Making Enemies and Influencing People

The day after the play, at Lord Dandy's offices in the Ethical Circus...

After the judges render their verdict, a red-faced and speechless Clagoff leaves hurriedly, followed by most of those who were with him. Sebastian Androgore, once he has checked that none of them are interested in working for him as a bailiff, also departs.

The orc shaman Matra Chorokh stays behind to congratulate the adventurers. Lord Dandy also does so, mentioning that Count Orquiel (who is not present but has informed them of his opinion on the plays) thought the group's play was "very quaint" and "wonderfully amusing".


OOC: Lizzy has joined the group and is present too, so feel free to start posting IC, Ed.

"So, now that this nonsense is all over and done with," Vox asks plaintively, "Are we going to find that pig a proper home? Never mind the sanitary conditions, it can't be healthy for her living in a bar. I'm fairly certain that Agenbite is slipping her drinks, and an alcoholic pig goddess is not something that anyone wants to see.

"Or so I hope."

"Have we the funds to build Treasure a proper temple?" Yatagan casts around the room for someone capable of doing the required arithmetic, which is likely every face gathered here except the one the Dragonborn sees in the mirror while polishing his facial scales. "It should be near here, near her flock. Nothing too fancy. She's a pig deity of the people".

Without noticing the paladin's speech once again takes on pro-labor shadings.

"I'll attend to church matters after noon. I'm off now to find a printer. I'm going to commission several folios of Porky and Bless'd, for sale --at a nominal fee-- to the theater world at large. It would be an artistic catastrophe if it were never performed again."

"Also, I need to buy more fireworks. We stuffed the last of mine into L's corpse during the finale."

After chatting for a bit with Matra Chorokh, Odanais slips off to the House of Still Repute for some proper celebration.

After watching Odanais depart, again, for the Gossamer Pillow, Yatagan says, largely to himself, "So we don't have the money for a proper temple". Addressing the remaining members of the League, the paladin says "Do we have anything lucrative on the docket? Ms. Pindar, are you currently angry at anyone both unjust and rich?"

After a moment of consideration, Penelope shrugs. "We may have beaten Clagoff with the play, but I'd still like to see him with an arrow between his eyes. He's definitely unjust and rich... but probably too well-connected for us to kill him."

"Treasure definitely needs a proper home, though," the archer says, sighing. "Poor, poor thing, stuck in this wreck."

"Do we have to build one? Are there any temples nearby that we could conquer for Treasure?" Heyoka says, sipping from the coffee he just got from the bar, not noticing, or perhaps caring, that the coffee in this sty is godawful.

"I mean, we don't have much money, but we're really good at beating up people. And if the magistrates give us trouble, we're friends with them, and have street urchins to offer them if friendship doesn't work."

Penelope wrote:

He's definitely unjust and rich... but probably too well-connected for us to kill him."

"I believe that's correct, Ms. Pindar. For now. But our star is clearly ascending while Clagoff's is fast falling towards a shallow grave at the bottom of the sea. Though we needs beware his Eladrin killer with the precious name... what was it?... the Lady Kitty-Cat".

Atlatl wrote:

Are there any temples nearby that we could conquer for Treasure?

"An excellent question Mr. Jumps-off-Mountains. I shall immediately begin researching evil cults in the area in need of immediate moral correction and forceful, glorious eviction!"

OOC: Yatagan rolls Religion: 5... and confuses the most charitable, goodhearted faith in the port with an evil cult in need of punishing.

gridley wrote:

After chatting for a bit with Matra Chorokh, Odanais slips off to the House of Still Repute for some proper celebration.

Matra Chorokh wishes the group best of luck in their future endeavors before she leaves. "I think," she says gravely, "Captain Clagoff may take violent action against you some day. If I am among those he sends, I apologize now. You are brave warriors and worthy foes. I will make it a swift and honorable death." Apparently she sees no irony in praising those whom she thinks that she might someday have to kill.

Back at their headquarters, the League go over their finances and discover that besides the building and the admittedly fine equipment that they possess, they are very close to broke. The little extra monies which had to be spent here and there on the production, Odanais' visits to the Gossamer Pillow, and lastly Heyoka's confident placing of all available petty cash on the success of Clagoff's play, have contributed to significantly empty out the group's coffers.

Atlatl wrote:

"Do we have to build one? Are there any temples nearby that we could conquer for Treasure?" Heyoka says, sipping from the coffee he just got from the bar, not noticing, or perhaps caring, that the coffee in this sty is godawful.

"I mean, we don't have much money, but we're really good at beating up people. And if the magistrates give us trouble, we're friends with them, and have street urchins to offer them if friendship doesn't work."

Mallus wrote:

"An excellent question Mr. Jumps-off-Mountains. I shall immediately begin researching evil cults in the area in need of immediate moral correction and forceful, glorious eviction!"

OOC: Yatagan rolls Religion: 5... and confuses the most charitable, goodhearted faith in the port with an evil cult in need of punishing.

OOC: That's special all right!

IC: It occurs to Yatagan that he had once heard disturbing things somewhere - not that he can recall precisely where - about the faith of That Which is Not. The small church, located in a temple two streets over from that of The Dog, is devoted to the worship of an Orb of utter blackness. The rumors Yatagan recalls said that they practice unspeakable rites where they practice degenerate rites in front of the Orb, believing that it absorbs all of their sin and leaves them pure, and that they sacrifice parts of their bodies - and sometimes unwilling innocents - to feed it.

Heyoka's reference to street urchins also reminds Yatagan that he had heard of the disappearance of some children in the Hush. A group of sentient - and giant - spiders, called the Weavers, had recently sent some representatives to the Port via airship. They have been working to set up trade relations and open an embassy, with little success, but have at least managed to obtain a place to live in the Hush. Rumors say that the ambassador and her crew have been abducting and dining upon small children, which might account for some of the diplomatic problems they are having.

"Friends, comrades, Port denizens" begins Yatagan "it seems we are broke. The cost of staging the play, even with Lord Half-a-Step's generous support, coupled with our sizable equipment costs, Heyoka's new-found interest in gambling badly and Odanais's dalliances with incorporeal courtesans has left our coffers bare".

"So go forth and seek opportunities. After a quick stop at the printers, I'm going to investigate the Church of That Which is Not, a group of sinister nihilists nearby who may provide us with a temple for Treasure if their sins are as great as their strength of arms is not."

Yatagan takes a breather after that sentence.

"Then I'm off to see a group of supposedly evil giant spiders from Across-the-Sea newly settled in the Hush. They are either in need of smiting or better PR . I believe we are well positioned to offer them either."

"Who's with me?"

Vox shrugs himself to his feet. "I've nothing better to do," he admits. "And I've never been to the Church of That Which is Not before. I think that you've been reading too many pamphlets, though, Yatigan...."

(Religion Check: 26)

Rolzup wrote:

Vox shrugs himself to his feet. "I've nothing better to do," he admits. "And I've never been to the Church of That Which is Not before. I think that you've been reading too many pamphlets, though, Yatigan...."

(Religion Check: 26)

OOC: Vox is quite certain that the Church of That Which is Not isn't taking part in blood sacrifice. If nothing else, a lot of souls would have been showing up in that area on the Other Side. Of course, he's also heard that the Orb destroys all that it touches, including souls, and there's at least one documented instance of a Spring-Heeled Jack which struck it while pursuing an errant spirit on the Other Side (the Orb extends into the Other Side) and was swallowed up. Or so the rumor mill in the Bureaucracy says. Vox has also heard that every high priest of the Orb eventually disappears. Black Mariah, the most recent high priestess, has been at the helm of the Church for nearly a year, which is the longest thus far.


IC: As Vox rises to join Yatagan, the door to the tavern flies open and a young boy runs in. Or what seems to be a young boy, since his first words are produced in a tone which indicates that he's a lot older - and a halfling. "Help!" he gasps, "Monsters! At the docks! They're gonna eat Mister Fix!"

OOC: Gideon Fix is the harbormaster of the Staggers.

shilsen wrote:

"Help!" he gasps, "Monsters! At the docks! They're gonna eat Mister Fix!"

"For justice and money!" cries Yatagan, his voice ringing with practicality and valor. He raises shield and almost barrels the halfling over on his way out the door.

While he waits for the rest of the League to marshal behind him, he looks towards the docks, hoping to catch a glimpse of the next step towards his glorious apotheosis.

Odanais stumbles in the door, stinking of wine, cigarettes and sweat. Nearly tripping over the screaming halfling, he makes his way for the bar where he uncorks a bottle of tangerine wine and has a seat. "Now, then," he says, finally comfortable, "What exactly is a Mr. Fix and why is it attacking monsters?"

As much as she'd prefer a day off to groom Sappho and Treasure (for Sappho certainly needed a break and Treasure wasn't, in her opinion, getting nearly enough affection), Penelope follows after Yatagan. The cat comes slinking up behind the paladin too, looking none too pleased.

Vox strolls out to stand by Yatigan's side. "I don't actually recall money being mentioned," he murmurs. "Even so, might be nice to do something magnanimous, for once. Slaying monsters certainly counts as that. You go first," he adds.

gridley wrote:

Odanais stumbles in the door, stinking of wine, cigarettes and sweat. Nearly tripping over the screaming halfling, he makes his way for the bar where he uncorks a bottle of tangerine wine and has a seat. "Now, then," he says, finally comfortable, "What exactly is a Mr. Fix and why is it attacking monsters?"

The halfling gives Odanais a strange look, as if he thinks the mage is insane, and then turns and runs out the door and past the League-members already outside. "Monsters! On the docks!" he yells as he runs up the street. "The Arseholes are dealing with them!" he adds, causing a few doors and windows to pop open and reveal curious faces. A perhaps marginally larger number are heard slamming shut.

The adventurers on the street can hear more of a commotion coming from the direction of the docks, which are a couple of streets over to the east. There is the distinct sound of yelling and screams. Strangely, a sound mingled with the shouts is the yowling of what must be dozens of cats. Or perhaps not so strange, considering what the halfling said and the fact that Gideon Fix is commonly known to be inordinately fond of cats and has even founded a feline sanctuary for them.

"'zounds! Sappho's danger tail is waggling!" remarks Odanais, leaping to his feet and heading outside. "Clearly kitty cats are in peril! Let us away!"

Penelope feels a rush of... glee, which isn't quite usual for her, but quickly dismisses it when realizing the felines are only making their presence known because they're in distress. She frowns, and begins to walk quickly towards the sounds. "Don't hurt any of the cats," the archer threatens, briefly looking towards her comrades, "Or else!"

shilsen wrote:

"The Arseholes are dealing with them!" he adds, causing a few doors and windows to pop open and reveal curious faces.

"Ahem... we are now the Miracle Pig Thea... no, I suppose not anymore" says Yatagan, gradually shifting from his inside to outside bellow. "We are the Knights of the Church of Treasure! Fear not --unless you are bad-- for we are coming!"

OOC: we amble down the street in what passes for combat formation, Yatagan in the lead, Penelope behind keeping a lookout, etc.

Mallus wrote:

OOC: we amble down the street in what passes for combat formation, Yatagan in the lead, Penelope behind keeping a lookout, etc.

When the newly-named (and -proclaimed) Knights of the Church of Treasure arrive at the scene of the commotion, they find the docks mostly free of people.

A green lizard the size of a large dog, with a spiky frill along its neck and back, is walking in their direction, and it stops and hisses at them. Two more such lizards are visible some forty feet down the dock, perched and chewing on the body of some unfortunate dockworker.

Between the pair of lizards and the one closer to the adventurers are a pair of beetles, each as large as a human being, with a spike on the nose and a bright red carapace. They are scrabbling at a door, which has a barred window. A grizzled man is barely visible at the window, poking at them with a polearm and shouting. The caterwauling of the cats seems to be coming from inside the same building. As the group arrives, one of the beetles rears up and breathes a spray of fire at the window, causing the man to scream and disappear from sight.


OOC: I'm sending off an excel spreadsheet showing the battlefield. Roll initiative and anyone who gets a 14 or more can go before the enemies.

Some of you recognize the lizards as spitting drakes, which breathe acid. The beetles are fire beetles, which can breathe fire, but not as continuously as the drakes can.

"I hope I'm not too late to the party," Lizzy mumbles. "Any enemy of the dockworkers is an enemy of mine."

ooc: Nice avatar, Ed!

Initiative for Odanais: 15 [9 + 6]

ooc: How do I roll?

overeddie wrote:

ooc: How do I roll?

When you start typing a post, you'll see a section below the "Preview" and "Send" buttons which says "Dice roller". It lets you enter the number of rolls you want and what sort of die (d20, d12, etc).

In order to make multiple different rolls with different types of dice, click the small "+" symbol and it'll open up another pair of slots for you to enter more combinations of rolls.

Once you've made your choices, just post and the die roller will roll the dice. Then you can edit your post with the totals (the die roller just rolls dice and you have to do the adding yourself).