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Post by Kai Wren on May 7, 2020 6:42:48 GMT
Lieutenant Hawkins was getting sick of dealing with adventuring sorts. He understood the necessity; who didn’t? The simple fact was that these individuals were possessed of abilities and powers which normal, simple souls like he could never grasp. Whether it was in skill with the blade enough to leave a man breathless, or the ability to twist the workings of the arcane to their will, he had tried to figure how they did it himself when he was a younger man – now into his fifties, he has long ago made peace with the fact that such powers are beyond him. Doesn’t mean he has to like it, though. The world would be a far better place if it could be protected by those that had the desire alone. Gods above, they lost enough of them every time the City was attacked. But wishes were as much use to him now as prayers. The Lieutenant’s office was a cramped and dingy space; stacks of papers and records kept in irregular fashion about the room, precious little in the way of furniture. The space was lit only by a sputtering oil lantern, the film of grime on the single window thick enough that the pale moonlight outside had no chance to illuminate the space. “I’m going to keep it short.” He said, casting his look between Lykus and Aronin; the two men had a rough and ready look about them. It wasn’t that long ago that the Githyanki had attacked Waterdeep en masse and slaughtered civilians and his own men in the market square, but despite the dark memories that event had brought back to mind, Hawkins had lived in Waterdeep long enough to know that a man’s origin told you precious little about the quality of his character. He just wished that he could go and take care of matters like this himself. “There’s a new gang in the Downshadow. They’ve set up in some abandoned former-church. Shouldn’t be difficult to find. Thing is, they’re using the dead. Necromancer, by the sounds of it. We need you to go in there and put an end to it. If I send my boys, chances are half of them will wind up killing the other half. The Blackstaff doesn’t have time right now, and I’m damned if I’m wasting my time begging the churches for help. So, you guys go down there, clear it for me, and I’ll pay you as… consultants.” It was a simple deal; the same one that had been offered to adventurers for time immemorial. (Wordcount: 426 - please don't forget to note your prepared spells in your first post if applicable - Calignious littleork ) |
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Post by littleork on May 7, 2020 11:14:09 GMT
Lykus stood there taking in the ugly room. Disorganised, dirty, cheap. He was still getting used to the idea of working for, and working with these people instead of taking from.
The unusual man beside him had played a large part in that adjustment of outlook. He had set out on that job to Phandalin a cocky swordsman with a point to prove but had been humbled by the skills of the blade-dancer.
Lykus watched this old man watching him. He could see a familiar look on his face. Yes, I am githyanki and that pisses you off. He was used to it though and it was a sentiment he could often use to his advantage.
Judging by the decor, this job wasn't going to go too far, pay-wise, towards achieving his goal of preparing himself to defeat an illithid to present to his Queen but every bit of experience helps. Bodies for cash, it was a transaction he could grow fond of.
"What kinda pay are we talking here, Looie? Necromancy's no joke"
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Post by Calignious on May 8, 2020 0:39:14 GMT
The red head wizard leaned on a dusty book case, with his arms crossed. When he first heard about the job he was naturally excited. Teaming up with Lykus again was also a plus, but now that they were standing in this rickety office he was starting to doubt this decision. There were a million other places he would rather be, and this Hawkins person really needed a lecture on tidiness. Aronin smiled when he realized his own hypocrisy. It must have been several fortnights since the last time he cleaned up his own study. He decided to give the lieutenant some slack.
Aronin listened nonchalantly to the lieutenant's briefing, but he perked up at the mention of necromancy. Maybe taking this job was a wise choice after all. Curiosity started to sputter up in his head. It wasn't every day that you get asked to march on down to some church and take on necromancers. This was starting to sound just like the sprinkle of excitement he was looking for, not to mention a great opportunity to learn a thing or two about raising the dead. Aronin whistled audibly to indicate he was interested in the job.
"... and also do we get to keep anything we find in there?"
Prepared Spells: Mirror Image, Misty Step, Shield, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Absorb Elements, and Grease
Words: 210
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Post by Kai Wren on May 8, 2020 20:10:23 GMT
“The name’s Hawkins, not Looie.” Whilst the Lieutenant’s attitude wasn’t exactly warm, it was a far cry from the naked hostility that some of the City still felt after the assault on the market. Still, there was an edge of tension there that would likely take some time to heal. The planeswalkers were a mysterious group, even within Waterdeep; nobody could truly be sure that Lykus was not some kind of infiltrating agent. It was a testament to the cosmopolitan nature of the City that he could walk the streets in – relative – safety. “Pay will be the same as it ever is. Two hundred gold each. And any legal magic you confiscate from the gang. How you split those between you is up to you.” That last comment was directed more towards Aronin. The Lieutenant’s tone had a somewhat sardonic note to it; he has worked with enough of these sorts to know that at least as many of them will be using illegal methods as legal ones, and the chances of him being able to tell the difference from one scroll of arcane glyphs to the next was basically nil. “And you’re right. It isn’t a joke. That’s why we’re offering you damn near a year’s pay each.” From the mess of his desk he fished out the pair of writs; contracts sealed and stamped which would be returned for the allocated funds on confirmation of the work being completed. (Wordcount: 667/241) littleork Calignious |
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Post by littleork on May 9, 2020 0:08:44 GMT
Lykus silently scoffs at the lieutenant's indignation.
"If any fish-monger could fix this sort of problem you wouldn't need to pay us what he makes in a year."
Two hundred gold is more than his last job paid, quite a bit more. At this point, he was loathe to admit it but, he'd take what he could get. He sauntered up to take the writs from the man and handed one to Aronin. After giving it a cursory glance he speaks to the wizard,
"Looks good to me, you all set?"
As they leave the office he says back to Hawkins;
"Get that gold ready, we'll be back shortly. See you then Looie Hawkins."
word count (+114 = 288)
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Post by Calignious on May 9, 2020 22:05:14 GMT
The wizard grinned and reached out to grab the contract. "Well of course, I don't have any use for illegal magic now, do I?" The gold reward was nice, but Aronin wasn't extremely interested in just shiny objects. He was more excited in finding something truly interesting at this new gang's hideout - and maybe learning a thing or two about defeating necromancers. He cautiously placed the sealed contract into one of his leather bounded books, and turned to Lykus.
"I'm ready friend, are you? This won't be some backwoods goblin hideout." The red head's eyes twinkled with playfulness as he continued, "I don't think it will be very enjoyable if they turned you into one of their corpse puppets and have you turn on me!" Aronin laughed at his own joke, and followed the Githyanki out of the dingy office.
Word count: 140 (350)
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Post by Kai Wren on May 11, 2020 17:58:23 GMT
Downshadow was only nominally a part of Waterdeep. It certainly wasn’t somewhere that the reach of the Watch extended into on a regular basis. Everyone knew that it was there; a kind of fungus that grew in the shadow cast by Waterdeep proper, primarily inhabited by criminals, miscreants, and those who – for whatever reason – could not live their lives comfortably in the City above. The journey to Downshadow saw the relative safety of Waterdeep’s city streets disappear, and whilst both men clearly knew how to handle themselves, it would be a very arrogant – and very foolish – soul who felt themselves entirely safe in this growing cancer of a village. One day, the Masked Lords would need to organise some sort of action to cleanse the place in its entirety, but until that happened it was also somewhere useful for a certain kind of business. Perhaps that was why they tolerated it. In the dim alleys and winding streets, Downshadow’s residents traded in the illicit and perverse; handling amongst themselves the goods deemed too improper for even Waterdeep’s permissive culture. No doubt even in this illegitimate neighbourhood there would be those watching, making sure that the Masked Lords got their cut. With its cramped confines, claustrophobic architecture and the constant, wet glimmer to the stonework, Downshadow felt oppressive even without the familiar sight of the Watch and Waterdeep’s other officials. As the pair pick their way across the cobblestones towards the dilapidated church they are watched by the rheumy eyes of beggars and drug addicts, the leering gaze of street toughs who – clearly – decide that the heavily-armoured figure of Lykus isn’t worth the hassle. The church looms before them at the end of the street, however. The windows are long gone, boarded over with irregular slabs of wood, but the bones of the building are old. Ancient, perhaps. The building itself is set into the cliff face to which Downshadow clings, carved into the rock, with the only entrance a pair of large stone doors which remain, firmly, shut. (1004/338) Calignious littleork |
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Post by littleork on May 12, 2020 1:16:23 GMT
Lykus started out thinking himself superior to the material plane-dwellers. His travels with Avren and Aronin had changed that opinion somewhat. He no longer thought all humans, and...similar, of being unworthy of notice and in fact had grown quite attached to a couple of them. Emotions he found both alien and surprising. Walking through this gutter of a district, however, had given his changing attitude a serious setback. This place reminded him of the District of Discards back on Tu'narath - people who had no interest to those living above living among buildings no-one thought worth salvaging.
Arriving at the church Lykus whispers to his companion,
"How do you want to do this? As you know, I prefer the direct approach but perhaps you had something else in mind?"
(+128 = 416)
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Post by Calignious on May 13, 2020 3:29:44 GMT
Aronin tensed as the streets progressively got filthier and more confined. It was painfully obvious that the pair had arrived at Downshadow, and there was no need for him to speak words of caution to Lykus. The wizard wasn't particularly afraid of the area, but he understood that they were now essentially on their own. He cringed at the the number of beggars and those afflicted with addiction. How did this happen? He pondered on the question, but couldn't quite grasp the complicated truth hidden in the dirt. Regardless, the scenery of it all made that Hawkins fellow's office appear pristine. When the duo arrived at their destination, Aronin took a long and hard look at the building. The boarded windows kept what lurked within a mystery, yet did that mean those inside would also be unaware of their presence? The wizard stared down the large stone doors and listened to Lykus as he spoke. They could be walking straight into an ambush, it was risky. He shrugged and turned to his comrade, "You know I usually tend to agree, but maybe we should let Ace get a good look around." With that, a swirl of magical energy gathered at the focus he wore on his leather bracers. The energy swirled into a fluid cloud over the wizard's shoulder, which then formed into an owl familiar. Ace stretched his wings as if he awoken from a deep sleep, then immediately took flight. The owl's master commanded him to fly over and around the church to observe for anything out of the ordinary or an alternate method to get inside. Ace Perception (Advantage): yJ|fDaBw1d20+3 1d20+3
Word count: 269 (607)Owl Familiar: roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Owl#content (hit points are 1 though) I should have mentioned this before, but Aronin had ritual cast Find Familiar in his previous thread. Using an action here to summon him from the pocket dimension. 1d20+3·1d20+3 |
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Post by Kai Wren on May 16, 2020 12:55:11 GMT
(Okay - the exterior of the church is as described above. There are no people lurking in ambush around the church that the owl can see, but as the windows are boarded up and the door is closed there is no way for it to enter. It is built literally into the face of the mountain so there is no back door or similar - you could talk to the residents if you wanted further information, or you could try the door, those seem to be the two available options.)
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Post by Calignious on May 16, 2020 20:45:30 GMT
The owl flew around the Church, but didn't seem to find anything out of the ordinary. Ace swooped back down towards Aronin, then landed on his shoulder. The wizard sighed, then turned to Lykus.
"Your instincts were correct Lykus, there isn't any other way in."
Aronin gestured to his comrade to go ahead and lead the way, then chuckled. He would then follow the Githyanki close behind, and kept his hands hovering over the hilts of his sheathed blades.
Word count: 79 (686)
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Post by littleork on May 17, 2020 0:47:23 GMT
Lykus could only assume this gang was not expecting visitors, and that if any security had been put in place, it was most likely to be at the front door.
He sidled up to the side of the church,
"Watch my back, I'm going to take a peek."
Selecting the window farthest from the front door, Lykus approached and studied the boards used to shut up the window. He unlooped his crowbar from the side of his pack - he'd been lugging this thing around for weeks but never needed it before now. Gently tapping the boards with the bar he looked for one with signs of rot or infestation or, failing that, the one least securely fastened.
He then takes a moment to look around and ensure none is watching before gently prying a board away from the frame in order to get a look inside.
Rolls if needed:
Investigate the boards s9wcy1LV1d20+5
Perceive anyone watching 1d20+2
Pry the boards with advantage 1d20+61d20+6
Words +146 = 562
1d20+5·1d20+2·1d20+6·1d20+6
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Post by Kai Wren on May 20, 2020 20:46:40 GMT
The board gave way with a splintering crunch underneath Lykus’ crowbar. It was surprisingly well-placed and the nails locking it into place showed little sign of rust. Nevertheless, the Githyanki’s resolute determination to free up the board was greater than the effort the owners could put in to keep it in place, and the board fell away to reveal some of the dark interior.
It is difficult to see much inside the church; it is dark in there, but there is no immediate reaction from the interior, no flight of arrows or sudden assault. Instead, a few moments after the board falls to the ground, a deep chill spreads from the yawning portal and a voice oozes from the gap.
The voice is silk and honey, dripping with malevolent ease from the air around Lykus in a sultry whisper.
“You’ll find no plunder here, friend. This is Shar’s domain, and know that if you enter these shadows, you too shall belong to Her.”
The whisper dies away as swiftly as it had come, leaving nothing but the faint chill in the air as a sign of its passing. After just a heartbeat longer, there is the sound of stone grinding on stone as the temple doors open wide, beckoning the adventures into the dark and empty space within…
(214/1222)
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Post by littleork on May 21, 2020 0:42:58 GMT
Lykus knew these people were dabbling in necromancy and other dark arts but he finds himself appropriately unsettled, nevertheless. So they like the dark do they? With the opening of the door, they clearly know we're here, so let's see what we can do about the dark. Starting with the window that he had already removed a board from, he sets about removing the rest of the wooden planks from the windows. If nothing else it would provide a second means of egress should the need arise. With as much light able to stream in through the windows as possible, he lights a torch and goes back to Aronin.
"Did you hear that? 'Shar's domain' they called it. Know anything about her?"
Lykus continues, gesticulating with his lit torch;
"Old place like this, should burn quite nicely don't you think?"
Moving up to the door but staying a good ten or so feet from the threshold, Lykus drops the torch. Instead of dropping to the ground, it swoops forward and into the doorway where it waves back and forth, illuminating the interior for examination.
Although he had some experience plundering darkened, unexplored lairs, Lykus' previous experience had mainly been goblins and the like. Dangerous, certainly, but also predictable. You knew they were going to try and overwhelm you with arrows, teeth and iron. This was cause for caution, disembodied voices and dark gods were unchartered territory.
[Using mage hand to hold the torch]
+236 = 798.
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Post by Calignious on May 24, 2020 16:12:59 GMT
The wizard watched cautiously as Lykus pried the wooden board. A slow spreading tension stiffened his posture, as Aronin half expected that his comrade was springing some kind of unpleasant trap. However, after all the work was done there nothing but a chilling whisper to show for it. "What was that?" He wasn't close enough to hear the details of the warning, but was capable of recognizing that words had been spoken to Lykus. The sudden sound of grinding stone caught him by surprise, and Aronin staggered back nearly drawing his weapons. The large stone doors ground open to show an eerie darkness within. After a few seconds of standing motionless, he relaxed and listened to what his comrade had to say.
"Hm.. Shar's domain?"
Aronin scratched his chin and stared off into the darkness. He dug deep into his own memory, tugging on threads of knowledge that would hopefully lead to some understanding. Unfortunately, this knowledge didn't reveal itself to him then and there, but he continued to dwell on it. The wizard followed Lykus closely behind, making sure to remain within the torchlight. Ace, help keep an eye out for anything unusual. We can't see past this torchlight. I'll trust your keen senses to help guide us. The owl ruffled its feathers, and its head twitched left and right across the room.
History Check: lPUpQIN81d20+5
Ace Perception Check (Advantage): 1d20+3 1d20+3
Word Count: 224 (910)
Ace has 120 ft. of Darkvision, and history check to try and recall information about Shar.1d20+5·1d20+3·1d20+3
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