Caleb looked around at the others as Shensen collapsed. Awkwardly he patted his heroine's shoulder, as memories of his own captivity brought tears to his eyes. "That's done now. There'll always be the fear when you remember it. The flashbacks. It'll get you when you least expect. It's fight or flight. You have to choose whether you are going to run, or to strike back. That's one of the reasons I dedicated myself to revenge."
"Okay, two birds, one stone. We go find a bunch of Lackeys. Then we kill them, and take their stuff - but we mix it up a bit. Ideally we'd all be inquisitors, but Dottari would probably do."
Action 4:
Noravia strode towards the front door and pounded on it three times. The door was opened by someone dressed in the same uniform as Noravia. In an annoyed voice she said, "Reporting for duty. I've brought extra help and I've gotten stuck babysitting them. The sooner you let us in, the sooner I can get this over with."
Action 3
"I think I will go as a scribe working under the Inquisitor this time around," Eirik said. "A Dottari's armor weighting me down would make me as useless as I was during that prison break. And I have enough experience with quill and ink to be convincing at it."
Action 4
Clad in the severe dark robes of a scribe or a clerk working for any of the government organizations of the Cheliax empire, carrying a heavy scribe’s kit of quills and inks and both bound and rolled parchment pages on his back, Eirik walked behind Noravia, wearing his best approximation of the bored look of a government official who knew he was paid by the clock, not by results – an expression he had become all too familiar from being on the receiving end of it many, many times, be it filing evidence before a court session or requesting documents to help build a case. There was something… wearying in the dull-eyed look that came with it. Something that seemed to sap the very life from any eager young advocate who was subjected to it.
Action 3
With their plans made Tillia considered the issue of dealing with the stalkers. She knew they had to make them visible and she knew it was going to take some effort to do. She had a spell that should do it but she could only cast it so many times and had to know roughly where they were. Once they got close hitting them with it might not be possible without risking her friends as well. It finally dawned on her what they needed and she went to Laria for help.
"Laria," Tillia asked, "I need your help. I have an idea on how to deal with these invisible things at the archive and you are the best person I could think to ask." She smiled wickedly as she continued, "How do you fight the invisible?" She gave Laria a chance to respond.
"If you can't magically let yourself see them you do something else, outline them." She looked intently at Laria, "We need several bags of flour, that way if the things get too close and I can't spell them we can highlight them with the dust."
Tillia spent some time rearranging her spells. She knew some things would be needed and others could be dispensed with given what they were up against.
Action 4
Tillia, clad in garments similar to Eirik's, followed along at an appropriate distance behind Noravia in her guise as an Asmodean Inquisitor. She knew how to act in this instance and was prepared to use her magic covertly if needed to get them inside.
Prepared for this eventuality Tillia covertly cast her spell. She wove the magic into her words as she spoke in a lulling voice and gestured in ways meant to convey comaraderie, "Surely we are all servants of Her Imperial Majistrix and we shouldn't work against her interests. We have business here on behalf of the government and it would be in the best interests of all if we are allowed in to do what we came here for."
ANSWERS
Info contained in the Records Hall deals with contracts, deeds, family lineage, past court cases, etc.
The dinosaur was disposed in the same manner as the hags were when the 'Font' was cleaned so I presume they were burned or sent down river.
The 'flour' trick is OK but we can't have that trick replace a second level spell (glitterdust). I'll give you bonuses to find something sprinkled with flour but it won't be like the advantages of the spell.
I intend to move this along later today.
More questions?
Game on!
I would figure the "flour trick" would only cover one square, not the whole AoE of a glitterdust nor would it blind the targets on a failed will save (also what glitterdust does). I would think coating something in a specific square enough to see and attack wouldn't be all that powerful in comparison to a glitterdust.
Action 4:
Noravia strode towards the front door and pounded on it three times. The door was opened by someone dressed in the same uniform as Noravia. In an annoyed voice she said, "Reporting for duty. I've brought extra help and I've gotten stuck babysitting them. The sooner you let us in, the sooner I can get this over with."
The guard on the other side of the door observed Noravia and her entourage through a large peephole. Satisfied with what he saw, he grunted in a no less annoyed tone, "Fine, get in here already then."
tag?
------------
Caleb adjusted his ill fitting Dottari outfit. Over an hour spent finding a recruit with his figure had proved pointless when, thanks to bureaucracy, the man had been issued with a standard uniform anyway. At least the chain had been similar enough he could wear his own, and it was only the pants, shoes, tunic and tabard that he was swimming in.
Action 3
"If we know there are invisible folks inside, shouldn't we all have one of these?" she held up the potions they'd picked up before, and hadn't needed. "I'll keep one, and somebody else take one. Should we try to buy some more?" Tilting it, she looked at the potion and said, "How long will this last for? Should we take it before going inside, or only when we need it?"
Action 4
There was no way Jillian was going to be able to fake being a scribe, so she was happy to don dottari clothes and go in disguised as the enemy. She kept her mouth shut, let Noravia do the talking, and kept her eyes open as they entered the hall.
"We might've left it too late. I'd say don't take them until we are about to fight - too sus if they see us see one before - and whoever takes the potions are primarily responsible for the invisible talkers." Caleb suggested, blithely. "If it goes all wrong I'll drop darkness. Doubt they can see in that either."
Eirik kept the bored look on his face as the Asmodean inquisitor challenged Noravia; after all, it wasn’t a hireling’s place to talk before his betters, who would want to invite an inquisitor’s attention in any case? Instead, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other every 6 seconds, with almost clockwork precision, keeping his eyes and ears open.
This is correct. The insects did not get to those locations.
I'm fine even with putting pause on Action 2 and RPing more in Actions 1 so up to you. I'm happy as long as there some sort of momentum for the game.
Action 1:
Noravia held up her hand, "I'll take the other potion if no one else wants it. I was damn near useless when fighting Hetamon's mother."
The inquisitor looked very focused as she mentally checked a bunch of boxes that she'd have to do before tomorrow. "Is there anything else we need to pick up? We won't be able to go in with a lot of gear but the odd potion or scroll won't raise any eyebrows. Caleb, I know you mentioned another silence scroll but I'm not sure if that will be readily available."
She shared her plan with the others. "Tomorrow I will be focusing on the infiltration part of my training. Milani will mask my alignment and enable me to cast spells that are in opposition to Milani. Considering each Asmodean inquisitor's mask is made specifically for them, there shouldn't be much question of my authenticity. Since they primarily redact information at the Records Hall, I would tell them that that's why we're there. Unless someone has a better idea?"
Action 1:
"Be careful, Noravia." Caleb warned, concern evident in his face. "If anything happens, they'll target you first. It's all going to be up to you."
Join the club, buddy.
Oh and beware that sometimes you sign in and you are signed in as 'guest' and thus do not realize that your thread have been updated. :(
The site will hopefully be up later tonight when I have time to update.
Game on!
I don't really have much to add - Jillian will keep her mouth shut and eyes open. She will definitely keep one of the see invisibility potions, because she'll be useless without it.
Action 1:
"Be careful, Noravia." Caleb warned, concern evident in his face. "If anything happens, they'll target you first. It's all going to be up to you."
Noravia gave Caleb a smile that was partly a grimace. "No pressure, right?" Then she got serious, "It's always hard slipping back into that role. I didn't like who I had to be back then."
Er... I kind of wanted to recap after dinner...
Action 2:
The man that greeted them asked, “Well, what do you have? Another proclamation? More redactions?”
Noravia looked around as if bored and said, "More redactions. We were told that any trace of noble families other than Thrune supporters had to be removed. And that it needs to be double and triple checked to make sure it was done properly; hence the extra help. We have to go over what's already been done."
He seemed to remember something, “Oh, what did the High Priest have to say about the latest proclamation proposal Miss. Izoni sent him?”
Noravia shrugged, "I wouldn't know. He was called into an emergency meeting with people far more important than me. There were rumors that those bleeding heart, pain in the ass Ravens may be stupid enough to try breaching the Temple thinking they can actually get to the Lord Mayor."
Noravia gave Caleb a smile that was partly a grimace. "No pressure, right?" Then she got serious, "It's always hard slipping back into that role. I didn't like who I had to be back then."Action 1:
"Be careful, Noravia." Caleb warned, concern evident in his face. "If anything happens, they'll target you first. It's all going to be up to you."
Caleb shook his head slowly "I can't imagine the strength it must have taken to walk away from that. The brainwashing. The paranoia. To see that you were in the wrong, and take steps to fix that. It's incredible. It almost makes me think some of the others could be saved."
"Yeah. I was, sir. I'm not supposed to talk about it without sign off from my Captian though. Obviously she'd be okay with me talking to an inquisitor if I ask, but she wouldn't be okay with me ignoring her orders just because I thought I knew better. She's a stickler for procedure, and following the rules as written." Caleb looked thoughtful "Of course if you have a question about a hypothetical event I'd be happy to answer them, and I was never ordered not to speculate about those."
Caleb paused, struck by a thought. If THRUNE accepted documents redacted one way, could they be redacted by the Ravens? Could THRUNE's grasp on Kintargo be loosened through judicial use of this room?
Meanwhile he leaned against the wall, staring off into the distance, the very picture of a guard taking a break while waiting for someone else to do their job. 'Busy people hate to see someone else having a break.' He figured, happy to do his tiny bit to make THRUNE'S allies miserable.
Action 3
Action 1 and 2
Tillia, for the time being as she was a "lowly scribe" kept her mouth shut as they were escorted in and spoke with the inquisitor. She was clearly a subordinate at the time being and it meant she shouldn't speak any unless spoken to. Instead she simply listened, watched, and waited for instructions.
Action 3
When the inquisitor returned and said he needed one of the scribes to help and stated confidently that they must speak infernal Tillia nodded and responded "Yes, I an fluent in infernal Master Inquisitor, I will come with you." She then turned and made to follow the inquisitor as he led her to where they needed her.
Action 1
Jillian shook her head. "I wish. There'd'a been at least one less crow squawking at us if I'd'a been there." She rested her hand on the pommel of her longsword as if itching to slay something silver then and there.
Action 2:
Noravia gave a nasty grin, "There have been a rash of fires in Kintargo as of late. Who knows how many originals still survive in the city."
She gave an exasperated sigh, "No specific family. I was told, "Make sure you look over everything that has already supposedly been done and then go over everything else with a fine-tooth comb and make sure nothing was missed." Of course there were a few more expletives thrown in but that was the gist of my orders. Again, the sooner you show me where to start, the sooner I can get this over with."
Turn 462 – Working in the Records Hall
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
Action 2
Once they were again alone, Jillian said, "If we're looking for traces of the third family, then birth, death and marriage is probably the place to start. See if we can find them, then trace out a family tree."
She looked for the section dating back to when the Contract was signed, knowing that the third family had been around then.
Action 2
Tillia entered the room where she was to work copying a contract for some kind of agreement with a devil. It was only her second time seeing an infernal contract and she wondered if there would be something she could do to mess the contract up without getting caught. It would be good to spike the wheels of House Thrune but she quickly discarded that notion as she didn't want to risk giving themselves away by doing so.
As she looked for a place to sit she noticed the lascivious gaze of one of the scribes who gestured for her to sit next to him. In actuality he wasn't that bad looking, kind of handsome in a bookish way, and she decided that she might be able to use him to her advantage if things got unpleasant. She approached him, adding an extra bit of swing to her hips, and sat beside him. "I'm Alinza," she spoke softly, "who are you?" Her gaze was questioning as she sat and began to set up her writing utensils so she could work on copying the contract.
Once they were again alone, Jillian said, "If we're looking for traces of the third family, then birth, death and marriage is probably the place to start. See if we can find them, then trace out a family tree."
"That would be idea, yes," Eirik murmured, eyes shining as he looked at the roomful of shelves bursting with documents kept from public eye. "Lord Inquisitor, you might want to go and keep your peer company - I doubt anyone'd expect for you to stare over our shoulders for hours on end. He seems to trust you so he might let something slip in casual conversation... unless you deem the risk of exposure too great, of course."
@Eirik: knowing infernal would have made sense for a barrister in Kintargo so feel free to rearrange your skill points to make this happen.
@Caleb: You know I try for everyone to be involved but sometimes it's hard. Needless to say this situation was not contemplated in the original AP but I like it and you guys came up with it so it makes perfect sense for our game.
There are only a couple of 'guards' here. Most people are indeed inquisitor-scribes so maybe Caleb (and the other guard) can try and gossip with them.
@all: remember that you are here not to look for the Mayhart lineage (although that's fine too) but to find the documents that confirm that Laria is head of the Talltallow line.
Questions?
Game on!
Action 2:
Noravia looked around at the myriad of documents and said resentfully, "We'll be here as long as it takes, I'm afraid." Then she fixed the inquisitor with a hard stare but her voice was slightly hopeful, "Or are you kicking us out at a certain time?"
Action 2:
Let's say that you need two documents for the 'Laria issue' and each requires a cumulative DC 50 to obtain (total of 100 for both).
The check will have to be profession scribe/barrister (or sell me on another check) and one check can be made per person per hour.
Everyone can make a check, even if untrained.
So on average, it will take one person 10 hours to get everything, even if untrained.
Fair?
Who's doing the research? Everyone except Tillia?
Should I roll and move things along?
Anything else you want to do for the first couple of hours?
Jillian hadn't ever seen a place like this before, but her brother was a literary sort of fellow, and she'd picked up a few things from him. She threw herself into the research, looking through old papers and parchments, looking for any reference to Laria's family.
As she worked, she said to Noravia, "If that guy comes back, he might not like seeing a soldier looking through papers. You might want to be ready to make some kind of disparaging remark about me, like a dog standing on its hind legs or something. I can roll with that. "
2 hours worth...
Turn 463 – Researching in the Records Hall
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
The check will have to be profession scribe/barrister (or sell me on another check) and one check can be made per person per hour
The check will have to be profession scribe/barrister (or sell me on another check) and one check can be made per person per hour
Er... these are inquisitor-scribes so not really. But I will let you add half your k. religion bonus to the roll.
Action 2:
“Who’s in charge here?”
Noravia appeared from behind the bookcase she was going through. She glared at the new inquisitor and stalked up to the woman, getting into her personal space. "I am. Who are you to question my authority? Not that I owe you an answer but I only brought capable people with me. Everyone with me is expected to help so I resent you questioning them. You'll never move up in the Church if you remain so closed minded."
In a dismissive tone, Noravia continued, "Now, we have a lot of work to do and it will only take longer with unnecessary interruptions such as yourself. Why are you here anyways?"