AVB - Alys

[Lokio]

Alys and DM only. All others will be subject to a death attack from a spiked chain.

The interior of the Sad Flint is quite crowded. People are coming and going all over the rather large barroom. Patrons of any possible description abound, most content to drink the beers in their hands. No one bothers to turn their head when yet another patron walks in. The atmosphere of the place is slightly dingy, but comfortable.

A lone half-giant is serving as the bartender at the long bar across from the entrance. Round tables with an average of four chairs each litter the common area, although several have borrowed chairs from others nearby. More than half of them seem occupied by patrons of some description and number. A pair of armored bouncers guard a double door along the west wall.

Barmaids of many different races weave in and out of the traffic, delivering food and drinks, as well as picking up empty crockery and more than a few pick-up lines.

[A_S]

Alys walks up to the bar and puts down a copper.

"An ale, please."

She sets a gold piece down next to the copper, then turns to the bartender.

"Also, I'm looking for work. Playing guard-dog for some caravan or paranoid nobleman or the like. Or whatever else is paying well. You heard anything?"

[Lokio]

The half-giant at the bar says, "Might, but you might want some of this first..."

He takes out some of the finest whiskey you've ever seen. "Shot of this is ten gold."

[A_S]

Alys places the gold on the bar. She waves the shot glass under her nose for a moment, savoring the aroma of the whiskey, before letting it roll back over her tongue. Then she quirks an eyebrow at the bartender, waiting to hear more.

*edit* [OOC: ***** is censored? Sometimes a transitive verb is just a transitive verb.]

[Lokio]

OOC: LOL!

The half-giant hands you a token shaped like a coin and says, "See those two guards at the back door?" He points at two burly dwarves guarding a door. "Take that to them and say, 'I love kittens'".

[A_S]

Alys nods and pockets the coin, but wonders if the bartender is setting her up to get laughed at and/or stabbed.

[roll0]

[Lokio]

He seems honest - there really is a pair of guards, you really should go tell them you like kittens and give them the token if you want work that is suitable to an adventurer of your kind.

You get the sense that even had you rolled a 99, you'd get the sense he was telling the truth, because he is.

[A_S]

"Thanks."

Alys heads over to the pair of guards. She produces the coin from her pocket, flicks it into the air with her thumb, and catches it again.

"Evening, gentlemen. I, uh...I love kittens," she says, a little uncertainly.

[Lokio]

One of the guards snickers, but they take the token, nod and open the door for you.

On the other side is a dwarf sitting at a desk with a pile of papers strewn throughout. He glances up as you enter and says, "Oh, another one? Sign this and please don't spill the ink." He pushes a paper your direction.

The walls are bare stone, and behind him is a black door made of iron.

[A_S]

Alys takes a look at the paper he's asking her to sign. What's on it?

[roll0] - Does he give any signs that he's doing anything other than a rather boring secretarial job (e.g., asking mercenaries to sign their lives away on a suicide mission)?

[roll1] - Are all the papers on the desk the same as the one he offered me? Also, is there anything else of interest in the room?

[Lokio]

You learn little from your checks.


"Standard non-disclosure agreement." The dwarf says.

You find that the contract is a standard non-disclosure agreement requiring the undersigned and nd all associated entities within his party that are so beholden to him to agree not to discuss anything seen in the rooms beyond or discuss the nature of the jobs found within, except the job that the person ends up taking with the person who hired it. Convoluted legal language fills the contract tying up loopholes and leaving little room for interpretation to finangle your way out. One odd passage mentions something about a needle mine, but the specifics will be hard to parse out without legal training.

[A_S]

Alys nods and scrawls out a hasty signature on the bottom line.

"Now what?"

[Lokio]

The dwarf thanks you, and waves you on through the black door.

On the other side is a well groomed halfling standing between two spiral staircases. "Employer or Employee?" he asks.

[A_S]

Alys extends her hand to the halfling in greeting.

"Employee, you?"

[Lokio]

The halfling smiles, but doesn't say anything else on the subject.

He cheerfully takes you up the left-hand staircase. He opens the door at the top and ushers you on through.

On the other side are long hallways with labels describing the sort of jobs offered along that hall.

The signs all advertise various roles, such as "Protection - offensive" or "Defense - pro-active". Most any sort of hired service that one would want an adventurer is represented.

[A_S]

Alys nods her thanks to the halfling, then looks around for signs labeled "reconnaissance," "preemptive strike," or similar.

Is there anyone else in sight at the top of the steps, or is she alone?

[Lokio]

She is alone, and sees three doors marked in a reconnaissance hallway and two in a 'tactical removal' hallway.

[A_S]

Alys heads down the hallway labeled "tactical removal." Is there anything to differentiate the two doors?

[Lokio]

Two different nameplates:

"Schwartz" and "Partlmap".

[A_S]

Alys knocks twice on the door marked "Schwartz."

[Lokio]

It opens easily. Inside is a bare white room. The only change from the endless white is a black stone set in the center of the ceiling. "Name?" a female voice says from the stone.

[A_S]

"Alys."

This friggin' message is too short.

[Lokio]

"What sort of talents do you bring with you? A bull in a china shop is not what's needed here."

[A_S]

"I was a little girl in the docks district back when every thug with a stick and a chip on his shoulder was twice my size; I know how not to get noticed. I studied the arcane arts at the Academy, and wrote my thesis on simplifications of somatic components of minor divination spells; I know magic for collection of information, concealment of signs, and combat. I know where in a man's back to put a knife so he never turns around. And I'm bright enough not to cause a scene when a slit throat in an alley will get the job done. What are you looking for?"

[Lokio]

"That sounds good. Could you provide a demonstration of your abilities?"

[A_S]

Alys casts Detect Magic and begins to look around the room for magical auras for a few seconds (enough to get strength, location, and school of each one).

Spellcraft checks to determine school of magic (just use the first however many are needed):
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]

As she starts her inspection, she speaks: "Not all that much of one in an empty room, I'd guess." She paces around the room as she performs her inspection, trying to mask the sounds of her footsteps as she goes.

[roll8]

What does she see with Detect Magic?

[Lokio]

She sees a blast of illusion as she suddenly finds herself looking at three men with swords. "Demonstration."

[A_S]

When they appear, as an immediate action, use Glimpse Peril to get +2 on my next save.

Free: Will save to disbelieve illusion (if applicable): [roll0] (not sure if there are any applicable modifiers for having seen that it's an illusion)

If that doesn't work:

Move: Draw my sword.

Not an action: Take a 5-foot step away from the illusory figures (unless I'm within their threatened area, in which case I stay put).

Standard: Cast Mirror Image. (If I'm in their threatened area, I cast defensively: [roll1]) *edit* Forgot Combat Casting! Add 4 to this roll (for an 18).

[A_S]

Number of images (unless I was threatened, in which case the casting fails Combat Casting, it succeeds):

[roll0]

[A_S]

[I'm an idiot.]

[roll0]

[Lokio]

A section of the far wall recedes and slides back. The illusion disappears once you demonstrate some magical aptitude with your spell. You hear the voice call out from beyond. "Please proceed. That demonstration was sufficient."

[A_S]

Alys nods and sheathes her sword. She has the images collapse into her own form, ready to pop out at a sign of further danger and walks forward into the new hole in the wall.

[Lokio]

A tiefling woman, beautiful but eerily bland, sits at a desk and asks, "You have skills that are sufficient for Mr. Schwartz. Do you have any questions of me?"

[A_S]

"Can you tell me anything about the work, or will I be filled in later?"

[Lokio]

"You will be filled in when you get to visit Ms. Schwartz. She will also negotiate your contract with you." The woman hands you a piece of paper with an address in Midtown on it. "You will want to be prompt. I understand this job has been waiting long enough."

[A_S]

"Thank you."

Alys reads, folds, and pockets the paper, then heads out and toward the Midtown address.

What's Midtown like?

[Lokio]

Midtown is a very middle-class district with some rather nice buildings and some run down places. It's a mixed district; all kinds of races live there and it is a burgeoning place with a good economy for those who are into business. Midtown is also the home of the Plaza, the main commercial square for adventurers in Aldhaven.

[A_S]

Alys approaches the nearest person who looks like they know where they're going. Who is it?

Got done with your finals just in time to hit the tail end of mine; I might be a little slow for a bit, sorry.

[Lokio]

No worries. Just FYI, we may be doing a bit of shuffling around of PCs here to assign more senior PCs to my care because Planswalker is too busy to DM and I'm a senior DM with quite a bit of metaknowledge about the high-level game going on in AVB. If it comes that you are to be transferred to another DM, I'll keep you informed; don't worry, all our DMs here are excellent.

It's a city guardsman, with black hair under a helm and a clean-shaven face. He wears chainmail of good quality and a nice-looking longsword. "What can I do for you, citizen?"