Volturio "Volt" Levinus's page

Hello all, just looking for an update from our fearless DM. Just wondering how it's looking from his end of the universe? Hope all is well.

How's everybody doing out there?

No problem, glad to hear you're getting things in order.

Sorry all, I kind of jumped the gun there a bit.

Volt steps to the front of the party, directly addressing the inspector. "Excuse me, ma'am, I understand that you have a job to do and that we are to follow your directions so that you can do it, though, as you will soon discover, we have done nothing wrong. With this in mind, it would be a shame for us to lose our spot in this ever-growing line. Would you be so kind as to be willing to take just half of us at a time for your inspection, so that the others may keep our place?" The swashbuckler does his best to remain both submissive and non-opposed as he is unaware of any reason to avoid the inspection. He is not looking for trouble in the first few moments of their big day.

(Unsure of what is needed here for a roll: Diplomacy +4, Charisma +1)

I'll second that, take the time you need.

Volt passed politely on the offered refreshments, commenting that keeping himself slightly hungry made him sharper and more alert. He was the last to reach for his pendant. He flipped it in the air like a coin and caught it, without even looking, as he prepared the location he planned to fasten it. "This will be great for what I have in mind later this evening." He turned to The Lady and bowed slightly, Thank you kindly, m'lady. Are we to conceal our communications through these or is that use of them more commonplace at tonight's function?"

Vylora:
Ok then, let's have you as the beautiful distraction. That way, when I bomb my D20 roll I can't use you as a scapegoat and blame you for ruining my assigned mission.

I propose we get into the kitchens, your suggestion of 'amazing hors d'oeuvres' seems like it would do the trick nicely, and as Volt is very observant, he will identify when you become the distraction and will set to work 'modifying' the wine.

I'm thinking we'll do this during the kitchen's busy time, likely shortly before, or during, when the food is served to the attending guests at the function.

Please make any further suggestions here, otherwise this is the submission to the GM for 'The Plan".

OK, that sounds pretty straight forward. Still interested in being the saboteur while I manage the distraction? It's the GM's call but I'd think I first roll for rhe distraction, modifier based on the tactic employed, and if successful is worth a bonus on what is now your roll,Stealth, to sour the wine, undetected. (Provate rolls?)

Please, any player/GM input here.

Vylora, are you around for a quick plan so we're of the same mind on how to do this? I'm not heart set in any particular direction but I want to sort it out before I post at Lady M's meeting, if possible.

Sorry for the hold up, all.

Volt overheard the officers talking about how hard it was tracking proper paperwork for access to the kitchen during setup for the event. I figured we could BS our way in that way, the day of the event, and be able to work our magic there before we get ready And attend the event proper. That's how I saw things playing out but I'm not a hard pressed for that plan, especially if it's gonna work out disastrously. Open to suggestions here also.

I'm not sure how you want to do the scene of Vylora and Volt sneaking in to turn the wine? With people arriving at the meeting, dressed for the event, I feel like the oportunity would be missed. As it might be brutal for players not involved, and in in the Paizo format, I'm also fine with you doing the secret rolls and letting us know how we did.

I'm thinking Vylora and I would want to make our attempt to sabotage the wine on the day of the function but prior to our actual arrival at the function. Im not 100% here, any thoughts?

Coming back into the tavern, and quite satisfied with his gathering, Volt worked his way back to the group. He made sure his path brought him close enough to Peris' card game to check in. She was just getting up from the table, hopefully having gathered some details herself. The easy going swashbuckler arrived at their table as the others did, just in time to be introduced to to Uraisa's acquaintance.

Keeping in mind their different tasks that had to be completed, he jumped at the chance to tour the Arcade with the others. He figured that between a few of them best suited to the task, acquiring the necessary items might just be possible. He was initially unsure of the groups ability to distract the guards so he didn't mention his intent to the group and banked on Aria's sharp wit and ability to read the room.

Volt planted himself in front of a large display table filled with bits and bobbles from a variety of places. The main detail of note here was that it was an open display. With no intention of theft, he picked up a random egg sized item from the display and bounced it in his hand, judging the weight. He then held it out at arms length, closing one eye and squinting at the object with the other, as if scrutinizing fine details, his low whistle demonstrated that he was impressed.

Intentions with Volt here are to walk the knife's edge between having "all eyes on me" while not having us escorted out.

Thanks for touching base, see you soon!

He smiled to himself as the group seated themselves at the table and their awkwardness became tangible. Some of the ladies, he noted, seemed to be right out of their element but all effort was being made to compensate. 'It'll wear off in a bit, they just gotta loosen up.' Peris sponsoring the first round helped, at least it gave them something in their hand so as not to fidget too badly.

Volt entered the table's conversation by recommending the food here, not high-end but masterfully prepared 'home cooking'. Those who ordered were happy to see he was exactly right. After a bite to eat, the group started to disperse around the establishment a little as Peris saw an invite to a game of cards with one group and Uraisa seemed to find an old acquaintance with another. Knowing how card games in these establishments treated newcomers, he kept a sideways eye on Peris while he set a coin on another table, making a request of the bard seated there. "How's about you liven things up a little with the next few, eh?" Turning from the musician, Volt heads outside to relieve himself and hopefully find a loose tongue or two...

Typical eavesdropping, just hoping that the guards out here have been a little further into the libations (Per +5). Volt would also not hesitate to use his other skills out here in the dark, to acquire documents or items beneficial to the group's endeavours (Stealth +7, Thievery +7).

Later in the evening, as group members come and go from the table, Volt catches Vylora there and establishes the beginnings of a plan without discussing the specific details too loud. "So, the goal is to turn the wine and have it be an embarrassment when served. Obviously, we can do this the night of the festivities, but I think we would do much better beforehand, hopefully avoiding the high security and congestion. You still like the idea of being the distraction and I'll manage the delivery?"

All good, life happens. Thanks for the heads up.

Activities throughout the week...

His days are spent tracking the kitchen's traffic. Specifically looking for any patterns in deliveries, chores, shifts, etc. (Sneak to do it unnoticed,+7, and Perception to note the details,+5)

Conversation with Peris...

As soon as he had the chance, Voltario headed straight to the docks. Marcus. As a cargo loader, the man touched dozens of ships a day and spoke to hundreds. If there was information to be had, he knew where to get it. He never once passed the information himself, he just sat you down at the right table with the right person. 'Table' might be a loose term as Volt visited both the workshop of an amateur inventor and the filthy cave of a man known locally as 'Saul the Pig'. Fortunately, both meetings turned out productive and the information was shared with Peris, and the group, shortly after. "... and surely she's not one to be trusted. That's all of it. A few good pieces of information for your targets, not bad for a few days' work. If we had more time I could likely do some digging on a few more for other people, but not with the timeline we have currently."

Conversation with Vylora...

Perception vs Bluff (DC 11): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Volt winces internally as the words of his compliment roll past his lips. That was over the top. However, before he could try and smooth it over, Vylora grabbed his hand and caught him fully unaware. "I, uh..." He stammered for a moment before catching his wits and recognizing her antics for what they were; although he wasn't yet sure why. Still, he was grateful for the help and tried to recover accordingly. "I'm sure you have. This is but one of the reasons I asked for your help first." Volt adjusted his stance slightly, letting their hands separate naturally and he mentally forced himself not to instinctively check his rings or coin.

Currently...

Gritting his teeth, Volt chaffed at the attitude of the soldier but held his tongue when he saw that Uraisa seemed to be having an even harder time with it. He turned away quickly before his face betrayed his emotion. No need to draw attention to any of us before the event.

Outside, Volt immediately took a liking to Peris' line of thinking as it aligned with where he intended to go. He mentions to the group his plans to spend his evenings in a variety of inns, taverns, brothels and anywhere else that offers gossip and a drink. It is also made quite clear that all of his new acquaintances are more than welcome. (Looking to learn where soldiers gather off duty and who the major opponents of the primogeniture are, Perception seems right for this one, +5)

On the trip to Threads Rare, Volt was sure to go with the group. Not only was it a good place to start to get to know the others he would be working with for Lady Martella, but it also kept some space between himself and the high-end clothing store's staff which usually had a tendency to hover. Afterwards, he would have ample time to visit the Arcade and see to his other errands.

Once Voltario was inside the Taylors, he was happy to let the ladies of his group occupy the staff with their questions and decisions. The swashbuckler knew what he liked and, with a little direction, headed to the men's fashions. The options were endless. Volt picked a style he liked from one of the mannequins on display, allowed the quiet boy to take all his measurements, twice, and picked his coloring. Having caught, in conversation, that there were a couple of blues and a green already, he went with a red and black color scheme for his outfit.

He was finished rather quickly, compared to the others, and found an opportunity to speak with Vylora between her fittings. "That one looks ravishing. If I had never met you before, I could believe you were a noble from the region." He smiled warmly and continued. "I'll keep this quick, clearly, you're busy. I believe my assignment requires a distraction to take the eyes away from my target for a few minutes so the deed can be done. I can be either the distraction or the applicator in this case and I feel your skill set makes you ideal for the other. What do you say, interested?" Knowing he had given her very little to go on, Volt was hopeful that she was at least intrigued enough to consider his request.

After setting everything up with the Taylor, and speaking with Vylora briefly, Volt was ready to chase down his contacts. Unfortunately, he didn't think he would need them to help with his own task, rather, he wanted to see if he could come up with anything for some of the others (I plan to use the 'Taldor Underworld Contacts' to gather any information on Duke Centimus and Countess Abrielle, specifically how they plan to vote and why.). Throughout the remainder of his time, during their preparation week, Volt makes the rounds of the local alehouses, brothels, taverns and anywhere else people gathered to get a feel for who the major opponents of the primogeniture were and why. With his evenings full, Volt spends his days noting the schedule in and out of the senate kitchen to further his plans for his task.

Sorry DM, not sure what rolls you need from me here, Please specify or roll them for me, as you see fit.

Voltario sat back in his chair and listened to the offered details about the other's objectives. Most or all of the names being thrown around were unfamiliar to him and so he had little to offer thus far. As he worked through possible strategies in his mind, Volt quickly did away with most of them; all but one. He would wait for a better opportunity to see what Vylora thought about it. ' In the meantime, I had better come up with a 'Plan B'. Just in case.'

Volt's attention shifted out of his planning and back to the conversation at hand as the ladies spoke of using the credit Lady Martella had secured for them. Not an ideal shopping venture for the swashbuckler but it was appreciated nonetheless. "I would welcome the insight from any one of you when we get to Thread's Rare, although I will manage, I would be much more knowledgeable at a blacksmith's. I can go any time that works for the rest of you and will otherwise need to spend some time gathering information for my assignment. Please let me know if I may be of service to any of you. Perhaps some of your targets are susceptible to a private show of force?"

I want to have Volt try to watch the kitchen's 'comings and goings'. I intend for him to get a sense of the daily operations and to detail any regular patterns of workers, deliveries or tasks. I imagine he would be able to access close enough to the exterior but I am not sure about the interior of the senate kitchen.

Volt took a measure of each of the women around him and gleaned what he could about them from their dress, speech or manner in which they carried themselves. 'What an interesting group indeed.' As Uralsa had been the only one to share details so far Volt prodded the rest. "Well ladies, it seems we have a decision to make first here. As we all have the same deadline to hit, we can either split up and take care of our assignments or, if it helps, we can team up to complete these tasks. I, for one, would not like to let the Lady down and a helping hand could make all the difference."

Volt responded to Uraisa's question showing no sign of his feelings toward his letter's contents. "I am to locate a very old, very expensive, bottle of wine and ensure it is ruined for the enjoyment of a select few at the upcoming festivities." He leaned back and pondered his assignment as he listened to hear how the others had been tasked.

Hidden behind his dark beard, Volt gritted his teeth in a grimace at the offered pay. 'This better not be anything more than the usual services for such a sum.'

Lady Martella's gaze scanned those gathered and stopped briefly as it locked with Volt's own. He nodded once in solemn acceptance of her offer; never having met her personally, before today, he did not intend to sully the otherwise profitable relationship.

An all female group as well! Should be a lot of fun :D

*cough cough*

Before Lady Lotheed enters...

Entering the room only moments behind the shorter elven woman, whom he assumed to be his contact this time, Volt was taken aback by the gathering of women to which the one he was following was introducing herself. He stopped just short of intruding into the woman's space and smiled in greeting as her gaze moved past him. Closing the distance to those assembled already, he made a formal introduction. "Hello ladies, my name is Voltario Levinus, please just call me Volt. I'm pleased to meet you all though I must confess, I was expecting someone else."

The room's flickering light reflected off his shaved head as Volt bowed toward Uraisa and pivoted to include the others before he rose, revealing a sincere smile. He stood tall and strong while his smooth movements, and the ever so slight bounce to his stride, revealed time spent aboard the ships. His leather armor seemed to weigh nothing as he moved freely and the waist-length forest green cloak that hung from its shoulders flowed in a way that made him seem to be wearing only fabric. At a closer distance, it could be noticed that what had looked to be a bandolier across his torso was a chain which the cape covered most of. Plain, dark brown pants and black leather boots covered the man's legs and feet beneath matching pieces of leather armor; rings of salt on his boots, from sea water drying out of them, reaffirmed his time aboard ships as of late.

Before any could respond to his greeting, their host entered the room and commanded everyone's attention.

After...
He had never met Lady Martella Lotheed; it was always a different messenger with the requirements and offered pay. Nice to finally meet the one that's been paying the bill. Hoping this request stayed in line with their previous dealings, Volt confidently agreed. "Certainly Lady, as ever, I am at your disposal."

All good, glad to hear from you again!

Thanks for touching base, anxiously awaiting go time!

Just a few small things:

1) The AC you have is 18, but I only get to 17. No armor on this character at present.

2) also the "to hit" bonus for your throwing daggers should bee +7 (not +6).

I think I am down with the rest. Not seen a throwing swashbuckler before, so it will be interesting.

Got those items adjusted, forgot to include my leather armor, should be good to go now, I'll attach the details to my profile pic and I'm ready to roll!

OK, here is our swashbuckler, I anxiously await the review of version 1. I welcome a critique from anyone with time to look at it, as I've never played or built this type of character before. I know my deity is missing, just a fluff component, I'll catch it up on the first edit.