DM Note: Only Allan and Gord again this week, so a bijou Gorfang and Lynien-fest. | DM Note: Only Allan and Gord again this week, so a bijou Gorfang and Lynien-fest. |
Lynien and Gorfang glanced around. "We need to get to the Barracks," said Gorfang. "We need a cartographer's shop then." replied Lynien. Ten minutes was enough to locate one - trade seemed to be the prime purpose of this part of Sigil - and pushing the door open they stepped into Maranum's Maps. Below the sign was the bold claim "We Have Maps of Everywhere!" Gorfang and Lynien glanced at each other and smiled.
The shop was empty of customers, but every available surface was plastered in maps, charts, guides, city plans. Lounging behind the counter was a humanoid, easily as tall as Gorfang, red-skinned and bristly - a hobgoblin.
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"Good evening," said Gorfang, "We need a map of Sigil." The hobgoblin smiled. "Evening, cousin," he said, surprising Gorfang a little, "Which Ward?" Lynien lifted an eyebrow. "Which one are we in?" she asked. Maranum blinked - not the question he'd expected. "You're in the Market Ward," he said, "Where do you want to go?" "The Barracks," supplied Gorfang. "Ah, that's in The Lady's Ward," said Maranum, reaching for a shelf. Lynien preened. "Oh; they've heard of me then?" Maranum chuckled. "No, sorry, The Lady - the Lady of Pain?" Both looked blankly back at him. "Oh, dear," he said sadly, "you two aren't going to last long." He added another sheet to the one on the counter. "Thirty gold groats each," he said, "Complete set in a presentation leather case one hundred groats." Lynien pursed her lips. "Expensive," she commented. Maranum displayed the case. "Maybe, but see the quality of the leather," he said. "Very well, now let's challenge your slogan," said Gorfang. "We also need a plan of the Barracks." Maranum coughed. "That's not common knowledge," he said quietly. "The hardheads don't like folk knowing anything about their headquarters." Gorfang leaned forwards. "Two hundred for both - and you can keep the leather case," he said. Maranum glanced around despite the shop being empty. "I do have a set of planning drawings from when the Barracks were built - before the Harmonium took over," he said. "It may have changed, but I'll throw them in as long as no-one finds out where you got them!"
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After an hour or so's walk, the adventurers found themselves looking at the Barracks - the grim stronghold of the Sigil faction known as the Harmonium. For quite some time they watched the comings and goings, then heded up to the front gates. These were approached over a bridge crossing what at first appeared to be gardens, though after a second glance Gorfang realized these to be made up of a mixture of poisonous and actively dangerous plants. The Garden of Death in Skufruss' tower had been a resource for poisons; this was a trap.
| DM Note: Significant use of Diplomacy by Gorfang this week!. |
Reaching the massive gates set in forty-foot walls, they encountered their first Harmonium troops close-up. Dressed in shiny red plate armour, four Hardhead guards watched the gate under the command of some kind of lesser officer. Gorfang addressed this worthy. "Good evening, gentlemen," said Gorfang. "Evening, citizens," said the officer sternly. "I have a problem," continued the orc. "I need to access a portal, located in your wine cellar." The officer looked taken aback. "There's no such thing," he said firmly, "Where did you hear this rumour? You've been sold an Emperor's Toenail, my friends."
Gorfang suggested that if allowed to go and look, they'd be gone in seconds, and Lynien started to try and persuade the officer to bend the rules, then stopped as she noticed his expression. "I'll have to refer this up," the man concluded. "Where are you staying, and I'll get word to you?" He recommended the Twelve Factols as the best inn hereabouts, and the pair set off to book in. As they walked, Lynien was checking for Thiefsign. It took her a while to spot it, as it was noticably different from what she was used to - and also very scarce in the areas around the Barracks. The Lady's Ward was definitely an upmarket section of Sigil.
The Twelve Factols was no exception to this, a magnificent four-storey inn and resturant. The propriotor was a slender elf-woman, dressed like no elf either had ever seen before. Their appearance was a surprise to her, but she named herself Elenaith and enquired carefully what they required. As they arranged for adjoining rooms - with firm requirement for a bath - for a Fiveday, the innkeeper clearly arrived at the conclusion that the better-dressed and less obviously martial Lynien was the lady, and Gorfang with his trademark tatty clothes over his magnificent armour, and Eloy with his bow were her bodyguard. The price, at thirty groats, was pretty high, but Gorfang reckoned their resources could cope with it.
Elenaith clicked her fingers - a musical snap that almost seemed to chime, to Gorfang's disgust - and two porters, probably human, appeared. "Carry your bags, madam?" one enquired quietly. Gorfang and Lynien glanced around at the empty floor. "Show us the rooms," said Gorfang.
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The rooms were large, and well-appointed, including to Lynien's pleasure the large bath with its' own steam boiler which the porter lit for her. Looking out of the window, she saw that they were 30' up, on the third floor, with the next building a mere seven or eight feet away - not much of a view. She gave the place a once-over, discovering that the locks were good enough to keep out all but the best thieves, that there were no traps, and that there were 'bugs' - each chandelier had a small scrying crystal built into it. Gorfang went off down to Reception, where he informed Elenaith that if the bugs weren't removed, they'd be delivered to Reception in a non-working condition. The porter was despatched to collect them (Lynien had already removed hers) and the group settled into dinner, baths and drinks. The wine, clearly elvish and imported, was particularly fine.
After dinner, Lynien thought to take a look around, and so swung herself out of the window and up the wall towards the roof. At the lip, she found a strip of some kind of magical detector or alarm running all around the building, evidently placed to observe anyone trying to get in - or out - of the Twelve Factols by the Thieves' Highway. Thoughtfully, she descended again.
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The next morning was grey and rainy. Lynien and Gorfang were seated in comfortable chairs in one of the hotel's quirky little nooks eating breakfast when a porter came to advise that they had a visitor - an officer of the Harmonium. The respect in the man's tone spoke volumes of the faction's influence in this part of Sigil, as did the speed with which the man was shown to their table. Declining a drink or a seat, he stiffly informed them that he had been assigned to investigate the reported security breach from yesterday.
As the conversation went on, it became apparent that discussing access for them wasn't even on the man's agenda; he wanted to find out who was purporting to have information on the interior details of the Barracks. He was adamant that no such portal existed, and to Gorfang's suggestions that this could be confirmed by allowing them to visit and check with the key, offered to arrange that as part of a thinly disguised arrest. The adventurers didn't fancy going through the portal unarmed, and definitely not without the key to get back - another precondition - and declined the offer. The officer blustered and huffed, but he was alone and hesitated to try and arrest them without backup, though it was clear he considered himself empowered to do so. Finally he stomped off in fury.
"He'll be back with support," opined Gorfang, not greatly worried. "Told you we'd need to sneak in," agreed Lynien. "Let's have that map..."
Heads bent over the plans, they began to plot their way into the Sigil Barracks.... .
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Session Date: 21st December 2011 |
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