Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

Lionel sat on the worst in his heroic days, and that dump pit did not shock him but he heeded the advice and did not drink the liquid they sell here. He did not comment Ketch's bravery (that was probably the case people call it another word), and instead was lazily discussing all three possibilities for wizards' disappearance/disgrace, when Etain brought the news.

"Do we know any red-haired half-elves? Anyone in particular you remember, Meepo?" Lionel shook his head at the offer. "I have the counter-offer here - how about we go and collect? Maybe they will pay extra for delivery?" He smiled and even winked at the kid "We could split the profit."

"Would not mind a breath of fresh air. Besides, if someone is so eager to meet us he is offering 100 gold for it, it would be rude to make the guy waiting," explained he to the group. "Shall we go?"

Meepo cocks his head and glances to the others. "Dragon already come to find us?" he suggests. Looking to their guide he says, "Here Meepo have ten gold, but can Meepo give another 10 and maybe have lead to person trying find Meepo?"

Ulthan looks at the drink and not liking eating things he hasn't hunted it's no surprise he leaves the drink alone. "hrmpfh bountyhunt kobold get coin bonk elf hrmpfh". He looks at the cat for a few moments as if he's silently talking to her, scratches her ear and pipes up again "hrmpfh bountyhunt not kobold (points at Meepo) bountyhunt other kobold give staff get coin bonk elf hrmpfh". Seems to think about it "hrmpfh no tell boy kid plan hrmpfh".

     "I doubt dragon.  I think dragon would have come looking for me.  Perhaps Modekai.  I think it was the two of us that annoyed that beast the most.  But I could be wrong..." Ketch says with a shrug as he takes another sip.

     "You don't recall bothering any red-haired half-elves?" Ketch asks Meepo again.  "Say, do we even know what Zikran looks like?  Did we get a description I just paid no attention to?  I must admit I often overlook details..."

     "Anyway, whoever the hunter is... It is better to find them than to have them find us.  But perhaps better yet to lure them to where we want them?  Not always good to go to where they live...  May be best to have the girl tell him that we can be found... Someplace.  And then us be hidden around that place watching to see what the hunter brings to fetch us?"

(Sorry, for some reason I'd stopped getting notifications. Wondered why no one had posted in days and discovered that was just me apparently!!) 

(Mordekai would've returned to his normal appearance once out of the portal)

"I suspect the red haired half elf is just a bounty hunter, not the person originally looking for Meepo. So paying 10 gold doesn't help us, another bounty hunter will just come along, it just gives this hunter a risk free payout. And if this hunter is willing to look the other way for 10 gold, it suggests they don't like the look of having to take Meepo by force. Let's meet the half-elf and find out who's actually looking for Meepo. If it's the authorities we can still pay the 10 gold and continue with a little more subtlety in future?"

(So...do you pay the tout 10 gold and follow her back to the half-elf "in the open" as it were? )

(Oh, sorry - the half elf with red hair is looking for us, but the tour is the one asking 10gp not to tell him where we are? I totally read that wrong!)

(Why pay if we can simply walk there? And if she refuses to tell where to go - we leave and she would not get her 100gp for report)

Mordekai says to Etain, "Where is this half elf now?"

Etain smiles at Mordekai, "Well, I mean, my colleague over there knows. I'm sure, as part of her "look the other way fee" of 10 gold she'd happily tell you where he's supposed to be. Remember, she's...sorta doing you a favor. She could have just got an easy 100 gold and told the elf where you were. She sorta likes me though, so...I think this warning is mostly about that. Probably worried I might get caught in the crossfire."  He grins and winks at Mordekai.

When walking back Ulthan ensures to look for other kobolds then he will point that out to the group and say "hrmpfh bounty half elf hrmpfh".

Mordekai looks to Lionel and the others, then back to Etain.  "Well, I don't necessarily think we're looking to avoid someone who might be looking for us,  so perhaps we can set a meeting up on our own terms, in a location of our choosing where we can be ready for all eventualities, and she can get her full 100 gold. If you help us find a fitting location, perhaps you and she could split the money between you?"

Etain grins and slaps Mordekai on the shoulder, "Knew you'd figure out the right answer!  You guys are so clever."  He taps his temple fiercly while narrowing his eyes at the tiefling. Then he spins on his heel and heads back to his friend. There's a brief conversation and some nodding, and then she comes over with Etain.  Etain says, "Folks, this is Mira. Mira, these are my current employers, a fine bunch o primers." 

She nods to each of you while still smiling, "So...the 100 gold was fer lettin th'guy know on the sly, but I can do that. You guys will just...oops...notice and follow me, how careless."  She winks.  "I'll offer to setup a meet, but I think that's not what this elf fella is lookin for.  He seemed more like, just tell me where they are and I'll take care of the rest....sorta feelin. Plus, he said those exact words.  So...if he doesn't take me up on the meeting...you'll have to setup your own meetin for him. Follow?"  She smiles at Etain and taps his wrist playfully and then walks out looking as innocent as can be. Suddenly you feel slightly sorry for Etain, though why isn't immediately clear. 

How far back do you follow her etc? 

Friends on the streets are a rare commodity. Most likely Etain knew it better than Lionel and just had another reason for keeping that company. But that was their business anyway. Lionel was not exactly a master of disguise not had an unnoticeable look, but the hunt was for the kobold. "Meepo, could you stay behind us? Or better, in the middle of the group? The elf is looking for a kobold, might ignore a group of others. Then we can stay closer to the girl."

Depends on the crowd density he would suggest to keep some 20ft distance and stay closer to the side to dive into a side alley when the target will be in a full view.

"Well, my thought was that I can cast Seeming on us all to make us each look like common folk like Etain and the other touts, then cast Major Image to create the Illusion of Meepo sitting unsuspecting, ready to be ambushed. The Illusion will only last 10 minutes or so, but our disguises will last 8 hours. I'll be out of big spells until our next rest, but this may be our best use of my spells anyway."

Ideally Mordekai would like to catch Mira before she leaves, to give us a little more prep time, but if she's already left then so be it. If we've got 10 minutes until it all kicks off, Mordekai will spend it talking to the group about how they fought a dragon and lived to tell the tale, going on and on about how few people have walked alive out of a dragon's lair, skipping over the fact that he himself almost died...

I'll leave it to DM's discretion to tell us whether we had time to all gain our 14 temp hp and/or delay Mira enough to work out a decent place for potential action, that isn't going to catch dozens of civilians in the crossfire and bring us to the attention of the authorities. 

(Technically, we had the whole morning to prepare)

Meepo looks a bit concerned as things get moving quickly. "If elf be dragon in humanoid form, then Meepo no know if be good idea..." He comments as he follows along. "Meepo no ready to fight dragon yet..." He continues to follow though, not willing to stay behind as the group heads out.

(You guys can interrupt Mira and take as long as you like. Meepo isn't forced to just follow along, you guys can discuss about it a bit more..)

"If this is the dragon, he would not risk attacking on the streets. Aren't bronzes supposed to be particularly law-obedient?" Lionel's dragonology was ... patchy at best, but he vaguely remembered something like that. "But the masquerade is good enough for others to discourage them from selling us to that elf too. Or to stare."

With the disguise from Mordekai, there is no need to hide too much, but in case the elf is a dragon, Lionel would ask Mira just two questions - how fast she can take money from the elf and is there a place around her meeting point, where a group can sort of hiding while watching the exchange?

     Ketch will lean down to fiddle with his book, taking the time to pull up a sliver of wood from this dive bar's floor and add it to his small collection of items which help him focus on teleportation locations. 

     After listening to the planning for a moment, the half orc just shrugs.  "If things go south I'm teleporting us back to this place.  Nobody will much care if we're followed here and this place gets torn apart.  I'd rather not mess up the Inn..."