The Omen Star: The Pit (Ch. 1)

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When Blackie looks around Jace's humble abode, he notices that the conman has gotten much more organized in his double life. The change in demeanor and habits were essential in remaining undetected by the guild as long as he had. In the common room, there were a few books shelves on his hardwood floors covering a wide variety of subjects. Most of these books are untouched, however; Jace just merely gives off the appearance of someone who's well learned. In reality, the latest book he was reading was on his well made mahogany table. The title on the spine reads '50 Shades of Fey', romantic smut was always a weakness of his that he never grew out of. Besides that, there was a map of the city with various markings that depicted the guild's old hideouts, smuggling routes, and the like.

Once Blackie was inside and the door was closed, DuPont casts Prestidigitation to make his hair a darker color and his eyes to flash a wicked emerald green. The man is slowly peeling off his mustache while listening to his old friends plight. "That's just part of the biz once you decide to go independent." All traces of his accent gone. "Well chum, I don't think our styles mesh very well, so I wouldn't be able to set you up with a proper kit with what I have." When Blackie forks over a hefty sum of change, he was all ears while he gave Jace his pitch. The half-elf seemed genuinely impressed by Blackie's story, but a small frown tugged at his lips when he only had a dagger to show for his troubles. "If the entity inside you can create constructs, you think it could be a bit more creative than weapons. Anyone can get a weapon. Nevertheless, we have a compact and my services, as well as clothes, are yours! I unfortunately haven't been to the Paladin's Mount for quite some time as my work leads me to the more unsavory parts of Highwall. I would like to talk about it over a drink, however. There's this new concoction I've been wanting to try for a while, now..."
 
Highwall:
Residential District
DuPont's Place
__________________

Blackie nods for a moment at Pierre's response. "Yeah, I don't think this one is by choice. Apparently some people are touchy, about who I spend my time with," said Blackie before looking at Pierre for some kind of reaction to that. After staring for a moment he seemed content with either the expression or lack there of to move onto the other subject. "Yes, a Rapier and a Dagger are fine especially in my hands, I think... she can do more. They just need to remember. Syl needs to Focus, her attention is like the wind all over the place and where ever the conversation blows."

Suddenly there is a loud knock at the door to Pierre's place and Blackie instantly stops talking looking to the door. He switches to old guild signs for basic communication. 'Hostile. Probably.' After which he in a low whisper response. "The Last Stop Inn. I'll meet you there when I've lost these fools. There are others, you can trust them. They trusted a criminal like me, so either they are suckers, or genuine."

Blackie grins at this before heading for the window. "Sorry about this," says Blackie as he jumps out the window causing quiet a bit of noise. You can hear his voice proclaim fairly loudly outside your newly broken window. "And here I thought I was forgiven of all crimes... guess some people didn't get the memo. Lets see what they are teaching the Guild Newbies now a days."

And with that you hear feet skuttering away and then two figures go running past your window not even bothering to look into your place.
 
As Likt pulls up a chair with the large tortle fellow, Umi shot them a disgruntled look until he saw the familiar flash of Likt's eyes. He quickly moved his books to the side, keeping them open and in front of him to work on, but allowing for the others to have some of their own space. "I'm doing alright Likt, I got to spend some of the money on some interesting new spells, I'm just copying them over now. How have you been enjoying your freedom?" As the tortle addresses Umi, the elf gives him a quick once over before giving a small smile. "Yes sir, I am one of those that escaped the Pit. Do you two know each other?" As he spoke, Umi continued to glance back and forth between his companions and his books, quill still scratching away during their conversation.
 
"We do not know each other, she simply led me to you when I asked for the location of your group, I have very mild knowledge of things to come, and I feel as if I have been led to find you and your companions" the tortle looks about the bar, observing the other patrons and the small group who seem to be speaking with the bartender "Where is the rest of your merry band? and how do you know this elf?"
 
Ah, feeling like they were led to us...sounds like we got another holy man...turtle? with us, following their 'fate'. Umi nodded along without looking at the tortle, continuing to do his work, but when he did glance up followed the tortles gaze towards the bartender and spotted Donovan who seemed to be a bit off-kilter. He raised a hand to wave Donovan over to their table, before turning back to the tortle. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself, my name is Umi Folkor, it's good to meet you Mr...? As for the rest of my 'companions' as you called them, I see one up by the bar and this wood elf, but not sure where the other two got off to. I'm sure they will find their way here eventually. We know each other from the unfortunate circumstance of being cast into the Pit together, and we managed to make it out alive. -- Well, most of us at least. We picked this one up" Umi gestured to Likt with the end of his quill "On the way through the Pit actually. We lost a few, but overall we were just lucky to survive."
 
Seeing Umi waving him down along with what looked like a giant turtle, Donovan made his way over. Catching sight of the quill in Umi's hand, Donovan glanced at the table and saw some books. "Been on a bit of a book spree, 'uh?" Donovan said as he sat down to Umi's side between the two of them. Looking the giant turtle over, Donovan shrugged, a bit of his whitish hair falling from behind the pointed tip of his ear as he did so. He was still surprised how comfortable his new light blue leather armor was, more used to whatever cheap armor he could either buy from the profits of a job or steal on the job.

"Hey," Donovan said, remembering he'd intended to start speaking a little better than he had in the past. "My name's Donovan," he said as he held his hand out over the table.
 
"I'm sorry for not introducing myself, it's been a while. I am Mahkah Galu, at one time I was a soldier but in the days since, I have become a recluse" the tortle shook Donovans hand and he looked to Likt "I had a feeling she was one of you, just no way to prove it" the tortle sighed and relaxed in his chair "escaping the pit is quite the admirable feat, especially in a group, what are your current ambitions looking like?" he thought a moment before speaking once more "It has been a while since I was in this city, the only reason I am here now is because I think I could help you all"
 
The dashingly good looking half-elf watched his old...acquaintance leave his home in a hurry, looks like for all the practicality there was to being good at hiding physically, it still didn't match Jace's ability to hide in plain sight. He won't feel too heartbroken if Blackie finally bites it, would be enjoyable robbing whoever finally gets his bounty. The idea of work was appealing to him, however. Jace Skylander agreed to take on some work on behalf of his feathered friend and he intends to do so swiftly. The young bard gathers his outdoors gear, his bagpipes, and his lovely book before exiting through the back of his abode and quickly blending into the crowd. Its been a long time since he's been to The Last Stop Inn, he wonders if he'll see any familiar faces about. Hopefully not anyone too familiar.
 
Shaking Mahkah's hand, Donovan gave him a smile, "'eh, I don't think we'd have made it out if we hadn't stuck together." Looking to Umi, Donovan wondered what Umi's plans were beyond visiting the paladin now they were out of the pit. For his own part, Donovan's plan, as much as he could put one together while drunk, was to go pray at the church at least one evening a week, deal with Gliss' dark ones and see what came from there.

"I'd be interested in hearing what, help you were offering, Mahkah?" Donovan said, forcing himself to put a little more effort into his speech than he usually did, "What'd you think, Umi?"
 
"The best assistance I can offer is my fighting capability, the second, if you'll accept it, is the knowledge of my premonition, you most likely know of it as well, but that new red star in the sky, it brings evil. I can sense it." he sighed, his eyes closed as if remembering a bad dream "It's not something I look forward to, so I sought you out."
 
The Bartender nods holding up a finger for the price of a room, and mentions he can have room number three, to sleep it off. The bearded man shakes his head, knowing full well it will take awhile for that stuff to wear off, and when it does, they may or may not like how it transformed their body. He hands a key over to Likt and goes back to serving other patrons that have arrived.
 
Looking Mahkah over, Donovan could see that the tortle clearly had a lot of muscle mass in his arms. Certainly more than Donovan, whose only exercise had tended to be running over rooftops and pulling himself up over walls. The mention of a premonition intrigued Donovan, especially if it had to do with the red star that they'd seen once out of the pit.

'What do you think, Gliss?' Donovan thought, 'Sounds like Mahkah would be a useful ally, right?'

"So, what premonition did you, have?" Donovan asked, pausing slightly so he didn't lapse in his usual bad habit though being drunk meant he had to put in more effort than he would have sober.
 
"It was in a dream, I was asleep, at home when I felt a great evil, I was having a dream but when I felt that great evil, everything became black. I saw a light and within it was myself, and a group of people with their faces hidden, I knew this meant that I must seek out people like myself." the tortle had started shaking, the dream had left him in a bad state and he knew that in his current state he wasn't strong enough to stand against any evils of that size. In his heart, his biggest fear was that it was the elven necro mist from the north setting in and claiming everything in its fog.
 
Umi was tuning in and out of the conversation as he worked on his spell book, nodding along to show that he was still paying attention. When Donovan addresses Umi on his opinion, Umi chuckles quietly. "Honestly Donovan, I have no idea whether or not Mankah can help us...we have no idea what it is that were supposed to be doing, other than meeting with this paladin, but it must be in some way connected to that star. So I would say yes, Mankah would most likely be fine accompanying us, especially if he has some premonitional knowledge of this star." Umi lay a very thin layer of sarcasm as he mentioned Mankah's premonition, but his face was expressionless as he did so.

Umi then noticed that Likt had wandered off to find a room for the night, and Umi looked to Donovan and Mankah. "Perhaps we should follow Likt's example, no? We can get some sleep and reconvene for breakfast in the morning, then go see this man that requests our presence."
 
Yawning a little as the mention of sleep came up, Donovan nodded, "That sounds like a plan. Probably for the best I sleep off the booze before we meet the paladin." Donovan stood up and held the back of the chair for a second, tapping his fingers along the back of the chair. "There's somewhere I'd like to go before I turn in but I'll come back here for the night."

Popping over to the bar, Donovan flagged down the bartender. "How much to rent a room for the night?" Donovan asked, figuring he'd get a room, go pay a quick visit to the Church of Eilistraee, wander back to the inn once he was ready to turn in for the night. 'And just hope I can find my way there and back safely.' the half-elven rogue thought to himself.
 
Mahkah nodded in agreement and got up, he went to the barkeep, presenting his small bag of gold and asked "How much for a room?"
 
The bartender looks at you all coming up to him for rooms shaking his head. "I warned ye... going to bed at this hour of the afternoon.... well you'd best sleep it off if you are going to make yourselves presentable," says the bartender and Inn keeper as he reaches and pulls out two more keys after taking 1gp from each of you.
 
Donovan picked up the key to his room, scratching his hair a little as he did so. He was just trying to work out something in his mind. 'Had intended to drop by the Church. But on second though, wandering around the town drunk isn't a good idea. Should just go sleep it off.'

"Thanks for the advice," Donovan said as he headed for the stairs. "'ave you got anyone to bunk with, Umi?" Donovan asked as he passed Umi again.
 
Umi looked at drunk Donovan, weighing what bunking with him would mean exactly. He didn’t want to have to deal with a sloppy drunk man, but on the other hand he remembered the kindness Donovan showed their birdlike friend after just meeting him. Hesitantly, “Umm...nope I’m by myself at the moment. You and I could bunk together though, if that was an offer.”
 
Donovan nodded, "Sure thing, I'll leave the door unlocked with the key in the lock. Will probably be pretty out of it." Donovan said, looking over the collection of things in front of Umi, "Have fun finishing up all this." With a slight yawn, Donovan headed up the stairs, glancing at the key and seeing a printed number on the top of it. Finding the room easily enough, Donovan put the key on the inside of the lock and closed the door but did not lock it behind him. Looking around the room, Donovan settled for an easy option. Curling up on the bed hugging his bag to his chest.
 
Umi nodded as Donovan left, and continued to work by himself for the next couple hours. Finally finished transcribing, the high elf puts his books back in his bag, and out of the corner of his eye he notices a familiar symbol. There on a piece of paper shoved to the bottom of his pack was his letter of acceptance to the School of Conjuration. Umi facepalmed as he remember that he wasted 50 gold buying materials when he could have just borrowed from the school, and he immediately got up and headed across the town to visit his old stomping grounds.
 
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