Chapter 1: A Knife in Darkness

[Rex]

Lathi

Lathi chuckles as Og tells the new comer to get in line. "Your father was a good sort, what about you?"

[sirravd]

"Hopefully likewise. I am of the house of Nesh." He looks expectantly at the others, although the name is somewhat obscure. "How have you found your pursuit of your inheritance?"

[Rex]

Lathi

"So far, not very smoothly. Perhaps you showing up is a good omen, what did your father leave you?"

[Scott308]

Ishbak Arus

Looking up from his half-eaten plate of food, the pirate studies the newcomer. A son, you say? Wonder how many more'll crawl out of the woodwork, now that daddy's gone. Eh. My share stays the same no matter how many heirs try to split their slice of the pie. I'm Ishbak.

[Monsieur Rose]

Xara

Xara looks the newcomer up and down hungrily. "His son? Interesting. Of Nesh?" Xara moves close and extends her hand. "I'm Xara. Of Belthaar. Pleased to meet you...I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name." Xara smiles seductively and keeps holding the newcomer's hand.

"I absolutely hate to bring bad news, but his house has been ransacked and looted. Very little remains. Were you planning on staying there tonight?"

[Rex]

Lathi

"I am simply Lathi, the upper room of his home is now mine. Vagrants have been living there and not treating it kindly."

[sirravd]

Anathotesh greets the others with a slightly condescending kindness. "I'm troubled to hear about the vagabonds. Alas that the justiciars of Belthaar cannot bring such reprobates to their defeat! Do you plan to destroy them?"

[Scott308]

Ishbak Arus

Destroy them? The justa...justi..what, the cops? This ain't a bad idea. Got a plan for how to do that?

[sirravd]

"No, the reprobates. Most of the justiciars deserve destruction too, but it would presumably be beyond our capacity."

[tibbius]

Dinner completed, bellies satisfied, the five arose from their table and walked out into the cool spring night. They turned toward the Warehouse District and the intersection of Raven and Bracelet. As they stepped out from Undakar's, they noticed a furtive figure passing in the opposite direction among the shadows. Immediately, Lathi recognized the finely dressed man who held the silver dagger outstretched at arms' length before him: Jabdar Laugra. It seemed as if the dagger was pulling Jabdar along the street.

[Rex]

Lathi

Lathi will silently use hand signals to point him out to everyone else. Then try to follow him stealthily.

[tibbius]

I'm going to put this on rails a bit, bc Rex took my bait

Jabdar seems oblivious as you move curiously to follow him. He glides along the cobbled streets of the Trade District, eliciting puzzled glances from the very few people who are out carrying torches late after sunset. Surprisingly, you pass no guards to challenge him or you. It seems that every guard in the city is at the gathering in Undakar's!

Within a few minutes, Jabdar leads you to an intersection of the narrow street you are following with a broader street. Jabdar turns promptly to the right along the broad street, which you recognize as the way that runs to the East Gate of the king's palace from the Square of the Green Peacock, which sits between the craft district, the foreign district, and the pleasure district. All of you passed along that way this morning, when it was bustling with merchants and shoppers at street stalls. It looks very different - ominous - in darkness with the stalls secured for the night. One would think there should be some guards patrolling, but you see neither guards nor the thieves whom you might expect in the absence of patrols.

Ten minutes later Jabdar has led you the half mile to the Square. The Square has a mixed reputation. On the one hand, for the mundanes of the city it is the gateway from workaday life to the dives and brothels and the Temple of Belet-Lil. On the other hand, for foreigners and lowlifes it is the gateway from muddy and crime-ridden alleys to the cleaner safer streets where the mundanes live. Finally, at the north side of the square is a low black building with a single opening: a doorway usually blocked by a double iron gate. That building is the Temple of Yadar, god of the dead whom the fatalistic Akhtesh worshipped. Beyond the gate, it is rumored that stairs lead far down to the ancient catacombs beneath Belthaar. But of all the living souls in the city, only the speechless and dark-robed priests of Yadar know the truth. Somewhere in or under that building are Akhtesh's remains.

Two priests stand at either side of the creepy doorway day and night. They don't speak or move except to change places with two other priests at sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight. It must be near midnight because there are four priests at the gateway now.

Wait! This is something none of you have ever seen. A procession of six more robed figures emerges at the south side of the square and walks somberly toward the doorway. The four priests over there heave at the iron gate and it screeches open. The procession passes into the doorway. And Jabdar follows ...

Do you continue to follow him?

[Rex]

Lathi

Lathi holds up at a spot where we can watch and hopefully be unseen.

[ravenn4544]

Og is indicating he is interested in following. "Think of the riches in that tomb!"

[Scott308]

Ishbak Arus

I'm going to see what's happening in there, Ishbak whispers before sneaking toward the entrance.

Stealth: [1d20+9] = 13+9 = 22

[Rex]

Lathi

Lathi will try and keep an eye on Ishbak in case anything goes wrong.

[Monsieur Rose]

Xara

"This isn't right. There should be guards everywhere. I think they have arranged this." She whispers to the others. She shoots a glance over at the temple where her bed calls out, then shakes her head. "It's that dagger." She suddenly looks down at the pair she's carrying, concerned that they too may hold a compulsion.

Xara creeps closer, trying to determine if Jabdar seems concerned or even awake.

[sirravd]

Anathotesh waits with those of his new friends who are staying behind, ready to defend them with his khopesh if need be.

[tibbius]

Ishbak, Og, Lathi, and Xara all drift across the darkened Square, following Jabdar as unobtrusively as they can. It doesn't really matter: there's no one else around, and eventually they're all going to be at the gate, which is guarded by four priests.

Anathotesh stands by himself for a few moments before realizing that all the other heirs have left him in pursuit of the richly robed stranger, who appears to be ... following? a knife that he's holding in outstretched hands. Then he hastens after them.

The priests are beginning to close the gates when Jabdar approaches them. All five of you are close behind him. roll for initiative From beyond the gates a sudden glow of moonlight illuminates a stairway descending into the ground. The light casts weird shadows of the six priests descending the stairs. Xara recognizes it as a light spell.

[Rex]

Lathi

Initiative [1d20+4] = 20+4 = 24