Gaziq Neshar |
Gaziq ventures another glance at the carvings of the warriors dueling the bulls. "Something tells me this isn't the place we want to get caught sneaking into. If they let us in, we'll investigate. Otherwise, we can send a runner to meet Deverin and get us whatever passes for an official seal."
Borumaru |
"Alas, it does not seem like knocking has any effect... And without some proof of our identity, it would be unwise to try and force our entry, by force or subterfuge." Borumaru contemplates. "Still We have no time to waste... Unless any of you know of a way to enter this place before its operating hours, I suggest we move to our next destination after sending a runner to Lord Deverin... Hopefully it will not be shut tight like this place."
Well... No one answers the door and apparently there's no employee around to meet us. So I don't see any way to make progress on the beast house for the time being. Wasn't there another place for us to check?
Raleigh Blanc |
Would Raleigh know any back alley shortcuts that might get him to the deverin household especially quickly?
"If tha rest of ya 'r gonna keep an eye on the place, I can make my way there."
Uuzkhangr Dagravax |
Uuzkhangr clears his throat and tries to sound as serious as possible.
"We are not customers. We are here on behalf of Tilos Deverin."
Nathalion Grimarc |
"There have been attacks. We fear this place may be targeted next." Nathalion looks around with what he hopes is an impressed expression on his face. "It does look well guarded though."
Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Borumaru |
"Unfortunately, 'well guarded' does not equal 'impregnable'..." says Borumaru politely as he hold the door. "Your establishment seems capable of withstanding an army of a thousand men... Which probably means it is vulnerable to the work of one or two capable infiltrators. We are here to prevent sabotage. We announced our presence and are almost certainly outnumbered by your guards. We pose no threat, even if that were our intention... What do you have to lose? At worst, you get to laugh at the folly of our wasted efforts, at best, we stop a saboteur from causing great damage to your place of work."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Gaziq Neshar |
I'm going to wait and see how he responds to Boramaru
-Posted with Wayfinder
Uuzkhangr Dagravax |
With a 6 CHA, if I attempted to aid another in diplomacy it would probably do more harm than good. :)
Gaziq Neshar |
When it becomes clear that the man is too stubborn to convince, Gaziq will back away from the gate. He'll wait until he hears the chains rattling before speaking up again. "We'll just have to wait until they open to investigate the inside. We'll get in first, hopefully beat the crowds. For now, let's see what we find out here. The saboteur has been pretty lazy about covering their tracks so far. Maybe we'll get lucky."
Gaziq circles around to the west side of the building to inspect the cages and the second gate.
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Uuzkhangr Dagravax |
"You stage fights between animals here, yes? Does that include giant insects?"
Uuzkhangr pulls Zyxl's ragged cloak aside so the man can see the Giant Mantis.
I don't plan on pitting Zyxl against another creature here but it might get us inside.
Nathalion Grimarc |
"Nothing says we can't snoop around the outside a bit." Nathalion crisply speaks some mysterious words with some esoteric gestures thrown in. Then he begins to intently gaze at the compound, moving around behind Gaziq toward the cages and wagons.
Casts detect magic.
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Nathalion Grimarc |
Seems like they don't have any magical defenses in place..." Nathalion comments after his scan of the compound. "So probably kind of vulnerable to whoever attacked the honey hut, and raided the Tian Lung."
Nathalion frowns. "They will probably want us to have tickets." Then as an afterthought: "We should have asked to speak to the manager."
Gaziq Neshar |
"You think so? That fellow really didn't strike me as the 'go and get my manager' type. I did consider playing the "Our boss pays your boss card" but I didn't think that'd go over well either. It doesn't seem like Deverin and Minvandu get along all that well."
Are there any windows low enough for me to see through? If I climb on top of a cart?
Uuzkhangr Dagravax |
"If we were thinking of sneaking in, Zyxl here could fly up to the wall with a rope. If there's something sturdy to pull it around, like a flagpole, she could go up one side and then back around the other side. I think I can convince her to do that."
"Ummm... does anyone have any rope? I don't usually carry any."
Nathalion Grimarc |
"Perhaps not." The wizard agrees with Gaziq. "Doesn't hurt to ask though."
"By odd coincidence, I do happen to have a rope with me." He answers Uuzkhangr. "Breaking and entering is frowned on around here. After dark might be better for that."
Borumaru |
"Waiting for working hours would give the culprit too good a chance to wreak havoc... Which might mean innocent getting injured. We must enter this place now... With or without that man's consent."
Uuzkhangr Dagravax |
"We need to find an entry point where we can get in without being seen easily."
"I think we should wait for Raleigh to return though as if we are caught in there I don't want to fight those who are only lawfully defending their own property. If that happens we will have the letter from Mister Deverin to explain ourselves."
Uuzkhangr begins to look around the edges of the property so see a likely way in.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
CrusaderWolf |
Uuzkhangr Dagravax |
"The place is well-designed. I see no easy way in."
Gaziq Neshar |
Gaziq hops down from the cart and rejoins the others.
"I suppose we could continue around the building. There may be a less secure service door at the back. Lots of people inside means lots of food in and refuse out."
"I have to say though, I'm not too keen on the idea. The security out here is tough enough, I have to imagine there's more inside. And we aren't invisible."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Uuzkhangr Dagravax |
"I'm not sure that Mister Deverin would want us breaking any laws. That might exceed the boundaries of our mission."
"Were there any other places we wanted to visit? We could do that and come back when the business opens officially."
Nathalion Grimarc |
"Lets just wait till Raleigh gets back. If has he some sort of writ from Tilos it might help here."
Nathalion looks around at the other buildings. he's looking for one tall enough to allow a view into the compound.
As he does so, the wizard also looks for grates or manholes that might allow access to the storm drains. Perhaps there is a way in from below.
Nathalion is trying to put himself into the mind of a would be intruder, he is looking for a way in, and a way out. Invisibility might serve to climb over the wall, and in, but one must also get out, preferably unseen.
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
CrusaderWolf |
Luckily there are numerous small eating and drinking establishments near the Matador Lodge, and the group moves to one to await the opening of the Lodge and Raleigh's return.
Meanwhile, the investigator had hurried through the streets towards Deverin manor. The house is located in a neighborhood that is clearly prosperous but not ostentatious in its displays of wealth, with the Deverin estate itself being a small affair with a low stone wall surrounding a large yard around a two-story house. Up on the second floor is a large balcony, and Raliegh observes a man with a short greying beard sitting in what looks like a very comfortable chair out in the sunlight, napping. A small writing desk sits next to him, unused.
After explaining himself to the groundskeeper, Raleigh is escorted to the foyer where he waits. After perhaps five minutes, Tilos descends the stairs.
Raleigh Blanc |
"We checked out the fireworks gig. Looks like something important there, but we've started doing our best blind bulette impression. Runnin' into nothin' but walls, jack. None a yer business buddies seem ta think we check out. Got anything to prove we're official so we can skip the run around?" Raleigh speaks obliquely about the fireworks shop intentionally for caution, but he says his words with a sense of professionalism.
Tilos Deverin, NPC |
"Something official, yes, I believe I can get father to sign off on that, follow me." Leading you up the stairs, the young man speaks over his shoulder to you. "You might have seen him out on the balcony, the sunlight lifts his spirits. He might pretend to be hard of hearing but don't fall for it, he thinks its funny to make people yell."
???: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
As Tilos leads you up the stairs, you glance back and notice the gardener--you never did catch his name--standing by the door watching you, but he turns away and heads back outside when you look his way. You're not entirely sure, but for a moment there you could have sworn that his eyes had a silver glow about them.
Raleigh Blanc |
Gonna take ten on perception.
Well how bout that? Actin' paranoid might have it's perks.
"Good ta 'ave a sense a humor, eh? I gotta admit this is a nicer place than I'm used ta workin' in. Even got employees. Would ya mind me askin' how long that keeper's worked 'ere?"
Tilos Deverin, NPC |
Tilos chuckles as he reaches the top of the stairs"Selli? He's an old friend of father's, he's been working here for years, since I was a child. He doesn't just garden, he does odd jobs around the house and generally keeps things running."
1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Tilos isn't lying, but he isn't telling you everything either, and that chuckle seemed forced.
You get the impression that he's not comfortable with concealing whatever it is, but that it pertains to Selli more than himself.
As the two of you step out onto the sunny balcony Tilos goes over to the well-dressed but elderly man dozing in his comfy chair and gently shakes him awake. "Father, sorry to disturb you but one of the people who helped us at the Honey Hut is here, he and his friends want written permission to investigate on our behalf."
Lord Deverin, NPC |
Blearily blinking his eyes and looking around, the elder Deverin pulls a pair of spectacles from his breast pocket and places on his nose as he peers up and down at Raleigh. "Well, you do kind of look like a guardsman. I should think that gets you in trouble, does it not?"
Waving over at the desk, he murmurs, "Write for me, will you, Tilos?" before rattling off a staid legalistic pronouncement in the bored tones of a man whose worked in law for decades and is thoroughly tired of it. As Tilos heats the wax for the seal, the old man gets a sharp glint in his eye. "So, hero. Who is trying to do harm to my family?"
Raleigh Blanc |
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
"It's complicated sir. But yes." Raleigh answers and waits as patiently as he can while the writ is prepared, but he can't help wincing at the word "hero".
"If ya would, I'd appreciate if ya refrained from usin tha word 'hero' in reference ta me. I usually just look out for tha li'l guy. Near as we've been able ta figure, yer antagonistic party has gold ta back up this fight. More over, I asked around and whoever this is doesn't have a name in the ah... seedier circles of Magnimar."
Raleigh keeps his own eyes sharp as he speaks, on the lookout for prying ears. If he does find something out of place, he stops talking.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Gaziq Neshar |
Perception 1: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Perception 2: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
-Posted with Wayfinder
Uuzkhangr Dagravax |
Perception 1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Perception 2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
CrusaderWolf |
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Okay, well...the tiny handful of you who beat a '9' can check the spoiler box
Your conversation is interrupted by the squeal of rusted metal. The source is clear enough--up the block a wiry, filthy gnome with dirty grey-green hair swaddled in even filthier robes clambers out freezing when he sees all the humans around him staring. For a long moment no one on the street moves, so the creature turns and gestures down into the hole he climbed out of--and a large beetle clambers out onto the street! This elicits quite a bit of response, and the strange pair start to move hurriedly towards the mouth of the nearest alley.
Nathalion Grimarc |
"So there is access to the underground nearby." Nathalion mutters. Then in a slightly louder voice he adds: "Gnome with a beetle friend just crawled up out of the ground over there. Wonder if he's a friend of Zilderban's."
Nathalion gets up, heading over to where the gnome and his beetle appeared. The passage to the underground is of interest, perhaps there is a passage to the Matador Lodge. The wizard wrinkles his nose. Probably an aromatic passage. And not pleasant aromas either...