Warwic

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"Stand and deliver!" the short woman shouted, stuffing a long, metal tube over the counter and into the face of a very startled clerk. The man blinked. She poked him in the chest with the end of the tube. "I said 'stand and deliver' dammit!"

One of the other six gnomes, also equipped with metal tubes of varying sizes, cried, "She means 'your money or your lives'! Hand over the gold, platinum and any gems you're carrying. We'll also take what's in the lockbox."

The clerk's face went pale. He did as the gnomes asked, emptying the till into a convenient sack. Next, he lead the gnome with the long tube to a hidden wall safe. Try as he might, his fingers were shaking too badly to spin out the correct combination. "Back off, Tall," the female gnome growled, motioning him away with her tube. Jerking her head, she ordered a nattily-dressed gnome to the safe. "Spickel, what's your take?"

Spickel dug into the satchel at his side and pulled out some equipment: a frame with several lenses attached, a rubber hose with a hollow cup on one end, a set of lockpicks and a mysterious, paper-wrapped package. Spickel put on the lenses and peered absently at the wall box. "A Stonehammer and Gnollbasher 42," he muttered with a gleam in his eyes. "No use in tryin' to pick it. Have to blow it." The paper packet was opened and a tarry substance was smeared carefully around the face of the lock. He set a piece of filament into the goopy mess, then hurried away to the safety of an overturned table.

The others in the inn/tavern took his actions as advice and hunkered down behind other tables and the main bar. After a full minute, Spickel popped up. He glared at the mess on the wall, seemingly using his own will to cause the resulting explosion. It rocked the building from the underpinnings to the rafters. The gang of gnomes resumed their robbery.

 

At the explosion, Dala snorted, rolled over, and resumed snoring.

 

Fienna startled at the explosion "What wa that, sounded like smoke powder, you two stay here I'll go and have a quick look; see what's happening and then if we need to do anything I'll be back." She walked to the door and stepped through, she then found she couldn't close it for the two half-orcs following her.

"You're not getting this are you, you stay here! I'll take a quick look an then come back and we'll take it from there. Stay, Stay, Stay" walking slowly towards the stairs she kept looking over her shoulder. This time they had stayed. As the sunlight hadn't really made its way into the Inn there were plenty of shadows to hide in, lying down at the top she looked down into the bar; it was chaos down there.

Smoke was all over the place broken glass lay over the floor and bar. She could see the clerk apparently whimpering and praying at the same time, there are appeared to be 6 gnomes armed with smokepowder tubes robbing the safe. Sliding back carefully she made her way back to the loft and stepped in.

"Gnomes armed with smoke powder are robbing the hotel, unless they come up here I'm staying out of the way; auntie told me about smoke powder tubes they are noisy and nasty. They fire a stone or lump of metal at you faster than arrows move and hurt lots more, let's stay here and watch out for them" she opened the door a crack, looked out and waited.

 

"Gnomes...GNOMES!?!?" Shurka bellowed, then dove under the nearest, heaviest piece of furniture which happened to be Dala in bed and still asleep.

 

Fienna looked towards Shawdup "Can you calm her down with one of her tunes, but quietly, and wake Dala up quietly as you can, I'll keep a look out"

 

Karina followed the renegade bandits at a distance. She saw they were headed for Ulgoth's Beard. That was good, she could blend in with the inhabitants of the town and keep an eye on them. Maybe get close enough to find out something.

She was on the edge of the town when then was a sudden blast. She ran foward and saw it came from the inn. She moved back into the shadow of a building and waited.

 

As soon as the safe and patrons were clean of valuables, the lead gnome jerked her head toward the door. The group backed outside with quick efficiency. The leader pulled a hand-sized tube from her belt and fired it upwards, satisfied as the metal ball ricocheted and splintered the floor at the top of the loft stairs.

"Stay up there, Tall," the gnome hollered. "You been smart so far, so keep to it and you'll live the night." With her parting words, the gang left the inn via the front door. They mounted sturdy, halfling-raised ponies and tore out of Ulgoth's with only puffs of trail dust following.

 

Fienna slipped out of the room and moved forward carefully looking past the hole she could see that the gnomes had gone moving back to the room she said "Ok they've gone let's grab our stuff and get out of here, there's a hole in the floor but we can get round that"

 

Shurka jolted to her feet, grabbed her gear and partners and stumbled out of the inn.

 

Shorme Shain, still under the guise of Warwic, secluded herself in a snug house near the Merchant League. From here, she could spy and scry to her heart's content and learn all she needed about the people. She had to be careful in selecting her next victim. Warwic had been a mistake. Shorme underestimated the wizardess' amount of friends and reputation.

This time, it would be someone unnoticeable and unknown. Someone to keep her ahead of the Inevitible on her trail. Though this body has power, power enough to kill a clockwork warrior. "It has merit," she whispered.

Her mind pushed other thoughts aside and focused on the band of would-be adventures, struggling their way to Baldur's Gate. "Who's this? A new playmate?" There was a fifth member of the troupe now.

 

"I give up. Who is it?" Korden asked as he swept the scrying crystal to the floor. "Oops, I was never very good a riddles."

"How did you find me?" Shorme demanded as he leapt to his feet.

"This isn't the first time you've infiltrated a merchantile in this city," Lavertym informed the shapeshifter. "Checking the scene of the crime is standard proceedure. You couldn't leave something this ripe for the picking alone."

"You won't take me alive!" Shorme screamed and began drawing on the magical power stored in Warwic's body.

"Dinna need to." Brega snorted and gave Korden the signal. The fighter lunged his blade through Warwic's possessed body, killing instantly. With a large black sapphire in her hands, Brega chanted, "Collnamyr Collnasae Dramyr Nusae." A wail escaped from the body along with a trail of blackness that was getting absorbed by the gem. When the darkness filled the gem, the dwarf stepped back.

Greggor whispered to the blackbird containing Warwic. "Your turn, dear."

With a screech of power, the bird flew to the corpse and landed. A burst of red energy exploded between the avian and the body. Warwic's cry expanded and echoed, shifting form from that of a bird to a halfelf. "AHH!" Warwic sat up, her eyes wide with shock. She quickly touched herself, crying. "I'm alive. I'm back in my own body." Greggor offered a hand and helped her stand. She threw herself against the bard and kissed him on the mouth.

"This could take a while. Let's-" Korden motioned to leave the couple alone. The others left and entered the busy streets of Baldur's Gate. "Looks like they'll be at that for some time. What do we do about the-" he pointed at the sapphire.

I will take that thank you boomed a familiar voice. The Inevitable appeared and took the trapped soul of Shorme Shain. It vanished just as quickly.

Lavertym crossed her arms and glanced at her companions. "So, what do you want to do about Fienna, Shurka, Dala and Shawdup? Leave them in Ulgoth's Beard?"

"They're on their way here," Korden answered. "We probably should tell them what happened."

"Probably." Lave winked at Korden, who grinned. "But why?"