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Hi everyone. I'm very sorry for disappearing like that. I've been pretty sick for the past few weeks, and at this point don't expect to start feeling better anytime in the immediate future. Therefore I'm dropping out of all my games. (Which I had unofficially done anyway I guess.) Again, I'm very sorry I didn't say anything sooner, I just kept hoping things would get better and I'd be able to rejoin. It was great playing with you all, and I wish you the best of luck.
Cecilia doesn't have any other goals for the night except for generic schmoozing. If there's no benefit to influencing people/rooms now that we're done, I'd say fast-forward to the next event.
Cecilia heads towards the courtyard, pausing briefly as she realizes the Emperor himself has arrived. Personally she takes the opportunity to ease her own passage; with the crowd so busy craning their necks to see the Grand Prince Stavian she's in no danger of bumping into anyone for the first time all night. She meets up with the others and looks around. "Has anyone seen Lady Lotheed yet?"
Cecilia pauses halfway to the Arcade. It seems Larin has completed her task after all. "Perhaps we should meet. Lady Lotheed, do you have a moment? We have information that might be helpful to you."
Cecilia stares after the Countess' retreating form, eyebrows raised. Interesting. She lightly taps her badge. "Task completed. Let me know when you are ready for a report." Then she heads back down to the Arcade to see if Larin still needs any assistance.
Cecilia is unfortunately unable to respond to Larin's request, as she's rather occupied at the moment trying not to sneeze. The Countess seems to have a rather heavy hand with the perfume. The hug is unexpected, (and unwelcome), but it gives her a second to think of how best to steer the conversation. "I've heard you're one of Princess Eutropia's staunchest allies in the fight against primogeniture. It's really quite inspiring. So many prominent nobles prefer to keep things the way they are. If it weren't for people like you, willing to campaign for the end of primogeniture despite the risk that it could hamper their own careers...why this vote would not be happening at all." She lowers her voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Even now I hear the Senate is divided, that the vote is not as foregone a conclusion as people think. Although surely those are just rumors?"
"I'm just happy we could help, Senator Dou." Cecilia smiles to herself. Lady Lotheed would no doubt be pleased by how they'd been able to handle the situation, she'd made a new connection in the Senate, and she'd had the pleasure of taking a bully down a peg. The night was looking up. Her newfound optimism leads her to square her shoulders and make her way back up to the Gallery. She's avoided Countess Pace for long enough. Time to actually try to talk to her. She waits for a moment when the Countess is alone, then approaches. "Greetings...Countess Pace, isn't it? I'm Cecilia Volso. I just had to come over and tell you how much I love your outfit. The style, the bold color choices...it's really quite amazing how well everything works together."
Shamelessly invoking the Zespire name as part of my attempt to convince Malphene she's being stupid. I'm very happy we have two in the party :)
Cecilia leans forward, apparently unphased by the insults although she does allow the smile to drop from her face. "Very well, Lady Trant. I was attempting to allow you a chance to leave with your dignity intact, but if you insist, then so be it." "Let me be blunt. Half the Gallery saw you and your goons drag this senator in here. Do you know what they're saying? Because it's not anything complimentary. It's 'Lord Trant is so weak that he has to pummel people in order to get their cooperation. So cheap that he has to use his own daughter as hired muscle.'" She smiles again, almost sympathetically. "Is that how you want to be seen? Nothing more than a pawn in your father's schemes, and a disposable one at that?" "If you continue down this path, no one will ally with you. No husband will have you. As soon as your father dies, you will be completely alone and powerless. Is that what you want? Or do you want to start forging your own path, one separate from your father's ambitions?" She leans back slightly and folds her arms. "It's your call. You can remain here, doing exactly as your father demands, regardless of whether or not it's good for you. Or leave. Start forming your own connections. It's the perfect night for it." She gestures towards Izalco. "You could start by giving the Zespires a better impression of you than what they've seen so far."
Whatever game Malphene Trant was playing, she wasn't being subtle about it. Not that she had seemed to be from Lady Lotheed's description, but it was always nice to have personal confirmation. If she was trying to bully the young senator, (whoever he was), then the sooner she was interrupted the better. Cecilia makes her way to The Bedlam II Waiting Room, giving Larin a significant nod as she goes. Then she enters. "Why hello there! Lady Trant, isn't it? Your father asked me to look for you; something about an urgent matter he needed your assistance with. He's in the Imperial Archives." She didn't seem particularly intelligent if she was being this obvious about her actions; hopefully she would fall for the simple ruse.
Just letting you know I won't be able to post until tomorrow. Very busy day at work kept me from posting earlier and I have Halloween plans tonight.
Countess Pace, the true villain of this adventure. She has clearly sacrificed to the dice gods to ensure that no one can figure out her true allegiances.
Wanting to help complete Larin's task before attempting her own, (definitely not because she wishes to delay talking to Countess Pace, no, whatever would give you that idea?), Cecilia sees how close she can get to the High Strategos without him noticing. (The answer is 'close' but unfortunately she can't read that stern face.)
Cecilia smiles as she notices Larin making her way near the High Strategos. (Or rather, doesn't notice her, which is evidence that the other woman is succeeding in her task.) When she has a moment to herself, she speaks quietly into the badge. "Nicely done."
I'd like to know one for Countess Pace.
Cecilia's Stealth is +7 and Sense Motive is +8. She should be fairly good at this, if only low rolls weren't contagious.
Cecilia takes the book and slips it into one of her hidden pockets, (an act she doesn't try to hide from the Duke). "Thank you, Duke Centimus, for both the advice and the book. I promise to be careful with both." She pauses, looking at him for a moment, then continues, "As I said my family is a minor one, and I am not particularly well-connected. But if there is ever anything I could do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. It would be my honor." "For now though I fear I must be off. I have an appointment to keep." She curtsies again. "It was a pleasure meeting you." Knowledge obtained, she (reluctantly) starts heading back towards the Gallery. Then she pauses, remembering Larin's message. Tapping her own badge, she says quietly, "I've just finished talking with Duke Centimus, so I'm halfway done with my own task. If someone who is already finished doesn't mind talking to Countess Pace, I can assist Larin." Observing the High Strategoes sounds much more appealing than heading to the Gallery right now. She changes directions to head towards the Arcade of Triumphs, hoping to make a reasonably quiet entrance.
"I'm afraid I'm here merely as a guest tonight, and have no personal connection to any senators." Cecilia lightly taps her senate badge, herald of a long-extinct noble family. "But I can always sequester myself away and do some reading whenever I need a break from the politics. Thank you for the recommendations." She tilts her head slightly, pensive smile on her face. "I do believe Taldor would be a better place if more Senators studied the works of these explorers. Learning about different places, different experiences, different ideas...being able to see things from other perspectives is a valuable skill. Take tonight's vote regarding primogeniture. Learning about other lands that have already abolished that tradition can help you see the benefits and drawbacks before coming to your own conclusions. So many people I talk to seem to either blindly support or oppose it without ever really considering why they feel that way."
"Wasn't Truan Iolavai the gentleman who traveled from Oppara all the way to Kaladay? I've heard of his accounts, although I've never read them." Cecilia smiles at the Duke as she warms up to the topic. It is genuinely interesting, even if she's overemphasizing her own excitement. "I'm afraid I haven't had access to many of the best libraries. My family is, well, rather minor in the scheme of things. I had tutors rather than being able to attend a school like Sinora Academia." She looks off to the side, seemingly a bit embarrassed. (She's heard rumors that the Duke chooses to make modifications to his own chair, rather than entrust it to an expert. Emphasizing that her own interest is 'self-taught' might help make an impression.) "Do you know what the rules are for taking materials out of the Archives? Are we limited to reading them here, or is there some sort of procedure?"
Cecilia decides she should probably take a break from the Gallery. She's been nowhere else, and besides, Ellisiri would no doubt find it suspicious if she suddenly started talking to the Countess only a few moments after their own conversation. Instead she heads downstairs to the Archives, giving Izalco the barest fraction of a nod as she passes. Thanks to his efforts, she has some idea of how she might begin impressing the Duke. Whether or not she can actually pull it off is another question. She 'casually' browses the shelves near where Duke Centimus is sitting for a few minutes, then exclaims, "Travels on the Far Frontier! Oh, I've been looking for a copy of this. Rikkan's decision to travel down the Adivian River, leaving everything else behind...it's so inspiring!" As if she's just now realized Duke Centimus is there, she turns to him and curtsies. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Cecilia Volso; I don't believe we've met before. I hope I didn't disturb you."
Cecilia looks curiously at Larin. "May I ask what happened in the garden? At the time I was still cleaning off my gown. I remember seeing a lot of people heading in that direction, but didn't feel I could join until I was more presentable."
Prior to Martella's Meeting:
"Suitors, I see. That's where I'm going wrong." She gives an obviously fake pout before laughing again. "Here I was content with flowers and jewelry. I'll have to tell them they need to up their game." She lets the smile fade from her face as she looks closely at Ellisiri. "To be perfectly honest, while I really do love your gown, part of the reason I came over here was because it looked like something else was on your mind. It's a party, and this is one of the most interesting areas in it. However you looked...well, upset." She pauses for a moment as she takes another sip of her drink. "I'm aware we just met and this may be presumptuous of me, but if you'd like a listening ear, I have two." Cecilia extricates herself from conversation in time to meet Lady Lotheed. (Aided, of course, by the fact that she was already in the Gallery.) "I just spent a rather large section of the evening having to clear confetti off my gown after someone decided it would be a funny prank to throw a bucketful of the stuff on me. Yelena, a performer with the Otvos troupe, was a tremendous help in that endeavor. I highly recommend her and her coworkers if anyone here is looking to hire entertainers. Unfortunately, that is not the kind of acquaintance I believe you wished me to make tonight." She sighs and lowers her voice. "I did not wish to rush straight into asking how certain people feel about primogeniture, but I do hope to make progress soon. I plan to spend the reminder of the evening continuing to make connections; hopefully some of which will be with certain members of the nobility." She pointedly does not look at the section of the Gallery where Countess Pace stands. "For now I have nothing new to report."
Bingo. Cecilia makes her way across the room until she reaches the woman she spotted glaring. "Why hello there! I just had to come over and say how much I love your gown. May I ask where you bought it?" She pauses for the briefest second, then laughs. "Oh, and please do forgive my lack of manners. I don't believe we've ever met. I'm Cecilia Volso. And you are?"
Cecilia looks around to be sure no one is close enough to hear before she responds. "If you could start feeling out the best way to approach Duke Centimus I would be extremely grateful. Talking to Countess Pace has proven to be...challenging."
Drink in hand and feeling a bit more relaxed, Cecilia marches back up the stairs back to the Gallery. (Okay, she walks. Primly. As would be expected of a woman of her station. Nevertheless she feels as though she should be marching.) Eavesdropping hasn't been working, and she still thinks approaching Countess Pace without any idea of what makes the woman tick would be a bad idea. Time for a new plan. She idly leans against the railing some distance away from the Countess, for all appearances simply enjoying her drink. From the corner of her eye though she watches not the Countess, but the people around her. If she's as fickle as their research made it seem, she must have made enemies. So Cecilia surveys the crowd as nonchalantly as possible, looking for someone who's looking at the Countess. They won't be obvious about it of course. But maybe, just maybe, she can catch a glimpse of a glare. An irritated scowl. A sigh of exasperation. That's how she'll know who to approach for evidence about what the real Countess is like.
Given that she's already in the Gallery, it seems to be a good time to start paying attention to Countess Pace. Abrielle Pace seems to be a crafty one from what Cecilia's heard of the woman; it's probably best to observe at first and only talk to her after a plan has developed. As such she plans on doing a little eavesdropping first to get an idea of how best to approach the woman. Unfortunately, it seems anytime Cecilia tries to get close enough to overhear the Countess' conversations something goes wrong. Mostly in the form of loud, raucous laughter which makes eavesdropping exceptionally difficult. The few times it's relatively quiet Countess Pace is in a position where Cecilia can't approach without it being very obvious what she's doing. Eventually she has to give up and go fetch herself another drink. Maybe once this round of entertainment is over she'll have better luck.
Cecilia waves goodbye to the troupe and, (after sending another dark glare towards Wyssilka the Fantabulous), prepares to start work on her actual mission.
"Really, I insist." Cecilia gently takes Yelena's hand, and (unless she tries to pull away, in which case Cecilia will let her go), places the silver into it. "Your company allowed me to go on stage despite not having any experience, and I had quite the good time. It it I who benefited from your generosity." Her face grows more serious as Yelena confesses the difficulty their troupe is having. "In terms of finding more work, I am not certain how much I can do. I can certainly sing the praises of your troupe and hopefully encourage more people to hire you. I believe Lady Licina for example has several younger siblings that would no doubt enjoy your act. But it seems the larger issue is of people not paying you what is promised." That is something she is rather familiar with. Marus has a temper and a history of sending people away when he is frustrated with them...often without any pay. Drusilla has enough control of the household finances to pay those people something, but it is not always as much as they expected. Half to herself she muses, "Perhaps Izalco would have some ideas. I have little influence myself, but the Zespire name holds a great deal of weight and this seems the kind of issue he would concern himself with." She doesn't know him well, but if he had been concerned about the prospects of two thugs who had just set a co-conspirator on fire, surely the notion of workers suffering due to nobles refusing to pay would also interest him. Her eyes refocus on Yelena. "I make no promises for how much I can do. But I do give you my word that I will do what I can."
Inside the ladies room, Cecilia and Yelena work hard to get the sparkles out of her gown. And shoes. And hair. But as everyone with toddlers knows, glitter is well-nigh impossible to get out of clothing. At one point Cecilia seriously considers whether it might be less frustrating for her to leave, go home, change into a new gown, and come back. The only thing keeping her from cursing like a sailor is years of practice in biting her tongue. Fortunately Yelena is a calming presence that keeps Cecilia from doing anything too foolish, and with her aid the gown is eventually returned to its previous pristine state. "I don't know what I would have done without you. You are a miracle worker. Relieved to be finally finished with the ordeal, Cecilia fishes around in her pockets and offers Yelena a couple silver. "You've more than earned it with all the help you've given me tonight."
A few questions: First, should we be trying to keep to the same timeline as everyone else? In other words, once someone finishes their actions for social round 1, should they: A) Immediately start working on social round 2
Second, the NPCs in the spreadsheet already have their Influence skills listed. Is that intentional? I thought we needed to do Discovery Checks first in order to learn which skills to use. Third, I see the Gallery has a pool of 13 points in Tier 1. Since I rolled a 37, that implies either the Gallery has an Influence DC24 (extremely unlikely), or it has an Influence DC14 and you didn't include the +10 bonus from Flexible Half-Breed (far more likely). I have no issues with you not including that bonus, but I thought I'd ask in case it was an oversight.
Noticing the panicked look on Yelena's face, Cecilia shifts her own into something less angry. "Yes, well, I'm afraid I don't quite see the humor, but I suppose the children do." She looks down at her own dress with a rueful expression. "I don't want to take you away from your duties, but if you're free I would appreciate the help." As she follows Yelena to the ladies room she notices the surge of people heading towards the courtyards and sighs. There's no doubt something important happening there, but she can hardly let herself be seen looking like she's just been hit by a glitterdust spell. Hopefully the others will be able to fill her in later.
Cecilia looks down at her now-sparkly gown. Then up again. Only the presence of the children, (still laughing and cheering), keeps her from going over there to give the actor who 'doused' her a piece of her mind. She settles for hissing, "Do they have any idea how much this gown cost?!" before she stalks away. There must be some sort of privy where she can clean herself off.
Cecilia, still riding the high from her first (and likely only) successful stage performance, feels strangely protective of her erstwhile co-performers. Therefore she gives the halflings several dark glares as they shoo Pitivo's troupe off the stage without so much as a by-your-leave. The glare grows darker as balls are 'accidentally' thrown at them and nearly hit a young woman in the head. (Yelena, she'd been backstage when Cecilia was changing and had been very helpful in getting everything buckled and tied properly.) Hmmph. Simple juggling, and they're not even doing it properly. Who do they think they are? Caught up in such thoughts, she doesn't pay too much attention to the halflings throwing confetti on the children. As such, when one turns to toss a bucket towards them, (please let it be confetti and not something worse), she is completely unprepared.
Thank you, oh benevolent GM. I promise to not take advantage of your generosity in future actions :)
"Well, I'm off to the Gallery. If I don't see you there, I'm sure we'll run into each other over the course of the evening." Cecilia nods a farewell at the group. On her way to the Gallery she takes in the sights of the Senate building. So much history is packed within these walls! And if fortune favors, today she will have a small part in another historical event: the end of primogeniture. It's enough to make her head swim. Upstairs she wanders around, marveling at the various performances. Even things meant to entertain children are much grander than anything she's seen before. Off to one side she sees Countess Abrielle Pace. The woman is in a group of people however; far too many for Cecilia to approach her right now. Better leave that for later. Influencing the Area: A few moments later she comes across two entertainers engaged in what looks to be a fierce debate. Curious, she approaches. "Gentleman? What is the matter?"
The older of the two looks startled. "My Lady! Um, it is nothing for you to worry about. We're simply working out some kinks in our performance." Cecilia raises an eyebrow. "It seemed to be a rather intense dicussion." "It truly is nothing." This time it's the younger man. "Just trying to figure out a way to spice up our act." When Cecilia doesn't move, he sighs and resigns himself to explaining. "The children were a bit disappointed in yesterday's show. At the end of Act 2 the evil wizard demonstrates his power by cursing the hero's sister. Several of the children seemed to think the way she just fell over dead was, and I quote, 'Lame.' We're almost to that scene again, and we still haven't decided on a way to make it more dramatic. That's all. Truly, nothing for you to concern yourself with." "Hmm." Cecilia really should leave now, curiousity sated. But she's had an idea. A wonderfully terrible idea that would no doubt have Marus frothing at the mouth if he ever caught wind of it. Which makes her want to do it even more. She gives into the impulse. "How many scenes has this sister been in?" "None." The elder, also seemingly resigning himself to her curiousity, doesn't hesitate this time. "She's only on stage for about five minutes. She exists to show how powerful the evil wizard is and so the hero can have a poignant scene of crying over her body." Absolutely perfect for the wonderfully terrible idea Cecilia has had. "Does your troupe have permission for spellcasting? If so, perhaps I could sub in. I guarantee you the scene would be dramatic." She lightly taps her headpiece as if to indicate it's magical. "But-" The younger starts to protest even as the elder drags him off to the side. "One moment my lady while we discuss this." Amused, Cecilia listens to the discussion a few yards away that is definitely not so quiet she can't hear it. "She's a bloody noble! We can't have her in the play!" "Exactly, she's a noble, which means she gets what she wants. Who knows, if she's got one of those magical disguise thingies it might even work out for the best." "Are you sure we won't get in trouble for this?" "Why would we? You've seen the Margeson troupe, they've made it part of their gimmick to randomly pull parents on stage. Unlike them she's actually asked to be part of the performance." That seems to be the end of it as they both return. "Um, sorry about that my lady. We would be honored to have you join us." The elder gives a low (and incorrect) bow. "I'm Pitivo. This here's my brother, Serban." "Hello." Serban waves awkwardly. Cecilia smiles in a hopefully disarming way. "Lady Cecilia Volso. But please, if I'm to be temporarily part of your troupe, call me Cecilia." "Of course, um, Lady Cecilia." Close enough. A few minutes later she's in costume and waiting for her cue. This is quite possibly the worst idea I've ever had. But it's also the funniest, and Lady Lotheed did tell us to enjoy ourselves. At the signal she rushes on stage, introducing herself to the audience as Lucretilia, the hero Philius' sister who has definitely always existed. (She sticks to her hastily memorized lines, of course. Luckily there's only three of them.) The evil wizard shows up, evilly laughing and mocking the hero for being too weak to save those he loves. As he 'curses' her, Cecilia calls upon her innate power to take on a form she's never previously found a reason to use. Within the space of a few seconds her hair has turned white and her skin grey. Her ears would be visibly pointed, but that's still hidden by the hairstyle she refused to let them touch. There are gasps of shock and some scattered applause from the audience as she sinks gracefully to the ground. She had warned them in advance her 'cursed appearance' would only last for a minute, so only a few seconds after the evil wizard vanishes instead of doing the smart thing and killing the hero while he's distracted, a sheet is draped over her 'dead' form. She lays there, perfectly still while Philius does indeed weep over her body and vow revenge. (The fact that he was already planning on fighting the evil wizard is irrelevant.) Once her body is carried off-stage, Pitivo greets her with a wide smile. "That was perfect! Wonderfully dramatic. It sounds like the children loved it!" Serban pipes up from behind him, "Do you think we could get one of those magical thingies?" Before they can start asking more specific questions about the 'magical thingie' Cecilia interjects, "Oh this was quite fun, thank you for allowing me to join." It had been fun, actually. She had no intention of running away to join the circus, but she was happy she'd decided to try it. Marus would no doubt throw a fit if he knew she'd used her 'become human for a minute' spell to take on the appearance of a drow. That made it even better. "I really must get back into my Gala outfit and be off, but thank you again for letting me join the play!" She goes into the hastily created changing area and, (with some help from the other actresses), is soon once more bedecked in finery. (She's relieved to see that her necklace is still in the pocket of her gown, waiting for her to put it back on. She'd been a little concerned about that.) As she leaves she's approached by a few parents who recognize her features, (or, more likely, her hair). "Why, whatever made you decide to join the play? It was quite good." Cecilia smiles bashfully. "Oh, you know, it seemed to be all in good fun. For the children." She gets to spend a few minutes talking to people she likely otherwise would not have approached, and generally feels like the endeavor was a success. Spoiler:
"Of course." Cecilia pulls out her perfume kit and smilingly offers it to anyone who wants it. Now that they don't have to stand in line anymore, her mood is positively jovial. Looking around, everyone she sees seems quite busy. "I doubt we'll be able to do much hobnobbing right now, but perhaps we can get some hors d'oeuvres and check out the lay of the land, as it were. Would anyone like to join me? I was thinking the Gallery first, to observe from above, but could easily be persuaded otherwise."
Cecilia is capable of patience, but this line is testing it. The Gala was a prestigious event; how could there be this many people attending? She amuses herself by glaring at any street vendor who approaches and privately betting on how long it will take them to move elsewhere. (Petty, definitely. But their group wouldn't buy anything anyway, so in a way she's doing them a favor by 'encouraging' them to hawk their wares to someone else.) When they're pulled out of line for an inspection, she can't contain a sigh. "I do hope this won't cost us our place in line." When people nearby start snickering she sends them another glare. Izalco seems to think this isn't random and she has no reason to disbelieve him, but if this is some power play meant to send them to the back of the line she might resort to violence.
"I'm afraid I found no useful information that Lord Ballast has not already shared with us." Being a minor noble Cecilia didn't automatically have the connections that might have allowed for easier research, nor does she have the scholarly nature which might have led her to invest in her own. She examines the items brought by Tabar with raised eyebrows. "Interesting, although it makes me wonder exactly what Lady Lotheed expects to happen this evening. The liquid blades should likely go to those of us without weapons, while the smoke pellets would potentially be useful for everyone. I don't think I have particular need of the soul stimulant or dust of illusion, but can carry it if people wish." "However I do also have something you all might be interested in." She withdraws from an invisible pocket a small kit. "The latest scents from Kyonin. Depending on which you choose, they are appropriate for both men and women." She gives a rogueish smile. "I have it on good authority that very few people have access to these right now, and wearing them might well improve people's impression of you." She herself had picked them up from Anariel, who had likely gotten them from kin back in Kyonin. She hadn't asked for particulars, and Anariel hadn't offered. (In much the same way that Anariel hadn't asked why 'Ethara' wanted such a thing.) "The scents do dissipate after a while, so I would wait until we've actually arrived to apply them." The kit vanishes back into her pocket. "But please, do feel free to make use of them."
Unfortunately I can't claim credit for that one. There's a neat list online of shop names that are mostly puns. Cecilia is wearing padded armor and has a concealed dagger that is nevertheless peace-bound into its sheath. She doesn't want to risk getting kicked out for having a non-peace-bound weapon, even if the chances of anyone finding it are slim. I did want to double-check; is it okay for me to reflavor a wrist sheath as an ankle sheath instead? Pathfinder doesn't have ankle sheaths, but it seems much more realistic for her to be able to conceal an ankle sheath under a long skirt than a wrist sheath under a long sleeve. I'm fine with losing the ability to draw a hidden weapon as a move action in exchange.
Marus is ecstatic when Cecilia informs him of her plans. Not only has she been invited to the Gala, (an event which makes him feel far better about her 'friendship' with Lady Lotheed), but she has a personal invitation to the Zespire estate? Sure, the Zespires are a bit too invested in social reform for his taste, but no one can deny their influence. After the fifth or so time he not-subtly hints that this is the perfect opportunity to make a good impression on a prospective groom, Cecilia is ready to scream. As such, her mood is rather foul when she first arrives. "Greetings everyone." Unusually, there is no smile on her face. She is wearing the previously decided upon gown and headpiece, the former of which has been subtly altered to provide some small amount of protection. (As well as two hidden pockets.) In terms of jewelry she is wearing an expensive-looking sapphire choker. No other jewelry aside from her signet ring can be seen. There is also no visible weaponry, but Kyralina no doubt recalls her fondness for concealed daggers. "I learned a few things about the nobles we are interested in, and heard a rumor that the Senate has been rebuilt so many times that no one actually knows how many rooms there are." She shares the latter piece of information more as an idle curiosity than because she expects it to be helpful. "Otherwise, I believe I am ready to go."
Cecilia is done with pre-Gala preparations, so I'm happy to move forward whenever. (I'm only posting this because I know sometimes it can be hard for a GM to know when players are good to move on. If other people still have more they want to do I'll happily continue RPing.)
"Bloodbath and Beyond, down in Lionsgate. An uncouth name and the proprietor is worse, but they're very, very good at what they do. I believe crossbows are also among their normal stock." As the tailor returns, Cecilia smoothly shifts back into discussions about colors and styles. "My coloring has always worked best with jewel tones, and a bold sapphire blue is among my favorites. I will be happy to serve as its representation."
Cecilia is browsing for accessories to go with the gown she's already picked. She just looking at a particularly fetching headpiece and trying to determine if she will be able to make it work with a loose hairstyle when she hears the man's comment and Tabar's flustered reply. She herself isn't quite certain how to react, but in the end she settles for an airy laugh. "Oh, I did very little. Lady Zespire was far more courageous than I. But I must say sir that you are mistaken about our relationship. I am not yet betrothed to anyone." And gods willing it will stay that way!
Seeing Kyralina's discomfort and the way she keeps glancing at Larin's sword, Cecilia chooses an opportune moment to speak to the other woman privately. Under the guise of examining a new skirt, she slightly lifts her own so Kyralina can see the small dagger strapped to her lower leg. "I do hope neither of us would ever need to use something like this. But if you wish, I can tell you where I got both the dagger and the sheath. The shop is very discreet."
Cecilia nods, corroborating Tabar's story. "My companions and I were in the shop when we saw the flames. I took this box off the man who tried to run." She walks over to the constable and offers him the box. "Be careful, I am sure there are more of those combustible 'oils' inside."
At first Cecilia is uncertain what exactly to do once the fire has been extinguished. She could try to chase the would-be escapee, but that would look extremely strange. Catching fleeing criminals was a task for the guard. Upon hearing Tabar's quiet comment though, she doesn't feel she has much of a choice. At any moment the thug might have the bright idea that the other flask was his best chance of escape. If he threw it into the middle of the crowd... It probably wouldn't kill anyone. Probably. Cecilia would prefer not to take that risk. She takes a few quick steps back, merging into the crowd of people as best as she can, and tries to unobtrusively circle around behind the thug. (He seems to be distracted by his own feet, which helps.) Once out of his line of sight, she moves forward and tries to grap the box away from him before he has the chance to react.
Cecilia is in the middle of extricating herself from the tailor when things literally go up in flames. "What the-" She bites back the rest of that sentence. A lady does not curse, no matter how much the situation might call for it. She rushes out with the others, thinking quickly. Kyralina and Izalco could handle the public. Olnaris might well go after the goons, but that would probably be fine. People of their social standing didn't brawl in the streets, but then people of their social standing weren't often set on fire in the streets. A little panic would be forgiven. Speaking of which, Tabar did appear to have been set ablaze. That was a problem. Kyralina's driver is still there, gaping at the scene. "A carriage blanket! Now!" Not waiting for him to get his wits together, she practically flings herself into the carriage to grab one before rushing over to Tabar. Ignoring the goons for now, (if the public didn't stop them Olnaris probably would), she swings it around Tabar's shoulders to help smother the flames. "Get on the ground and start rolling!"
Upon receiving Tabar's message, Cecilia nearly stumbles over her own feet as she tries to process it. Burn down the shop?! Her mind whirls as she tries to figure out what they could possibly hope to accomplish. Do they want to scare the group out of attending the Gala? It seems an extremely inefficient way of going about it. Then again, considering that the two supposed spies had no idea Tabar was one of them, 'inefficient' combined with 'grossly incompetent' might well be the answer. Questions for later. Greeting the tailor who walks over, she hands him Lady Lotheed's card. "As you can see, we're shopping for new outfits to wear to the Gala, and I am very much looking forward to perusing your wares. However, a...situation...has just come up. Would this shop happen to have a back door by any chance?" As an aside to the rest of the group, she adds, "If we can slip out the back, one or two of us could fetch the guards while the rest remain close enough to act should the ruffians make a move."
Cecilia notes the position of the two 'shoe shiners,' eyes narrowing slightly. She hadn't expected the men to actually follow them. If all they wanted to know was who Lady Lotheed's agents were, they already had that information. Were they waiting to see if the group went somewhere else after Thread Rare? Or perhaps hoping to ambush someone who went somewhere alone? Like Tabar, for instance. "We should stick together until we've lost those two," she murmurs as she enters the shop. "And go looking for Lord Ballast, if he doesn't arrive within a reasonable timeframe."
Makes sense. I just wasn't sure if the general perception roll covered our (hopefully private) conversation or not.
Since Olnaris and I are having a private conversation at some point during this trip, should we roll Perception to look for spies? If we're already being followed there was some interesting stuff discussed that we would rather not become public knowledge.
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