyes, all joking times aside, "Listen Lepp, if anything bad happens tonight, run like hell, alright? Deny you've ever seen me, do not let these men know that you're in any way connected to me. Got it? I need you to get out in front of the building and just keep a look out. If anything out of the ordinary happens, new guard, authority figures, anything. Make your best animal call alright? Let's hear it once" He ruffles the boys hair, smiles, and opens the door. Walking out of the inn into the street towards the building. His hood still down he made is way quickly and quietly thought the back alleys towards the customs office. When they were in view he immediately inspects the guards. Are they the same ones from the night before. Do they look tired? Was he going to be able to hide in the shadows right up til he reached the door?

[Dragodar]

Lepp lets out a gull cry that is so realistic T'vik worries he might not be able to tell the difference from a real one.

T'vik and Lepp ready themselves and head toward the Customs Office. By the time they reach the building, the sun has set but the sky still glows with its recent fire. T'vik notices the guards at the Customs Office do not seem to be the same crew, but he can't speak for the archers on the roof. He'll need to be extra careful tonight, since it was only last night that he made his last unsuccessful attempt.

The two halberdsmen at the door stand on either side of it. It would be impossible to enter the front door without them noticing. Even if they were distracted by something, the archers on the roof would notice anyone approaching the door. T'vik wonders if he'll have to take a different approach, and remembers that there is an inner courtyard accessible from the roof.

[Nightwing32193]

T'vik leaves Lepp in front of the building, hidden, but with a good view of the front door. He waits for darkness before positioning himself on a building next to the office. Dropping down into the alley between the two he waits, making sure he's hidden before making his next move. Sticking to the shadows, hoping his training has paid off. When he knew he was unseen he slowly, quietly scaled the wall of the customs office. Once on the roof he stopped again, staying perfectly still, melting into the shadows so he wouldn't be seen by the archers on the roof. When he sees his chance he takes it and peers down into the courtyard, looking around for hiding spots. As quietly as he could making sure he wasn't seen he drops down and hides. Once in the courtyard he takes stock of his surroundings, sticking to the shadows as best he could.

[Dragodar]

Spoiler: Hide Check

Show

(Shadowmelding) 27

T'vik makes his way onto the building and across the roof to the courtyard in the center. He peers down and sees two small picnic tables in the courtyard. Apparently the employees of the Customs Office sometimes eat their lunch outside. There are two doors from the courtyard into the building, if only he can get down there.

One of the archers turns around as though he noticed something. "What's that?" he says suspiciously. T'vik freezes in place and thanks the gods he decided to stick to the darkest shadows. The archer peers directly at T'vik's location, then turns around and resumes his post. "Must have been the wind," he mutters.

Spoiler: Shadowmelding Uses

Show

1/3 for the day

[Nightwing32193]

T'vik holds his breath, making absolutely sure that he wasn't suspected. After a few seconds he drops down into the courtyard and blends into the shadows. Looking around through the windows into the office, looking for anyon he should avoid and also seeing if he could locate the manifest from the outside before used the keys to get in the building.

[Dragodar]

The interior of the building is dark and empty. Most of the employees have gone home for the night. If there's anyone in the building, it's probably just the Customs Officer and a single guard. T'vik cannot see anything but books and scrolls through the window. He has no way of knowing where the manifest is or what it looks like.

[Nightwing32193]

T'vik unlocks the door and enters slowly and quietly. Adjusting his eyes to the low light he stays quiet, ever in the shadows, looking quietly through books until he find the manifest. Looking through it to find any sign of the Nomad, its crew, or cargo and commit that information to memory

[Dragodar]

Spoiler: Skill Checks

Show

Spoiler: Hide Check

Show

(1d20+17)[23]

Spoiler: Move Silently Check

Show

(1d20+14)[28]

Spoiler: Search Check

Show

(1d20+10)[29]

T'vik silently slips into the building, noiselessly closing the door behind him. He glides through rows of books and scrolls, systematically moving up and down the shelves in search of the manifest. Finally, despite the darkness, he finds it near the front of the building. He is only about ten feet from the front door, and through the windows on either side he can see the faint glow of the halberdsmen's lanterns. Unfortunately, the light is too low for him to be able to read the pages. The manifest is a large, dictionary sized book, and T'vik curses as he realizes that he forgot to bring a light source with him.

[Nightwing32193]

He moves quietly closer to the windows to use the lantern light as best he could. Making sure to stay below the window though so the guards don't see him he tries again to read the manifest.

[Dragodar]

T'vik carries the manifest to the window and manages to use the light from the lanterns outside to read the pages, though with some difficulty. The manifest is organized by date, with the earliest entries at the beginning of the book dating back to Maerin of this year. T'vik rifles through the pages until he's a little more than halfway through the tome. Finding Kusa, he begins reading meticulously.

According to Raemon, The Nomad docked two days before they spoke. That was on Tuesday, so T'vik turns to the page for Sunday, Kusa 22nd. Scanning the page, he soon finds what he is looking for.

Spoiler: Customs Docking Manifest, Nomad Entry

Show

Name:The Nomad
Type: Brigantine
Dock: 113A.
Cargo: grain, corn, lumber
Inventory Catalog Number: 21-1474
Crew: 26
Passengers: 0
Description:
Body: black
Sails: burgundy
Bowsprit: human holding pack over shoulder

So the Nomad was at Dock 113A. Now T'vik just needed an annotated map of the docks, and the game was on.

[Nightwing32193]

He looked around at the walls, seeing if there was a numbered map of the docks. He quietly rummaged through some of the other documents until he found what he was looking for.

[Dragodar]

After a couple minutes of quietly rummaging around, T'vik finds the dock map spread out neatly on a desk, underneath a pile of scrolls. T'vik moves the scrolls aside and studies the map.

Spoiler: Dock Map

Show

Spoiler: Route

Show

As T'vik studies the map, he notices the light shift, and he freezes. The lanterns outside are moving. It seems a shift change is occurring.

[Nightwing32193]

He melts into the shadows inside the office as to not be seen by wandering eyes. Looking out the window into the courtyard to see if any of the guards had decided to convene there after their shift. Staying invisible, he quietly opened the door to the courtyard and listened to the guards as they relieved the previous crew. When he was sure that the guards had been completely switched out he moved back out into the courtyard. Sticking still to the shadows he looked up to see where the archers were located on the roof.

[Dragodar]

T'vik hears a door open somewhere else on the same floor, and realizes that the archers' relief must be arriving. Quickly hiding, he waits for them to ascend the stairs to the roof. After a few minutes, the first shift of archers descend the same stairs and T'vik hears them leave the building.

The lanterns outside the front door are once again stationary and the shift change appears to be complete. T'vik does not see any guards in the courtyard, so he quietly slips out the door, locking it behind him. From in the courtyard, he cannot see any of the archers on the roof, so he climbs up the wall and peers over the edge. The archers are all posted at the corners, keeping watch on the streets below.

From across the bay, small pinpricks of light reflect off the water as lanterns bob and sway on the bows of docked ships. The stars and the lamps twinkle on the smooth surface of the bay. It is a clear night and the moon shines brightly on Mantle.

Spoiler: Date and Time

Show

It is about 11 PM on Friday, Kusa 27th.

[Nightwing32193]

T'vik silently pulls himself onto the roof. Making sure to not make a sound he leaves the way he came. Once on the roof of the building next to the office he sits down and let's out a sigh of relief. The thought had crossed his mind that he should have just went with that plan in the first place. Oh well, what's a few more battle scars to an Assassin? He drops down in the alley on the opposite side of the building and removes his hood. Still sticking to the shadows as much as possible he goes to the collect Lepp and retire to the inn for the night.

[Dragodar]

Spoiler: Skill Checks

Show

Spoiler: Move Silently Check

Show

(1d20+14)[32]

Spoiler: Hide Check

Show

(1d20+17)[21]

T'vik once again slips easily past the archers and down the outside of the building. He slides through the shadow past the swordsmen and onto the street. He pulls back his hood and whistles for Lepp, and together the two return to the inn.

***

"So, what did you find?" the lad asks, once they're back in the room.

[Nightwing32193]

"Exactly what I was looking for. Found the Nomad and its location." He smiled.

The next morning he went to scout the location. He brought Lepp along. Staying a reasonable distance from the ship, he made mental notes of the crew and layout of the area around the ship itself. Crew members, were they armed? He did his best to commit their faces to memory. Who was the captain? How many were on the ship at once? How did they enter and exit the ship? He stayed out for almost an entire day gathering information for his side mission.
He decided that if he was going to convince Arianna to help him with non-Assassin work, he'd have to make one hell of a case complete with intel and some semblance of a plan.