>>18454442

“Meet me at the Library as soon as possible. -the Brother of DS.”

it doesn't take you too long to realize who it's from. Amik Steelbane, brother of Dero Steerbrow. You pack your bags, and head off to Morgrave University, Warf in tow.

Like usual, the library is halfway between empty and full, and the desk clerk is scribbling on paper. You step in, and look for Amik.

He's not that hard to find. Or rather, his brother isn't. While most people confine themselves to a single table, Dero has taken several, each one with a huge pile of books on it. Somehow, he seems to make use of them all. Next to him, a man sits casually, flipping through a single book. You head over, and greet Dero Steerbrow, then turn to Amik.

He gives you a quick nod before indicating a nearby seat, which you take.

>>18454447
“it's nice to see you again, artificer Yohn. My borther tells me your studies are doing well.”

“In general, dear brother. Your reccomendation lacks knowledge of Bensa's precepts, dear brother.”

Amik turns to Dero. “Didn't you disprove his precepts in an earlier study?”

“Correct as usual, dear brother, but it's important to keep them in mind, dear brother.”

Amik sighs and shakes his head as if to say 'see what I have to deal with?' and you give him a sympathetic nod.

“So, tell me Yohn, how have you been?”

You tell him the usual, that classes are going fine, Sharn is an interesting place. He nods. You mention how the cyran refugee camps seem to be struggling, and his face grows darker.

“Yes. In fact, that is what I came here to investigate. We've been receiving reports of growing discontent in the area, from both refugees and the goblinoid residents. However, both sides seem to point towards the Brelish people in general. It's pretty unusual for both sides to team up, and we suspect there may be some foul play going on in the shadows. Did you see anything unusual there?”

are the gang attacks really worth mentioning?

>>18454457
Why not?

>>18454681
It couldn't hurt to tell him about the attacks. You tell him the gang boss, who apparently shakes them down for money, and holds various people hostage for pay.

Amik shakes his head. “These people have little to no money to speak of. Making that much effort for a few silvers is ludicrous. I think this warrants further investigation.”

“It's elementary, my dear brother.” the two of you look at Dero, who is flipping through several books at once.

“if outside forces intend to unite the refugees and the goblinoid residents, they must realize that they would hardly make a dent, dear brother. Though undoubtedly numerous, a riot would barely change that area of Sharn, dear brother. There's a reason why all our guards redirect cyrans to that area-it's trashed enough already, and easily blocked off, dear brother. However, it would make a suitable enough noise and commotion for a distraction, dear brother. The guards will be pulled from nearby areas, dear brother. Isn't Cogsgate nearby, dear brother? And didn't you mention also having to check out a new armory shipment for the Brelish guard, dear brother? And isn't an ambassador visiting for peace talks by the Old Road within the next week, dear brother?”

>>18454742
You feel confounded by all the dots Dero pulled out of nowhere. Amik, on the other hand, nods his head.

“Yes, to all of the above. Dero, I'm always amazed by how you find out these things. The ambassador visit was supposed to be low-key!”

Dero shrugs. “I listen to the people, dear brother. Something that you should do more often, dear brother.”

Amik rolls his eyes, but turns to you. “I wasn't expecting this, but Yohn, I need to make another request. Can you investigate the Cyran camp for anything that points to what Dero said? From your story, you'd be received decently. On the other hand, a Brelish trooper like me is too identifiable, even without the uniform. Besides, if Dero is right, then I need to check out our guards.”

do you agree to help? And if you do, what are your plans?

>>18454763
{QM Suggestions: Amik wants you to investigate the people of the refugee camp. While you can just make discret inquires by yourself, you can also ask sylls, kingfisher and jekka to investigate as well. Kingfisher could check/spy on gang bosses, Jekka could investigate rougher parts of town, and Sylls could check on the people in general. Alternatively, you could send them to Cogsgate, a warehouse district and check the shipments, or to Wroat's Gate, where the Old road is located, and check out there. This gives you broader knowledge, but less deep. In essence, divide the four of you amongst the three areas.}

>>18454869
{alternatively, you could join Amik, or help Dero out with his own investigations. You also have Warf to use as well, but he is the most conspicuous, being a warforged. Or do something else. these are all just suggestions.}

444

Wait if this is only weeks after the Day of Mourning then the last war is still going on right?

>>18454922
{Yes. or, more precisely, about 6 months after the Day of Mourning. In-game, war is closing and peace negotiations are beginning, but a peace has not officially been declared. Also, do your numbers mean anything? And how long would you like to investigate? anything specific?}

>>18454945

I am not one to impost cannon into and over the gm's story specially went it encourages meta-knowledge I was just asking ofr clarification, carry on my good sir I have to catch up with the last thread.

Warf can go with Amik, I guess? Mage could always use a tank. Kingfisher can check out Cogsgate, but send him at night, so his RADAR OF JUSTICE is stronger. Sylls can stay in the refuge camp and check things out there, and if Jekka is healed (s)he can invetigate seedier areas of Wroat's gate. We should alternate between Wroat's gate in the day and cogsgate at night. Also ask our teacher if we can borrow some speaker stones. Have no idea how long we should investigate for. A few days, maybe? I dunno. I guess we should get them to search for anything related to stuff on stealing armorys or the ambasador.

getting our friends to help would be easier if we gave them all speaking stones.
does making them take a lot of time or effort?

so have we learned any new nifty stuff from our school in these six months?

>>18455162
You think up of a plan, and send Warf with Amik. He nods in thanks, and they head out of the library. You turn to Dero, but he is already holding out a case filled with sending stones{I assume you mean these.}

“My brother already has a set linked to these, my dear student. I will stay here, and look at records, my dear student.”

You head down to where the cyran refugee camp is located, and search for Jekka and Sylls. The former is easy to locate, currently competing in an arm wrestling competition with a burly man, a group of gamblers surrounding them. The man is straining hard, and veins pop out of his arm, but Jekka has an equally hard expression, and is firing slurs at the man. Upon catching sight of you, Jekka grins, then smahses the mans hand into the table with such ease it becomes apparent he was playing with the man all along. As he rips his winnings out of a spectator's hands, he pushes through the crowd to you.

“I see you kept your promise. Tell you what. I've got some winnings, so I'll be nice for once and treat you to-” He counts the coins, and yells at the man behind you.

“This isn't even half of my earnings, you bastard! Hand it over!” Jekka ignores the man's protests, and stomps on his foot, then punches him in the stomach. As the man is reeled over, Jekka plucks his purse and pockets it, spitting on the ground as he does so.

>>18455613
“Now, where were we?” he turns to you.

You take your chance in the conversation to tell her what's going on. As you finish, she punches her hand, and spits on the ground.

“Any chance to go after the bastards who harmed my sister is an opportunity for me. Count me in.”

the two of you go to recruit Sylls. As you tell her the plan, she nods. “Very well, Yohn. I can stay here and assist, and I can tell you if I feel anything is about to happen.”

The three of you split off, each carrying a sending stone.

You investigate Wroat's Gate during the day, and at night you contact Kingfisher. The job appeals to his sense of assistance, and he readily agrees. For three days, you scour the place from top to bottom, learning as much as you can.

You later meet up with Amik, and combine what you know. This is what you have found out.

>>18455622
The ambassador is indeed arriving this week. He will be here in about two days, and will stay in a no-name inn to avoid attention. His visit to council hall will also be low-key, and it is rumored that he might even arrive by himself, with no guard, and disguised. He might be here already.

A local gang boss is looking for a new supply of weapons to armor his new men, and is reputed to be considering an attack on a rival gang. He is also recruiting heavily, taking anyone he can get.
The tension between cyrans is high, and they are considering taking what the people refuse to give to them, but the lack of a leader leaves them disorganized and confused.

Warehouse security around the armory is lessened with talk of ending the war. There have also been more thefts in the area.

Breland troops feel conflicted about sheltering Cyrans and some believe they should be gotten rid of all together, and are waiting for an opportunity.

Some officers believe that they should be strengthening up, as this might be a lull before the storm.

Fathen's Fall is coming up, and tension between shifters and members of the Silver flame are high.

The man who led the protection attacks did it not out of cash, but to harass Cyrans, and get them angry for unknown purposes.

>>18455627
You sit back, and wait for Dero to connect the dots. He sits silently, then speaks. “If the armory is robbed, the gang boss will be armed. If he is armed, then he will attack. If he attacks, people will die. If people die, the surviors will be angry. If they are angry, then they will rebel. If they rebel, feuds will spark. If they spark, others will fight. If they fight, it will spread. If it spreads, many will be injured. If our ambassador is injured, then peace talks might end. If they end...” Dero takes a deep sigh, and looks at you all.

“Then the war will continue.”

his statement hits you all, and for a moment, the room goes silent. The Jekka speaks up.

“I'm sure as hell not going to let that happen!” She pounds the table for emphasis.

“Calm down, boy. Dero, is that even possible?” Amik interrupts, trying to keep the fear in his voice down.

“If this has been the result of someone in the shadows, then yes. If they arranged it, then they will make it happen. If it is not, then you are safe. If the latter were the truth, then we could relax.”

He looks at Amik.

“but we cannot.” Amik lets out a breath, then collapse onto his chair.

“Prevent a riot. Somehow, despite all the battles I'be fought, all the skirmishes i've had, I alays thought dealing with civilians would be easy. Now though, there's only so much I can do.” He looks over at you.

“I have an idea, but I need your assistance. What do you say?”

{What do you say?}

Of coarse we'd want to help stop such a terrible thing from happening.

>>18455935
e nods, then sets out a paper.
“I have been trusted with ensuring the Karrnath Ambassador's safety. We have two entering Sharn at the same time. One is a decoy, and will enter on the usual gilded carriage. Of course, since the opposition knows that he might be a fake, it could be safe to ignore him. The other, like rumors say, will enter from old Road. He will be dressed as a farmer with a blue cloak and stay at this in here-” he points to a spot on the paper. He also has several guards in the crowd, and they mean to protect them, but even a riot will keep them busy. So in other words,

“We need to protect him.” You reply, filling in the blank. Amik nods, then indicates the map. He explains that the man will be taking a winding route through Sharn, making it as indirect as possible to avoid giving away his destination. Unfortunately, the man doesn't trust Breland completely, and will change things, just in case they decide to turn on him.”

“So in other words, you have no idea where the damn man's headed.” Jekka interjects into the conversation, still looking slightly angry, but able to talk.

“Why can't we just grab him by the collar, knock him out and take him wherever? That would be easier.”

>>18456160
Amik explains how it is a delicate situation, and it is within our bests interests to comply. Jekka crosses his arms and rolls his eyes.

“Fine. I'll cooperate, but I still think that this is the wrong way to do it.”

amik nods, then explains his plan. Originally, the idea was to have all protection on the fake, letting the real one slip past everyone. However, things have changed. Amik believes that the instigators will have men in the crowd, ready to start the riot as the ambassador arrives. He needs help spotting and taking them out before they have a chance to act. The group of you will move with the Karrn ambassador, concealing your presence so he has no idea you are there. As Jekka questions why you can't just tell him your helping, Amik insists that they will be watching for people interacting with the Karrn, and they will be targetted as well. In the crowd, you have a chance to hide.

In the end, the plan goes like this. Amik will take to the roof, and watch out for any suspicious behavior. You will take your team, and try to silence them as quick as possible. You must also mke sure not to be spotted by the Karrn or his gurds, or else they'll flee to avoid you, and will be at the mercy the ensuing riot.

>>18456180
“Now, do you have any questions?”

>>18456180
{also, is there any additions or changes you would make? Right now, only you, Jekka, Warf and Dero are talking. He knows about Sylls, but not about Kingfisher.}

hmmm, just ask why we can't arrest the gangs the day before the ambasador arrives and try to find whoevers pulling all the strings here.

>>18456333
You point out that arresting the gang might stop everything entirely.

"That's possible, but think about it. He's surrounded by heavily armed guards, and has a hideout with security. It would be difficult getting in, let alone getting out. And even if you got there, who's to say he'll squeal? It's risky. You could try and infiltrate and try to assist from the inside, but you might get caught, and that would be bad. Very bad indeed."

{Amik is dissuading you, but as QM, I think this is a perfectly valid course to explore. Like we've said, this is very open-ended in how you handle things. Don't feel limited to options given by me.}

I'd rather take these guys out before they can do anything instead of waiting for them to act.

can we take them out solo?
it'd suck to get your friends killed

>>18456462

You think about your chances. Kingfisher, alone, could get in and out of there in a second, all while taking the purses and whistling a jolly tune. However, he refuses to kill, and stopping the riots might very well come to that.

Jekka and you could make it in if you join the gang, but getting as far as the boss's room would be difficult. Not entirely impossible, however.

Sylls and Warf have a very low chance of getting in. Sylls's talents apply to retreats and hiding, not full blon sneaking, and warf is a block of stone and steel. He'd be spotted in a second.

lets join the gang with jekka and have warf and sylls outside to protect sylls if anything goes down and so sylls can facilitate your retreat.

if it fails we could go back to the original plan and protect the ambassador

Lets go on a thieving spree with kingfisher so we can buy a bunch of stuff to make this easier.
perhaps some explosives or molotovs, if there are any in this setting, to take out the gang boss and most of his high level followers. low level ones are probably just kids or other non-killables like that.

>>18456815
You tell Amik your plan, and he sighs. "very well, Yohn. For heaven's sake, I hope you know what you are doing."

You step out into Wroat's Gate. A mass of people swirl and move around you like an ocean. As you make your way through the crowd, trying to get to the location, the crowd eventually thins as you reach the inn. The two of you step inside.

A dark, ill-lit room greets you. The solitary bartender nods as he cleans a glass. The room is empty.
You look at Jekka, who nods, and the two of you walk towards the bar.

“I'd like a drink to curse the bodies in the alley.” Jekka says, placing a silver coin down at the bar. A keyword meant to tell the bartender you were here to be recruited.

He puts down the glass, and points towards a dingy looking door in the back. “You'll need something from the stockroom.”

the two of you step into the “stockroom”, which is actually a tunnel leading down. Progressing to the other side, a series of muffled noises get louder. As you open the door, a wave of noise hits you.

>>18457171
You have just stepped into a large basement, and you can see a multitude of humanoids giving orders, carrying weapons, and taking care of other tasks. As the crowd moves and works, you get the feeling that this is a very well-organized group. Patting the alchemist's fire underneath your jacket for comfort, you move into the crowd towards a man who shouting “Recruits! This way! This way!”

You step into line with a group of assorted scruffy looking men and women, none looking too bright or clever. The man starts giving out orders to carry weapons and other equipment, and you follow the rest into a storeroom. Around you are a variety of weapons and arms, which are to be put onto carts and shipped to locations for later use. As you and Jekka work, you can see a staircase leading to another part of the basement. A piece of parchment nailed to the door says KEEP OUT: LEADERS PLANNING.

“How convenient.” Jekka states, after you point out the sign. A guard stands nearby with a spear.

What do you do?

any suggestions qm?

>>18457406
{I don't know. are you trying to kill the leader? if so, you could just throw in explosives and try getting out before everyone tries to grab, but that's hardly subtle. You can try bluffing your way in, but you need a good excuse for that. if you are trying to get info out of him, it might be better to tail him, and work diligently, but the more you stay, the more people that might recognize you later on. You could also try to stay near the door, and get them as they leave.}

Stay by the door,remaining inconspicuous and wait until the place thins out drastically or he leaves and follow him into a secluded area to subdue and kidnap him.

slip the alchemist fire on the weapons pile when no one is looking and watch them panic. then you can nab the boss in the confusion or follow him home

>>18457682
The two of you continue to work, remaining as inconspicious as possible, but as the day fades away, the amount of workers slowly dwindles, and nobody has exited that room. Finally, Jekka whispers to you.

“This is getting us nowhere! We've been here hours, and all we've done is help these bastards!”

You guesture for her to remain silent, but a guard walks over.

“the boss wants to see you two.”He speaks in a demanding tone.

“What does he want with us?” Jekka snaps back, angry at being ordered.

You wince inwardly, hoping she doesn't blow her cover. The guard responds with a voice between exhaustion and anger.

“I don't know, you damn footpad. All I know is that he wants two men, and that's you two. Now go on.”

You look at Jekka, and he rolls his eyes before pacing to the door. You follow suit.

As you open the door, the sight of a white-haired man arguing with two men dressed in black leathers greets you.

“I'm telling you two, we need to strike here!' the white-haired man stabs at the map.

One of the men responds. “unless you want your arms, you'll move here.” Wih this, he points at a different area.

“But that leaves my men open to attack from here! Do you want to take over, or just cause mayhem?”

the other man in black speaks. “Both. Now move them.”

the white-haired man grumbles, but makes a few scratches on parchment.

He then grabs another paper with writing on it, and hands each of the papers to you two.

“Deliver these to the address written on them.” You take a look at the paper, and take your exit, feeling it would be unwise to stay.

As the two of you leave the hideout as per orders, Jekka asks you a question.

“What do we do with these things?”

{what do you do with them?}

>>18458033
{Note: there is a typo. the white haired man should say "deliver these to the address written on them. make sure no one sees you, and return here.}

leave and slip out to an ally and read the message

>>18458263
You head a couple streets down, and open up the letter. Luckily, it hasn't been sealed, so you don't think anyone will notice. In it, it lists several locations to be at, as well as orders to dress in normal clothing. there's over 10 locations, and recalling a map of Sharn in your head, there's enough to cause a riot in every major area, save for the higher, richer ones.
"What was that?" Jekka elbows you in the stomach and you look where she is pointing. Nothing. then, you hear a footstep. You turn around, and it's one of those men in black leathers from earlier. he holds his hands up, as if to say 'i'm harmless.'

"i have a proposition for you two."

"What is it?" You ask warily, trying to maintain a suspicious image.

"Nothing to important. I just need you to deliver an... altered version of those letters." As he speaks, he produces two letters from his cloak.

"I promise you, the rewards are significant." as he hands you two the letters, he withdraws a purse. it jingles, and he throws it to you. You catch and open it. inside, gold coins shimmer dully in the moonlight.

"So, do we have an accord?"

He is not gonna take the old letter away, is he? if not then pay lip service and tell him yeah.

if he will, then just tell him you'll think about it.

then when he leaves get on a speaking stone and talk to the guy that called you to his office and tell him what happened. maybe he can come up with a much better plan with this.

>>18458478

You agree to deliver the new papers, and the man throws you another purse.

"I see we understand each other."

He tips his hood as if it were a hat, and leaves.

Jekka looks at you again. "What now?"

You think about contacting the man, but it's impossible without going inside.

You tell Jekka you're stuck, and he stares at you. "You're the one who came up with this plan! What do you mean, you're stuck?"

He places his face in his hand, and inhales deeply. "Maybe... we should just take notes on what these things say, and deliver entirely new ones. What do you think?"

{What do you think?}

by contacting the man you mean that teacher or his brother?

and what's last mean by getting inside? he talking about a building or the university? how far'd it be?

i guess if theres nothing else to go with we can focus on disrupting the hell out of their plans. we can deliver the original letter with that guy expecting it the other way around and kidnap the boss. either way, copy the plan that gets delivered so you can give it to teacher to counter the riot if our kidnap mission goes bad

>>18458707
>talk to the guy that called you to his office and tell him what happened. maybe he can come up with a much better plan with this.

{I assumed you meant the white-haired man who called you to his office. Who you can't reach without going back inside.]

oh no, i meant the teacher or his brother in the university, the one whose job it is to make sure the ambassadors visit goes smoothly

>>18458856
{In that case}

You check in with Amik, and ask if he has any ideas. the line goes silent for a moment, then he responds.

"Deliver the letters like normal, and save me a copy. If we know locations, we can send the Watch directly after them. I'm on something interesting, so I'll have to cut short."

he cuts communication.

You and Jekka split, both carrying letters deliver. You've made copies and the second letter contains orders like the first, but with the addition to cause as much chaos as possible, and a prize for killing a certain man dressed in a blue cloak.

As you arrive at the delivery location, a shadowy figure whom you assume to be your contact awaits. You give him the letter. He nods, and slips off into the darkness.

You make your way back to the inn. as you do, you hear footsteps behind you as you enter an alleyway.

You turn.

A man in dressed in black stands behind you, a sword in his hand shining in the moonlight. he advances.

What do you do?

Demand to know who he is and warn him to stay where he is.

Get ready to pull a stunning item or maybe one of those electric shock things. if he's after us we can find out who sent him and work our way up from there

>>18459003
You hold your ground, and turn to the man.

"Stop right there. Who are you?"

the man tips his head, and you can see his face.

it's the man in black leathers. One of them, at least.

"I am your death." He rushes at you, and you fire your crossbow, but he sidesteps, and swings his sword in an arc towards you.

he's not interested in talking. as you pull back, drawing your axe and dagger he raises his sword, ready to engage again.

Do you fight, or flee? And if you fight, do you attack to knock out, or kill?

{in any case, roll for your action.}

rolled 4 = 4

must of been a test or something

try to knock him out

is jekka around to help?

rolled 14 = 14

Go for a knock-out, guy could be a handy source of information if we can keep him alive.

>>18459107
You attempt to fight back, but the man's sword flashes like moonlight in the shadows of the alley. You attempt to fight back with all that you know, but he refuses to get close enough for you to work. with your shorter weapons, you are most definitely at a disadvantage. you swing and feint, but each time, that sword is where your blow should land. He then moves to offense and his sword moves quickly, and sinuously. As it arcs to your shoulder, you step back, hoping to gain some space. He thrusts forward.

You wildly hop back, but it's not quick enough. it runs down your chest, drawing deep enough to draw blood. the man makes a sound of disappointment at his less then fatal blow, and pulls his sword back for another attack.

>>18459159
you take this slight opportunity and throw some sand in his eyes. As he screeches and pulls back, you pull out your crossbow and peg him in the chest. he groans again with pain, and makes a wild swing. once. twice. you sidestep both blows and hook his leg with your axe, tripping him. As his head hits concrete, a slight breath escapes his lips, and his sword falls out of his hands.

You stand over his prone body, and wonder what to do with him.

What conclusion do you reach? And what do you do after meeting Jekka, who has also dispatched a man chasing after him?

I'd say check in with Amik again, see if he has somewhere in mind we can take our captive to be questioned.

someone wants us dead, no more subtleties.

carry the body dump it in a trashcan meet up with jenka and if she is not hurt, both of you head to the quieted down inn and fuck everyone up, beat down the boss and set the gun pile on fire with alchemy fire before leaving.

>>18459314
Pretty sure that would go horribly wrong, we are not some god of destruction (...yet).

well i hoped it'd go well since there must be less people than when we arrived.

i mean, if guns are being collected, i wanna destroy them. if gangs are being pressed into a revolt, take 'em all out. untill we find whoever is pulling the strings on this plan to start a war.

oh yeah, maybe take the black coats sword as a big fuck you to him as well.

and deliver the gang boss to that atiam or atriam guy so his bosses can interrogate him.
assuming all goes as planed.

>>18459271
You stuff the body in a nearby barrel, and meet up with Jekka in the alleyway a few blocks over, who is carrying a body with her. You point at it, and she shrugs.

“What else was I supposed to do with it? If I left him alone, he'd rat on us.” She speaks indignantly. You tell him that the same thing happened to you. Together, you contact Amik, and ask what you should do.

“What? You got them both unconcious? Take them to the Green tankard in that area and talk to the barkeep. He'll-hold on!” you hear him move and a sound that you assume to be pocketing the stone comes through. You hold the stone closer, attempting to hear what's happening. An angry voice is talking to amik, demanding to know what he is doing. Amik responds, and you can hear steel being drawn at his unsatisfactory answer. A sound like a wand firing rings out, and yells are heard on Amik's side. Curses are muttered and you can hear footsteps on cobblestone, followed by angry shouts. You listen for a bit, and as the shouts die down, Amik answers. “Sorry. I-ugh, this hurts. By the nine hells... take the bodies to the bartender and give him my name. He'll know what to do. Don't worry about me.”

Jekka pulls the stone out of your hands, and yells at Amik.
“Don't die on us, you old tosspot. Someone has to pay me when all this is done. Give us your location. Now!” the stone goes silent, then spits out an address. “hurry.” Amik adds. Then the stone goes silent.

Jekka puts down the body. "I'm going after him."

What do you do?

>>18459426
You take black coat's sword, just to spite him. It's a sidesword, gaudily decorated, but you thrust it into your belt for keeping.

{did i ever say guns? Arms can mean more then firearms, can't they? it's mundane weaponry.}

Well crap, this puts us in a difficult situation. How long would it take us to get to the Green Tankard?

give her a spark stone and take the two unconcious bodies to the bar. maybe put them both in a barrel each and roll them there .

what's our dragon mark do exactly? give us a short burst of invincibility?

>>18459521
{the green tankard is a few streets over. Not that long.}

>>18459531
{It allows you to protect yourself and others with magic once per day.}

>>18459531
You give Jekka a thunderstone as she goes. You then take the two men, and roll them over in barrels. it would be a comical sight, were anyone watching. You pull up to the Inn, and tell the bartender Amik's name and the situation. He nods, then helps you move the men in the back and bind them. they're staying where they are, for now.

What do you do? Assist Jekka, or go back to the white-haired man and try to win him over/take care of him somehow?

we can probably get the location of the bosses house with the black coats info and nab him whenever.

lets follow after jenka

>>18459698
You take to the rooftops, chasing after Jekka. As you hit the address Amik stated, the sound of a fight greets you. You heda towards the source and you see in a dead end, Amik is leaning against the wall, casting spells at several men who are charging towards Jekka, who is blocking the alleyway. She fights in a loose style that almost seems like an agrresive dance, legs sweeping, kicking and scything to trip and defend, daggers making openings and stabbing at oppurtune moments. They're holding for now, but the tide might turn soon.

{What do you do? Roll for whatever actions you take}

take as many out from the rooftop with your crossbow as you can, they can't be expecting an attack from up high.

if the enemy start gaining advantage of the situation jump in the middle and tear through them with your axe

rolled 9 = 9

>>18459855
{rolling for result}

>>18459875
You load your crossbow, and start firing into the crowd of men. You can hear your crossbow connecting, and men start to drop. This might be easier then you thought. Then a crowd of men turn into the alleyway and join the fray, and you curse inwardly. Letting go of your crossbow, it goes back up your sleeve. You take a flying leap-

And jump into the battlefield. Landing on a man, you take him out with your dagger. Another thrusts his spear at you, and you hook it with your axe, redirecting it harmlessly. As he does so, you stab at his chest, then turn and kick him into another man.

“took you long enough!” Jekka calls out, as he finishes a man off with his own dagger.

“Be thankful.” Amik retorts, casting another spell. The three of you work in conjunction, Jekka playing crowd control with her reach, you working on people who prove to be particularly tough, and amik casting spell after spell.

It's not enough. Several men succumb to your attacks, but more are piling in.

“close your eyes!” Jekka yells over the din, and you take her advice. You hear a crack, followed by a familiar boom and white flash. You open them, and the men are all reeling. Jekka is trying to lift Amik, and you take the other side, rushing past the men. As the two of you turn corner after corner, you enter the urban maze, finally ending near the Green Tankard. You ecort Amik in, and he grunts in pain.

>>18460271
“potion in my...belt...” You take the hint, and search quickly, and pull out a small glowing vial. You push vial to his lips, and pour the liquid into his mouth. He drinks it, then speaks again, slightly stronger. “Thanks.”

you ask him what happened, and he explains the situation. He found out that the decoy, which would go through the whole ceremony, even meeting the council members-Whom he would kill. At the same time, the gangs, underneath the lead of two men, would take Sharn level by level, inciting the rage of the goblinoids and cyran who despise the brelish to assist them. They would work their way up, until those on top had no way to get down. Held hostage, Sharn would be a valuable hostage for the nation of Karrnath, who would use Sharn as a naval base, spreading to land, hitting Breland from both sides. The nation of Thrane, which stood in between the two, would be taken in the same manner within weeks. With them under control, Aundair would fall as well, leaving the Karrns to rule.

>>18460280
“We have to stop that from happening.” Amik coughs out.

“And the ambassador is arriving tommorrow! We have to catch him before he reaches council hall!” Jekka replies.

You agree. At this point, Amik speaks. “My men are guarding him. They will be hard to dissuade from their course of action, and they will never leave him. Unless...” He fumbles at his belt, then pulls out a map of Sharn. He points to a plaza on middle-upper central Plateau. “My men were to stop a distance before this, and let a detachment of the Watch take over. They assumed he would be safe at that point. Of course, we'll prove him wrong. We should attack in the middle of the Plaza. He'll never expect that.”

He looks up at you. “I'm in no condition to fight. Can you take over?”

Of coarse I will.
who else could?

>>18460356
{QM Here. whether you accept or decline leadership, here's what's going to happen if you go along with this plan. obviously, the fight will take place in the middle of the plaza. What will determine your success is who you order, and where. in essence, pick these people;
Kingfisher
Jekka
Warf
Dero
Amik
Sylls

and decide what each one of them do, if anything. ideally, give them roles that suit their character. obviously, Amik will provide ranged support, being a mage, after all. the rest is up for you to decide. I can answer questions, but but will only help up to a certain point.}

what can dero and sylls do in a fight?

>>18460561
{Dero can provide a great amount of magic support and crowd control, though his combat abilities, if any are best set to defensive/fleeing. his ablities, while all magical, deal relatively low damage, but have great non-damaging effects.

Sylls is near useless in a straight up fight. She can defend herself decently, but beyond that, isn't really an asset. Since she met that seer and learned to control her abilities, she just might be able to give you warnings when you best need them.}

Alright, set up sylls, amit, and dero on a roof, safe from enemy fire and within their magic range. sylls can see everything from their and give out warnings while dero casts effects like sleep or confusion maybe berserk on the enemy soldiers if he can. amit can cast the stronger offensive spells.

king fisher can go through the enemy ranks from the side and rear with his agility and nick as many weapons and items as he can while you, jekka and warf engage the enemy head to head.

be sure to give sylls some potions and thunder stones. you know how weak mages tend to be.

>>18460755
Today, the sun shines down on Sharn. In the Highest Towers district, a crowd awaits, eagerly awaiting the visit of a Karrn Ambassador whom seeks to extend an olive branch of peace. The crowd is abuzz with talks about war ending and a new era, and each is dressed their best, hoping to show off to both the crowd, and the ambassador. A shout goes off from down the street, and people start to cheer, sending the local birds flying.

The ambassador heads down in a gilded carriage, and you can see him waving to the crowd. He is surrounded by members of the Sharn Watch, each dressed in ceremonial armor that gleams brightly in the sun. They walk down the street in formation, passing the crowd, who waves and cheers as the ambassador passes, flower petals alight in the air. Despite the guards preventing the crowds from getting to close, and the archers on nearby rooftops, it is a joyous event for the people. A sign of peace.

Or so they say. You wait in a darkened alleyway, ready for everyone to get into position. This is no day of peace. This is a day that will start another war.

Unless you stop it.

Your sending stones buzz with answers.

“In position.” Amik says.
“Awaiting Instructions.” Warf states.
“Ready to show this idiot how to really fight.” Jekka crows.
“I'm here.” Sylls replies.
“I have the proper applications.” Dero mutters.
“Guess there's nothing more to do.” Kingfisher sighs. “Let's do this!”

This is it. You step forward . As you do so, you focus your thoughts at the task at hand. This will decide the fate of a nation.

There's no room for mistakes.

>>18461160
You start walking. As you stride through the crowd, weapons in hand, an archer spots you, and takes aim.

Unfortunately, a certain mage-comandant had a beam drawn first. The sound of energy rushing through passes overhead, barely noticeable, but it's enough. The arrow is dropped, and the archer tumbles down. Amik takes his place, commanding an impressive view of the plaza, staff in hand.

Perhaps in response to your weapons drawn weapons, the crowd slowly, but surely parts. A guard notices this, and turns to act, but a wave of sleep passes over him, and he drops to the ground snoring.

Dero raises his wand. “It is a good place to nap.” He remarks to himself, before aiming his wand again.

You step onto the plaza, and raise your crossbow without thinking. You take a shot, and a guard tumbles down, hit by a stunning bolt of electricity. The other rearguards turn, and seeing their companion fall, they rush towards you, spears in hand. Shouts of “Assassin!' run through the crowd, and you can see the guards moving to kill, without asking any questions. You take inititive, and charge as well. You duck under a halberd swing, and move up to his chest, plunging a dagger in it. You swing over to his friend and your axe trips his foot, then finds purchase in his back. Another swings his sword, and you block it, grabbing his wrist to move the sword blade in order to block a mace swing, then twisting it out of his hand before thrusting it in his side, and spinning to deflect the mace wielder's second blow with a push, before elbowing his head to the ground. As you pause, you noice something unusual. The carriage has stopped. The door opens.

>>18461169
The ambassador steps out, shaking his head. “Is this all you have to stop me? A single man? Do you not see these soldiers with me?” The man starts ordering troops, but you ignore him.

A kingfisher feather falls out of the sky, and lands in your hand.

You look at it, and nod.

The troops head towards you, moving to grab swords, battleaxes and othe things tucked in ther sheaths. As their hands move to grasp, they realize something else.

Someone else's hands have been there. In a nearby alleyway, a thief with a pet kingfisher chuckles to himself, and drops an armload of weapons on the ground. “The rest is up to you, my dear apprentice.” He disappears into the alleyway, unnoticed.

As the guards panic, you allow yourself a slight grin upon seeing the man's face, contorted with fury.

“Rise, my undead minions!”

from a nearby building, a score of undead soldiers burst out. The man, laughs, and draws a sword, kssing it.

“The first blood drawn as Sharn is taken will be yours!”

He points it at you, and the zombies move to advance He steps forward with them.

It is at this point a warforged hits the right flank like a hammer, swinging a giant maul, and a long-legged thief hits the left, daggers scything at cutting, dismantling the zombies left and right.

Warf lets out a guttural yell, feeling the flow of battle, and Jekka spins and slices furiously, letting her fury loose. One is a sword, the other is a hammer. Together, they are a brutal force.

As they each take on their share, the man charges at you, his face seething with fury.

This is it.

You respond to his charge.

It's time to roll the dice, and let fate decide.

rolled 10 = 10

Come on Twenty!

rolled 19 = 19

>>18461252
{Screw you, dice. screw you.}

rolled 9 = 9

yay!

rolled 16 = 16

>>18461280
that's convenient.

Hey, Eberron quest guy, I just want to give you a big thumb's up. I was at the first one (guy who suggested diplomacy to the agitated car, not that it matters) and while I've been extremely busy this last week, I'm happy your quest is doing well.

rolled 20 = 20

>>18461306
jump in. We're still have a bit left to go, and these battle scenes take a while for me to type anyway, so you can read fast and catch up.

>>18461316
...

>>18461316

Yes!

rolled 18 = 18

>>18461252
Win or lose, you will see this battle through to the end. The man charges at you with his sword, and his first strike is so furious you stumble back underneath the force. As he presses his advantage, you relent.
With each strike, he speaks through gritted teeth.

“Sharn! Will! Be! Mine!”

rolled 18 = 18

>>18461280

On his last blow, you catch it with your axe and dagger. You kick his stomach with your heel.

“Not a chance!” you roar back, and press your advantage.
“This war is about to end, and you would start it for your own gain? You're no better then a rat, fighting over scraps as your friends die!”

You spin, attacking both sides with dagger and axe, refusing to give him a chance to respond. Swinging with both axe and dagger, you plunge it towards his open chest. He blocks with his sword, and shoves you back.

rolled 1 = 1

>>18461289
“Better a prince in hell then a commoner in heaven!” His blade plunges and thrusts at you, but you sidestep it, and twist, delivering a sharp blow to his side with your axe, your spin adding more force. He blocks it, and a smack to your head sends you reeling.

>>18461316
Ok, I'll try, but I warn you, I haven't had time to read the quests between the end of the train ride, and now. I may act out of character for Yohn,

>>18461460
His blade plunges and thrusts at you, but you sidestep it, and twist, delivering a sharp blow to his side with your axe, your spin adding more force. He blocks it, and a smack to your head sends you reeling. He staggers, and you press your advantage.

This is no time for banter. Axe and dagger move in combination, hooking his sword to block it, stabbing his arm to make him let go of it. You twist his wrist and he lets go of his sword,and it flies off, clattering on the tiles. He swings wildly with his fist, and you knee him in the gut as his swing leaves his body open. Bracing his back with your axe hand, you punch him repeatedly with your left. You wind up for a final blow, and attack his body with all your might. You attack for your people. You attack for the Cyrans. You attack for Amik. For Jekka. For Sylls. For Dero. For Kingfisher. You attack for everyone.

You attack, so they do not have to.

Your blow sends the man flying backwards. Though it is a few feet, it is more then enough. The man is finished. He flies, then falls.
Right onto his own sword, which wedged itself up between two tiles.

Like cutting meat, a wet sound is made as he slides onto his sword.

rolled 12 = 12

>>18461475
As he sits there, impaled, you walk to him.

“You could have been a prince in heaven as well.”

His eyes look at you, uncomprehendingly.

You feel the need to explain. To tell him he's wrong.

“You could have ended the war, ushered in a new age. You could have extended a branch of peace, and ended it once and for all. You would have been a hero. You would go down in history as the man who changed the course of the Hundred Years war.”

You step back, and look at the man. You see his eyes comprehending, understanding. There is a chance to save him. Do you?

>>18461467
{I think you helped establish who yohn is, right now. A hero who won't give up, no matter what. Who will always take another option when having to choose between grey and black. that goes out to all of you who post in these threads, too. you are all important in the making of this character.}

hmm, i guess we wouldn't want this guys nation to use his death as an excuse to invade. though they seem pretty adamant about that.

COMPLETELY disarm him and use a potion or something on him.

i really really really don't want to get killed cause we were too nice to an enemy.

>>18461476
(Forgive me if I'm wrong, skimmed the thread, so I don't know if this guy is Karrnathi, so I'm just going to act like he is.)

Reach down, and heal him, if we can. And use the following line:
"You died today, Karrn. You were struck down for wickedness and treachery. But your people know best of all, that even the worst man may serve his people, and save lives, from beyond the grave. Rise now, and defend both our peoples."

>>18461515
>>18461531
“ Here.” You set him down. As you do so, Jekka and Warf walk over, taking oppostie positions and glaring at the crowd, weapons posed menacingly.

You ease the sword out of his body, and pull a single potion from your belt. Uncapping it, you raise it to his lips. As the potion drips into his mouth, you speak.

"You died today, Karrn. You were struck down for wickedness and treachery. But your people know best of all, that even the worst man may serve his people, and save lives, from beyond the grave. Rise now, and defend both our peoples."

As the potion works his magic, you see his wound heal, leaving only torn clothes as a reminder. His eyes transfer from his chest to your face. He extends his hand, and you shake it.

“I will. I will honor this promise, until my bones are ground for mortar, and my skin peeled for leather.” As he recites a traditional Karrnath oath, you nod.

Then, a bright light flashes. “time to go!” Dero chirps. You nod, and while the crowd is blinded, you rush out with Warf and Jekka.

By the time the crowd recovers, the mysterious figures were gone. What lay left was a field of men, each one, though bloodied and bruised, still living and recovering. The Karrn stood there, extending a hand to where that mysterious figure once stood, to a person who might just have saved not only Sharn, but Breland, Thane, and the entirety of Khorvaire. That day, council talks went errant, Karrnath was blamed, and fires raged. But in the end, no damage was ultimately done, after a bit of moping and complaining, the Council decided to advise the king of Breland to agree to peace talks. Sure, damage was done. but ultimately, progress was made that day.

>>18461597
A group of people sit in tavern, throwing jokes and drinks in equal shares. A loud elf, an eccentric human, a soldierly mage, a shy, bandage-covered girl, a grey warforged, a cloaked man, and a confident youth sit, joking with each other, and drinking. Or at least, the elf, soldier and youth do. The other three sit and watch quietly, enjoying the show. As the night grows, jokes pop up less, and Amik speaks. “I want to thank you, boy.” the group goes quiet, knowing this is a special moment.

“You changed the world today. Whether through willpower, strength, or just dumb luck, I can't say. But in the end, you did it. He raises his mug, and proclaims a toast. “to Yohn!”

What do you do?

>>18461637
"To The Future. May it be brighter than we hope, and may there always be souls like ours to defend it."

>>18461727
You shake your head, and raise your glass. "To The Future. May it be brighter than we hope, and may there always be souls like ours to defend it."

He grins. “Better words were never spoken!” The group clinks mugs together. As you throw it back, you drink to a new day. A new future.

To peace.

{Quest End}

{comments? Criticism? I tried something a little different today. How was it?

Also I am open tommorrow, as well. Or should I run this quest next weekend, and give everyone a break?

Note: archived at: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/18454442/ }

well done man, hell, for a moment i thought this was gonna be the last eberron quest ever, cause the ending was so huge. glad you're gonna make more!

Personally, it'd be nice to go again tomorrow but ya should take a break if you get tired or something. Don't wanna get burned out.

I can't speak for all of /tg/, though I'm stoked I showed up tonight, after missing everything between this one and the first, and two of my suggestions got used, but I'm busy evenings this week until Sunday. So I'd prefer next weekend.

i wouldn't mind doing this again on the weekend, especially if we get to play with the guy that supplied yohns great dialog choices.

>>18461802
{I've always made sure to end on points that can reasonbly serve as an ending, just in case interest is suddenly lost. Yohn has a bit of a journey left, and i'm sure no one wants to end without yohn ever experience love with one of the characters (or at least, earlier posters did) perhaps youre right, i should rest to be in good form}

>>18461845
>>18461833
{how can i say no? Next week it is. 3pm est fine?}