Dogwater: Assassin Tales

Dogwater sat in an open booth, absently swirling the moisture that had collected on the table from his untouched mug of ale. He wasn't here for business so he had no need to use one of the more private booths along the back wall. 

The White Pony was a popular tavern along Dock Street. It was situated in a prime location and attracted everyone from farmers to mercenaries.

The sun was beginning to set and the evening regulars were making their way into the tavern. A slow trickle of patrons were entering, replacing those that had been there during the afternoon and were making their way out.  

He was internally musing about his first job for the assassins guild. He was just a kid back then, maybe ten years old and barely surviving; running a small crew of street waifs doing small time shakedowns, picking pockets, and petty thefts. He had been making a name for himself when the guild decided it was time to send their feelers out and give him a real test. 

Out of the corner of his eye he caught the silver flash of a blade that shook Dogwater from his musing and brought him instantly on alert. A quick scan around the tavern revealed it was just Nate the Eye showing off for a few of the local wenches that frequented Dock Street. Nate was performing one of his many knife tricks to the delight of onlookers. 

Nate was a knife fighter and he was not just capable with knives, he was exceptional with them. Dogwater and Nate had a casual business relationship. They had no conflicting interests so they typically just stayed out of each others way. 

They had never crossed blades but if that day ever came, Dogwater was confident in his own abilities. After all, one doesn't become a favored of Morsash, the god of murder, and also the most feared assassin in the realms without knowing how to kill and being very good at it. 

His gaze shifted to the door as a group of three gnolls walked in, barking and yipping in their guttural native tongue. Dogwater's hand twitched instinctively to his blade. He hated gnolls. He couldn't remember exactly why he hated them, only that he did. 

Dogwater didn't recognize these three, they must be new in town. Gateway had a large transient population that fluctuated daily. New faces were in and out on a daily basis. He noticed Cad Brungle, the owner of the Pony, shoot him an involuntary anxious glance followed by a deep inhale as he greeted his newest patrons with a feigned smile. 

The gnolls where extraordinarily loud and brash as they pushed their way up to the bar and ordered three bowls of venison stew with bread and ales to wash it down. Dogwater guessed they must have been fresh off one of the ships that was anchored at the docks. 

Just as Dogwater raised his mug to take a swallow all three gnolls swung their heads around as one and stared directly at him. A repulsive grin crept across the face of the biggest of the three and he swaggered over to where Dogwater sat, the other two close on his heels. 

As they approached the table, the entire tavern went still and silent. Every local was aware of the animosity Dogwater held for gnolls. Dogwater sat relaxed with a bit of a slouch, staring with an unconcerned look on his face as the three approached. He held up his hand and said, "Close enough." 

A sarcastic smirk crossed the lead gnoll's face. He bend low in a mocking bow and began, "I am Gr.." but that was as far as he got; Dogwater exploded into motion drawing his blade as he rocked his chair back and leapt across the table, blade leading and drew a crimson line across the gnolls throat. The gnoll briefly drew a confused expression before falling over dead. 

To their credit, the remaining two leapt back without hesitation to create distance as they drew their own weapons. The smaller of the two snarled viciously and said, "Killing you just became more profitable now that we only have to split the bounty two ways, I thank you for that." 

Dogwater said nothing, he eyed is opponents coldly searching for a weakness. In a flash, he attacked again, driving his dagger at the silent gnoll who parried easily with a short-handed mace and returned with an attack of his own, feinting high with his weapon then kicking out with it's heavy, leather boot aimed at Dogwater's midsection. 

Dogwater easily evaded both of the attacks but it gave the other gnoll an opening to strike with it's serrated cutlass. Dogwater rolled under the attack and came up inside the guard of the gnoll. He grabbed the collar of the gnoll's leather jerkin as he drove his dagger into the gnoll's belly angling the attack up to puncture the lungs.  

The gnolls next breath came out as a foaming bloody cough as he collapsed to the floor. Dogwater immediately turned and faced his final adversary. The remaining gnoll barked out a laugh and said, "Now I split the reward with no one." 

Dogwater stood at the ready as the gnoll stepped in to attack. A wild flurry of attacks and parries ensued as the gnoll used his superior size and strength to bully Dogwater back into a defensive position. 

Dogwater superior speed allowed him to easily avoid the attacks but the wild show of offensive ability demonstrated by the gnoll did not allow Dogwater to immediately counter. His opening came after he baited the gnoll into over-committing on a high looping attack. Dogwater was able to step inside it's guard and stab the gnoll directly beneath the chin, driving his dagger up into it's brain. 

A slow clap could be heard at the doorway. Dogwater looked up to see a grinning gnoll dressed in the traditional garb of a Warlock. The Warlock raised his hands and unleashed a blast of dark energy directly at Dogwater. 

Dogwater immediately ducked and fell into a forward roll. He knew, against a spell caster, he wanted to close the distance as fast as he could. The dark energy briefly skimmed across Dogwater's back; blasting him with what could only be described as oily electricity. 

As he rolled back to his feet to face the Warlock, Dogwater saw a knife flipping through the air to thump into it's upper chest with enough force to bury it to the hilt. A flash of silver indicated another knife was on the way right behind the first but this one was deftly batted away by the warlock and that second blade fell harmlessly to the floor. 

The Warlock snarled at Dogwater and threw a handful of ashes into the air and disappeared with a loud snap. 

Dogwater turned to Nate and shouted "What in the nine layers of the abyss was that? He was mine!"

Nate flashed his hands in a gesture of helplessness. Shrugging sheepishly and nodded towards Cad and responded "He instructed me to intervene." 

Cad stood at the end of the bar with his meaty arms crossed angrily over his chest and a scowl on his face. He stared down Dogwater and said, "I'll not have you tearing up my bar again on account of a few gnolls stirring up trouble." 

Cad then turned to his hired security thugs and simply said, "You're fired". 

Dogwater snarled angrily and took and step towards Cad but before he could get even a few steps, Nate stepped in the space between them and shook his head from side to side and said, "Let's not do this Dogwater." he continued, "Let's take a few minutes and compose ourselves before we do something we cannot take back." 

A visibly frustrated Dogwater grabbed the nearest table and flipped it violently, barely containing his rage as he stalked out the door on the hunt for the gnoll Warlock. 

Once outside, Dogwater began to pull himself together. This Warlock was skilled and he needed a level head before blindly charging into an ambush. He had fought enough spell-casters to know they held the advantage if they knew he was coming. 

Dogwater stilled his mind and mentally reached out to his god, Morsash, for a bit of divine guidance. It was not long before a surge of divine clarity flooded his consciousness. This divine connection was a gift granted only to the clergy and to a select few non-clergy favored, such as Dogwater. 

With his senses now enhanced by the connection to his god, Dogwater seamlessly switched into hunting mode and his predatory instincts took over. 

His rage now under his control and his mind focused, Dogwater took stock of his surroundings. Along the street a crowd had gathered and the excited chatter of voices was all around blending together as folks were staring and pointing towards the row of warehouses across the way. 

With a destination at hand the first thing he needed to do was get out of sight. This would afford him the luxury of taking back some of the advantage by not giving his target the benefit of knowing which direction he would be coming from. 

Dogwater took a few steps back and slid in a shadowy niche, behind a pile of crates that were leaning alongside the door, This would break the initial line of sight from the direction of the warehouses. Using the crates to obscure his movement, he slid along the smooth stone wall until he reached a rain gutter that ran down the wall from the roof to the ground.

Using the rain gutter as cover, Dogwater quickly scampered up the wall using nearly imperceptible handholds that blended in perfectly with the stone and wood that made up the wall. He had meticulously carved these himself, years ago, for occasions exactly like this. 

Across the way, a pair of bloodshot eyes watched Dogwater as he seemingly disappeared into thin air. A low growl escaped the gnoll's throat as he spun away from his vantage point and headed deeper into the warehouse. He knew Dogwater was coming for him and he needed to find the best defensible spot to kill the famed assassin before he even knew what hit him. 

Once on the roof top Dogwater's options opened up. He took note of the long shadows that were beginning to form and knew he could take advantage of that. He took stock of his surroundings and quickly determined the most efficient route to reach the row of warehouses while remaining unseen. He needed to move quickly to not give the Warlock additional time to prepare the battlefield. 

Moving along the rooftops while keeping low behind the parapets; Dogwater leapt, tumbled, and rolled his way to the row of warehouses where he suspected the gnoll warlock to be lying in wait. 

Dogwater paused briefly to assess his new position and his surroundings. He soon spotted the body of a City Watchman that was hastily concealed behind a row of shrubs and the nearly imperceptible sulfuric odor of brimstone wafted passed on a light draft of air. 

Warlock's gain their power by serving either a Demon or a Devil and the faint scent of brimstone often accompanies their passage. This indication could have been easily missed if he wasn't on alert for it. 

Dogwater knew time was running out and he needed to end this quickly. It was only a matter of time before word of his brawl in the Pony spread and reached the ears of the Watch Captain. Soon this place would be crawling with Watchman.

There were enough indicators for Dogwater to feel confident that the Warlock was inside so he made his move. 

All of the greats have their own little tricks and secret's and Dogwater was no different. Over the years he had meticulously went around to every building in Gateway and removed a few nails here, carved out a small recess there, loosened a window pane, et cetera. In a town the size of Gateway that was a lot of buildings but when he reaped the benefits of such tedious work it made it all worth it. 

On this particular building, many years ago, Dogwater had secretly removed a few panels on the side wall and replaced them with identical looking false panels that slid up and down and allowed for quick and unimpeded access. 

A pair of bloodshot eyes watched from above as Dogwater silently slid through the small gap in the wall and rolled softly to a crouched position behind a storage crate. 

The gnoll silently congratulated himself. He had been scouting Dogwater for months. Learning his habits and his tendencies. He had learned long ago that even the best have habits even if they are not aware that they do. The exorbitant fee he paid some fat slob of a human, in a shit hole tavern in Shadows Alley seemed to have paid off as well. The small hidden door was exactly where he was told it would be. 

A slight fluttering in the back of his mind told Dogwater that something was not right. It was a sixth sense that warned him of danger. Whether this was a natural born instinct or a connection with Morsash he could not say but it was never wrong.

Suddenly a wave of terrifying images assaulted Dogwater's mind. He reached up and grabbed at the sides of his head as he fell backwards. As his body tumbled to the ground his field of vision rotated up and he saw the Warlock standing high above on a wooden pallet rack near the rafters. His arms outstretched and palms facing forward, aiming towards where Dogwater had just been hiding. 

The Warlock cast again and another dizzying wave of images assaulted Dogwater's mind but this time he wasn't concealed behind a storage crate and he was in full view of the warlock. Fully exposed, Dogwater felt the full effects of the second spell as it slammed into his mind. 

He knew this to be a spell of Torment cast by the Warlock to attack his mind. His deepest fears and most traumatic memories all rolled into his mind at once. 

The effects of the spell were powerful and Dogwater felt helpless and weak under it's influence. Wave after wave of terrifying images tormented his mind. He was vomiting on the floor, snot poured from his nose, and his eyes were streaked with tears. 

Next, he felt a Web of Darkness envelope his body. He was on his side in the fetal position and stuck to the floor. He could not move as waves of pure darkness rolled over him rendering him blind. Unable to see or move, Dogwater could only lie there in his own puke and spittle as his mind was assaulted with images of terror.

Dogwater knew he needed to push back against this mental barrage. One by one he extinguished the images that assaulted his mind. As rational thought began to overcome the spell it became easier to banish the fear. 

Now that he was free from the Torment spell, Dogwater next had to work on breaking the Darkness Web that blinded him and held him to the floor.

The warlock had other ideas and he began another casting. He blew a grey hazy smoke from his palm towards Dogwater that filled Dogwater's nostrils. This was Devil's Breath, a super heated acrid smoke that fills the victims lungs. Dogwater felt the scorching and burning sensation crawl up his nostrils and lazily slide down into his lungs causing intense burning. 

The Darkness Web suddenly expired and he could move again. Through force of will, Dogwater got to his feet, coughing and gagging on the burning smoke that filled his lungs as he stumbled to the side and took cover behind a large wooden pillar that supported the roof. Dropping to his knees he wretched and choked as he tried to expel the noxious smoke from his lungs. 

A sudden blast of pure darkness shook the pillar. This was the same attack the Warlock had used against him in the White Pony when they had their first encounter. 

Feeling weakened but clear of the burning sensation in his lungs, Dogwater glanced around the pillar to see that the Warlock was now on the ground and advancing towards him. Pulling his head back just in time as another blast of dark energy slammed into the pillar where his face had just been.

Thinking quickly Dogwater knew he needed to get in close to do some real damage. He abruptly leapt out from behind the pillar and did a pirouette leading into a forward roll, then leapt back to his feet and dove into a somersault. The flurry of movement disguised the attacks launched by Dogwater and by the end the gnoll had three daggers sticking from his body. 

Rocked back by the sudden barrage of offense the gnoll looked down at the daggers, snarled in rage and called forth a barrage of molten brimstone to blast down at the area from above but Dogwater was already moving and the attack missed. Dogwater threw a flash stick at the gnoll that temporarily disoriented the Warlock. 

He then rushed in for the kill, with his dagger leading the way, intent on removing the gnoll's throat. Despite it's disorientation the gnoll would not go down that easily, His gnarled hand instinctively shot out and grabbed Dogwater by his throat just as he closed the distance.

Dogwater being much smaller in stature was held at an arms length and kept just out of range from any of the gnoll's vital organs. Struggling against the gnoll's strength was futile so he slashed his dagger at the gnoll's sinewy arm instead. With a grunt the gnoll tossed Dogwater off to the side where he crashed into a pile of rubble. 

As Dogwater struggled to regain his feet the gnoll was deep into casting another spell. The Warlock hit him with Blood Rite, a spell intended to make the targets internal organs boil in their own blood. The spell knocked Dogwater back but his willpower and his own natural resistance rejected the spell and it dissipated with a soft blue glow.  

Dogwater looked down at his own chest and then up at the gnoll and gave him a bloody and feral smile. A look of fear briefly flashed across the gnoll's face right before Dogwater leapt atop him and sunk his dagger into the gnoll's throat, riding him all the way to the ground.

Several hours later, that same night, Dogwater sat in an open booth in the White Pony, absently swirling the moisture that had collected on the table from his half drank mug of ale. He was replaying the events from earlier and he couldn't help but shake the feeling that this gnoll knew about his hidden entrance into the warehouse and for that, someone was going to pay.