Arlo spits at the sewer grate where the crystal cat exited.
She did not need to be told twice.
And Ario has spad, that was always a sign it was kicking off.
A Gollom, so a construct
Understood
she said back and then there was a dull thudding sound from her suppressed rifle.
She moves to take aim again, but a few slates fall off the roof and crash to the street below.
As the cat-thing gets to the grate, Lady Lyra's shot shatters it to dark glass bits.
Guard 1 partially closes the door and calls to Guard 2, "Go retrieve the tyke before he steals something or makes other mischief" and then looks at Arlo: "Well Arlo, it's convenient you and your friends? showed up. Those things have been deviling the shop for a week or more. Did you just happen by?? I am Vincent and my friend is Paulo. He looks questioning at the Dwarf.
Arlo's manners softens with the appearance of cooperation. The dwarf walks up to the guards. "Vincent. Paulo. Do those crystal varmins go after anything in particular? Anything strange show up around the time of those things?"
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She can see the situations has defused. She checks then puts her rifle away. Then she seems to pull herself back and dose a short run before leaping off the roof of the building.
Her legs swing around and to be before her as she impacts the wall another building. The impact pushes her down to the wall but she seems to use that impact force to then push herself off it faster then any human could. Her momentum takes her up and towards the group, doing a 270 rotate her legs come down and she impacts onto the street with a thud.
Taking the impact as her legs bend. To end up crocheting on the Cobblestone, some of which crack from the impact. Lady L seems a lot heavier than she looks. She looks over at Arlo and nods at him. She clocks the guards as well. She stands and then walks to the remains of the cat. Crouches again and picks up some of the black glass, inspects them.
Anzarra stays hidden for now, observing.
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After looking at the Glass she stands and turns walking to Arlo.
As she walks up her manner and tone is that of a noble.
"Answer my companion's questions, please"
That is all she says, but there is a world of meaning in the way she says it.
Arlo's manners softens with the appearance of cooperation. The dwarf walks up to the guards. "Vincent. Paulo. Do those crystal varmins go after anything in particular? Anything strange show up around the time of those things?"
Diplomacy: 13
Vincent looks at the dwarf with an inscrutable expression then shows a small reaction as Lady Lyra appears. He remains leaning in the doorway, clearly ready to shut it. "Well friends... Hmm, not until tonight. They merely lurked in the shadows and sewers, watching us. The only thing they went after was that child." turning only slightly to call inside "Paulo, have you found him?" then back "It was as if it was guarding the workshop as we were or perhaps it was hunting the innocent. Still, it was clearly eerie, possibly some beast from Gehenna and I am happy to be rid of it. But I would still have you explain yourselves. Are you simply hunters of the cities monster? That's admirable occupation." He waits for a reply but now looks anxious to end the conversation.
She switches tack.
"I and my fellows are here to help and I hope to save you. Go wake your master, I need to words with him about a danger he has no idea is coming, Now that thing has been dispatched, And note gents time if of the essence here, the clock is now ticking and the danger will be on its way."
She is not bluffing.
During his mumbling and questioning the 2 guys, Paritosh will hav e blurted out:
"Oh no! The door won't lock!"
"Ohhh, you've got a bunch of these things, these three look better off then the rest, what do they do?"
"Ohhh, what are those tools on the wall? What is that thing that smells like oil?"
"Hey, are you guys from Selium? My Uncle is from Selium, he talks like you."
"I'm really hungry, do you have anything I can eat?"
Having gotten away from the guards, and hidden, upon seeing Pinderos, Paritosh whispers, "are you guys ok out there? There's an older guy here, probably the boss. I'm hidden right now. Any suggestions?"
Vincent looks at Lady Lyra. "Hmm, I sense what you say could be true. But give us a couple minutes to expel that urchin who the cat chased in and then we will talk. Of course, we must tell our Lord Ghent about this if it is as you say, I can dispatch a runner tonight. But hold", "Paulo, have you found him?", "The little mischief maker has vanished" says Paulo, who is carefully scanning the entire workroom, looking at all likely hiding places.
[Paritosh stealth check against Paulo's 19 perception next turn ...].
"Vincent, Paulo, who did you let in here and who is at the door at this time of night?" comes the voice of Master Pindaros, who remains at door of the storage area with preternatural sense of caution. "A monster attacked the building and I am talking to some heroes who helped us slay it."
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She looks at Vincent.
"So your Lord Ghent's men. He is a friend of mine and this is why I am here."
At the sound of Master Pindaros.
"Master Pindaros, We have met before, I am aiding Lord Ghent. I would have words, you, he, and your workshop are in great danger."
If Pindaros comes down, and the way becomes clear, Paritosh will move on into the place to scout out the rest of it.
Pindaros shrugs and pushes the door to the storeroom - so it mostly shuts but doesn't lock and walks out to the door where Vincent and Lady Lyra are speaking. "Who calls me in Lord Ghent's name? The lord has given specific orders that we are to proceed with utmost caution. But he also warned us strange creatures may be about. If the danger has increased, we need to send a runner or otherwise warn my lord. But now, give me the story quickly, there's already some child also about I hear. Is he connected to this plot? Also, this door is broken?" (Pindaros fixes the lock literally with a gesture). Vincent steps aside so Master Pindaros can face Lady Lyra and Arlo. Pinaros is a short, stocky human, in his mid 50s, dressed in overalls thrown over a nightgown. He has the gruff confidence of one at the height of his craft and Arlo might even guess Pindaros has dwarven blood, so thick is his beard.
Paulo, meanwhile, continues to search the workroom, calling out "child, your antics no longer amuse me, show yourself or you find yourself leaving here in chains." Beat 18 perception to stay hidden, 22 perception to sneak into the storeroom unnoticed (opening and gently closing the door without notice).
Paritosh attempts to...
slips unnoticed through the door, and into the rest of the shop and whispers into his ring, "I'm in, and going to check out the rest of the place! I'll try and get out of here off the roof with Moonbeam! I don't think I want those jerks to catch me!"
Moira hangs back and keeps her eye out for anything else that might feel like interrupting.
Anzarra continues to observe, keeping watch for any more of the creatures.
Paritosh adds, "can one of you direct Moonbeam to meet me on the roof."
The storage room is extremely clean and neatly organized. Paritosh finds five complete machines (20 pounds each, 2'x3'x3'), A carefully stacked set of drawings showing the designs of the machine the group have already gone over with extra notes in small writing, two blank account books and a blank diary. Also, a small library of technological manuals, covering electrical, mechanical, etheric, and elemental principles (24 books). Also a large safe of the finest quality (Disable device 40/50, 2000 pounds weight, attached to a plate on the floor - open time 2d4 round). Also stairs up up, (building is three stories).
Above the workshop is Master Pindaros' living quarters, more storage (what you'd guess is older machines of various sorts not related to the project). Up a ladder is third story, an attic but with entrance to the roof bricked off and all the winds barred. Paritosh could, however find one window with enough room to barely squeeze through on either the second or third floors and hang on until moonbeam found him.
Lady Lyra says to Arlo.
"Please stay here Arlo, I believe I will be safe with Master Pindaro"
Then to Master Pindaro.
"We need to talk in privet, this is not for the ears of others."
She indicates to his living quarters.
Once alone she talks.
"Master Pindaro we have met before, I interviewed you for my newspaper when you demonstrated your new device. At that time you stated you really did not know how it worked or what it did other than moving a crystal. What if I told you that I know what it does and how. And that it is the most insidious device for mass mind enslavement. A tool to enslave whole populations to the will of others. And that I had evidence to back such claims up. I ask you now, are you aware of this and are you part of this most evil of plans?"
Arlo stands out side with Paulo and Vincent, eyeing the sewer grate where the crystal feline disappeared.
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Paritosh continues to relay his findings, "Alright, I'm in. There are five more of these things, completed up here, and lots of drawings with notes on them. There are also a bunch of small yellow pieces of paper, with plenty more notes on them, and... Oh! These things are like sticky on the back, hmm, and the sticky appears to not wear off when you stick them, unstick, and restock them. Ok, so those are pretty cool. I'm going to bring a pad of them along, for science you know! Blank diary, blank notebooks." He keeps rummaging through things, and ponders, "Do you think those are really blank, or just written invisibly? There's a REALLY impressive safe here. No way I can get into it with the time we have. I can't bring these devices, they're too heavy, but I can destroy them, and grab all of the notes. What do you guys think?"
Paritosh will start studying the devices to determine the best way to incapacitate them, should that become the plan.
Standing at the door, Master Pindaros smiles, "At my age, I find few ladies eager to speak with me in bed chamber, much less one as honorable and beautiful as yourself. However, I am a well respected crafter of Oviumn and my honor requires that I not be known for such behavior. So we must have a chaperone. My body guards are busy looking for that young rapscallion who wandered in here. I am not as worried - all my important notes, magic and test kits are beyond the reach of any thief. Still, he must be evicted soon or all the urchins of Ovium will be knocking at our door. A solution - our hero, Mr. Arlo, can be the observer, to make certain nothing untoward happens. Moreover, if fell beasts are lurking outside, you should come inside and I shall secure the door." Once Lady Lyra and Arlo are inside Pindaros makes the side door extra secure.
Pindaros leads Lady Lyra and Arlo through the workroom, If Paritosh is still searching it, stealth against Pindaros' 28 perception (Pindaros is quite willy).
If Paritosh is found-out he'll escorted off the premises with simply a warning by Paulo and Vincent - unless he want to start a situation would be fairly messy. Paritosh could also run up stairs when he hears the group coming and hide in the space room of Pindaros' quarters.
Once in the bedroom and Lady Lyra has said her message. Master Pindaros smiles again, this time somewhat ruefully. "My dear Lady, or should I my dear journalist, I assume you must be aware that not every master gives away his secrets. Myself and Master Ghent are aware that this device inspires a kind of infectious joy - or infectious emotion. And we are aware it could be misused. We have taken precautions - especially in the crystals we use. But still, if there entities which have other plans, we must be ready - or perhaps you know of even further dangers.
Still, this is also a device with most marvelous properties. Think of the wars, the conflicts and the hatred that could be overcome with it. Moreover, this is a natural advance for etheric machinery. If it does not come from my workshop, eventually other masters will find and perhaps unleash it in a less wise fashion. The crystals make easier but I think with more work they may not be necessary.
Still, if there are dangers, let me have proof, details. This is a major undertaking. Lord Ghent has sunk a lot of capital into the venture and I too am invested. "
Well, if I had time, I’d have pocketed the journals, notes, and diagrams, and gotten out I suppose. If I didn’t have time then I’d grab all that stuff and scamper upstairs, and get out from there...
At the point that the interchange between Lady Lyra and master Pindaros is occurring, Moonbeam is circling the building, ready to rescue Paritosh. However. Moira and Anzarra notice another figure in the air, like a large, awkwardly flying raven, pacing Moonbeam in the night sky.
If Paritosh takes the diagrams and empty notebooks, Pindaros is instantly aware when he walks into the room, perhaps cursing a bit (note that Pindaros comment gave a good indication that everything really valuable is carefully hidden in the safe). "I will have to spend the night redrawing these. That Urchin was clearly more than he seemed. Vincent! "
The interchange between Pindaros still happens but assume he is in a foul and skeptical mood.
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lady Lyra sees that Master Pindaros shifts when he discovers things are missing.
"Whoever took Master Pindaros notes bring them back."
She waits until they are back.
"I apologize Master Pindaros am trying to train some new reporters but it seems some may have taken fact collecting a little too far. I may have to go over the lesson in ethics again"
"Proof, whit of I was to say Lord Ghent has sunk no capital into the venture, for he has none. He is not the real backer, he is acting as a paid front. So you have invested with an unknown 3ed party. How do you feel about that Master Pindaros? Not my word, but Lord Ghent himself. The man is in fear of his life because he knows he has fallen in with a bad lot. That have would use your device to control others. Not to end wars but to start them. THINK Pindaros, when have the powerful ever acted in anything other than their own best interests. This unseen back could do this, you want Proof"
She grabs some papers and a pen and in the way, only a machine could draw the etheric machinery.
She adds in the few hacks needed to bypass the protections in place. The math and workings out the lot. She hands the paper to him.
"If I can do it with just some research and time, the criminals using Ghent will have already worked it out. And I would suspect this is not ALL your design that some came from Ghent himself. You can work out yourself where it really came from."
If the diagrams come back.... Pindaros laughs and say "Ah, that Urchin was your reporter... well, at least your methods are efficient."
When you mention that situation with Ghent, He looks quite worried: "What would you have me do!? Half the city awaits our innovation! I have worked feverishly to remove the mischief in the original design and I believed I had done so, I will look at your diagrams in the morning... " Rubs his eyes, the long day getting to him. "Lord Ghent told he me would soon have a new backer and I have been loaning my capital until then... Ghent is cautious but I believe he is safe... His men are solid, like Paulo and Vicente."
If the diagrams don't come back "Now, I can imagine machines from all sources. At least we know something of them, why should we hold back...
Paritosh will reluctantly return the papers.
Moira and Anzarra notice another figure in the air, like a large, awkwardly flying raven, pacing Moonbeam in the night sky.
If the figure is identifiable as another one of the weird crystal things, Anzarra shoots at it.
Moira tries to figure out what the flying thing is.
"And now we get to the point. You are looking at one of the new backers her sort. This Master Pindaros is what I like to call due diligence."
She looks for somewhere to sit.
"The crystal cat that Ghent and my reporters despatched is just one of the evils his old backers have. They want what you have made and I have no doubt they will come and get them. Two guards, no matter how the sound will not stand before them trust me. So if you want we can do this. Tonight I and my fellows will aid in standing watch over you and your works. If what you say is true there will be no attempt by them tonight. But If I am right in my suspicion, place your dagger by your bed. So what say you. In the morning if your workshop is not attacked, we can talk more"
Paritosh notifies the folks outside, "call Moonbeam off, I'll walk down and take my medicine."
After taking 10 to get a 23 on his disguise as a human child, to fix any inaccuracies that might have happened when he was rushed earlier, Paritosh comes down the steps with a dejected look on his face, and shoulders. "I be so sorry Mistress. I know'd you said you was interested in getting the information, and I knows I got a bit carried away. It won't happen again Mistress, or my name ain't Gimbles!" He moves over and dumps the various things he acquired on the workbench before continuing past Lyra and the rest.
Vincent and Paulo look happy to see "Gimbles" leaves, Paulo shouting after him at the very last minutes. "There's a dwarf tossing contest at the Old Nanny Goat on Fridays sire, you could consider popping in ..."
Mandor Pindaros seems reasonably pleased. "Ah, a new backer. This will all have to be verified and the money received but your people are welcome at least join in the security tonight. And someone with a strong facility at mechanical engineering is good to find. Vincent and Paulo can guard in the store room, your people in work room. I shall sleep in the cot in store room. We can discuss production plans in morrow.
Once outside, and far enough away, Paritosh will change back into himself, the perfect disguise!
Anzarra analyzes the flying thing as a smaller version of the crystal and put a significant crack in the small thing, at which point it scampers off.
"Out of combat" Some or all of the group is welcome to come inside the Workshop to guide. Master Pindaros receives a note by carrier pigeon in an hour or so from Lord Ghent stating that Lady Lyra is a indeed potential backers and is welcome to help guard the shop as well as help any potential redesign of the machines.
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"Ah, a new backer. This will all have to be verified and the money received but your people are welcome at least join in the security tonight. And someone with a strong facility at mechanical engineering is good to find. Vincent and Paulo can guard in the store room, your people in work room. I shall sleep in the cot in store room. We can discuss production plans in morrow.
She smiles and nods to agree
"A Possible backer, but yes I can see some use in your device, but not in what you think. If you do not mind we using some of your papers and pens. Think I may have something better than just feelings your device could do. And a much more mass-market appeal. My fellows will guard us while you sleep and I work."
She looks around for pen a paper and sits down at a table. Soon she is working on some kind of design. As she does she asks the others for help v the rings.
"He is right others will make the same kind of device, so we may not be able to stop him and them making them. My thinking is we don't try, what we do is shift the market. Show there is more poetical in another idea. close but not the same.
She pulls some more paper over and keep writing
His device implants a link that influnces feeling in thouse that use the device. I want to block that but how.
More writing
What if it could record a scenery event with feelings. A kind of feel-o-Record. One could record parts even and edit them into a story. Narative and drama.. and make it mass media. But what if would could also place in the design in a means to immunize those who use it form this kind of mind control. It would be intrinsic as you WANT them to try the next one and next. You will get bored easy.
She holds up a design crupples it and throws it away. Starting over.
In other words, we make it so appealing that everyone wants a go, and once they have used it they start to build up resilience to this kind of device. Growing the immunization at a cultiral level"
Once she gets the signal to come in, she joins Lyra in the workshop, fascinated with her plans to adapt the device so that people can build up immunity to the same type of inputs, which would be good for society *and* for business, because people will be less and less swayed by the same old manipulations, but crave a new story.
She starts looking over the papers and helping Lyra with the idea.
Paritosh will act like he's never seen the inside of a building before, let alone the inside of this building.
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Lyra is happy o see Anzarra and is soon pasing her basic outlines to her, to check and improves on.
"If we base the crystal harmonics around holding light and sound, with a project of experience. Base the power unit about around capturing an Eletcial elimental here. Then it projection arch here. The range would be linked to the size of the device, but a small one would be around 6 feet say from the device. It would play chronology ."
She holds up a dwarings of a glass-like visual
"And the recoding media is simple to make, just a specialized Glass"
She stops and looks at Anzarra.
"You can tell, can't you."
She holds up her hand.
"It's a good facsimile, not by any means the best from where I am from. But it was made to my own specifications."
She flexes her fingers, a ripple of light passed down the fine circuitry lines under her skin.
"But no matter how good the synthetic is, it's never as good as true biological. A little less taste and smell, a little less empathy and emotion. It's been so long I almost forget what it was like"
She smiles a sad little smile and then goes back to the work.
Moira comes in but hangs out with the guards, trusting the mechanical side of things to those more suited to it.
She asks the guards a lot of questions about the type of people who work here, visit here, and the live in this district of the city in general.
Aided by Anzarra, Lady Lyra works feverishly through the night producing her device. Naturally a variety of proto-types get produced from the designs but several are promising and one winds-up fully fleshed-out, fitting Lady Lyra's design. A knowledge of devices from other world naturally helps.
Just as much, very little about the existing machines would need to be changed since the major component components were the etheric amplifier.
However, once Master Pindaros wakes at 10 am and unlocks the compartment of the safe containing the test-gem, it becomes evident to the group that a number of different gems are going to be needed. Indeed, it's easy to think this gem was selected specifically to serve the function of mass manipulation (and Master Pindaros states that the other gems held by Lord Ghent are similar).
At the same time, Anzarra's research at least strongly suggests that the Soul Well would have had a variety of gems within it - naturally who knows what entities have gone through it by now, but still, a visit to the area is suggested.
There are alternatives if no suitable gems can be found in the Soul Well or the party wants avoid it but particular raw materials at least would need to be found - even dubious gems from the Soul Well could crushed and repurposed (even the test gem, there'd just be a lot of waste involved, 4 crushed gem to one new gem).
Moira discovers the workers at the shop are some of the best in Ovium and paid accordingly. Paulo and Vincente are indeed from Selium, they find Ovium a bit poorly disciplined but a change of pace. Many nobles in Ovium hold title in both cities since Selium is the capital - Peter Ghent commutes between the two cities regularly (as Arlo found out).
Despite some exhaustion after the long night of work, nevertheless Anzarra is excited in the morning, seeing the fruits of their labor.
Yes, I can tell, but only after a long period of observation. It's very well done. I'm not sure if you are interested, but you could, perhaps, consider the fusion of magic and technology if you wish for an improvement. I recently had the pleasure of meeting several of the Shabti people, who are all magical constructs in the form primarily of humans, and they have emotion and feeling, as well as eternal life. The magic that created them was used for the horrible and disgusting purpose of damning them in the place of another, and after an immense time of suffering for most of them, they were retrieved from that impossible situation and made slaves. But despite the evil purpose behind that work, they made some beautiful and amazing people, who were well worth knowing and rescuing from that situation.
... Similar to what you have done here, turning evil devices to good purpose. Some of these will be used with evil intent still, I am certain, but you have mitigated the damage and made something bad into something that ensures that people retain their freedom of choice and any evil they walk into will be entered into knowingly. I appreciate the opportunity that I have had to work with you in such an endeavor.
She informs the party
I believe we're going to have to visit the soul well to get the gems required for this.
Anzarra's research gives a strong indication there are a variety of entrances to the Soul Well complex. Originally, this complex served as house for worshipers of Abadar. The same God who is still worshiped in Golarian - but in a somewhat altered form, with their essence combined with Pharasma (referred to as "the duality" in ancient texts). Here, his worship took a form similar to a kind of Confucianism, where life proceeded at an orderly pace and death was predictable. The Soul Well serving as the means of allowing the dead to pass gracefully from life to death. Moreover, blue soul gems facilitated this transfer (would have had to have been close to the area where the dead-leaving-the-world could be observed).
IE, it's underground church where the living meet the dead. Scouting the area and making educated might find more entrances, might help you decide which entrances would be most advantageous for you (Survival 18 for a good idea of the terrain, Knowledge religion 20 for best door, bonuses for good ideas). Of course, during this scouting, you may encounter some of the agents of your enemies.
So, the next day, afternoon. The day before the day before Peter Ghent's party, After having napped in the morning and gotten sufficient rest from the night's adventures, the party sets out for the Soul Well.
Making a rough map of a hypothetical church of departing souls and considering that the door that Arlo found was near the main road, a very old road, one can roughly guess that Arlo's door was the "lay" entrance and that priests and others probably had at least one other entrance that would lead more directly to important areas.
The terrain is rocky with a dense forest of old, medium-sized trees. The party decides to take a circuitous path, avoiding the main road, that should arrive on somewhat higher ground the door that you know.
Halfway up to ascent, the party notices some footprints - humans or humanoids, wearing soft soled shoes, passing sideways.
Assuming you have a scout moving ahead, give me your scouts stealth and perception check as you approach about 3/4s of the way towards your destinations.
If your scout gets Stealth 22+ and Perception 16+, they surprise two humans dressed on cloaks with a slightly ceremonial look to them speaking softly. Their skin is papery and grayish brown and they are of an indefinite age. Your training let you recognize these as actual dark traders - your enemies but a group you wouldn't want challenge unnecessarily (you also are not certain if, after all this time, the group is aware of your activities countering them but clearly they're guarding the area and protecting the soul gem supply is the obvious motive).
[Otherwise, you run into them and your scout is staring them in the eye from 60' away in a forested, hilly (difficult terrain) area and the rest of the group is 100' behind.]
If you surprise the group, you can quickly pass them by and head to the top of the hill where you find a black door similar to what Arlo and Lady Lyra saw earlier (carved stone rectangle that is actually a magical door). You guestimate you have about 40 minutes before a patrol (you will probably attempt to cover your tracks to the entrance, roll survival). Open the black door requires a 20+ spellcraft or 20+ disable device roll. You know the inside of the Soul Well will be dark and eerie (from the effects of many of the Soul Gems)and may be guarded as well. It's about 6:30 in the evening, the sun will in an hour and a half.
Anzarra scouts ahead.
She spots some dark traders and returns to the group, explaining what she saw and where they are, and they are able to quickly move around them to the top of the hill.
Paritosh attempts to cover the group's tracks...
+2 Urban, +FE Bonus - Success
And will see about opening the door...
- Fail
And then for scouting the doors...
+2 Urban, +FE Bonus - Success
"That sounds interesting I would like to hear more