Adrian: Baldur's Gate

They marched on to the Seven Suns directly, Jessa leading them. It wasn't far from the Fist Headquarters.

Adrian stood before the door, thoughtfully. They wanted information first, attack second, if that could be helped. So a direct raid was not yet called for. He could have Edwin or Tiax sneak in, but...no, a better idea.

"Kagain," said Adrian, slowly. "Do you think you could go in there representing your business, and ask some questions?"

Kagain grinned. "Aye, surely."

"Tiax, you go with him, hiding in shadows."

"Tiax shall creep through the darkness--"

"Yes, yes," said Adrian irritably. "Just keep an eye out."

"Hail," said Kagain as he came through the door.

A fat merchant pushed past him. "I'm out of here."

"Ho there," said Kagain. "What's the rush?"

The merchant looked around nervously. "No one is themselves here, anymore. They've all changed! All cold and distant! Even the ones I've known for years!"

Kagain nodded. "Well, best you be going then, hmm?"

The merchant slipped past, almost running into the sneaking Tiax, and bolted out the door.

"Hail, I say again," said Kagain, stepping up to an even fatter moneygrubber.

This one eyed him with placid disinterest, as a fish would. "Get lost."

Kagain ignored the insult. Putting on his false smile, beard bristling, he said "I represent an escort service out of Beregost. Surely in these days of bandits, ye appreciate the need of protection? Perhaps I can set up an account for you?"

"I am not authorissssed to make such decsssisions, and in any case, we don't deal with ssshortlings."

Kagain noticed the hiss, but even more troubling was the attitude. The Gate cared not who you were, so long as you could pull your weight. He'd been here enough times to know. And he'd heard better of the Seven Suns than this.

"As you say," he said. "Shame to lose your gold." And he bowed and left.

Kagain made his report, Tiax backing it up.

"That hissing..." said Jessa thoughtfully. "Something about it."

"Long sibilants, like thisssssss?" asked Viconia, exaggerating.

Kagain nodded. "Aye."

Viconia frowned. "Sounds like dopplegangeres. They occasionally try to infiltrate Drow cities."

Jessa nodded. "They've been a growing problem of late in the city, but they're not organized."

"Not until now," said Adrian grimly. "And I think we can guess who sent them."

"We have no proof," said Edwin. "Surely the Fist cannot act without it."

"Right," said Adrian. "Jessa, run back to your superiors and tell them what we suspect, would you? Edwin, Xzar, what spells do you have memorized..."

Less than an hour later, the entire party was invisible, save Tiax who was skulking in the shadows again.

When the door to the Seven Suns opened and stayed open, one fat merchant waddled over and glared out the door. But seeing no one, he slammed it to. By then, the party was on the stairs up.

When they arrived up there, their suspiciouns were confirmed by the presence of three Dopplegangers.

"Attack," Adrian whispered.

"Tiax will smite thee!" the mad gnome cried, leaping out of the shadows at the nearest. Adrian, Jessa, Kagain and Viconia likewise appeared and attacked.

Jessa took on one of the long limbed, skinny grey creatures alone.

"Your time is done, primate," it hissed.

"Oh shut up," she snapped back in her light Phlan accent, and swung her sword at it's head. It caught the blade, however, and yanked it away. But rather than be surprised, Jessa fell back on her advanced training, kicked the sword away, grabbed the Doppleganger by the throat, and threw it across the room. It didn't even have time to be surprised before it fell on the table which broke it's back.

Tiax and Kagain were wearing another of the foe down, and Viconia and Adrian were likewise finishing off the third.

"Well, that's all the proof Scar will need, I think," said Jessa, picking up her sword.

"Aye," Adrian agreed. "Let's go downstairs and deal with the rest. Good fighting skills, by the way."

They trooped down the stairs, and the three merchantes below, seeing them, began to shiver and change. The party cried their battle calls and moved to the attack....