[IC] Death and Taxes

[fyleisch]

Campaign: Death and Taxes

The city-state of Meridian is a sprawling, thriving, bustling (and in places, crumbling) metropolis of over fifty thousand souls - not all of them living. Between the gray water of the Elfbeck and the anarchic architecture of the Artifice District, people of every (PHB only) race labor for the common good in service to a thriving magical goods and services industry.

Trade is flourishing under the light touch of the city's Witengamot - the elected citizens council - but success has come at a cost. The city's enlightened wizards and tinkerers have discovered that a given location can see only so much magical toil before planar boundaries start to fray. There is mounting public pressure to address what in academic circles is known as "the boundary issue", and what the citizenry call "the damned ghosts!".

After one such protest was violently disrupted by the phantom of an old-order city watchmember appearing in its midst, the Witengamot has finally decided to allocate some resources and do something about the frequent appearances of the undead. You are that something.

Player	Character
Dragon Host	"Smiling" Konstantin
Estralita	Gwen
gryffydd65	Xander
Ramsus	Suraelia Halorian
Incendax	Bernard Tolly
Vozen	Sariel

---

This is the index post for the thread. Please use this thread for all your in-game rolls and IC dialog. When we get to combat we'll use group initiative with the highest roll per faction. Players will be making all of their own rolls, except for initiative, which I'd like to make to save time. I won't tend to prompt for perception/insight/investigation opportunities, so if you're interested about something ask (and maybe provide what you think would be the appropriate check).

[OOC] Thread

[fyleisch]

Part 1: Inhuman Resources

You made your way from City Hall through the disjointed, unplanned streets of Meridian, crowded with peddlers and made dangerous by fast-moving stagecoaches. It's late afternoon, the sun is hanging low in the winter sky, and a cool easterly breeze is slowly blanketing the city with the faintly glowing mist that spews ceaselessly from the chimneys of the distant Artifice District. The administrator who accepted your application had given you directions to the Department of Spiritual Sanitation. They'd mentioned that the building was old, but you weren't expecting this.

The headquarters is a tall, narrow building of old stone, adorned by ornate buttresses, topped with a spiked tower that stretches so high that the tip is lost in the gradually descending mist. Tall, high-set windows dot the walls all the way around the building, some stained glass depictions of indecipherable scenes, others broken and boarded up. A simple wooden sign is nailed to the front door, the plain carving at odds with the rest of the building, announcing it to be "Spiritual Sanitations: Headquarters."

Inside, the gothic theme continues. An arched ceiling towers over a floor of red and black tiles, cloisters border the edge of the main space to the left and right, and a close inspection of the stonework reveals fragments of imprecisely removed holy symbols, suggesting that the civic building may once have served another purpose. Beneath the cloisters several doors lead off to additional rooms, one labeled "Armory" in the same no-nonsense carving as the sign on front door, another leading to "Disposal".

At the end of the room, at what was almost certainly once the site of an altar, is a plain wooden table covered by glowing tuning forks. A tired-looking half-elf sits at the desk, wearing a robe and spectacles that seem about to drop off his face, touching one tuning fork and then another, speaking as if to someone who isn't there.

"Yes... no. Rats in your basement? I'm sorry, ma'am, that's not really... they're talking? ... You want Abberations Division ... Yes hello, sir... No sir, you want actual Sanitation..."

As he sees you arrive he lifts his hand from the tuning forks and sits back.

"Ah, thank Pelor you're here. There was only so long I could pretend to run a department that had no actual staff. My name is Jean-Wynn, I'm the administrator here. I'll be helping facilitate you in your work. Transportation, logistics, payroll. I don't know how much they told you, but according to my budget the contract rates are for fifty-gold per contractor per job. There's also some mothballed gear left over from the building's previous owners. I'm not sure how much that could be worth, but I'm certainly authorized to give it out as part of the rewards scheme."

As you move closer he looks between you, taking your measure.

"They told me I'd be getting some help, but they didn't provide much in the way of details. I don't suppose you could tell me something about yourselves?"

[YoFizz]

A half-orc stands before the phone operator. “My name Killitz. You tell me what kill and I kill it.” he smiles big with his large tusks extending out his jaw. ”No one do better. I best.” Killitz wears shining full plate armor and has weaponry strapped all over him. Only axes however, varying in size and utility.

[Dragon Host]

The deep red hued Tiefling raised a brow. "Eloquent. I'm Konstantin. I know about things that go bump in the night and I know how to get rid of them. I also need gold. Aside from that, mate...the less you know the better."

The tiefling put his hands deep into the pockets of the open tan, perhaps hide robe he wore. "I realize that last part might have been interpreted as me trying to make myself sound like real tough bastard. It's not. I mean every word."

He turned to the half-orc and extended a hand. "Pleasure to meet you, by the way. I absolutely expect I'll be seeing alot of you. The back of you, anyway."

[YoFizz]

”Hmm. You’re weird like me. Good color. You use magic? Use magic make me strong. Mhmm.” Killitz shakes the outreached hand.

[samduke]

Looking around at the assembled group then at the administrator. I am Ayris, I dabble in the healing arts, giving a slight nod to Gwen noticing the holy symbol of the paladin. I am sure to be seeing more of you also

[Estralita]

Gwen started a bit at being addressed, then nodded. "I am Gwendolyn Steelheart, ready to defend the people."

Because really, what more was there to say? She took her oath, and this was the job in front of her. While she may have signed up for the adventure int the beginning, seeing the people hurt by monsters, had inspired her to do and be better. The fact that this job that would certainly help the people also seemed to be much more of an adventure than guard duty was simply a bonus.

[Dragon Host]

Konstantin wandered up closer to the desk and picked up one of the tuning forks, just idly playing with it as the others introduce themselves. He scoots himself up to sit on the corner of the beleaguered functionary's desk.

"Nice to meet you too, ladies. And, especially you Ayris, luv. You said you're a healer right? Just remember I carry alot of gold that says my good self gets first spellcasting."

He finished with a wink, and then looked to Killitz. "Magic to make me strong. Magic to make other things dead. Now, how many more do we have coming to this party?"

[fyleisch]

Jean-Wynn smiles at Killitz, then raises an eyebrow at Konstantin's introduction. After hearing Ayris and Gwen speak, he places his hands together, smiling.

"Wonderful. With this broad a cross-section of skills, I almost feel like you were hand picked for this calling. Perhaps it's Pelor's providence. We were expecting two more, but since it's getting late in the day, why don't you make yourselves at home. There's a common room with bunks and amenities in the door to your left, please feel free to explore the facility. I've had nothing but misdirected calls and melodramatic busybodies all week, so you have all the time in the world to relax and make yourself feel at home..."

Suddenly one of the tuning forks on the table starts to chime, a low urgent note that repeats rhythmically.

"Ah... that's an official line. I better-" He places his hand atop the tuning fork. After a few seconds his expression turns grave. "Just a moment, I have the recruits here now."

Jean-Wynn picks up the tuning fork and strikes it against the edge of the table. Within the low tone that emerges, you can hear a voice speaking, metallic and tinny, its tone halfway between anger and terror.

"They just appeared right in the middle of the performance! This is a family event!"

"It's the Gilad Arena," Jean-Wynn explains, lifting his hand from the fork to address you. "It seems there was some kind of spiritual manifestation during the performance of an acrobatics troupe. The arena would have been packed with civilians."

"All of the performers are dead," the metallic voice goes on. "Some of the crowd as well. The rest are trapped. There were more of those... things, in the undercroft. Spirits. The crowds are still trapped in the stands. They don't have a way out!"

In the silence after the metallic voice finishes speaking, you can almost make out the sound of distant screams, interwoven with a faint moaning like howling wind. Jean-Wynn reaches down to brush the tuning fork again, this time speaking to the other end. "I'll dispatch our team immediately. If you can meet them at the arena entrance, you can direct them inside."

Jean-Wynn looks up to the rest of you. "This has become a priority. Consider this your first contract mission. Get to the arena, clear the members of the public, deal with the manifestation - whatever it is. I'm sure you know where the arena is, it's at least forty minutes from here by foot, but..." he pulls a small triangular cylinder of green stone from his pocket, "If any of you are proficient with vehicles, we have a stagecoach parked next to the building for your use."

[Anyone with passing familiarity with the city of Meridian would know about the Gilad Arena. It's a local attraction, a huge open-topped building in the southwest quarter, frequently used to host festivals and performances.]

[YoFizz]

”I drive. Let’s go.”
Killitz due to his folk hero background has proficiency in land vehicles and because of the nature of being a champion and a folk hero he probably travels a lot and would have at worst passing knowledge of the city I’d say.

[fyleisch]

"Ah. Please don't... kill anyone, with the vehicle," Jean-Wynn says, hesitating for a minute before handing the stone fragment to Killitz.

Outside
Anyone who heads outside will find in the alley next to the headquarters a tall, black closed-top carriage sitting alone on the street.

The carriages of Meridian are not drawn by animals like mundane vehicles, but are instead magically enchanted devices. The reins which lead down from the driver's seat are not attached to a horse, but instead wound around iron pins set into a large stone block, sitting securely on a shelf at the front of the vehicle. The stone block is made of a waxy green stone, two feet on a side. It's front face is carved with the stylized image of a bull's head, and it has a hole in its top surface the same size and shape as the stone fragment Jean-Wynn gave your group.

This carriage is spacious, with room for six people inside, and a high driver's bench wide enough for two. There is additional space on top of the carriage, intended for luggage, but which could be an additional (dangerous) seat for a desperate traveler.

[samduke]

not waiting for permission, Lets go, Ayris turns and leaves drawing her rapier as she moves, hopping up on the front seat waiting for Killitz to start this thing down the road

[Dragon Host]

"Well, this is certainly more my speed."

Konstantin climbs into the carriage part of the carriage and luxuriously sprawls out along one of the benches. As he rides, he takes a heavily bound and banded book from his coat and begins thumbing through it. He finds a page and begins reading, intoning the entire time in a near-whisper. After about 10 minutes, there is a puff and a smell of brimstone which precedes a deep black raven with red eyes perched atop Konstantin's shoulder. He slips the book back into his pocket.

[YoFizz]

Killitz takes the stone and jams it into the bull's head and makes haste toward the arena

[fyleisch]

Konstantin, you find that the inside of the carriage is thickly upholstered, with red linen cushions, and some storage space beneath the seats. It looks like at one point the cab may once have been more richly adorned, with a lighter space on one wall where a coat of arms might once have rested, and places where small hooks are now bereft of whatever decoration hung there. Now the space is bare, almost austere.

Killitz, as soon as you place the stone cylinder into the slot the stone block hisses to life with a sound like an unending exhalation. The wheels of the carriage begin to thrum, and a small lantern hanging from one corner of the cab slowly starts to glow.

Estralita what is Gwen doing?

Killitz, if you can give me a good Wisdom (Vehicles) roll you might be able to make better than average time to the arena. Every minute counts.

[Estralita]

Upon hearing about all the deaths, Gwen felt her stomach tighten. This is what you signed up for, Gwennie. This is what paladins are here for.

Gwen stays silent until they get settled than hesitantly asks, "Does anyone have any ideas on how to deal with this? If we need it, I can charge in yelling to get their attention, and draw their fire away from the people," she adds, half-serious. Paladins were meant to be shields for the people, and sometimes that included being a meat shield.

[YoFizz]

"Hold on your hats. Killitz know shortcut." Killitz spends a minute figuring out how to drive the livestockless carriage and shruge "Drive one. Drive all."

Land Vehicle: (1d20+4)[10]

[Dragon Host]

Konstantin regarded the paladin as he dug out a small bit of meat from a pouch at his belt and fed it to the raven.

"Well, I figure the regular people will do the stupidest thing they can do in whatever situation they find themselves in. Honestly, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they started panicking and just shut down and cowered in place. If we can find some way to normalize what they're experiencing, we might have a chance of them acting like something other than statues. In this case, I'd suggest lighting a fire somewhere in the arena. People know how to deal with fire, if the choice is between that or...whatever the Hells is going on in there."

He considered a little more.

"Once the arrow fodder is out of the way...then we'll really need to get to work. Once I figure out exactly what is wrecking the place, I can kill it. You see the...and I use this term very loosely...driver? You should probably stay close to him and block the sharper claws and fangs."

He grinned a little at the end. He was exuding a cultured cool, but it was clear his interest was piqued.

[fyleisch]

With a whip of the reins the carriage starts trundling forward, slowly at first, but with increasing speed. Soon the carriage is hurtling down the twisting streets of Meridian, iron-rimmed wheels thundering against cobbled streets, the flame of the stagecoach's lantern whipped into chaos by the passing wind. Wary citydwellers leap out of the way as you pass, and startled birds rouse themselves into the air to avoid being crushed under-wheel.

As time is of the essence, Killitz steers the carriage into a shortcut that runs along a street known as the Alehouse Mile. It's a more direct route that should have halved the time it took to reach the arena, but at this time of day the lane is crowded with revelers, forcing the carriage to reduce speed. In the end it takes the full fifteen minutes to reach your destination, any time saved on the shorter route lost by being forced to a lower speed.

The Gilad Arena is an enormous building, seemingly ancient, but in good repair. It's roughly hexagonal in shape, with solid stone walls that reach up 150 feet, beyond which lies the open-topped stands and an inner walled performance area, hidden from view. The outer wall has several entrances, the largest of which is a wide double door of studded iron.

All of the doors are currently shut, but outside the largest of them you see a long-haired elf in gold-trimmed official's robes, scanning the passing carriages and foot traffic with a tight, panicked expression. They're attended by a wounded half-orc in leather armor, as well as a small group of the city watch, who look as helpless as the rest. Faint sounds of steel ringing on steel can be heard coming from beyond the arena wall, mixed with occasional screams.

As you come to a stop the robed official's gaze pauses on your stagecoach, something like tentative hope entering their expression.

[Any of you who've visited the arena before would remember that the main entrance opens into the undercroft, a series of connected rooms below the arena where the performers typically wait and prepare. The undercroft has two stairways at opposite sides of the arena leading up into the stands, and a central gateway leading into the arena proper.]

[Dragon Host]

Konstantin hopped out of the carriage, his bird perched upon his shoulder. He walked up to the man who was there looking at them hopefully.

"Alright, mate? So. What's the story? Is everyone out that is going to get out? Give us the situation."

[Estralita]

Just as they were getting out of the carriage, a rather important thought belatedly occurred to Gwen. "Also, while I've never fought undead specifically, I've been taught certain techniques with should be extra damaging to them."

She reddened as she spoke."Probably should have lead with that."

[fyleisch]

The official turns, looking first at the raven, and then up at Konstantin. When they speak, you recognize them as the person that was on the other side of the enchanted tuning forks, speaking now without the metallic undertone.

"What... Hail. Are you the cleaning crew?"

[samduke]

jumping down, walking over towards the official, Gwen we do not know they are undead yet they could be evil practical jokers or even spirits.

[YoFizz]

"Yeah, you could say we're the cleaning crew alright."

[gryffydd65]

Xander just was approaching the scary gothic building when he heard voices from the alleyway. He turned the corner just to see the carriage move away. "Darn, you've done it again, come on Sebastian, we need to follow as quickly as we can." The black cat scampered off as Xander tried to follow as best as his stout little legs would allow.

[Dragon Host]

"No, not the cleaning crew. The crew of highly knowledgeable and trained professionals who are going to help turn this from a debilitating liability into what might be your finest hour."

He shook his head a little and whispered to the raven, speaking in Infernal. "Go around the building, top to bottom then back to me. Tell me if you see anything getting out, or through any of the openings." He flicked his shoulder, letting the bird start in a high wide circle around the arena's edge.

He then looked quickly to the rest of the group that was assembling themselves. "Stay close but don't bunch up. Earshot is best. Any one of us starts acting weird...assume something is trying to possess them. Are we ready?"

[fyleisch]

At The Arena

"Sorry, I apologize, of course I'm glad you're here," the official says, then seems to remember Konstantin's original question, taking a deep breath and letting it out sharply. "We were hosting the Meadow Performers at the arena, an entertainment troupe. Jugglers, acrobats. I was working in my office in the undercroft - I'm the event planner here, the most senior administrator - so I didn't see what happened in the arena, but about halfway through the program I started to hear noises, moaning, people shouting-"

"I was there too, on duty in the undercroft," the wounded half-orc guard says, interrupting. Her armor is torn around a wound in her shoulder, but it still bears the insignia of the arena - a symbol showing the image of a drum. "Some kind of spirits appeared, moving through walls. They were just wandering around, but it obviously wasn't right. I took a bunch of guards to try and get to the stands to evacuate, but something was going in the performance area. I couldn't see what exactly, just a lot of blood, and the people in the stands were panicking, lashing out." She pauses, pressing a hand against the scratch on her shoulder.

"When we finally got a group of them to the stairs to try and get them out, one of those things in the underground screamed, a sound to freeze the blood, and scared them all back up. Can't blame them for wanting to stay in the sunlight, but they're stuck in there, and I don't think it's safe. After that we left to get help, found Heiqen here, and made for the exit. Our captain's still in there, in the stands, doing what she can. I want to go back in to clear out the phantoms or whatever they were, but I don't know how to fight those things."

[Konstantin, as the raven flies over the arena it sees a scene of slaughter in the performance area. A dozen bodies lay scattered around, the smell of blood wafting up. At the center of the arena stands a translucent figure, a human warrior, wearing a leather shirt and a steel helm that obscures its face, and holding a glaive limply at its side.

The stands surrounding the pit are crowded, but not packed. There are perhaps 500 people in total, separated into groups. One of the larger groups is being defended by a figure in chainmail, fighting with shadowy translucent figures that periodically rise up through the floor.

Circling the arena, the raven can see there are two additional entrances, smaller than the main doors, both closed. Nothing and no one seems to be leaving the building.]


At The Headquarters

Xander, chasing down an enchanted carriage on foot is a difficult task, especially when you're three feet tall, but as the stagecoach starts to get away from you, you notice it pulling into the Alehouse Mile. At the entrance to the lane, several hire carriages are sitting around, each attended by a bored looking driver, all waiting for revelers to empty out of the alehouses and establishments the street is famous for. Fares are usually reasonable, a few copper for a journey across the city.

[gryffydd65]

Xander digs into his pouch, grabbing a couple of coppers. Sebastian, to the carriage, you flea bag. Xander quickly gives up the coins and yells.Follow that carrige.

[Dragon Host]

When his raven returns, Konstantin listens for a moment as the bird reports, and then relays the layout of what they're likely to face.

"Doesn't seem to be much benefit to going in quietly with this one. After you,"

He steps back with an exaggerated gesture behind the more heavily armored of their company.

[samduke]

well then lets gets some doors or even walls open and get those people out, then deal with the phantoms