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As you make your way through the streets, a lean-faced man hiding behind a long cowl slips alongside. "A moment of your time," he says and pulls you aside, into the shadows of a nearby alley. "It seems we have two things in common, an eagerness to participate in good celebration, and this…" He punctuates his sentence by holding out an elaborately carved wayfinder, the type only granted to Pathfinders of great importance. "I assure you, its mine," he adds quickly, closing the device and tucking it back into the folds of his cloak with a quick, easy motion.
Then he continues, "I know a good number of you are already planning to attend the festivities this evening. I need but a casual favor. An old associate of mine, Charvion Eater-of–Bones is set to make an elaborate display of some artifact he claims to have recovered. I’ve not had contact with him in a year or so, and I’ve a curious feeling about the event. More I cannot say; however, I’d appreciate you keeping an eye on whatever stunt he’s considering. He’s a natural charlatan that one. Just keep an eye out is all — nothing serious. Don’t let him know that you’re watching, and do not approach the artifact during the showing. Most importantly, tell no one of this conversation."
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Kent was looking forward to the evening's entertainment. He had joined some other Pathfinders who were leaving the Grand Lodge at the some, heading to the same place. He had not worked with any of them before, but some were known to him by reputation. Even the warrior-priest of Arqueros would not usually spend an evening out socially armed and armoured. However, he felt it was a fitting tribute to those who had fallen defending the city through which he currently walked, his steps shortened, lest his long legged strides outpace his companions. His skin, like polished steel, reflects the orange glow of the setting son and he cuts a magnificent figure, tall with broad shoulders.
His hand flicks to his sword hilt. But seeing the wayfinder, he relaxes a little and lets his left hand fall back to his side. The tall man narrows his eyes as he looks hard at the face of the Pathfinder before them. Kent's elaborate red cloak is pinned at his left shoulder by a similar device, albeit in polished silver, shining in the setting sun.
Kent glances quickly at his companions, a questioning look on his face. "May I ask who we are not having a conversation with sir? You seem to be someone of importance, but you are not known to me personally. 'Eater-of-Bones' is either the name of a great destroyer of the undead or some self-important necromancer; and I should prefer to know which, noting you call him associate and not friend."
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Valjoen raises an eyebrow as Oleander speaks. better keep your eye on this one too, Val... The northman had heard the elf's name before, but had yet to have the opportunity to work with her.
"I dunna like the dead, and I dunna think I'll like this 'Eater-of-bones' either," Valjoen grimaces as he recalls his recent trip to the Sanos Forest and the undead he faced there. He relaxed a moment as he thought of his friend, Riddywipple. Although the little dragon had initially annoyed Valjoen, he had become quite fond of the little guy. Turning back to the here and now, "So, what does this Eater-of-bones look like?"
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"That boring. I wanna have to mix with the actors. "
The gently women transforms to takes the apparence of Osprey.
"Okay we are gonba do it."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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As the party gathers at the lodge, a small creature emerges from the shadows, seemingly from nowhere. Those not paying attention probably didn't even know anyone else was there. The small wayang is just over 3 feet in height, and covered in an old grey cloak. His features are tough to make out, as his face always seems to be covered in shadow. He looks more like a beggar than one of the party goers.
When the stranger presents the party with his proposition, Varuna listens intently before speaking in his gravely voice, "Hmmph, some name. Will watch for him."
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As the renowned Osprey briefs the group - together not because of any long association, but because they all happened to be walking the same way at the same time - a small, dark figure listens from the shadows. She is the last of them to appear, stepping from a tiny patch of darkness to join the conversation. She wears a beautifully-crafted curved sword over one shoulder, and a strange, multi-branched spear over the other. She is clearly a wayang, from the color of her skin, her charcoal-grey hair, and her fine features, though she’s unusually small even for her kind. She bears the tattoos and scars typical of many wayangs, but these seem to have been placed with a particular goal in mind – to help her disappear. Her slate-grey skin is covered with fine, irregular bands, whorls of lighter and darker greys and a scattering of white and black dots, all of which work together to confuse and distract the eye, making it difficult to focus on her clearly.
She knows the Society works in strange ways, and decides to take Osprey at his word - they're both professionals, after all.
She listens to the questions being thrown out by the others, thinking on whether she knows or has heard anything about this 'Eater of Bones' in her travels. In a break in the conversation, she introduces herself, simply and professionally, ”Ashka Halfshadow. We'll check the guy out, keep an eye on him.” Hearing her name brings the question to mind, is she so small she only casts half a shadow, or is she so hard to see that it’s as if she’s half made of shadow?
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"Human, blond hair, full beard, glasses and a walking stick." Osprey answers before ducking into a dark alley. A second later he transforms into a small bird of prey, and flies off.
You continue your way to the Irorium where you are assigned mezzanine seats.
The Irorium has five public entrances, the main gate and four side gates. A sixth gate to the south is a work entrance reserved for gladiators, arena workers, and other performers.
Main Gate: The main gates face north. On the mezzanine level, a 20-foot-wide stone arch opens onto an equally wide marble stairwell that descends out onto the street. The stairwell corridor is 300 feet long. At street level, the corridor can be barricaded with a pair of barred iron gates.
Side Gates: There are four side exits, all connected to the mezzanine level. Each exit leads through a 20-footwide stone arch that opens to an equally wide marble stairwell, which in turn descends out onto the street. On the mezzanine level, the stairwell corridor is 300 feet long. The upper level stairwells are 500 feet long. At the street level, the corridor can be barricaded with a pair of barred iron gates.
Service Exit: The service exit is located on the arena floor, just behind the makeshift stage. Only Irorium workers and performers are permitted to use it; anyone attempting to pass through the doors without permits is denied. All would-be trespassers are sent off by a platoon of surly guards. Beyond the entrance, a main passage connects to side chambers used by gladiators and arena workers. All creatures, gladiators, workers, and others involved with events use this route to gain access to the arena floor.
The Irorium has four seating levels. The higher ranked Pathfinders are proved with field level tickets. The remaining Pathfinders are provided with mezzanine level seats. Those with field tickets may sit anywhere. Those with mezzanine seats are permitted to sit anywhere in mezzanine or the three levels above. There are no specific assigned seats; seating is general and all seating consists of stone or wooden bleachers.
1. Field Seats: These seats are on the lowest level, closest to the ring. They are reserved for important and wealthy attendees. Field seats are accessible by descending staircases from the mezzanine level.
2. The Mezzanine: This level sits just above the field seats, though it is entirely separated from them. The mezzanine has a slight overhang that extends over the last two rows of field seats. These seats are open to the general public; however, they cost a couple of gold pieces apiece (depending upon the event), and thus their occupants tend to be middle and upper class citizens. The mezzanine is the central hub of the Irorium, providing access to all other levels as well as the most of the exits. It connects to five of the Irorium’s exits: the main gate and the four side exits. From the mezzanine, several sets of stairs climb to the upper levels as well as descend to the field seats.
3. Terrace: The Terrace consists entirely of open-air stone bleachers carved into the structure of the Irorium. The view of the field is still good enough to observe events. A terrace seat usually costs a few silvers. Stairs from the mezzanine provide access to the terrace.
4. Grandstands: This level consists of rickety wooden bleachers. Seats cost a few coppers, or are sometimes free, depending on the event. Stairs from the Terrace provide access to the grandstands
5. The Ledge: The top level of the Irorium is a broad, 15-foot-wide railed ledge that encircles the entire arena. It is so far away from the arena floor that it provides only a pitiful view of events below. Stairs from the grandstands provide access to the ledge.
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Goupil,still hurt about having a mission, goes at the performer entrance. He takes a costume that looks like his collegue actor. He talks to them a little. The rôle will be of a absent-minded person.
Inside, he will take the apparance of Osprey and where he have to.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Ashka shakes her head at Goupil's games, muttering, "This is a job, not a dress-up party. Still, that skill might prove useful."
She turns her attention to scanning the crowd for their target, her eyes running over each level in turn before moving up to the next one. If only I were a little taller, I'd be able to see better.
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The tickets and your wayfinders lets you get into the Irorium quickly by passing the long queue through the fast lane. While Goupil visits the actors and tries some of the costumes the rest of you look for a good place to sit.
About 1/3 of the seats are filled already so there is plenty of space to find a good seating from where you can see the whole arena.
Assistants carry the last stage settings to the right places while the actors check their costumes and weapons for the mock battle.
Ashka scans the area for Eater-of-Bones, she sees several guys who match the description.
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The silence with these Pathfinders, is unnerving... Val, try to make small talk... I mean, say something to the wayangs.
"A nice spot ya chosen for us, Ashka. I canna say that I've ever teamed up with your kind before. And now... I've met two of ya," the Northman says awkwardly. Valjoen grimmaces, then rubs his face in his well calloused hands. "Do ya think they'll be selling any ale here? Sure would be nice if there was a vendor walkin' thru the stands."
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Ashka nods and replies to Valjoen with professional courtesy, though very little warmth, "I thought this spot would give us close access to the field and the fighters' entrance, and a good view down the long sides of the arena as we look for our quarry. I considered suggesting we split up, but that never seems to end well."
She glances around the stands for an ale-seller, saying, "I expect they'll sell you a drink, but we should stay focused." She turns her attention back to the men who resembled Eater-of-Bones, studying each of them carefully.
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Varuna replies to the Valjoen matter-of-factly and a bit cold but not rude, "Hmmph, not traveled much then. Visit Tian Xia, understand our plight." He wonders to himself if Ashka was a former slave too, like so many of their kind.
Instead of sitting, he leans against the edge of a bench, not wanting to make it harder to see because of his small stature. With his hooded cape drawn over his head, his shadowed face studies the crowd for clues, looking for this Bone Eater.
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You decide to stay together as a group and take seats near an entrance. The seats fill up fast, the assistants leave the stage and several vendors walk the aisles and sell refreshments, snacks and sweets.
"Ale, Cider, Water! Baked potatoes, dried meat, yoghurt and apples! Candy, colorful candy! Would you like some candy, sir?" the vendor asks Varuna who's looking for Eater-Of-Bones. He also can't spot him among the visitors.
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"This doesn't look good," Ashka says, getting to her feet, though she ends up shorter than when she was sitting on the bench. She lays a hand unconsciously on the hilt of her blade and says, "Look sharp, he's up to something. Damn, I wish we could get out on the field, closer to him and whatever he's doing with that weird magical cage."
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The tall angel-kin stands up to see better. A smile touches his face at his neighbour's cover remark; he doubts a man with as much self-importance as this Charvion will even acknowledge Oleander spoke. Temptation to ask after lost companions quickly passes, as he remembers Osprey's words about this 'charlatan'.
Kent itches to draw his sword and shield and rush down to the stage as he feels danger is coming. However, he also remembers the bird-changing Pathfinder's warning not to approach the artefact. Nevertheless, for prudence, the warrior-priest moves along to the right, pushing his way through other watchers so he is beside the stairs, ready to react, with either spell or sword, violence or mercy, if it all goes wrong.
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OOC:
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Everywhere you see onstage assistants collecting questions from the crowd. The assistants write them down and hand them to Charvion who reads the questions quickly and selects several of them to answer.
"Oh, this is a nice question." Charvion says. "Is my wife cheating on me." Charvion pauses a moment as if he's listening to somebody. He answers "No, she's not cheating on you, but you stop cheating on her."
After answering several other questions he picks Oleander's question. "Who was my real father?" he asks the spirits. Again, a few seconds later, he answers. "Yes, that's true, my father was a shepherd in Cheliax. His name was Oxon Berkes."
Kentel moves to a better place while Valjoen uses his wand. You hear laughter, ahs and ohs when Eater-of-Bones answers more questions. The people seem to enjoy the show.
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Standing up, the holy knight watches this Charvion closely. As the accused charlatan deals with individuals, he observes his hands to try and detect if he is casting some spell or using some item on his person to sway his 'customers'. What motivates a disgraced Pathfinder to carry out such an inane spectacle.
Then thinking again, Kent switches his gaze to the audience in the arena. 'Of course', he thinks, 'the objective may be to distract us from his real purpose...'
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The assistants continue to pick up the questions and hand them to Charvion. He chooses more questions to answer.
"My real motivation? My motivation to be here is to give every citicen of Absalom the chance to communicate with the dead." Charvion answers proudly.
Kentel continues to scan the audience. Most of the visitors listen to the answers while others are busy eating snacks, taking their children to the toilets or finding their seating places when they return.
The cage seems to be a genuine magic artifact.
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"What the... It wasn't in the program!"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Goupil exclaims. "Follow this dragon!".
Looking at the Audience, he says. "Wow, they have surpass themselves. I wonder what happen next?"
-Posted with Wayfinder