When Halcyon passes, Valentina seems to shift in personality. She becomes less bouncy, less flirtatious tahn how she spoke to the man. The construct creator stops leaning against a large brass sphere on the counter, instead rising to her feet as her friend draws near. “Hey, Hal! We should catch up. Glad you’re alive. That detective - I think he had quite the crush on me. Fella didn't want to let me go, you get me?” She stops, giving Halcyon a frail smile before she gestures to the man beside her. “Oh, Rome, this is Halcyon d’Orsay. She’s the best seer I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and her boyfriend carries a lot of knives. Hal, Gerome Vieuxpont. He does good work, tell her, Rome?”
Halcyon:
You take it to mean that Valentina's interrogation may have gone a bit poorly. You recall seeing her clockwork servant outside the Guard Headquarters, but you have no memories of seeing Valentina herself within.
"Well, they are clever kids, right? They'll find their way home. What do we do about these two in the meantime?" Valentina asks, looking at the unconscious Sage and the newly-named druid, Liliane.
Valentina walks close to her robot, whispering something to it. It merely clicks in place, seemingly not acknowledging its master. "If we're going to be up much longer, I'm pouring myself a drink and taking a room to crash in. I think something strong will make this night better... Or at least make it a bit less frustrating, a little bit more hazy."
Raphael enters the room. Valentina twists to the mirror, raising her gunhand for a second before identifying the man. “Took you long enough.” The Guard appears stunned once more, slipping his hand over his sword as Raphael enters. Valentina looks to him. "Not the guy, stop worrying."
Valentina again rolls her eyes, this time as Lucia and Seth began to talk. “So sappy.” She turns to her construct. “Never let me act like that, understand? Add that to your prime orders. ” The robot whirs silently, unmoving. Valentina counts on her fingers. She looks to Madeline. “Seven. Two of them, five of us.”
Valentina nods to Seth in agreement. “More interrogations, what fun this night has become.” Valentina smiles, rolling her eyes. “What a start to a new year. I’ll have to find new friends if this keeps occurring.”
Valentina crosses into the mirror back to the Inn, helping drag Sage behind her. Seth follows behind her, taking most of the weight of the body. Raphael decide if you are coming back with them.
Marcus casts his spell, and the mountainous man’s wounds begins to seal up. While the man fought like it was to be his last, he will survive for another day. He remains unconscious and umoving atop of Seth.
Nishara watches Marcus leaves, and turns to the others. She follows him through the mirror without a word.
Valentina sighs. “Just as I was going to say we should call it quits here.” Valentina smiles at the remaining men. “Assuming Hal isn’t dog food by now, I’d say we’re doing pretty well so far.”
Valentina puts her gun down. “Yeah, well, seeing her I know that now.” She looks down to the large, fallen man. She looks up to Marcus and Seth. She shakes her head. “And here I thought having men around would mean I wouldn’t have to do the heavy lifting.” Valentina goes to pick up the man, placing his limp arm around her shoulder. The body doesn’t budge as she tries to rise.
She turns to the mercenary on the other side of the room. “Well, if those muscles aren’t for show, let’s get going.” Valentina waits for Seth to lift the body off the ground. While he stumbles, Valentina takes some of the weight, allowing them to carry the large man. The two of them manage to heave the unconscious Sage through the mirror. Valentina and Seth cross through the silver surface. Raphael crosses through the mirror after them.
“Tell my servant “A Silver Tongue is worth more than Gold” if you need to order it. Be careful.: Valentina smiles, and while it appears genuine, her eyes show concern. She pushes her hair behind her ear, and walks through the mirror that the rest of the party entered, pistol at her hip.
The platinum haired woman enters the silver surface, appearing in the wardrobe. Her presence surprises Sage, and she manages to retreat a few steps without being attacked by the man. She raises her gun, aiming it at the man’s torso. “Tell me now: Fire or not!”
Readied Action to Fire if anyone says to shoot at Sage.
Valentina takes a step forward and begins to rifle through Pathfinder’s bag, searching quickly for anything of value. She looks to Marcus and Halcyon, with a small shake of her head. “Branches and berries. Never found a druid I liked.” Valentina puts the powder back into her pistol, placing a small black bullet back into the gun.
Man in the Mirror Action, Do Not Open:
The Man in the Mirror exits the mirror on his right. He activates his gloves on the mirror he just entered from.
Mirror Map | Wardrobe Map, Fourth Round, Bolded have acted
-Nishara (-13, disabled)
-Sage (-6)
-Raphael
-Dog (Unconscious/dying)
-Man in the Mirror
-Pathfinder (-14)
-Valentina
-Marcus (-3)*
-Halcyon*
-Seth
*Marcus/Halcyon, if you want to change the action, I’m leaving it open till Seth+My posts. Otherwise I will run how they were originally posted with Seth’s response post.
Valentina looks toward her construct. “Defend the mirror.” She reaches into her purse, removing a small pistol and the orb she removed earlier. She gives it a light tap and it once more spurs to life. “Find the mirror-people, record them.”. She grins. “Well, I want to see what was in that lead container.” She takes a step forward.
Nishara doesn’t say a word and follows her brother. She puts a hand on his shoulder and gives him a slight yet reassuring smile. She draws a potion and swallows its contents.
Nishara Initiative Save:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Bolded Figures have gone:
-Nishara
-Sage
-Raphael
-Dog
-Man in the Mirror
-Pathfinder
-Valentina
-Marcus
-Halcyon
Seth
Valentina plays with a necklace in her pocket. “Hair seems a bit short for the Agnes twins. A bit coarse, too. Darius wouldn’t stop going on about his hair." Valentina grins, "He seems the type to scoop it like gold if it fell." She stops fiddling with the necklace, her hand returning to her side. “Let us hope I wasn’t played a fool by a couple pretty faces.” Valentina doesn't volunteer to take the potion. She eyes the mirror.
Designate a surface if using the potion.
Blood Biography if used:
The blood begins to shine a glowing crimson. A morsel of the blood rises, twisting, undulating into a wiry sanguine text. The words dance hauntingly, almost alive:
“BLOOD OF THE MAN IN THE MIRROR
CHILD OF ROLAND
LET BY A BLADE SHEATHED IN LEAD AND LIES
IN HIS HOME BETWEEN REFLECTIONS
NOT TWO HOURS AGO!”
To Halcyon:
Jean-Tom lives by the southern-gate to the city proper. You doubt he is home, either working or looking for work at his favorite bar, “The Jackal’s Den,” located a few blocks west of the coliseum. If he wasn’t at the bar, it would be a dangerous place to venture alone, but if he was, no one would dare touch you. Finding Jean-Tom at night was always a complicated, lengthy matter. There is little to say tonight would prove any different.
Marcus leaves as the others discuss their course of action with transporting the mirror. The party agrees over the next minute that they’ll meet at the Tall Tail Inn, placing the mirror in a back room until the Guard can arrive and investigate.The clockwork man grabs it once more, whining as it lifts it to the air. The four arms go rigid as it locks once more. The mirror is once again held at the clockwork man’s back, and it takes steps away from where the mirror was.
Raphael, Halcyon:
The magic aura on the mirror disappeared. It no longer seems to be affected by a spell. It appears as an ornate though mundane mirror.
As the clockwork construct moves, something ejects from it, perhaps from the Mirror realm. It appears that an assortment of debris and waste comes from the mirror. A collection of medium length silver hair, dirt and dried blood fall a foot or so back from the construct man. They exit with mirror with a ripple, and the metal surface shines brightly before returning to its normal reflective properties.
Valentina gives a look to her remaining party members. She commands the construct man to stop. She takes a passing glance at the blood and waste gathered in a pile before running her finger against the mirror. It doesn’t pass through the surface. She gives it a knock now and it rings a low thud. “Huh. Marcus left a tad early, didn’t he?" Valentina sharply whistles, and from the alley creeps her mechanical spy. It crawls to her, and she presses into it, opening at its top revealing a red gem at its core. She examines the stone for a few second before giving it a second tap, closing the construct. She sounds almost disappointed when she speaks. “Time for bed,” Valentina exclaims, and the spy folds back into a sphere, covering its lens to appear unassuming once more. She lugs the object back to her bag.
Her face twists to a familiar smile, but she doesn't sound too happy. “Well, shall we?”
Madeline lives a couple block north the Galatian Embassy building. It would be around a ten minute gallop to reach her residence. It'd be around five minutes more to reach the Society. Most dedicated mages try to live as close to the Society as they can. Luckily, the two locations are fairly close together.
Valentina gives a knock to her clockwork man. Her smiles comes easy. "This is as close as it gets for delivering anything. Don't think many are partial for the little Spy. Used to let one wander to see what it'd pick up but..." She trails off in thought. "Not too sure where that one went. Scrapped by kids I imagine. It is what I'd do if I saw one of them skittering."
Valentina seems intrigued. She walks over to the mirror, putting just a finger through at first. As she dances her finger across the mirror, it leaves a wake of ripples in the metal. She places her head through.
As her head inside the mirror, Valentina holds to the wooden edge, holding it lightly for support. She returns completely to Roland. "I think this was the entrance? Think they'll be coming back?" She crosses her arms once more, grinning as she thinks it over. She reaches into he jacket pocket, removing a single copper coin. She tosses it to the mirror, but it bounces off the mirror's surface. Her smile briefly turns to a pout. "Huh. Takes away a bit of the fun this thing can make."
Valentina reaches into her bag, removing a large metal sphere, maybe a foot or so across. It seems heavy to her, and she places on the ground with a thud. The orb seems lined with almost runelike carvings. She bends over and gives it a tap with a finger. "Time to wake." The sphere breaks apart at its grooves. It stretches out eight thin, spindling legs and insect-like wings. It seems to have a single large "eye" composed of many moving internal lenses. The wings rapidly pulse, briefly taking the creature a foot off the stone. It looks to Valentina, awaiting its orders. "Search around and listen for anyone speaking of a mirror." It's legs begin to climb the walls of the alley, skittering up until it reaches the rooftop, leaving the view of the party. "One mystery after another. How many can we solve before we head to bed..."
Time to play the "How many cool goodies did Val have on her" game.
Valentina gives the clockwork man a pat. "You heard him, place it down." The Construct obliges, clicking as it unlocks its limbs. They slowly reach down, placing the mirror back to the alley. The mirror's surface reflects much of the party now. Nishara waits behind with Lucia and Seth. "If it fetches more than fifty gold, than I can wait." She looks deep at herself in the mirror, parting some of her hair over her ear. She smiles. "It seems time is money after all, and this could prove a pretty investment."
Raphael:
If the law is to be considered, the mirror would be held for three months by the Guard. If no claims are filed, the mirror would be able to be claimed by those that found it. While it a job no one would be content taking, a detective would likely have to contact several Trade Guilds to attempt to trace the mirror. If the mirror was associated with a crime however, it would be transferred to Guard custody as evidence. You feel as though Valentina didn't intend to bring the mirror to the Guard.
If You Peer Through the Mirror:
As your head crosses the mirror, your senses begin to dull. It is thick, like passing through mercury, and your vision is obscured by silver. The sounds of your world fade. As the voices of your friends speak behind you, they sound muffled, distant, like they speak behind closed doors. Your head crosses the veil.
The world in the mirror is dark and boundless. It seems to extend forever. It seems to be an extra-dimensional space. In front of you are four mirrors, dimly illuminated in the void. They are all large, with varying trim around them. Some are basic wood, one is made of twisted metal, another painted with gold leaf. As you tilt your head, you spy the elegant rim of the mirror you entered all around you. It appears to act as some kind of portal to this realm.
The Mirror world is warm, a pleasant temperature soiled by stale air, an eerie lack of sound, a lack of any smells. It is both serene and haunting. The tracks of boots walk in circles, leaving a trail of dirt before exiting to a single, golden mirror. More than one person crossed into this realm, but without a closer look you cannot determine how many. In each mirror you see the state of yourself: four reflections stare at you, sharing your disembodied head in their panes. You shudder as you think what would happen if the spell ended this instant.
“We’ll sleep in and miss a prayer. Tomorrow is Sunday afterall, and I don't plan on working.” Valentina spreads a smile. She doesn’t seem as tired as the others. She begins down the alley as she chimes: “Though I suppose today is Sunday. Technicalities aside, there's no rest for the wicked.” She holds out a finger before the clockwork man can begin to follow her. She overturns anything suspicious with her boot, brushing aside loose cobbles and trash. With her height she peeks her head up to the windows, looking for light or signs of life. She finds none.
The end of the passage is a thin, perpendicular road. Valentina reaches it and peers both ways. With a quick display she turns back around, returning to the others. “Spotted a little cafe, lover-boy,” she jests with a jab at Raphael's side, “next time we’re confronted with murder you can plan a date for there as well.” Valentina grins, snapping her fingers once more. The construct drones with a mechanical hum of ticks, whizzes and grinds as it takes a step. She meets with it before it takes another. “Carry on this rate Seth, you'll have a boy on every street corner. The Tale then? With or without our spoils?” she asks.
There is nothing behind the mirror. It seems engraved wood around the back of the mirror. Several thick cords of metal wire hang loosely from the back. Scratches line the back of the mirror, small cuts and marks likely from when it was placed upon walls. A magical object would have no such marks on it.
Seth gives a quick test of all his fingers. His hand works as it always has. It quickly adjusts back to the cold outdoors. He gives a small push to the mirror, and the object hardly moves. It is heavy. The polished metal must be at least an half inch thick. It wouldn't surprise you if the mirror is over three hundred pounds. Seth could likely lift it on his own, but between his armor and the weight of the mirror, he couldn't move very far without help. He could likely drag it at the expense of the wood lining mirror's edge.
"My Clockwork Servant can carry it." Valentina smiles and snaps her fingers. The clockwork man whirs to life. It places two arms on opposite sides of the mirror. The gears spin a bit faster as it raises the mirror. It's other two arms secure the base. Something clicks within it, and its arms turn rigid in its hold of the mirror. It turns, mirror facing the wall now. It's head twists, now looking to its back, and its three legs seem to walk just as well backwards as forwards. It hauls the mirror behind it, taking a couple cautionary steps to see if it will hold. It does.
Valentina grins at Halcyon, Nishara and Lucia. Her hands are crossed in front of her, feeling cold but accomplished. "Why do we even bring the boys with us? I say replace them with what does the job better." The clockwork man hums quietly as it awaits orders.
Detect Magic Users:
The mirror still has it's magical aura on it. Whatever spell was cast, it likely had a duration of minutes or hours.
Nothing comes to your mind regarding the use of mirrors in history that may apply here. Ray based magic was popular with Galatian sorcerers during the Continental War, and many Durendale generals wore mirrored shields and armor to protect against such threats.
As far as the mirror’s creators, there are few that could make such a work. The wood appears to have been engraved by hand, the the metal surface of the mirror appears to have been painstakingly polished to remove all hints of blemishes and warps. Most likely the mirror was created as a special order by a local Guild, possibly for an aristocrat of Roland.
Valentina steps aside as Seth reaches the mirror. “We’ll have to settle how we’ll split the sale. I think I can fetch the most for it, maybe even work it’s pieces into an elegant Golem.” The woman’s eyes brighten as she thinks about it.
As Seth states that he likes his hand where it is, it passes through the mirror’s surface. It disappears, the mirror giving a faint ripple as his hand passes through. He feels a tingle that reaches to his elbow. Astonished, the mercenary looks up. An astounded Seth mirrors a bewildered gaze. Seth’s hand feels warm past the mirror. Cozy, even. There is no soft, chilling breeze on his hand, but the rest of his body shivers as the wind passes the alley. As he tries to wiggle his fingers, he still feels their movement. His hand isn’t gone, but it certainly isn’t where it was, where it should be, or where Seth would like it.
Valentina shows alarm at first, but a smile appears to her face. “No screaming? Guessing I won't be making you a prosthetic?”
You recite Emile’s words to yourself during the walk home. Were his words carefully chosen and meant to probe? Did he know someone went into his office? Was it just an innocent phrase that had meaning because you saw what he has upstairs? You aren’t sure, but you believe you masked any nervousness or tension in your response. If Emile was searching for something from you, he didn’t find it.
Half the party has inspected the mirror now. Valentina’s ears perk up on mention of a fortune. She twists her head to look up and down the street. “Ransom of kings or not, a nice hand mirror is worth a dozen gold coins. And this is at least ten time larger.” She takes steps into the alley, walking past the rest of the group and arriving at the mirror. She looks into it, presumably at her own reflection, and grins.
Valentina Appraise:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
She spins her head back to her friends, speaking with uncertainty. “Five platinum coins. That is what I'd sell it for.” Nishara shakes her head faintly. She doesn't agree with the price. She stays by Marcus, wary of the mirror.
A few buildings off from the tavern now. The sounds of merriment can be heard clear, even a few hundred feet away. Happy shouts, loud drunken toasts, a warm bed. Just a few hundred feet away. And so the Tall Tail Inn beckons, though a glisten in an alley offers an invitation as well. Strung up against a building wall is a large mirror, perhaps three feet wide by six feet high. It’s shape is impeccable, a lustrous, blemishless surface. It is polished reflective like deep, dark calm waters. The mirror is lined with finished wood, carved with intricate floral patterns and stained mahogany.
Valentina pokes her head into the entrance of the alley. She doesn't take a step in however. "Shrine of a back alley narcissist. That is my guess." The grand mirror should be worth a small fortune, a mundane mirror of its size is beyond the wealth of the common Roland man. Why someone would leave it behind, let alone nail it to an outside wall, escapes your mind. The reflective metal of the mirror distorts the image of the alley into a sinister, warped place. It remains cold on the streets of Roland, and there seems to be no one within the area. The Mirror raises questions, but the Inn offers safety, and a warm embrace.
Detect Magic / Marcus:
It appears that the mirror carries an aura but is not innately magical. Some spell was cast on this mirror, specifically its metal pane.
Follow-up Know Arcana DC 19:
It appears to be a spell of the transmutation school, a fairly powerful one at that. It is either the work of a skilled caster or of a strong magical item.
Perception DC 15:
There do appear to be minor scuffs by the base of the mirror. The scratches in the wood seem have been made after it was stained. The metal of the mirror however, is without any impurities or marks.
Perception DC 20:
On closer inspection of the marks, they seems to be from claws of a small animal. Even stranger is that they cut towards the mirror, into its reflective surface. The metal seems to have not a single scratch by its base despite the relative ease to scuff it.
