Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [13] = (13)
Shenvallei: +2
Arothir: Oddly enough, you hear roughly the same thing… The same voice: “What the hell is with all those murders in the Hive anyway, boss?; Shut up, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I just want to eat my steak.”

• Shenvallei places a finger over his lips and looks sideways at the old man. “shh now.” *
  Shenvallei: I cant remember what was the name of the person we are trying to find?
  Alusair: ask alex
  Alusair: I closed th window
  Arothir: Uh
  Arothir: Magneo Harthe
  Shenvallei: “Bartender another bottle of that wine, unopened please.”
  
• Shenvallei pulls out a small piece of parchment and a quill pen. *
  Arothir: The bartender looks over at you. “Six gold.”
  Shenvallei: /me scribes on the scroll “A gift for Magneo Harthe. Your services are recognized.”
  Shenvallei: I put 6 gold on the counter.
  Shenvallei: I wrap the parchment around the wine bottle.
  Arothir: You do so.
  
• Alusair continues to drink, mildly oblivious. *
  Shenvallei: I announce to the bar “Is there a Magneo Harthe here?”
  Shenvallei: “I have a message for him.”
  Arothir: Everyone stares at you
  
• Alusair …suddenly shrinks into her cloak, paying more attention to her drink than before. *
  Arothir: You hear the Abishai cough
  Arothir: “Fifty gold, please.”
  Alusair: LOL
  Arothir: “I didn’t know you were going to be harassing my customers. Statements made to the bar are 25 gold per sentence.”
  Shenvallei: I ignore the bartender and wait for anyone else in the bar to respond.
  Arothir: ...you guess that at this bar, rounds for everyone don’t get bought often
  Arothir: Nobody seems to be willing to step forward to claim the message
  Shenvallei: “Sorry friend, I didnt know the rules and I didnt see them posted.”
  
• Alusair is silent, save for the “thump” as her head hits the bartop. She then covers her head with her hands and prays silently for this to be a nightmare. *
  Arothir: “Now you know. Fork over the cash, or take a hike, Prime.”
  Shenvallei: “Ive been thrown out of much better establishments than this! You have one chance to apologize for your rudeness or youve lost a customer.”
  
• Alusair whimpers from under her hands. *
  Arothir: “You have one chance to pay me a hundred gold, or I’ve gained lunch. 50 Gold Sassing the bartender tax.”
  Shenvallei: “Sass this!” I dump the container of sugar water all over the bar and then begin heading towards the exit.
  Alusair: ...
  Arothir: sec…
  Arothir: Within seconds, an eight foot, monstrous, grinning, jet black gargoyle is grinning at you from in front of the doorway.
  Arothir: It looks amused
  Arothir: But mainly it looks pissed off.
  Shenvallei: Where did it come from? or did it just materialize?
  Arothir: It came from behind the bar.
  Arothir: Because, well, it’s the Bartender.
  Shenvallei: I stand there motionless waiting for it to move.
  Arothir: It says, through a snear
  Arothir: “One hundred and twenty five gold leaving fee.”
  
• Alusair stands up with a sigh, moving infront of Shen *
  Shenvallei: “Hmm. One hundred twenty-five you say?”
  Alusair: “It started out amusing.. but this is becoming a bit much..”
  Arothir: “One thirty if your friend is leaving at the same time as you. Those hinges wear out awful easy…”
  Shenvallei: I have no idea what this thing is Morgan. I know its a devil and my knowledge of devils is that we are screwed.
  Alusair: You fail to take into account your ally…
  Alusair: and its still not a pleasant contest.
  Shenvallei: “How about you let us go in peace before you do something you will deffinately regret later.”
  Alusair: “Are you so eager to return to the Nine, fiend? Is stopping this Prime from leaving important enough to risk being sent screaming back to the hells?”
  Arothir: He seems to consider this
  Arothir: ”...you even think about stepping food in here again, and I won’t be the only one enjoying picking your bones clean.”
  Alusair: “Not a potentiality you need to consider, I assure you.”
  Arothir: The Abishai steps to the side, keeping his eyes locked on Shen
  Alusair: Leave.. towing Shen if need be
  Shenvallei: I follow head held high as I pass the Abashi.
  Arothir: You do so
  Arothir: The Abishai laughs and shuts the door the moment you’re outside
  Arothir: You are now outside the bar
  Shenvallei: “Well that didnt go so well.”
  Shenvallei: What other establishments are in the area?
  Alusair: boss
  Arothir: There’s a bar down the street and around a corner.
  Alusair: map
  Alusair: :P
  Arothir: Yeah, I see the Abishai
  Alusair: for nick
  Alusair: lol
  Arothir: True, true
  Shenvallei: ugly bastard
  Alusair: I should reinstall Torment and screen cap the beastiary entries
  Alusair: lol
  Arothir: possibly
  Alusair: anyway..
  Alusair: “Well.. what now?”
  Arothir: The Black Wind Tavern, to be specific
  Shenvallei: “Guess we have to ask around. Maybe someone in the Black Wind knows.”
  Alusair: “Might..”
  Alusair: head that way
  Shenvallei: “I think Ill let you do the talking this time. The inhabitants here seem not to be to fond of my methods.”
  Arothir: You head that way
  Arothir: You enter into the tavern
  Arothir: There are few people in here.
  Arothir: A Man wearing pant sleeves on his arms, no pants, and a boot for a hat.
  Arothir: A woman wearing…not much of anything
  Arothir: An abishai sitting down at a table
  Arothir: engaging a halfling in a game of dice
  Shenvallei: I look for an empty table.
  Shenvallei: And if there is one I head in that direction.
  Arothir: There is
  Alusair: investigate as to whether theres a barkeep or a barmaid or anything
  Arothir: A rather buxom, but…very ugly barmaid comes by
  Arothir: her face looks like it got ran through a grain threasher
  Arothir: Covered in scars
  Arothir: She plunks a rather large jug of ale on the table with two tankards.
  Arothir: “From the gentleman behind the counter.”
  Shenvallei: “Thank you. ” is all I manage.
  Arothir: She points at the barkeep.
  
• Alusair cocks her head, looks at the barkeep *
  Arothir: He waves and smiles.
  Arothir: He’s a jovial young man
  Arothir: Probably not even young enough to drink in most socieities.
  Alusair: Smile back and pour a tankard
  Shenvallei: I take a sip.
  Shenvallei: Is it palatable?
  Arothir: It’s pretty damn good.
  Arothir: It’s rich, it’s thoughtful, it’s got a sweet aftertaste.
  Arothir: And…it’s very alcoholic.
  
• Shenvallei raises his eyebrows in delight. “This is just what I wanted.” I raise the tankard to the barkeep and smile. *
  Alusair: investigate the strange man and the woman.
  Arothir: The man…well…he has very poor hygene.
  Arothir: Spot check
  Alusair: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [5] = (5)
  Alusair: +5. lol
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [10] = (10)
  Shenvallei: +4
  Arothir: Shen, you notice, part of the man’s left arm is…missing
  Shenvallei: Does it look like a battle wound or a deformity?
  
• Alusair shifts her gaze to the woman. *
  Arothir: It’s more of a battle wound than a deformity
  Arothir: She seems to be a companion, but it would take a hell of a lot of cash for you to even consider spending a minute with that man in any context.
  Arothir: Spot check
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [18] = (18)
  Alusair: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [20] = (20)
  Shenvallei: +4
  Alusair: +5.
  Arothir: Niiiice.
  Arothir: You both notice, with startling aclarity, the woman has a collar on with runes of binding on it. The man has those same runes tattooed onto his neck.
  Alusair: Hmm…
  Alusair: Detect evil.. study the man
  Shenvallei: Do I recognize any of the runes?
  Arothir: Not other than runes of magic
  Arothir: The man is not evil.
  Alusair: the woman?
  Arothir: In fact, he barely seems aware of either of you.
  Arothir: Quite not evil.
  Alusair: Hmmm
  Alusair: “Curious..”
  Alusair: “Picturesque.. but curious.”
  Arothir: Spot check, again
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [8] = (8)
  Alusair: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [5] = (5)
  Shenvallei: +4
  Alusair: too busy oggling the merchandise
  Alusair: :P
  Shenvallei: Is the female oogleable?
  Shenvallei: Or is she ugly like the barmaid?
  Arothir: Oh, she’s very oogleable
  Arothir: Shen, you get an odd feeling about the man’s chest.
  Arothir: he doesn’t seem to be breathing.
  Arothir: It’s also odd that the man isn’t oogling her.
  Arothir: Or blinking, for that matter.
  Shenvallei: “That poor guy must be sick or something Al, he’s not breathing.”
  Alusair: “Hmm…?”
  
• Alusair shakes her head, looking away from the woman and back to the man. *
  Arothir: You see it too, now that you aren’t looking for it.
  Arothir: Oddly enough, the woman has the same blank expression on her face, but she IS breathing.
  Arothir: That much is very apparent from the oogling you were doing earlier.
  Shenvallei: “Must be those runes, Ive heard of magical runes used to create slaves.”
  whispering to Arothir, [400/16<!- Official Roll ->] => 25
  Alusair: “Truth.”
  Shenvallei: “A bit sad. A trapped spirit is a crime.”
  Alusair: “Also truth.. but unless you know a way to dispell it..”
  Shenvallei: “A bit beyond my ability as far as magic goes, although maybe breaking the collar would free the controlling magic. I cant be sure.”
  Alusair: “Unfortunate..”
  Shenvallei: “Shall we meddle?” A sly look crosses Shen’s face.
  Alusair: “Could always try…”
  Alusair: “Just.. stay away from that Abishai.”
  Alusair: “You remember what happened last time.”
  Shenvallei: I stand up and walk over to their table. Look at the woman first, then the man and say “Hello.” I only give them 2 seconds to respond or else I keep walking past them.
  Arothir: You end up walking right by.
  Shenvallei: I circle behind them to get a look on the collar to see if there is a latch to release it on the female.
  Arothir: There is no latch, unfortunately.
  Arothir: It’s a solid piece of material, or so it seems.
  Shenvallei: Is the collar thick or thin enough to be cut with a dagger?
  Arothir: You imagine you could cut the choker with a dagger
  Shenvallei: I hate to cause another ruckus in yet another bar.
  
• Alusair reaches behind herself and eases her sword just far enough out of the sheath to loosen it. *
  Shenvallei: Ill reach over and pull her hair back to see the collar completely.
  Shenvallei: not actually pulling on her hair mind you.
  Shenvallei: Just moving it aside so I can inspect the collar.
  Arothir: Sure.
  Arothir: You take a gander at the collar
  Arothir: You notice she rather smells nice
  Shenvallei: now that I have a close look can I recognize any of the runes?
  Shenvallei: not sure if spellcraft would help me or not
  Arothir: They’re all common magic runes of binding
  Arothir: (That’s pretty much all I can tell you…I don’t know much about runes other than nordic ones, and I’m not sure what you’re looking for)
  Shenvallei: Thats all I wanted to know to make sure it was infact a collar of slavery.
  Shenvallei: Ill take a glance around, is anyone looking at me?
  Arothir: Nossir
  Arothir: Not even a casual glance from the abishai
  Alusair: correction
  Alusair: I am
  Alusair: in amidst looking around the rest of the bar
  Shenvallei: Inspecting it closely it looks as if the collar is indeed permanent as in no way to unlatch it?
  Arothir: It’s got no latch, yes.
  Arothir: It was probably designed for some sort of removal, but what it is, you have no idea
  Shenvallei: Ill try to cut the collar quickly and carefully with my dagger.
  Arothir: You do so!
  Arothir: Roll a spellcraft check.
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [7] = (7)
  Shenvallei: +12
  Arothir: You manage to break the bond of the choker without breaking the skin, but it re-attaches itself almost instantly. The collar emits a breif blue glow, and you find that there are now runic symbols creeping their way up your arms.
  Arothir: The girl doesn’t seem to have noticed anything different, but the man collapses forward onto the table, his head slightly askew, causing the boot to fall off.
  Shenvallei: I look at the mans neck does it still have runes on it?
  Arothir: Nope.
  Arothir: Alusair
  Arothir: You notice the runes on Shenvallei’s neck
  Alusair: “Oh for the love of ….”
  Alusair: stand up and go over that way
  Alusair: check the man
  Alusair: alive? dead?
  Arothir: He’s dead.
  Alusair: “Shen… this.. this isn’t good.
  Arothir: From the state of the rot on his arm, he has been for quite some time.
  Alusair: “
  Alusair: ...Check the woman for a pulse
  Arothir: She’s alive.
  Shenvallei: “Good gods this place keeps getting stranger and stranger.”
  Alusair: “Its going to get worse.”
  Alusair: No response to my checking her?
  Shenvallei: “Eh? why?”
  Shenvallei: “I feel fine.”
  Alusair: “What, you haven’t noticed the runes?”
  Shenvallei: Do I feel fine?
  Arothir: None at all.
  Arothir: And you do feel fine.
  Arothir: Perfectly fine.
  Alusair: Hmm…
  Alusair: Right.. how poorly dressed is this woman?
  Shenvallei: “Ask the barkeep who these two are.” I wrap my neck in my cloak to hide the runes.
  Arothir: It looks like, at one point, she was very well off, but on inspection, it seems like her clothing is very ripped, and like someone tried to re-dress her.
  Alusair: Odd.
  Alusair: head to the bar
  Shenvallei: I go with Al. “She must be some sort of sex slave. Who is the owner?”
  Alusair: assuming he asked the barkeep that.
  Alusair: in which case I don’t have to
  Alusair: :P
  Shenvallei: No I was just making conversation on the way to the bar.
  Alusair: blast
  Arothir: lol
  Alusair: “I haven’t any idea..”
  Alusair: (To the barkeep) “Excuse me.. who are.. uh.. those two over there? points“
  Arothir: The bartender greets you with a warm smile and a high pitched voice.
  Arothir: “Oh, that’d be Edna and Jesebel! They’ve been here…well…since my grandfather was running the Tavern!”
  Shenvallei: “Oh and thank you for the fine drink good master.”
  Alusair: ”... You know one of them is dead, right?”
  Arothir: “Used to come into the bar every day, like clockwork. Edna was a wealthy Guvner, had the biggest house in Sigil, they say.”
  Alusair: “Edna.. that the one with the.. er.. boot?”
  Arothir: “Oh, Edna? Yeah… Some of the local riffraff like coming in and changing his clothes all around. We can’t move him though. Or couldn’t. We got a mage to try it once, but nothing came of that but a thousand gold wasted.”
  Alusair: “So.. whats with the woman?”
  Arothir: “Jesebel…well…the story goes that they used to be in love, but she was unfaithful in him. You know Guvners, they won’t stand for that, right? So he had some powerful wizard hex her and bind her to him. Now, she can’t do anything without his say so. She’s just been sittin’ there for the past fifty years or so, bound to his corpse.”
  
• Alusair scratches her head.. *
  Alusair: “Thanks for the help..”
  
• Alusair walks back over to them. *
  Arothir: You do so.
  Alusair: “Shen?”
  Arothir: The barkeep shouts back “Hope you liked the beer!”
  
• Shenvallei stands there dumbfounded. *
  
• Alusair smiles at the barkeep, “Yes, I did.” *
  Alusair: “Do me a favor, Shen.”
  Alusair: “Tell her she’s free.”
  Alusair: “After all.. the runes of binding are on you now.. not the deader.”
  
• Shenvallei walks over to Jesebel *
  Alusair: “Or command her ta blow ya, I don’t really care which.”
  Alusair: “I was just thinkin’, this is a public place.. dignity and all.”
  Alusair: “But either way, you find out if I’m right.”
  Shenvallei: “Jesebel, smile.”
  Arothir: She smiles.
  
• Alusair reaches around her back to re-seat her sword in its sheath. *
  Alusair: “Ah hah.”
  Shenvallei: “By the gods!”
  Alusair: “You asked who’s sex slave she was, mate.”
  Alusair: “I think the answer is.. ah.. yours.”
  
• Alusair grins at Shen *
  Arothir: LoL
  Shenvallei: “Why hasn’t she aged in fifty years? She is human isnt she?”
  Alusair: “Could be the magic.. or it could be that in Sigil, nothing is as it seems.”
  Alusair: “Get my drift?”
  Alusair: “She’s not evil, though.”
  Shenvallei: “If there is a soul trapped within her we should set it free.”
  Alusair: “So ask her if she wants ta be freed. I’d tell her she has permission to speak freely, before you do so, though.”
  Shenvallei: “Jesebel, speak freely of your mortal mind, is your soul within the body before me?”
  Alusair: “Bloody primes are too wordy.”
  Arothir: “Of course I have a soul. I’m not some bloody tramp.”
  Alusair: “Thank god, at least she’s a cager by the sound of it.”
  Shenvallei: “Do you wish to be freed?”
  Arothir: “What is free, you berk? You mean to have to go back and be employed again, forced to do whatever it takes to get by? No thank you. Life’s just fine being not free, thank you kindly.”
  Alusair: “Heavens, she’s got a mouth on her. I like her already.”
  Shenvallei: “Some of them want to abuse you, some of them want to be abused by you…” Shen sings to himself.
  Alusair: ”...”
  Alusair: “So, gonna give her permission to speak to me, or do I have to keep doing it by proxy?”
  Shenvallei: “Well fine, from this point forward even though you are bound to me, you are free to speak your mind.”
  Shenvallei: “Also your actions are your own from this point forward as long as you do no harm to me, Alusair, or yourself.
  Arothir: She stops being rigid and starts leaning forward onto the table
  Shenvallei: “Al, shes all yours.” I get up and head to refill my tankard.
  Alusair: “Barkeep, food and drink for.. ah.. three over at our table.”
  Shenvallei: (brb)
  Arothir: “About bloody time I can lean forward again, Gods. Who the piss are the two of you, anyway? Random whoremongers, looking for a good time, is that it?
  Alusair: Alex, drape my cloak over her shoulders and gesture at our table, “No such thing, I’m afraid. Not that I’d object by any means, but.. *pauses, smiling slightly more of concerned passerby.”
  Alusair: “Join us? Or are you attached to sitting at a table with a decomposing corpse?”
  Arothir: She shivers, wraps the cloak further around herself, and fairly darts to the other table
  Alusair: Head that way, sit next to her, re-fill my tankard and push it infront of her
  Arothir: The butt ugly buxom provides a small roast turkey, complete with mashed potatos, stuffing, soup and carmelized apple slices
  Arothir: She downs the entire tankard, then reaches for the bottle to refill it while tearing a leg off of the turkey
  Alusair: “Guess fifty years builds up an appetite..”
  Alusair: “I’m Alusair.. the elf over there is Shen.”
  Arothir: “I’m Jesebel, but you probably knew that.”
  Alusair: “Jesebel.. will Jess do?”
  Shenvallei: “Well met.” Eyes her curiously.
  Arothir: “Works for me. I’ve been called many things. Just so we’re clear, the only time you can call me slut is if we’re in bed, and only THEN if you’re really good.”
  Arothir: There are daggers in her eyes as she says this.
  Alusair: “Mmm… I’ll keep it in mind.”
  Shenvallei: “Haha!” takes a sip of ale.
  
• Alusair arches an eyebrow at Shen, “I’m not sure there was a joke.” *
  Arothir: Approximately half the turkey is gone at this point.
  Alusair: Rescue a small amount of the turkey before she eats the whole thing
  Alusair: having not eaten anything but sammiches for .. a long time
  Arothir: lol
  Arothir: What can I say
  Arothir: Zero loves sammiches
  Alusair: perfectly cut or not..
  Alusair: sammiches only go so far
  Arothir: Oh, you have yet to have his roast turkey sammich.
  Alusair: true.
  Shenvallei: “Well Ill consider this meeting a boon until it proves otherwise. Please do tell me what are your skills?... oh and Im talking out of the bedroom skills.”
  
• Alusair leans forward onto the table, chin resting on one hand, “Good question, on both counts.. But you can tell me the latter later after the Prime goes to sleep.” *
  Arothir: ”...that’ll require some thought…what the hells did I used to do outside of the bedroom…it’s been a long time…”
  Alusair: “Take your time.”
  Alusair: Refill her tankard, refill a third if they listened and brought one
  Alusair: and drink, patiently, waiting for her to decide to answer.
  Arothir: They did
  Arothir: She thinks, drinking a bit more.
  Shenvallei: “Yes time we have it seems.”
  Alusair: Almost as an afterthought, shove Shen the pitcher
  Alusair: and then flag down the barmaid for a refill on the pitcher.
  Alusair: silently cringing at the thought of the tab
  Alusair: :P
  Arothir: “Aha! After I stepped down from my Factol position, I took up a spot of thievery.”
  Arothir: The barmaid brings over two more pitchers
  Alusair: “Factol of..what faction?”
  Arothir: And a small game hen.
  Arothir: “I was the Factol of the Sensates for Twenty years.”
  Alusair: “I should have guessed..”
  
• Alusair grins to herself, “Yes, yes this is quite a find..” **
  Alusair: (murmered to herself)
  Alusair: “Thievery, though.. that could come in useful.”
  Alusair: “In fact, we happen to be in a bit of a spot that that could help with, I suspect.”
  Arothir: “Oh? I haven’t any tools, really…and…it’s been a long time since I’ve done ANYTHING…”
  Alusair: “Tools are no problem.. we can acquire them. Probably fairly good ones.”
  Alusair: “The real issue is.. ah.. finding a berk, tracking them down, and getting them in the dead book.”
  Arothir: ”...assassination? I’m not so much of an assassin…”
  Shenvallei: “Worry not, time again is something we have. We ask because well, where I come from Im known as an adventurer, think of a trouble-maker that wants to set things right. As a matter of fact thats just how we found you. Point is if you want to travel with us you might want to make yourself useful in the skills of… survival.”
  Alusair: “We can handle that part.”
  Alusair: ( responding to her statement.. not shen’s )
  Arothir: ”...well, the way I’m looking at it, it’s not even a matter of wanting to travel with you, is it? What kind of survival skills are you talking? I mean…I do know a few tricks that have gotten me out of tight spots…”
  

Return to Session Three

Return to Session Three – Part Two

Continue to Session Three – Part Four