Starlan "Wingy" Benex's page

(before going to bank, alone in our group)
"Er, should we come up wth a plausible role for me and Iri, oh grand Magus?" (->Sillas)
"Perhaps we could simply be business associates of yours?"
BTW Dahn, did Mr. Dead Guy mention in his journals anything else he might have kept in his safebox?

Sillas:

Sillas:

I let out a low whistle as Iri reads the bit about the price of the amulet.
When she goes onto the bit about Dahn, I'm not quite sure how to react, though I know that voice was certainly the most DISTURBING in it's tone. I'll probably need a private conversation with Sillas about this one.

I think either Iri or Sillas should be the one to bond with the construct(s) (I already have Dragonheart.)
Is it that we can only get one fixed NOW, or is the other one ruined forever?

OK, I will help Sillas study up on his role, quizzing him on stuff in the journals after he's given it all a once over. If we stay in the house, I will clean up the place, too.

Starlan wouldn't think trying to sell bank-job info to other crooks is a good idea.
His-Holy-Mucky-Muck gave us a load of cash and we spent it on the job. At least if Rurin was a double-agent or was being spied on, the bank will be expecting a cat burglary and not us.
I had thought Sillas could study the journals while we travel to Stormhome, but with the Twins AWOL, maybe we should just stay in town...? Doing stuff with the distillery/booze doesn't seem like the biggest priority right now, though if we find any past customers (in town) written down somewhere, we could "try out" Sillas' disguise and try and get any hints on improving it that way...? (A Detect Thoughts Elixir might help, or for the 'job'?)

"Great! ...Anybody know what Avorton means?"
I'll search around the bedroom and distillery room more carefully. Search = 21
Just to clarify, did we not need a key to the box (i.e. the accompanying guards provide that)?

Nodding at Iri, I add:
"Yes, maybe we can pick that up in Stormhome, and we can study up on these journals along the way...?"
Is Stormhome still in the cards, BTW?

"Hmmm...", Glancing between each of us,
"Unless I use my "Wizard shrunken by the Planes" schtick, it looks like Sillas is our likeliest Wizard imposter.
...Do you want to some privacy to see if these clothes fit you fine...?"

"Well actually, I had quite a time of it once,
Impersonating Human Wizards by saying I'd been shrunk while venturing into the Planes... heeheeheehee..."

Swishing about the liquor, I take a sip "Hmmm...."
Taking a larger sip, and taking a long look at the stack of barrels, I add:
"If we could get these loaded on the airship, I KNOW my family's pub would take the lot.
It's not Talentan Fire-Juice, but... Anways, let's worry about that after checking this other room."

I'll watch Sillas intently as he experiments with the tools, and try myself if he offers.
"These look... very nice." (compared to normal lockpicks I would have seen)

Expendable Halfing goes first again? ;-) Please roll a Perception/Hearing for me Dahn, I'd like to try and hear if anything is moving/etc in the other room.
I refresh my Orisons, but don't use them on this check.

BTW, though we might miss out on the Bears, I would HIGHLY prefer impersonating the Mage, if that's possible.
I mean, people don't usually check their lockboxes THAT often, and the Dwarves would have zero reason to be upset... We can PAY them if the box subscription has expired, and it would appear 100% legit. Otherwise, trying to maintain the house here would be more dodgy if Kundarak IS looking out for the punks who robbed their bank (even if they don't tell the police).

It sounds like our drunkard friend here would be happy enough if we suggested he keep the booze business running, though it would be cool to link in with Starlan's family pub and sell to them. If Sillas can impersonate the mage, he can make enough appearances at various places (like the airship docks, if we ship the barrels out thru there?) to make it look as if he's returned, and explain Merreck and the rest of us as his new business partners for the booze operation.

"Ummm.... You try reading this."
I hand Iri the book as I move to check out the non-magical papers in the vandalized cabinet...
(You mentioned a Homonculi manual? That sounds interesting. What other type of stuff is here?)

OK, OK, Can I find anything like a cup to sample some of the booze?

I'll sit up on a chair and let Iri check my wounds/ heal them/ whatever.
"Merreck, thanks for finding that. If you can wait,
I want to catch my breath for a minute before opening mysterious doors."

I'll check out the book I found, and suggest Merreck or others search the rest of the desk and shelves around here. (Those scrolls could be useful for any Arcane Types - assuming they're Arcane Scrolls) Any clue to what's in the barrels?

Lurching dizzily as bits of "hummingbird" tumble from my luckily positioned Tangat,
my eyes come to focus on the still-entangled "dog" as it's jaws find Sillas.
I shake off any bits of hummingbird that had landed on me, and rush to Sillas' aid (->D4):
(Attack: 7 (Nat. 1 ), Damage: 8+6 Sneak Attack)
...Hopefully that doesn't free it from the last of the goo...*_*

My eyes bulge as the Metal Hummingbird lifts away...
"What's this? I don't think cuter means friendlier in this case...
Please say you've found some way to turn it off, Merreck."

Doing my best to keep out of the way of the Metal Claws I've already crossed paths with,
I decide to switch my focus to the Hummingbird, taking advantage of it's position between Sillas and me:
...nada (9 to-hit (Nat. 2) including Flank & Bless... I also used my Guidance Orison!) 7 dmg if that hit

I'll Tumble away to get away from those Claws, to F-5: Tumble Check: 23 (Phew!)

I'll wait to see what Sillas does before posting my next action.
I didn't mean I want to read the book NOW, but that I flipped thru it when I found it,
and wonder what's immediately obvious from skimming it?

"AAHHHH!!!!" I scream as the metal jaws draw blood...

"Hurry up, Merreck!"
I climb up on the desk (E3) & ready my Father's Tangat,
and am Readying an Action if the Metal Dog gets up:
Taking a 5' Step to the edge of desk (D3/E4) if necessary, I attack it:
21 to-hit, 6 dmg + 5 Sneak Attack dmg

(I rolled 7 Init, but I think my Readied Action puts me on the same Init Count as the Dog))
What did the book I found contain?

OK, I guess I'm checking out the desk,
with Iri's advice from her Detect Magic indicating my best bets. Keys are good too.
I'll see what I find first before going to the side-table or whatever.
"Hm. What did Master Magician keep in his study...? Metal Bones for Metal Dogs?"

What! ME!?
I jump/ tumble over to the desk, looking for any magic-type controller item. I don't have any Detect Magic myself or Know:Arcana or anything, so after getting it I will return to the other two, evading the sticky area and metal dog.
(I presume I was told where in the desk it is. Otherwise I wouldn't even know about it.)

Great Idea Iri! I think something might be in that desk...
I forgot I actually have a Tangelfoot Bag too,
so I'll Ready an Action to throw it if you miss and it gets angry...
(or I could just throw mine first if you want...)

Trying my best to present a happy, friendly, unthreatening appearance to the Dog Construct,
...I'm not sure, but if you have any magical abilities, maybe you could just scan around and see what Magic you Detect? On the top floor I came in thru (don't ask), I know I found a magic watering can, but that's all I noticed.

And for our companion-without-a-Body-to-call-his-own, something you might have missed was that people have separate rooms, some with the most convenient magics, so I was suggesting there might be separate room for... that purpose, not just ...!!! At least if you're ignorant about this I can assume you've left Iri alone while... OH NEVER MIND!

BTW Dahn, is that a door at G1 or at D-E8, or both?

I step back from the door frame...
Do you still want to try that word, Iri?
I think this is the wizard's secret study, or maybe portal to other places. He might have notes here about the artifact, or perhaps other people he had told about the item or his plan to store it in the vault...?
Plus maybe one of those fancy arcane bath-rooms the best hotels in Sharn have...

You think that word you found on the wall is a magical command word or something?
Well, I say go for it, once I get a bit of distance from those steel fangs...
Full Defense Action for me (+6 AC) once Iri (?) says the word... (so to speak)
I guess I'm standing just outside the doorway, though with room for it to run out if it wants (? I can't find map now...)
...I call out to Merreck (in Halfing):
"Slam the door shut and make sure it stays shut if a big metal dog tries to run out... I don't think we've talked in Halfing before, have we?"

If I can roll another Animal Empathy, here it is: 10. Sheesh. Maybe dog's ARE man's best friend. Not halfings'.
"There you are boy, Now what is such a nice dog like you doing all locked up...?"

Turning back to you two, "...Well, My guess is this isn't a cultist."
I'll try talking to the dog, asking if it speaks all the languages I know (Halfling, Common, Goblin, Orcish, Druidic)
"...Maybe it's a follower of the Silver Flame, too, Iri!"

Oh!
"There boy (?), you must be hungry after being down here so long." I say,
some question in my mind as to whether this sort of creature GETS hungry.
I do my best to look non-threatening and don't further encroach on it's territory. Wild Empathy: 10 :^/

I glance around the room, not taking my eyes off the creature for too long Perception: 12

Know(Nature): 12 for what type of beast this is (or 9 if Planes is more appropriate)
Don't worry, it's OK with me if you got banned for foul language, Dahn... ;-)

Know(Planes) for hand/words 10, Perception 10(12 Sound), Stealth as approaching room 15
I'll head towards about C-5 or so, on the map

Nodding gravely at my companions, not really sure what to make of the situation, but confident in the motley crew we've come to be, I shrug and scurry towards the room. Entering on the side furthest from where I last saw the figure to keep some distance from the unknown being, I call out as I enter "Excuse me, would the bathroom be down here, perchance?"

(that was a serious option BTW, whether to announce ourselves by asking where the bathroom is) :-)

Should I use my Father's Talenta Ninja-Ranger training and sneak a peek of what is down there?
...Or just go ahead and ask where the bathroom is in this place?

I can go in first if nobody else wants to...?
...Iri, are you getting any sort of magic aura from down there?
I nod gratefully at Merrick, thankful for his helpful presence,
even though we can't share everything we know with him, for his own sake.

After showing them the door, I motion for us to talk telepathically, giving the whisper sign to Merreck.
"Hmm... That would be interesting if Solinthas didn't manage to notice that this was a Warforged Wizard..." (giggles)
"...We certainly don't have to open door #1 right here and now, but I figure at some point in time, SOMEONE will come here to loot the place, if the Cultists don't first, and whatever's inside that door could get out... I think between the three of us, we can hold our own, and I have a few tricks which could stop anything wanting to escape."

Sillas' skills are needed to unlock the door.
I have Entangle memorized if anything tries to get out, but if we crowd around the door that would be more difficult anyways.
I really have no idea what it is, it could be a Warforged servant of the dead Mage, able to tell us some clues, it could be a Cultist assassin who was captured by the mage before the next one got to him...?
Does anyone want to Detect Magic in the area of the Basement first?

"Any ideas on who should go in first?"

"It's in the basement."
I show them the messy kitchen, with the locked door that leads to the basement.
"There's also a door to the basement from outside, but I figure if it tries to slip out, inside the house is one more area before it escapes, although Draghonheart is watching from above, of course. I checked out the house, and besides several libraries and lots of plants that hadn't been watered, there's no bedroom OR bathroom... Though those could be in the basement...?"
Dahn, are there plants around the kitchen?
If not, it might be prudent for me to move several potted plants into the area, as I have a certain spell that needs plant-life to work

...ALRIGHT... I guess I will water the rest of the plants, then.

I'm in the house now. I can let you in the back porch door. There's a fruit orchard behind the house that opens onto a side street. Just be quiet as you come up, I think someone(thing) is in the basement.
And I give directions to the house/orchard. I really should train in Disable Device, y'know...

Oh yes, that. Any plan on sussing out the Dwarven girl to see if she's really his Kundarak handler?

Do you have a plan about fooling this guy into thinking 2 or 3 different groups are trying to break into the Bank? :-)
He seems a bit too "far-gone" for that type of thing to matter, but I'm interested to see how he plays out.

"Okay... Are you on your way, though?"

OK, would I be able to take the hinges off or something, to gain entry to the basement?

Hey guys, I want to find out what this thing in the basement is. Are you coming over here?

:-)

Well, the bank set-up doesn't really seem conducive to my 'Bear plan' as such, but I'll see what I can do :-)

I'll let the Wizard's house play out and such before 'poking around' more of what we know of the Bank, and discusing what we all think is the best way to proceed.
(clarifying basic info "ooc" is fine, I think, but we can discuss plans in-character, of course)

And Elli & Dee, I don't think you need to feel as if you've missed out on so much,
I don't think much that has transpired in spoilers has been really so "core" to the game... (well, Iri & mine's meeting with Solinthas with the info about the demon-artifact we're supposed to recover, but Iri posted that for everyone to read a while's back.)

I just don't know who is supposed to make Wingy look so un-couth and scandalous, if not the Twins :-)

Well, after availing myself the opportunity to educate myself from his library,
My curiosity will be piqued by the absense of a bedroom. (Is there a bathroom!?)
I will search for secret doors or rooms...

OK, I'll look at the libraries, then...
Roll for me if necessary...

OK. What about the door from the kitchen to the basement?
Was it also a padlock, or just a bar across it? (or otherwise not needing special skills to unlock)
EDIT: Actually, could I just roll a Bluff check to be able to try that Disable Device, anyways? ;-)
...anyhow: "What do you think, Twins? Take the hinges off the outside (or inside) door to the Basement?
Or all of us whack the padlock at the same time, hope that busts it, and pile in?
...Ellirayne, You could do some of that sorceress-type-magic-detection stuff in the direction of the Basement, right?

Twins:
"There's a rhythmic metallic sound in the basement, and the kitchen door to there is also locked.
I'll exit out the back porch and come outside, so we can all enter the Basement from it's outer door."
I imagine it's those type of Basement doors that are at a 45* angle, and open directly onto stairs.

OK, We should have our plan and positioning together FIRST before I unlock it.
I would guess some sort of prisoner was locked there, and they're probably hungry.
We should be prepared though, and definitely make sure who/whatever it is can't escape, in case they're a Cultist.
It could be a Cultist that the Wizard managed to subdue, before running into the one that killed him.

Once Elli & Dee confirm on our plan:Disable Device: 21 Woo Hoo! Fingaz on FIRE!
(I don't even have any Ranks in D.D., so I'm quite impressed with my success so far)

Exactly. By expectations and all outward signs it SHOULD be abandoned (the orchard and plants weren't watered),
but there is a metallic sound from inside the LOCKED basement.
So I wouldn't expect it to be the normal householder. Seems more like a prisoner trying to escape.

...Since you guys have been 'away', and Dahn seems fine cluing us all in to info we could have discovered about the bank, maybe let's skip RP'ing the Bank part (asking for any info you would have liked to discover), and we can just do the abandoned Wizard-house bit. ...If Dahn's cool with that?

OK. Does the door to the cellar (from kitchen) need a key to be unlocked?, or is it just a bar on my side?
I alert Elli & Dee to the situation with the sound...

I think we should take care of this, as someone (or thing) is obviously in the cellar.
I could let you into the house and we enter the basement together thru the kitchen.
Or I could come out, and try to pick that lock I saw on the outer door going down to the basement.
That has the advantage of no big folk walking on squeaky floors. and without Stealth, too, probably

In either scenario, I would try and pick the lock as silently as possible to try and maintain surprise.

...?

OF COURSE I have some more questions about the bank, but I'll post them later :-)

Dahn: Yeah, I'm not even supposed to be that good at Picking Locks, so that one was a relief.
Can I just continue using those Perception/Stealth checks? Otherwise, just roll for me.

Sucking in the sweet scents of the flora, I suddenly feel especially sorry that the house's owner had to be killed.
He seems the sort of fellow it would have been pleasant to discuss gardening and botany with. But back to our task.
(I mentally alert Deerian & Ellirayne of the general scenario once I'm inside.)

Before anything, I'm listening for the sounds of anyone else in the house.
Then, I'll water the plants if I can find a water urn. (Anything else I discover while doing this?)
Then, stealthily as possible, I open the door and step into the next space.

Yeah, awesome map for sure!
OK, some questions, even though I'm not there :-)

Sure, that sounds like a good idea. Let Rurin drop that info whenever is convenient...
My actions at the house seem mostly independent of the details at the Bank.

OK, I guess I'll slip up to the house, checking the windows & doors, climbing up all the way to the balcony if I don't find any unlocked (or un-lockable) windows on the way up. I'll leave Elli & Dee amongst the trees, but closer to the road, to serve as lookouts and decoys (looking like they're picnickers). If I find entry, we'll decide how to proceed from there...
Climb: 25, Stealth: 22, Disable Device: 15 (if necessary)

Elli & Dee, did you two want to talk up the Kundarak Bank and see what we can learn?
It seems better to take care of one thing at a time,
and I'd rather do this first before checking out the Mage's house...?

OK, I want to wait for Elli & Dee, but it doesn't seem they've posted so recently... HELLOOO!?!?
If we investigate the Bank (like walking in, and asking how renting a lock-box works),
it seems the Twins have the aura of respectability that would help...? What do you guys think?
In any case, that would happen before we investigate the house...
Dahn: What types of buildings are adjacent/around the Bank?

The Wizard's House:
I'll see if I can learn from any passers-by if the fruit is OK to pick, and why nobody has picked it. I don't let on that I know anything about the Wizard's house behind the grove, though of course if there's juicy info people blurt out, all the better. Elli & Dee could either roll their own Diplomacys, or Aid Another to add +2 to my roll from before (which was 23). After taking care of that, if we want to try sneaking in, my Perception roll (21/ 23 hearing) is looking out for any suspicious characters watching us, and if there's anything in the grove or house. If we try sneaking in, one or two of us should play "lookout", so we can be sure we're not observed while trying to enter...

...Twins?

Dahn:Probably the types of spells I was thinking of are too high Spell Level. But it doesn't like we need them now.
I'll see what the Twins think before saying how I'll proceed... (Or DM-PC as you see fit, Dahn...)

Twins:
"So, you two haven't been to Passage before, either, have you?
I suppose we can at least stretch our legs, and get a feel for the town.
I'm also interested in this Wizard's house, which is probably being watched by the cultists,
but maybe we can find an entry from the neighbor houses, or the property behind his.
You sorcerous-types might have some means of bypassing something as simple as a wall, right?"

I figure we'd just stroll the town, shopping maybe, to get a feel for it's layout, including around the Bank. (+inside?)
One of you could pick up an appropriate scroll or 2 at a magic shop to help get thru a wall, if that works.
After the less controversial stuff is taken care of, we can see about finding a "back" way into this chap's house.

Perception = 21 (23 Hearing), Diplomacy = 23

I'll assume that we discussed this before actually landing.
SO, I'll say that I directed Dragonheart to glide above the town before our airship actually came close.
(I didn't want Dragonheart and our airship associated at this point.)
If I need Dragonheart, I can call him down as he'll be able to watch us from high above.
After we leave town, he can re-join the airship further north from town, by a landmark I point out. (edge of forest?)

Bluff check if relevant: 17

Maybe a general map of the town layout would be helpful...?
I lookout for any spots where young 'punks' hang out. Not to approach them this time, but I'm planning ahead.
...Mainly, I try not to do anything memorable, I'm just trying to get a feel for things.

...Dragonheart could respond to a specific cue, but I think what you're thinking about is too vague. (INT 2 creature)
I COULD direct him to "guard" someone from attackers... But I'm hoping if we're all just low-key nothing will happen.
It seems better not to leave a trail of associations of lyrandar airship-dinosaur-halfling & minor nobles from sharn- etc...
(unless there's a pressing need for Dragonheart, I'll just direct him to stay on board & sleep. I'd prefer if the crew also just stayed on board, just so they can't accidentally share any info.)

It looks like I'm NOT checking out the wizard's house, but I wanted to say my idea was NOT to go asking around about him, or even try to directly investigate the address at all. I thought the most discrete approach would be to figure out what businesses/ homes/ etc are adjacent or behind the wizard's house. From inside those, a scroll/spell to dimension door/ pass thru stone/wood/etc could enter his house without anyone seeing, since you'd be inside another building, and presumably plenty of people regularly go in and out most of the neighboring buildings. But I'm not going now :-)

"Yes, let's visit this contact of yours, Iri, and get a feel for the rest of the town.
I might want to walk around the neighborhood where what's-his-name,
the unlucky Xen'Drik-ologist kept his apartment. I just want to see who his neighbors are.

We might as well not try and disguise ourselves,
since Dwarven questions could probably discover who left Sharn with this airship...
But we can scout thins out, and take a subtler approach our next visit..."

Besides caring for Dragonheart, I enjoy exploring the lay-out of an airship, which I'd never been on before. I'll also talk to the crew and learn what I can about them, though I obviously need to keep our group's intentions somewhat secret.

As we depart from Sharn, I'll point out a distant column of smoke as dust from a herd of dinosaurs being transported from Talenta to market. As we continue, I'll point out land marks or areas known for especially delectable fruits.

What is the set-up for the air-ship docking tower in Passage?
How is the town layed out around it?

"Kitty" = The group "pot of gold" Solinthas gave us.
And actually, only mark off 450gp, I already had 2 of those scrolls :-)
(they're all on my profile now)

I give Merrick two of the Message Stones, and one to Sillas,
or someone else if they speak up loud enough.
(If Sillas already has one, it's best to spread 'em out)

"Dig in, everyone! The finest fare of Talenta is spread before your eyes!"
(I brought a picnic basket "to go" of the finest my family's Restaurant-Pub offers...)

I suddenly remember and toss an extra big steak to Dragonheart's reclined figure.

I let Dragonheart lay out on one of the open decks of the Airship.
I suppose we could fly alongside, but might as well travel with everyone else, and enjoy the feast I brought for everyone from the Talenta Stewpot. If anything comes up, I could launch off with Dragonheart, but in the meantime, I'd rather enjoy this new experience of the airship.

I let Merricks comment slip by.

OK, are YOU OK tracking the "kitty", Dahn? :-)