The Disappeared Table 2 (Inactive)

Game Master Baerlie

Bear smells, that there was a person in the room in the last minutes, but whoever openeed the door is not there any more.

"Ok, looks it is our chance", said Sothy, "let's find LadyZ and let's make it quick."

He passed near the bear and took a look outside the waiting room, to find out what's there. Seeing no one behind the door, he put his backpack aside, leaving daggers, book, scroll case and lots of potions to himself. His belt pouch was pretty big, because he put lots of small stuff in it.

"This will make me less noisy. I believe your bear is intelligent enough not to eat my rations, while we are working here.".

Leave mundane stuff in room: bedroll, waterskin, masterwork backpack, oil, artisan's tools (tattoo), alchemy crafting kit, whetstone, merchant's scale, trail rations, bullseye lantern

Braxton peers through the open doorway and readies his shield. Something about the way he holds the shield suggests that it gets more offensive use than defensive.

"Woah there. Before we going storming off, I think someone is on to us. Bear can track whoever was at that door. What say we find who is spying on us first then look for the missing Pathfinder. I don't want to get caught with my hand, or Bear's hand, in the honey pot. You know, our entrance was not without it difficulties."

"And it's quite possible that somebody is now helping us by letting us out. It looks to me like somebody slipped in, unlocked the door for us, and disappeared before he could be discovered."

"Are you saying we are not the only ones in here looking for our lost Pathfinder? Seems a bit convenient, but I'll bite. Before we depart do we want to use those magic scrolls and potions, or save them for our eventual escape?"

"Scrolls of disguise will last only 10 minutes, so no point of taking them now, only if we encounter someone; but two most noisy ones probably should take those potions."
Sothy checked his belt.
"I can drink my potion to get myself look like Anstrella and move forward to check, what is there. If anyone sees me, he will think this is night officer checking out embassy, and I will give you a sign to hide and withdraw if someone will come. But it will also work 10 minutes maximum.".
He looked around to check, who of his friends look quiet enough.
"Same could be done by any of you with invisibility potion. It will last during this hour. So, who can cast "disguise self" from a scroll except me?"

Braxton rummages in his pack, runs his finger along a partially burned torch, and paints a mustache on with the ash. "Disguised," he says impatiently as he studies the door and waits for the others.

"Braxton, I feel trouble will find us soon enough. No need to rush headlong into it." Negerp and Bear moved to follow the rest of the group out. "Silly mustache looks ridiculous" He whispers to Bear.

"I can drink this potion and move slowly and quietly as soon as you nancyboys are finished arguing strategy."

"She is talking to you Bear."

"Garn," Graxzos growls. "I'll drink a potion if I hafta, but I gotta say I'm not wholly convinced it's necessary. I say let's be off and deal with any problems..." he shakes his loaded pistol meaningfully, "as we encounter 'em. I'll throw on a disguise or drink that invisibility drink if I need it."

So saying, the dwarf stumps over to the door that was propped and pulls it all the way open, sticking his head out into the hall and scanning the surrounding area. "Small room, another door on 'tother side," he reports. "Let's go!"

This short hallway doesn't appear to get much use. The only other door is locked, but the hall ends at a set of crimson draperies hanging from the ceiling to the south.

Whoever opened the door for you 'forgot' his key ring in the lock. The ring holds three keys: the key to the doors in this room, another regular door key, and an odd key that ends in the shape of an Asmodean cross.

Graxzos lifts the key out of the lock, eyeing the Asmodean cross. "I'd bet good Chelish copper that THIS opens something important...what say we hang onto these, eh?" he suggests, pocketing it. Beckoning the others forward, he creeps (as silently as possible) across the little chamber and listens at the other door, one hand on the knob.

Stealth: 1d20 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 3 - 1 = 16
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

Behind the door Graxzos can hear voices and noise of plates. "Take this tray to the gala!" one voice says. "I need more bread and butter!" another one says. "Are the canapés ready? What about the soup?" Graxzos hears people moving around, giving orders, doors opening and closing.

"Anyone else hungry? Negerp looks expectantly around at the group. "Or do we dress like bar wenches and sneak through?

Braxton glances at the bear and smirks at the thought of dressing it up in a tavern wench's costume.

"Rrrwwarrrarrrrar

"We don't have time for shilly-shallying," Graxzos growls grimly. "We gotta find the residential wing, get into Zarta's chambers, and get outta here. Way I see it, we got a couple of options." He ticks them off on his fingers as he goes.

"One: we cause some sort of ruckus to clear this next place out. Could be somethin' scary, though that's like as not to bring guards. Could be one of us usin' magic to disguise ourselves, and ordering the room cleared. Somethin' like that. Two: we send someone through invisibly, to sneak across and investigate the other side. Three: we go through there." He points to the red curtain. "...Assuming that's a passageway, that is."

I need a perception check of one person who wants to peek behind the red curtain.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Sothy gently pushed his friend aside and whispered: "Hey, let me see".

But he was very cautious, not to be seen, so moved away before he could see something good enough.

Stealth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Just in case, I was detected peeking

You see a curtain.

Behind the curtain Sothy can see a lot of servants carrying food and drinks from the kitchen to other rooms.

Sothy can try again if he wants to

"Move aside, buddy boy," Graxzos growls. "Let a dwarf try. Our eyes are keen, like hard agate glinting from a bed of stone."

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

I think sometimes this character works better when he doesn't succeed. XD Also, I think we've accidentally been given the whole map...?

"Psst! It's just that damned curtain. I cannot find how to look normally, without putting myself visible" said Sothy.
While dwarf was looking. He took a scroll out of case and read it. After that, his outlook changed - bandolier with scrolls disappeared, old cloak was replaced by nice suit and small potions now become glasses on servant's tray.
"I think, I can go for check now, if you let me pass", he said to dwarf who made same mistake as Sothy did before, choosing wrong side of curtain.
"I'm not good at bluffing, but I can take you with me and pretend you to be honour guests to review kitchen or something? Or I can check alone and return as I will have a clean way through"

"Good luck," Braxton whispers.

Perception Sothy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Sothy is able to time a break between the servant rushes. The break is long enough to move behind the curtain on the other side of the hallway or to reach the first door to the left when going east.

"Clear window, I'll check left door," said Sothy as he moved to a door to the left. He wasn't afraid to be seen, since he was looking as servant, but there still was a risk. Before opening door, he tried to listen, what's he can hear around.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

I've disguise myself as a servant with a scroll spell, should I roll Disguise or Stealth check trying not to attract attention if I'm seen?

Somebody revealed the map :D You are not supposed to see everything ;)

Sothy is able to find out that the door to the left also leads to the kitchen. There is a big double door at the end of the hallway.

Sothy listened, what is behind long curtain on the other side of passage and then walked to double doors at the end of coridor.

Damn, I missed spoiler :)
Perception (curtain): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Perception (double door): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

"All of this not-stabbing is leaving me feeling rather stabby." said the warrior with low frustration tolerance for stealth.

Did we all get across, or just Sothy?

I felt, I'm alone there, doing some recon and then will return to you to say details, where do we need to go

"All of this not-stabbing is leaving me feeling rather stabby."

"Truer words have never been spoken'

Only Sothy got across, nobody else tried.

Behind the red curtains Sothy can hear music and people enjoying themselves. This seems to be the grand ballroom. Behind the double door to the east is a shorter hallway with two more doors to the left and right.

I need a Bluff check from Sothy so he can continue through the door without being noticed by other servants, +4 circumstance bonus for wearing servant's clothes.

Sothy was walking in between other servants, took several empty glasses on his tray and returned back to small curtained room for other party.

Bluff: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Several servants look at him strangely, but Sothy manages to get away.

Nergerp waits patiently with Bear for Sothy's report.

As Sothy returned to his friends, he said:
"Ok, here is the picture: staight behind this curtain is hallway, than another curtain to get out in main ballroom. It's full of people, that are having good time, probably someone can get through. There is kitchen left from us and way east: don't know what's there, I needed to return, because spell duration ends quick."

"Well Bear and I can never manage that. Is there a distraction that someone could make, another way around, or can we go out the window and around to where our missing Pathfinder is?"

Graxzos frowns as well. "It'd be blamed near impossible for us all to get through that, which is worrisome. Thinkin' we should stick together if possible...maybe try to head through the door to th'east. We come tearin' out that curtain into the ballroom, we are gonna be noticed, and probably not in a good way. I'd say we blend in with the servants better."

Pausing in thought, Graxzos murmurs a message to their ally in the ballroom. Heyo, quick question: d'ye know which part o' the building the residential section is in? Also, when all this is done, ya wanna get a drink with a good-lookin', friendly dwarf?

Zarta's chambers are in the southwest part of the building. Amara answers but does not comment the drinking question.

"Kitchen is behind this door, might be some of you can grab staff from there and pose as servants" Sothy suggested, "I'm willing to checkout passage behind that ballroom. Last time I was noticed by some servants, but this time, I'll check for noone to be in hallway before I come in".

Sothy stopped at curtain for a moment, picking a moment, and then tried to move out.

Perception to find empty window and sneak out: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

"We running out of time", he said before leaving small room.

Oops, probably I got noticed..

"Who here thinks that they can go in there and either scare the pants off them Intimidate or fool them into leaving bluff? Then we can be on our merry way."

"I can probably scare some servants off, but is that a good plan? Won't they just get the guards, who will put this whole place on lockdown?"

So that's a maybe on the drinks! Graxzos thinks to himself, with a grin.

"We'd be goin' the wrong way, regardless," he says aloud. "I just check in wi' Amara; Zarta's room was in the southwestern section o' the building. Far as I can tell...we're headed east. I say we turn about and see if that clerk is still the only one at the front desk, then see if we can get away from there to the south. Remember, we've got a little somethin' to distract her with..." Graxzos pats the flask of shiver and grins mischievously.

"Surprised you saved some. Is there no other way? We are going to look odd going back."

GM Baerlie, I'd like to take another trip, to check whats where behind those doors, but I need you to say, I haven't been busted before

Sothy is not busted, but the servants look at him again.
"Always these bodyguards. Standing in our way." you hear one servant say.

Oh, thank you, good-aligned and very gentle GM

"Act as bodyguards and let's go east and south," he whispered back to his friends behind curtain, ".. and feed invisibility bottle to bear".

Sothy decided, that since he has been seen, there is nothing to lose and moved further hallway and to check south door.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23