Scene One: No Good Deads...

[jameswilliamogle]

Location: Waukeem's Promenade, Athkatla, Amn, Faerun, Material
Time: 3:00 pm, March 6th (determined randomly, in case you were curious)

The note that you recieved was suspicious...  Promises of great wealth, in your experiences, must always be taken with a grain of salt.  Nevertheless, the lack of future prospects where you were currently based has made you seek odds that you may have avoided in previous years.  You made your way to Athkatla, and came upon the city from the south.  The guards at the southern gate were likewise suspicious of you (as, perhaps, they shoudld be).  Baragos and Adrian make it through without too much issue, but the others were surrounded.  It wasn't until they explained that Selectra Thessledon had summoned you, and that you showed them the note, did they actually let you enter.  And, even then, they didn't look pleased about it...  "Welcome to Athkatla.  Beware of the laws of the gateway to the east."  The leader of the guards points to about a dozen posts just inside the gate, mainly laws forbidding the use of magic unless you are part of the local mage's guild (which costs money), laws banning the use of poisons, the checking of items, and taxes and tarrifs.  The guards tell you how to get to Waukeen's Promenade, and the address in the letter each of you recieved.  On the way their, you pass by both the graveyards and the slums, bordering on both.  The guards warn about both, as they both have things "best not looked into".

On your way to the address, you see that there are street merchants everywhere.  Initially, it appears to be low-quality junk, but the quality does improve as you get closer and closer to a colleseum-like structure, visible in the distance ahead.  You hear the hustle-and-bustle of a typical street market, and punctuated every once in a while you hear a piercing, loud roar, followed by various chirps, whistles, and other animal noises.  As you reach Waukeen's Promenade, the colloseum, you see the source of the noise - a circus is in town! 

(please ignore the notes; thats from a video game, not mine)

There are several natural exotic beasts in cages (lions, bears, and a particularly large snake), but also a few very exotic creatures.  There's a large, hulking beast which does NOT look pleased to be in its metal cage, and a strange three headed creature that appears to be a hybrid of several animals which looks resigned to its fate.

Dragon and Adrian only-

You recognize a grey render, and a chimera which has a mechanical dragon head in place of its real dragon head, in the cages.

The zoo appears to be closing down, as there are roustabouts taking tents down and packing up operations, some games, and about half of it is already packed on several wagons. 

After looking around, you make your way up to the third tier, and the area where the address should be.  (Unless you are being particularly stealthy) you notice each other, almost simultaneously, approaching what appears to be the same building, about 40' apart from each other (20' from the building or so on each side).

[Feel free to interact, if you want!  It doesn't matter, honestly.]

[Solo]

"Salutations." Adrian delivers in a monotone, at the others who look like they too have been summoned by the same organization.

[PhaedrusXY]

On the way in, Greth takes a few minutes to memorize the notes with all the laws on them by taking 10 on Autohypnosis. He then goes over them mentally while walking up to the address, trying to see if they include prohibitions on the use of psionics. He also looks for a self-defense clause.

A tall, lanky, tattoo-covered reptilian looking guy with splotchy yellow skin and a (seemingly) human scholar are among those approaching. They seem to be having a good-natured argument about something. You hear the phrase "Dreaming Dark" a few times, and allusions to various paranoid sounding conspiracies coming from the tall guy. As he nears, he visibly shudders and draws his cloak around him, covering his nearly naked body. "Quite a draft they have up here. Issss thisss where they keep the polar bears from the zoo, or sssomething?"

Taking in the rest of you with a glace, he says "It looks like we're not the only ones who've been invited here. Pleasssed to meet you all. I am Greth." He bows and flourishes his cloak, and his smile reveals a maw of many small, needle-like teeth.

[Solo]

"Nice to meet you. I take it you aren't from around these parts?"

[Kaelik]

A reptile of much smaller stature floats towards you, trailing a long cloak as it moves, several feet above the ground.

Is anyone of worth truly from around these parts? They fear a little magic like it will kill them. They fear it so much, it probably will.

[PhaedrusXY]

"Nice to meet you. I take it you aren't from around these parts?"

"Yesss, you are quite right. Further even than you might imagine, actually."

Imagine a bad fake German accent, with a scratchy voice overlaced with hissing sounds, and that's what Greth sounds like. Overall, his voice is pretty sinister.

Oh, and as James clarified in the OOC thread, Greth isn't actually a reptile. He just looks like one.

"Yessss, they do have quite strange rules here, no? I was just going over them mentally to see if they included provisions for self-defense, and if their prohibitions included other kinds of powers."

[Solo]

"I believe self defense magic is allowed, but under the caveat that you have a *damn* good reason for defending yourself with magic. That and casting inside your personal residence, and casting healing magic are about the only non-licensed uses of magic the authorities will allow."

[Prak, the Mad]

A tall being that you might almost call an elf, if not for his head scrapping the top of the door, walked in, and removed his jacket, a deep ox blood red trench coat with a full hood that you might swear was the head of a minotaur, and you'd be correct. He looks at once serene and graceful, and rough and rugged. Old scars, long healed, cover his arms and face, giving you the impression they certainly do not stop there. His skin is dark olive, but his hair is bright blonde like straw. He appraises the group, nodding on acknowledgment.
"So you are my would be party members, I take it?" he says as he sits down in a chair, placing his sword behind him, a sword almost twice as tall as he himself is.

[PhaedrusXY]

Ummm... I'm pretty sure we're still standing outside... No head scraping doorways here.

"Well... at least I'd guess we were all inviiited here under the sssame mysssterious circumssstances. What is to come of that we've yet to sssee.

I take it you were all lured here with promises of riches, yessss?"

[Solo]

"I'm here because I'm impressed at how someone managed to track me down."

[PhaedrusXY]

"Yesss... I'm hear for much the same reason. It makes me very suspicious that perhaps my old enemies are behind this whole charade... Because as you said, I'm not exactly from around here... I don't even reside here most of the time. I'm a Planewalker, and just happened to be here visiting my friend, Professor Kanatash, and much to my surprise, he said he had a letter for me."

OOC:

Hmm... it just occured to me that Greth would have almost certainly used Object Reading on this letter immediately after recieving it, and probably other divination types of effects to try and figure out who it was from, and what they might want, including Remote Viewing on the "previous owner" to try and Scry on them.

[Prak, the Mad]

Ummm... I'm pretty sure we're still standing outside... No head scraping doorways here.

That's just how tall he is... scrapping his head on door ways he doesn't even go through...

"Yes, richs, and I'm impressed someone was brave enough to track me down... must need a special touch..."

[mans0011]

<< >> for telepathy, different colors for different characters, yeah?

Spoken in Gith, to Greth: My old friend, we should continue this conversation later, but I have a deep suspicion that the Dreaming Dark is behind the assassination of my regent. I would appreciate any help you can offer and, who knows? Maybe this quest will uncover part of the mystery.

<<Greetings, companions. I am Kanatash, but people who know me call me Professor. I am glad to see such a diverse group of individuals collected here, for I don't think any of us knows the tasks to be laid out before us and the more varied our talents the better. I don't suppose I'm that impressed I was tracked down, I don't really hide--I am a professor at the College of the Eclipse. But you folks seem a bit more...mobile. Of a surety, whoever has tracked us down and goaded us into being here knows what he or she is about.>>

  A wizened, older-looking human turns his head and acknowledges you. He crooks an eyebrow and smiles, identifying himself as the Professor. I hope you don't mind, but for the most part, I will be speaking telepathically when we can be overheard. I find it to be tactically advantageous and just a little bit more private.

Signaling to Psylar (psicrystal, haha) to fly above and keep a look out for anything strange or obviously dangerous. He is in pixie form and invisible.

<<Keep an eye out, would you?>>

[wezylithyx]

A strange-looking, stocky man approaches the group, walking slowly and steadily. His bald head, hands, neck and face are covered in faded tattoos, all of what you can see of his skin. He also sports a large brazen beard and several piercings on his face and ears. He wears gray robes, a thick belt, a spiked breastplate and greaves, and is carrying a polearm, with a magical shield hovering near him. He scans the group with glowing blue eyes.

"Looks like I'm running late" he says in a slow accented drawl. "Did I miss anything excitin'?"

[Solo]

"Indeed you did, and event so miraculous and indescribably marvelous that I cannot describe it to you!"

[PhaedrusXY]

Greth smiles a toothy grin, and says "I must have misssssed it too then! Do tell, what was this miracle?"

[wezylithyx]

Hazael directs his glowing blue stare at Adrian. "Sarcasm don't do much to impress me. I'm Hazael, and I honestly think we should share any insights any of us might be havin' as to why wer here."

Hazael will to take a standard action to concentrate on Adrian with arcane sight.

[Solo]

"Because we live here!" Adrian replies dryly.

[jameswilliamogle]

Info on Selectra for Baragos

You beat the human messenger quite a bit, but he kept repeating that this was part of a messenger service, and that he didn't really know anything.  You punched a little harder, and thats when he told you that she's the heir to a small mercantile company, and that she's trying to get her business back together.

OOC: Ya, I rolled a 5 for your intimidate check , but a 17 for your Sense Motive - he seemed to be telling the truth...  The second time  .

Info on Selectra for Greth

You indeed were able to use Remote Viewing successfully (OOC-she rolled an 8 for her save).  It allows you spy on her for about a minute.  (I rolled randomly to determine what time of day - 11 am.)  She appeared to be a person of some importance, meeting people, signing documents that you understood to be business agreements, and things like that.  She was very pretty...

http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merchandiser/31206.jpg

Info on Selectra for Hazael

This one is tricky, as I'm not sure what you'd ask...  I'll wing it...

You hear from the great beyond a cryptic message "Selectra is the beacon in the maelstrom."

OOC - everyone

OK, I'll give everyone up to a day RL to act on this info, if they want to, then will post stuff later

Also - this is a busy, busy area, so I'm assuming that you all have about a 5' space between you.

People continue to bustle past you, as you talk.  Most (but not all), look at the queer group speaking with each other.

[PhaedrusXY]

Awesome. What about Object Reading on the note?