EM - [PFS] 4.15 The Cyphermage Dilemma (Inactive)

Game Master Evil Minion

Not without context

tring to find an inn

Know Local: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
To see what I already know about Alejia and his possible connections.

Malusha looks around again. It is a rather run down area but it would probably be ok. "I guess this is fine. It will be good to be close to where we might hear something."

"I agree... staying near the docks would be more efficient... As Malusha says, we're more likely to overhear something useful here. Perhaps we should pair up in rooms so no one is alone and vulnerable. Jones... you want to share a room?"

Jones, they would be two separate checks

You easily manage to locate a run-down inn with a few rooms to spare. It is right on the north edge of the Wharf District and the sign over the door seems to indicate it is called the Great Shore Arms... though some long ago prankster carved out the S in Shore, and no one seemed bothered to fix it.

The inside is smoky and filled with tired looking sailor-types, most of them already a few cups into their day. All eyes look up as you enter, though most of them eventually go back to looking at their drinks...

But not all.

You are able to secure rooms for what seem like reasonable prices, though whether you'd want to keep your gear their unattended is another question.

^I laughed harder at that than I probably should have.
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"Well, it's protection from the elements at least," Nella says quietly once they've secured some rooms. "Maybe not the criminal element though. I'm not leaving my gear here by itself."

She looks at Jones and some of the others. "Have you learned much about Alejia? Should I go and try to ask around too?"

Maybe if I sing 'em a song they will be our friends? she says as she takes a room with Masym

[ooc[ When did he get a last name? [/ooc]

Jones nods at Wei Tchak, "Sure. I agree we should all pair up, I don't fully trust this place."

Jones also lets everyone know what he knows about Alejia:

"Now we just need to find her and find out what ship she's using next."

Masym's always had a last name! =)

Masym nods in reply, "Somehow I don't think she has made too many friends, so finding one of her enemies to finger her out won't be a problem, methinks. Probably will need to hit the taverns first. Many loose lips there."

Yes he always has had a last name though not one he brags about, he he.

"If she's making changes to her ship then she's got to have help to do it - even if her crew can do all the work themselves they'd still have to get the supplies from somewhere," Nella reasons. "Wood, nails, paints, whatever. Maybe if we can find out who her supplier is we can get a lead on where and how to find her."

"and while it may not require a drydock... she must have a secure location to make the changes... someplace out of sight but fairly local. Perhaps that is another lead we can follow if we can find out where such places might be around here."

You can ask about for information on possible shoreside connections... Sheila did mention the possibility of a warehouse of some sort in the area.
Though eventually someone will have to actually make the gather info roll, before we know how you do!

You want her to do a diplomacy to find out info on the possibility of the warehouse? She is pretty good at it

LOL, it wasn't the last name she in interested in, lol

Heh. Malusha was going to take the safe route and pair up with Masym and let the girls share a room. Now that Phoebee went with Masym, that forces his hand a bit. He's still rather timid. :-)

The group makes room arrangements. Jones and Tchak pair up and then Phoebee quickly latches onto Masym. This leaves Malusha somewhat embarrassed. The sensible thing would be for him and Nella to share a room, at least to avoid anyone being alone in this dangerous part of town. But the implications...

He catches Nella's eye, trying to read her thoughts then steps close to her and speaks quietly so that only she can hear him. "Well, it appears that everyone else has already doubled up in rooms. Uhm. Well. I guess that leaves us." Malusha blushes slightly, avoiding eye contact. "What do you think? I mean. We'd, of course, get a large room. I could sleep on the floor." He blushes even more. He chances a look into her eyes, again trying to read her thoughts.

---------

Moving on to Alejia conversation.

"Yes, we might be able to find out where she's making these modifications."

Diplomacy(gather information): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 Not great but maybe enough? Some aids?

aid her

Diplomacy to gather info 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24

aid diplo: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12

"Heh, you mean you didn't see Phoebee rooming with Masym coming?" Nella chuckles, shaking her head slightly at Malusha's naivety. "But it'll be okay, at least I won't have to listen to her talking in her..." she stops, just now noticing the flush creeping across Malusha's face.

"Hey, um. It'll be fine, even if it's a small room," Nella responds, now trying to be reassuring. "Except I won't let you sleep on the floor for the sake of some kind code, okay? If you'd feel more comfortable there that's one thing but please don't think you have to do that for my sake." Then she smiles. "And fair's fair, if you sleep on the floor one night then I'll sleep there the next night. Maybe put together we'll average out to one entire functional person after a few days of that!"

Nella has her shy moments but on the whole I think she's probably a little more open and straightforward about this sort of thing than Malusha is. Maybe somewhere between Phoebee and Malusha on the scale :P
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"Time to hit the streets then and see what we can turn up," Nella agrees as they set out to learn more about Alejia and the warehouse where her ill-gotten gains are supposedly stored.

Diplomacy (Aid Another): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

With lodgings, however basic, secured, you make your way from the Great Shore Arms and start to ask around about Alejia's connection to a possible warehouse in the area.

Long ago, the District might have been one of the more prosperous parts of Riddleport... but those glory days have long since past. Everything you pass has long since declined into a state of shabbiness that matches your inn. Crime seems to be rampant... so ferreting out the particular crimes you're interested in takes more finesse then you'd have thought. It takes some time to sift through all the leads you are pointed towards and scams people try to pull on you, before you start to sort out some of the more meaningful clues.

It takes you four hours of hunting, before a pattern starts to emerge. Enough clues and comments, by random dockworkers and shady merchants and the like, that corroborate each other enough to lend credence to what they said.

Apparently someone has been paying off locals in the area recently to keep quiet about things they might have seen and heard... but Alejia has fostered enough ill-will that many folks have no qualms about talking anyway. And what they have seen and heard, involves a number of mercenary dockhands, who have found work hauling oddly-shaped cargo to a building on the southeastern edge of the District... a building that was long thought abandoned.

No one mentions Alejia by name, most at least pretending to uphold the 'snitches-get-stitches' code of the criminal element, but enough veiled comments eventually have you pretty certain this is the warehouse that Sheila heard mention of. It is late afternoon by the time you are finally able to compare notes and pin point your likely target.

"Well, what do you all think? Shall we at least check out the warehouse this evening? Maybe observe comings and goings...perhaps even break in later under cover of darkness? I don't think we should wait til tomorrow... Word of our asking around might get back to Alejia and her crew, they could clean the place out and abandon it by morning if they find out."

"Wei Tchak is right. We need to move fast here," Masym adds, "I would say we scope it out now, get a lay of the land here, so to speak. Once we have scouted the area we can make our move once the sun sets."

She nods in agreement.

It starts to rain as you go to check out the warehouse in question, which helps on one hand to at least take a few more suspicious eyes off the streets... but on the other hand it makes those still out there look at little more obvious.

It doesn't take too long to find it, a tattered, rundown building that has clearly seen far better days. One side of the roof is sagging ominously, and you seriously doubt it does much to keep the rain out. It is no wonder the place was thought to be abandoned.

Still, the foul, mucky weather is enough to make any possible source of refuge look at least a little more hospitable. The waterlogged boards that hold it up have numerous holes that it looks like someone has made at least a token effort to board over with newer planks... but you doubt it has made much difference.

What few windows the building has are high off the ground and mostly broken and boarded over. Those that remain intact are entirely grimed over, making them impossible to see through. There are large sturdy loading doors on the east and west sides, both closed, along with a narrow door on the southern side with a small sliding peephole built into it at eye level.

You can just make out a flicker of light from within... though whether and indication of pirates or vagrants, you can not tell.

"This looks like it's it." Strands of rain soaked hair fall down in front of Malusha's eyes but he pushes them back. "So what's our plan? I'm guessing that knocking on the door won't be a great idea."

Should we go in guns a blazin or maybe I could go in and make some new friends? she states?

"I say we check the side door. It's probably guarded, but the double doors are probably barred."

While scouting did we see any type of activity in or out of the warehouse?

You are 'scouting' at the moment! I just gave you what you see from a ways off. If you want to go in for a closer look... you'll have to let me know who's going, where, and make appropriate stealthy type rolls =)

"Don't look at me," Nella whispers as she pulls her hood up a little further over her head and face, trying to block out the worst of the rain. "This sort of thing is out of my wheelhouse. Might be able to play lookout though while some of you guys move in for a better look."

"Bad ideas Phoebee...at least for now." Masym cautions the young half-elf with a small smile, unworried about the water trickling down from his hair. "I say we just stake it out for another hour or so. See if anyone decides to go inside...or if someone decides to come out."

Let's make what we are doing a little less obvious and perhaps have a little fun in the process she says as she pulls Masym in for a kiss and begins to massage his back They will see just 2 young lovers she says as she whispers into his ear.

Waiting for someone, to do something. =)

Masym gave his idea already...sneak in closer and find a hiding spot to stake out for an hour or two. If nothing happens then move to the side door and check it out...Also Masym would have checked for any recent tracks around the warehouse, though with the rain it would be difficult to find any. Still here is his roll: Survival (Track): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Tchak finds a good spot to observe the warehouse, hopefully where he can see a couple of doors at one time and takes up his watch from there.

Nella's not exactly good at the sneaky stuff so she was saying she'd hang back while Masym and whoever check things out.
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While Masym looks for signs of recent tracks, Nella decides the best thing she can do is to keep a watch for anyone suspicious - or dangerous.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

On the city streets, in the rain, Masym will notice nothing to indicate activity, one way or the other... though it would have been a long shot to pick out anything at all under those conditions.

In fact, you all hang out watching the warehouse from a distance, while the rain pours down indiscriminately, eventually soaking through even the most well-protected of clothing.

It proves to be quite the miserable stake out.

The later afternoon light slowly fades, as the sun sets, and you still have not seen anyone come to, or leave the building in question. The only activity you see at all, in this remote corner of the Wharf District is the occasional shady local hurrying past, head down, though none of them go to the warehouse. A few of them do eye you as they pass though, but no one stops to investigate what you're up to.

The rain starts to recede with the light, eventually settling in to a light mist and thick fog. It starts to become hard to see the building at all through the weather and lack of illumination. As darkness and fog set in, all of the nearby buildings seem to get swallowed up by inky blackness... until only the faint light from inside the warehouse allows most of you to pick it out at all.

Tchak will walk over to the nearest of his companions and whisper, "I think it's time we went in... this isn't getting us anywhere."

It did get ME a make out session she says with a grin.

"Yes it did..." Masym blushes, "Time to move in now."

You are faced with three possible entrances, none of which seem overly inviting. Other then currently being closed, you do not know the status of any of them.

"SHall we try the side door?" Tchak moves to the side door on the south side of the building. "It's likely to be less obvious than a large double door." he explains his reasoning... though in truth, breaking and entering is not his forte. He pauses to listen at the door before trying it.

perc: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15

"I agree. The side door would draw much less attention. We could just try knocking. If there is a guard that looks through the slot, one of us, like the bard, could try and convince the guard to open the door."

They all look good to me, as long as Masym goes ahead of me she laughs a naughty laugh.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25 percetption to see if she sees things.

"Maybe we can try knocking on the door and telling them that there's a message from Alejia and she wants to meet them at 'the usual place'." Malusha realizes that this would be a long shot.

I'm a good bluffer she says You dont want to play cards with me, that is why Masym always looses at strip poker

1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36 bluff check.

The bard will go to the backdoor and give a knock waiting for the door to open. Once it does she will tell the people inside Message from Alejia. She demands to meet at the usual place within an hour.

"I...well okay, I guess that'll get a reaction one way or another," Nella whispers as Phoebee boldly strolls up to the door to deliver her message.

Let's just hope it's one we can use...

Phoebee, have mentioned it to you before, and will again... you do not get to add the bonus from your masterwork instrument to your bluff check. =)
A masterwork tool bonus only counts if you're actually using the tool.

After waiting for a couple of hours in the rain watching the dilapidated warehouse... only to have nothing at all happen... you decide to approach it more directly.

The swirling evening fog finally works in your favor, masking your approach to the smaller side door, at which point, Phoebee goes for the bold approach and starts banging on the door. The entire thing rattles quite loudly in the quiet evening air, the entire thing barely hanging on its hinges.

There is no response for a long few moments, then some of you hear muffled voices on the other side, quickly silenced. A few moments later, the peephole on the door slides open, though you can not make out who is on the other side.

You get the feeling it is getting a good look at you before speeking... eventually a gruff voice growling, "Go away, we ain't open!"

The peephole starts to slide shut again, when Phoebee starts pouring on the guile, with a fabricated message about a meeting with Alejia.

The faceless voice on the far side of the door hesitates for a moment, before adding, less gruffly, "Don't know no Alejia. And if I did, I'm sure she'd be out of town for a couple more days. Get lost!"

This time the peephole does slam shut. You hear more muffled voices again, sudden movement, then silence.

Masym nods grimly, "I think it may be time for a more direct approach here."

"How direct? 'Kick in the door' direct?" Nella whispers.