Might as well ...
Weed opens the single door on the right side of the hallway and it opens to a finely appointed bedroom.
weed slips in as quietly as possible...looking and listening as he does so...standing just inside the door...not entering more than needed to close door
Waits to see what Weed finds.
Weed looks about the room from the doorway as the party watches and waits for his findings. The furniture and trappings are very luxurious, but it doesn't look overly lived in. Weed's guess is that it is a guest bedroom.
From down the hallway a voice rings out with displeasure-Hey! What are you lot doing snooping about?!! The gentleman from House Lotheed has apparently finished using the privy and stands staring at the party accusingly.
weed slips in further and hides.....
Irisse wishes she could say the line below but keeps her mouth shut and hopes Dar steps in with an explanation.
“We're from the Department of Justice, and we're adjusting the beds.”
Name that movie.
well as I'm currently residing here in Canada....i should know this....Strange Brew...lol
Weed for the win!
Snooping about? Didn't I just see you in there? Dar gestures toward the auction hall and keeps broad, inviting body language.
We just stepped out for a second to discuss our bidding strategy ... did you catch when they were finally going to start the auction?
The man pauses for a moment, doubt washing over his face, before-Discussing bidding strategy while snooping around looking in rooms? Color me dubious. I don't remember seeing any of you at the tables; what group are you with?
Dar looks to Irissë and Turran. Well, perhaps you heard my friend attempting the privy. He was looking to see if there was a second option. I'm very sorry, you can probably tell we don't get out to nice places such as these often
I take a coin purse from my belt and hold it in my non-dominant hand. I attempt to take a few steps to close the distance toward him, keeping a careful eye on how he reacts.
Tell you what, friend. I found this coin purse right outside the privy. Might it be yours?
The man seems to accept your initial statement but sneers at the proffered coins-Do you think me some urchin from the streets? Get out of my way! If we have money enough to bid on the Scepter I don't need you waggling some pittance at me because your friend can't hold his wine.
He attempts to push past you and back to the door that leads to the auction hall.
weed looks about the room.....
Same description as before Weed
check for secret doors in walls and floor
While Dardanius interacts with the bathroom-goer, Weed searches the bedroom for secret doors but finds none.
finding nothing....weed makes sure there is quiet outside and cracks the door open....nothing i can find in here....do we want to move to another door....im sure we will be getting company soon enough
Irisse watches Dar’s exchange with the bathroom goer with amazement and respect.
I'm not sure, Weed. I don't know what we hope to find, but I suppose there is only one one room left ... The real question is what we do after, and, as you say, if others are coming.
Barring some revelation in the next room, is our plan to start slipping back in at some point?
Dar eyes the door to the auction hall if weed is going to fiddle with the last door.
weed tries the door
Weed opens one of the two doors on the left and it opens to reveal a much smaller bedroom. It looks like it is for a servant.
weed tries the other
As Weed tries the last door, an officious looking man and two others in armor open the door from the auction hall.
Officious man-Just WHAT exactly is going on here?
My friend left something of an ... odor in the privy. He was looking for a candle to burn out the smell. Might you have one on you, sir? We'd be happy to pay.
Dar offers the same coin purse with his left hand.
Weed sizes the two up
The officious man looks fairly mollified by Dardanius' explination-My lords, all you had to do was ask. That's what we pay the servants for.
Please return to your seats.
He motions to the door leading to the auction room.
Weed sees that the two guards are well equipped with high quality plate, shield, and longswords.
Weed shrugs and moves toward the auction room
Yeah ... Dar looks toward everyone else to try to see if anyone is suggesting a different action with body language. He wonders to himself where they could even sit inside ...
When he sees Weed walking back to the hall, Dar will go along with it.
Follow along, unless there is suddenly an empty table, stand in the back with back to the wall, near the door.
Turran?
Everyone make some rolls (stealth?) to determine if you can blend in adequately enough.
The Party does it's level best to blend, and while it's not very successful the various parties in the room appear to intent on the auction proceedings to pay you much mind. Similarly, the officious man that accosted you in the hallway notices that no one objects to your presence and figures that you must be a late entrant to the auction and lets it slide.
After a short while, a tall elf takes to the podium at the front of the room and gains the attention of the audience-Assembled guests, I know most of you are here for one item in particular, so we will begin tonight's activities with the sale of the recently liberated Dread Pharaoh's scepter. This item is shrouded by the ancient mists of antiquity and it's true powers are unplumbed by anyone living.
The elf pulls the scepter out of a protective case and displays it to all in the room-Who will start the bidding at one hundred thousand gold crowns?
Not me, let’s see what happens here.
we cant buy it...but we will at least know where it goes...should we bid anyway at the low end to legitimize our presence??
Dardanius or Turran?
I don't think we need to bid. We just pretend that we're thinking it over and are disappointed that we don't have enough.
I think the best play here is what Weed suggested. See who buys it and try to reliberate it.
my 2-cents...my no-sense is to try for it right now, demand it is returned to the rightful liberators, um not so good methinks.
I agree Turran.....perhaps we arent there to bid on the sceptre...but others items....
Assuming the party offers no bid at any point:
The price for the Scepter continues to climb, with various bidders falling out as the price rises. In the end only two bidders remain: The Aspis Consortium and the church of Pharasma. The bid amount finally grows to an amazing amount, one and a half MILLION gold crowns, last offered by the Pharasmites! The tension in the air is palpable and the moments drag on agonizingly until finally the massive cloaked figure raises it's bid paddle one last time taking the amount to 1.75M GP. The Pharasmites in tears, give no further bid and the auctioneer has a servant take the re-cased Scepter to the Consortium table after several bags of jewels are handed over and appraised.
Their is tension in the air during the counting and final hand over of the Scepter, but from the Aspis table only quiet and calm. Seeing their intentions thwarted the Pharasmites quickly leave the auction. The Taldoran nobles converse with each other, now seeing a common opponent. The table with the adventurer looking types talk quietly amongst themselves, side-eyeing the Aspis table.
Agree with the team!
Dar keeps his eyes peeled:
Can we get a better look at Apsis Consortium leader?
Irisse is able to sneak a peak underneath the cowl of the massive robed figure that appears to lead those at the table. What she sees is a visage of dread. A desiccated face, savaged by time, who's eyes burn with an unholy light.
The officious looking man returns-Well my lords, doesn't seem like you should have bothered to pay the entry fee as you clearly were outside your depths. It's time for you to depart; I'll have my men walk you out. The two guards from earlier step forward and usher you to the far door.
Follow them out. Are other bidders being escorted out?
Dar ~Detects Evil~ during the auction.
He won't put up a fight as he is being escorted out.
Almost everyone besides the Pharasmites are evil to some extent. The adventurer types are lightly evil (you guess mostly neutral with a few bad eggs); the Taldoran nobles a little more evil (mostly bad eggs with a few neutrals); the Aspis group is quite evil (especially the massive robed figure).
No bidders are being asked to leave or escorted out. If anything, you get a sense that everyone is keeping an eye on the Scepter and/or all the jewels.
The guards lead you through the door, into a hallway that runs for about 30' with doors on either side. A large set of double doors is at the far side of the hallway; you think you recognize the from surveilling the outside.
Did the guards stop escorting us? If so go through the double doors.
The guards walk you into the hallway and watch to make sure that you leave the building.
Leave the building.
“I don’t think things could have gone much worse than the Apsis Consortium buying the Sceptre, I did not like the look of their leader at all. We need to stop whatever they plan to do with it.”