Sorda's page

My move went well, but that means I am surrounded by boxes and lots of other little jobs. I doubt I'll get this written today or even tomorrow so with regret I'll have to step aside.

Good luck with the game DM Nerk.

Sorda will be my rogue applicant. Unfortunately time is at a premium at the moment so his profile needs redrafting.

DM

Sorda later in the week goes off looking for a cyphermage for Uzes and himself.

The wizard's apprentice tries to track down a mage for a start.

Now that the snake is dead, the wizard snaps his fingers and runs back up to his calculations, forgetting the woman.

He feverishly begins a new line of investigation based on the random chaos that caused a snake to appear in a kitchen, chaos theory.

Maybe the Blot is a matter of chaos?

The wizard quickly hides a look of mild surprise that the security chief had not killed the snake.

Then his invisible fist strikes down on the snakes head.

telekinetic fist, ranged touch attack=16, Damage=4pts.

"It's weak, Kelne, kill it."

Sorda draws one fist back at waist height then calls on his innate magical power to thump the snake.

telekinetic fist, ranged touch attack 15, Damage=4pts

He then steps aside to let Kelne kill it.

At the furthest range but at most thirty feet, Sorda casts a black ray of enervating power at the snake.

Ranged touch rolled a natural 20!. Snake loses 5+1=6 strength.

Sorda smiles inside as the beast is briefly highlighted black. Then he steps back up the stairs a few paces.

"Die in weakness."

Sorda legs it down to the scullery leaving his calculations without a thought.

Possible initiative rolled a 16.

"Zavos, is it? What a treasure you are! Thank you my good man. I cannot thank you enough. I have spent days at the Temples and they are filled with idiots. You have helped more in one conversation than that pack of fools did all week!"

Sorda rubs his hands together and starts extrapolating from the information, trying to decide what avenues are open to him next.

Diplomacy/gather info check on the Blot=7. Its scary how rubbish this guy is.

Sorda will eventually go to the Cyphermages, but not this week. he is busy losing friends and breaking contact with every Temple in town. determinedly he keeps on all week until he has learnt nothing from all of them.

Diplomacy check 15 towards business.

Occasionally when it is busy, Sorda will help out with whatever Saul wants. He struggles to maintain focus on the gambling but generally is friendly enough to get by.

I'm just biding my time, waiting to see what happens. Sorda continues with his investigations into the Blot. During his offtime he works his way around the churches and temples of Riddleport, asking if anyone has any information about the Blot. He leaves his Gold Goblin address in case they remember something later.

Sorda steps back a pace and just watches. He readies a telekinetic fist in case one of the miscreants attepts to break and run.

DM

Sorda will ready an action to hit one of the enemies with a telekinetic fist if they begin casting.

unmodified ranged attack roll=4, let's forget that then.

Sorda finishes casting and Kelne grows...

"I suggest you listen to our Security Chief!"

Sorda begins casting on Kelne when he is ignored.

full round action

Sorda rises from a side table and his papers. He readies a spell to cast on Kelne, something to make him more impressive, enlarge person.

Lost a long post yesterday. Try to repeat it tomorrow.

DM

Eventually on the following day, Sorda remembers the lottery idea. He has spent the morning chatting with Amunyet and making dozens of calculations about the Blot. Her Osirion knowledge is a revelation.

Then the lottery.

He lays out the idea, explaining how tickets can be sold for a copper piece across the city and at the end of the week whoever has the right set of numbers wins a prize based on the amount of tickets sold. Maybe the first week will need a definite prize say of at least 10 gold.

Then he explains all the problems. How they will need to use heralds or town criers or a bard to spread the word.

That tickets should have six numbers from 1 to 49 on them. Possibly people could be employed to sell tickets in inns or on the streets, being paid in tickets.

The money earnt needs to be protected and brought back to the Gold Goblin for counting by the end of the week. Then Saul could host a Grand Ball Picking evening, preferably by someone above board and honest in the eyes of Riddleport. Then anyone with the six numbers gets the large prize and if Saul wants the lottery to do well in the future maybe people with 5 or even 4 numbers may win a smaller prize.

Sorda goes off the idea into the realms of maths and gambling odds but he does try to explain things in layman terms.

Finally he wraps it up, "Saul will need people to talk people into playing and spread the word. He needs people to to protect the winnings from the miscreants of Riddleport and he needs others to organise tickets, a ball machine and get a suitable honest ball picker. I can help with the size of the prizes so that the Gold Goblin should come out on top."

Happy New Year - posting very spotty until next week.

Then Sorda returns to his Blot.

I shall sort out the lottery idea so that the whole party can see about helping organise it. Should post it up tomorrow.

Sorda is again lost in thought, and it looks like the magician will need a bit of time to work out all the details.

The mage follows on to meeting Larur, "tomorrow I should have a scheme for everyone to help with."

Sorda continues jotting down numbers and eventually swears out loud, "balls!" he carries on again until he gets to the end.

"I need information. How much money do people earn each week around the city? Not the important folks but the common ones. And how many are there in Riddleport, roughly?"

"Do you know a good way to pass the word around the streets? Make tickets which will show the name of the Golden Goblin boldly but cheaply?"

Gradually Sorda outlines the basics of a small scale lottery, with Saul and his casino at the centre and tickets sold throughout the city. He shows Saul the figures and explains how to make a profit so long as enough tickets are sold. Enthusiastic and eyes lit up Sorda begins to stray into numberland.

DM - do you want us to make a big deal of this or stick to the plot more?

"Let's find out what Laithe knows. We've outstayed our welcome anyway."

Pharris follows the halfling to the druid, bringing the knockers and box. As she goes, "Alton, I fought a cloaked figure with a rat's tail and when it died, it became a man. The thing even commanded rats. Like a druid? maybe."

Frustrated and lost in a world of numbers and letters, Sorda crumples up several cards.

"no, no, no."

"I need some simple random way that everyone in Riddleport can play? Something that we can take to the streets and sell for coppers or silvers with a large prize. It's all about the odds."

"Letters and numbers..........letters and numbers.........YES, what a simply souper idea! Lady you are a joy!"

"I have an idea of how I can help, Saul."

Sorda wanders off from the tour grabs a pile of cards from one table and starts laying them out in different patterns, humming to himself.

"My studies are of paramount importance to me, however I suppose I could help you? Do you want me to do the ledgers? I am happy to do anything where my obvious talents, brains and arcane abilities may prove useful. I don't want some boring job like spotting for troublemakers."

Sorda smiles up at the owner, oblivious to the insults and arrogance he has just spoken.

Sorda eventually looks up at Saul from his calculations.

"What?"

Sorda pats Amunyet lightly on the knee, "thank you, my dear."

Sorda interrupts the discussions, "Amunyet! Amunyet! you have the insights that I need. The Blot I believe it is something to do with astrology. Here I will pay your room and board here so that you and I can discuss this further."

"Tosh to being a waitress you and I have far more important matters at hand. Come stay, I am sure we can work on this while the rest are fulfilling Saul's contract."

Sorda waves the small piece of parchment towards her.

"What do you say?" he almost pleads to the noble Osirion.

Sorda jerks forwards almost out of his chair and starts to feverishly empty his pockets.

"Aha!" Sorda holds up a scrap of parchment. Then he subsides again, trying to read the scrawls.

The young wizard takes an offered chair and looks around the room. Then he leans back and starts tapping his teeth, his blue eyes busy elsewhere.

"Of course!" Sorda places a hand on Zindit's shoulder, eyes twinkling. "These chips are magical, watch as they turn into gold. Ha Ha Ha!"

He scoops up the gold and pockets most of it. "Here is one lucky silver for you, don't ever lose it."

"Now lead on and show me the way to Mr Vandercaskin and this work. I wonder what he wants us to do? I hope it will leave time for my studies into the Blot, especially after the revelation from that nice Lady Amunyet."

Sorda hands them all over to Zavos. A wand. A pair of bracers. And a scroll.

"You decide then."

The man wanders off to cash in his chips, shrugging off any other comments.

Sorda nods, "I have no armour spells. Shield yes, armour no."

He picks up the items and walks around the rest of the gang, "what do think? keep them or sell them? I can use them or selling them may raise several hundred gold eyes, more or less."

"Well?"

Sorda explains to the others within earshot, "a magical wand, twelve inches long with the faint colouration of a high ink, possibly behir blood judging from the use of the wand. It also contains several charges and would have badly hurt anyone with one touch."

He then moves on to the bracers, "silvered and unadorned, a practical device for helping a mage protect themselves a little, like a layer of armour, well a thin layer anyway. A bit like walking around with pillows everywhere. Or leathers. No I am not sure of that. Nevertheless this is a valuable item and would benefit an unarmoured person greatly. In fact isn't there a sect of chosen monk-mages somewhere that regard these items as the only real form of protection. Now what are they called? Yellow something?"

He then shows off the scroll, "arcane, simple spell, allows me to shrink an item. Could have its uses."

"What shall we do with them?"

DM

Sorda spends a little while examining the bracers, wand and scroll. He casts a small spell over the items just to see if that helps. Detect Magic

what kit does the naughty pair have on them?

Once bound, Sorda puts the belongings of the two leaders on the table to assess their value and usage.

He pays little or no attention to the questioning.

"Are either of you Cyphers?"

Sorda finishes collecting enough chips to cover his entrance (and Zindit's). Then he moves up to the man and his woman.

"I'm afraid you will have to give all that dangerous magical equipment up. Your thieving days are over."

"Did I hear that your name is Angamer and her's is Thavulis?"

Sorda's attack and damage go up by one then, since they are part of a ready action on the eyepatch lady's next go.

Sorda spends a move collecting his chips from the table. If a few more happen to fall into his pocket so be it.

"Oops!"

All the time he keeps his eye on Miss Eyepatch and summons the same energy. An invisible karate chop waits over the back of her neck.

Ranged touch attack 11+3=14, Damage 3pts

The wizard spots the eyepatch lady and moves a bit closer. Then he prepares to thump her with his telekinetic fist when and if she tries anything dangerous, like a spell or attack.

DM

Rolled nat 20 on Will Save.

Sorda moves away from the woman casting a spell upon himself. His body briefly glistens silver.

mage armour

Initiative 20+3=23

Sorda picks the dice up, blows on it and makes sure the 16 is on the top as he spins it into the middle.

The dice comes up an 11, and the wizard starts rubbing his hands together.

"Two eyes please!"

He then pushes all four gold back into the middle, ignoring the disturbance as he concentrates.

Straight away the lucky die is rolled and it comes up on a 10. Sorda shakes his head. "She's gone again," he murmurs.

Sorda, did you roll one of the d6's by mistake?

Sorda looks at the croupier innocently. "What? Oh I see I rolled one of yours." Terrible actor and bluffer that he is, Sorda reluctantly reaches for a d20.

And it comes up a 5!I don't believe it. Its sat beside my computer. He waves at the croupier for some golden eyes.

"That will put me back on even. Now to start Cheating this Devil. it must be about time for me to win?"

Sorda places 2 golden eyes in front of the d20. And waits for his turn then he rolls the dice again. Meanwhile he has been fiddling with it
and alternating between leaving it on a 1 and a 20...for luck.

Then he rolls again and gets a 3. "Double please. Would you mind rolling low, just not too low? No three 1's."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a true gambler here!" the dealer cries then rolls a 6.

Not meaning to but by now too far gone and stroking his chin, Sorda picks up the nearest die and rolls it; suddenly realising it's the croupier's and not his.

"But can I roll ag-," he starts to say. Then the number 5 comes up. His mouth closes like a mantrap. snap!

Sorda tuts as his dice comes up 1. Again the gold disappears.

Then he pushes 3 golden eyes forwards. "By the law of averages you should not keep flummoxing my dice rolls like this. I intend to win back what I have lost."

He picks up the dice again. "All I need is for you to roll high then low or the opposite way round."Then he realises he has been talking to his die.

"Hmph!"

The 20 sided wobbles across and rests against the gold coins. Its a 17.

"Double." Nearly all the rest of his chips are pushed forwards.

.....

"Now your odds have dropped to 1 in 5."

Sorda rolls the dice around in his fingers and then spins it across the baize cloth.

With a 5 on the dice, he watches as the croupier collects his 2 gold eyes.

Then he sets another gold coin down ready for the next round. When it gets to his turn he spins the dice again and it comes up a ten. He doesn't double.

Sorda settles on a game of bounder.

He has bought 10 golds worth of chips using one of his platinum pieces.

Steepling his fingers and smiling at the other players, the gullible noble slides a gold eye forwards.

"This looks like a game of simple odds. Yes?"

He rolls the ivory dice and it comes up with a 4.

"See the little imp in the cage," points out Sorda to Zindit. "Now that's a denizen of hell, and we have succubi from the Abyss. I'm not sure why the two are here that is a strange combination. Very chalk and cheese."

He wanders about looking at the tables and trying to assess the odds of victory.

"Excuse me."

Sorda follows Ulli still thinking about the Blot's dimensions. He casually wanders in doing whatever is asked of him. Once the contract is signed he stops and asks of no one in particular, "What is this?"

Then he pays another gold and signs again for Zindit. "There you go, you are in the competition, see if you can win some treasure!"