Name: Charisse Race: Human
Ht: 5’6, Wt: 130, Sex: Female,
Archetype: Rogue
HP: 7 / 7 Mana: 0 / 0
Stats:
Physical : 2, Moxie : 3, Spiritual : 2, Luck : 3,
Agility : 3, Magic : 2, Mental : 2, Energy : 2.
Relevant Skills: Archetype - Awareness, Mental - Deduct Rationale, Mental - Object Recollection and Recall, Moxie - Deceive, Physical - Suppress Vomit and/or Nausea, Rogue - Trap Detection and Avoidance, Stealth - Move Silent
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"It's time," Samson said as he gently nudged Charisse on the shoulder, waking her up from a nap.
Charisse stood up and stretched, working out the stiffness in her muscles. Henderson was already standing and stretching nearby. Footsteps approaching drew her attention; the older man was walking toward them.
"If you all are ready, I'll let you out. I'll show you where you can knock to have the wall lowered when you return." Marshal said as he strode past them. He went straight to the door and opened it.
Charisse moved first and stepped through the door. A black curtain of night hung over the town. The occasional street lamp barely penetrated the gloom. Sensing something was off, she quickly scanned the courtyard nearby for some wizard or source of the trickery.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 9, 8, 5, 3, 4; Two Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 2 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,378.
Nothing moved in the immediate area. Even the air seemed too scared to move. Charisse took a few more steps forward, then to the left to make room for everyone else. Henderson and Reggie followed, each pausing for a moment as they stepped out into the little courtyard of the house. Marshal exited last, closing the door behind him and turning a key in the lock before turning toward the group.
"Ahead and on the left-right outside the fence is an old tree. It's hollow, and if you knock upon it, we will hear it. The tree doesn't lead into the mansion. We'll lower the wall then." Marshal said. He raised his right hand, a small metal cube grasped in it. It flashed a faint light; then, he slowly lowered the cube. As the cube descended, so did the iron bars.
Charisse looked at the tree and tried to commit it to memory. It was a thin tree that showed signs of being tended, and she guessed she could wrap her hands around it and have her fingers touch. The branches didn't start until they were over six feet up. There were almost identical trees in a line to the left and right of this tree. Glancing around, she found a couple of doors of notable buildings she could use to line up which tree was the one.
"Let's be smart about this, sneak in," Henderson was interrupted by Samson.
"No, they wronged the Lady. So we go in, recover her item, then burn it to the ground," Samson said.
Charisse found herself nodding along with Samson's statement. In the back of her mind, there was a small voice telling her no; she tried to ignore it, but she had to agree with some of it.
"Guys, I think I heard the Lady or Marshall call my name. Go ahead without me; I'll meet you there or on the way back." Reggie said. No one questioned or said anything as he turned and headed back toward the Lady's place.
Charisse tried to come up with a reason to bring him back but didn't want to disobey or cause Reggie to delay obeying the Lady. Pushing her friend from her thoughts, she focused her mind on breaking into the shop.
"Getting caught isn't going to help the Lady. We need to be smart about going in, some stealth." Charisse said. Henderson was nodding his head in agreement. Charisse looked at Samson and smiled, "Then we burn to the ground."
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 8, 1, 9, 8, 4; Three Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 3 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,375.
Charisse heard Henderson curse softly nearby; she also listened to the sounds of horses making their way down one of the nearby streets.
"Someone is coming; let's start working our way there." Charisse followed her ear and looked in the direction of the incoming horses. It was the same direction the shop would be; she started walking in that direction and looking for a hiding spot. None arose to view; thinking quickly, she slid alongside Henderson. "Act drunk."
Success! Moxie Roll 6d10; 5, 2, 3, 10, 3, 1. One Success; Skill Moxie - Deceive gained 1 Experience.
Skill points to next level, 9,540
Stumbling a little, she threw a hand to Henderson's shoulder to steady herself. Henderson stumbled a couple of steps, almost falling face-first onto the street. Charisse grabbed and helped steady him.
"Mah place is up here," Henderson said.
Throwing a glance at Samson, Charisse winked at the merchant, who gave the nod back.
"Hey, no touching before you pay!" Samson said.
Charisse felt a bit of anger rise in her at the suggestion; it was replaced with a wave of agreement that it would be the only way to explain three people walking at night. Moreover, the Lady had decreed Samson would help, so they must need him.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 8, 10, 1, 10, 1; Three Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 3 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,372.
The horses clopped closer but started to veer to avoid Charisse's group. Then, faintly over the sounds of the horses and their footsteps, Charisse heard one of the riders say something softly, "Bah, so poor couldn't even afford a good whore."
"I can't wait till I get you home," Henderson said.
"Hey, here's a few coppers; at least buy yourself a decent whore, not that cutter trash filth." One of the riders said. A few coins clinked against the cobblestone road, bouncing a few times before settling on the ground.
A hand gripped Charisse's left shoulder tightly. She looked back at Henderson, who also had his other hand on his sword. A slight shaking of his head offset the words coming from his mouth. "Thank you, good sirs; this will cover tomorrow night."
Remembering the task at hand, Charisse sighed and allowed Henderson to guide her. Then, allowing Henderson to lead, she closed her eyes and listened for the sounds of the patrol to fade off.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 7, 2, 10, 3, 7; Three Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 3 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,369.
The sound of the horses faded until even the echoes of the clops off the stone disappeared. A small part of her mind tugged at her trying to get her to follow the patrol.
Success! Mental Roll 2d10; 7, 3. One Successes; Skill Mental - Resist Compulsion gained 1 Experience. Mental - Resist Compulsion has reached Rank 1! Skill points to next level, 10
For a moment, her mind was free, and a weight crashed down on her. She stumbled, missing a step, but Henderson held onto her.
"They're gone. You can drop the act." Henderson said.
Charisse's mind raced as she reviewed her actions over the past few hours. "I just need a moment; I got a rock in my shoe." She said. Henderson released her shoulder and allowed her to bend down and remove a shoe. As she crouched there, she quickly pulled up her combat log.
Success! Mental Roll 2d10; 7, 3. One Successes; Skill Mental - Resist Compulsion gained 1 Experience. Mental - Resist Compulsion has reached Rank 1! Skill points to next level, 10
With little time, she scrolled further up and saw what she'd suspected.
Failure! Mental Roll 2d10; 1, 5. Zero Successes; Skill Mental - Resist Compulsion failed.
Dropping the combat log, she stood up slowly, trying not to curse openly. Then, acting as if she pulled out a tiny rock, she put her shoe back on and flicked the imaginary rock off into the darkness.
Success! Moxie Roll 6d10; 4, 3, 4, 10, 10, 7. Three Successes; Skill Moxie - Deceive gained 3 Experience.
Skill points to next level, 9,537
Slowly she slid up alongside Henderson.
Failure! Physical roll 2d10; 6, 5, 3. Zero Successes; Skill Physical - Seduce failed.
Her head bumped against his elbow, and a rough part of his armor scratched the side of her cheek.
Impact! 1 Damage from impact.
Scratch! 1 damage from abrasion.
"F.." Charisse started to say but bit back the rest of the word. "Let's get this done." She moved away from Henderson and started walking in the direction they were heading. Her steps were much faster than the previous pace.
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"Samson watches the rear; I'll stay close to Charisse," Henderson caught up with her and, in a calm voice, said, "Charisse, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm ok; I just broke our cover with my ineptitude." Charisse looked into Henderson's eyes. "How do you feel about retrieving the lady's items?"
Success! Mental Roll 4d10; 4, 5, 8, 7; Two Successes; Skill Mental - Deduct Rationale has gained 2 Experience. Skill points to the next level, 75.
Henderson's eyes widened, and his next step pulled him a few inches away from Charisse. He met Charisse's eyes with a glance ahead of them, then back behind them, focusing on Samson.
"I think the lady needs her valuables returned and those who disrespected her punished." He said in a monotone voice. "I mean also we should punish those who dared…" his voice shook slightly before trailing off.
Charisse nodded her head before softly saying, "when did you break free of the mind control?"
"I'm not sure, and it was pretty early," Henderson said.
"Fuck," Charisse cursed loudly as she recalled the game's mechanics. The idea of having to suffer mind control repeatably to build a resistance made her wish for the millionth time they were playing a better game system. A look of confusion from Henderson brought her back from her commiserating. "I hope you have more money at your place." She said. Then with a glance back toward Samson, she motioned him to come closer.
Samson casually walked faster and caught up to Henderson and Charisse.
"Roof," Charisse said softly as soon as Samson was near.
Both Samson and Henderson looked up, going to the roof on the right. Charisse looked to the left and muttered under her breath, "bah, they are gone."
Success! Moxie Roll 6d10; 3, 8, 6, 10, 4, 3. Two Successes; Skill Moxie - Deceive gained 2 Experience.
Skill points to next level, 9,538
"I'm guessing usual nightlife; let's not keep the lady waiting." Charisse dragged a finger around Henderson's neck and down his chest. Then, she grabbed his hand with a wink and started leading him forward. "I don't know if I can wait until we get to your place. Maybe I'll pay you."
"Uh, who am I to say no to a lady," Henderson sputtered. He allowed her to pull him along, leaving Samson behind.
"Not on my time," Samson said as he hurried to catch up to them. When he got a few feet from Charisse, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "To the left and at the far corner." He said softly, then in a louder voice, "Don't care what you do during the day, but you work for me at night."
"Well, you hear that, honey? I'll start paying you if you can make it all night." Charisse said as she leaned in closer to Henderson.
They arrived at the location, according to the map, shortly after. The street was well lit, a lamp post every dozen feet. A large three-story brick building consumed one side of the road. Several shops lined the huge building, each with a window and door facing the front. A few shops had items in windows for sale, ranging from fancy clothing to weapons.
One storefront didn't have anything in its windows, just white curtains protected by thick iron bars dug into the brick wall. A lamp post flanked the doorstep, banishing the shadows away from the front. Charisse felt the hairs on her skin rise as they neared.
"This is the place," Samson said from behind them.
"Yeah, it feels off." Charisse said. She paused and pulled up her combat log,
Skill points to next level, 9,538
Success! Moxie Roll 6d10; 3, 8, 6, 10, 4, 3. Two Successes; Skill Moxie - Deceive gained 2 Experience.
The log didn't show anything that would explain her feeling about the place. She wondered if it was part of her rogue class.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 3, 4, 1, 3, 10; One Success; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 1 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,368.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Henderson's arms and noted the hairs on his were raised as well. She carefully scanned the building, breathing deeply, hoping it would help any class or ability trigger.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 3, 5, 1, 9, 2; One Success; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 1 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,367.
Nothing from the building popped out or seemed to change as she scanned the area more. Since Henderson and Samson hadn't said anything, she quickly popped up the combat log to review.
Skill points to the next level, 8,367.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 3, 5, 1, 9, 2; One Success; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 1 Experience.
"Fuck," she muttered, starting at an average volume, then lowering as soon as she realized she said it aloud.
"What's wrong?" Henderson said. He and Samson looked up and down the street for signs of someone spotting or watching them.
"Nothing, just I'm not seeing anything, and I'm guessing I'm just not rolling high enough."
"There isn't time for games. We must retrieve these for the mistress." Samson said.
"No, not as in games, never mind. I feel something but can't figure out why." Charisse lifted an arm and pointed at the hairs. "I can't explain these."
"Because we are about to serve justice against those who would defy our lady," Samson said. A smile spread across his face until it reached a grotesque shape. "If we do this quickly, we'll be in and out before anyone can respond."
Charisse looked away from Samson to look at the shop and chewed on the inside of her cheek a little as she mulled over how to get in. A rock flew from behind her and smashed into one of the windows. Causing Charisse to jump a little, pulling a knife out of habit. Her eyes immediately went to Samson.
Samson's eyes were focused on the hole in one of the windows he had made. He didn't even seem to care about the bars preventing entry. After a few seconds, he looked at Charisse and shrank back once he saw the dagger.
"Checking for traps, if they had something, it would have gone off, and we'd see it," Samson said.
"Not if it was a mental warning or notice," Charisse said before running up to the front door. A small pull handle and a keyhole rested on the left-hand side in the middle. Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a thin knife, the width a little wider than a modern-day razorblade. Placing the blade between the door and frame, only about half an inch fit in before she ran it down the crack seeking a latch.
Success! Mental Roll 5d10; 4, 6, 10, 8, 2. Two Successes! Skill Rogue - Trap Detection and Avoidance has gained 2 Experience. Skill Points to next level, 9908.
Trap Successfully Detected and Avoided. Two Successes over 2 Difficulty results in 0 damage.
Charisse heard a slight click from inside the wall as she ran the blade down the crack. She wasn't sure if it was a trap or if it was something with the lock. Taking a step back, she firmly grasped the door handle and pulled. The door didn't open.
Pausing for a second, she pulled up her combat log and reviewed the last message.
Trap Successfully Detected and Avoided. Two Successes over 2 Difficulty results in 0 damage.
Putting the log away, she looked at Henderson and Samson. "The door is trapped and locked." She said.
"Can you open it safely?" Henderson said.
"With enough time." She said.
"The lady is waiting, time we don't have," Samson said. He looked around the front of the building. "I'll open the door." The former caravan leader reached into a small pocket in his pants and pulled out a hatchet.
Charisse wondered if the pants were magical or if the ax was as she moved away from the door. She put a dozen feet between her and Samson before he could take a swing.
Samson swung the hatchet at the door, aiming for where the hinges would be secured. The first chop didn't do much, but the blade sank an inch into the wood. A second and third swing started freeing bits of wood that flew out into the street.
Charisse sighed and wished that they'd brought Mark. Sensing someone watching them, she scanned the area.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 7, 1, 2, 6, 5; One Success; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 1 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,366.
The street seemed pretty empty, which she expected. The thocking of Samson's ax against the door echoed, notifying everyone of what was going on. Even though she didn't see anyone, a small voice in her head said something otherwise. She mulled, pulling up her combat log, but would the log lie even if it was paranoia? Giving her head a slow shake, she motioned to Henderson.
"I'm going to check for a back door. If Reggie shows up, send him around." Charisse said. Before she answered, she dashed off down the street to find an alley. A small gap between a buildings allowed her to slip in and see the backside of the row of stores. Most of the rear was the same, with solid stone walls, a large door, and two steps leading up to it. The alleyway sloped in the middle with a sewer entrance every fifty feet.
Moving down, she counted the doors to the approximate location of the store. The door was as plain as the others, with a minor exception, there was a small wooden cover under the handle. Charisse pulled out a dagger and used the tip to try and pull off the cover.
The wooden square didn't budge; she tried from a different corner and found it opened and covered three keyholes. Each three inches apart from the other, in the shape of a triangle. Carefully she pulled out a mirror and used it to reflect some light into the keyholes.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 3, 7, 6, 7, 3; Two Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 2 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,364.
Each had multiple pins angling from the top and bottom.
"Fuck this," She said before carefully closing the shutter back over the keyhole.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 2, 9, 1, 2, 8; Two Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 2 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,362.
Sounds of something scraping against a tile above and behind her caused Charisse to spin around. Her dagger cocked and ready to throw… at a disappearing shadow on the roof. She put her blade back into the sheath and ran back down the alley to rejoin her friends. As she turned to get to the main street, she heard the sound of some horses.
She saw a carriage of 2 horses and a driver asleep at the wheel following the sound. Then, an idea popped into her head, and she moved slowly toward the wagon. She held her hands out and kept distance from the horses to not startle.
Success! Agility Roll 6d10; 10, 5, 6, 4, 9, 8; Three Successes; Skill Stealth - Move Silent gained 3 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 9,115.
Quietly she managed to get next to the wagon without the driver waking up. Taking a breath and pulling out a piece of cloth to use as a gag, she climbed up to the passenger seat. In a smooth motion, she wrapped the fabric around the driver's mouth and had her dagger to his throat before he moved.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 10, 2, 1, 2, 8; Two Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 2 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,360.
It took a few seconds of the driver not moving, but the sticky wetness around the man's neck told her he was never waking up.
Success! Physical Roll 4d10; 8, 4, 7, 4. One Success; Skill Physical - Suppress Vomit and/or Nausea gained 1 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 75.
Briefly, she fought down some nausea, her irritation at not noticing the guy was dead beforehand helped. Giving a push, she dislodged the body from the seat and scooted over to fill it. Grabbing the reins, she tried to remember what she saw people do when controlling a wagon.
Success! Mental Roll 4d10; 7, 7, 8, 9. Two Successes; Skill Mental - Object Recollection and Recall gained 2 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 96.
"Walk," she said as she used one of the reins to tap the rears of the two horses. Both horses started moving down the street. Henderson and Samson were still hacking at the door. A hole was in the middle of the door, but it wasn't large enough to crawl through or for them to get the door open yet. Charisse parked the horses a dozen feet from the door.
Hopping out of the buggy, she pulled out some rope from her backpack of holding. Tying it to the central yoke connecting the two horses, she walked up to the door. Samson and Henderson had stopped and stared at her.
Standing in front of the door, she pulled out a crowbar from her pack and threaded it into the door's hole. She barely managed to fit her hand in but was able to turn the crowbar sideways and loop the rope around it.
"Keep tension on the rope," she said. Henderson pulled some on the rope, allowing her to tie a few knots around the crowbar without falling from its place. "Samson, go to the wagon and make the horses bolt."
Samson nodded his head as he started to understand what Charisse wanted. As he moved to the carriage, Charisse and Henderson slowly moved off the steps but kept tension so the crowbar wouldn't fall.
"Was there no other way in?" Henderson said as they watched Samson.
"Not unless you want to be working at this all week," Charisse said. "Alright, let em rip."
Samson stared at Charisse for a few seconds before slapping the horses to make them bolt down the street. The horses took off, the rope jerked, and the door bowed outward as the crowbar strained against the wood. A few splinters of wood snapped, slowly gaining in number, but the door didn't break.
Crack! The sound of a whip snapping and the sound of a whinny from the horses was quickly followed by more cracking of wood; then, the door burst open. It flew by Charisse and Henderson, out into the street, following the horses as they fled the scene. A faint green gas flowed into the doorway as a hissing sound replaced the void left by the expelled door.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 8, 7, 9, 3, 3; Two Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 2 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,360.
From the rooftop across the street, Charisse spotted a shadow that dipped back behind the peak. Acting normal, she breathed out, then in, then out, then in, then took a huge deep breath and rushed through the entrance while holding her breath and closing her eyes.
Success! Mental Roll 5d10; 9, 9, 2, 3, 3. Two Successes! Skill Rogue - Trap Detection and Avoidance has gained 2 Experience. Skill Points to next level, 9906.
Trap Successfully Detected and Avoided. Two Successes over 2 Difficulty results in 0 damage.
Blindly she stepped into the shop, feeling around with her hands until she felt a wall. Then, moving to her right, she tried to put distance between her and the door. She offered a brief prayer to whatever god watched thieves before opening her eyes.
Success! Mental Roll 5d10; 7, 6, 2, 6, 1. One Success! Skill Rogue - Trap Detection and Avoidance has gained 2 Experience. Skill Points to next level, 9905.
Burn! 1 Damage from acid.
Her eyes burned, forcing her to blink several times as the gas lingered through the air. Light from the street lit up the entryway but little else. Still holding her breath, she pulled out a handkerchief and a canteen, soaking the cloth in the water, she wrapped it around her mouth and nose. She moved deeper into the store, where there was no light. Finding a counter or some wooden ledge, she used it to guide her; along with her other hand, she was able to avoid bumping into anything else.
Pausing for a second and wishing she'd brought Mark, a bright light illuminated the room from behind her. Turning around quickly, the light of a lantern blinded her from the direction of the door. A familiar voice hacking and coughing kept her from throwing a dagger at the intruder.
"Oh, it burns," Henderson said.
"The burning means it's working," Charisse said. She set her canteen on the counter behind her so that Henderson could get to it. Then turning around, she used the light to examine the room.
The walls were behind two feet of counter and three feet of space. Each counter was a little over three feet high, and iron bars created a lattice hanging down three feet from the ceiling to prevent someone from quickly jumping over and stealing, leaving a two-foot gap for transactions and commerce. She could fit in the opening easily and get on the other side of the counter. Not waiting for Henderson to catch on, she started grabbing stuff off the walls and the shelves, then throwing them onto the counter.
Success! Physical Roll 5d10; 7, 9, 6, 1, 6; Two Successes; Skill Archetype - Awareness gained 2 Experience.
Skill points to the next level, 8,358.
Sitting on a shelf in a glass case, she spotted the necklace. Pulling out a sword, she used the blade's tip to slide the glass case off the shelf. The crash of glass caused the light to jump and Henderson to curse.
"Sorry, checking for traps," Charisse said. She reversed her sword and used the rounded pommel to pick up the necklace and set it on the counter. "Do you have a bag?" she said, looking at the chain. The sparking lights drew her attention but also seemed to clear her mind.
Henderson stepped forward, a bag in hand. He scooped the necklace into the bag and quickly tied it shut.
"We done?" Henderson said.
"Yep," Charisse replied. Henderson quickly left the shop, and Charisse followed. She dragged her sword against the counter, angled, so items were scooped up and deposited into her awaiting backpack.
Samson huffed and puffed out on the street as he ran toward them. He struggled to speak for a moment as he tried to catch his breath.
"Couldn't," he coughed, "Couldn't catch the horses." He finally said.
"Not a problem; Henderson has the necklace," Charisse said. Henderson opened the bag so Samson could look inside. "Let's go; we've wasted too much time."
"Sure, I gotta do one more thing," Samson said.
Charisse ignored the merchant and beckoned Henderson to follow. They were barely twenty feet away when an explosion behind them bathed the street in light. Their long shadows stretched down the road, silhouetting them against the flaming backdrop. Quick steps and familiar heavy breathing followed them.
"Fuck, now everyone will see us leave," Charisse said. She turned to bop Samson on the head, but his glazed eyes and smile stayed in her hand. She realized his actions were not his. "Let's go." She said as they ran off down a side street to allow darkness to provide their cover.