"Yes, please. A map would be useful." When he sees the location of the building, he wonders what type of half-orc would walk and loiter around it without attracting suspicion, in order to reconnoiter the perimeter of the building.
"Infiltration shouldn't be too hard for me. I can control my illusion pretty well. What kind of people frequent this outbuilding? Or is there any chance he wouldn't recognize me... like this?" She takes a quick glance at Grommesson, wondering how he felt about her showing up looking like a succubus.
"It's a building just outside the Lodge, so it's in the middle of the Foreign Quarter. I'm sure there are people walking by it all the time. I have no idea if he would recognize you all by sight, but given your fame I think it's probably better to play it safe. Perhaps Argor's suggestion would be best."
Argor nods to Sabrina, "A logical tact as well. Very well. Myself, Cladissa, Gianluca, and Grommesson will approach while cloaked within my sphere of invisibility while Sabrina travels under illusion of her own abilities. We acquire Sidri using non-lethal means and await contact from Dreng. Shall we make any further preparations, or do we think we can accomplish this without expending our preparatory resources?"
Cladissa looks at Argor incredulously. "So the fact that I can disguise myself as just about anyone makes no difference to you? What if someone there has see invisibility? It's not that uncommon of a spell. We have three means of infiltration, Argor Blakros, why not use them all?"
"Perhaps because I was never informed your illusion was capable of anything beyond making you appear as your prior form? Many abilities such as that are limited to allowing its user to appear as but one other form, and you are often...sensitive...to people asking things you might consider to be personal. If your spell can make you appear as a random bystander, then of course it should be utilized," Argor replied flatly.
A look of realization crosses the mage's face, "Actually, I just recalled your use of the illusion at Cayden's temple. My apologies."
Cladissa had opened her mouth to retort, but his apology causes her to refrain from speaking. She looks at him and lets the stirrings of anger evaporate. She nods to him, then taps her chin.
"Foreign Quarter, hmm? think I'll appear as an elf. Mae pawb yma yn siarad aelfir, dde?"
"Everyone here speaks elvish, right?"
"Yn wir, yr wyf yn ei wneud."
As a plan comes together, Gianluca nods to Argor, "I'll gratefully take up standing beside you in your sphere of invisibility. With this marvelous belt, I can fold myself down even to the size of a halfling without getting cramped so there should be plenty of room."
When the casters start to speak elvish, Gianluca laughs. "Languages aren't my forte, though an elven lover of mine often cries out in moments of passion. I think he yells something like 'Ie! Iawn yno! Peidiwch rhoi'r gorau i!'
"Did I get that right? In the moment the language of love always seems to work out, but now that you mention it, I'm curious what exactly it means."
Argor rolls his eyes at the continued frankness with which the "paladin" uses life conversation.
Cladissa's eye twitches, and she puts a finger to her temple and rubs. "All right. I'll refrain from relaying important information in that dialect."
Then she looks at Gianluca uncomfortably, voice suddenly hoarse. "It means... you're doing a... good job. I suppose."
Gianluca grins at Cladissa. "Well, I do take my Holy Duties quite seriously.
"Speaking of which, shall we be off? I don't have anything left to do or prepare, and if you all are ready as well there's no sense in waiting."
|
. . 4th—air walk, freedom of movement, greater invisibility
. . 3rd—displacement (2), greater magic fang, summon nature's ally III
. . 2nd—barkskin (2), bull's strength, delay poison
. . 1st—mage armor (2), shield (2), shield of faith
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, guidance, light, stabilize
Grommesson follows behind the group. Before they get hooded again, he uses his magic sleeves to change his outfit into a noble's servant who could be running errands.
Before they part ways to begin their separate approach, Cladissa also casts mage armor. Then once they begin to venture into public, she pauses to bring up her illusion to cover her demonic form with the image of an elven woman. Her features are plain, but with the signature high cheekbones and large, almond-shaped eyes.
Putting on an expression of bored purpose, she walks through the Foreign Quarter in the direction that Dreng gave them.
"Because of the dangers I face, I can’t let you see your way back out." Dreng gestures to the burly men. "They’re going to put your masks back on and gently put you in a carriage, dropping you off near the Grand Lodge. I will contact you in 48 hours to get a progress report. Good hunting and be safe, Pathfinders."
The men do as Dreng says. After another longer than it needs to be carriage ride, Dreng's men drop the group off in the foreign quarter, about four blocks from the Lodge. By this time it is midmorning.
"Give me a moment to make some preparations while concealed within the carriage," Argor tells Dreng's henchmen once his hood is removed. He then proceeds to make his preparations, and then takes the scroll in hand to conceal the group once they are closer to their target.
Getting an idea as she works her way through the streets of the Foreign Quarter in her disguise, she finds a horse-drawn carriage for rent. Dropping a few coins in the drover's hand, she instructs him to take her the rest of the way to her destination.
When she steps out of the carriage, she turns back to the man. "Please, stay here and wait for me. There's a chance a young Vudrani man will need to use this carriage. If he comes, bring him to this address, please." She hands him a quick note with 457 Jabberwocky Lane on it. Then she gives him a big wink and drops a couple more gold in his hand.
The outbuilding is made of thin wood and it is a simple, one story, single-room structure. The room is locked.
"Rutai, have a look around and report back," Argor whispers to his familiar.
The imp nods and takes off, circling the building and area looking for anything of note.
Cladissa calls Cole over to her while she is still in the carriage. She pops the cat's eye stone from her crown and tucks it in a small pouch under Cole's collar. ::Go check out the building, please:: she instructs. Her familiar meows once, then dashes out of the carriage and then slinks along the buildings, sticking to the shadows.
Once at the building, the silvanshee's form turns to mist, and he slips inside the structure, staying hidden.
Grommesson walks to the right of Argor appearing as an ordinary half-orc who is working as a noble's servant. The sphere of invisibility and Argor's presence give him confidence to balance self-preservation from the anxiety of the potential calamities that have befallen Pathfinder. He had read many Pathfinder journals including all of the ones published about the Freaks, so his anxiety was high. Too much thoughts of self-preservation might trigger another transformation...
Despite folding himself down to fit in the sphere, Gianluca waits fairly comfortably.
Not wanting to accidently exceed the area and show himself, he stays quite near to Argor.
As he waits for the scouts, his mind starts to wander.
Will Argor and Imradze have kids? What will it be like growing up with a father like him? Capable of so many things, so bright...yet he misses so much. Now more than ever, it would be so good to help him melt a bit of his smug self importance.
Or will he perhaps learn a touch of humility from the kids themselves? I guess time will tell...
"Rutai, have a look around and report back," Argor whispers to his familiar.
The imp nods and takes off, circling the building and area looking for anything of note.
[dice=Stealth]1d20 + 29
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 13
Rutai reports that the area appears to be vacant for the moment. All the other nearby shacks are closed up as well.
Cladissa calls Cole over to her while she is still in the carriage. She pops the cat's eye stone from her crown and tucks it in a small pouch under Cole's collar. ::Go check out the building, please:: she instructs. Her familiar meows once, then dashes out of the carriage and then slinks along the buildings, sticking to the shadows.
Once at the building, the silvanshee's form turns to mist, and he slips inside the structure, staying hidden.
[dice=Stealth]1d20+23
Cole slips into the rickety building without issue. Several yellowed pieces of parchment litter the creaking floorboards of this modest structure. Three large Absalom city maps dominate the north wall. A ratty leather chair offers the only place to sit, and a dusty blanket rests in the southeast corner.
Argor listens to Rutai's whispered report, and looks to Gianluca and Grommesson to make sure they heard as well. "I am going to try and see if Cladissa has noticed anything, and fill her in," he whispers.
He then reaches out with his mind, ::"Cladissa. If you can 'hear' me, Rutai has done a sweep and says the area appears vacant, and the other outbuildings are closed up as well. Do you have anything to report?::"
Using her cat's eye crown, Cladissa observes the inside of the cabin as Cole explores all the nooks. Once the main floor is searched, the spectral cat tries to drop to a lower level.
::Cole's inside. There's three maps of Absalom on the wall, and it appears deserted as well. We're still looking::
::Then perhaps he is making another move on Dreng, which means he must know where he is. See if you can figure anything further out. Since the house is abandoned, I am going to move our group away so as to not draw suspicion once the sphere expires.::
Argor whispers to the two men beside him, "The shack is empty. Move with me away so we do not draw suspicion once my spell expires."
Several of the yellowed parchments on the floor are crude, poorly drawn attempts to portray Dreng, but one of them seems to have captured his likeness quite well. Beneath that one are the words “the imposter must die” and “death to the imposter,” with question marks behind each phrase as if the author were trying to think of a good tag line.
Each of the maps on the north wall details a district in Absalom. The westernmost details the Wise Quarter, where several “X-ed” out areas render the map useless. The middle map portrays the Puddles District and has the same treatment as the first. However, the last map, the one on the east side of the room, corresponds to the Ascendant Court, and a thick red circle highlights a tiny building. Scrawled below is one word: “Dreng.”
Upon searching Cole also finds a grisly mask made of questionable leathers, hid inside the ratty chair. He also notices a dark blueish-grey dye on the bottom of the blanket.
Sending her thoughts towards the others, she urgently informs them, ::He's identified where Dreng is! There's a building in the Ascendant Court. We need to go!::"
Cole snatches up the strange mask, then slips out in mist form again. He joins his witch as she takes flight. "Go on ahead; you're faster than me," she tells him. The silvanshee streaks across the sky after dropping the leather mask in her hands.
As Cladissa takes the mask from Cole, four figures burst from the nearby buildings. Two are human men, one with a longbow the other a small shield in one hand and a net in the other. The other two are human women, who look similar enough to be related. The women wear mail, and display symbols of Calistria. They all look to Cladissa as Cole streaks away. The man with a bow raises his aim to target the witch, "Halt! You won't get away with this, Norgoborite scum!"
The other man whirls the net, ready to throw it on her.
Looking at the disgusting mask in her hand and being called a Norgoberite, a couple things click in her mind.
She sends a quick message to the others. ::Cole knows the location. Follow him::
She throws the mask on the ground as the newcomers approach. "Call me a Norgoberite again and I'll demand your Lady's vengeance on you for that insult."
"It's best you check where someone's true allegiances lie before you net them."
"Eh?" their apparent leader says, lowering his bow a bit. "If you're not after Sidri, who are you?" He motions for the others to hold back.
Spotting the Wayfinders, Argor holds a hand up to his invisible companions and points to them, whispering "Wayfinders...these are Pathfinders. Clarissa seems to have it under control, allow her to continue to try and diffuse the situation..."