Monday, February 14, 2011

Enough Sightseeing

Strategic overview: Your party has come to Korvosa to track down the plague rats. From the Red Gull the rats were handed over to a minor crime boss and all round despicable guy, one Gaedran Lamm. You are now outside Lamm’s headquarters, an old fishery he uses as a front for a pick pocketing ring. A coach has just pulled up outside and from it have stepped an aristocratic woman and her two armed guards, all very out of place in this poorest district of town. The woman and one of the guards went directly into the fishery while the other guard stayed outside with the carriage.

Tactical overview: Sasha and Xer have been dispatched to reconnoitre the site: The dilapidated old building is two stories; one at street level, then one below that at water level. A walkway, old and rickety like the rest of the building, runs along the south side.. As Sasha and Xer creep partway onto this walkway they hear it groan under their combined weight and quickly back away. They also catch sight of a large finned shadow moving below the water’s surface, easily six feet long. Afterwards Malvick tells them this is most likely a Jigsaw shark – man eating scavengers that prowl the docks.

There is boat is butted right up against the fishery and it is clear that it will never sail again. A gangway is hidden under the building connecting the boat to the lower level.

There are two main entrances to the fishery. The main street entrance sees little use – occasional orphans scampering in and out - though this is the entrance the woman and her guard used. There is a cargo entrance to the south, which sees more traffic – fisherman come and go, dropping off their spoiled catches or picking up buckets of rendered chum to use as bait or turn into “dock dumplings.” Sasha’s attempts to bribe more information out of one of the children ends in failure, the children of the area are clearly terrified of whoever controls the fishery, and Sasha’s sweet pastries don’t go nearly far enough to winning their trust. With more time perhaps, she and Xer might be able to win over one of them, but the woman and her guards are surely here with a purpose, and time may be of the essence if your group does not want the plague rats to slip out of your grasp.


Your group needs to decide on a plan of action now. There is no more time for gathering facts or getting the lay of the land. Even now Lamm could be handing over the plague rats to the mysterious woman and her guard. Will you storm the front door? It is obvious that Lamm’s child labourers are hard at work inside. Will you steal around the back via the walkway? It is known to be unstable and the water around it is stalked by at least one marine predator. Will you wait here, across the road for the woman to return, ambushing her on the road, hoping that she is indeed the villain of the piece and not simply a merchant’s wife in the wrong place at the wrong time?

7 comments:

Malvick said...

"With a guard waiting she can't be too long inside. I don't know what you all may be thinking right now but I see a hard way and a harder way.

The first thing I think of is covertly gain one of the entrances, probably the drop off for the fisherman, and then use that as a beach head. Unfortunately, someone may flee with the rats in the chaos.

The second is more difficult but also elegant. Take out the guard at the wagon, have someone sit in for him and then make a lot of noise to scare 'her highness' into leaving quickly. We may create an opportunity if we insert a stresser."

Sasha said...

Sasha listens to Mal's plan.

"Simple works best. Let's run with the first plan. The water rats don't know anything else but they're definitely scared of whatever is in there. I like elegant but ..." Sasha points a thumb to Xer "... we like to be low maintenance."

Xer cracks and smile and Sasha smiles and shifts her hips. "Not to mention ... we're running out of time."

Xerlena said...

"I think the front door is the best idea. in a way. Would have also been cool to come at it from two sides. Take a row boat or something to the ship then use the hidden gang plank from the ship to get into the building while the big boys come through the front door." Do we have the time to do a two pronged approach?

"If not then I suggest we go through the front and leave at least one person outside to try and keep an eye on other ways people might slip out. I am sure the kids can make it across the weak walkway, but any adults should not be able to."

Malvick said...

"If I can find an appropriate spot for high ground with the surrounding buildings I could cover the street for both your entry and exit but I'd be no help when you're inside."

Anonymous said...

some good thoughts. Remember the guard and carriage parked outside the main door. There is enough time for a two pronged attack but you have to move fast and coordination once things start will be nearly immpossible.

Greg

Anonymous said...

Well if you all want to bust in on them from the front, I'll take care of the guard outside.


Mich

Xerlena said...

"I would figure the people that go through the front door would hit the Carriage on the way in to remove that person from the thing. When we start hearing the noise from out front we can come racing in from the ship. My only real worry is how few we are for such a wild plan."

With a sly wink. "Fortune favours the bold I have heard."