"They have decorations as well. Used to be exquisite flower arrangements in addition to the ivy vines. But it dried up. Now it is basically kindling... And the establishment is not well liked by all, so this may be sabotage." Ophelia fills in and starts to shoo all the new recruits out the door.
Your unit will be rostered into one of the sections of Nex, and given an allowance to hire a Guard Station. much like a fire station in our world. Nex learned in the war the folly of putting all your Guards in a single AoE. The default guard station is expected to have living quarters for at least eight Guards and four prisoners. For simplicity the allowance will let the group 'purchase' 3000gp of rooms. Characters may invest their starting money in this if they wish.
coupled with this
Mostly guards patrol in teams of two.
A squad is three teams. In most situations these teams will work in 9 hour shifts (a half hour overlap on either end of an 8 hour shift).
and this
Your immediate boss is Senior Guard Lieutenant Spooky. He leads four special squads in your area nicknamed; Undercover, Redcoats (the medics - so named because their coats are said to be red to cover up blood), Spooky (you) and Worms (the poor bastards with sewer patrol).
Which means Spooky has 4 squads in the AREA, each of the squads has 6+ people(as i read it, per shift), and every guard station is designed to provide living quarters to 8+ guards.
So...I kind of figured that each or the special "Squads" has their own "guard station", and ours may not necessarily be the "Central Hub" where spooky has his office. But I guess I got it right now...In that case, I'll take a minute to fetch my equipment and hastily don my armor, trying to fix it on the way over as good as I can.
A fire…Thirus thought as the group began to file out of the interview room and move together. Crowd control, evacuation and possible dangerous animals? A straight forward assignment and while Thirus sometimes liked puzzles he knew this sort of trial would suit him.
He nodded as Ophelia began maneuvering them and the dwarf moved surprisingly quickly through the doorway. He came fully packed, as to make a good impression of ‘battle-readiness’ to the commander so he lucked into being fully prepared, unlike the struggling Daria. Thirus offers her a helping hand with her armor as they quickly move out into the streets.
The holy warrior of Torag watches the Halfling Daria closely. He tries his best to keep his solid and massive body between her and Morgan. When he said he’d bring them back alive he meant it, even if hat meant from each other. Then he heard he suggest splitting up.
”Did you hear, Daria? Aberrations and oozes, not to mention a panicked crowd. We should stay a single unit, able to deal with anything that comes up. If someone goes ahead, we might be stuck trying to save, find, or protect them as well. It’ll just add to our duties on the scene….”.
Upon hearing the kind Dwarfs words after helping her(and trying to stay between her and DeMorgan), Daria can't help but feel guilty:
"Ser Thirus, I know and agree with you. I had not suggested we should enter the building right on arrival, just that arriving early would allow us a brief moment to consider our course of action with first-hand information available, while we wait for everyone to catch up. Right now, we know little about the situation except that theres a fire of sorts. Taking a moment to observe and think first before going in may save us, and others, later.
But while I believe Sir Castor and Miss Ophelia know their way around here well enough to know the shortcut I spoke off, you may not, so allow me to stick with you and show you the way."
-with these words, Daria smiles an apology to Ser Thirus and matches his pace.
Since what she knew of the situation was already covered by the rest of the unit Isama quickly shrugs off her armor.
Speed is a priority yeah? I know my way around the Magowan tenement too and I speak the lingo so I'll stay near the front while we get through there. Sorry Mr.Thirus once I can requisition a wand of longstrider I'll be able to make everyone faster but until then...
"Yeah! Nobody go in till I get there!" The sergeant yells at departing backs.
Turning to Isama he holds out a wand.
"Quench. Command phrase is 'one-two-seven-seven-four'"
Accepting the wand with a nod Isama says loudly Sir! I understand we can requisition a scroll of Phantom Chariot. I'd say the situation would warrant it so we can get there fast and get there together!
As they exit the building, waiting until everybody is ready, and see the roads literally filled with crowds, Daria tugs on Castors Sleeve to draw his attention down to her:
"Sir, might I be so bold to suggest a course of action? In a fictional book I read recently, a police inspector had to go through a crowded marketplace quickly. He used simple magic tricks to great effect in doing so, making people aware of his presence by sound and light so they could better avoid him and clear a path. While it's not a tested system, it's an interesting idea and could be worth a try. If the effect is opposite of what we intend, we could simply dismiss our spells. Unfortunately I am only capable of providing Sounds to this plan, but maybe thats sufficient-"
Given the number of words spoken, assuming all of the above was said by professional speakers doing their maximum speed...
Diene had been on the scene for two minutes now.
"Interesting idea, Miss Daria. Lets give it a try" inspired by the symbol of Nex, Castor produces red, white and red light spheres next to each other and a slightly larger yellow one behind them. He keeps them hovering above the group.
Falling in rank behind Castor, Daria produces a sound effect resembling a very angry armor-clad group of people shouting at something or someone, with 2 loud signal horns being blown almost every second in alteration, taking a moment to renew the effect when it runs out and then quickly catching up to Castor again.(20 humans worth of sound...probably 6 of heavy armor and clinking and clacking, 6 worth of shouting incomprehensive but angry, and 4 for each of the trumpets/horns)
"Hmm." Ophelia comments at the spectacle, her expression perfectly still and unreadable. How curious! I wonder what will happen!
Due to the nature of her profession, Constance found herself in emergency situations often and had been forced to prepare in advance for it. Early in her career, she had purchased a Mithral vestment to wear underneath her normal clothes so she could never be caught off guard and to catch off guard any low-level thugs who weren't aware of her reputation. Her Gun and buckler were holstered with leather straps hidden in her jacket for battle-readiness.
It wasn't the time for battle however. Despite that fact, she was glad she had invested in the chain shirt. She couldn't really wear anything fancy or lady-like over it, but she had always been married to her work, which demanded function over fashion.
When they started off, De Morgan followed alongside the wizard and the machine. She knew a shortcut as well, but upon checking with Ms. Hearth, it turned out it had been the same one so she was forced to follow along.
Something hadn't been mentioned, but she knew all her colleagues had been thinking it. Though they may have been hoity-toity and posh, the Sorcière Académie should have had more than enough magical ability to put out a house fire. De Morgan made it a point to remind everyone as they went, "Be on your toes. Anything that messes with stuck up sorcerers like that is bad news. Something stopped them from putting the fire out themselves, and I have a feeling it wasn't just an ooze."
Isama struggles out of her armor so she can get to the fire as fast as possible. Uh, Lieutenant Spooky sir... could you help me out of.. this.. thing?
Whether the Lieutenant deigns to help Isama or not she runs out far behind the rest of the unit Late again Isama. Might as well start making friends with the rats in the sewers cuz you're going to the Worms next shift. She pushes through the crowd as best as she can calling out loudly.
Guardswoman Coming through. I'm with the Guards that just passed through here! Urgent Business. Need to get to a fire!
Once closer she cuts through the Magowan tenement. She knows the area well as she rented a small room when she first arrived in Quantium before moving to the Guard barracks.
Squeeky arrives at the scene long before any of the guards. The bird flies in circles around the building, keeping away from fire.
Unless anything interesting happens, Squeeky flies away to inform Castor a moment after Diene gets there.
Constance rushes to the scene leaping over obstacles, weaving through traffic and shooing people out of the way, drawing her gun and shouting, "This is a Guard emergency, get out of the way!" The people of Quantium are much more familiar with firearms than your average Golarion inhabitant, and make way as she starts waving it around.
After arriving at the scene, she'll try to make sense of what's going on and communicate with Diene to see what she has seen.
It says 33 rounds "base" speed for us. Renewing Ghost Sound every 5 rounds, or 7 times, so just doing 7 rolls now for "Guard coming through".
You said social rolls, so i suppose Diplomacy could also work for shooing people away? If not, would be +3+4-4(size), or 12 less for each.
22 Diplo | 10 Intimidate
22 Diplo | 10 Intimidate
17 Diplo | 5 Intimidate
18 Diplo | 6 Intimidate
32 Diplo | 20 Intimidate
24 Diplo | 12 Intimidate
33 Diplo | 21 Intimidate
(If we are faster courtesy of those measures, one of these is probably instead used to "support" Diene in Intimidating the Road Block. Not that she needs it, but Daria won't just stand by and watch her shout, during an emergency-)
Also trying to do my acrobatics:
And trying to "sunder" an obstacle:
(Daria can open a lock in a standard action...so instead of smashing down a door in her way with tiny fists, I suppose she would rather try and unlock it/rig it open)
If that won't work(GM decision), she instead tries to bash an obstacle with her bare fists:
(I guess if the obstacle was a paper door...
Daria tries, as mentioned, to stick near Castor and maximize the effect they get from their light+sound show, shouting at people to "Please clear the way, there's an emergency! The Guard needs to get through" trying to hide behind her colleagues while doing so, but not afraid to use her natural agility to her advantage to try and zoom ahead a bit in order to try and get a door open to provide a more direct path.
Hmm. Ich! Ophelia wasn't all to thrilled by having to swim trough the crowd of people, but duty called. Moving as swiftly as she could she shoved her way trough the people. Hopefully without injuring anyone! A bit fragile, they are ...
Thirus bellows as they move down the crowded and congest street, "Everyone, move! Guard business. Move aside!
Sadly, his voice is mostly lost in the tumult of the street and his short stature means he gets easily lost in the shuffle.
Castor moves ahead with sergeant, Thirus, Daria and anybody else who has not rushed ahead.
He recasts the light spell every minute before the lights go out.
"Guards responding to emergency, make way!" he shouts as the group advances.
He also watches out for Squeeky.
Daria'll try and get an overview and then try to get people to search for and direct here Divine Casters with "Create Water" cantrip prepared to support with a bucket chain or watering parts of the garden(if I caught Ophelias info that it's like tinder).
"Gentlemen*, Ladies*. Guard here, anything special about the situation, or is it just a fire? Also, is anyone still in the building?" Diene approaches the group, asking respectfully.
Meeeeeh, I don't want to start out the day arguing with mages. They'd probably enjoy it...
She scans the building for her own answer to the second question, also looking for doors that are blocked or such that might be preventing people from getting to safety. (Got a Perception 26 way back).
"Ladies, Gentlemen." Diene interposes herself between the groups, speaking softly, with a maniacal glint in her eyes. She is also carrying two pieces of wood in her hands. For some reason. Raising them up to her lips, as though it were a megaphone, she yells "IS THERE ANYONE STILL IN THE BUILDING?" Her voice thunders out like the crack of a gun.
"Because no matter how awesome of a mage you THINK you are, the fact that none of you have put out that fire reveals to me that none of you are strong enough to prevent me from pummeling your face into the dirt." Diene pushes the two pieces of wood together in her hands, and presses together, the wood giving way and exploding and cracking in a hail of splinters. "And EVEN if you could beat me, the whole rest of my squad is on the way." Suddenly sidling up to one of the hopefully stunned mages, she gives a conspiratorial style stage whisper, "Some are ALMOST as strong as me."
"So, if you force my hand to CRUSH all of you, and then search that building for any stragglers, either late if their are any or pointlessly endangering my squad if there aren't... THERE WILL BE NO MERCY IN MY FISTS." She let that moment hang in the air.
"But totally, with all the super special awesome mages we have here, shouldn't determining if there's anyone still in the building and putting it out be a cinch, or at least someone be able to explain to me why it isn't? I think that'd be almost as fun for me, and a LOT more fun for ya'll than me introducing you to the more physical applications of human effort and discipline, don't you think?" Diene smiles... cheerily?
Castor advaces more slowly than he would be otherwise able, to keep pace with Sergeant and the new dwarf. He awaits update from his familiar.
Squeeky flies back and locates Castor.
"Mastermaster, Ihaveseenit" the bird chirps loudly while approching the wizard.
"Good, Squeeky, what have you seen?"
"Peopleinfancyrobesexitthebuilding, theyuseboththefrontandreardoor. Funnysmellingsmokeiscomingout. Gardenisdry. Firestartscomingoutofthebottomwindows. Peopleargue. Crowdgathers. Littleredarrivedthere."
"Good boy, here is a treat for you. Fly back and observe what is going on. We should be there in another two minutes. Wait with the update till my arrival unless there is something... dire going on. And as always, be careful." he gives the thrush a treat and turns to his superior.
"You heard Squeeky, Sarge. Looks like we will have our hands full."
Ophelia looked around at the scene as she hurried trough the crowd. She noted the fire, the smoke and most importantly - all the people just milling about. And the 'hat-brigade'. Curious. Silly. Determined?
"Hmm."
The Clockwork hummed, resonating faintly. She steps over/trough the fence and turns back to the crowd.
"Gathered denizens of Nex, the safety of the city is in peril. To safeguard the nearby structures, please assist in the removal of these dead plants."
Taking a look at the tower, De Morgan snorts, "Great. Knowing my luck, the Director will not be getting himself out of there." Turning to the woman who mentioned he would be up there, De Morgan grunts, "How do I get up there? Fastest way."
The stocky dwarf enters the growing commotion around the burning building. It seems somewhat organized, obviously being whipped into shape by the guards. Thirus comes up behind Constance and says to her, "You plan on going instead? Let me help you, it could be dangerous to go alone. I might be useful.". A slight grind of his armor reminds you he is wrapped in inflammable stone.
Puffing a little, the Sergeant arrives in time to hear Thirus.
"If anyone's going in to a burning sorcerer academy with an aberration collection, then we're going in together!" he glances over at Diene, who seems to be stemming a magical civil war "Well. Maybe we leave her out here for crowd control."
Calling everyone together he summarises
"Right. We need to know who's still inside. We need to know if there's anything dangerous inside. We do need to know where the fire started, and if anyone saw what started it - but that can wait. If we need to go in, we need protection from the fire, but more importantly protection from the smoke. Any answers?"
I can make as much water as needed Sir. Isama says as she helps the fire suppression effort by casting Create Water on the walls of the burning building to help keep the flames contained. Can get some water elementals to help with that too inside for a little while if need be so putting out fires ain't a problem. Could also help Diene out with crowd control here if you figure that's more important sir.
"DON'T WE HAVE A QUENCH WAND? WHAT'S THE HOLDUP? LET'S PUT IT OUT AND INVESTIGATE WHO OR WHAT DID THIS!" Is heard yelled over from Diene.
Having no answer to either of Seargeant Abels questions, Daria mixes in with the crowd helping to remove the dry shrubbery from the garden, asking one or two people who look like they'd be likely to know of any emerging rumours about whats happening.
"Did anybody see how this started? Who do you think was responsible?"
upon hearing an answer, she'll weave away and ask the same thing once she finds another set of people with a promising candidate, but staying close enough to hear the seargant if the group is going in.
Considering she's just wearing a pretty dress and no uniform, Daria's trying to blend in, act like a curious, precocious() child from high society.
As a decision is being made on how to proceed Isama takes a break from wetting the walls to cast Calm Emotions centered on the angry looking magic users.
Fightin' out here ain't gonna help put out the fire so anyone not helping to fight the fire should go on home for now and let us do our job. It ain't very safe to be here anyways.