Time Bandits

Game Master Monkeygod

"And his recruiting has yielded an excessive number of people given the job he wants done, old man," Lehkazeran growls in return.

Craven smirks and speaks up again, "I suspect he's going to be hands-off about this whole thing. He's looking for a group to continue this B-team status. Part of the whole deal is organizing ourselves. So! The Countess and I will be going to present ourselves as a professional delving crew. Anyone who wishes to join can do so. I see no reason to coordinate beyond that." Craven then stands.

"I assume you are okay with this?"

"We will be going. If there is a crew going straight there, then hope that you get it done before us. I have little care if other teams succeed. You all matter little to me. We will succeed, so try to stay out of our way."

I mean, this isn't team lawful good...

"Hmm..." Koro looks on inquisitively. "I, too, had planned on presenting myself as part of the professional delving crew. I do, after all, have the skills to do so. Yet if both of our telepaths are on the same team, communication may become problematic, no?"

"Then again[/bp," Koro continues, "[b]If we're successful in our mission, then I doubt communication really matters all that much. Okay. I'm in. I'll tag along in the professional team."

"Guess I'm on team Smash-and-grab, then. Tell you what folks. Why don't we make things -interesting-? Say, losing party has to tell the winning one a bit about what they were up to before here? I get the sense that some juicy blackmail info will be -very- useful in the next few months."

"I am a telepath, but I dont read minds for responses usually. And anyone here near my capabilities would probably resist such if I did."

Salvis interrupts the back and forth "I believe there has been a misunderstanding. I am hiring you based on your reputations and success rate. While I could easily purchase the blueprints from Mutalib's heirs, there is no guarantee that those they hire will prevail. However, unless my sources are grossly inaccurate, I have the utmost faith that you will easily overcome the tombs likely defenses, and recover that which I seek. Thus, there will be *no* competition among teams, as those I choose will *all* work together like a well-oiled machine to pull this off."

He pauses for several moments, letting that sink in. "Also, should you think of betraying me, remember that I represent the Foreseen. Our members are powerful psychics, diviners and others who can see into the future and peer into the past. We are also planar navigators with little equal."

Salvis interrupts the back and forth "I believe there has been a misunderstanding. I am hiring you based on your reputations and success rate. While I could easily purchase the blueprints from Mutalib's heirs, there is no guarantee that those they hire will prevail. However, unless my sources are grossly inaccurate, I have the utmost faith that you will easily overcome the tombs likely defenses, and recover that which I seek. Thus, there will be *no* competition among teams, as those I choose will *all* work together like a well-oiled machine to pull this off."

He pauses for several moments, letting that sink in. "Also, should you think of betraying me, remember that I represent the Foreseen. Our members are powerful psychics, diviners and others who can see into the future and peer into the past. We are also planar navigators with little equal." The implications of his warning is pretty obvious.

"Well, now that that's settled, I suppose the only question that remains is...who will you choose, and what happens to those that you don't choose?" Koro inquires.

"Other jobs, or backup, I would suspect. It's not as if the Foreseen will have only one thing on the must have list."

Sio looks over the others that signed up for breaking in. "You look like peo... beings I can work with, though. Hope you all function well in darkness, though."

"I'm in." Rattlebones folds his arms and leans back. "Whole 'lotta chatterboxes in this group. Take the job, or don't. We can talk specifics once we're in Faerun."

It's not in Gabriel's plans to compete. From the beginning, it was clear to him that the mission is to get the item, and that two teams were being formed to better play the con and give back up to each other.

After all, he cares little about who gets the damn thing, as long as the thing is taken back.

At the hearing of one of the comments, he smiles. "No, I don't think I have a problem in darkness."

As Salvis explains the role of the teams, and lays out the consequences for betrayal, Nikolsi lets out a quiet laugh. Now there's a stick if I ever saw one... Decide to betray us in the future, and we'll teleport to you, drop you in a dungeon of your worst nightmares, and laugh as we lock the door. Yeah, count me in.

"I'm pretty good in most battlefields, dark or smoky. I'm sure we'all work together just fine." The well-dressed man spreads his arms

Calling out louder to get the celestial's attention "So, Mr Boss-man. I have no issue working with whatever team you pick. But'man, what do you expect from the rest of us? Should we'all just be at your beck and call like attack roaches? Just drop whatever we're doing? You've got to season your pantry a bit better."

"Those of you who do not go on the mission may do whatever you desire once this meeting concludes. However, to compensate you for your time, and to entice you to perhaps work for me in the future, I will also pay you. Should the others be successful in retrieving my blueprints of course." Salvis says in response to Ozzie.

"I'm in," Lehkazeran says simply.

"Well, I believe you have heard our plans. I also suspect you know our individual competencies, so pick whom you will. I am also willing to go, should I be among those you select. As far as darkness goes, my sword tends to cut through it very effectively." The countess seems unconcerned with whom is selected.

My sword has a CL 20, heightened to Level 9 continual flame spell

"If Darkness is ever an issue, I can gain Darkvision fairly easily. And for anything deeper, I do have these..." with that, Koro will bring his hands up to his eyes as energy concentrates in the form of half-moon spectacles. "With these babies I should even be able to see through supernatural darkness, though only at a limited range, I admit."

Spectacles of the Shiek chakra bind grants him blindsight 15 ft, among other things. He can also use Augment Suit or Initiator Soul to grab Darkvision whenever needed, though he'd need to spam it often due to it's low duration.

"Meh, as long as you can appreciate how much of an inconvenience it is. I suppose some compensation for being on standby enough pig grease."

Looking back at the Kimiho, "Is there anything else we need to know aside from interest in partying with the lightsoff ?

Ozzie can see through darkness of any kind per racial+ blindsense 30'+ can see through smog/fog

"You mean, like an interest in, and skill at, stalking in said darkness?" Sio says casually. "I'm a pretty good cook? Oh, and I don't sleep... much."

"I am also in."

"Darkness isn't an issue for me. What -is- an issue is f~&+ing pillows. My joints are screaming at me."

Douglas shuffled to the nearest chair, settling into it with a great deal of grunting and wincing, then rolled his shoulders.

"Anyone got an extra cushion for my neck?"

Scrivener turns to the old man, pointing to the table in front of him as a u-shaped pillow of foam and silk appears.

Gabriel thinks about what he can do. Not much, now that he takes some time to figure. "Uh, I don't know... I can... fly? And I can see in darkness, and create darkness, and I can... oh, I can open locks and find traps, I guess." Some other things come to mind, but he discards them as unfitting for the moment being.

Your host claps his hands together, the loud sound startling you all into sudden silence. "Excellent, I think I've heard enough to choose my teams. Lady Crimson, you and Koro Jigen will lead the two groups. Joining the Countess will be Sio Tonti, Dr. Craven, Animoira, and Rattlebones."

"Which means I get paid to chill here and wait for them to need backup? Works for me! This is already turning out to be a pretty sweet gig."

Dymer does a slight double take as Salvis trails off, "Okay, that's the Countess' group. Who is in the other? And do they have their assigned tasks? Countess was, I believe, the only one who did not volunteer for the stealth mission, so I assume they are the designated 'Professionals'?"

"You got it, boss." Rattlebones stands and looks at the Countess. "Ready to go when you are."

"We will be presenting ourselves as the professionals, and speaking with the heirs. Keeping in eye on things on the outside, while the other group infiltrates and acquires the goods.

Be prepared to do some fast talking, some means of showing some skills that would be useful for a professional dungeon delving team, and so forth."

Nephre shrugs. "Fine. I'll go find somewhere to entertain myself until you need me."

She starts walking out of the room.

Vala twitches slightly at the use of her first name but then remembers who said it. "Its valanaestra. Or Valab. Ot Vala. Professionals it is. And fast is the only way I do anything. So, Countess, have a cover story in mind?" she grinned, looking around at the others, making a mental note of each, wondering if any of them would be difficult to explain as a normal person

Turning to Koro, Salvis informs him of his team "Joining you on the delve team will be Dymer, Ozzie, Nephre and Lehkazeran."

Addressing the rest of the group assembled he explains "You all have free reign of the city, and while more or less anything goes with Hyraeatan, I would advice you to keep your more blatantly destructive urges in check."

Nikolsi laughs at Salvis' words. Don't worry about me. You know why I'm here. I'll be around.

That actually works out pretty well - work is hopping like mad right now and I won't have time for more than a post a day at best for the next week or two.

Nephre stops, looks over to Koro, and grins. "Guess I won't have to find my own entertainment after all."

Dr. Craven simply gives a smile and slight nod toward the Countess.

Everyone in the room paid close attention to Salvis's words, including Ozzie. The sooner they could get moving, the better.
The rest of them must've felt the same, the group found each other quickly.
"Koro, is it? You got some kind of pull with da bossman? You look old enough to need nappys. You sure you can handle it? I just want to make sure you can keep up."

"Well, I think we should try to come up with a plausible name of an adventuring company, some areas of Faerûn have licensed groups, such as Cormyr. I suspect the Doctor could forge some documents for us. I believe with our array of skills we should be able to demonstrate our abilities should we need to.

Then we will present ourselves as a very experienced group of professional delvers to the heirs. We will keep them occupied as long as possible, while the second group actually gets in. We may need to eventual go in and 'recover' anything that is in the tomb, hopefully next to nothing by that time and present it to the heirs and receive whatever reward we might be able to negotiate from them."

Dymer looks over the group he finds himself a part of, chuckling softly at Ozzie's dig at their assigned team leader. "Well met all. We mostly don't know each other yet, but let's save the life stories for another time. How familiar is everybody with the region of our target? I'd never even heard of the place until now, nor this place for that matter, so any information is helpful. Also, how are we getting there? I'm good for some short-range teleportation, mostly in the darkness, but I'm definitely lacking in the long-range style of transport magic."

Dymer pauses in his questions and considers Koro carefully, "My apologies. I tend to get focused on the details for missions and can easily go overboard in the planning stages, so if I start stepping on toes, let me know."

@Team
Alright, folks! We have our squads. To those in my squad, I'd like a brief description of who you are, as well as a short synopsis of what you can accomplish both in and out of combat. As for me, I consider myself something of a Jack of All Trades, but I would definitely say that I specialize most in tanking enemy fire and supporting my team defensively. What about you guys?

@Oozie
You're not wrong, I am getting along in age. But I find a strong mind is more important than a strong body. I don't particularly have any sway with the boss, but what I do have, are a very particular set of skills. Namely long range telepathic communication, if I'm being perfectly honest.

@Dymer
Long range transportation magic isn't beyond my capabilities to attain, but given that we're heading into virtually unknown territory, relying on that alone is insufficient. At most, it'd be able to get us close, we're still likely to have a lot of hiking left to do, it seems.

@Crimson Countess
Whenever you're ready, I can add you to my telepathic bond, alongside the rest of my team. If our benefactor of the Forseen Parity wishes to join, I should have just enough capacity to include him as well (7 max, 5 for the team, 1 for CC, 1 for boss makes 7). With your help, Crimson Countess, both teams will constantly be in contact with each other, as well as with the boss for the purposes of planning and mediation.

Nephre grins at Koro. "The name's Nephre. For what you need to know about me... I like fighting."

She laughs, stretches her wings, then settles. "But that's not actually all I'm good for. I'm a maftet. My people live in the kind of ancient tombs and things most people just visit to rob, so I'm good at robbing them myself without getting smacked by the traps. I do hope there's some constructs in this one to smash, though."

"Besides that..." she starts ticking points off on her fingers, "I can teleport short distances, heal myself, fly (obviously)... oh, and if I get really big? Run."

"We could visit a nearby town and talk with some folks. Might help learn about the lands and what to expect."

Ozzie managed to acquire some chairs from the barroom. The waiter seemed quite appreciative of his human form and sharp dress. They managed to slide towards the various members, despite Ozzie choosing to lean on his chair rather than sit.

@Team
"What I do? I'm Ozzie by the way, and I like my magical toys. Laugh it up, but it takes some proper goblin engineering to make sure most anything can go boom. I throw nasty stuff. Some of it, you may want to hold your nose for. Give me something to tinker with and we'll do alright. If we get a bit of planning time and intel for a job, I might be able to help us blindside our enemies properly."

"What about the rest of you folk"

Dymer takes a chair from Ozzie, sits down and immediately puts his feet up into Ozzie's chair when Ozzie makes no move to sit down himself. "I have some small measure of control over darkness and shadows. More than enough to render myself nearly invisible in even the dimmest shadow, and I can use the shadows themselves as companions. As with Ozzie, I also am competent in making things explode. However, where he has gone for more variety regarding debilitating effects in his bombs, mine have always been about spreading the destruction. Doesn't stop me from having a couple of tricks up my sleeve as well, though."

Lehkazeran, standing, smooths his cloak down, first along his body and then along both arms. Prominently displayed is the bleeding crown that represents the Sovereignty. Taking his time, Lehkazeran clears his throat, allowing flecks of acid to spit out and sizzle on the wood of the table and floor.

”Lehkazeran, Draco-Moroi of the Sanguine Sovereignty of Hyraeatan. I am a more than capable fighter, with tooth and spell, and a hard dragon to harm. If you’ve spent time in this city, you may know of me. My reputation as a being to be feared is not unearned, and my presence alone has been known to cower even the mindless.

Decent AC & Damage. Solid Debuffs on hit. Aura of Suck (-4 to enemy saves/-6 saves vs Fear). Dazzling Display/Intimidate build with ability to affect those otherwise immune to fear/mindless targets. Mostly buff/debuff magic, and a little staying power help (Gr Internal Healing, etc.)

Sio leans back in her chair, and casually runs her fingers through her hair.

"Coming clean time, is it? Fine, Sio Tonti, Kumiho. Skilled in polymorph and darkness magics, and a beginner in blood magic. I am also a skilled fighter when shapechanged, naturally."

High AC, high single-hit damage. Alteration sphere gives a wide range of toys to hand out to the party, and Blank Form means they won't actually alter anyone's form if needed. Dark sphere can hand out some nasty debuffs, or just lower the light level two levels in a large area at will.

"Oh right, KJ, before you arrived, we were discussing preferred styles for accomplishing jobs. If I remember hearing the rest of you, it seems we're pretty split between plundering quietly and pillaging with blades drawn."
Ozzie gives an amused look towards the dragonoid "Although one of us seemed to agree with any avenue of challenge."

Ozzie paused to scan the group once more. "This should be fun. I still think time is against us, on this one. Shall we ask our benefactor is he's providing another ride, or do one of you have some suggestions?"

"I can indeed provide you transportation to Faerun, however, only to a nearby city. You'll have to make your own way to the tomb. Is 12 hours enough time for you to be ready?" Salvis says in reply to Ozzie's question.

"Yep, I'm ready to go." Rattlebones gives a nod to Salvis.

He turns to the group. "My name's Rattlebones. I'm a country boy from a small village of druids, hunters, and farmers. I'm pretty darn good at wrestling." He smiles crookedly, the scars on his face pulling in different directions. "I can turn into a bear and rip an arm off an ogre in twelve seconds. I got a shiny little engraved cup at home for doing just that."

Rattlebones is a grappler, and specializes in single-target lockdown. I will focus on disabling spellcasters and other squishy targets.

"Twelve hours offered to prepare is twelve hours I will accept to properly feed for the trip. That is, unless someone here is volunteering their own blood..." Lehkazeran says, projecting an air of power, even as he can feel his thirst coming on.

"Should we return here, or do you have other means?"

Let me know if anybody aside from Lehkazeran is going to be doing anything during the 12 hours. If not, we'll move on asap.

"Here works, as it's a good neutral meeting ground. I will see you all in 12 hrs."

Sounds fine. Ozzie picks up some last-minute tools, and supplies.