Serres "Fade" Vahl's page

Under my last post I spoilered some notes/bot me instructions, but I figured I should add some things for the group since it was a while ago.

Once things start moving, Fade will tag everyone with message so the group can still talk quietly at range. I figure this might be really helpful when searching around town and talking with people.

Fade is not a diplomatic character in the least, but he often interacts with people despite that.

From a tactical standpoint, he usually scouts at range from his group when appropriate, using his TK invisibility to spy over shoulders or gain access to more secure areas(using TK finesse to pick locks or pilfer items)in an effort to uncover information the more diplomatic characters might use in their interactions with the locals.

He can't use his Tk invis on others, as is often asked, but he can use it as often as he wants on himself.

I didn't put him at the front of the marching order, but he would like to take 10 on perception checks(then modify for distance) whenever they are called for. If the group comes upon a door, or the beginning of a hallway, the middle of a hallway, the end of a hallway, or before/when turning around a corner in any sort of dungeon or other obvious danger zone, he will also take 10 but actively search at those times.

Just wanted to get that out of the way.

A weary looking half-elf clad in dark clothing silently materializes into view behind the assembled group. As the dog Mahki approaches, Fade crouches and cautiously reaches out, offering the back of one hand for a sniff. "Good pup." he says directly to the canine with a soft voice.

With nary a glance to the other pathfinders in the room, he adds in a more offhand manner, "I'll decide what I moan about thank you very much... and if spooning is on the table, or anywhere for that matter, I call dibs on the Marquise."

"Tall, bald and bushy over there," he says as he stands and jerks a thumb toward Fahd Bin Stavin, "has the right of it. Lots to know before we set foot on this Path you want us to take. Who runs this Frostbreach? What was Kolvi's surname before the family ganged it to Trolltooth? How much ale will you be sending along for the mission? These are things we need to know."

Then, as an afterthought he adds, "And my name is Fade. People don't often notice me and like the priest I am pretty keen on noticing things others tend to miss."

Definitely going to be grabbing some cold weather gear before we set out.

As a beam of light pierces the darkness through a dirty pane of glass, Serres croaks out a curse through dry lips, "Damn that light! Can't a weary cutter rest his mincers in peace for a speck!?!"

Rubbing sleep encrusted eyes with the backs of his hands, the half elf rolls over and promptly feels the familiar press of cool, hard glass on his cheek. "Well hello there you..." he says as a happy memory dares flutter to life.

At that thought, he opens his bleary eyes, even if just to squint, looking for the nearby friendly wine bottle from the night before... and as he does, his face slowly darkens, much like a storm cloud. "Empty... 'course she is. Terrible way to start a morning..."

Meanwhile, across the realms, other Pathfinders each rise to face their own day...

Finally making his way from the local drinking hole, Fade stumbles into the discussion thread...

Player: Greymore
Character: Serres "Fade" Vahl
PFS#: 133512-12
Faction: Dark Archive
Day Job: Slight of Hand: 1d20 + 24 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 24 + 2 = 34 (*Thieves' Guild offers +2 to steal things and use for day jobs/included in roll)

"Oh great!" Fade mumbles grumpily. "A plant that talks. Excuse me, a flower that talks. That's just what we need. And its sacred to these people no less. This just gets better and better!" he says the last with an exaggerated eye roll.

With a grim nods he adds, "Well I suppose we should get this show moving along and check this flower out. Just let's keep our distance from it, you know, so it doesn't start talking to us and then we start seeing things too, like ol' Lin Fen did."

Fade then heads off in the direction of the foot prints, gesturing for the group to follow, all in the hopes of finding a sacred talking flower...

"Of course you can take her for healing!" Fade blurts out before consulting his team. "We said we only want answers and we meant it!" he says, slightly exasperated.

He turns to his group and adds under his breath, "Damn these boys are thick."

"Here, I'll even help you." he calls out in a slightly nicer tone.

He moves through the fog toward the fallen priest and checks her for signs of life.

heal check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Fade just hangs his head, letting it swing back and forth for a moment, before he unexpectedly starts to chuckle.

"Will she be safe? Will she be safe!?! You sorry lot attacked us, and still we held back from trying to hurt anyone. Trust me, she is safer than she has any right to be. You're welcome."

Realizing he isn't really helping matters, Fade just grumbles, "I'll let cooler heads explain things to you." and he quiets down so the others in his group can try their hand at diplomacy once again. He gently rubs the fresh wound on his chest, thankful his force shield absorbed much of it.

Fade's TK force shield(Temp HP) starts at 21(factored into his stat bar as 141/120). That last attack would put him at 112/120.

"Oh for cryin' out loud...I'm just gonna to knock her out!" Fade growls as he steps to the side and gathers the priestess' sword up in a sizable mass of aether. With both arms outstretched, he sends the blade hurtling back toward the holy woman. He does his best to pull his attack back a bit at the last moment so as not to do lethal damage to the priestess, despite his visible frustration at the woman's words.

Empowered TK Blast+PBS+bless-non-lethal: 1d20 + 16 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 16 + 1 - 4 = 33
Magic Blunt non-lethal damage: 5d6 + 19 ⇒ (2, 4, 6, 4, 3) + 19 = 38 empower x1.5 = 57 non-lethal
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 16 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 1 - 4 = 32
Critical Bonus non-lethal damage: 5d6 + 19 ⇒ (5, 3, 4, 5, 6) + 19 = 42 empower x1.5 = 63 non-lethal

"That might have landed a bit harder than I meant it to..." Fade says to no one in particular, nodding his head with concern. Glad I didn't empower and maximize that one. he thinks to himself.

5' step to the side, then Gather Power as a move action to reduce burn, then empower the blast, adding point blank shot.

I am so very sorry for my absence. It has been really busy, but I am all ready to reconnect.

Noticing Lin Fen Hai glancing to the foliage, Fade narrows his own eyes in an attempt to see what she is looking at. Perception: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (4) + 26 = 30

Frustrated at the priestess' behavior, Fade growls under his breath, "You know...If we weren't real pathfinders, we would have just rolled over them by now. They area really being thick headed."

Grunting in acceptance with the group's plan, Fade then offers, "I could try to disarm Lin too, just in case...if that isn't something you all object to."

No longer bothering with invisibility, at least for the time being, Fade turns to regard his small blonde friend and offers Spackle a lopsided grin, "I like that plan. Local drink is always a good idea. That and I could swear I was close to getting a handle on the writing these folks use."

After Spackle's expert assistance with the language, Fade suggests, "Maybe we should bring that Elf Wind, err... East Wind along with us as we explore. To hear him talk, and really who can avoid it, he must be great at everything."

Bridge if Knowledge Engineering might also apply, and with bridges it might. If only Survival will work (since he doesn't have an appropriate professions skill) change the modifier to +2. I'm not counting the possible +2 bonus from the culture point.

Know Engineering?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 or it would be a Survival 21 before aid or other bonuses.

Just before the group steps into the tapestry, Fade quietly casts message on each member of the group. "Since I like to go unnoticed most of the time, this helps us stay in contact." he explains simply before once again disappearing from view.
Stealth/moving: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (15) + 32 = 47

"Don't worry. I'll be nearby...keeping my eyes and ears sharp." comes the whispered reply to Spackle's question.
Perception(+4 more vs sounds): 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (13) + 26 = 39

Message range is 150 feet, duration is 50 mins(5th level), cast from his wayfinder.

"S'been too long since we stomped through the muck 'n mire"

"Ugh...I mean yeah...too long." That damn mud took forever to get out of my boots! "I'm glad we managed to save the drink back then. Speaking of which, if you have some extra Cayden's Blessing to bring along, that could help make friends with the locals... or at least keep things interesting for yours truly."

Moving deftly through the crowd, careful to avoid jostling anyone he passes, Fade slides in behind Spackle once he notices the hard drinking lava gnome's familiar face.

Listening for an opening to greet the group, the slender half-elf fiddles his fingers absentmindedly, slipping a thread of aether into the pack of his old friend...

He's got to have some somewhere...he always has some...and it's always the good stuff too...I can smell it.

Noticing Spackle's slackening jaw as the stunning Ansha approaches and introduces herself, Fade smirks silently, Feybella should really see this... and then as the bard's words tumble out in a jumble, Fade barely restrains a chuckle.

Finally, as Sorrina finishes her briefing and asks for questions, Fade flicks the ear of his friend with a finger...

"Pollen sample...Check." Smiling crookedly as his invisibility abruptly dissolves, Fade looks directly at the Mistress of Spells and smoothly continues, just as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all, "Keep people happy...Check. Short, blond and foamy here usually has that covered, though Legs over there looks like she could easily give him a run for his honeymead..."

Turning his eyes to the surprised looks from the group, he nods, "Name's Fade. I'll try to keep us out of trouble, for the most part at least, if you let me."

Then with his wry grin he adds, "Nice to meet everyone...real nice." With his last words, his eyes linger uncomfortably long on the beautiful Ansha, his lecherous intent quickly made plain.

Turning back to Sorrina he asks, "You said they come from the Chang Liao Jungle. Anyone know what the common language is spoken there these days? It might help if/when magic translations run out. And another thing, those neighbors you mentioned they clashed with, what can you tell us about them? Knowing what we can about possible hostiles, and what not to say as much as what to say, is usually pretty helpful."

The gathering place sits quiet and seemingly vacant.

Then, as if blown upon by a gentle breeze, a slip of parchment flutters through the air, moving this way and that until it calmly comes to land upon the ground, presumably near where a venture captain might stop to address the coming Pathfinders.

Written in clear and tidy script are the words "Things found or things lost. Your choice. Specialist Fade present and at your service."

As other pathfinders begin to arrive, Fade remains quiet and invisible, pressed into a corner of the room, patiently watching.

Player Name: Greymore
Character Name: Serres "Fade" Vahl
PFS ID#: 133512-12
Faction: Dark Archive
Character level (for subtier determination): 9
Normal or Slow track: normal
Day Job check or Downtime activity: Sleight of Hand(Thieves' Guild): 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (10) + 26 = 36
Anything special you want to highlight about your PC: Fade is a social misfit that has little(if any) respect for almost all types of boundaries. Often seen as a curmudgeon, especially without his drink, Fade can be very sarcastic but he is generally good at heart and he always supports his team.

He most readily takes plays the role of a ranged rogue in a party, disabling traps from a distance and performing recon where allowed.

Still confused, as soon as the stones fall from the sky, Fade's eyes immediately lock on his attacker. His barrier of force continues to absorb the damage, but it is quickly weakening under the assault.

He should have gone after her instead of attacking himself last round. Not asking for a retcon, just mentioning it for why he's attacking her instead of rolling confusion or helping Antonella.

Empowered Electric Blast +pbs vs TAC: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27
electric damage: 5d6 + 10 ⇒ (1, 4, 3, 5, 5) + 10 = 28 x 1.5=42 total electric damage

Once again gathering an overcharged ball of blue white energy between his hands, Fade flings the power outward toward the only enemy his confused mind sees.

That's weird, when I checked in last, Fade's confusion effect roll was normal, but now there's no result.

I just noticed that too. Strange. At least the GM's roll was for the same effect... it must have been fate. Maybe he will let me take his roll for this round? Nah, that's unlikely. ;)

Rubble bounces off a barrier of invisible force before Fade takes any lasting damage, but still being confused he...

Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 73

strikes himself with his own fist, again damaging the force barrier.

Selfie Attack!: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Will vs Fear: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Will vs Confusion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 Already used my re-roll on a perception check when everyone was strangling. Some got the re-roll back, but that was for saves.

[dice=Confusion]d100[/dice]

Despite being overwhelmed by the confusion effect, for the moment at least Fade is able to think coherently.

He moves slightly to get a clear shot at the odd creature engaged with Antonella and then begins to gather an electrical charge from the very air. His hair begins to rise and spread with the build up and a glowing blue-white ball of energy forms in front of him. With a twist and pointing of one hand the ball flies away toward the orange crusted thing.

Empowered Electric Blast vs TAC: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24
Electrical damage: 5d6 + 10 ⇒ (2, 5, 6, 2, 3) + 10 = 28 x 1.5 = 42 total electrical damage

5' step to the left, then Move action to Gather Power, then Standard to blast.

Only till she gets back from vacation or gets more reliable internet where she is. She asked me to BOT her, and the GM is aware.

Hello Peeps,

I am on vacation for the next 5 weeks (until the last week in October) and will have limited access to the internet.

I hope (and want) to drop in from time to time, but I will be in no way reliable.

➆ ➆ ➆

However, I am happy for Fade to run Antonella (he and I game regularly via skype) and will accept any consequences good or bad.

(I might post or PM Antonella’s AC breakdown to Fade, but otherwise she is fairly straight forward to run)

Antonella shifts quickly into crane style as she approaches the orange fungus and strikes out at it defensively.

Defensive strike: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21
magic, blunt+acid damage: 1d8 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + (6) = 11

Versus the orange fungus, AC currently 35, CMD 39. Versus all others, AC 31 CMD 35. She has just enough speed to reach the fungus and attack.

Fade looks over the large corpses near the back of the catacombs before heading off in a direction.

Know Local: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Heal: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Right to left? Sounds as good as any. From the open areas of the map I want to be sure I am not leaving any areas behind that we haven't inspected. Is the place where Fade is now on the map where the giant bodies are?

For Antonella:

Linguistics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 Oh come on! That is just being mean now, lol.

While the script looks familiar, Antonella can't quite remember where it might be from.

Meanwhile, Fade leads the group West.

Perception: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (8) + 25 = 33
Linguistics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23 So close, yet so far...

Crios notices a glint of something metallic under a row of casks. He catches Dailung's eyes as they are drawn to it as well.

With a flick of his wrist he slides the copper eagle figurine out from its hiding place.

"Looks like we may have found Sylvanna's long lost token. If we play our cards right, this could really soften her up."

Fade enhances everyone with the message spell and as he said he would do before, disappears from view(TK Invisibility). He telekinetically lifts a small piece of rubble and whispers to the group, "Just stay behind this rock. I'll let you know if it's safe ahead and keep it moving forward. If it stops, you stop. If it drops, something happened to me."

He keeps his eyes and ears alert for danger and quickly takes point.

Fade will keep 20' between himself and the group just in case. If allowed, taking 10 on perception for a 35(37 for sound) to move through the ruins. Only doing detailed searching at doors, intersections or transitions, and at midway through long sections, or when we come to a room. If taking 10 isn't allowed, feel free to roll for me when appropriate so as not to delay the game.

Fade helps Claw set the rocks of the cairn or dig the grave, using his telekinetic powers to easily handle the heavy lifting.

"You want say some prayers? This not good death. Blood god not pleased. Maybe reason for restless spirits."

He thinks back to when he was growing up on the streets and someone passed on.

With head held high and a deadly serious tone, he pronounces, "Over the streets and past the bums, look out heaven, here he comes."

Sleight of Hand DC22(Can't fail): 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (17) + 24 = 41

Manipulating the stone via his control of aether, Fade deftly recovers the body without incident.

"Hey, look." he offers, gesturing to the body. "A surcoat as well as a signet ring with a hart on it. You know, hart as in the deer."

As Dailung is gasping for air, Fade realizes he should probably say something supportive instead of prattle on about the loot... err... precious archaeological find they just recovered.

"Glad you didn't die." he says with a crooked smile.

This section bears blocks of granite displaying a crude etching of a deer hanged from a noose.

As you get close, Antonella, Tofu, Fade and Claw begin to hear sounds of boots hitting against the wall, for some reason...

Seeing his friends all caught in nooses, Fade does his best to look for a solution instead of panicking, despite being on the verge of doing just that...

"You said this thing was a haunt?! Don't they usually have some special way to put 'em to rest? Maybe the boots sound on the wall has something to do with it?"

Fade searches to see is there is anything special about the wall...

perception: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (1) + 25 = 26 If perception is a reasonable roll to find something, and it would count, I will use my re-roll for it. If there is no chance for it to work, I won't waste it.
perception+gm star: 1d20 + 25 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 25 + 1 = 32 Not much better, but since he shouldn't be able to take 10 I will have to hope this is enough.

Did the feet on the wall sound we heard come from somewhere specific? It seemed like an obvious clue to something.

"Ugh ... When this is over Fade, I am introducing you to Irori's V:II diet."

"I'll have you know, beer and pretzels are my best friends and I still don't hit eleven stone!" the slender half breed jokes.

Know Religion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

As he looks over Antonella's shoulder and sees the man fall to his death by hanging over the tower walls, his face pales and he shudders, having no idea what is happening. "Oh damn! They just hung that poor guy!"

Fade takes direction from Antonella and moves as fast as he can away from the wall.

"Lovely. We just got here, and now we're running away... typical... people just can't make up their minds...", he grumbles.

Despite his outward comments, internally, he is more than happy to comply.

Fade can only move 30' but doesn't mind jumping into Antonella's arms for her to carry him 40'. That paints a fun picture for me. ;)

Fade retrieves his coin, thankful that the aether kept it mostly free from gore. He flicks off the remaining bits of brain matter before slipping it in his pouch once again.

He takes one of the healing potions and leaves the rest for the others.

Better keep this in case I need to feed it to one of them... he thinks to himself.

Once near the keep...

"I'll take the lead when we go in, but I like the aerial view idea. That should give us something to go on... Fade says quietly.

In the absence of any cool information from the fly over I say we head to the main tower (exterior) first.

Since I am botting Antonella, she will absolutely top you off!

Antonella looks over the tengu and his companion, concern showing on her face.

"Brother Tooth, you still seem to be injured. Allow me bring you back to full strength."

Channel 1 of 8: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Shrugging at Antonella, Fade replies dryly, "It just seemed to fit."

Quickly shifting his eyes to the man in red, he lifts a single copper piece from his belt pouch and sends the coin hurtling toward the man. The aether that envelops the coin takes on a sharp edge as it hits its target, cutting into him viciously.

Empowered Tk Blast+PBS: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (16) + 16 = 32 Target Red
magic slashing damage: 5d6 + 19 ⇒ (3, 6, 5, 3, 4) + 19 = 40 x 1.5 for 60 total

Fade's frowns at all the violence.

"Just like Toni said, this is over. Just give it up already. Do we really have to kill you all?"

Once again he gathers the nearly invisible aether into a very dense and visible mass. He twist that mass around another nearby loose rock and steps back before sending it on its way.

Empowered Tk Blast+PBS vs orange: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20
Magic, Piercing damage: 5d6 + 19 ⇒ (2, 1, 2, 2, 3) + 19 = 29 x1.5=44

If he misses his target he adds, "That is the only warning shot I'm giving ya before we end this."

With no need to move further away, Fade holds both arms wide and gathers an even larger amount of aether than before and laces it around a loose rock near his feet.

"Hey guys! I know you've got 'em handled, but I was really hoping to get to the ruins today sometime, so don't get mad at me for speeding things up."

With a clap of his hands he sends the aether wrapped rock spinning toward the man in orange.

Empowered Tk Blast+PBS: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26
Magic, Piercing damage: 5d6 + 19 ⇒ (2, 1, 3, 5, 6) + 19 = 36 x1.5 for a total of 54

Fade moves back, provoking an attack from man in yellow.

Letting the aether around him loose, it blossoms into a maelstrom of swirling elemental matter, picking up loose debris to spin about the kineticist wildly. With a snap of his hand, Fade wills a portion of the aether to wrap around the nearby thrown javelin and then sends it back toward its former owner.

TK Blast+PBS vs yellow: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29
Magic, Piercing damage: 5d6 + 19 ⇒ (2, 5, 4, 6, 5) + 19 = 41

Sure, take the time. Longer buffs for just a few extra minutes prep? That is great!

Just before the group heads into the ruins, Fade takes out a vial of milky, odorless liquid and begins to spread it over himself

When given any scrutiny, he merely says, "What? This isn't even close to the wierdest thing I've been smeared with recently."

Deodorizing agent duration in hours: 1d3 ⇒ 2

"Waiting? Pfft!"

Fade then slows down so the others, or at least Antonella, can catch up.

"Sure I'll take point if you want, and I might even let you know when it's safe." he says with a smirk.

"If you really want to be safe, wait for my go ahead. If your not worried though, be my guest and lead. I have no problem walking behind you."

"Well we've certainly got a tall order ahead of us." Fade says from the back of the group, "We had best get to it."

He then makes his way out of the blacksmith shop and slowly starts the trek to the ruins, only holding back until the others start to follow.

Serres looks down to see a hand extended his way holding a herbal drink. He looks up to see that Tofu is offering it to him.

Serres hangs his head, but still accepts the offered drink with a sarcastic grin. "Thanks Tof."

“And I already have enough on my hands what with this dispute with the Orlovskys!”

"We have the right in this, you know."

Looking as sincere as he can, Fade simply nods his head along with the others, sure of the good work all the pretty people have already put in.

Go to hand it to those sweet talkers. They know how to turn a phrase into a weapon.

"And to think, I just came here to gamble..." Fade says from off to the side and behind the Nekomancer."...'cause none of these folks offer even the slightest challenge. The constant winning has really begun to wear on me."

Slinking away, and pulling the group along as well, Fade leaves the way they came. Much like Tooth, he waits till they are out of earshot before speaking.

"Well she sure was a fun one! I agree with you," he says gesturing widely to the entire group, "I think we should go see Berislav... and he is known to be a gambler. As I said before, I am willing to offer him a game or two. That might get him to let his guard down a bit if he has a good time and then the rest of you can talk to him all about this political hoohah. That sound good?"

Craning his neck, looking around to get his bearings, he says, "So where did they say he was supposed to be again?

Always glad when a pretty woman smiles at him, especially when she hasn't been paid to, Fade nearly blushes with Sylvanna's coy behavior. He has to swallow hard and clear his throat before saying his next words.

"As much as I feel for you wanting to take it to Berislav, just give us a few days before you make any serious moves if you can. We are pretty good at what we do and I think we can get you everything you want, and possibly a bit more, and all without any losses on your part."

After a pause he adds, "I hate seeing a beautiful woman frown. Trust us. We're helping you."

We'll have to keep an eye out for a copper eagle when we head into the keep. It just might work into something we can use. Fade contemplates to himself.

Shuffling after the group, Fade takes in the surroundings of the stables, keeping an eye(and ear) out for signs of danger. He looks behind bales of hay, and around the backside of the horse, then steps back to peer over the roof as best he can from his tip toes. He also looks back and forth, checking all the ways to the stables from outside.

What with the opposing factions in this place, I had best keep on the lookout for trouble.

Perception: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (10) + 26 = 36 +4 to to hear something if applicable.

As all this is going on, he addresses the young lady without so much as a passing glance.

"We heard you're having a bit of trouble lately. Not you specifically mind you, but this town. Seems like a place ready to boil over. We figured you lot could use some help reducing the simmer."

When he finishes his searching, he finally looks Sylvanna up and down appreciatively, and then stares her dead in the eyes.

"But should it come to it, I'm tossing in with your side." he says with a lopsided grin.

diplomacy aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18

Know Local: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

"I'll toss in my share of the cost for one of the coin counters to help. It's only gold after all. Easy come, easy go." Fade offers with a shrug.

Fade moves along with the group, no longer making an effort to hide himself.

The Counting House. he thinks to himself with a barely perceptible twitch of his left eye .

Leave it where it sits Fade, leave it where it sits. he recites as an inner mantra.

“We are all the Iro-shu, brother. Striving for the summit. Yes … even Fade.” A smile.

"The summit 'eh? I can work with that." he says with a grin.

Having gathered large amounts of aether to obscure his presence, Fade moves among the town, listening over common folk, and noble alike.

What's the darn skinny around here...

When the group meets the apothecary, he skulks around the shop at first, eventually coming to a place he can remain still and undistrubed. From there he begins to inspect things, telekinetically eventually putting everything back. Like a restless child, he compulsively must inspect everything... .

stealth while moving in town: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (18) + 32 = 50
perception to overhear: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (2) + 29 = 31
stealth while moving in the shop: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (15) + 32 = 47
stealth while unmoving in the shop: 1d20 + 42 ⇒ (11) + 42 = 53
perception to search the shop: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (11) + 29 = 40
slight of hand to inspect/steal unnoticed: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (11) + 26 = 37

“Retreat now or resign to drown under the weight of your own blood!”

"Glad the folk 'round here are the cheery sort. And here I thought they might be gloomy."

Turning to the captain he asks, "Who is Idhrenniel and where might we find them?"

Facing back to his group, he states simply, "Sounds like that Grandt character might be someone in the know among the commoners, so we should grab his ear as well."

As if coming around on an idea he asks the group, "So where to first? A stroll through town, looking and listening as we go, might prove useful at this point. If you folk ask people anything, I can eavesdrop on what they say after you leave to get the real story on things."

Fade can stay invisible for 9 mins at a time, for zero cost, so he can do it all day if he wants to. He will cast message from his wayfinder(50 min duration) on each party member so he can talk to them more easily and not give himself away. It also works for the entire party to keep in contact discreetly.

Baron Tooth wrote:

“Me can also ride horse or other mammal.”

Antonella nods curtly. “Might be the best offer you get all day, Fade.”

"Look who's getting cheeky!" Fade says with the biggest grin he's had since the group first met.

Berislav Surtova on the other hand is a distant cousin of King Noleski Surtova and frequently serves as his envoy. He is an eligible bachelor who is rumored to favor the company of men over women. His skill with a sword is said to be second only to his expertise with gambling and strategic games.

"As much as I dislike gambling, I am willing to sacrifice for the team." Fade offers with a sly grin.

"I'll meet this Berislav for a game or two and see what happens. I promise, I will give him a heck of a game and if he is as good as they say that just might work in our favor."

Then he looks down at his stained jerkin and rolls his eyes, "I better clean up a bit before we go."

Before the trip, fade will get a new tunic, black with silver brocade, and polish his boots. He will even bathe and make sure his hair isn't matted to his head or hanging like the tendrils of some strange fey creature. He doesn't go overboard, but he even makes sure his armor is cleaned, though he expects it to be mostly hidden under his clothes.