Realms of Dread Chapter Two

[Archedius]

Archedius, who is in Rardi's room, moves close to her and begins to speak in a whisper,

"I am very curious about the orphanage and wouldn't mind a look at their records...their real records. That place Inovidil mentioned also bears looking into."

He holds the jar of wetblack, "Where was this all of my life?"

He hears a knocking sound in the hall near his room. Curious as to whom wants him he places his hand on his dagger hilt, motions for Rardi to be silent and tip-toes to the door and opens it.*

*2 move silently checks: One to get to the door =27 (roll of 12+mod of 15), One to open the door silently and peek out=33 (roll 18+ mod of 15)

[steveflam]

"Sure thing," the dwarf replies. She grins at his comment about the wetblack. "Guess you was lookin in all the wrong places, Arch."

Rardi goes silent and grips her mace tightly, ready in case there is trouble.
She merely nods to Archedius and awaits his reaction.

[Le Noir Faineant]

''... They may have lied to me - but I suspect that they were telling the truth, as they know that I know where they sleep at night....and that means that Ironheart knows, as well.

[Lord Skybolt]

Threan does not notice any sounds of some one going to Rardi's door but, does notice when he opens it . And looks over right at Archedius as he opens Rardi's door . He waves at him if he doesn't notice him(Hide 23) when he looks out the door .

[Ken of Ghastria]

Earlier in the day:

Blaise says to those still at the table, "Well, I'll make a good show of following up on the smuggling. If none of us appears to be investigating it, then Rask will get suspicious. Anyone care to accompany me? I intend to do some snooping around the Marsh Gate tonight. With a slight change of clothes and some makeup, I can pose as a barge pilot looking for work. As long as no one asks me to STEER the damn thing, I should be fine!

"Then tomorrow, I'll have my 'interview' with Lord Ildool. Wish me luck."

That afternoon, Blaise goes out and buys some inexpensive clothes, the sort that a teamster or "wharf rat" might wear. He gets a few hours of sleep. Then, using makeup, he changes the look of his face to make himself appear tired and to make his skin look more "leathery," as though he had gotten a lot of exposure to the wind and sun.

Shortly after sundown, he heads to the Marsh Gate, mentioned in the official report. (If any of his companions join him, they can rendeavous ahead of time.)

OOC: Ewan, feel free to make a Disguise check for Blaise. His modifier is +10.

[VAN]

"Well thank you Glim. We will be at the inn if you want to talk with us."

Says Inovidil with a smile and then exits of the shop and heads back to the inn and her room. There she puts on a dark outfit gets her dagger and also her and goes to Archedius room. She knocks his door and when there is no answer goes to Rardi's room. There she sees Archedius at the door and Threen out of the room.

"We are all here! Great. Are you ready?"

[Archedius]

Archedius stands up, an anooyed look on his face as he espies Threan sticking his hand out in a wave all the while still hiding behind furniture in the hallway.

He taps his foot, "I nearly mistook you for an Amnite. Be more careful in the future and by the Red Knight please don't hide for the Hells of it!"

Archedius pulls his shortsword out of the scabbard a few inches then slams it back in several times as he turns to Inovidil and walks close to her so that he can whisper to her ,

"Yes, we're ready."

[steveflam]

"Awright then, let's get busy then. 'Lo Inovidil. Got any nice spells might come in handy tanight?" Rardi hops down from the bed and straightens her outfit. "Arch, I got tha wetblack, we kin put it some on after the sun sets." Moving to the door, she opens it and waits for Archedius and Inovidil
to leave so she can lock her door. Not really noticing Threan the gnome, she walks down the stairs and out into the city with Archedius and Inovidil.

"Where we wanna start?"

[Lord Skybolt]

"Oh sorry about that, I just naturally fade in to the background while waiting for some one to meet me . It's a habit I picked up in the Desert . I came to help with the smuggling case . " After that he follows along with the rest of the group .

[ewancummins]

that night.....


Palace of Celestial Delights, the wardrobe room

Xanthippe thanks Shana as she tucks the paper away in her bag.

''I take ship for home on the morrow. Thank you so much, Shana. May Sune smile on you always!''

The Chessentan woman steps in to give Shana a little hug.

'' If your travels ever take you to my city, you mustn't forget to pay me a visit. ''


Outside the Marsh Gate-

Blaise Redman, disguised as a bargeman or somesuch laborer, approaches the old Marsh Gate. It is foggy out tonight- unsually so even for Marsember, given that it's yet summer. The thick fog swells and recedes in a tidal fashion as Blaise nears the gate, like the exhalations of some great beast. The streetlamps here are few and far between, and the lamplighters are slow in attending to them. Should a wick burn out, it may be hours before a lantern man comes along to relight it, if he comes at all. More reliable than the pole-mounted street lanterns is the silver radiance of Selune, her Tears, and the myriad stars - and even this heavenly illumination is dimmed - half hidden by clouds that drift across the night sky. The only truly constant source of illumination would be the big iron lantern hanging from the stonework just inside the open Marsh gate. In the inner circle of light cast by the iron lantern, two city watchmen lean against the stone structure, wrapped in their cloaks to gaurd against the damp chill of the night air. A cool breeze blows in through the great stone gate- carrying the brackish odor of the marshes to Blaise's nose. The scene is for the most part a quiet one - the stillness broken only now and again by a mumbled word from one watchman to the other, or the hooting of owls on the hunt, the faint drone of flying insects over the neaby wetlands, or the distant rumbling of a late travelling wagon down the cobbled Marsh Road.

After Blaise gets close to the gate, he spots three men in plain clothing unloading a wagon in the confines of a semi-dark side alley, about thirty feet from the gate itself. The men are taking boxes from the back of the cart and carrying them inside a house through a side doorway.



the streets of Marsember, not far from the Old Shell-

Archedius the others have gathered in a quiet , deserted area of the nightscape. The little courtyard in which they lurk is easily guarded against spying, because only a few builings open onto it and it stands apart from the main throughfares and canals. The night is cool and foggy, and the lighting here is poor- providing deep pools of darkness in which to hide[ scouting the area reveals no lurkers].

[VAN]

"I have some very useful spells indeed Rardi. You will see them later." Says Ino with a wink.

When they gathered at the courtyard Ino says:

"At this hour the orphanage will be most probably closed, so I think it's better start from the other building, the last one Delthrin visited or the hidden place in the rock. I can teleport you there if you want."

[Ken of Ghastria]

After Blaise gets close to the gate, he spots three men in plain clothing unloading a wagon in the confines of a semi-dark side alley, about thirty feet from the gate itself. The men are taking boxes from the back of the cart and carrying them inside a house through a side doorway.

Blaise silently summons one of his "gifts." Suddenly, he can see the alleyway and everything around it as clearly as if it were noon.*

Walking with a slight limp and making no attempt to mask his movements, he moves at a normal pace down the alleyway. "Ahoy," he grumbles in a slurring voice as he gets closer, "you boys be needin' any help? Willin' to lend a hand, 'specially if there's a good ale at the end of your shift."

________________
* Blaise invokes see the unseen, which grants him darkvision and see invisibility for another 24 hours. However, it doesn't negate any obscurement there may be from the fog. If you want to make a Bluff check, his modifier is +9.

[BigBadQDaddy]

Alain, now dressed in his old tattered traveling clothes, stands in the shadows watching Blaise do his best at blending in with the other workers.

*ooc: Rolls comin' your way

[Archedius]

"It doesn't quite matter if a place is closed to me...but I like your suggestion about the hidden place in the rock."

[VAN]

"As I have told you, was a rock and there was a secret door. Guess the undead opened it from inside but I think should be away to open it from outside too. Delthrin tosses the sack to the undead and then leaves with the bark. If Rardi agrees too I can make us all fly and teleport us there and try to sneak in."