Well, what do we have here?
The adventurers follow the stairs down into a dingy little shop. A few dissolute patrons slither out when they see them enter. The shopkeeper, a wormy little grot with enormous spectacles perched on the tip of his huge nose, mutters darkly to himself. The shelves are lined with all manner of strange and evil-looking devices. It seems that Krink has been conducting a steady trade in illegal and dangerous goods. To the north hangs dark curtain from which emanates a faint reek of brimstone. The Tenebrael Shard shows the shopkeeper the amulet and his eyes light up at once, though he claims not to know a thing about it.
Like a hobby shop but for professional stabbers
Kyre's restless boot sends him wandering through the store. He picks through the rubbish for some time, turning up a great many foul and frightening objects, and something that looks as though it would be of great use: a pearlescent box that looks like it might have healing properties. A quick haggle with the shopkeeper later, he puts it in his pouch.
Suddenly, hearing a sound beyond the door to the north, he hushes his companions and opens it. Hulking Orruk overseers glare down at a trio of Grot accountants making a catalog of the broker’s junk. Upon being disturbed they all look up, grunting and hissing with annoyance as they reach for their weapons. The shopkeeper squeaks and scuttles behind his wares.
They got goons protecting the money.
Get in here, guys!
Kyre, reacting instinctively, slashes the Orruk at the door across the face, and tries to shut the door, but the greenskin shoves a boot into the doorframe and keeps it open, all while howling in anger and pain. The Tenebrael Shard steps *sideways*, into the shadows, and reappears amongst the greenskins, first slaughtering the second Orruk before he can react, then slicing two of the grot accountants to ribbons. The last one skitters into a corner and draws its bow, its shaky hands nevertheless managing to send an arrow through the assassin's arm.
Well that escalated quickly.
The last remaining Orruk, eyes wide, slashes at the Fleetmaster, but he wraps the 'Ardboy's choppa in his Dragon cloak and turns the blow aside.
The other two adventurers step into the shop. The Mistweaver creates an image of a Giant Cave Squig, which lumbers menacingly towards the Orruk in the doorway. The Orruk readies himself, but is completely unprepared for the Mistweaver's rapier skewering him from another direction.
The Shard turns and looks at the last hapless accountant, who blanches. He pulls the arrow from his arm and stomps at the poor creature, shouting "boo!" The grot flees, his abandoned bow clattering to the floor.
The party regroups in the brokerage. The assassin reappears, wrapping a bandage around the wound in his arm. "There's a secret passage in there," he offers, with a jerk of his chin. Before they can confer further, however, the mysterious curtain behind them opens, and two fanatic acolytes appear!
"Have you heard the good news about our Lord?"
The Barbarian whirls and catches the nearest foe across his mask with the flat of his war axe, but fails to deliver a killing blow with his broadsword, the Tenebrael Shard steps to the other opponent and slashes his bare chest with his finger claws, but also fails to drop him. Watching this, the Mistweaver rains terror on the mind of the first acolyte, sending him quivering to the floor, before stepping forward to finish off the last one.
"Is that all of them?" She gingerly peels back the corner of the curtain with her sword, before the heat and smell drive her back.
Once again, the party regroups. This time, the assassin opens the door.
Is that it?
A wizened grot sits behind a huge desk with his feet up. Two hulking squigs chained like hounds at his feet gaze hungrily up, saliva spilling from their massive jaws. The grot squints at them. “And who be dis, come visit Krink? Them topsiders been making trouble, maybe? Not no more.” He grins, and unleashes his Squigs.
"Say hello to my leetle friends!"
The Tenebrael Shard meets them halfway and cuts down one of them. Its companion lunges but its massive jaws snap shut only on air, as the Shard vanishes, reappearing behind his companions. The Squig lopes after him, and finding the fleetmaster in the way, latches on to his one good leg.
Kyre howls in pain and tries to kick the squig off. Distracted, he does not see Krink approach the doorway, uttering an incantation. A distorted face appears in front of him, in the shape of an orange moon, and Kyre is utterly mesmerized.
The Mistweaver, and the barbarian help Kyre emphatically detach the toothed fungoid from his leg. Regaining his senses, though still feeling woozy, the Fleetmaster staggers towards his tormentor. His murder hook catches the grot on the shoulder, freezing his cackling grin into a mask of pain. Then the assassin steps through the door and begins to tear into him... but before he can land a killing blow, Krink slips into the shadows and vanishes! "I feel like I should have been more prepared for this," the Tenebrael Shard mutters to himself.
"Betcha didn't see that comin'!"
Suddenly, from behind them, they hear the sizzling sound of a magical curse fill the air, as Krink reappears from the Storeroom! The Mistweaver and the Chieftain are both sent reeling backwards, but Kyre is able to avert his gaze, pulling his cloak over his face. "Of course!" The assassin exclaims. "The secret passage!"
Krink vanishes out of sight again, but this time he is replaced at the storeroom doorway by the remaining Grot accountant, wielding a large burlap sack and accompanied by two stockgrots bearing bows. The Mistweaver, caught flatfooted, manages only a desultory stab at the nearest one, to no effect. But the Tenebrael Shard, hearing the commotion from the other room, vanishes himself and reappears behind the erstwhile Grot archers, slitting both their throats before they can so much as cry out. Then he moves to the entrance to the secret passage, in case the Broker tries his disappearing act again.
"I've come to hold you all... accountable."
Meanwhile Krink reappears in his Den, and once again tries to curse the Fleetmaster. Kyre is ready this time, though, and again hides his face in his cloak. He waves at the barbarian to ignore the accountant and join him in the Broker's Den. "Don't let him get away!" he cries as he stumbles one-legged towards the Broker. His cutlass rises and falls, and the Broker crumples with a cry.
Checkmate.
Hearing his boss' cry of anguish, the accountant throws his sack into the Mistweaver's face and gets away once more in the confusion.
After catching their breath, the rest of the party rummage through the junk as Kyre rummages through the Broker's clothes. He finds a greasy document in the Broker’s pocket, a bill of sale written in the language of the servants of Tzeentch. It seems that Krink has been doing business with the mutated grots of the Silver Tower, and has been making use of a portal in his shop to facilitate the dealings. A note hidden in a false drawer reveals the secret to opening the gateway.
"We should return to the surface," the Mistweaver admonishes. "get some rest, and maybe some advice, before we proceed. Everyone agrees, particularly Kyre. "I gotta get rid of this thing," he remarks, staring down at his twitching, booted leg.
Da Reel MVP
Very nice, great pacing!
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