Kiergath: Lizard: C’mon, guv.. thats not in the rulebook. You don’t take parole and then steal from people.
Kiergath: Lizard: But I’ve got an idea. If you can beat me in single combat, me an’ the boys’ll surrender. We’ll be, ahem, obligated to tell you what we know, we can give you our parole, and be on our ways to our own beds before an hours up.”
Kiergath: Lizard: Flawless plan, nobody gets hurt, you get information, we get to leave.
Kiergath: Lizard: Soddin’ githyanki don’t pay well enough for this. And they don’t do any of their own fightin’ either.
Van: ”...certainly a better deal than what I was about to offer you, I’ll tell you that muc—( Pause at the nobody get’s hurt, bit ).”
Kiergath: Lizard: Exactly. Its a better deal.
Kiergath: Lizard: As the honorable sort, since you’re just a pink hairless ape, I’ll let you have the first swing. Punch me.
Van: “Oh, but I must insist that you take the first swing. I could not bear the thought of a noble warrior such as yourself being struck by suprise.”
Kiergath: Lizard: Gods, why can’t I get the cushy desk jobs.
Kiergath: The lizard moves in to take a swing. AoO please.
Van: [1d20+8<!- Official Roll ->] => [19,8] = (27)
Kiergath: You sock him in the jaw
Van: God I love the suckerpunch.
Van: :P
Kiergath: and he staggers backwards, reeling from the blow
Van: [1d3+4<!- Official Roll ->] => [1,4] = (5)
Kiergath: moaning in mock agony
Van: ...lawl
Kiergath: He sheathes his weapon and beckons his men out of hiding
Kiergath: Lizard: Right, I’d like to formally offer you our surrender. What’cha want to know?
Van: “First off, which way is it to the Githyanki stronghold? Shen? You field the next one.” (Brb sec)
Kiergath: he looks back and forth between the two of you
Kiergath: He points back the way he came, “That way, about a mile.”
Kiergath: He turns to Shen, “Well?”
Shenvallei: “How many guards are at the stronghold?”
Kiergath: “Hells if I know, I just guard the portal!”
Kiergath: “I’ve seen maybe half a dozen different Githyanki moving back and forth, but they may just be messengers.”
Shenvallei: “When was the last time Ki’ina’s brother bearing the silver sword passed thru the portal?”
<u>Server Administrator</u>-> Ping Results: 747.2 ms (parsed message, round trip)
Kiergath: he blinks
Kiergath: “Ki’ina? Silver sword?”
Kiergath: “Sorry guv, you lost me. I don’t know nothing about a ki’ina with a silver sword for a brother.”
Shenvallei: “What is the name of this land?”
Kiergath: “Your people call it the Outlands.”
Shenvallei: Do I know what that means?
Kiergath: Uh… knowledge (planes)?
Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [9] = (9)
Shenvallei: +9
Kiergath: The Outlands are the plane lying at the center of the Multiverse
Kiergath: The Spire and Sigil lay at the center of the outlands
Kiergath: and together they are the axis upon which the “Great Wheel” turns
Kiergath: As a plane, its remarkably similar to the Prime Material planes
Kiergath: featuring a wide variety of (relatively) normal environments
Kiergath: dotted with settlements of nearly every size
Shenvallei: Got it.
Shenvallei: Pretty big Id imagine as well.
Shenvallei: The outlands I mean.
Kiergath: Very.
Shenvallei: As big as Aber-Toril or even bigger?
Kiergath: hard to say.
Kiergath: but most likely larger.
Shenvallei: true.
Kiergath: To the best of your knowledge, no-one has ever actually mapped out the Outlands
Shenvallei: Perhaps because they change so much?
Kiergath: it would be a rather good reason
Shenvallei: Fascinating.
Shenvallei: “Very well. I have no further questions.”
Kiergath: He shrugs, waiting to see if Van does.
Shenvallei: I resume my previous motionless position.
Shenvallei: (afk till alex gets back need to scrounge up something to eat)
Kiergath: la…
Van: Back
Van: Just scrounged something up to eat
Van: :P
Shenvallei: heh bet mines more unhealty
Van: ...uh
Van: maybe
Shenvallei: fritos and a glass of cranberry?
Van: ...mac and cheese and coke
Van: :P
Shenvallei: tied
Kiergath: assholes.
Van: Yp.
Kiergath: BRB
Van: Van: ...do you know of any other operations being run by you chaps?
Kiergath: ok, got my kill.
Kiergath: let me park
Van: lol
Kiergath: Lizard: We ain’t runnin’ this one.
Van: “I suppose I should have said being run with you chaps in them…but I suppose it’s largely irellevant.”
Kiergath: Lizard: Sorry mate. I can’t tell you that. I can tell you about this op, but thats it.
Kiergath: Lizard: Rules is rules.
Van: “I thank you for your information, and formally accept your Parole.”
Kiergath: Lizard: Right. May we not meet again outside of a pub for a very, very long time.
Kiergath: they trudge through the portal, assuming no further questions
Shenvallei: Let them go.
Van: When they’re gone
Van: Breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
Van: ”...I didn’t think that was going to work, if I’m honest.”
Shenvallei: “I didnt understand half of the conversation. But whatever you did seemed to work.”
Kiergath: Ki’ina: Long story.
Kiergath: Ki’ina: We and they are old friends.
Shenvallei: “Let us make our way south… I think the lizard pointed south.”
Kiergath: She drops down out of the tree.
Kiergath: “They pointed west.”
Shenvallei: I look around as I walk. Is there a sun?
Kiergath: You can see it, peaking through the trees
Van: I suppose we’re headed West, then
Shenvallei: Im already 20 paces west.
Kiergath: You trudge west through the forest
Kiergath: The day wears on, and before long you find yourself at a small square building by a river
Shenvallei: Is the water clean looking?
Kiergath: Yes
Shenvallei: clean smelling?
Kiergath: Ki’ina: Tracks lead to the building..
Kiergath: Yes
Shenvallei: I walk to the water and spend a minute or two enjoying it thining of home.

• Van keeps watch over Shen and Jess, eyes darting between them and the building *
  Kiergath: You do so.
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: What are we waiting for, Van? Sooner or later, somebody will come this way.
  Shenvallei: “I dont understand why more people of Sigil do not come here. This land is beautiful.”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: Because for every part of it thats beautiful, theres another part thats deadly – and the two tend to overlap.
  Shenvallei: “As is nature.”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: And much like the people of Tarsis on Ansalon, or Waterdeep in Toril, most Cagers like to survive.
  Shenvallei: I wander a bit closer to the building, 50 feet away.
  Van: “I just wanted to give the poor sod a bit of bliss. ‘e looked like he was enjoying himself. Not often you see people enjoy themselves like that outside of a cathouse.”
  Kiergath: The building is fairly solid stone construction
  Van: Meander up to the front door
  Kiergath: with a nice, neat, shingled roof
  Van: ...ah, damn.
  Van: I hate shingles.
  Van: Check the door to see if it’s locked, then unceremoniously push it open
  Kiergath: It is locked
  Van: Ah.
  Van: “Ki’ina? Can you help me? I seem to have left my keys at home.”
  Shenvallei: “Is it bad to knock?”
  Kiergath: She shrugs and moves to the lock, digging for her tools.
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: Uh.. in this case, just a bit.
  Van: “Shen, remind me to tell you the story of the door that knocks back sometime.”
  Kiergath: There’s a faint click and she backs from the door.
  Kiergath: “All yours, Van.”
  Van: In a soft voice, “Beeswax, I’m ho—-that doesn’t sound right…”
  Van: Ease the handle, then push the door gently inward with the wooden bit of the halberd.
  Kiergath: You do so.
  Kiergath: Beyond is a single large room
  Kiergath: It seems to be partitioned into a sleeping area, dining area, small cooking corner..
  Kiergath: and none of it looks particularly well lived in.
  Kiergath: Only a small clear path leading to a staircase in the back, going down
  Shenvallei: “Let me look for traps.”
  Van: “Very well.”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: *blinks Oh.. sure.. be my guest.
  
• Van stands by the doorway, looking uneasily at the path outside. *
  Kiergath: She leans against the door-frame and watches
  Shenvallei: Go to the doorway and search for traps/glyphs/anything dangerous.
  Kiergath: roll it
  Shenvallei: [1d20+6<!- Official Roll ->] => [8,6] = (14)
  Kiergath: Nothing
  Kiergath: except..
  Kiergath: in the top left corner..
  Kiergath: a spider web
  Van: ...oh fuck.
  Kiergath: each strand is as thick as your finger.
  Van: ...doublefuck
  Shenvallei: “Hmm. Large spiderweb near the top corner ceiling area.”
  Shenvallei: Is the room dark?
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: Yeah? You missed the one next to your foot, mate.
  Kiergath: Not really.
  Kiergath: There appear to be several windows in the ceiling, letting light in
  Shenvallei: Look down at you foot.
  Shenvallei: my
  Kiergath: You see another, smaller spider web.
  Shenvallei: “Is it possible the sword may have been stashed here?”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: The footprints from the clearing, including the Khaasta’s, come to this building.
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: I’d say its a safe bet.
  Van: “I love safe bets…”
  Shenvallei: Step inside scanning all about for spiders.
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: And yet you date a gnome.
  
• Van stops, one foot in the air, frozen *
  Shenvallei: As Im looking around. “Oh and what type do you fancy Ki’ina?”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: Oh come off it, Van. I love Kelli like a sister. Its getting tiresome, you going catatonic whenever I make a joke about it.
  
• Van sighs. “Can I help it if you’re a bit hard to read, Ki’ina? I can never be sure if you’ve actually a problem with it or not.” Regain composture, then launch myself across the room at the staircase. *
  Kiergath: She turns towards Shen, thinking for a moment, “Lets see.. there was a weretiger awhile back.. that never went past the first night. Fun while it lasted, though.
  Kiergath: Van leaps across the room!
  Kiergath: and ends up in the stairway.
  Kiergath: Shen and Ki’ina however slowly make their way over
  Shenvallei: And Jess right?
  Kiergath: Jess isn’t my problem
  Van: Jess does follow, yes.
  Shenvallei: Search for traps again on the staircase then slowly head down.
  Shenvallei: Take 10 on the roll.
  Kiergath: you do so
  Kiergath: Ki’ina steps over you and follows Van down
  Shenvallei: “keep an eye out for spiders.”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: Why do you say such wonderful things?
  Shenvallei: “Ive heard some species can kill with a single bite.”
  Van: ”...you know, there are some places on the planes, Shen, where things you say come true?”
  Shenvallei: “Like the black phase spider or the redback wolf spider.”
  Shenvallei: “Oh right.”
  Shenvallei: “
  Kiergath: You creep down a rather dark stone staircase
  Kiergath: it doubles back on itself fully three times
  
• Van shivers at the mention of spiders *
  Kiergath: and finally deposits you in a corridor
  Kiergath: about ten feet wide
  Kiergath: lit periodicailly by torches
  Kiergath: The whole thing is rather well carved, fitted stone
  Shenvallei: Move forward and inspect one of the torches.
  Kiergath: you find it gives off no heat
  Kiergath: and, indeed, doesn’t appear to be consuming itself
  Van: ”...why the hells can’t people use normal torches for once? What happened to disregarding health codes? Spontaneous house fires?!”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: Low maintenance?
  Van: ”...point.”
  Van: PRESS ONWARD
  Kiergath: You press onward, ultimately coming to a door
  Kiergath: wooden, fairly plain, simple pull ring
  Van: ”...I don’t trust it.”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: I agree, it clearly opens inward.
  Van: “The ring could be to close it when you’re leaving..? But…it seems a bit…too plain, given the carving here.”
  Kiergath: Ki’ina: Look. So stab it. If its not a door, it’ll wake up. If its a door, it’ll just sort’ve jar your hand.
  Van: ...kick it inward.
  Kiergath: You kicks it inward
  Kiergath: MAP
  Van: I SEE A MAP!
  Kiergath: Hey Shen
  Kiergath: You alive?
  Shenvallei: yes sorry
  Kiergath: no prob
  Shenvallei: being assaulted by phone again
  Kiergath: kk
  Kiergath: In the room you have a collection of barrels, perhaps of the type normally used for holding cheap but effective beer
  Kiergath: a large, plain chest
  Kiergath: A large statue of a scandalously dressed, terribly long eared, ridiculously well endowed female, clearly in the midst of pole dancing. You see her face is marked, as if iwth some sort’ve ritual tattooing.
  Kiergath: two bookshelves, largely empty.
  Kiergath: and a tall, gaunt humanoid, robes hanging loosely off his form, perusing a book
  Kiergath: or at least he was
  Kiergath: now he’s looking up at you in something akin to shock
  Shenvallei: (man no rest for the weary. ok back)
  Van: “Hello…we have a reservation.”
  Shenvallei: I stand motionless looking at the gaunt humanoid.
  Kiergath: The man blinks and begins gesticulating wildly, the book falling from his now busy hands. IIIIIIIIIIINIT.
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [10] = (10)
  Van: [1d20+3<!- Official Roll ->] => [8,3] = (11)
  Shenvallei: +5
  Kiergath: The Githyanki mage gets his spell off, sending a ray of flame lancing through the air at Van
  Kiergath: It lands solidly, burning a neat, clean hole through his otherwise spotless clothes, not to mention the skin beneath. 12 points, fire damage.
  Van: “Well fu—gods damned, this was a new shirt!”
  Kiergath: Shen, your go
  Shenvallei: Charge him and smack him with my staff.
  Shenvallei: I can use staves right?
  Kiergath: I would assume so
  Shenvallei: actually
  Kiergath: Oh, for future reference, your AC is what, Shen?
  Shenvallei: 16 normally. Within 3 hours of re-memorization 20
  Kiergath: kk
  Shenvallei: Instead Ill fire my shortbow
  Shenvallei: putting an arrow into his skull.
  Shenvallei: [1d20+6<!- Official Roll ->] => [3,6] = (9)
  Shenvallei: darn
  Kiergath: An arrow thunks into the bookshelf next to the Githyanki
  Kiergath: Van!
  Van: Range to target?
  Kiergath: . . . 25 feet!
  Van: ...also, range to statue?
  Kiergath: . . . .
  Kiergath: a little more!
  Van: ...
  Kiergath: Look
  Kiergath: If YOU want to figure out the hypoteneuse of my room
  Kiergath: go the fuck ahead
  Shenvallei: lol
  Van: Right.
  Van: Leap at him, try and drive him backwards with a mighty attack!
  Van: [1d20+8<!- Official Roll ->] => [16,8] = (24)
  Kiergath: Thats a hit!
  Van: [1d10+1d6+6<!- Official Roll ->] => [10,1,6] = (17)
  Kiergath: Aaand back to the top…
  Kiergath: The mage takes a feeble swing with a dagger, failing miserably
  Kiergath: Van
  Kiergath: It is with some worry that you feel a blade sliding through the back of your clothes, unfortunately failing to connect before leaving the front of your shirt.
  Kiergath: Shen, a Githyanki pops into view behind Van
  Van: ...that’s…not comforting…
  Kiergath: Shen, a blade whistles over your head as another Githyanki reveals itself behind you
  Kiergath: And you hear a grunt, followed by a thud, also behind you (Shen)
  Kiergath: Shen, your move.
  Shenvallei: Spin around sleep on the one on me.
  Kiergath: The only thing behind you is Ki’ina
  Kiergath: theres a dead Githyanki rogue on the ground
  Kiergath: Well.. And Jess.. but she’s backed into the corner reading a book
  Shenvallei: really?
  Shenvallei: shes reading a book?
  Kiergath: Yep
  Shenvallei: Sleep spell on the githyanki rogue.
  Van: The dead one?
  Kiergath: The one on Van?
  Van: The one trying to skewer your buddy?
  Shenvallei: right that one
  Shenvallei: not the dead one
  Shenvallei: Im not that insane.
  Kiergath: Can I get a roll for spell penetration?
  Shenvallei: Sleep you dead bastard
  Van: LOL
  Shenvallei: SLEEP!
  Kiergath: d20, caster level, applicable bonuses?
  Shenvallei: spell penetration… Ill just roll and add the bonuses later
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [2] = (2)
  Shenvallei: no good
  Kiergath: Yeahhhh.. no effect.
  Kiergath: Van?
  Van: [1d20+7<!- Official Roll ->] => [2,7] = (9)
  Van: ...
  Kiergath: jeez
  Van: Regardless of what I did
  Van: It fails spectacularly
  Van: :P
  Kiergath: The mage misses again!
  Kiergath: Almost making up for the fact that the rogue inflicts [1d8+1+1d6<!- Official Roll ->] => [8,1,5] = (14) damage from behind!
  Kiergath: Shen! The githyanki rogue behind you does nothing! He’s dead!
  Van: ...ow
  Kiergath: DEAD, I TELL YOU
  Shenvallei: GOOD!
  Kiergath: Ki’ina moves to attack the one behind Van
  Kiergath: and, remarkably, hits, failing to kill him
  Van: lol
  Kiergath: Shen, your go
  Shenvallei: Fire an arrow at the rogue.
  Shenvallei: NOT THE DEAD ONE!
  Shenvallei: [1d20+6<!- Official Roll ->] => [17,6] = (23)
  Kiergath: remarkably, you hit the rogue!
  Kiergath: By which I mean, the live one.
  Kiergath: damage?
  Shenvallei: [1d6<!- Official Roll ->] => [1] = (1)
  Kiergath: Ironically – don’t laugh – thats what he had left
  Shenvallei: woot killing blow on a 1
  Shenvallei: does that unlock an acheivement?
  Kiergath: Yes
  Kiergath: Shen may now be known henceforth as “The Adequate”
  Shenvallei: Gimpalicious!
  Kiergath: Van?
  Van: hm…
  Van: Attack!
  Van: [1d20+7<!- Official Roll ->] => [3,7] = (10)
  Van: ...lame
  Kiergath: don’t worry
  Kiergath: at this rate, you’ll hit in… 9 more rounds
  Van: ...true
  Kiergath: The mage misses, again
  Shenvallei: Does the mage have any spell effects on him that we can see?
  Kiergath: No
  Kiergath: Nothing visible.
  Kiergath: Ki’ina moves behind the mage, and also misses
  Kiergath: However, he is now flanked
  Kiergath: SHEN!
  Shenvallei: Run up to his other flank. “Surrender now or die, you have no escape!” Point my bow at him.
  Kiergath: Oh…kay… Van!
  Shenvallei: Hes still trying to stab?
  Van: [1d20+7<!- Official Roll ->] => [9,7] = (16)
  Kiergath: He can’t exactly act, its not his turn
  Van: I no hit, do I
  Kiergath: no
  Kiergath: no you do not
  Van: Hm.
  Kiergath: The dagger drops
  Van: I feel almost catastrophically useless.
  Shenvallei: “Get down on the floor, face down or we finish you off right here.”
  

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