She remain silent, just leaning against the wall with her arms folded as the negotiations take place, while Ajikisshochraos sits on the table looking about for shiny glittering items.
When the group leaves the room, she simply falls in behind following them to their next destination.
Cori follows after Slid, flanking him and keeping up her pretense as a bodyguard or heavy.
Topside. Stanislav things to himself. I want to learn this city. The more we know if it the less we must depend on these rogues. They seem competent though. Almost too competent... Hmm.
So, how did a lady of such allure as yourself come to be in this type of profession? He asks Elise.
Elise secures the funds for their advance pay and passes them to Tallus.
"That is a very long story, I come from a complicated family. Come let us go to the city and rejoin the others..." She looks to reginald. "That will need to stay here."
"If I understood her correctly, not normally, but the current festivities are making the streets too crowded for the city guard to enforce it. Is that correct?" Cori replies, looking towards the Lady with her last comment.
"Yes that is correct, the ban on weapons has been lifted until the festival is over."
Yes, I had not intended for it to join me on the surface. And is that so? I admit, I've not heard your family's name. At the comment about weapons he chuckles.
Besides, the greatest weapon you have is a sharp mind, and the knowledge to allow it to work.
"That so? Perhaps you've heard of the ice witches of Irrisen then?" She looks to R'yzzntyg "I'm not sure how the guards would react to one of your kind in the streets. Do your best not to draw any attention to yourself and hopefully wo wont have to find out."
You head out of the undercity climbing out of the sewers and head towards the city gate.
"There are a few passages from the sewers to inside the city but right now they are actually more dangerous than the front gate. The guards know that the under-city exists but they focus their efforts on keep the people who live there out of then city and have made no attempts to wipe the place out so far."
Stanislav takes note of all that is said and is pleased that he will be allowed to carry his weapons.
She looks up Elise, as they make their way out of the sewers, Not to worry, I can disguise myself as a chameleon lizardfolk. I will do so closer to the gate entrance. Besides I do have this hood too, to hide my facial reptilian features, and cape to hide most of the body, so not to draw attention from the city folk.
To Ajikisshochraos, speaking in draconic, We don't want any trouble with city folk. Stay by me. Ignore the shiny stuff. Not going to argue. Understand!
Ajikisshochraos looks at her charge, with head slightly angled sideways, Shinies are shinies.Seeing the stern focussed look from her charge, Okay! Okay! I will leave the shinies alone, and just walk with you.
Cori taps her brooch and uses its power to smooth out the lines of her disguise, making her appearance look more natural and hiding any tiny flaws in the physical disguise elements.
Still quite fetching. Stanislav whispers to Cori. quietly as the group moves topside.
Cori gives Stan a knowing smirk and a soft, tittering laugh. ”Your mighty blade seeks a freshly oiled scabbard, lest it gather rust?”
You pass the gates and indeed there is a crowd of people coming and going and the guards don't even give you a second glance as you pass.
Elise takes you down several streets and finally stops in front of a two story house. It looks like the home of someone who is quite well off.
She goes up to the door and knocks thrice, then twice, then thrice again.
The door opens shortly after and a gnome is on the other side. "This is them? Good come on in." he says
The inside of the home is very bright. However decorate this place clearly has a thing for the colours purple and pink and loves drapes. Long colour drapes hang everywhere.
"My cousin is taken care of she wont be bothering us for the next couple days so we can safely use her house...She doesn't know anything about what we are doing." He sits on a sofa sized for gnomes and takes a cookie from a plate on the table and bites into it. Opposite to him is another sofa sized for humans and Elise takes a seat "Daradun is around?" she asks "He went to take stroll around the castle he should be back soon."
"So how should we proceed? We have three days until to decide how we will enter the castle. We will do our best to give you options but the ultimate decision will be up to you."
While there is merit in keeping your blade rust free I am not quite so crude as to suggest such activity without all the proper courting and and time to get to know each other and to develop mutual respect. Still I find you attractive and enjoy your grace in combat as well as your deadly skill. You are a light in the darkness to me and I hope you can indulge me in my honest complements.
She walks behind the others, keeping her head level, even though the hood covers most of her head and partially her face.
Once inside the gnome house, thinking to herself, They really have no sense beauty. Filling the with all this waste of cloth.
She looks about the room, and takes one of the gnome chairs, seeing it is more suitable for her size, and space for Ajikisshochraos to sit beside her.
To Ajikisshochraos speaking draconic, Yes. I know. Don't need to tell me. Let us be polite to our host, saying nothing about this, ending off with a sigh , and open claws facing upwards to her sides.
So this is were we staying for next three days?
As she strokes Ajikisshochraos back slowly.
While there is merit in keeping your blade rust free I am not quite so crude as to suggest such activity without all the proper courting and and time to get to know each other and to develop mutual respect. Still I find you attractive and enjoy your grace in combat as well as your deadly skill. You are a light in the darkness to me and I hope you can indulge me in my honest complements.
"I can indulge far more than compliments, since we're speaking honestly" Cori whispers in reply with a wicked grin.
She turns to the larger group and speaks clearly and audibly. "Getting in is one matter. Getting out is another. Furthermore, the less attention we can draw, the better. That leaves us two options: stealth or subterfuge, or perhaps a combination as a third option. I assume your compatriot will be able to provide a floor plan of some sort that we can use for preparation?"
"Yes we are working on having a good idea of the surroundings, there is a lot people that were hired to work as cooks and servers temporarily to deal with the increased work for the festival. That could be a way in since you seems skilled in disguise. There is also using invisibility thought that would only get us in and the spell would wear off before we leave."
You do not yet know how much of an indulgement I might need from you Coriandrinne. Stanislav thinks but returns the wicked grin.
I do not think we currently have the ability to all become invisible. Is this something that you can provide?
"Yes Daradun is very fond of the spell and always prepares it several times and keeps some scrolls of it handy"
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Slid crooks his head, cringing in his head. He says "I have learned that invisibility is unreliable against skilled opponents. There is inexpensive magic that sees through it." Looking at Vinnick, he rephrases to avoid hard feelings "Relatively inexpensive, I mean..."
He readjusts in his seat and says "I prefer subterfuge. I'm better at it and it's more reliable. From the inside, I can open the door for everyone else, maybe a less guarded door?"
Do they ever allow civilians inside the area during the festival? Shows? Traders?... those who wish to see? I'm certain there is an alarm spell or three, do we have someone skilled in.. bypassing... such things? I would rather not expend my limited resources on dealing with them.
Sitting quietly thinking to herself, she suddenly speaks, If we just going to walk in visibly into the castle, what kind of jobs would be available for small lizardfolk to do, that would not draw too much attention?
"The only jobs are cleaners, servers and cooks and their access is more or less restricted to the kitchens and dining areas. The general public is not allowed inside the castle no." replies Elise
Stanislav listens and considers. Kitchen help seems like a dead end then. I know soldiers and city watches. Is there any angle there that would help?
"I'm not sure, you could compete in the various fighting competitions being held near the castle, they are mostly for the knights and paladins to show off but they are open to anyone. Do well enough and you could be invited to the castle feast as a guest. I've also considered trying to find a novice and trying to charm him into letting us in."
As much as I would love to best some of these nobles that would hardly be laying low. And even disguised I might be recognized or the magical aspects of my disguise noted. I would think that to keep such contests fair that each contestant must be checked for magic before a bout. Too much of a risk. If we knew of a contestant I might offer myself as a coach though. The fighter looks less than pleased with that idea. Better though to find a way where we stay together.
"Are the champions of the games allowed to invite a guest to the party?" Cori asks.
Remember, the captain was still alive when we left the keep a little while ago. He could be at the competition to prove he is still worthy, as she looks around for something to eat, hmmmm, not many options there for me.
In this case, it may be better to go about this from a heist perspective. We will have to break in to the inner area, and if we are seen once in, assume the jig is up. So to speak. However, I wouldn't worry too greatly about your guise being noticed Stan. We have magics to defend against that. It may well be a way to get someone inside to allow us entry.
"I don't think they would object to a single guest but I cant say for sure. My group doesn't have anyone that could compete. We might get recognised and we aren't really suited for direct combat. I think having Slid passing as a kitchen in and opening the door for us to slip in invisible is a reasonable plan."
At this time there is a knock and the gnome goes to open the door. An old man dressed in rags looking like a beggar comes in.
"So the clients are here them? Good, Good. I had a look around the castle and checked for spells. Looks like they have alarm spells on the windows but none on the doors." He walks over to the table and grabs some cookies and picks up the teapot and opens the lid taking a sniff.
"I wouldn't drink that" says the gnome
the old man looks to him and back to the teapot "Your cousin?"
"She was less reasonable than I'd hoped. Better this way anyways, no chance of her getting in the way."
The old man just shrugs and puts the teapot back on the table.
"In any case we have a few days to kill, spend the time as you will we will keep gathering information and let you know if we learn anything new and when the time comes we can make the final decision on how we go in." Says Elise
Stanislav considers for a moment then decides to speak. Your cousin? Would this cousin of your's be involved in any way in what we are doing here? I do hate to pry but if it's relevant then I'd prefer to know.
"Hmm relevant? Not really, she was reluctant to letting me borrow her house for a bit so I slipped a little something in her tea to make her sleep for a couple days and I stuffed her in one of the closets upstairs. I'll let her out after our business is concluded here" replies Kilik the gnome.
She chuckles loudly at hearing Kilik's story of the teapot. Once under control and able to speak, I sure hope she does not wake up before we are finished here.
Seeing Ajikisshochraos staring at her, she tells the story in draconic for her benefit too. Suddenly the drake bursts out laughing too.
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Slid can't hold back a big loud chuckle. "Excuse me.", he says hopeless that his lack of decorum went unheard. If she isn't a morning person, she'll wake up with unhappy now., he thinks finding it hilarious.
To change the subject, he comments "So, apart from the guard, is any known personality expected to show up these days?"
"Oh yes, the watcher-lord will be there as well as the Precentor Martials (The council that runs the city). Which is why we want to do this as quiet as possible if we bump into any of them were done for." replies Elise.
Hearing that the Watcher-lord and Precentor Martials will all be in attendance cinches it for Stanislav. To compete would be too risky. He is disappointed but will not be foolish for a chance at vanity. What can we do while we wait that is productive? He asks.
You spend the next couple days scouting the location and learning what you can. Slids manages to get a job as a kitchen aid and spend a few days working and learning the layout as much as possible.
You learn of a barely guarded side door near the kitchens used for food deliveries, normally it would be impossible to go trough that way as the door is locked from the inside and staff are always going about but with Slid opening the door and everyone being invisible it should be simple for you to get in that way.
You know the way to the reliquary well enough that you can make it before the spell expires however you will have to improvise your way out. Due to the limited casting of invisibility it is decided that only Elise and Kilik will accompany you inside. Kilik is carrying a wand of featherfall and suggest that once your mission is complete you need only make to any of the many balconies on the second floor and jump down.
Kilik sees to his cousin making sure that she isn't a problem and doesn't wake up early.
The Ceremony is set to begin in only a few hours if you have any last minute preperations you would like to do now is the time.
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Slid hides his weapons inside the kitchen so that he can easily access them once the action starts. He is otherwise ready, feeling a tickling sensation in his stomach. He makes sure to eat light and not be encumbered by his belly. As he is alone with his troupe, he says to them "I don't really trust them having the wand of feather falling. I think we should have it, but can't think of a way to tell them so. If they wish to, they can easily leave us to fend for ourselves and collect a finder's fee which can be more than our proposed deal."
Stanislav spends some time with his whetstone refining the edges of all his bladed weapons, and offers to work on the blades of his allies as well.
In response to Slid he counters Its only the second floor. If we jump a floor and fall we should be fine unless already significantly wounded. And that would certainly show their hand at that point. But do not fear, I have not grown to trust our rogue friends. I do not know how to gain leverage in our arrangement though.
Having done what you can to prepare, the time comes. Daradun makes everyone invisible (except Slid who is already inside) and at the chosen time Slid slips away and goes to open the service door and you all slip inside, not you just need to get to the reliquary unnoticed.
