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As you head towards the warehouse in the Wise District, you can reflect more or ask questions of the locals about Lord Minovitas...
...and once you're near the warehouse, you may scout it from the outside and ask locals questions on its business practices...
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Along the way, Professor Masaendri makes an attempt to solicit information from the masses, but is unsuccessful due to two factors. First, she has all the charm of an impatient porcupine; second, she spends much of the journey enviously eyeing the scroll of Fabricate in Hellebore's possession. It will be quite a long while before she is capable of casting it from her own preparations, but she fervently desires to add it to her spellbook along with the scroll of erase that she grabbed accepted graciously from Lady Morilla. At least I was able to appropriate the silver raven figurine of wondrous power before anyone else claimed it. How irritating would it be for one of the others to assume the leadership position in this party?
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Lanel chuckles tiredly hearing about all that the noble has been hiding. "Of course... I'm not surprised."
After some asking around and charming smiles, Lanel comes back with information that he shares to all his comrades about the warehouse. "Lord Min-min seems to have brought some of his personal guards at the site... but they are to be replaced soon. Also, I heard the workers on the warehouse are complaining about late payment... We could use that to our advantage."
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"Good findings, Lanel. Yes, we surely could use that to our advantage."
As the group makes their way to the warehouse, Piotr finds a railing of an outdoor Cafe to rest his Esquire Attaché Case on. Opening it, he pulls out his Heritage Book from within and rummages through the mess of papers in the case.
"This book contains many of the nobles and aristocrats throughout Taldor. And I may have a paper or two in my case with some information regarding this Lord Minovitas fellow. Let me take a look for a moment..."
"Well, well, well... What do we have here?”
Piotr reads what he has found on some pages in the book and in his attaché case.
"Lord Minovitas is a Taldan nobleman who has spent much of the past year in Absalom laying the groundwork for future business endeavors, though most of that time he has spent intoxicated while wining and dining influential citizens.
His lordship is fighting a losing battle to maintain his upstanding image in Absalom as several Taldans have begun telling stories of Lord Minovitas’s habitual exploitation of his ancestral lands and its people. At least two of these rumormongers have disappeared very suddenly in the past month."
With a cocked eyebrow and a quick nod, he slams the book shut and sticks it in the case. He closes the case and stuffs it into his backpack.
"To the warehouse, then."
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You arrive at the warehouse and witness the end of Lord Minovitas’s speech where the paintings in question are unveiled in the fenced in yard next to the warehouse. A small audience gives polite applause and after a short reception, the Lord and the crowd disperse. Warehouse workers move the paintings into the warehouse shortly thereafter…
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As the team searches for a clandestine way to get inside the warehouse, the Professor volunteers: "If necessary, I can 'teleport' a short distance inside the building. Of course, I much prefer to see where I'm going, so don't expect me to do so blindly." Speaking of which, she also looks for a window.
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Gnagnatsu opens the door as Piotr comes up and he leads the way in…
…and the inside looks like…a typical warehouse…you follow the maze like path warily from the door until you can see one set of the double doors to the west. It appears the workers are calling it a day and leaving thru those doors as dusk approaches, but you see no sign of the guards who brought in the paintings from the wagon; you recall that they carried the paintings thru the other double doors to the south of the building…
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As Gnagnatsu moves west, she can see more of the warehouse to the east and south, but no sign of the paintings nor the guards that carried them inside…as Hellebore floats up, she can see further south and west…
While they can’t see anyone, both of them can hear talking to the southwest, but can’t quite make out what is being said…
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While everyone moves unseen, Gnagnatsu can make out three guards a ways west…and what appears to be the same box you saw them carrying in earlier next to them…after which, you can make out what they are saying…
”…easy money, my friends…just guard these overnight, escort ‘em to the Opparan Trade Commission in the morning, and collect our gold…after we eat…take lookout shifts till mornin’…nothin’ happening’ tonight…yeah boss…amen to that…”
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The gnome sneaks back to the others and whispers, "The paintings are guarded. We have to make the changes without even them noticing or Glori's plan won't work. We'll have to draw them away or put them to sleep or something like that."
Gnagnatsu will head back and study the guards' behavior for a while - are they simply standing near the paintings or doing rounds? Vigilant or doing things distracting (dice etc.)? Anyone looking at the paintings or are they all facing away?
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The Professor frowns. "All right: brainstorming session. I can cast Sleep on them, but that would spend nearly all my power. What alternatives can you suggest?" She flicks a pointed glance at each of the others she can see. Even Hellebore. (Somehow, she manages to look down her nose at the elf flying above her.)
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Hellebore floats back down to the group. "I can make it harder for them to resist the Sleep. As long as there aren't any other elves over there. I also can cause them to sleep."
She ponders for a few moments more. "I also have a cloud which makes people...happy. It doesn't last long and would affect everyone who goes in, but I might be able to target that to hit them and not us. Otherwise, I'm mostly a blaster."
"Hmmm, I could also send in Belladonna. Most people will run from a skunk rather than face the possible outcomes. She would need some protection though, since she's just a little skunk." Hellebore snuggles her pet who takes the mauling with grace. "If someone wants to help the distraction along while Gnagnatsu and whoever else makes the changes, that could be good."
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How much can we tell about the capabilities of the guards? I know there is only so much we can determine without seeing them in action, but can we tell if they are well-trained or random toughs from posture, behavior, etc.? How good is their gear?
"I can turn briefly invisible - half a minute at most - to approach, but I will be relying on you to provide the opportunity to allow me to make my alterations. How long will they stay asleep if your abilities work?"
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After the guards finish eating, after a little meaningless chitchat, one of them says, ”Gonna be a long, boring night…I’ll take first watch, Grynch, you take second, Poindexter, you take the last…y’all get some shuteye and I’ll wake up Grynch in 4 hours…”
Two of the guards put down their sleeping bags next to the crate with the paintings while the one keeping watch, stands, stretches, and eyes the area around him, looking at nothing in particular…”[/b]
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Nodding her readiness, Professor Masaendri pulls out her spell book to prepare Sleep in place of Feather Fall. After a few moments, she flashes a brisk smile (that doesn't reach her eyes) and tucks it back in her pack, which she quietly sets on the floor. Certain that she has plenty of time before the guards' shift changes, she approaches the guard's location with agonizing slowness before casting Sleep on the conscious guard .
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Hellebore flies nearer as the Professor also sneaks up closer…and the guard, distracted, neither hears nor sees either…they double-whammy the guard with spells, casting first evil eye and then sleep…AND…
…the guard slumps to the floor…one of the two guards snores is cut short for a moment…and then resorts back to its normal rhythm…
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Piotr moves forward after he sees Masaendri and Hellebore cast their spells.
Once he is in a good spot and can see at least one of the sleeping guards, Piotr casts silence on the post next to the sleeping guard in yellow.
Piotr nods to each teammate in turn.
"I don't hear their snoring," he whispers.
"A twenty foot radius centered on that post next to the guard in yellow is silenced. before going into the area, remember that we cannot hear each other speak. Get in there and do your thing, Gnagnatsu. I'll follow you in for protection and the others can keep watch nearby or join us within the silenced area.
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Gnagnatsu turns briefly invisible and hurries toward the box. She opens it, rummages through for the paining in question, then grabs it and replaces the lid as she found it.
She then heads to an unoccupied portion of the warehouse and starts to work on her alterations.
She sorts through her clearly high quality set of paints and brushes and begins to study the painting. The brush whose handle she puts into her mouth as she studies is its own riot of colors, like oil on the surface of a puddle, but brighter as if it were positively giddy about being used for this task. "Hm... the brushwork is fine, but the dead demon looks more lively than our friend Minovitas. And did the artist ever hear of 'subtlety'? My friend Elby was there, so maybe I should add her face and holy symbol. Though she's dromaar, so she's look like a teenager at that size. Maybe a face swap? Iomedae laughing as a demon took out Lord High Stupidpants..."
She will continue to mumble to herself while she works until someone either provides a suggestion or tells her to shut up.