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The viscount nods "This seems a very clever plan and I will pass some notes on it to my head of security after this operation is concluded. You may only wish to ensure it is a very small bird or animal as a tiny one could still trip an alarm spell, which is a common defense."
Hal's plans are very interesting! I think something like that could go a long way. Mel determines that the guards are a mixture of wizards and fighters, surprise! The fighters are very melee oriented for close quarters combats, relatively perceptive for fighters, and level 7. The wizards are also level 7 for the most part except for the level 11 wizard who leads security. They are all focused on abjurations and conjurations. Some ways to put Personal spells on others that come to mind:
I can help with some of that. You scope things out and determine there is a teleport trap on the mansion. You also get a good look at the guards and can roll K local
I wouldn't overthink too much here. Beaumont is a political genius but not necessarily a magical one. Faedi may have her own ways of covering her butt but she isn't your primary target.
You guys could try gather information relevant to a question or two, K history to see if there are any oddities in the local magical economy, and other things you may think of to help sniff out leads! Or you could try breaking into Beaumont's manor somehow for some goal.
As far as you would know right now, Beaumont and Faedi have one or likely more of the traditional Book of Written Whispers. There are several things I would allow you to try/research regarding hacking into a book of whispers. Unless you're using really powerful divinations, these would all require access to the book at some point. Inserting a page that copies and transmits to you would work with some craft(bookbinding), K arcana, spellcraft, 500 gp of magic components, and 1 hr. Time can be cut in half by rushing but this increases all the DCs by 5. I can give details on other aspects if you like or you could try doing it on a test book and to see how high the DCs are, etc. Great details on the bookbinding. This is medieval style based on my head canon of the approximate technological timeline.
I rule the book of whispers does not count as magical writings. It's not the same kind of thing as written spells, which are very special.
Yes you're definitely still welcome, Turion. Sorry to hear about your troubles as well. PBP games lose momentum slowly over time and this game is at it's very end. So let's all keep going as we are able and be forgiving to each other so you guys can finish saving the continent. From itself. Well, really saving it from certain very powerful and selfish individuals who would put bad things into motion.
Listing some options that have been discussed so far to try to help the party think about a way forward: 1. Have Viscount Turick get you a secret, private audience with the King and convince the King to pass false information to Beaumont. This would require some good convincing as well as cleverly devised false information. 2. Infiltrate through the sewer entrance. It is probably guarded magically and maybe elsewise. 3. Infiltrate via some social means, like posing as servants or during a large party. 4. Risk divinations on Beaumont's book, person, and/or manor.
The viscount ponders the weighty questions of sufficient proof against a royal Duke. "Information passing to the duke's contact would suffice to bring divination magic to bear on him to force the truth out. As you would imagine, such inducements are not brought to bear upon a high noble except in remarkable circumstances. Now it may be difficult to prove what information the Concordat has or fabricate information sufficiently interesting to ensure he would share it. The King would likely need to be brought into the circle as the false information should pass from him to Beaumont." He smiles wryly at Hal and offers him a fine scone "Good sir, your renewed interest in my safety and security is commendable. I will endeavor not to die."
Cool idea. Yes I'll say that can be done with a third book of whispers, some ambitious spellcrafting, and components equal to half the cost of the third book (3000 gp). Let's say it would take one hour. It's hard to imagine it being faster than that.
The Viscount sighs and rubs his temples, clearly frustrated and worried. "A grave accusation, indeed! This is treason at the highest levels. Generally, the punishments of a duke would be meted out with a velvet glove, such as an unofficial exile to the countryside. But Beaumont will meet the axe for this, if evidence can be found. How can I help?"
You travel in disguise to Viscount Alain Turick's then get passed through his security protocols until you meet him in your established personas. He holds a notebook while sitting in a fine armchair in his study. "Yes? What are the latest developments?" You are each offered a comfortable chair and your choice of fine drink and refreshments.
Mel knows of spells, such as Detect Scrying, which a noble may keep active if they are paranoid and have a guilty conscious. She is also aware that the following is true of all scrying subschool spells:
Wow. Sorry to hear that, Mel. I hope things get better for you as the year goes on.
Hal determines that the fancy room is, indeed, the master suite. You start planning...
Apologies for my slower than normal follow-up. My computer screen is busted and my replacement computer has been taking far longer to get here than it should. Tomorrow it should be here!
Hal figures out what the fancy room is and thinks the sewer likely runs along the east side of the estate.
Mel does not find evidence that your townhouse has been tampered with. You receive the plans without incident, with Count Aral's personal recollection in a letter adding information as it can. Unfortunately, he has not frequented Beaumont's very often and generally only in the more public areas. But perhaps you can infer what more of the areas on the blueprints are from your knowledge of the customs and architecture of the Bannerhold Nobility.
Well-fed and well-provisioned with clothes, baths, and whatever other care you require, you turn in for a good night's rest. You wake in the morning ready to enact your plans.
Yeah and that's fine. It's much more convenient and natural to report it to Count Aral. He's just a little nervous that this could be considered a state secret and doesn't want any of King Stephen's advisors to be able to claim that Aral withheld such information from the Crown, even for a minute. So he's going to be passing the info along as fast as money and magic can make it happen. No need to get hung up on it either way. It's more of a vignette of the world reacting to a creative thing the PCs did. It's not intended as a major plot point.
Just FYI that I'm traveling for the holidays and will be spotty on my posting until January 2nd.
As you are in the woods preparing, Mel gets a response in Count Aral's book. "Very good. I will prepare rooms for you. I always have a place for old friends I met at a diplomatic council in the Bishopric twenty-three years ago."
Mel doesn't know a lot about the Master Diviner's magical acumen, not practicing much magic last time she visited the Concordat. But she does know the woman, Amrynn Faedi, has a reputation as very knowledgeable about magic and the mundane, politically savy, and personally ambitious. She also knows that there are some rumors that Faedi is corrupt but nothing that her political opponents, including the conservative, anti-war party within the Concordat, could prove.
It is still early in the morning, yes. You guys can do whatever you like. There are advantages and disadvantages, statistically, to different approaches. But neither approach is going to result in a definite loss or anything razor's edge like that.
The group easily walks around the crowd and in a different direction. Hal does not detect any spells on your group other than your own. After a few minutes of walking, you come to a much quieter stretch of street. For the moment, you are alone.
You head out, watched by members of the Resistance as you leave. They keep an eye on Turion in particular. As you are heading out, a the head dockworker offers Turion some normal clothes and a hat so he doesn't completely stick out in Bannerhold. Then you slip into the street and move away while trying not to draw attention to yourselves. A block away, you see a guard sergeant interviewing three dockworkers. "An elf? Falling from the sky? Just over there?" They nod vigorously, gesticulating and spouting garbled stories that contradict each other a little bit. "He cast a spell!" shouts one. "He must have teleported away because I didn't find him when I went to go look where he would have landed" shouts another. "An arrow got him!" shouts a third. The sergeant looks concerned and orders them all to calm down and speak one at a time.
Isabella nods. "Yes we know a bit about his defenses from trying to get at him. Beaumont is more canny than I would have guessed. He sees the average pickpocket or flattering liar coming from a mile away. And his home is well-guarded by a mixture of meatheads and book-toters."
Just give me a linguistics roll for establishing the cypher and communicating it to Isabella. You don't have to fully explain it IC but can just say IC that you explain it.
Isabella raises an eyebrow. "That would be wise but you'll have to explain the cypher a little more fully than that."
Isabella nods. "I was not particularly pleased, either. I believe he keeps the book on his person at all times, a difficult lift to perform. But maybe someone with the right skill. Or if there was somehow, EVER, a royal order to search him, confiscate it, and translate it." She shrugs, wondering what leverage it would take to so move the gears of government. "On the Concordat end is their Magister of Divination. She likes to appear all-knowing, I gather." Isabella chuckles. "I heard she was very upset when I called in a favor in the Concordat to give her false information on disposition of Concordat troops on their border which she traded to Beaumont. They barely trust each other now."
Isabella nods in satisfaction as all agree to move on without violence. "One of you may untie Turion. As to Duke Beaumont, our contacts in the Concordat helped us to determine that he has made an arrangement there with a high-ranking official. He passes state secrets to them for state secrets in return. Both of them end up looking omniscient, or so they think. Beaumont communicates with his counterpart via books of whispers We were not able to reach the books but we were able to interfere with Beaumont's contact, temporarily. We do know that he keeps a small black book of passwords on his person, presumably to his books of whispers and who knows what else."
My aim is to update tonight either way. Unless he says otherwise, I'll assume Kazador is willing to go with the majority.
Isabella shrugs. "I wasn't thinking in that complicated of a manner. But if you can somehow find a way to duel the leader of an organization without endangering the organization itself, then I suppose I'll give you the satisfaction."
Linguistically, I do think "buy-to-be-free" is what an English speaker would be more comfortable with than buy. "Pay-to-be-free" might be even more cautious. And then context layered on top matters a lot. If you were talking about a while male employee in America and said "buy", people might be a little uncomfortable. If you were talking about an African American employee and said "buy", many people would be triggered by what would seem like insensitivity at best. Similarly, the context with Isabella where, for appearances sake, it is a grown man waving money around to "buy" a thirteen-year old girl he has taken a special interest in at a brothel, even if it's a reputable one. Isabella disliked this and dislikes/mistrusts Turion. She has a different attitude toward the others. This is probably colored by my personal perspective, too. In America, there is a LOT of very exploitative prostitution even when it can seem like it's between two consenting adults. I don't know how things are in Europe. So that informs my whole view of prostitution and probably comes into how I imagined Isabella would react. So the sooner Isabella and Turion part ways, the safer everyone will be, methinks. P.S. I think Turion's conclusion that Avinoax is different and he wants to go home is a nice way to take this. Especially in the end stages of the campaign. One of the heroes has preserved the continent but just wants to go home. That's classic.
Isabella IC and I OOC have answered some of your questions and you don't find those answers sufficient so you seem to be circling back to those questions. E.g., she acknowledged it was a gamble to try to recapture you but thought she would be quick enough to do so. In-character, this is not a world where she knows your readied action will always be fast enough to dimension door out. Similar with one stranger being a lot easier to quietly capture first and ask questions later than three plus a tough-looking dog. Regardless, Isabella is a shady character. I personally would not be willing to do everything that she has been doing in this arc. If you don't agree with her, that's totally fine. If you mistrust her, that's also fine. She doesn't like Turion and Turion doesn't like her, to put it mildly. I don't see a world in which either of you apologizes for anything to the other or has any sort of reconciliation. All the more reason for us to shuffle this along, in my opinion. Hopefully the gesture I just posted in gameplay helps with that.
When Mel removes her disguise, Isabella nods slightly as if she expected something like this. When Mel finishes speaking, Isabella adds "In common please, from now on." DC 18 sense motive:
She seems to have caught the tone but not the words of Mel's sentences in Sylvan, so that she is on alert for any underhanded dealings but not to the point of being alarmed. When Mel requests a gesture of good faith, Isabella nods. She gestures to one of her associates, a male orc, who moves to a chest in the corner and withdraws Turion's belongings. The orc then sets the items on the table and steps away. Isabella continues "I have the female elf's word and here is a token in response. Your group may recover Turion's possessions. May I have everyone else's word in turn?" She eyes you each carefully and you can tell she is not an easy person to lie to.
Turion, I'm not sure how to interpret your last couple of gameplay posts. Are you trying to warn the party to flee immediately? Then maybe just say so and leave it at that or try a bluff check to pass info to them. Currently, it reads like you're trying to convince Isabella that you are right and she is wrong. Wherever this NPC lies on the spectrum from CG , canny zealot leader to CE murderous psychopath, that's just not going to get you very far. I get it that you hate Isabella and this arc, IC and OOC. But wouldn't making some sort of deal and getting farther away from her suit Turion's agenda rather than undermine it in that case?
"Isabella" does not have much patience for Turion's continued ranting and keeps things simple. "I've given my explanations of my prior actions. You dislike them and twist things to your own way of thinking. Fine. As to your comrades, they showed up and announced themselves politely, already knowing who I was, in a force that would not be easy to capture cleanly, and with a recommendation from someone I trust who has found them to be moderately trustworthy before, one Alexander Mumblethunder. While I have implied to them that our encounter could become hostile if they provoked my organization, I have been inclined and able to pursue things peacably." Moving on, she focuses on Hal "I am inclined toward your way of thinking. I would like each of you to give your word that you will do two things. First, you will do what you can to keep my work secret and not further endanger my organization. Second, you will use the information that I provide to damage Duke Beaumont's power."
"Isabella" does not look particularly friendly toward Turion but waits as he speaks at length. Her eyebrows raise sharply when he describes sampling human females, maybe as prostitutes(?), in the past. When he is finished, she keeps an eye on him and replies "As you see, our stories are similar in the factual events and widely different in terms of interpretation. For example, taking someone you thought to be a child, alone, on what you describe as a date was quite odd to me. Accompanied by repeated, one-on-one interest, seeking me out, and offering large sums of money to take me away, it raised my alarms. "Grooming" was a word that came to mind. "Agent" was the other. And in terms of trying to recapture a wild card, once my people were ready, I took a gamble, betting on myself. I was not quick enough but my guards were and I read your intentions correctly. So here we are." She speaks to the room as a whole "The question, as I see it, is whether Turion here can at least agree to avoid me if released so that the rest of us can fulfill our deal and go our separate ways. As I have made clear to everyone involved, I will not release him willy nilly but I would prefer not to need to keep or kill him."
Isabella watches Turion carefully as he signs for any indication of deceit then nods and unties the gag. "Well, for your side of the story then."
"Isabella" removes the old woman disguise she was wearing, pulling off a fake nose, a wig, rubbing away some makeup, and ostensibly revealing a young woman in her twenties. "This is more similar to how Turion knew me and how he has seen me here." She sighs at his continued lack of cooperativity then explains "I get very jumpy when strangers cast spells in my presence, as I'm sure you all do. But of course, Turion has not enjoyed being kidnapped due to my own fears about his intent. Perhaps we simply continue with this slow conversation? He will not be able to speak quickly but he will be able to speak. The alternative is that I ungag him but stand with a sap over his head ready to knock him out if I sense he is about to cast a spell. I am willing to try that only if the rest of you give your word not to panic if I suddenly knock him unconscious. Otherwise, we stick with the slow method." She points to the chart being held by one of her orc helpers where Turion can use a combination of left and right finger motions to sign dots and dashes corresponding to letters in common.
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