Ethical Circus hijinks

shilsen wrote:

"Your friend magistrate help us? You speak friend magistrate for Weavers? If friend help, Weavers pay good price."

"I can only promise Lord Dandy will read your petition, and there's no point delivering it to him until he's assigned to the Hush. But he is an elf of excellent judgment and great refinement. Surely he'll grant any reasonable or stylish request".

"As for your mob problem... we can start on that immediately. Are your people in any physical danger? We can provide all kinds of security, some quite proactive. Though, ultimately, winning hearts is more valuable that breaking jaws. Which brings us back to my idea for a festival..."

"Oh for the love of crack..."

overeddie wrote:

"Oh for the love of crack..."

"I didn't mean to suggest breaking jaws wasn't important, Lizzie" says Yatagan, looking pained at the thought he offended the short, violent ideologue. "We can still break some, if you like".

"Pardon my exasperation with your, uh, colorful schemes. It's just that breaking jaws IS effective. Provided you break the right jaws."

Vox makes it back to the world of the living without mishap, simply having to spend more time skulking through the Hereafter than normal.

The others, meanwhile, wrap up their negotiation with Ch'trik'krik. While the giant spider still seems a little confused about the whole business of theater and how that will help her cause, she's certainly interested in getting some physical protection, if possible. While none of her people have been actively attacked, there has been one incident when a small mob arrived at their building shouting about the Weavers carrying off people from the Shambles (which borders the Hush). Luckily, the Weavers managed to scare them away (the adventurers are introduced to a particularly large, heavily scarred and fierce-looking spider called Makh'kor'sha who did the needful) without any actual fighting, but Ch'trik'krik is worried that it might happen again. That fear also significantly curtails her people's chances of traveling anywhere in the city, which make meeting diplomats for negotiations a little difficult. She offers substantial payment for security and if the group will facilitate trade negotiations between the Weavers and the Port.

After leaving her, the League-members head back to the Hall, picking up a little gossip about the Weavers on the way. One of the more interesting stories they hear is about the cause for the mob which bothered the Weavers. About three weeks ago, a woman was carried off from the streets of the Shambles. In front of multiple witnesses, all of whom saw her picked up and carried into the night sky by... something. No two of them agree about what it was, though they agree it was huge and dark. They heard her screams growing gradually more distant, until the sound suddenly cut off entirely.

There have been another dozen or so victims since then, each taken at night, three or four days apart. The killer has never been clearly seen, although the beating of enormous wings has been heard, and it seems to favor women and children as victims. Twice, it's taken its prey from the Staggers, but the Shambles appear to be its favored hunting grounds. It's been given a variety of names by the citizenry and the tabloids; the two most often used are "The Black Terror" and "The Night Hunter".

There's been talk of a reward for the creature, but it's the Shambles. Nobody who has money seems to care enough to do something. There's also no real connection between these cases and the Weavers, but that didn't stop some idiots from trying to bring a little vigilante justice to them.

The League-members eventually end up back at the Hall, where Vox rejoins them. It's late evening now, and the specter of a final confrontation with Clagoff beckons.

OOC: I'm moving things along a bit so that we can get to the raid on the arena for Friday's game. Go ahead and post about anything you do before meeting Dandy's bailiffs the next day around noon, and I'll post another update later.

shilsen wrote:

While the giant spider still seems a little confused about the whole business of theater and how that will help her cause...

Yatagan will push the idea of the Weavers sponsoring a street fair in the Hush, explaining how easily good-will can be bought with free food and entertainment. He'll also mention that the League can rent out a popular new god at a very reasonable price.

Quote :

She offers substantial payment for security and if the group will facilitate trade negotiations between the Weavers and the Port.

Get a list of the upcoming meetings they'll need security for. Also, Yatagan will demonstrate his persuasive ability by reciting some erotic labor propaganda.

Quote :

The killer has never been clearly seen, although the beating of enormous wings has been heard, and it seems to favor women and children as victims.

This is going to look marvelous on stage thinks Yatagan.

OOC: so we will be doing a version of Miss Saigon.

Yatagan will suggest the League have a civilized --read: not in the sty-- drink out in the evening and then retire early.

Vox will readily agree to a civilized and relaxing drink somehwere pig-free, and if he insists a little hysterically on sitting facing away from the door ("They expect you to sit with your back to the wall," he mutters angrily. "That's how they get you."), well, it's not the strangest thing that he's done.

Animating a dead rat and convincing it to perform a little dance upon the table, on the other hand....

You guy are nuts! But then we already knew that. Anyhoo...

* * * * *
After getting some rest and making their preparations, the League-members meet with Lord Dandy's bailiffs at the governor's offices the next day. There, they are informed that the plan for the raid is a fairly simple one. The raiding party will be broken into three groups, one consisting of the adventurers and a couple of bailiffs. Two groups will watch the Mermaid tavern, while another will stay near the supposedly closed Fang and Blade arena next door. There will also be some individual guards on the roofs of the buildings nearby. Vox, meanwhile, will be infiltrating the arena.

The groups will give Vox twenty minutes and then Odanais will contact him via Sending. Presumably this will be a good time for the raid to begin, and if Vox confirms that, the groups will break in (one each through the front and back door of the Mermaid tavern, and the third group through the arena). The bailiffs give the adventurers the option of choosing where their group will go.

OOC: Feel free to add in any suggestions.

OOC: Would it be more useful to have a disguised Odanais in the Arena as well? That way, Vox could give him a signal whenever the time happens to be right and the signal can be sent outside then. How noticeable would the ritual be in a crowded room?

gridley wrote:

OOC: Would it be more useful to have a disguised Odanais in the Arena as well? That way, Vox could give him a signal whenever the time happens to be right and the signal can be sent outside then. How noticeable would the ritual be in a crowded room?

Very noticeable. I'd say most rituals require actions which would be completely obvious to people in the same room. If Odanais goes with Vox, he'd have to find a secluded room to pull the ritual off without drawing attention.

An addenda: In the interests of getting your PCs killed, I'll let Odanais pull off a Sending without attracting attention if he blows an action point for it (which would mean he doesn't have one for the next fight).

Let's buy/distribute healing potions for the League. Everyone gets the same number, too, so as not to upset Lizzie...

Mallus wrote:

Let's buy/distribute healing potions for the League. Everyone gets the same number, too, so as not to upset Lizzie...

Presume everyone has a Healing Potion anyway (which doesn't count against your cash total), but if you want more, you can buy them with the money you have.

shilsen wrote:

An addenda: In the interests of getting your PCs killed, I'll let Odanais pull off a Sending without attracting attention if he blows an action point for it (which would mean he doesn't have one for the next fight).

OOC: You make it sound so attractive! Ok... Odanais can do his sending from outside the arena.

OOC: Yatagan now has a nasty --in more ways than one-- Daily prayer that gives allies +4 to damage on every attack until the end of the encounter. He can affect a maximum of 8 people with it (close, ahem... burst 1).

I plan on using it right before we storm the arena (including some of the Bailiffs). Is that okay John? Do you want me to wait until we meet up w/Vox?

Mallus wrote:

OOC: Yatagan now has a nasty --in more ways than one-- Daily prayer that gives allies +4 to damage on every attack until the end of the encounter. He can affect a maximum of 8 people with it (close, ahem... burst 1).

I plan on using it right before we storm the arena (including some of the Bailiffs). Is that okay John? Do you want me to wait until we meet up w/Vox?

You may take a while to get to the arena, plus there may be more than one encounter, so I recommend waiting till inside.

I shan't be offended if Vox isn't included (he may feel differently, of course), so use it when it seems best.

Since we didn't play today and are not playing next week, we'll handle as much as we can of the raid via the forums.

I set up another thread here for continuing with the game. Pop in and post.