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Post by Art Teach on Sept 21, 2014 8:56:28 GMT -6
Musicians play as the citizens of Brindol dance through the center of the marketplace. Around the dancers are benches and table set up with stalls ringing it all that carry food, drinks, and games of chance and skill.
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Post by Issarian Lockwood on Oct 4, 2014 9:51:42 GMT -6
Issarian Lockwood wanders through the crowd, drifting aimlessly from shadow to shadow. He's dark of hair and clothing, wearing a distant smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. A careful observer might note that he seems to drift in the direction of the wealthiest-looking parts of the crowd...
...bu they'd have to be VERY careful. [Stealth roll=16]
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Post by Art Teach on Oct 4, 2014 21:02:29 GMT -6
Issarian watches the dancers on the stage, the bards playing, and the nobles moving in an out of their personal tents. The citizens started their celebration early and many easy pickings can be found in the crowd. Issarian notes he is not the only one casing the crowd. There are a number of beggars working the crowds, a few young cut-purses, and a team of cloaked halflings are all working the shadows. Issarian would have an easy time enhancing his wealth (DC 15)  |
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Post by Art Teach on Oct 5, 2014 8:17:14 GMT -6
The music and dancing stops and a group of citizen with the smug looks of self importance step up to the stage.
Lord Aaron Jarmaan is center stage,"Greetings Citizens and honored guests." He motions to a row of dwarves from Overlook, Elves from Dennovar, and humans from Rhest.
"We gather today to celebrate the end of the War of the Red Hand. In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty and for the peace of the world. Our city and our coalition of allies are proud of this accomplishment, yet it is you, the citizens of Brindol, who achieved it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your city and for each other made this day possible.
Because of you the Elsir Vale is more secure. Because of you the tyrant has fallen and Brindol is free.
This city thanks all of the members of our coalition who joined in a noble cause. We thank the armed forces of the Overlook, Dennovar and Rhest who shared in the hardships of war. We thank all of the citizens of Brindol who welcomed our the troops or these brave people and joined in the liberation of their own city.
And today, I have a special word for all the men and women who wear the uniform of the Golden Lions: Brindol is grateful for a job well done keeping us safe this past decade."
The Lord motions to a Lord standing next to him in golden armor. The crowd cheers then quiets as the Lord continues.
"The character of our Golden Lions through history, the daring of the Skyland Raids, the fierce courage on the dragon isles, the decency and idealism that turned enemies into allies is fully present in this generation of lions.
When Brindol civilians looked into the faces of our guard's men and women, they see strength and kindness and good will. When I look at the members of the Golden Lions, I see the best of our city and I am honored you guard my city.
In the images of your celebration we have also seen the ageless appeal of human freedom. Centuries ago the oppression and intimidation could not make the people of Klarn love their Dragon oppressors or desire their own enslavement. Men and women in every culture need liberty like they need food and water and air. Everywhere that freedom arrives, humanity rejoices and everywhere that freedom stirs, let tyrants fear.
The Battle of Brindol is one victory in a war on oppression that began in the fall of the dragonlords centuries ago and still goes on.
The Wyrmlord and his allies a decade ago believed that they could destroy this cities resolve and force our surrender.
They failed.
In the securing of freedom men and women have turned to the peaceful pursuit of a better life.
We ring the Bell of the church of Magnus on the moment of the Wyrmlord's destruction a decade ago to remind us that is peace we must still be vigilant. That when needed we will answer threats to our security, and we will defend the peace.
The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. Our government has taken unprecedented measures to defend the homeland and we will continue to hunt down the enemy before he can strike.
The war on those who would destroy us is not over, yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we saw the turning of the tide in the Battle of Brindol.
No act of the evils of this world will change our purpose, or weaken our resolve, or alter their fate. Their cause is lost; free people will press on to victory.
We ring the bell for every life lost to the battle, to our nation and to the loved ones who grieve. There is no homecoming for these families. Yet we pray in God's time their reunion will come in the fields of gold beyond this life.
Those we lost were last seen on duty.
Their final act on this Earth was to fight a great evil and bring liberty to others.
All of you, all in this generation of our Golden lions, have taken up the highest calling of history: You were defending your country and protecting the innocent from harm.
Thank you for serving our city and our cause.
May Magnus bless you all. And may Magnus continue to bless Brindol."
The Lord turns and motions to the Church of Magnus across the marketplace square from the stage.
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Post by Issarian Lockwood on Oct 5, 2014 9:14:16 GMT -6
Issarian smirks and thinks to himself, "I love long boring speeches; they're really a thief's best friend." Choosing the most conveniently-placed, drunken, well-dressed individual with a bulging purse, he glides past them, casually brushing his hand into their coin-pouch [Sleight-of-Hand roll total: 20, gotta love Expertise]. He doesn't empty the purse; folks notice that kind of thing. He just skims a handful of the heavier coins off the top, and then slides away.
[What's he come away with?]
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Post by Art Teach on Oct 5, 2014 9:20:29 GMT -6
Issarian find a red nosed smiling nobel with his arms around a young working girl before him. His mind was defiantly not on his belt pouch. Issarian comes away with a handful of 10 gold pieces stamped with the rising phoenix of Rhest.
Walking away he jumps from the sound of barking dogs to his left. Looking over he sees the cloaked halflings hurrying away from the barking dog.
As the Lord continues his speech you see a Golden Lion guard rush onto the stage and whisper in the ear of the Lord Warden of the Golden Lions. The Warden whispers back orders and the guard rushes back off the stage. The Lord Warden's eyes do not match the smile he is forcing on his face.
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Post by Issarian Lockwood on Oct 5, 2014 10:14:23 GMT -6
"Hm. Well, that's probably not good." On a whim, Issarian follows the guard. He's not sneaking, per se, but he's staying back a few yards, trying to make it look like he's just walking in the same direction. As he walks, he grabs a skewer of roasted meat from one of the vendors and flips him a silver.
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Post by Art Teach on Oct 5, 2014 16:27:22 GMT -6
Enjoying his roasted meat and trying not to think about what it might be, Issarian follows the Golden Lion. He sees him gathering members of the guard in the crowd. Not the members on guard but ones in uniform but enjoying the festivities. He gets close enough to hear that there is a fire at the Oswald Orchards outside of the city and the reserves are being activated to ride out and fight the fire. He also hears that "Crazy old Oswald" believes he saw goblins with torches lighting the fire. The Officer is trying to be quiet about it but the crowd is starting to notice as the Lord continues his never ending speech.
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Post by Issarian Lockwood on Oct 6, 2014 7:16:29 GMT -6
"Hmh. Firebug goblins. That bodes well." Issarian finishes his mystery kebab and brushes past another inebriated party-goer. [Same schtick: skimming the top of his coin-purse, Sleight-of-Hand roll total: 16. What's he come away with this time?]
"Not my problem, though." He drifts off towards the main stage and finds a shadowy nook to watch the other folks work the crowd. [Investigation roll total: 6. Doh! Weren't there a bunch of shadowy dudes, like, right here? Where'd everybody go?]
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Post by Art Teach on Oct 6, 2014 9:57:44 GMT -6
Sorry, This guy had been to the tavern already and you gain a half dozen copper for your troubles.
You look for the shadowy dudes and don't see them. The bell begins to ring at the Church to denote the death of the Wyrmlord 10 years ago.
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Post by Issarian Lockwood on Oct 6, 2014 12:21:54 GMT -6
"Dang, those bells are loud." Issarian picks at his ear and winces. Then he continues to wonder where everybody cool went, and if there's a place around here that sells pie. He could really go for some berry pie. Wasn't there a stand right over there selling pie?
[Issarian's Passive Perception is a 14, if it matters for stuff he's not actively looking for and failing hideously]
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Post by Art Teach on Oct 6, 2014 20:43:03 GMT -6
Issarian looks for a pie stall and notices a group of cloaked little people heading to the shadows along the gatehouse tower north of the marketplace. He see them start to climb the tower wall.
As the bells cease their ringing you hear someone in the crowd call,"The smoke, over there, fire!"
On the stage the Lord Warden motions to a group of guards who begins to double time south toward the smoke rising 3 blocks away.
On the stage, one of the performers who hulks over the rest of the group pulls back his hood and peers south at the smoke rising. His head shines with coppery scales of his dragon heritage. The dragonborn slides the lute he was playing to his back and begins to search the crowd with his gaze.
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Post by Issarian Lockwood on Oct 6, 2014 21:01:20 GMT -6
"Hunh. Wonder what you folks are up to?" Issarian pads over toward the gatehouse [Stealth check total: 19] and finds an out-of-the-way spot to watch the goings-on.
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Post by Art Teach on Oct 6, 2014 21:20:22 GMT -6
He sees they are entering the gatehouse window to the inside. He also notes a few citizens and wagons that are late to the party are coming through the gatehouse. Two of the wagons are headed by a duo of cloaked figures like the ones entering the tower. They are on the bridge that leads from the outer gatehouse to the inner gatehouse.
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Post by Issarian Lockwood on Oct 7, 2014 6:11:54 GMT -6
[OOC scene info questions: Ok, so how many of these "cloaked figures" are there on the wall? Are the windows to the gatehouse closed? This is the gatehouse on this side of the river, yes? Are the gatehouses manned with guards at this hour, and if so, can I tell where they are? Also, which bridge gatehouse are we at? There's two of them on the city map, kind of framing the marketplace; is this the east or west bridge?]
[OOC motivations and suchlike: As the player, I know what these dudes are doing. I'm not sure if Issarian would make the same connections, yet. He's not the kind of guy who'd stand by and let the city he works in get overrun by goblins, though; then there'd be nothing to steal. And I can't think of any reason that *he'd* be able to think of for shadowy cloaked figures to be breaking into the city's gatehouses other than general do-baddery on a level that he's probably not comfortable with. So, yeah, I'm gonna prep for some interference. I've got the drop on these clowns, yeah?]
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