Ok OP, lets clarify. where are we in the harbor, what trouble is sebastion in, and what are our abilities?

Bertram Gillivers
Alchemical Formulae Known:
-Sunsphere, defensive weapon
-Dragon's Blood, offensive weapon
-Casket, offensive weapon
-Smokebomb, defensive/utility
-Shadowdust, utiliy
-Arms and Ammunition, Journeyman-level
-Medicine, Novitiate-level
OTHER EQUIPMENT:
-Pepperpot Blunderbuss
-Eagle Eyes, binocular/magnifying lenses
-Phosphorescent Glove/Firestarter
-Armor-plated Robe, Medium

Reputation:
>SELFLESS+
>POTENTIALLY UNTRUSTWORTHY
>PROBABLY A MURDERER

ALLIES/HENCHMEN
Sebastian- An imperial rifleman sworn as your personal bodyguard for the duration of the expedition. He has indicated his continued participation in guarding your back.
Fierna- A lithe, magically-gifted woman from beyond the Second Sun, a tear in space through which her race plans to conquer your world and exterminate your people. She believes a peace can be reached.
Dask'tchk- A small goblinoid, of what Fierna's people call the Trechlan. Reveres you and other humanoids as sort of god-figures, and has yet to prove himself useful, or even really trustworthy.
-Three sailors rescued from the island, originally crew of the expedition you accompanied there.
-Elegy/Requiem- A childhood friend of your that appears to have maneuvered herself into a position of relative influence in the noble community. She is also a Hushblade, fulfilling a lifelong dream of hers.
Lady Stelton- The noblewoman that kept you out of prison. A tenuous and almost unwilling ally, but an ally nonetheless..

Other Figures of Note:
Lord Blackheed- An elven plant within the noble hierarchy. Has an appreciation for the finer aspects of human life but also a staunch loyalty to his own culture.
Hushblade- One of the sailors you rescued from the island was a Hushblade assigned to kill you, for reasons yet unknown.
Lorelei- A blind teenage girl employed in Lord Blackheed's apartments in Hierotoria.
Paxton- The aged butler, also employed in Blackheed's apartments.

Fuck yeah, more AlchemyQuest. Hopefully we get more people tonight.

Properly outfitted, you stroll back to the row of taverns and into the Kelpie's Den.
There is a dim haze of perfumey smoke throughout the room. This seems to be a fairly "high class" inn, compared to the standard bayside cantine. A few legitimately attracted women flit about from customer to customer, and it's obvious that there are services being offered here extending to both halves of the Ale and Whores economy.
"Ah, the Kelpie's Den," Sebastian says, rubbing his hands together, "many the site of a month's pay obliterated."
"Speaking from experience Sebastian?" you ask jovially.
"I could have opened a tavern with the coin I've whittled away in here," Sebastian says. "On cards," he adds. "Well, mostly on cards."
"Sebastian Barkowe?" a female voice asks in the haze.
You look at Sebastian, who acts oblivious.
"Sebastian Barkowe!"
"'As long as we don't use our real names, we should be able to investigate freely?!" you hiss a whisper at the rifleman.
A glass bottle sails out of a smoky corner of the bar, striking Sebastian square on the chin and knocking him backwards into the front door.
A woman in somewhat trampish costume strides out of the dimness to the front of the bar, staring at the two of you. Her hands are balled into fists and her eyes flash beneath fiery red hair. She stabs a finger at Sebastian, who rubs his head, wincing.
"I should SKIN you, Sebastian, I should skin you alive!"
Huh. Barkowe. You've been waiting months for someone to drop that in conversation so you wouldn't feel awkward for admitting to forgetting it.

>What do?

>A sidenote: Check AlchemyQuest 16 for a sidenote by me regarding a potential future IRC game and the options for it. Email me if you're interested or if you have any questions.

>>12860770
This is the sort of thing that we don't want to interfere in unless she pulls a knife or something, I think. Obvious past here that we don't fully grasp, and taking action might just make matters worse. Move slightly away from Sebastian, give him an obvious "the hell is this?" look, and see what he does.

>>12860788
Yeah that might be best. Intervene if it gets too bad but stand back for now.

oh come on! we're a dashing and daring alchemist!
lets have a hearty chuckle at the ladies approach, and attempt to distract her with some light conversation, keeping in mind our need to defend ourselves unscroupulously should she reveal herself to be a psychopath.

We need to open up a brothel with all the women we've got coming after us.

What's your Email for the CoC game?

>>12860840
see
>>12860786

I'm getting a lot of interest for the CoC game. I'm probably going to have to ask you guys for character descriptions to pare it down to a 5 or 6 man party, maybe 7 if there are just that many awesome character ideas.

>intervene if necessary
You take a step back as the woman darts towards Sebastian, stopping just short of him. He holds up his hands in symbolic surrender.
"Jerras, I...er...didn't expect to see you here?"
"Oh? Didn't think I could get away from lawmen as easily as you could get away from me?
"Please, Jerras, that was-"
Sebastian doesn't get to finish explaining before a tanned, toned fist plants itself firmly against his jaw. He stumbles backwards, toppling to the floor.
"Madam, please," you say, trying to diffuse the mood. You can feel patrons looking towards you. Jerras wheels on you.
"Who in the Abyss are you?" she says through grit teeth.

>>12860917
Make up yet another alias.

Alphonse DeVir does not go slumming.

>>12860928
Seconded. I... Cannot think of a decent name so someone else do so.

>>12860917
"nnn..n.nobody forget i said anything"

>>12860917
Don't talk like an alchemist, for crying out loud. You'll stick out like a sore thumb.

"Gill. And I'd like to know why you're punching Sebastian, before I decide if I should be trying to help him or just laughing."

You hastily try to get into character. You're a dockworker, or a pickpocket, or something. Your mouth feels incredibly dry.
"Gill. And I'd like to know why you're punching Sebastian, before I decide if I should be trying to help him or just laughing," you say, calming down as the words come out.
"Don't worry, Gill," she says, emphasizing your name unnecessarily, "stick around this coward and you'll be punching him too, before long. If you're smart you'll just turn around and forget you ever met this lowlife."

>>12860858
I sent you an email. Kind of a vague idea for a punchy boxer. Kind of like Swifty from The Venture Bros.

>>12860971
"Just what did he do to you?"

"Just what did he do to you?"
"Could we maybe get a table, or something?" Sebastian says, smiling nervously at staring patrons.
"Why, Sebastian? Embarrassed to be shown up as a fraud and a backstabber?" Jerras says, cocking her head to the side confrontationally.

>>12860971
"I don't know what he did in the past but this man is no coward."

>Let me get a d100 from you guys real quick

rolled 20 = 20

>>12861105

>>12861131

>uh oh?

>>12861131
Definitely uh oh.

>20
>Never mind then
>Dohohohoho
"I don't know what he did in the past but this man is no coward."
"Yeah, seriously, can we-?"
Jerras scoffs, shrugging and rolling her eyes before moving with the two of you to a table in the corner.
"So, what's he told you, eh? Promised you he can get past any navy blockade? Talked up and down about how he can shoot the standard off a mainmast? As true as that might be, it's not worth it just to end up abandoned and almost arrested!" she puts extra emphasis on the last word, poking Sebastian in the chest with her finger.
The rifleman looks hurt and cornered, and can feel the unasked questions bubbling inside your head.

>>12861212
I think this is the moment that we let Sebastian make his own response.

Yes, just look at him in a questioning manner.

But don't take too much time with this distraction, there is a Lord to investigate and a hushblade to be found.

You look at Sebastian, eyes open and inviting an explanation. He taps on the table, looking around for a drink.
"I, er...I wasn't always a rifleman."
"You're a RI-?!" Jerras' inquiry is cut short as Sebastian claps a hand over her mouth, trying to hold her struggling form still.
"Emperor's love, woman, if you ever loved me you'll keep that to yourself."
He releases the hand, and she quivers and fumes. You can't tell if she's angry that Sebastian's a military man or at his mention of a romantic connection. He looks uncomfortably at her before continuing.
"Anyway, uh...before joining up I did a bit of privateering work. And when I say privateering, I mean piracy. I guess you could say Harborside was like a hometown to me. Jerras and I, we'd take a crew out to hit a merchant ship, or we'd just lift their cargo while they were docked. One, er, one night, we-"
"One night," Jerras cuts in, "we're set to lift an easy mark, fat merchant vessel bearing gold from down south. Everything's going fine," she casts a glance at Sebastian, "when Imperial troops are suddenly all over the place, some kind of surprise inspection. Imagine my surprise when the bold pirate Sebastian panics and leaves me to fend for myself. Worm probably though I was rotting in prison or dead by now."
Sebastian remains notably silent.

>>12861319
"Ah. This.. sounds like a thing that warrants serious drinking while talking about it. Objections?"

>mfw 14 people want in on this CoC game.
Oh man. Expect an email to go out this weekend trying to narrow this down, mostly based on schedule consistency and character ideas.

>>12861361

No time to get trashed, got a hushblade to find remember?

>>12861404
You're no fun. But it's not like she'll take us up on an offer to go drinking... probably.

>>12861404
No need to get wasted. But we are in a Tavern. And maybe this "friend" of Sebastions could be of some use?

>>12861361
"Ah. This.. sounds like a thing that warrants serious drinking while talking about it. Objections?"
"Objections," Jerras says, standing up. "Don't let me see you again," she adds, to Sebastian, before starting to leave.
"Jerras..." Sebastian manages, meekly.

>Ask her to stay/for help?

>>12861473
Let's try to appeal. Sebastian has changed since he hasn't abandoned us so I imagine there is either more to the story or he has changed for the better.

>>12861473
we should assure him that we completely trust him

Offer her cash.

>>12861473
I don't see that we have the credibility to get her to stay. Sebastian can tell us more about that later and make hunting her down a sidequest if he wants, but getting her on our side at the moment doesn't seem feasible short of something brilliant.

That said, if someone does have a brilliant line, I'd bet that we could bribe her pretty effectively with alchemical goods. You're not going to find those on the street, and they're damned useful in criminal activities.

>>12861526
>Nigga you broke.

>>12861473
"Jerras please. Whatever Sebastian did in the past, it's different now. He's had plenty of chances to do what you accuse him of but he stuck by my side. I trust him with my life with good reason."

>>12861534
>she doesn't know that

>>12861545
>Sebastian is trustworthy now help us out and we'll pay you
>Oh, did I mention that Seb might be trustworthy, but I'm not? *trollface*
>Forced to flee from angry pirate chick

I can see where this will end up already.

"Jerras please. Whatever Sebastian did in the past, it's different now. He's had plenty of chances to do what you accuse him of but he stuck by my side. I trust him with my life with good reason."
Jerras stops. Slowly she turns and looks at the two of you.
"I'll put flowers on your grave, then, Gill," she says, looking at Sebastian the whole time. The rifleman rests his head in his hands.
"It's true, you know, what I said," you say after she's gone. Sebastian looks at you.
"I am a different man. But that doesn't forgive what I did. I can save your life a hundred times and I'll still be the man who abandoned her."

>>12861598
"True. But I imagine most of us have a few black marks on our records; you'll handle it and there's always more work to be done. Let's get going. Perhaps a different tavern would be more accommodating."

"True. But I imagine most of us have a few black marks on our records; you'll handle it and there's always more work to be done. Let's get going. Perhaps a different tavern would be more accommodating."
"Not if Jerras is there," Sebastian mumbles.

The taverns on this row are:
>The Slippery Polyp
>The Frothmonster's Tankard
>You. Meat. Inn. - A Tavern
>The Kelpie's Den

>>12861682
"Perhaps you can try again in the future. After she's calmed down. But right now we have other things to take care of."

Let's hit up The Frothmonster's Tankard

you meat in

>>12861712
>>12861705
>1 vote each
>oh god it's only the two of you isn't it.

>>12861721
Go for you meat in then. And it seems like it... Makes me sad again.

rolled 2 = 2

>>12861721
Hey, I'm here too.

I just don't care. Here, have a die roll.

>>12861712
I second this.
>>12861721
I'm here, just y'know, keeping my mouth shut.

Another vote for You Meat Inn

>You. Meat. Inn. - A Tavern.
A pleasant aroma of smoked goodness emanates from the door to this cheery-looking tavern. You can hear the bubbling froth of conversation stirring within as you open the door.
Sebastian looks worriedly at the corners of the room as you enter. Seeing so sign of his former friend, he sighs, motioning to an empty table.
"Alright, there should be someone in here who can help us find people that are missing, or at least get a hold of this Gestel character. Let me go work some magic,"
"Don't run into any more old girlfriends, if you please," you call after him. He does not look amused.

>Roll a d100

rolled 59 = 59

>>12861825

>>12861837
>59
You look around at the myriad bar patrons, taking stock of wiry sailors and bearded dockworkers. You think, for a moment, that you see someone near the entrance to the bar, watching you, but when you turn to focus it's just a crowd of drunks.
"We're in luck," Sebastian says when he returns, bearing a shifty-looking gentleman with him. The two of them take a seat.
"Raskid here knows names, faces, places, that sort of thing, but, uh...seeing as we're a bit low on Legions..."
"It's going to cost you a favor," Raskid says in a reedy voice. "Just one favor. Payable at...a later date."

>>12861922
He has to tell us the favor now.

>>12861989
That and the info he gives us has to actually be useful.

And if he denies telling us the favor beforehand, we'll threaten his dick with getting cut off.

>>12862023
I don't know about that...

"What sort of favor?" you counter. Raskid's lip curls.
"If I knew what it was I'd need done, I'd be having you do it, wouldn't I? As it is, you'll owe me one favor, and that's a better deal than I usually offer. I though you had smart friends, friend," he says, flashing white teeth at Sebastian.
"And how do I know your information is useful?"
He leans forward, drumming his fingers together and running his tongue over his top teeth.
"Oh, it's useful. You're looking for "Lord Gestel," and that's a name I've heard before. I can tell you who it is, and a place to go with it. Terms is fairly cut and dry, I'd say."

>>12862099
Agree to the deal then I guess. I don't see what else we can do.

>>12862099
"Fine. But if your information is false, don't expect to hold me to anything."

Finally here, one more player.

"Fine. But if your information is false, don't expect to hold me to anything."
Raskid nods. "That's fair, that."
"Gestel, as he calls it, ain't a noble by a long stretch. It's an alias I've heard a few times before, in conjunction with a run of abductions and murders. Always sought for questioning, never found. Gestel's actually a Hushblade, or what passes for one Harborside, man called Razor's Edge. Word is he's currently 'unattached', as it were, turning contracts to pay the rent and occasionally snatching some pretty piece to sell off to one of the islands, savvy? 'e haunts around the upper level of a warehouse near the edge of the district. I send folks there who're looking for business, but eh," he chuckles, "seeing's you only had a name to go by, I'm guessing you're not looking for a typical business proposition."

>>12862252
"What kind of business do you send his way?"

"What kind of business do you send his way?"
"Now you're stretching yourself thin, I think," Raskid says, getting a bit cagey. "Let's say it's the kind of business you conduct in an empty warehouse, and leave it at that, eh?" He licks parched lips, eyes darting around the bar out of fear or habit.

>>12862288
"And if you were going to send us to do business with him, what do we need to do?"

>>12862252
>savvy?

>mfw is it Jack Sparrow

Get the specific location and head there immediately, we probably shouldn't waste anymore time asking about other things. Did we at least bring weapons, alchemical or other?

>>12862288
"Fine. Does he have any known associates or servants?"

>>12862288
"Let's just say that we might have our finger on a nice little setup. Works out, and then you might find it's something we could cut you in on, /savvy/? We might have a spot of work for this Razor's Edge, but I need to know just what he's up for first. There's a lot of folks might be up for some empty warehouse work, but not all of them up for this."

>>12862342
Ask this, sure, but replace "servants" with either "toadies", "lackies", or something else to designate underlings that's not the respectable word that "servants" is. "Slaves" might work too.

"And if you were going to send us to do business with him, what do we need to do?"
Raskid's eyes dart about again.
"Now, don't get the wrong impression, see? Normally I wouldn't give you time of day asking about a man I do business with, but the thick of it is," he leans in, "ol' Edge's gone a bit drafty upstairs, if you follow. Not taking his job seriously enough, or far too seriously, don't ask me which. I'm half-hoping you'll get him killed and divorce me from the whole affair, nice and clean-like. Or he'll carve you up and no blood on my nails. One way or the other," he says, blinking, "you didn't get nothing from Raskid, you hear?"
You and Sebastian both nod slowly.
Raskid reaches out with one hand and knocks out a pattern on the table, two long, then four short, then three long. He repeats it a few times.
"You get that? That'll get him to let you in. After that, do your own convincing."

>>12862314
>You are armed.

>>itt anons can't read in between the lines

Ignore the others wanting to ask more, arm yourselves and head out

"Does he have any known associates or lackeys?"
"A Hushblade? Not likely. Might have a couple slaves lying about, but Hushblades don't have a tendency towards teamwork, if you follow."

>>12862387
Oh look. Asking more questions got us a way in without having to sneak in on our own or break in. How horrible that more questions were asked.

I think that should be enough questions unless Sebastian has anything he thinks should be asked.

I've got a feeling this is going to only end in one way, and sneaking would probably give us the drop on him.
:/

>>12862449
Sneaking or pretending like we're here to do business can give us the drop on him. If we scope the place out, we can decide then but it's nice to have the option.

It occurs to me that if this hushblade got the drop on Elegy and snatched her to sell to the islands, we may need to torture the location of where to find her out of him. It also occurs to me that we are uniquely equipped to do so: we have medical knowledge, and we have acid.

If it comes to it, pulling out the nails of his big toes and applying acid to the places where they were is enough to make the most pain resistant sort of badass scream bloody murder.

>Here's a bit of proof, with Army medics discussing doing this to remove infection.
>http://archive.easymodo.net/cgi-board.pl/tg/thread/10528271#p10529604
>Search toenail

Current tentative plan: Stakeout/infiltration, using shadowdust. From there we can hopefully get information on Elegy, and either retrieve her or decide that we'll need to attack the guy from what will hopefully be a position of surprise.

>Get there right quick
You stand up, Sebastian following your lead. Raskid remains seated, grinning and nodding at you.
"Gentlemen. It's been a pleasure," he shakes Sebastian's hand, then yours. "Rest assured, I'll be in touch."
"I need a bath," Sebastian says as you leave. "I forgot how greasy that man can seem."

The warehouse you are directed to is indeed a ramshackle affair, probably on some sort of list for being torn down. Salt-weathered boards seem brittle and cracked, endlessly swollen and buffeted by the wet salty wind. There is a chain across the front door, but a narrow staircase leading to a second floor, probably meant to be an office for whatever merchant owned the warehouse.

>Preparatory measures? Knock on the front door or the upper floor?

>>12862493
Is it dark enough that shadowdust would keep us hidden? If so, perhaps we should go in while Sebastian follows us hidden. If not, let's scope the place out and see if there are any other ways in unless you guys think we should just go in directly and act like we're there to do business.

>>12862508
Seems good to me. If/when we approach to do business let's be sure to use the second floor.

>>12862508
>It is late afternoon. The sun is behind the shoreside cliffs, so there are ample shadows in the harbor district, and likely many more inside the warehouse.

Have Sebastian take up watch at the front, sneak in the side with shadowdust if that is viable.

>>12862539
Then I suggest we examine the building from the outside just for potential exits or other entrances if we need a quick escape, then go in with Sebastian using shadowdust. Hopefully he doesn't botch it and hit something to make it look like he's around.

This guy doesn't know us, we have no money to do business with. He'll likely have us searched for weapons and any chance for surprise will be near non-existent. We got to use stealth and sneaking here.

>>12862545

To clarify, leave Sebastian at a place he can watch both entrances/exits and go in alone with shadowdust

>>12862570
Then let's hope we can find another way in since that is something I didn't think of at the time. If we do have to use the main entrance, perhaps we should go in with the shadowdust.

Shadow dust up.

Sebastian keeps back to watch.

We go up and investigate first.

You move to the alley housing the stairway, producing a vial of Shadowdust.
"Stay here," you say to Sebastian. "Watch the exits, check for any others. I'm going to go in there and see what's to be seen." you gradually fade from view, your form melding with the lengthening and darkening shadows.
"Be careful," Sebastian says, then adds, "I promise I'll be here when you get out," his face apologetic.

>Say something if you want, otherwise roll dice for SNEAKAN

rolled 15 = 15

something something CQC

rolled 83 = 83

>>12862683
"Careful was my uncle's middle name. True story."

rolled 17 = 17

>>12862683
"I already told you Sebastian. I trust you with my life."

>>12862694
FFFFFF- /tg/ dice continue to hate us.

>>12862694

oh hell

>>12862683
"Don't worry about promises, Sebastian. Just keep yourself alive and try to do the right thing. That's all anyone can do."

>>12862694
"Don't worry about promises, Sebastian. Just keep yourself alive and try to do the right thing. That's all anyone can do."
>boss
>15
>NOT boss
You creep your way up the stairs, your body shimmering. You try the door carefully, only to find it unlocked. And ungreased. The squeak echoes hideously into the mostly-empty space of the warehouse. You grit your teeth, moving into the building as silently as possible and keeping away from the small slat-like windows near the top of the structure that let in filtered beams of light that catch the motes of dust floating lazily in the dim air. As your eyes adjust to the dimness, you can see nothing truly unusual about the interior.
"I didn't hear a knock, rats and beetles," a voice cracks the air; it seems strained and hoarse, as though from a great deal of screaming. The darkness that conceals you hides others, as you feared and hoped.

Is it her voice?

>>12862773
Crap and double crap. Is the voice near us? If so, move away perhaps to try and see who it is? Otherwise look around for whoever that might be.

Gill left the door open, right? Stand off to the side near a wall in shadow where it is unlikely someone will walk into you. Maybe they'll assume the door wasn't shut well and blew open?

You're eye should adjust to the dark to at least keep you from running into stuff.

Once Gill's eyes adjust, find a crate or something to hide behind in case someone lights a lamp. Then, try to discern how many others are in the warehouse with you, what they are armed with (if anything), and any other important details that are noticeable.

There is a phosphorescent hiss and a lamp is lit across the upper level. It reveals a table across which is strapped most of a young woman. Her spinal cord protrudes from her waistline, dripping gore onto the table where her conspicuously absent legs should be. One arm is flayed open and pinned back, veins and skin fanned out like a tree. Her head is shaved and half her face is peeled away, one eye carefully removed and trailing by cords of nerve and muscle to the vacant socket, where forceps have been inserted to explore the inner skull.
"Come for business or for pleasure? Or for both?" the voice shrieks in the darkness. You can hear scuffling footsteps moving towards you in the dimness, though the lamplight remains stationary. "And close that door! You're letting in a draft!"

>>12862860
Motherfucker! Pull out our gun and shift around into the shadows.

>>12862860
We're in trouble with the lamp coming as long as we have the shadow dust on us. Is there anything we can hide behind? Large crates or anything along those lines?

We are still invisible right? If so and they can't see us, continue silently moving away from the door and lamp. Continue looking for something to hide behind.

>>12862860
Man, we need some sort of sensory booster to help out in situations like this. Hide with no corresponding Spot is lame.

Still, we didn't come here to have a conversation. Stay concealed and start creeping about, and if he doesn't like the draft he can close his own damned door.

>>12862889
Not invisible. We'd show up as a black blob in the light if I remember right. We haven't improved the shadow dust enough to be truly invisible. Hence why we need to hide from the lamp or take it out.

Do we have any of the flash thingies on us? If some gets light on us and spots us, throw one WHILE CLOSING OUR EYES THAT WE DON'T BLIND OURSELVES. If that happens and we have a knife on us, use the chaos to take the nearest one down and hide again before the regain their senses.

You say nothing, instead creeping forward, hand trailing along the dim form of a wooden railing that you can see. You can't see down into the lower levels except to see that there are various shapes strewn about, boxes and tables and a pile of...something. You make sure your other hand is tight on the grip of your firearm.
"Spies and thieves!" the voice murmurs to itself, and another lamp is struck, illuminating the figure.
Amateur surgery is the phrase that comes to mind. The man wears a pair of trousers and no shirt, revealing a winding topography of scarification. One arm is a scabbed mess, blades and spikes buried and fastened within the skin along crude lines. The other hand is unaltered, and holds a length of thin chain with a dagger dangling from the end. A metal mask is tightly bound to the man's face by wire that seems to dig into his flesh.
"SPIES AND THIEVES!" he repeats, louder.

>What do?

rolled 30 = 30

>>12862983
Blind the guy with a sunsphere, disarm him and take him alive. We need to find out where Elegy in the event she's not in this warehouse.

>>12862983
Get in a hidden position at his flank, shoot him in the leg, and then move to a new position.

Hopefully the gunshot should alert our man Sebastian.

>>12863001
If you need a consensus and it seems only the two of us are here, go with this one I guess. I'll concede for the purposes of speeding us along to save Elegy.

I think him saying SPIES AND THIEVES! loudly is him calling some buddies or something?

We should hold off on making any offensive until we know if this guy is alone or not. Try and listen for footsteps or sounds made by someone other then him.

>>12862994
>30
You twist the ends of a Sunsphere, feeling the click as the reagents begin mixing. You give it a toss, but are dismayed when it clatters against the railing and pitches down into the main warehouse. There is a thunderous boom and a blinding flash of light, but you are shielded from the majority of the light. In the flash of illumination, you can see a good handful of other human figures stretched out on tables on the upper and lower levels, some of them in more pieces than others. The masked man staggers slightly at the flash, but he isn't blinded by the burst a floor below. You are aware, painfully, that for a brief moment you were illuminated, after a fashion, a humanoid patch of black in the illuminated room. You take aim with your blunderbuss.

>Roll dice

>>12862983
I'd hold position and see what he does next, readying our weapon. This guy seems crazy, but it's probably still worth seeing which way he jumps.

>>12863070
We've been seen. Someone else take the shot since I screwed up the sunsphere.

rolled 34 = 34

>>12863070
Fates guide me.

rolled 12 = 12

If this don't go well, MOVE

>>12863083
>shit
>>12863091
>FUCK

>>12863083
>34
>Fates guide me
>I don't think so, Tim

You pull the trigger, releasing the cavalcade of shot towards the man, your muzzle flashing repeatedly in the dark. You see a blur of movement as the masked figure dodges, moving forward under your shot and scrabbling towards you like a limber crab.
>12
You dodge to the side to try and avoid his rush and lose yourself in the shadows. Unfortunately, he catches you, pushing himself up on one forearm and spinning out with a backhand, legs whipping him in a circle. The razors embedded in his flesh spill your blood on the planks of the floor, dripping through the gaps to the warehouse below.
"Pleasure it is, then," the man rasps, breath hissing in his mask as he rolls to a standing position, cracking his neck and nearly dancing about on nimble feet.

rolled 29 = 29

>>12863140
"The pleasure's all mine."
Shred that the motherfucker. Not just one shot, pepper him with bullets.

rolled 11 = 11

>>12863140
I forgot - is this gun one shot or multiple? If we're out, smash his face and hope Sebastian gets here soon.

>>12863161
God dammit, we can't roll for shit tonight.

rolled 23 = 23

I think tg dice has it in for us. We shoot again, and hope Sebastian has heard some of this and is coming to save our bacon.

>>12863161
I think that should mean 1/3 of our bullets hit him.

DELAY UNTIL SEBASTIAN COMES TO SAVE US!

If we lose Elegy because /tg/ decided to not let us roll well...

>>12863197
There did not appear to be a lot of live bodies in here. If she's actually here, she was probably lost before we ever showed up.

It's more likely that we'll get Sebastian killed.

>>12863161
>29
>Blunderbuss is like 6 or 7 shots, but fired all at once. you have to reload.
>Smash his face

You charge forward, wielding the blunderbuss like a club. It is...an unwise tactic. The Hushblade easily outmaneuvers you, driving down into your chest with his left arm. You feel the set of hooks implanted in his wrist dig into your flesh, and he spins, leveraging you against his back and flipping you over the railing. You plunge into the darkened warehouse, smashing through a table and onto the floor, crying out in pain. Luckily, you're now in the dark, and he's probably lost visual track of you. Unlickily, you're bleeding from the chest, chunks of your flesh ripped free.

>What do?

>>12863244
Make a distraction? Find something small and throw it into another part of the floor and hope he heads to that direction?

rolled 35 = 35

Toss another flasher.

GOD SAVE THE ALCHEMIST!

rolled 4 = 4

>>12863271
Holy fuck, no luck is on our side tonight.

Since that obviously failed, guy who rolled, roll away into the shadows and Toss a casket grenade, I figure.

You dumb fuckers. When he heard us come in, we should have delivered the knock, not moved to attack.

>>12863285
Entirely possible, but we're rather committed now, eh?

Once he gets down there, hit him with the casket.

>>12863285
We're a big shadowly blob at the moment. The second we used the shadow dust, we threw out the chance of using the knock.

rolled 95 = 95

>>12863294

>>12863294
Whoa whoa whoa. You're going to set the building on fire. Don't use casket.

>>12863302

I'd say that got him.
>>Both were me, forgot to include roll in original post because captcha mistype

Hope that Sebastion hears what's going on, try to keep the fuck away from this guy.

Too bad we don't have our armored robes (or do we?). THIS is why we ought to have listened when someone suggested making a healing potion.

Guys try and keep in mind that we are going to want to question this guy.

Which means we need him alive and mostly intact.

>>12863302
If we are still capable of moving by the time we get to this roll, we'll need a witty line. The best I've got is "Business is my pleasure," but that's hardly epic so superior suggestions from others would be nice.

>>12863348
It's not a terrible quip either.

>>12863346
Yeah, only by what this guy's said so far, getting him to tell us useful information seems like it's going to require more than just the application of pain.

>>12863244
"So who was the girl?"

>>12863376
No, don't fucking talk while we're invisible and injured. Dumbass.

Whoever decided to throw another sunbomb made a dumb move too--a casket wouldn't have revealed us.

>>12863271
You produce your other Sunsphere, twisting it hastily and tossing it upwards towards the second floor. It doesn't make it all the way, and detonates just shy of its destination. You shield your eyes, avoiding blinding yourself for the umpteenth time.
>4
When you look up again, it is in time to catch a faceful of foot as the masked man descends upon you. You fall to the floor as he whips the chain and dagger downwards, plunging the blade into your gut before dancing away, dragging you across the floor and widening the cut before ripping the dagger free.
>95
You squeeze a casket in your hand, cracking the outer layer and tossing it towards the acrobatic hushblade. It lands at his feet, and he hisses, popping it upwards with a foot and drawing back to bat it back to you. It explodes when his hand connects with it, destroying his bladed arm entirely and sending him crashing backwards. The front door bursts open and Sebastian darts inside, broken chain clattering to the floor behind him.

>what do?

Don't worry, an awesome casket roll was made

>>12863400
Christ, gut wounds are really nasty. That's "we will be dead within hours without healing alchemy" material, there. This is a serious problem.

Chuck another explosive at him, if we've got one and still have the strength.

>>12863400
How badly are we cut?

If that hushblade is out of commission, see to our wounds before we bleed out. After we are medic'ed up, interrogate the guy if he isn't dead. After, investigate to see if there are any living here and free them. Also examine the bodies, seems odd they are all cut up if he was selling them. What do we know of the islands he was sending them to?

>>12863429
NO! God damnit, don't kill him or this will all be a waste! We need him alive, at least to tell us which of the bodies is Elegy's.

>>12863400
Shout a warning to Sebastion about the guys blades. Try and staunch the flow of our own blood.

"ALIVE! WE NEED HIM ALIVE!" And then pass out.

>>12863441
This is true. Plus, one of these bodies might not be Elegy.

Besides, we only had one casket. Note: Make more caskets once we get a chance.

>>12863454

This, without the passing out part. We ain't no pussys!

"Need...alive..." you mumble, blood spilling liberally from your open wounds.
"Emperor's love..." Sebastian murmurs, rushing to your side. Razor's Edge twitches slowly across the warehouse floor, trying to speak.
"Gill, can you move? Those firecrackers you set off are going to have riflemen in this place as soon as they can march down here."
You try to sit up. It is excruciating. You need medical attention, and soon. Sebastian tears the sleeves off your shirt, wrapping them around your waist to hold your guts inside you. You manage to struggle to your feet, thoughts swimming with pain.

>What do?

rolled 27 = 27

Use whatever we have. We're at novice medical alchemical levels. Try any fool idea we have.

>>12863490
Find out about Elegy while we tend to our wounds. If we don't find her here or any information on her, this entire thing was wasted.

>>12863499
Good thing we weren't asked for a roll, right guys? He he. He he. Right?

>>12863499
You suck.

>>12863490
Try to treat our wounds, have Sebastian knock out the hushblade. We'll need to escape and bring him with us for interrogation. If there's any spare time, look around the warehouse and hope to see Elegy, or anything interesting really.

>>12863532
No, I hope we don't see Elegy here. Seeing her here can only be a bad thing.

>>12863532
He'll need to tourniquet the guys arm too, befor razor bleeds to death.

>>12863537
How the hell will we tell? He cut of that one girls face, who knows what condition the other bodies are in.

>>12863499
You can do little more than clutch your side and try to staunch the flow of bleeding. At least you don't seem to be making things worse.
Turning to scan the back wall of the warehouse, you can feel your heart rate increase, dampening the cloth around your stomach as it pumps blood feverishly.
Chained to a table, intact but for some scrapes, bruises, and one particularly nasty-looking knife wound, Elegy rests in a state of fitful unconsciousness. You try to rush to her side, but you are brought to your knees by the pain, and Sebastian has to help you to your feet.

>What do?

>Those firecrackers you set off are going to have riflemen in this place as soon as they can march down here.

This, among other reasons, is the reason that the fool whose first instinct in any combat situation is "Derp toss a sunsphere" needs to SLOW THE FUCK DOWN with his posting during important scenes and give the more tactically minded a chance to post.

KISS HER AND HUG HER AND SHIT

Tell Sebastian to knock that fucker down a peg. Make sure he stays down.

Check to see if she's okay.

>>12863578
Tell Sebastion: "Get! Razor!"

Seriously, we don't want him getting away.

>>12863586
Lesson learned: Next weapon we develop had best be a blowgun with alchemical poisons on it.

>>12863578
Sebastian can't help us all get out. Execute the enemy hushblade, have him retrieve Elegy, and stagger the hell out of here using him for support.

Kill that bastard.

Coat Sebastian, Elegy, and us in spots needed, in shadowdust. Escape into a dark alleyway with Sebastian carrying her and us dragging ourselves along.

>>12863605
Lesson learned: next achievement is a healing agent.

>>12863578
"Sebastion, just how much do you think you can carry?"

>>12863597
Save that for when she's conscious. Have Sebastian help her out and kill the hushblade.

Fuck Razor. He's lost an arm and will die, even if he doesn't he's been crippled and is going to be imprisoned or executed. Let the riflemen take care of him, we've got to get Elegy and get the hell out.

"Razor..." you mumble, turning.
Razor's Edge is on his feet, stringy bits of flesh hanging from his destroyed arm and singed torso.He whirls the dagger in a circle with his remaining arm, eyes bloodshot beneath the featureless metal mask. He backs away from the two of you, towards the door.

>What do? Roll dice, probably.

>>12863616
The kiss and hug and embrace is what will wake her up by movie logic.

Actually, is it terrible for us to be seen here? We just did a pretty heroic deed.

>>12863605
Don't execute him! Knock him out and keep him from bleeding out. Leave him for the authorities.

rolled 7 = 7

>>12863625
Sebastian lifts his rifle or pistol or whatever he has. Slow and steady, LIKE A PIMP. "Not so fast." Shoots him in his leg(s).

>>12863625
Have Sebastion shoot him. This should be easily done in his current state.

>>12863642

I no longer believe in statistics anymore.

>>12863642
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Inb4 Sebastien shoots himself on accident.

>>12863625
Does Sebastion have a gun of his own? If not, maybe we should give him ours for now?

>>12863634
Yes it is horrible. We're not supposed to be here. We're supposed to be on some far away island. We can't let him away with the description of how we look. He must die.

>>12863642
Man, why you gotta roll so bad?

>>12863642
Did you not read worth a damn?
>What do? Roll dice, probably.
That means this guy >>12863648 had exactly the right post. Way to fuck it up by posting first.

>>12863664
We're taking the role of a minor noble. HE can be a hero. We're not the only person who looks like our general description. This could be a good way to get into a bigger limelight.

rolled 58 = 58

Since Elegy has been found, NOW we can kill Razor.
Getting Sebastian's gun and shooting Razor to kill

>>12863680
A minor noble covered in camoflauge powder and decked out in Batman style equipment?

>>12863664
I don't think he has a description of how we look. We've been cloaked in shadow this whole time.

Probably knows what Sebastian looks like, though. And he'll likely notice any other shit we pull.

>>12863695
Stash the equipment. We won't be invisible much longer, and we can brush off the dust anyways.

Razor doesn't report to anyone. He is also insane, more than likely. Who cares if he knows what Sebastion looks like (since we were invisible, we don't worry about our own features noticed).

>>12863642
>a fucking 7
>how is it even possible to suck this badly.

Sebastian levels his rifle at the slowly retreating man.
"Not so fast," he quips before pulling the trigger.
There is a loud snapping click as the rifle misfires. Sebastian's face falls.
Razor's Edge jumps on this opportunity, scrambling for the door, leaking large patches of blood as he bursts into the street and hobbles out of sight, his breathing heavy and ragged.
"Shit!" Sebastian says. "SHIT!"

>what do?

>>12863723
gtfo

>>12863723
Shit indeed. Now we have to run, since the actual perpetrator has booked it and we could get the blame instead.

Get everyone and get the fuck out of here. Being found by cops in a warehouse full of mangled bodies is not where we want to be.

>>12863723
Write Razor's Edge in blood on one of the walls.

Have Sebastion carry Elegy to safety we'll try and get out under our own power.

>>12863723
"Sebastian. Help me and Elegy out, please. Can't be found here."

My real question is how Elegy has been here for what is most likely DAYS and is hardly wounded at all.
>Chained to a table, intact but for some scrapes, bruises, and one particularly nasty-looking knife wound, Elegy rests in a state of fitful unconsciousness.
I mean, look at what else is going on, and there's multiple people in various states of torture unless I'm mistaken:
>It reveals a table across which is strapped most of a young woman. Her spinal cord protrudes from her waistline, dripping gore onto the table where her conspicuously absent legs should be. One arm is flayed open and pinned back, veins and skin fanned out like a tree. Her head is shaved and half her face is peeled away, one eye carefully removed and trailing by cords of nerve and muscle to the vacant socket, where forceps have been inserted to explore the inner skull.

>gtfo
"Spread this on yourself," you say, producing two bottles of Shadowdust, the last of your stock. You hand one to the rifleman, adding "I'm sure it was a great shot."
"Stow it," Sebastian says, cracking open the flask and cloaking himself in shadow. He helps you over to Elegy. On a nearby workbench, you find a key that fits the locks on her chains, as well as a yellowed leather-bound journal. Sebastian helps you spread the Shadowdust over her body.
"Er, I know she's your woman or something, Gill, so I hope there's no offense," Sebastian says, lifting the barely-clothed woman in his arms.

>get out of dodge?

rolled 99 = 99

Get Elegy first, then get out of there.
>Seriously, how many of you were going to bolt without getting her first?

See if Sebastian can run out the door and shoot him before he disappears and then leave regardless if he is successful, can't stick around.

>>12863774
>Better not ignore my sweet roll or I be mad

>>12863774
>>leave her? wtf? i assumed we were taking her as a matter of course, she's the REASON WE CAME and all

>>12863773
I still say we should write "RAZOR'S EDGE" in blood on the door on the way out or something.

Writing in blood is so cliche, only do that we don't have a marker or something.

Better yet, don't bother writing anything and get out before the riflemen arrive

>>12863766
I wonder if she'd still be intact if we'd decided to go through the paperwork instead.

>>12863773
"I have a lot of worries, but your harming Elegy's virtue is not one of them. Fuck, this hurts."

It's a pity we don't have time to loot the place. I bet a hushblade has a lot of cash and some nice weaponry stashed in here, but... no time. Got to get moving.

>>12863766
Elegy was, perhaps, a target of opportunity that he pick up for later. A women named Desdemoen may have invited him to the party where he met Elegy. It may be that Desdemoen in the corpse he was working on when we arrived. Serial killers (and I'm pretty sure Razor qualifies as one) usually have routines they like to follow. He didn't carve Elegy up because he wasn't done with his original target.

Just a guess.

>>12863774
>There's really no realistic way to implement this roll, given that Sebastian's holding a person and his rifle's clogged up with a dud round. However, I'm willing to give you guys a BloodQuest 20 and hold that 99 in reserve. If tonight is any indication, you fucking need it bad.

You pause, hastily scrawling "Razor's Edge" as best as you can with one of the many puddles of fresh blood now littering the floor. You and Sebastian limp into the evening streets, blessedly preserved from view by the Shadowdust. It's going to be a long walk home.

>>12863840
I just wanted to give the riflemen some kind of lead as to who is responsible for the bodies here.

>>12863863
Nope.
>>you can see a good handful of other human figures stretched out on tables on the upper and lower levels, some of them in more pieces than others.

>>12863869
Find a quiet place and practice some medicine if we can. Then get a nice carriage ride home.

>>12863881
A carriage ride from whom? With a gut wound leaking all over the place and an unconscious woman in tow? That's a serious tipping of our hand.

>>12863888
We came in a carriage. Didn't we leave the driver to hang around at some kind of servants lounge?

WHAT, DON'T THEY KNOW THEY'RE PLACE!?

>>12863880
That doesn't really disprove my theory as we don't know how old those other bodies are.

>>12863880
Hope the rifle men get there not long after we escape. It just occurred to me that there may be other survivors.

>>12863902
If they're in various states of torture, then he doesn't kill one person before going on to the next, he does a bit for each every day.

>>12863901
>I'm going to say you had Blackheed's carriage wait on the edge of the district, otherwise it's inconceivable that you wouldn't just bleed out somewhere along the way.

The carriage driver is shocked to see you, still mostly invisible, climb into the carriage with an unconscious woman, also mostly invisible. Nevertheless, he forces his eyes forward and whips the horses into action. You lay back against the seat, trying to breath properly around the dull throbbing pain in your gut, and also the stinging gashes in your upper chest. You fade in and out of consciousness until the carriage driver informs you that you've reached the Blackheed apartments.
"Master DeVir, will you be requiring...dinner..." Paxton trails off as you trudge through the door, bloody and dusty. "Er...I see." he says. "Let's get you to a bed immediately."

We never saw his face, nor he ours. In the future, we must be very wary of one armed men.

>>12863939
"I hope you're a skilled surgeon."

>>12863939
Yeah. Rest and recuperate.

>>12863940
One armed?

>>12863939
"Paxton, I will be requiring a very discreet... urgh... surgeon, preferably specializing in knife wounds. If you would. For the lady as well."

"Sebastian, please look after me."

Then fall unconscious.

>>12863955
Because we blew his arm off with our grenade.

>>12863961
No! "Sebastian, please look after her."

>>12863971
Touche. Go with that last line, then. Forgot the Selfless++.

"Paxton, I will be requiring a very discreet... urgh... surgeon, preferably specializing in knife wounds. If you would. For the lady as well."
"Of course, sire," Paxton says, allowing you to lean on him. You turn to Sebastian, brushing Elegy's hair out of her face in his arms.
"Sebastian...take care of her," you say before darkness finally takes you.

>Going to wrap up for the evening. Thread's been archived for a little bit, I think we had a pretty strong session this evening.

>>12864004
We're a big damn hero.

Luckily, now you have a good long recovery time during which you can catch up on your reading until you can walk without passing out again!

>>12863923
But it doesn't say any of them looked to be alive though. He may just like to keep his past works on display.

I doubt we'll find out which of us is right any time soon though.

>>12864027
Can we find out just what we find from the reading now?

Or do some alchemy while mostly bedridden?

Or at least find out how Elegy got nabbed?

>>We can promise not to do anything that would require plot advancement...

You know the horrible thing here?

Lady Stelton specifically told us not to get ourselves in trouble by chasing love interests. She's going to be so very, very pissed.

>>12864046
>I promise to have the following after Thanksgiving weekend:
>Fulgrim's notes
>Fierna's letter
>Razor's journal

>>12864067
So we don't tell her exactly what went on, at least not the whole "why" part.

>>12864068
>Or do some alchemy while mostly bedridden?
>Or at least find out how Elegy got nabbed?

>Also, remember to email me if you want in on that IRC game, I should be sending out requests for info from you guys by Sunday or so.

>>12864083
The only hint you get is that all of the plot threads you've been pursuing now tie together, thanks to an evening of rigorous outlining. I have a sheet with a web-map of every character in the quest and how they interconnect. Even the ones that haven't been introduced yet.

>>12864086
What time would it be again?

>>12864074
We asked a noble about a mysterious beautiful lady who had been missing and associating with certain questionable characters. That evening we're knifed, and the lady also shows up at our house with wounds. It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots, and I daresay her information network will give her all these points.

>>12864086
On the IRC bit, if you could structure that as a mass email so that we can contact each other as well it would be appreciated. If you've really got 15ish people, I'd bet that there's potential for a second or even third IRC game there even if you're only taking a handful of players.

>>12864086
Boxer guy here. That was just a spur of the moment idea, but I am starting to like it. A tough, but gentle and caring old boxer who punches the shit out of other shit.

I could do something else, but damn if I'm not falling in love with that character idea.

>>12864124
>That evening we're knifed, and the lady also shows up at our house with wounds.
We can shut down that info flow if we're quick. Only our driver and two servants know. Sebastion should have the common sense to ensure they don't blab.

>>12864124
>inb4 I misinterpret that and kill myself trying to DM 3 simultaneous IRC games

>>12864172
>DM 3 simultaneous IRC games
>Call of Cthulhu
One team of investigators, one team of cultists, and one team of monstrosities from beyond the ken of man!

>>12864199
If I had the time I would totally DM multiple games with parties working against each other within the same campaign world. Alas, I am but a mortal man, with mortal classes I need to pass.

>>12864208
It is fun as hell. I've only done that on forum games, which are much slower and therefore easier to handle, but it is awesome when you've got good schemers for players. Had an excellent Dark Heresy game with competing acolytes working for different Inquisitors and factions, all trying to build up their power bases on the planet, locate and manipulate one another/traitors/mutants/chaos cults, find/steal/study/destroy the same artifacts... great times.

But yeah, I was just thinking possibly putting together a couple games not graced by your presence if the timing works out for enough people.