Book 1: Chapter 1 - A Game Afoot in Stormreach

[Vardaen]

The newly form company leaves the Grey Tower and follows Fletcher out into Stormreach. The Warforged has been in Stormreach longer than most of the rest of you and he has worked with and for the Iron Watch and still does even with his newly joined status with the Grey Company. The Grey Tower is in Old Gate, specifically in the ward of Whitewash. Mostly Audarians, neat and orderly with more Everbright Lanterns than any other place you can see why the Grey Company set up shop in this area.

As you head over the bridge moving east you hear a man talking to his friend. “All I'm saying is the Karrns are living around that temple of Vol day in and day out, and I've yet to see them come to any harm. I mean, sure, they're a scowling bunch, but they haven't all been devoured by demons or raised as the walking dead either, have they?”

You are soon out of Whitewash and Oldgate and into the Temple district. Your senses are assault here on all sides. The district is home to as many entertainment establishments as it is actual temples (possibly more). A man on a corner shouts out about the virtues of his employer. “Ladies and gentlemen, if I might speak to you of the Pink Conch's advantages for a moment. Our services are refined, our men and women unmatched, and our discretion limitless. And at the Conch, there is no theatrical subterfuge, as you might find at the Livewood Theater. No, here what you see is what you get. And I'd wager we have much you'd like to see!”

You press through the smells of temple oils, the sounds of adepts calling at your and bards plucking at their instruments without stopping.

This takes you finally into Forgelight where the Iron Watch are located. Forgelight isn't quiet, not at all. The hammering of the smithies, the clash of arms against shields and armor, the roar of the furnaces—these things make the place a tempest of metallic noise. It isn't quiet, but the people are hushed. The people here don't waste words; they go about their business with a grim and admirable efficiency of language and motion that infects the whole district with seriousness.

Forgelight is the city's most heavily rebuilt and reordered district, where evidence of the ancient city has to be sought out rather than being obvious. Each time the city has been resettled in past centuries, this district has been a starting point; it has clean water, stable ground, and newer structures. These days, Forgelight is dominated by House Deneith. The house's numbers are modest, but its employees are numerous. Martial skill is much prized in Stormreach and Xen'drik, so the house's Defenders and Blademarks guilds do a booming business. Even a simple club-swinger can make a tempting wage working in the city or accompanying expeditions into the jungle. Fletcher chimes up, "Forgelight's mercenaries and the Iron Watch fill in for the Stormreach Guard and protect shipments and explorers. The forges and shops buy, sell, and repair the equipment used by these mercenaries, as well as by adventurers. Iron Watch, over here." He leads you to the front of the Iron Watch building.

One of the senior members of the Grey Company works among the Iron Watch as well, Tin Man, so you've heard. You have yet to meet this Warforged in your short time among the Tower. Fletcher knows this place well enough and pushes open the heavy door. Standing behind a heavy desk is the Warforged Kiosk, he is a large warforged, composite plating with the added bonus of thick metal studs about his body. Behind him the area opens into training rooms and armories for the members.

GM

I've updated the OOC thread about Stormreach for the area's you've moved through.

[mackaber]

As the group maneuvers it's way through the bustling streets of Stormreach Werz begins to chat a bit with the large warforged that goes by the name of Fletcher.
"So tell me a bit about the Iron Watch. How'd you get involved with them?" then once they reach the organisations perimeters he leaves the talking to the warforged for the time.

[Eilandor]

As they make their way through the streets, "After the Treaty of Thronehold I made my way to Stormreach. Looking for any amount of work I joined the Stormreach Guard. The Guard, if you have not witnessed will employ anyone with ill regard to qualification or motive. As you can imagine it didn't take much to stand apart. A Storm Lord...Paulo Omaren in fact took notice and extended an invitation into the Iron Watch."

Fletcher has been thinking on who of the Iron Watch could be trusted with revealing their purpose. Arriving at the main desk, "Kiosk, nice to see you. I was wondering...rare as it might be is the Tin Man available?"

[Vardaen]

The group has had some time to get to know each other in the last week, but there is always more to learn.

Inside the Iron Watch Fletcher speaks to Kiosk and asks about the Tin Man. "Greetings to you Fletcher, welcome back, it has been some time since you were hear last." He can't smile or show emotion or use sarcasim so its difficult to read him. "Tin Man is present inside the facility in fact. Are you interested to speak with him?" A nod from Fletcher makes the bulky and studded Warforged move from behind his desk. "I shall see if he is available to speak to you."

You wait about 13 minutes before Kiosk and Tin Man return. Tin Man is a brightly polished mithril warforged of slightly odd design. He has on his left arm a frost covered blade affixed where a hand should be. Set in the center of his chest is a pure black docent (a magical device of the like of the scarab that Shard wears in his chest). Tin Man also wears a floppy hat, and something tells you that Benmarrow gave him that hat, along with a cloak and rather stylish clothing. He stops before you and forces his mouth open -- the best he can manage of a smile. "Hello! Kiosk tells me you are looking for me. I am Tin Man, and you are the new recruits of the Grey Company. A pleasure to meet you." He looks you over, "You aren't as pretty as the officers are but I'm sure that didn't stop Benmarrow from trying to get you copulation services in the Drunken Shifter." This warforged is certainly strange, all his time spent with Benmarrow, Val and Nirus has truely rubbed off on him. "How can I help you?"

Tin Man

[mackaber]

Werz must work hard not to smile at the sight of this rather odd Warforged. Truly the Grey Company was no ordinary employer.

[Eilandor]

Fletcher stays on task and introduces the others, "This is Gred, Werz and Shard."

"It seems our first mission for the Grey Company is a bit of a hunt and fetch. We seek the whereabouts of a human woman...Natalya Vancaskerkin." With a gesture to Werz to produce the sketch, "We have a sketch."

[Vardaen]

Tin Man takes the image and looks at it handing it over to Kiosk who also gazes intently at it. Removing his hat with his one good hand Tin Man lays it down on the desk and then nods once, "We know this woman, she is a petty burglar known to run with the infamous criminal Halas Martain at times. She also has dealings with the Bilge Rats in the Harbor District, and other gangs as well. Where she is however is a mystery to me." He looks at Kiosk and the other heavy warforged flips through some books, "We have not picked her up recently."

[Eilandor]

Shaking his head, "Halas Martain."

"Val had mentioned the Bilge Rats as well, any information you could provide on them." Looking to the others, "They may very well be our next visit."

[Vardaen]

Tin Man stands stock still now, "That could be tricky. Tracking them down is always hard, but rumors are they have moved their headquarters again. No informants we have have yet been able to update us as to the location of their new headquarters. I do know a few months back they had a falling out with another gang, the Wreckwash Blades -- there was blood in the streets that day. But for several weeks after that the talk was that the Rats were slumming it in an abandoned warehouse in the Styes that they shared with a disreputable local by the name of Fenster the Blight, he might know where the Bilge Rats are now."

[Eilandor]

"I thank you for meeting with us Tin Man." Looking around at the others, "Unless anyone has another question I think we have enough to go on for our next destination."