Part 1: Morals or Wealth?

An old man sits in the dust cross legged, pedestrians swirling around him. As his bowed head rises, his mismatched eyes seem to pick you out of the crowd of street vendors, whores, thieves, cheats, orphans, beggars, and miscreants. His voice rises slowly in pitch and intensity, "Those who eat of the oligarchs plate will receive thier rewards. Repent and return to the Amber Papacy. Hear me and see my sign." The thin arms reach into a nearby moth eaten sack to produced a small vial of orange liquid. Never blinking, never breaking eye contact he pours the liquid on himself. Slowly his body begins to melt, like a hot wax, and run down into the street to form a puddle. Several gasp come from the crowd. Turning away from the gruesome sight you find a note in your pocket. Meet in the Cinderblock Cellar if you wish to help! Tomorrow Night after the Sweep.

The Cinderblock Cellar was a dank musty affair. Located in an old part of town it used to be a winesink for less than desirable company. Eventually even that fell into disrepair. As you enter the cellar down some broken stone steps, a tattered strip of cloth serves as a door. Inside are several other people standing around the walls. A single lantern gives light to the room held by a man concealed in a brown cloak. "Thank you for coming friends. Obviously you know how to locate a disused building, evade the Sweep, and yet hold enough trust to show up. Your skills would be useful to us. If you care to help out our disheartened brothers and sisters of Aian, simply pocket one of the pill set before you. It will serve later in your mission." As you look your eyes find a small cloth laid out with enough pills for each person in the room to take one. They vary in color and size from tiny white pills to horse pills of a pallid yellow. *Once you have pocked a pill and two people have left the room...* "Now go forth and find the Master of the Marble Hall. The rich have relied on him too long to bank their ill gotten coin! Once you have him, bring him to the Jester's courtyard. Whoever succeeds in this task will have the Beggar Queen's thanks." The lantern is hooded and you are surrounded in darkness.

Old McDonald had a farm
With fleece as white as snow
Along came a spider
and .... oh, I forget the rest.

I'm not sure who this Beggar Queen is, but she sure wants this "Master of Marble Hall" pretty badly. I wonder what she will give for him. Then again, maybe he does not want to meet her. Who knows, not me. Palming the pill, I make my way to the back door. Wanting to shed a little light on the subject, and the pill.

Kleas hears the feint sound of stone rubbing against stone. Inspecting the pill Ary'din fails to recognize its use. Kevba deduces his pill to be a level 2 Sleep Inducer. Effect: Touch or ingestion puts the victim to sleep for ten minutes or until awoken by a violent action or an extremely loud noise.

The meeting breaks up for the night and the six other figures filter out into the night. The next day the sun rises and the possibilities are fresh in your minds. Search out the marble hall. Learn more about the Beggar Queen or Master of the Marbel Hall. Try and join up with some of the other participants of last night's group.

After stopping locals and asking around, only to be ignored and scoffed at, I see a rather dashing, self important man, walking alone. I start walking with him, trying to impress him with my poetry.
The whole while, I am looking for some reaction for anyone...a coy look, a downward glance, etc... I am mad, not stupid.

Ayre'din soon arrives at the plush offices of Bano the Silk Merchant. A man of connections to be sure, he wears a golden silk robes trimmed in silver. His office sits in a well endowed stone building on the east side of Aian. Piles of cushines sit behind a low desk. Bano himself has a double chin and is served by two boys dressed in white togas. "Ahh, it has been a time since I have seen you my cheeky dancer! What pleasure brings you to my humble office?" Make an intelligence roll to see how well you negotiate favors for information.

(OOC: On my previous post I couldn't roll so I'm doing it here)

Kleas quickly identifies his pill as a Level 2 Stim. Effect: Reduce the difficulty of the next action taken by 3 steps. Sorako takes the pill in hand and recognizes a Mind Disrupting Poision Level 2. Effect: The victim suffers intelligence damage (2) for (2) rounds. Kevba notices a man wearing the garb of The Order of truth giving him an odd look.

As Sorako returns to the Cinderblock cellar the dank smells assault him once again. Inside he finds broken wine bottles, broken furniture, and rat nestings. Searching behind what was previously a bar Sorako notices a small out of place and new looking lever.

Ayre'din watches the smile grow on Bano's face. "It just so happens that I have an opportunity to introduce you to the Master. He has a lavish affair planned for tomorrow! I could not possibly get someone such as you on the invite list unless......" Bano's grin turns sly and develish, "well unless you want to go as a preformer. Of course you must understand that I," Bano fakes distress "Have such limited funds that are tied up in other ventures. You would have to do this for free as my gift to the Master for my own invite. What do you say?"

As Kevba walks through the streets following the robed figure he passes many strange sights and smells. Cooked spiker fish being hawked by men in turbans, filthy orphan gangs stealing from merchants and being chased by guards, and strange numenera devices displayed in store windows. Eventually the streets turn from mud to rough cobble. Passing into even more prosperous parts of the city the streets turn into well fitted brick. The robed man eventually notices the strange man following him. Make a speed roll difficulty 4 to keep up.

Kleas Make an intellect roll to see who you spot.

(Ooc: Sorako is female!)

Am I really going to do anything other than pull the lever?

I pull the lever, tensing to act for anything untoward.

Sorako pulls the lever and a rumble of stone on stone for a few seconds produces a small tunnel down into the earth. The tunnel proves to shrink until Sorako can no longer stand, and begins to crawl. After a few hundred yards the tunnel splits into two. The tunnel to the left is blocked by rusted iorn bars. The tunnel to the right has the sound of music drifting down it. Make a might check level 4 to proceed down the tunnel to the left. Make a speed check level 3 if you proceed down the right.

[b]Kevba[b] Unable to pick up the find the robed man Kevba begins to search for his trail. While looking down at the rode he bumps into something hard. Looking up he finds himself face to face with a pair of Angligan Knights. The bigger one begins, "Excuse you sir! You seem to have lost your way." The smaller one in the back laughs, "Out of the Asylum I'd say." The two knights dress is red cloaks with a golden breastplate. They each carry a heavy spear with a gilded silver tip. The bigger of the two continues, "I'm John and this is Briar, you had better come with us." With a sudden clarity Kevba realizes that tre Angligan Knights are somehow connected to the robed figure.

Kleas Notices a small humanoid in a green scale like robe. Standing just four foot tall, his mismatched yellow and pink slit eyes seem to bore in to Kleas' skull. A small voice in his head whispers Come with me. Meet the Slitican. He has need of your services. Your friend Illisan has recommended you. With that the creature walks down a filthy alley. Following him Kleas sees him disappear down a dank hold.

Ayre'din is escorted to a lovely estate on the west side of Aian by two burly men belonging to Bano. Upon arrival Ayre'din can see why it is called the marble hall. Rows of columns, numerous fountains, rooms, benches, everything made of marble. Make a speed roll level 5 to see how well you perform. After the performance you are wisked to a side room where you meet a bleach white woman sitting on a marble chair, very reminiscent of a throne. "I heard a dancer wanted a word with me. Come now, what is it?"