Hi all,
I wonder, how come the Arkonas were never discovered by any not so high level cleric, wizard or sorcerer with true seeing?
Thanks,
Olivier
My biggest guess is that true seeing isn't used frequently unless there is a reason to be suspicious of something. It has a costly material component and only lasts a very short time.
Can't say more than that though, 'cause I've not played very far into CotCT (but I've played some of it, with much joy).
It's exactly that. The Arkona family have been present in Korvosa for a long time, so there was no need to be suspicious about who they were. Keep in mind the sidebar on page 20 of Seven Days to the Grave.
Where Are All The Healers?
Page 138 of the DMG presents a way to determine how many characters of each class reside in a city. According to this method, the average population of a large city like Korvosa includes 3 12th-level clerics, 6 6th-level clerics, 12 3rd-level clerics, and 24 1st-level clerics. Of these clerics, only nine are of high enough level to cast remove disease. Even including the average of 24 paladins—of which there are only three of a high enough level to possess the remove disease ability—and disorganized numbers of rangers, druids, and visiting NPCs with access to healing magic, this is still less than 0.1 percent of the city’s population. With far more victims contracting blood veil every day, it’s easy to see how the city’s curative magics are quickly overwhelmed, even if every healer in the city were casting the maximum possible number of remove disease spells each day. To a certain extent, wands and potions and scrolls can bolster these numbers, but only as long as supplies hold out. When faced with a plague as virulent as blood veil, magic alone is not enough to save a city.
—F. Wesley Schneider
Pathfinder hasn't really stated how many casters are available in their cities, only what the highest spell level is available. The increased the level available from 6th to 7th, but other than that, no additional rules were printed, so we use 3.5 rules as they are, more or less, backwards compatible.
Even still, there are roughly going to be only a handful of casters of high enough level to cast True Seeing. They also wouldn't be using that spell unless they specifically needed to either. The Arkona family have been nobles for a long time, so there is no need to prepare and cast a True Seeing when dealing with them, unless they suspected otherwise. That's assuming the casters able to use the spell are even present in the meeting, which is unlikely.
Considering the Academae, I'm more inclined towards an alternative explanation. Perhaps they were discovered by some high level wizard of the Academae, one who struck a deal with them never to reveal their true existence in exchange for power.
Just food for thought..
It is possible that a wizard, as you say, brokered such a deal.
The Arkonas would never had made themselves suspicious to anyone high enough level to cast true seeing. If they had, their special ability to hear thoughts would've alerted them to the trouble and they'd have gone to lengths to take care of the matter.
Note that even with the chapter 3 continuity issues, they haven't lived this long by being incautious. If they suspected someone was on to them that person would more likely had suffered some unfortunate accident. Glorio would not have allowed even a wizard to live with the knowledge.
The Arkonas would never had made themselves suspicious to anyone high enough level to cast true seeing. If they had, their special ability to hear thoughts would've alerted them to the trouble and they'd have gone to lengths to take care of the matter.
Note that even with the chapter 3 continuity issues, they haven't lived this long by being incautious. If they suspected someone was on to them that person would more likely had suffered some unfortunate accident. Glorio would not have allowed even a wizard to live with the knowledge.
That, and also, the Arkonas control the thieves' guild and can read minds. They are just as likely to know some dark secret about a wizrd who has the power to see through their guise. They might have brokered a deal with him; I won't tell if you don't tell.