Samisel attacks the guard captain again.
Attack
Damage
Samisel, clutching his wound, rushes forward and attacks the guard captain as he moves to quaff his potion, opening up a deep red slit across the guard's exposed throat. The man falls to his knees as he watches his blood spill out into the street.
Talic will move to flank the guard attacking Samisel
Deston moves up to the blinded guardsman who had the crossbow.
"Your life was forfeit the moment you pointed that thing at me."
[ooc]Deston attacks blinded guard,
damage[ooc]
After quickly dispatching the last of the two ORCA thugs before they could cause any more havoc, the companions search desperately for any sign of the escaped Duncan, but to no avail.
Samisel, let me see those wounds. You're getting to be much to breakable! Lynnara says with a chuckle
'Let's move on sharpish before more ORCA come along, this was a bad start to our covert operations,' Qarxan sighes sadly looking down at the gaurds, regretting the neccesity of the fight. If only we had been stealthier.
Thank you again, Lynnara, says Samisel ruefully, I need to learn to duck, I think. You're right, Qarxan, we'd best get off the street. Perception check to see how people are reacting -
Talic glances about once the fight is done, then quickly searches each body. At the mention of an ally, Talic says "The sea would be ideal, as the bodies would never be found, but an Ally would buy us some time. "
With a quick shake of his head, Emmentian retracts the fangs protruding from his upper jaw, and leans down to place a soothing hand on the back of Cirrus' head. "They might not be found once they're tossed into the sea, but getting them there might draw a little more attention that we're after. The alley should do, with any luck nobody except for that fool of a boy will have noticed our involvement."
"What have we here?' talic will pockjet the seal for more careful inspection later. "let's move these quick then!"
With the bodies safely out of sight and relieved of their possessions, the party heads deeper into Gold-Bottom Bay's exotic market district. The afternoon crowds are thick by now, and the entire market is a riot of color, aroma, and noise. Vendors selling sweet meats, roasted nuts, and candied yams pass out samples to potential customers as they pass by. Weapon dealers and blacksmiths offer a glittering array of knives, bows, spears, and swords, many of them foreign and unique in nature. Others sell a wide variety of colorful birds and exotic pets, who squawk and growl in their cages. As the Festival is nearing its end, many vendors are dramatically cutting their prices in an effort to be rid of their wares, and everywhere you look, you see large amounts of money changing hands.
In this cacophony, it quickly becomes evident that finding either Duncan or his sister is proving futile, and as the afternoon wanes, a small, well dressed page boy delivers the group a message:
The day grows long, and the time of the gala approaches. We mustn't be late! Meet me back at the Mermaid Lounge, and soon! I have gifts for you.
~Celeste~
Samisel looks around at the booths and tables. We should unburden ourselves of some of this unwanted gear but I fear we have not the time tonight. I suggest we head to the Mermaid Lounge.
"I agree."Deston shudders,"I do not relish going to this party, but I suppose that I have no choice."
Back at the inn, the group is surprised to find Celeste already waiting for them in the common room. With her are four stunning young women, and one darkly handsome young man. All are dressed in exquisite fashion, and the women smell faintly of flowers and other sweet aromas. Brightly colored and painstakingly wrapped parcels and packages lie everywhere; it is quite evident that someone has done quite a bit of shopping.
Seeing the party walk in, Celeste claps her hands in delight and rushes forward to greet everyone. "Oh, good!" she exclaims. "I was afraid you'd be late! Come, we have much to do to get you ready."
One by one, she ushers each of the companions to their own private room, where a piping hot bath has been drawn. She instructs each person to bathe thoroughly, after which she presents each with several packages of clothing containing a brand new outfit cut in the latest fashion from expensive fabrics. Also included are costly rings, brooches, bracelets, and other accessories.
For Samisel, there is a smart looking coat and trousers of deep green, cut in a military fashion and trimmed in muted gold.
For Deston, she brought a starched white shirt with billowing sleeves, strait black slacks tucked into high leather boots, polished black. Over that is a stiff vest of shiny black calf skin.
For Qarxan, a sleeveless red vest over a gold tunic, with dark red tights tucked into pointy black shoes with a large gold buckle.
For Emmentian, exquisite robes of a rich brown, embroidered with fancy designs in cream and gold.
For Lynnara, a beautiful strapless gown of periwinkle blue, beaded with sparkling crystals along the hem.
And finally, for Talic, a small dress of bright, vivid pink and a matching pair of pink stiletto heels.
Seeing Talic's incredulous expression, Celeste took the young halfling's hands in her own and spoke soothingly to him. "Dear sweet, brave, magnificent Talic, I realize your ensemble isn't quite what you were expecting, but please allow me to explain. You see, such a man of your youthful, handsome countenance could easily be mistaken for a human child. Seeing as how Calypsia is not a place for children, your presence there could cause quite a stir. However, with the right wig, a bit of rouge, and the proper outfit, we can transform you into the wealthy young daughter of some lesser known noble family. Trust me, oh courageous and magnificent Talic, this course of action is for the best!"
Before the rogue can object, she leans down and plants a soft kiss on his lips, momentarily silencing him.
Yes you could... but why would you? :)
Balance! Balance! Balance! that's the key to walking in heels... ...Talia.
As everyone completes being dressed, Qarxan rather admirable of his both wizardly and stylish garb he looks around his companions, taking in their new costumes.
'Everyone looks rather dashing, say wheres Talic? I'm sure he cuts a fine figure aswell,' Qarxan looks around to see if the halfing has finished changing.
As visions of knives stabbing wildly fill his mind, the soft lifts brush his, and he looses all resolve. Looking at Celeste he says, "I will do this on one condition, when's its done you meet me back here for a shared bath."
Celeste does a mock gasp at the words of the devilish rogue, a slight twinkle in her eye. "Perhaps," she says quietly, trying to suppress a grin, "but I'll have to see how you 'perform' in other areas first."
She then ushers him into the next room. "Now come along, cousin Talia, we've got to get you ready for the ball!"
Deston begins to buckle on his swordbelt then looks at Celeste.
"Uhh... I can wear this, right?"He asks with a little trepidation.
Emmentian looks a little uncomfortable as he dons the finery, and moves around awkwardly as if afraid to damage the expensive garment.
When he looks between Talic and his dress, the gnome forces his face to remain blank with visible effort. "It's times like these that a beard comes in handy," he comments quietly, running his hand down his smooth facial hair.
Celeste pokes her head around the door to answer Deston's question. "No weapons allowed inside Calypsia's walls, I'm afraid. So unless you've got a great hiding place, or a fast hand and a glib tongue, I'd leave them behind, dear. And make sure whatever enchanted trinkets you've got on your person are harmless enough, else they're liable to be confiscated as well."
Seeing the swordsman's dour expression, she gives a soft laugh. "Relax, friend Deston! Tonight is strictly for information gathering and reconnaissance. No bloodshed necessary. And besides, it should be fun!"
Suddenly Celeste emerges from Talic's room, her hands clenched and excitement in her voice. "Ladies and gentleman, allow me to introduce the lovely Ms. Talia Rosewood, daughter of house Rosewood and my new 'cousin'!"
What walks out from behind the door cannot be described in mere words. Wearing a ridiculous strawberry blond wig, and dressed from head to toe in the most vibrant pink anyone has ever seen, Talic undoubtedly looks ridiculous. And yet, when viewed through objective eyes, it's hard not to be impressed by the transformation Celeste has wrought in the halfling. His chic outfit, generous make up, and fake eyelashes compliment his naturally high cheek bones and slight build. His four inch heels take him from minuscule to merely short, and the whole ensemble comes together to give an impression of a genuine, even slightly attractive, human girl. The effect is quite eerie to those who have simply known him as Talic, and would be even more convincing save for the halfling grimacing and wobbling with every step, as well as digging at under garments wedged into places unfamiliar to the little rogue.
Celeste is positively beaming. "Isn't he just adorable!" she exclaims. Talic groans in embarrassment.
She then turns to the beautiful women and the handsome man sitting in the room. "These lovely darlings," she says, gesturing to them, "are my friends, and have graciously agreed to be your dates for the evening. They are loyal to our cause, and each has prepared a fictitious backstory for each person here, which they will recite with you on the way over to the casino. They will help maintain your cover, and will bail you out in a pinch, but don't expect them to do all of the talking. Only you six know what's truly at stake here, and I expect you to be out there asking questions and gathering whatever information you can glean. The Wilds know we will need it tomorrow if we are to have any chance of success in freeing Carmella."
Talic is more quiet than usual, but he has kept a dagger and his lock picks under his clothes.
At the prospect of gold and Gambling, Talic's face brightens. "perhaps we can make a litle exra for ourselves as well tonight"
Deston looks disgusted and puts his sword away. Then brightening slightly he looks at his sleeves and says,"These should do."
Digging through his gear he pulls out a spring loaded wrist sheath with a coin holder on it. He then places a few copper,silver and gold coins in it. Strapping it to his wrist, Deston then reaches in and pulls out a coin.
"There! A simple coin purse." He says.
He then makes a slight motion and a stiletto appears instantly in his hand.
"Ahh... much better."Deston remarks in a much more relieved voice.
Deston again looks at Celeste in expectation of some other admonition.
'Why! This is all quite delightful!' Qarxan exclaims with a smile and a wink for Talic.
'Shall we go and begin our evening of intrigue? Ophilia dear,' Qarxan smiles at the woman, ready to go adn enjoy the casino.
"Yes, I think this could work," Emmentian says thoughtfully, forcing himself to stop fussing over the sleeves of his new robes, "Should I leave Cirrus here, or bring him along as an example of my wares?"
Samisel turns to Naya and holds out his hand. When she takes his hand, he bows deeply, kisses her hand and says, Shall we, my dear?
Celeste lightly pats the little snake on the head. "Oh, do bring him! He's just the cutest little thing! Although, you may have to hide him somewhere on your person when we pass through the security check."
At that moment, a sharply dressed and groomed page boy knocks politely on the door, bowing to Celeste as she opens it. "Your coaches await, m'lady." he says.
"Good, right on time!" she remarks. "Well, shall we depart?" she says to the gathered couples. Heads eagerly nod in agreement.
Outside, the cool night air is electric with excitement and anticipation of the coming night's events. Two handsome stage coaches of delicate white wood are parked on the cobblestone street outside of the inn, their respective pairs of destriers pawing the ground and tossing their heads proudly in their gilded bridles. Once everyone is boarded, the coach drivers maneuver smoothly out into the night traffic. Everywhere the companions look, merriment is underway. Beautiful women and handsome men dance in the streets as musicians play on the sidewalks and thoroughfares, and every doorway, window, and archway is bedecked in sparkling lights of every conceivable color. The crowds thicken as the coaches near the casino district, and once the Calypsia comes into view, it is difficult for even the most indifferent observer not to just simply stare and marvel at the view.
Rising several hundred feet into the night sky, the facade of the fantastic spiraling glass tower is lit from below by a clever collection of rotating colored lanterns, throwing myriad blues and whites over the surface of the structure, making it seem as if it were constructed of nothing more than shifting water. Magnificent terraced gardens and mosaic tiled pools of turquoise water flank the winding road leading up to the grand entrance. Already the line of finely dressed hopefuls waiting to enter stretches out into the night.
The coach drivers bypass this line, coming to a halt at a second entrance, where a pair of imposing men dressed in tailored black finery block the door. One of them steps forward, addressing the lead driver.
"Hail, and good eve, sir. May I inquire who seeks leave to enter?"
Without missing a beat, the driver withdraws a set of bound and sealed parchments, handing them to the guard, and then begins to recite from memory a rather detailed and superfluous description of the party's fake identities, including a lengthy family tree of each person. The whole ordeal takes several minutes, until at last the guard finishes reviewing the documents and hands them back to the driver.
He opens the coach door, his companion doing likewise. "The Calypsia welcomes you, fair ladies and gentlemen. It is our honor to host you this evening." he says, affecting a deep bow and offering his hand to Celeste, who accepts it and graces the man with one of her brilliant smiles. To Talic she whispers "Garrett donated a significant amount of money to this place in order to get our names on the V.I.P. list. Get used to being treated in this manner."
Indeed, as each of the couples step out of the coach, the guards very nearly prostrate themselves in deference. Upon seeing Samisel, however, the guards jump to their feet, coming to the position of attention and snapping off a crisp salute. "Good eve, Captain. Enjoy the festivities tonight." one of them says.
Inside the casino, the decor is even more impressive than the exterior. A wide assortment of games and gambling tables sprawl around the circumference of the room. Beautiful hanging flower bouquets float suspended from the vaulted ceilings, lit from within with amber lights. The plush, wine colored massive soon turns to thick plate glass, and below the companions' feet lies a sparkling coral reef, ablaze with underwater lights, where schools of colorful fish dart and play among the coral. Sunk into the glass floor is a massive man-made lagoon dominating the center of the atrium. Already, several tipsy patrons in skimpy bathing attire flirt and share drinks with one another at the poolside bar. And, just as Celeste described, a towering, artificial waterfall thunders and cascades down the hollow core of the building, pouring into the lagoon below.
As the party marvels at the fancy decor, Celeste gathers everyone close to disseminate information.
"As lovely as all this is, let's not forget why we are here. Somewhere, eight floors above our heads, Carmella sits in a locked vault awaiting certain execution. It is our job to get her out. That means we need information, and tonight is the only night we are likely to get it. Now, there are three main areas of interest we need to investigate. I'd like for two couples to pair up and tackle each one."
"First is the pool. We need to find out if there is any sort of hatch or access port on the ground level that leads to the reef system below. They must clean it and maintain those lights somehow, and we need to find out how they get in and out of there. Second is the security booth, which is on the fifth floor." She points to a large glass front skybox overlooking the atrium. "The casino architectural blueprints are likely maintained inside, and we're going to acquire them. Also, that will be a good place to find out information on what kind of guard rotation they maintain here after hours. Finally, we will need to get eyes on the vault itself, so we can know what kind of locks and security measures we are dealing with, and also to see if we can somehow make contact with Carmella, to let her know we are coming."
"I'll let you all decide which two couples want to tackle each task. I don't care how you do it, just get that information! Lie, flirt, persuade, or intimidate if you have to, but whatever you do, don't go home empty handed! We have roughly six hours to accomplish this, so take your time, gamble a little, and develop a rapport with your marks, then make your move."
'No pool for me I'm afraid, and it would rather ruin Talia's fine dress. I have magic that lets me appear as another, so perhaps I'd be most use trying to get into the security booth. Who would have access?'
"Presumably, Captain Mirichek here would be quite able to use his rank to gain access to the security room, and given his orders for being here, it shouldn't raise too many eyebrows if he requests to be taken there."
"The pool would likely be most easily explored by our lovely river princess, while having Talia get a closer look at the vault's security would probably be most useful."
"As for the rest of us, it seems that it would be a matter of personal taste... though I would be able to employ magic to move freely about the pool for a little while."
"I'll work the pool, I'm pretty sure that what we're looking for is going to be outside rather than under, but even if not, I'm sure that we can get what we need even without diving in. Perhaps I'll even show the crowd some water flips."
Laughing she continues. "And who knows, the right man might be there after all!"
"i'de liek to get a look at the locks on the vault, and check the area out to see if it's trapped or alarmed. Someone who can detect magical auras migth be handy to have along "
I will lie, cheat , and steal all nigth long, but if she thuinks i'm flirting with any of these men, she's crazzy!
An excellent plan. Qarxan, a local ORCA officer or one of the Penderghasts, perhaps?
An excellent plan. Qarxan, a local ORCA officer or one of the Penderghasts, perhaps?
'But which one?' Qarxen asks Ophilia what she can remember about the various family members.
Deston looks at his 'date' and says,"Well, we may as well head towards the vault area. I will act as clueless as I feel at the moment. Maybe we can at least be enough of a distraction so that Talic can get a better look at the vault itself."
Ophilia turns pensive for a moment. At last she answers "I am unfamiliar with the members of the Penderghast family who reside outside Oceania, save for Magnus Penderghast, patriarch and house regent of the family, and he's the sort to never leave his lofty tower in Mirage. As far as the local members of the family, there's Emilia, of course. Her eldest boy, Rhone, might be a good choice to imitate; he manages much of his mother's holdings and investments, and frequents this casino quite a bit. Then of course there are the twins, Duncan and Elise, neither of which would be in attendance here without their mother. Be aware, "teacher", that I am not so intimately familiar with this Rhone, and you will be on your own to assume this persona with any amount of accuracy."
Qarxan nods and thanks Ophilia, then makes an attempt to see if the actual Rhone Penderghst is here, and if he can find a likeness of the man.