Switching Roles - Simon Castra

[yougi]

Character sheet (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=419823), for ease of reference

Early into this cold, damp day of autumn, Simon gets near the entrance to the city of Hammersburg. The two city guards are standing on each side of the entrance, questioning those who are about to enter the city.

After about ten minutes, it finally is Simon's turn. One of the guards, a dark-skinned, middle-aged human sporting a thick mustache, while barely looking at him, asks him the usual, while the other waits the answers to write them in a large leather bound book:

Hello there! How are you named, where are you from, and why do you come to our splendid city?

[Omegonthesane]

It was cold, it was humid, and it was all around uncomfortable, and as if to make things worse, it wasn't sufficiently cold to justify cold weather gear. Simon kept his cloak pulled tight around him, and hood pulled far down his face, a shameful state for nobility, especially when combined with the heavy bag on his back. He ought to have shafted Noah with it; but, sadly, Noah was weaker and less healthy than him as well as being lower in status, so what was no burden to his master would have slowed him and thus his master down. It didn't help that the shirt didn't fit, was a size or two too large, having belonged to an old flabby farmer who wanted to dress baggily; he'd had to burn the shirt he was wearing at the time, after the deaths he'd inflicted wearing it. He considered Charming the guards before they realised who he was, but they might well be strong enough to resist - certainly he'd find it ridiculous to post guards who could not resist the feeblest of sorceries. During those minutes, he thought to fumble through his belt pouch, carefully feeling for Pelor's supposed sigil and placing it around his neck; it would help with the most plausible excuse he could come up with for why he'd be travelling.

As he was about to become the next in line, he gave the pale, limping Noah a meaningful glance, reminding him to let his master do the talking.

"I am named Simon Carter, my brother Noah and I come from the township of Kelheim, and I come to your city a pilgrim seeking the high priestess of Pelor." The first names were perfectly true, and while it made little difference to his belief about the statement's truth value, he had in fact come via Kelheim.

Bluff [roll0]

[yougi]

"Excellent Mr. Carter, I hope you'll have a pleasant stay," said the older guard before going to the next in line.

The younger one, who had written down the answers in his book while mouthing them, went back to the two brothers:

"Temple of Pelor? After the market, follow the road, it will be the first building on your left. Can't miss it!" He then followed his partner down the line.

[Omegonthesane]

"Thank you," Simon said to the younger guard, heading off while Noah followed. Like what he thought any honest pilgrim might actually do, he followed the direction for a while, then deliberately allowed himself (and his hapless servant) to get lost in the crowd and the streets.

After rejecting one or two pubs for not appearing to have sufficiently rich clientele, he starts vaguely looking for the headquarters of Fordas Spicedham, remembering the brewer of his father's favourite wine and assuming someone near there will be able to point him at large quantities of gold. Preferably while Charmed. Because surely gold properly applied will lead to power.

Casting Charm Person on the first person I see who looks rich enough to work for Fordas yet likely to deign to speak to me - preferably while they're talking to someone else, so that I can just swan in and be their bestest friend for at least half an hour.

[yougi]

When in front of the Spicedham Brewery, you are faced by two guards, a dwarf and a human. They remind you that this place is only a storage building and a factory of sorts and not open to the public. Mr. Spicedham's office is a bit farther down the road, while he has a stand open all year long in the market, where a few men sell bottles bearing his name.

Sadly, Fordas doesn't employ many wealthy people, he likes to keep the profits to himself. He has guards, workers at the factory, clerks and sales people at the market, and all of them are relatively low wage.

However, the Dragon's Horn is a tavern for those who think of themselves as the higher society.

[Omegonthesane]

Surprised somewhat at the lack of wealth spreading from such a wealthy business, and having sought the wealthy out of now-dispelled delusions rather than out of snobbery, Simon decides nonetheless to pursue his planned avenue of information, this time approaching the market - perhaps the sellers will have the kind of information he seeks.

He takes a brief glance around, hoping against hope that even his bad eyes will spot the most obvious of obvious guards, and possibly ducks into an alleyway or similar, making a token effort to hide the arcane gestures and murmurings that accompany the spell, painfully aware of needing to maintain a quite stringent range limit and line of sight while doing so. Fortunately the gesticulations were things that could pass for simply strange personal habits or scratching strange itches, especially when exaggerated in the right ways.

Once his spell is complete, Simon approaches the hopefully charmed salesman of choice.
"Good day to you! Before we talk business, I feel I should say I am honoured to be in the home city of the world's best brewers, I've come a very long way to see it, and it's always interested me, does he treat his sellers as well as his wine?"

As Bluff is used for feinting in combat, and that's essentially lying with body language, I'm going to roll as if the same can be done to hide the body language that is the somatic component of Charm Person, because like hell does Simon want to be caught spellcasting on a rich guy's goons.

Bluff Casting [roll0]

[yougi]

To bluff to hide spellcasting, that is a skill trick (from Complete Scoundrel, can't recall the name). However, hiding in an alley of a large city is probably enough.

The sales man is a bit short and rather on the heavy side, with short curly hair.

"Hello sir! Well, I wouldn't say I'm as well recognized as his wine, and I haven't seen a soul who'd pay 300gp for a bottle of myself, so I'd have to say no, but Mr. Spicedham is a fair man, and he keeps our purses heavier than those of average folks, if I may say so. However, I must admit I've never seen you around town, have you traveled to Hammersburg to buy some of Mr. Spicedham's wine? Many have before you!"

[Omegonthesane]

"I've indeed travelled far to buy a bottle of Spicedham wine," Simon answered, "among other things, though I fear I underestimated the costs of travel and may need to earn rather more to afford a whole bottle. Worth every penny though, I had a glass or two in happier times." He tried to hide a wince at letting the fact he had fallen on hard times slip - it was best to be paranoid about that sort of thing, lest that halfling hunter was still on his tail. Though, if he was lucky, an offhand comment about him needing to earn might lead to a mention of a free job, and thereby a free chance to case the joint. "Simon Carter, at your service, and you are?"

[yougi]

"Olivus Highfellow. If you are in need of some money, you know I could try to talk to Mr. Spicedham's assistant, you know, throw in a good word for you. I heard there war a storehouse in a small village last week that was... well, I shouldn't say. Anyways, there are jobs open within maybe 15 miles of the city."

[yougi]

Over a week without activity, I will not visit this thread anymore. If you want to resume this game, please PM me.