IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: woegman on 09-07-2010, 21:02:39</h2>
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				Title: <strong>IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>09-07-2010, 21:02:39</strong>
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				<strong><em>Welcome to Sharn by Lamplight, a 4E Eberron game run by Woegman.&nbsp; Set in the Firelight district of Sharn, this game follows the paths of a few hardened souls who have taken residence in a district of excess and vice, and the adventures that life there leads them on.<br><br>This will be the only OOC post accepted in this thread.&nbsp; All other OOC posts must be made in the OOC thread (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=74933.0).</em></strong>
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 15:44:51</strong>
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				<strong><em>Far 13th, Lharvion, 998YK, in the Firelight District of Sharn</em></strong><br><br>Sharn, the City of Towers...though on days like this, in the middle of the month of Lharvion at the height of the summer heat, it may as well be called the City of Saunas.&nbsp; The heat and the humidity of Sharn at this time of year is oppressive at best, murderous at worse; that is, unless you are one of the wealthy who can afford magical methods of climate control in your dwellings.&nbsp; For those who can't, the options are smaller - one such option is to visit an inn or other establishment that can.<br><br>Dante's Inferno, one of the more infamous houses of pleasure in all of Sharn, can.&nbsp; Dante Boromar, the owner of the Inferno, takes a special delight in his club's name - called the Inferno, yet kept as the coolest place in all of Firelight.&nbsp; Catering to every sin and vice one can legally offer in Sharn (and several that are less legal), the Inferno is a popular spot as is; but on days like today, with the overbearing heat and with the Race of the Eight Winds not ten days off, it is absolutely crammed with patrons.<br><br>It is here where our party finds itself, in the Inferno's main taproom, amidst the din and chaos of excited racing speculators, gamblers, drinkers, and whores on the hottest day (so far) of the year...
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 17:31:18</strong>
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				Any other time, Edwin would have been pouring over sheeves of paper to figure out how in the world these magical lattices kept the place cool, but for now, he was busy pouring a lager down his throat to drown is sorrows. The Morgrave Institute just severed is his last grant due to some... disputes... on where those funds had gone. For the time being, he would forget his predicament, put another beer on his tab, and watch the sveldt human girl dancing on the stage pull bits of her clothing off in seductive and provocative ways.<br><br>"Cheers, Sharn, you've swallowed another one," and Edwin tipped back another mug, to swallow another beer himself...
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 19:52:43</strong>
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				As she trekked through the streets, skirting knots of gawkers at the various sights of Firelight-- public copulation, theatrical displays of hedge-magic by hawkers and street performers-- Dieza began to rehearse her explanation to Polette.&nbsp; "You see," she whispered to herself, adding gestures for emphasis, "it's not that I locked myself <i>out</i> of the apartment, it's that I locked your things in, for their safety.&nbsp; When the bugbear knocked three doors down, I could sense--" her fantastical story trailed off as she neared the club, mopping her sweating face with the hem of her gray cloak.&nbsp; "--er, anyway... that's why I'm here.&nbsp; I had to come to your..."&nbsp; A slender half-elf male wearing some velvety contraption Dieza could only describe as a 'cock-purse' strode by, his eyes wide and dark with opiates.&nbsp; "... your wwwwworkplace."&nbsp; She caught herself staring and swung her head upright, as if fascinated by the mosaic lighting above the Inferno's door.&nbsp; "Oh... so pretty," she mumbles.&nbsp; "So hot here," she moans, a little breathlessly as she peeks back over her shoulder at the slim naked ass in retreat before she darts toward the employee's entrance up the alley.<br><br>Luck is with her, as she's far from stealthy, but she's reached the kitchen doors just as a pipe-armed half-orc hauls out a mop-bucket to dump.&nbsp; He's cursing to himself in a tongue she doesn't follow, but she's able to slip into the service door before it locks itself shut.&nbsp; From there, Dieza's in--hemming her way through the busy staff and out into the broad, cool room of the main club.&nbsp; She hopes to avoid notice or trouble; using her friend Polette's name might save her a beating, but she'd rather be spared the embarrassment of having to use it.
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 04:13:10</strong>
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				Princess Lerissa Damaia Kallista Nemeia Ohr Kaluun was quite pleased with the turnout on that hot midsummer's day.&nbsp; So many people, coming in, knocking back drinks, revelling with the fine men and women of the Inferno, lots of talk in the air about all sorts of subjects, from the odds on the upcoming Race of the Eight Winds to an almost refined lecture on the color and material of the tassels that one of the girls was currently wearing...&nbsp; At times like these, sitting up on the fine throne she had been provided with and allowing herself to be daintily fed grapes and other little delicacies every now and then, she just couldn't help but feel that life was good.<br><br>And really, in many ways, it was.&nbsp; Sure, she was a foreign princess whose lineage would probably never be recognized by any of the real nobility of the country she was currently in, and she was living out of a whorehouse, surrounded by prostitutes and strippers and their usual clientele on a regular basis, and she was only getting by on the goodwill of a halfling entrepreneur...&nbsp; But she was the star of the show here at the Inferno, the Demon Princess from the ancient Sarlonan demon-worshipping nation of Ohr Kaluun, and she was spending all her days recently being waited on hand and foot, surrounded by exactly the sort of royal retinue and courtly antics that she had been promised when she first took up business with the halfling, Dante Boromar.&nbsp; Dante's Inferno was doing well with her as its centerpiece, and her employer couldn't possibly have been any happier.&nbsp; There was fine food, plenty of entertainment, an atmosphere of general revelry...&nbsp; Everybody was having a grand old time of it in the Firelight district.<br><br>Well, except perhaps one or two people...&nbsp; Taught to watch the behavior of those around her for signs of trouble, the Tiefling princess had little difficulty picking a few people out of the crowd who seemed to not be fitting in with the general genial atmosphere.&nbsp; A girl wearing entirely too much clothing for the temperature outside skulked around the outer edges of the room, trying desperately to avoid being looked at too hard by anyone, (not a difficult feat, given how many other attractions there were to draw the eye...) while a man sitting before the main stage was morosely knocking back one cup after another of the Inferno's finest brew, eyeing the buxom beauty before him as though he were trying to distract himself from something.<br><br>Sitting there, up on the ornately carved 'throne' she had been provided with, the Princess let her tail swish back and forth with interest as she observed these two for a bit.&nbsp; Perhaps she'd try asking one or both of them up, let them have an audience with her illustrious royal personage.&nbsp; That would undoubtedly cheer the two of them up...
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Creeper</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 05:42:17</strong>
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				Being a bodyguard-slash-bouncer was trickier than Lita had thought. Though a simple task at first glance, there two essential skills that the girl would have to master to truly excel at it. The first trick was to not be seen. A bit difficult for Lita, standing at 6'3, clad in shiny full platemail and arms splattered with dried blood,but it was necessary to keep from disturbing the customers and the dancers. Even when there was trouble with a patron, the first rule was to drag him (or her) behind closed doors so that the boots could be properly applied to their face. Lita had found a spot of shadows near the rear wall where she could fate into the background, and it worked, mostly.<br><br>The second trick was to keep an eye out for trouble before it happens. Diffusing a dramatic outburst was much easier to do before the fireworks. Lita was better at this ever since the incident on the other continent and she was now quickly picking out possible troublesome people out of the crowd.<br><br>Like, say, a non-kitchen staff human ducking out of the kitchen. Lita clamped a large, mail-covered hand over Dieza's shoulder as she passed by. A furry brown-black weasel scampered out from somewhere in the fighter's back and perched on Lita's shoulder, grinning wickedly.<br><br>"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're goin'?" Demanded Sebastian the Weasel. His eyes lit up in sudden recognition. "Oh, Dieza! Hey Lita, it's Dezia! It's great to see you again, my sweet monkey butter. Ah ha, ha ha ha!"<br><br>Then all of the mirth vanished from his voice. "Just 'cause you know one of the girls here doesn't mean you don't hafta pay the cover charge, y'know."<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 06:04:37</strong>
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				Merelus sat in the rafters, watching the everything beneath him. He watched the women dancing and walking about of course. He enjoyed the sight of beautiful ladies, in various states of undress. But he also watched the men. Eladrin dealt with this kind of thing differently. Seeing the obvious hunger in their eyes and stares. Some got longer looks then others, but mostly he was constantly moving on. Whatever he was looking for he didn't find.<br><br>"Good crowd today."<br><br>The Eldarin was nigh invisible. Clad in dark black, silver hair tucked under a hood. He was a thief, after all. He looked the part, but it was hot. He didn't mind though. Being hot was a new experience for him. The only thing one would see is his eyes, blue orbs, shining.<br><br>"Bored."<br><br>Tucking his legs into the rafter, he flipped over the edge, holding on like a bat to the rafter. He was face to face with Lerissa, who was his new... favorite. He supposed. He'd never heard of a tiefling, and she was quite beautiful. More then that, she wasn't boring.<br><br>"Evening."<br><br>The Eldarin's upside down face smiled at Lerissa.
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 16:15:37</strong>
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				The activities and noise level of the taproom continue to escalate as more and more people push in, looking for relief from the summer heat.&nbsp; Amidst the buzz about the coming race, the standard noise of gambling, the din of general conversation, and the whores and gigolos giving come-ons to the writhing crowd, it becomes nearly impossible to pick out any one thing from the sea of distraction present in the room.&nbsp; <br><br>Two amongst the crowd, however, have eyes a bit sharper than the rest; Edwin and Merelus, both of whom catch sight of one being who is not merely mingling like the rest of the crowd, and is instead moving with definite purpose and urgency.&nbsp; Emerging from the crowd, the two both see a waifish halfling woman, who, though clearly an adult, has obviously dressed to entice those with younger desires.&nbsp; The woman is making her way towards Lerissa's throne, her left hand held tight to her stomach, a dark stain spreading from there about her garments.&nbsp; Meanwhile, as Lita and Sebastian take a hold of Dieza, a loud argument breaks out just in front of them, apparently between too gamblers arguing over the outcome of a bet, keeping them from noticing the woman.&nbsp; Lerissa'z attentions are on the dangling Eladrin in front of her, so she likewise does not see her.
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 17:01:22</strong>
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				Suddenly finding herself face to face with a very familiar face, Lerissa smiled.&nbsp; The Tiefling calmly regarded the Eladrin for several seconds before responding to his greeting, running her eyes up to the ceiling to see just where he had dropped down from.<br><br>"And a good evening to you as well."&nbsp; She coyly remarked, tilting her head to the side.&nbsp; "Welcome back to my court, Merelus.&nbsp; Are you going to be... 'hanging out' for very long on this visit?"<br><br>It said a lot about the number of visits the Eladrin had made to the Inferno to see her that no one in the room seemed at all perturbed by the fact that an Eladrin was hanging from the ceiling a few feet in front of the Princess' face.&nbsp; His first visit had caused quite a bit more of an uproar, of course, but he had been rather lucky on that particular occasion.&nbsp; As Lerissa recalled, she had been far more bored and curious about things on that day, and had stopped the bouncer from throwing the man out for long enough to have a brief conversation with him.<br><br>And that had been the start of a rather interesting friendship...
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 17:20:49</strong>
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				The Eladrin looked at Lerissa. He continued to smile at Lerissa. The Handsome Eladrin shrugged in answer to her question, not knowing if he would or not. He didn't really plan things out. He'd stay as long as he wasn't bored. He didn't really notice that no one regarded him as odd. He wasn't odd, at least according to him. It was odd that they freaked out when he did things like that.<br><br>"I don't know. Maybe..."<br><br>The Eladrin's face got curious, and he held up his palm for a moment. He believed that motion meant pause. He rocked back and released his legs, doing a neat half flip as he landed on his feet. He was careful to not kick Lerissa in the process or any such thing. She'd never let him hear the end of that. But he wasn't being an Acrobat just for the fun of it. He cocked his head, moving toward the Halfling woman.<br><br>"...are you alright, Miss?"<br><br>She appeared wounded, but Merelus knew better then to make assumptions about that kind of thing.
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 19:45:55</strong>
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				<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=74931.msg3296315#msg3296315">Quote from: Creeper on 15-07-2010, 05:42:17</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're goin'?" Demanded Sebastian the Weasel. His eyes lit up in sudden recognition. "Oh, Dieza! Hey Lita, it's Dezia! It's great to see you again, my sweet monkey butter. Ah ha, ha ha ha!"<br><br>Then all of the mirth vanished from his voice. "Just 'cause you know one of the girls here doesn't mean you don't hafta pay the cover charge, y'know."<br></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>It's not the weasel's attention that sets Dieza on edge and terrifies her beyond bodily control; rather, it's the never-speaking, cold-staring killer he accompanies.&nbsp; Dieza drops one shoulder's elevation and twists her upper body away, her eyes screwing up in embarrassment and teenage-ish protest.&nbsp; "Sebastiaaaaan," she says with a tinge of whine before reclaiming a shred of dignity and straightening her posture.&nbsp; "I just got locked out."&nbsp; The nerves kick in, and she begins speaking rapidly.&nbsp; "The wards are up and Polette will kill me if I set them off again, and I can't wait outside for hours and hours, I could be attacked or--" she catches a glimpse of Litas gaze beyond the familiar's, and her girlish eyes dart away in discomfort.&nbsp; "Er, if I can talk to her a minute, I promise I'll be on my way."&nbsp; She wonders who was speaking and when...<br><br>((Modified to fix my confusion. Didn't realize the weasel was not a bouncer, but actually a real frickin weasel :D ))
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 05:15:19</strong>
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				Edwin gazes around the room with a beer induced haze. Even with the cool air, the crush of the humanoid races was beginning to wear on anyone's merriment. The barest chance glance at the halfling woman held his eye, something wasn't right with her countenance, slowly his beer addled mind began turning the gears for cognitive thinking as the room continued to swim about him.<br><br>"~the hel~l?" Looking at her, he noticed the stain running between her fingers. Alarm began to rise in Edwin as his mind tried to burn away the haze as he looked around the room.<br><br><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">Edwin active Perception Check: 1d20 +7 = 19</span> (http://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=16623)<br><br>"He~y... you alright?" Edwin's head swam as he stood from his chair... stumbling slightly to the girl opposite the roguish looking eladrin.
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Creeper</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 08:32:25</strong>
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				Lita's tall, steel clad form loomed threateningly over Dieza's smaller frame. Her piercing green eyes stared out of the darkness of her helm, peering between the silver grill at the Wizard. Lita had tried various ways to communicate after the incident, but for this job she could get more done by not saying a word. The fighter was the cold threat behind Sebastian's (arguable) charm.<br><br>"Oh darlin', I believe you. I believe you! If it were up to me, you'd be with yer girlfriend right now, but ya see, Lita here's a pretty big stickler for the rules. A real party pooper. And she's got orders to make sure that everyone pays their due! You wouldn't want to make her upset, would you?" Schmoosed the Weasel. He turned his brown head to meet the eyes of his mistress for a few moments, then looked back at Dieza. "Tell you what. We'll take you to see Polette and see if she'll front you some money. Then you can stay and enjoy the show with us! If she won't, well, I'm sure Dante can find sumthin' for you to do. Or someone. That's a joke, Dieza, a joke! Ha ha ha! God, you look so <strong>tense</strong>, darling. Do you want me to rub your shoulders- Oi!"<br><br>Lita's attention was drawn away from the rodent's poor excuse for flirting to the two men arguing over money. She turned quickly to address the new problem with her standard threatening malice. "One second baby, I have some business to attend to. Hey, you two! Keep it down. You're disturbing the other customers! If you won't talk civilly, then we can discuss this in the back room. Do you understand?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 16:56:14</strong>
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				Edwin and Merelus both reached the halfling woman at near the same time, and she collapsed to the floor in front of them.<br><br>"Dan..."she started, but she was interrupted by a cough, blood spilling from her lips, "Dan..te..."<br><br>Her eyes fluttered, her breathing rasped in harsh, thick wetness.&nbsp; Lerissa, no longer distracted, could now see the girl lying at the foot of her dais, as Merelus and Edwin rushed towards her.&nbsp; The crowd also noticed, and a series of gasps and cries came from the assembled masses.&nbsp; Edwin looked about the room, but spotted nothing save for the press of bodies now pushing back, forming a circle around the girl.<br><br>Even across the room, the change in the mood was nearly instant.&nbsp; The arguing gamblers, whether intimidated by Lita's form or catching the mood of the crowd, silenced their argument immediately, pointing in the direction of the dais.&nbsp; Lita and Dieza both witnessed this, drawing their attention towards Lerissa and her throne.<br><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 20:59:35</strong>
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				Trying not to shudder, Dieza focuses on Sebastian for the moment-- <i>See?&nbsp; He's furry.&nbsp; He's cute, if in a verminous fashion.&nbsp; He just happens to be sitting on the shoulder of someone who can hurt in ways that don't heal right... heh heh... no problem</i><br><br>Lita's stare makes her feel an ice-wash of terror low in her stomach.&nbsp; "Okay-- I'm good for the cover fee... it was my mistake, I'm sor--"<br><br>She trails off at the sight before Lerissa, her over-concern for others kicking in suddenly and dwarfing her good sense.&nbsp; "Oh, wait... there's something wrong..." she lifts her hand to indicate her path and begins to move closer to the unfolding scene.
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Creeper</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 21:47:35</strong>
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				Lita didn't so much as see the disturbance as she felt the shift in the crowd. Feeling the gravity pulling on the customers, Lita took off towards the source of the trouble, Dieza completely forgotten. She shoved the throng of people out of her way, and finally came upon the bleeding halfling girl. She gave a painful gasp, and dropped to her knees.<br><br>"<em>Shit, shit, shit!</em>"Hissed Sabastian. "Don't worry folks! All part of the show. She's just fine!" <br><br>The fighter glanced around for assistance as she retrieved a small satchel from behind her shield. Unfortunatly the closest people were also the most useless people people in her eyes. The Tiefling was a liar and a sponge on Dante's good will and the Elf was a pain in the ass. But they would have to do. Sebastian leaped onto the makeshift throne and scampered up to Lerissa's shoulders. "We've got a big problem here princess. Distract the crowd long enough for me to clean this mess up. Merelus, go get Dante down here as fast as you can!"<br><br>As the weasel doled out her order, Lita pulled out a small vial of gold liquid. Her other hand tore open the cloth that covered the injury. She spilt it across the Halfling's forehead and onto the wound, which cracked with white healing energies. The fighter dipped a finger in her blood and drew the lesser sign of Death on the girl's forehead, followed by the greater sign of Defiance on her stomach to force the power of the admixture through her small body.<br><br>((OOC: Daily Curative Admixture used. Also Lita knows about the difference between Eladrin and Elves. She just doesn't care.))
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				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 22:37:18</strong>
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				<em>Oi, my head...</em> Edwin was relieved that the bouncer had things well in hand. His medical expertise was mostly in dissecting things, not patching them back together.<br><br>"Hey, hey, hey~" at least his drunken lisp wasn't prominent, "Letter ha~ve some room, guysh.... Giver some air." Edwin didnt try to be an enforcer, he gently pushed people back and asked for others to help and make way.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>17-07-2010, 02:45:53</strong>
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				The Eladrin cocked his head at the weasel, not noticably bothered by it talking, or it ordering him. Familiars and such were common things for him. As for being ordered about, Merelus was hard to offend. The Eladrin smiled, and stepped back. Or he seemed to. Instead of standing there, he vanished, the mists of Thedras claiming him.He reappeared in the next floor up of the establishment. The Eladrin knew that kind of thing tended to worry people, but it was much quicker. With that, he set off at a quick run, heading for where he knew Dante would be.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>17-07-2010, 03:43:02</strong>
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				<em>We've got a big problem here princess. Distract the crowd long enough for me to clean this mess up. Merelus, go get Dante down here as fast as you can!"</em><br><br>Standing up from her throne, Lerissa moved up to the edge of the dais, clapping her hands together to get the attention of the crowd.&nbsp; She already knew what to do in a situation like this, she didn't need that furry little rodent giving her instructions...&nbsp; But for the moment, she put those thoughts aside.&nbsp; A Princess knew how to prioritize, after all.<br><br>"Alright, Ladies, Gentlemen, and Assorted Other Patrons of the Inferno,"&nbsp; The Tiefling began, holding up her hands in a quieting gesture and speaking loudly to make herself heard over the crowd.&nbsp; "I sincerely apologize for the disturbance, but I can assure you, members of our staff are already taking care of things.&nbsp; For the time being, I'll need you all to return to your seats and go back about your business.&nbsp; Our people need room to work, after all."<br><br>And then, kneeling down briefly to speak to Lita...<br><br>"And if it's safe to move her, get her up next to my throne.&nbsp; We can clean the blood off the carpets later, and it'll get her more room to breathe."&nbsp; Dante was likely going to want to know just why somebody had disrupted his business like this, after all, and where better to find that out than from the disruptor herself?
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>17-07-2010, 23:12:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lita's healing infusion seemed to stabilize the halfling woman, but she still lay unconscious on the floor of the taproom.&nbsp; The bleeding, however, appeared to have stopped, making it far more likely that she could be moved safely.&nbsp; Dieza followed right behind Lita, and as she approached, she realized that she recognized the halfling - a prostitute called Pidge, a regular renter of rooms at the Inferno (though not in the house's employ), and a friend of Polette. <br><br>The crowd, in shock from the sudden intrusion of violence on their entertainment, are nonetheless more than eager to avoid the situation, allowing Edwin to clear a goodly area around the following woman, giving the others room to work.&nbsp; Those who were less cooperative where instead influenced by Lerissa's words, and the knowledge that they were backed by the power of the Boromar clan.&nbsp; <br><br>Upstairs, with the grace of panther on the hunt, Merelus made his way through halls filled with prostitutes and their customers, weaving deftly through the sea of people until he finally made it to the large, double doors that led to Dante's private office.&nbsp; Two beefy hobgoblins stood guard at the door, and as the Eladrin rogue approached, they donned mutual sneers of contempt.&nbsp; <br><br>"Where d'ya think yer goin'?" Mungo, the one on the left, asked with a growl.&nbsp; Tango, his partner, flexed menacingly beside him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>18-07-2010, 02:09:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Merelus looked at the Hobgoblins curiously, not frightened. The Eladrin didn't much attention to posturing and threats, even when he didn't have such on his mind. He cocked his head curiously at the two.<br><br>"Through the doors. To speak to Dante."<br><br>The Eladrin stepped forward, before realizing that the two Hobgoblins might try to keep him out. He'd met such before. There were plenty of ways of dealing with such. But he didn't feel like taking the time.<br><br>"One of the girls was stabbed downstairs. Keeps asking to speak to Dante. If you keep me out, I'll tell him to blame you two when he loses his guests and employees, due to fear of getting a knife in the stomach."<br><br>The Eldarins voice held no hint of a threat, and he actually stood there smiling chipperly as he spoke.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 20:01:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Mungo and Tango exchanged worried glances, and Merelus, sharp of eye and instinct, got the distinct feeling that this news was not necessarily a surprise to the two.&nbsp; They parted, opening the door to Dante's office.&nbsp; Beyond the door, Merelus found a long runner leading up to an enormous, elaborately carved desk, clearly not of halfling design or size.&nbsp; Seated in a large, plush chair padded high enough to make the desk usable to its occupant, was Dante Boromar.&nbsp; The halfling was impeccably well groomed and dressed, his suit perfectly tailored, and of the height of fashion, which these days ran towards Aundairan lines.&nbsp; He looked up from a stack of parchment, and frowned slightly.<br><br>"You," he started, his voice raspy and deeper than one might have expected from so small a form, "You're that Eladrin my princess has taken a fondness too...Merelus, innit?&nbsp; What brings you into my private office?"<br><br>Meanwhile, downstairs, the halfling woman began to stir.&nbsp; Her hand slipped from her midsection, revealing a wound still unsealed, even with Lita's infusion.&nbsp; Her eyes fluttered, opening briefly as she looked partially at Lita, partially at the blankness of space.&nbsp; Her mouth opened, and strange, melodic words of a language other than common flowed from her tongue.&nbsp; Her words became strained, frantic...and then she passed from life, her body falling limp, her hands opening.<br><br>For those downstairs with the halfling, please make me an active Perception roll.<br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 20:09:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">((Perception check (1d20+3=21) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2613857/)<br><br>Looks like I got a good roll. ^^<br><br>Edit: And so, after a brief PM conversation...))</span><br><br>As it turned out, even whatever healing magic the bouncer had used simply wasn't going to be enough.&nbsp; The halfling woman's wound was too severe.&nbsp; But before she died, she left behind one last, cryptic clue, in a language only Lerissa would have understood...<br><br><em>"The harvesters gather - soon He will be complete.&nbsp; Accept, dark Lords, this, our sacrifice..."</em><br><br>...And it was spoken in the old Sarlonan tongue, in the dialect of old Ohr Kaluun, even.&nbsp; Leaving the care of the dead body to the others standing nearby, the Tiefling thought carefully about the implications of what the woman had said.<br><br><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">((Religion check. (1d20+8=14) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2613873/)<br><br>Not enough to tell anything...))</span><br><br>Alas, unfortunately, nothing out of what she had been taught back in those halcyon days of her youth rang out as being similar to the halfling's cryptic clue.&nbsp; Maybe He was some sort of powerful demon sealed away somewhere on Sarlona...&nbsp; But then, maybe she was just confusing one memory for another?&nbsp; Some of those lectures and history lessons had gotten rather boring after a while, after all.<br><br>Still, if nothing else, the bit about a sacrifice to the Dark Lords certainly made sense to her.&nbsp; That was clearly a reference to the Dark Six.&nbsp; There was nothing else it could be, given the circumstances.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 20:52:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Dieza finds herself moving closer, using her compact size to pick her way closer to the fallen woman as the crowd begins to close in.&nbsp; She quickly scans the crowd 1d20+11=17 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2613946/) but, making little of spreading chaos, she simply moves closer-- "Oh, Pidge--"&nbsp; she lifts her hands to help, then covers her mouth in her embarrassed futility.&nbsp; "Oh, hells..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 20:58:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">Active Perception Check 1d20+7 = 11 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2613933/) Guess the crowd's too loud?</span><br><br>"By the Nine!" Edwin snapped sober with alarming alacrity. The girl *should* have been healed by the warrior's elixir, but with strained mumbling, she gasped her last and fell limp and silent. Death had a way of bringing everything into focus... even if his head did still hurt...<br><br>The crowd seemed well in hand, and those closer to the scene might have started making for the exit. Edwin himself might have have joined them, but scholarly inclinations pulled him near Lerissa as she sat stumped at the cryptic clue. Using a table cloth, he cast it over the small girl, to keep her from prying eyes...<br><br>"That sounds familiar..."<br><br><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">Religion Check 1d20+4 = 20 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2613950/) Not sure if i made the cut for the Religion check, but Woeg can make me seem a fool if I didnt figure it out :P</span>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Creeper</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 23:25:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"She should be safe to move. I've seen Lita's magic goo fix worse than a stab.&nbsp; Unless that was a poison blade. In that case she'll die a horrible, painful death." Remarked Sebastain.<br><br>The halfling girl mumble her last, strangely familiar words, then died.<br><br>"Yeah, just like that." Said the familiar casually, pointing at the now lifeless body. Lita tossed her familiar a angry glare (which caused the weasel to hide behind Lerissa's neck) and stood up to scan the crowd for anyone who might be suspicious.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>20-07-2010, 04:08:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Merelus watched the two. The Eladrin with his odd ways, was believed to be largely oblivious. That was anything but the truth. The two Hobgoblins were not subtle creatures, and to the practiced eye, they screamed foreknowledge. Odd. But the Eladrin smiled, and walked through the doors. He cocked his head at Dante's words, and smiled wider.<br><br>"Merelus, yes. You have a dying Halfling prostitute on the ground floor."<br><br>The Eladrin wasn't heartless, but he might appear to be. Still as chipper as ever. Death didn't mean quite the same thing to the Eladrin. And... well, very few of the beings on this land were... real to the Eladrin.<br><br>"She seemed to want to speak with you."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>20-07-2010, 19:18:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Dieza's expression shifts from horror to revulsion when she regards Sebastian, and she sets her teeth and grimaces for self control.&nbsp; She speaks to the bouncer, pushing back her fear and fury to replace it with determination.&nbsp; "Come on.&nbsp; Let's get her away from these heathens' stares.&nbsp; Oh, where is Polette..?"&nbsp; Unless prevented, she'll ignore the risk of blood on her person or clothing and will reach to lift the young woman, intending to carry her away from the open floor.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>02-08-2010, 21:53:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lerissa, despite her contemplation of the woman’s dying words, was the only one who noticed a small metallic glint fall from the poor woman’s hand as the Halfling breathes her last.&nbsp; The rest of the party, too distracted by the panic of the crowd, failed to see it.&nbsp; <br><br>Edwin had other things on his mind – hearing the words, as translated by Lerissa, immediately sparked a memory.&nbsp; It wasn’t much – a vague recollection of a text he had once studied whilst researching an ancient Sarlonan schema.&nbsp; He remembered something about a cult that called themselves the Harvesters, a cult dedicated to one of the ancient fiends of Sarlona.&nbsp; He couldn’t quite recall which one, however.<br><br>Lita watched the crowd stalwartly, and though unable to determine any suspicious behavior amongst the panic, she was able to pick out the path the Halfling woman had taken into the building by tracking spotting the signs of blood on the floor and walls towards the back of the room.&nbsp; She had come through the same service door that Dieza had come through not moments before.<br><br>Dieza rushed forward, and gathered the Halfling woman, still covered in the tablecloth set on her by Edwin, into her arms.&nbsp; She was surprised at how little the woman weighed, her light frame obviously malnourished from life on the streets.<br><br>Meanwhile, Merelus found that he had definitely caught Dante’s attention.<br><br>“A dying prostitute?&nbsp; In *my* establishment?&nbsp; Take me to her,” Dante barked, and then a half breath later, considering who he was addressing, gave a shrug and added, “If you would, please.”<br><br>Dante was nothing if not polite to potential customers.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>02-08-2010, 22:14:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Leaving off her contemplation of the dead woman's last words, Lerissa knelt down again, picking up the metallic object she had spied and inspecting it carefully.&nbsp; Something the woman had been holding onto?&nbsp; Possibly an important clue...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Creeper</strong> on <strong>03-08-2010, 01:11:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lita did not respond to Dieza's reqest at first. Her eyes were flickering over the crowd, hunting for someone who screamed 'trouble'. She didn't find a person, but the bloodstains lead into the kitchen. Maybe the waiting staff had seen something? She flicked her hand up in the air, signaling to another bouncer for assistance moving the body.<br><br>"Alright. You two haul 'er back to the changing room and tell Dante when he gets here. Lita and I are gonna see if we can chase down who did this. Don't wait up!" Called Sebastian as he scuttled up his owner's armored leg. Her tall, plated frame casually shoved a sea of patrons aside as she followed Pidge's bloody escape.<br><br>((OOC: I'm assuming that Lita isn't the only bouncer in the club))
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>03-08-2010, 05:38:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Merelus took no offense, as a matter of course. He simply nodded, walking over to the door and holding it open for Dante, the Fae playing the servant for now. He was curious, more then anything. He bowed to Dante, the smile on his face almost mocking.<br><br>"Of course. She's down below. Lita and Lerissa were attending to her."<br><br>He waited for Dante to exit, smiling at the Body Guards as well.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>03-08-2010, 07:43:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"This has bad news all around..." Edwin helps to clear a way to the changing room, "Make way, make way, you louts. Stop staring and move."<br><br>When they reached the changing room, He wanted to say everything would be ok, but that would be foolish and sheepish. It wasn't ok, there was a murderer that got away, and the only leads meant Harvestors and Fiends were involved. Maybe another beer wouldnt hurt...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>05-08-2010, 19:17:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lerissa picked up the small metallic item, and noticed that it was a fairly plain copper ring, engraved inside the band with the letters “R i F”. <br><br>Lerissa, make me a check, either Streetwise or History.<br><br>The clubs other bouncers took note of Lita’s signals, used to her silent but authoritative commands. One of them responded, helping Dieza with the body, shuffling her back towards a changing room and out of sight of the main room with Edwin leading the way.&nbsp; The changing room was a small, five by ten room; the ladies here didn’t need a whole lot of storage space for their wardrobes.&nbsp; Thankfully, the halfling’s body was small, and could easily fit on the small shelf that extended from the wall opposite the floor-length mirrors of the room.<br><br>Lita worked her way back through the kitchen, but the cooks, all evidently focused on their duties, barely paid her attention.&nbsp; It was unlikely they would have seen anything of notice.&nbsp; Finally, she reached the back service door, which opened into the alley behind the club.&nbsp; The alley was dark, dank, and musty, the heat oppressive. <br><br>Dante walked quickly past Merelus, taking the lead and heading downstairs.&nbsp; &nbsp;The bodyguards waited for Merelus to follow, then took up a rear guard position.&nbsp; The entire group arrived downstairs, where one of the clubs bouncers pointed them to the changing room where the body had been taken.&nbsp; The Halfling crimelord’s face went from stony resolve to brief sadness, then back, as he saw the woman’s body.<br><br>“Oh, Pidge…” he sighed, “You shoulda come to work for me, doll.”<br><br>Dante turned towards those in attendance.<br><br>“What happened? Anyone see anything?”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>05-08-2010, 20:25:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((One untrained History check, coming right up! (1d20+3=10) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2638446/)<br><br>I'm thinking I'll want to hand it off to someone more knowledgeable about such things...))<br><br>Lerissa examined the ring carefully, but was unable to come up with any idea of what it was or who it might have belonged to.&nbsp; The engraving inside the band was particularly puzzling.&nbsp; It obviously didn't belong to the dead woman, since her name was Pidge...&nbsp; Perhaps she had taken it from her murderer?<br><br>Unsure of whether or not it might be a clue, the Tiefling pocketed it for now, and went back to the process of helping to deal with the dead body.<br><br>"I'm afraid I didn't notice her until she had already collapsed."&nbsp; The Princess answered answered her employer's questions.&nbsp; "Dieza and Merelus both spotted her first.&nbsp; From the blood trail, I'd say she was already bleeding pretty badly when she walked in.&nbsp; She said something about 'harvesters' and a 'sacrifice' before she died...&nbsp; But she said it in my native language."<br><br>Lerissa didn't bother going into why that would be strange.&nbsp; Dante was a smart man.&nbsp; No doubt he'd realize on his own that that was a language Pidge wouldn't have been likely to have known.&nbsp; Obviously, something very strange was going on here.<br><br>"Do you want me to go back and attend to our patrons?"&nbsp; She asked once everybody else had given their answers, wondering if he would want her to go back to her job now, or if he would have a new job for her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>06-08-2010, 02:56:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Merelus had followed after the Halfling, his eyes, strange shining orbs, having a set about them suggesting amusement, even if he lacked a smile. He walked down on silent feet, entering into the changing room and peering over that the halfling, his expression strangely... wistful at the sight of the Halfling dead. He listened to Lerissa cocking his head. Strange, indeed.<br><br>"When I first saw her, she was inside, already bleeding. She said your name and collapsed."<br><br>Merelus shrugged, not caring much about that.<br><br>"Harvesters and Sacrifice? Hmmm. Sounds important."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>07-08-2010, 07:02:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well it seems you all have this in hand, I'll be seeing you sometime later in the week, anyway," Edwin nudged towards the door while making small talk. Seeing the diminuitive Dante was the last thing he wanted see with Harversters, Fiends, and Sacrifices and a dead girl on top of it. Besides, Dante would probably have his goons break Edwin's legs soon enough. A new cold sweat pricked all over his face and down his spine as Edwin willed himself to walk out of the place and not just dash about like one of the gliding vermin that adapted and mutated to Sharn's tall environment and ambient magical background.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>07-08-2010, 08:47:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When she's aided inside, the dark-haired human girl steps back and wipes at her jaw with the back of her leather-gloved hand.&nbsp; Unawares, she's left a red smudge of Pidge's blood along the cheek.&nbsp; She stares at Merelus as if he'd just insulted her mother, with a mixture of wariness and swelling contempt at his indifference and-- hopefully she is mistaken-- mirth at the death of the halfling.<br><br>She quickly moves to find a cloth-- a tablecloth, or a curtain or tapestry-- and without asking, uses it to cover the dead woman's face and body, trying to provide her a little dignity in death and shield her from such crass eyes in a fashion the girl couldn't enjoy in her short life.&nbsp; She then sits, and stares at the blood on her hands, then ignores it and focuses instead on the tiefling.&nbsp; "If you could tell me what she said, it might help us find out what happened."&nbsp; She suddenly looks uncomfortable, as if she'd not meant to speak up.&nbsp; "I can research it, I mean.&nbsp; At the libraries."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Creeper</strong> on <strong>09-08-2010, 01:52:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The pair could tell that the cooks knew nothing from the way they hurried about their work. Lita adjusted her helmet and took out her warhammer and shield. The fighter cautiously made her way into the dank alley, alert for any sign of danger. Her eyes scanned the ground, hunting for the trail that Pidge had left behind.<br><br>((OOC: got a 6 on active perception : http://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=17248 (http://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=17248) ))
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>10-08-2010, 04:05:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>Dante’s eyes narrowed as Lerissa mentioned the Halfling woman’s last words, and for a brief moment, seemed to pale slightly.&nbsp; He looked up at her, and shook his head.<br><br>“No,” he said, chewing on his words, “No, club’s closed for now.&nbsp; Mungo, get everyone out that you can, post guards around anyone still being…entertained, and see that they get escorted out when they are done.”<br><br>He scratched his balding head, then looked up sharply as he saw Edwin heading away.&nbsp; He gave a nod to Tango, who laid a large, hairy palm on the artificer’s shoulder.<br><br>“Not so fast, smart guy,” Dante growled, “I’ve got some thoughts I might need your input on, and besides…you <em>owe</em> me.&nbsp; I’ve been lenient on you so far…” <br><br>He let the rest of his threat go unspoken, but Tango smiled with an unmistakable look of anticipation at beating a too-smart artificer until his debt was satisfied.<br><br>“Your help will be welcome too,” he spoke, turning towards Dieza, “though I wager it won’t be what you expect…still, you’ll be well compensated.”<br><br>Dante looked about and frowned.<br><br>“Where the hell is Lita and that Sovereign’s be damned weasel?” he asked, looking about.&nbsp; He turned to Merelus, and gave a nod.<br><br>“Much as I hate to impose, you’ve been a good bit of help so far, and you seem a bit quicker than Tango here.&nbsp; Think you can track down my wayward head bouncer and bring her back to my office?&nbsp; The rest of you, come with me.&nbsp; Let’s go somewhere we can speak more privately.”<br><br>Meanwhile, outside, Lita looked about but it was clear that the balmy, humid weather, combined with the occasional short burst of rain, had erased all traces of where Pidge had come from.&nbsp; It appeared she had reached a literal dead end, and the chaos in the streets outside the club had no doubt driven away any witnesses that remained.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>10-08-2010, 05:29:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Merelus chuckled and nodded at Dante.<br><br>"Of course. We'll talk about my price eventually. Does anyone know which way she went?"<br><br>Once he recieved his answer, the Eladrin walked on swift feet, exiting out the same door as Lita, following along after the Bouncer. Instead of forcing his way through the crowds, he slipped easily and in a practiced fashion. He could follow the same trail she had, after all. It lead him to the same place, as well.<br><br>"You finished?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>10-08-2010, 05:47:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The drying blood on her hands reeks of iron and feels gritty now.&nbsp; The girl's body's growing cold, and their only concern is for the club's reputation-- thus its ability to draw gold and influence-- and for their personal payrolls.&nbsp; Is this justice in Firelight..?&nbsp; Smirking assholes making private jokes over the corpse of a desperate girl who died for nothing--- nothing, after a life serving these bastards, hoping for freedom?<br><br>She'd work it out with Polette.&nbsp; She would not stay in this town.&nbsp; There are two ways out of here... to be the killer or the killed.&nbsp; The only one who'd even showed a hint of humanity was Lita, ironically enough.<br><br>Realizing the futility of attempting to offer her aid, Dieza wipes her hands together and then instinctively draws them a little farther into her robe's sleeves to hide the blood.&nbsp; She says nothing, only turns away and heads for the exits.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>10-08-2010, 07:10:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Club's closed?&nbsp; Well, that was bad news indeed.&nbsp; No club meant no court, and no court meant that she couldn't even pretend to be a queen...&nbsp; Or at least not the sort that had anything to do with royalty.&nbsp; It seemed that Dante had a job of a different sort in mind for the princess now, however, and presumably this job was being extended to include all the various members of the little group that had sprung to action when the halfling woman died.&nbsp; It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was probably getting them together to go out and figure out who was cutting up prostitutes in Firelight.<br><br>Which was why, when Lerissa noticed the human girl, Dieza, turning away from the rest of the group and heading over to the exits, she reached out and took hold of the girl's robe, if only to stop her for a brief exchange.<br><br>"I won't stop you from leaving if you want to, girl, but before you do, you may want to reconsider that decision."&nbsp; She started out very calmly, repressing the urge to simply refer to the girl as a peasant.&nbsp; In this situation, it wouldn't be very helpful.&nbsp; She also spoke in very low, almost hushed tones, wanting to be discreet with this conversation.&nbsp; "Consider:&nbsp; Dante Boromar had requested your help, and is offering to compensate you for your trouble.&nbsp; Now, unlike with the Artificer over there, you have no outstanding debt hanging over your head that could be used to force you to cooperate if truly feels that your assistance is necessary...&nbsp; But if he truly feels that way, do you think that he'll let that stop him?&nbsp; Additionally, he's just invited you into his office, a place where he can speak freely and truthfully without fear of being overheard."<br><br>Letting the girl go now, the Tiefling finished up her logical argument.<br><br>"Considering all these things, do you really think that you want to simply walk right out the doors, without even at least hearing the man out?&nbsp; It's certainly not the choice I'd make...&nbsp; But then, I'm not you."<br><br>And with her piece finished, she turned and followed Dante into his office.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>10-08-2010, 18:04:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Dieza looks up as Lerissa's talon-tipped fingers pull her to a stop.&nbsp; She almost breaks and runs, her eyes gleaming with fear and emotion, and the Tiefling's surreal beauty simultaneously terrifies and fascinates the human girl.<br><br>Her mouth works soundlessly as she struggles for sense.&nbsp; "I'm no good at these things..." the reality of danger was as palpable as the blood drying on her hands.&nbsp; "I don't see how I'd be any... I mean, involved in <em>this</em>?"&nbsp; <br><br>After a few stammering moments, she snaps to.&nbsp; Where her small, pink lips were hanging agape and quivering slightly, now instead they form a set line-- an expression that speaks of her training in a place, far away now, that demanded stoicism and dignity above all else.&nbsp; "Of course... please ignore my unsteadiness."&nbsp; She draws the back of her hand across her brow.&nbsp; She locks eyes with the tiefling, her dark pupils large and gleaming enough to reflect Lerissa's face like a mirror.&nbsp; In those eyes, there's an apparent determination... perhaps an awareness that this task for Dante could be an escape from the venemous and addictive glimmer of this city.<br><br>She nods once at Lerissa and makes her way back towards where Dante stands, waiting for the next moves to be made.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Creeper</strong> on <strong>10-08-2010, 19:18:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lita scanned the grafitti-addled walls and the trash-strewn cobblestone for a sign of Pidge's passage, but found none. She stood there for a moment, shaking, then brought her warhammer down on a nearby wall with a frustrated, painful cry. The barrier shook and cracked under it's weight, leaving an indent of the weapon's strike. Lita fell to one knee, clutching at her burning throat through it's plate-mail protection. Sebastian placed a small paw over her much larger hands, smiling comfortingly.<br><br>The elf appeared mysteriously, as always. Lita rose to her feet. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. Guess th' boss wants to see us, huh?" Replied Sebastain. The pair headed back towards the club, Lita leading the way back to Dante's office.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>10-08-2010, 19:28:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Ehehe..." Edwin froze when the hobgoblin put a hand on his shoulder, all hope of escape, a fleeting memory. "C'mon Dante, you know Im good for it. I've just been forgetting my wallet, lately that's all."<br><br>When that hob-hand squeezed down, it felt like Edwin's shoulder would be crushed, "For a shmott gye, yooze forgetingz much, ya?"<br><br>"Right, what do you need, Dante?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>12-08-2010, 21:32:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((OOC: N-BEN, was that a Girl Genius reference?&nbsp; If so, you totally roxxers ;) Also, apologies to all for the delay in response - RL sucks sometimes!))<br><br>Dante waited until the entire party had gathered in his office.&nbsp; Outside, Mungo and the rest of the clubs security went about securing the facility, and when all was settled, he set both Mungo and Tango to guarding the doors, as before.&nbsp; He say at his elevated seat behind his elaborately decorated desk, he fingers steepled, his brow furrowed.&nbsp; He gave a sigh, then gestured to the cloth covered body that Tango had brought into the office, and set on a side table.<br><br>“I wish I could say she was a one-off,” the Halfling crime boss started, “that she was the victim of a random crime.&nbsp; Wouldn’t make it any less regrettable, but it’d sure make life for the rest of us easier.”<br><br>He spread his fingers, placed his hands flat on his desk, and looked up at the party.<br><br>“The truth, though, is that she’s just the first to wander into my domain.&nbsp; Rumor has it that there have been a number of incidents like this, from both prostitutes and their clientele.&nbsp; Random mutilations, missing organs, strange ramblings in ancient languages,” he paused, reaching for a drink, then continued, “Thus far, though, most have taken place in the lowest levels of the city – the few that reached Firelight only hit the outer rims of the district, in the less reputable places.”<br><br>“Now, I’m not the grakkin’ city watch – I got other things to worry about besides dead hookers, ‘specially if they aren’t mine,”&nbsp; he growled, adding in a halfling curse, “but now they’re comin’ into my turf, and messin’ with my business, even if indirectly.&nbsp; And that I won’t stand for.”<br><br>Dante sat back, returning his fingers to a steepled position, and regarded the party.<br><br>“I’ve already got someone workin’ on getting inside this mess, and have a few suspicions of my own, but seein’ as how you lot have already jumped to on this mess, I think maybe it’s time to step things up a notch.&nbsp; I’m willing to offer you all a considerable reward for your assistance in this matter – 300 gold a piece, plus a bonus.&nbsp; For some of you, that bonus will be having your debts with me cleared.&nbsp; For others,” he eyed Merelus pointedly, “I’ve some choice shiny trinkets that may be to your liking.”<br><br>“So, what say you? “ he asked, “You in?&nbsp; And if so…got anything you’d like to share before I get into the details of this mess?”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>12-08-2010, 23:08:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Dieza stays near the rear wall, her arms folded over her small breasts, and waits, her eyes meeting Dante's only for long enough to nod in affirmation.&nbsp; Her black pupils gleam nervously in the light of his office, and her nerves are apparent.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tackyhillbilly</strong> on <strong>13-08-2010, 02:40:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Merelus shrugged. Pay didn't matter to him. Trinkets were pretty, and when he got bored, he could give them away. It sounded interesting. He was curious what caused someone to do this. If their soul was so black and evil that they didn't see anything wrong, they needed to die. If not... something profound must lay behind it.<br><br>"I'm in. Least until I get bored."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>13-08-2010, 03:18:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You can count me in."&nbsp; Lerissa noted, walking up to Dante's desk and reaching into her pocket.&nbsp; "As for things I'd like to share, I noticed this fall out of the girl's pocket when they were moving her.&nbsp; It was right before you made the scene, so I haven't even had the time to take a good look at it yet."<br><br>And removing the ring, she placed it on the desk for Dante's perusal.<br><br>"There's some letters on the inside of the band that make me think it might not have belonged to her, so it could be a clue.&nbsp; I'm no jewelry expert, though."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>13-08-2010, 03:25:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The young magus edges closer to get a look at the inscription.&nbsp; After spending her childhood poring over books-- sometimes for so long that the words would swim on the page, or that she'd fall asleep only to be awoken by a reed across the shoulders, an electric jolt from fingertips directly onto her scalp, or a chair kicked from under her, spilling her into the floor--&nbsp; maybe she could find some use for what she'd suffered.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Creeper</strong> on <strong>13-08-2010, 04:02:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The weasel merely scoffed at Dante's offer. "Going after some magic serial killer, or killer<strong>s</strong>, all for some worthless street trash? Haha! Fuck no! We're not going to prance off to another suicide mission. Get yerself another patsy you rotting bald old fart. Right Lita?"<br><br>Lita stepped forward, thumped her right fist to her heart and gave a short acknowledging bow.<br><br>"WHAT?! Are you insane?" Snapped Sebastian. "You really wanna stick your neck out after what happened last time?"<br><br>Her head turned and Lita's eyes locked with Sebastian's, smoldering in the dim light.<br><br>"Look, I know it's gonna take a while to pay everything off right now, but at least it's safe! Sort of. We start doing favors like this and we're gonna end up dead in the gutter Lita! Is that what you want to leave for your parents? Crippling debt and a corpse?!"<br><br>The fighter's eyes narrowed, only the sound of her muffled breathing leaving the shadows of the plate mail helm.<br><br>Sebastian threw his paws up in the air. "Fine. FINE! But just remember when they're carving out our organs to sell in the market, <em>I told you so</em>."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>13-08-2010, 12:01:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Why do I feel like it'd be better and safer for the hobs to just beat the money out of- no, no, wait, wait Dante. Just.. thinking out loud. Your on the level right? Debts removed if I help with this? Sure. I'll help." On the outside, Edwin looked as cool as a cucumber, but inside, he felt like he just signed on for something that might just take a part of him anyway.<br><br><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">and yes, woeg. That was a nod to Girl Genius and jagerspeech&nbsp; ;)</span>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>woegman</strong> on <strong>16-08-2010, 20:17:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((Okay - anyone who wants to examine the ring on the table, make me a History or Streetwise check, as well as an Insight check, which will come into play if the first check is successful))<br><br>Dante nodded, acknowledging the party's decision, then turned to his desk and pulled a folder from his desk.&nbsp; Inside the folder were several parchments, and it soon became apparent that the parchments were clippings from the Firelight Inquisitive - a very localized publication run by an excoriated matron of House Sivis.&nbsp; It was well known for its mostly reliable coverage of the seedier side of Sharn, coverage that was often considered undesirable in the larger, more reputable news sources.<br><br>"This folder contains the reports of every death that follows the pattern we saw with poor Pidge," Dante says, tapping the folder on the desk, "Best my sources can tell, whoever is behind this started off targeting low-life johns down in the cogs - gents and the rare lady known to frequent copper-whores and not afraid of what they might catch doing so.&nbsp; At first, it was random, but about three months back, it seemed to start getting organized, and the first prostitute victim came up.&nbsp; Could be, whoever is responsible is tryin' to recruit help, and killin' those that refuse."<br><br>He nodded towards the ring on the desk, still not touching it.<br><br>"Not sure what that's all about," he said, "but then, I've never paid much attention to jewelry.&nbsp; Could be related, could be the last bit of payment the poor lass got before someone got her.&nbsp; I'm open to your opinions.&nbsp; My own is that there is someone out there driving this - I've heard that there is a real nasty piece of work pimping girls and guys alike that has been recruiting a lot heavier than usual.&nbsp; He's a dwarf by the name of Raego, and he works Lower Dura.&nbsp; Could be behind this, and at the very least, would know who was competing for Undersharn Citizen of the Year."<br><br>"So here's my thoughts - I'm not gonna press you one way or another, but I want this thing stopped.&nbsp; Go about doing that how you will - might be you could find more clues, might be you want to infiltrate Raego's little collection, either as a john or hired help...could be you know more than I do and have a better grasp on where to head.&nbsp; Regardless, I want this ended quick - report back to me by next Far, and we'll go from there.&nbsp; Any questions?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>18-08-2010, 03:24:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((...<br><br>So, nobody's making a History or Streetwise check?))
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>18-08-2010, 04:31:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((sent roll yesterday via pm... hate waiting for catch-up.&nbsp; kills the momentum))
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>18-08-2010, 04:33:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((Well, I probably would have been more patient if I'd known somebody had already rolled... ^^; ))
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NotoriusBEN</strong> on <strong>22-08-2010, 09:47:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">History Check = 25 ; Insight Check = 13 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2659054/)</span><br>"Hmm..." Edwin hums to himself...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: IC: Sharn by Lamplight - (Accepted Players Only Please) 4E DND</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kunoichi</strong> on <strong>22-08-2010, 10:01:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				((Insight check. (1d20+8=15) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2659056/)))<br><br>Rolling her eyes at the Artificer's 'Hmmm', Lerissa nevertheless began to pay close attention to what the Artificer was about to say.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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