The Giovanni Saga (V20); Aziz's Thread

[BenjCano]

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
― Voltaire

"I am so sorry my [lord], it seems I have totally misinterpreted the happenings. The most honored Lord Bajazet Al-Nasir says me that he the one who showed an interest in me and has secured my place at this dinner. I hope you will forgive my impudent approach, and my disappearance with the Lord al-Nazir know. At other time we may discuss together, if you have an interest in a lowly scholar such as me, but now I think I will have to follow Lord al-Nasir's wishes to converse with him Arabic, as he the one who has provided for me to be here. I am most sorry!" said Aziz.

Bajazet seemed to find Aziz's apology amusing, for he threw back his head and laughed again, that deep and echoing sound drowning out the music of the players for a moment. He took Aziz's hand, and began walking with him along the length of the long dining table. "Don't. Don't, my friend. I am not a man that is easily offended, even by traitors like you." The hand holding Aziz's own tightened painfully for a fraction of a second. "And life is too short to endlessly apologize and grovel, don't you think?"

[ereinion]

Doing his best to ignore the pain from his squeezed hand, Aziz does his best to come up with a reply. It is unfortunate that Lord Bajazet considers him a traitor, but hopefully he doesn't wield too much power in these parts. If he can only keep the conversation civil, he can probably get away from this dinner without too many problems.

"My opinion is that life is too short too throw away frivolously. It costs me little to be courteus to my betters, and if some extra civility on my part keep you sir, or Lord Mieczyslav, from harbouring resentment for my rudeness, I am only too happy to provide it. Even when you say that you are not easily offended, that is little reason not to act just as well-mannered towards you, as towards someone who would fly into a rage at the slightest insult. Otherwise I would reward that other man for his vices whilst abusing your virtue and good manners. The world would have less strife in it, if people learned to be more polite and considerate to each other."

Aziz pauses for a second, trying to decide how much it is worth risking in this conversation. A lot depends on how religious Bajazet his, if he is fanatical in his beliefs that could mean trouble. Otherwise there could still be some hope of talking his way out of this.

"I am surprised, however, at you calling me a traitor. You should know that I am lucky to even be alive after the army I followed was defeated, and that my only hope of not ending my days in a dungeon lay in being baptized to the faith of these foreigners."

He glances around the room trying to make sure that noone else can hear what he says, some of it being very close to heretical, both for the Moslem and Christian faith.

"I must admit, though it shames me, that I have never been the most devout follower of God. I have always felt that my true calling was to help my fellow man, and I feel that through my work on the battlefields and with the sick and injured back home, I have managed to do that."

"I must further admit, that through the horrors I have seen in war, with the tens of thousands of dead from the dreams of emperors of different faith, my belief in a benevolent god has further weakened. Thus I didn't feel that my baptism was the betrayal which I am sure many of the faithful would see it as, rather I saw it as an opportunity to be able to continue my work of aiding those in need, and maybe even to gain some understanding of what drives these foreigners."

"You may say that my foremost belief is that each man should strive to do his best for his neighbour, and that this may best be accomplished by understanding your neighbour desires and wishes. It was for this reason that I chose to not die a martyr in the dungeons of Nicolaus Corvitus, but rather convert and live on to help and to understand both our people and the people of these lands. You may think I have strayed from the true path, but in my heart I feel that I have done right."

"It may even be said, that since the god of both of our faiths are in many ways the same, and since the prophets of both faiths preach a doctrine of helping your fellow man, that the actual name of the god you follow matters less than the deeds in this world."

Hardly daring to breathe, overcome by his own forthrightness and honesty, feels a cold sweat start to break out as he awaits a reply.

Do you mind me not using color for this thread, since it's only the two of us, I figured there wasn't all that much need for it..?

I am a bit unsure about how to denote God in these conversations, from my (very limited) understanding of Arabic, I think Allah can be directly translated to God, so since we are writing in English I think I'll just use the latter, since Aziz in many cases will talk about the God of Islam and the God of Christianity interchangeably or even as the same. Just wanted to clear that up here in case of any misunderstandings...

Please let me know if I am not very clear, with English not being my first language I may make some mistakes when trying to get my ideas across. Especially when we are talking about religious, philosophical or metaphysical stuff, as it is likely we'll do a fair bit of in this thread :smallsmile:

And yeah, I am a dirty hippy :smallwink:

[BenjCano]

"You traded the faith of your father for the right to continue to live," said Bajazet. The words could be read as accusing, danming Aziz for what he has done, but his host's tone continued in its pleasant cadence, and the look on the Turk's face was pleasantly polite, even a little distant, as if he considered other, more important matters. "All things of this world, including the life you live, are transitory, while the rewards and punishments of the world to come are forever more. 'They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing: But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks.'" Here, Bajazet quoted the holy Qur'an.

Bajazet stops suddenly, and turns on the ball of his foot with the grace a court dancer would envy. His face is inches away from Aziz, and his dark eyes beneath his heavy brow seems to burn with an inner fire. "Do you believe this? Do you know that you will die? Have you made your peace with death, and are you prepared to go at your appointed hour, whether it be ten years from now, a year from now, tonight, this very minute?"

[ereinion]

In reply to Bajazet's damning words, Aziz racks his brain, trying to come up with something that justifies his deeds. He doesn't have to search for too long, as the questions the Ottoman lord brings up are some he considered for a long time while imprisoned by Lord Nicolaus Corvitus, before making his decision to be baptized as a Christian.

"'And in their (the earlier prophets) footsteps We sent Jesus the son o Mary, confirming the law that had come before him. We sent him the Gospel, therein was guidance and light and confirmation of the law that had come before him, a guidance and an admonition to those who fear God.'"

He quotes from the holy Quran.

"So even if I follow the teachings of Christ, do I not still follow the will of God? As I said; to me it is more important that I do what I deem to be good deeds while walking this earth, than what is the name of the prophet I follow. Some may judge me harshly for it, but in my heart of hearts I have always believed more in people's actions than in their beliefs."

"You too are a travelled man, Lord al-Nasir, you have also seen that not all who profess to follow the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, are good men, few even follow the Quran, beyond the limits the local mullah sets for them. You should also know from your travels here in the west, or even from observing the dhimmi of our home country, that not all of those of a different faith act so out of order from what God wants his followers to do."

Aziz raises his head and looks Bajazet in the eyes, not willing to be ashamed of his actions, even if that may have been the wisest course to take.

"Remember the words of the prophet: 'Religion is very easy, and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded.'"

Being certain that his reasoning is sound, Aziz regains some of his confidence, and his voice grows more firm. As he's speaking these words he grows ever more certain that there indeed is a God who approves of the choices he's taken, and who'll assist him on his way forward.

"To me, it seems that dying a "martyr" in the basements of the castle would not please God, as much as me living on and continuing to do good."

"Which I suppose answers your question, no, I am not ready to die yet, I still have much to achieve here in this world, be it as an instrument for the God of Christ or the God of Mohammed. But when it is my time to leave this world, I will do so with the certain belief that I have done my utmost to fulfill my fate as it was set by God."

This last sentence is almost a shout.

Feeling his heart beat quickly in his chest, Aziz no longer feels the same cold dread he felt earlier, having had the opportunity to voice his beliefs has replaced it with a strange kind of passion he's not felt before, as well as angry red spots on his cheeks.

[BenjCano]

After a long, pregnant pause, the conversations and music, which had halted in the face of Aziz's outburst, pick up once more as Bajazet nods slowly. "I see. Everyone says that they do not wish to die. But so very few are willing to do what they must in order to hold on to their life, no matter how wretched, no matter how painful it has become. Let us find out if you are willing to do what is necessary.

"We play the game of death. The game shall come in two parts. I shall break company with you, and go forth and mingle with the other guests. Listen to the music. Enjoy myself. Your goal is to come close enough to me that, had you a weapon and the will to use it, you could kill me before I could see you. If I see you, you must leave my sight immediately, and try again.

"We shall play for fifteen minutes. If you can reach me in any way within that time, you have won, and the game ends. If you fail, it is my turn to hunt you. You are not restricted to the public spaces. Indeed, I would encourage you to run as far as you can. I have only five minutes to reach you unseen. If I come close enough to kill you in those five minutes..." he smiles. "Then kill you I shall."

[ereinion]

Unsettled by Lord Bajazet's sudden challenge, Aziz is uncertain how to reply.

"If... if that is my lord's order, then I have no choice but to comply, but won't this game flaunt both the laws of the country and what Lord Giovanni considers proper behavior in his home?"

Aziz has grown very pale again.

"Not to mention, I am hardly a fighting man! Though I picked up a few tricks while in the military I doubt I could reliably best you in combat, even if I got within striking distance."

Intelligence + Medicine to figure out a poison which would be unnoticable and easily dissolvable in wine: [roll0]
Perception + Alertness to see/remember where Lord Bajazet got his wineglass from.

[BenjCano]

Arsenic is nice and toxic and dissolves in alcohol. Getting some at a moment's notice, however....

Unfortunately, Bajazet put his goblet down on the table after Lord Giovanni's toast, and you are unable to remember precisely which one he raised in toast.

"It is too late to worry about propriety now, my friend. The game is on, and the longer you spend bleating at me like a sheep that smells the blood of its fellows at the slaughter, the less time you will have to play." Just then, the door into the servant's corridor opens, and a man in plain clothes approaches with a covered silver tray. He lifts the cover to reveal an hourglass with the finest, whitest sand Aziz has ever seen. With terribly grimness, Bajazet takes the glass and turns it upside down upon the long dining table. The sand begins to fall.

"I did not say you had to kill me, friend. Merely come close enough to do so without me spotting you. Now go."

[ereinion]

"Still, if you are serious about this game, I want to make sure of the rules. For instance, I suspect that you would not consider it a fair move if I claimed to strike the moment you turned your back on me in order to 'go forth and mingle with the other guests', even if it would be within the rules you've laid done so far."

"And what weapons, and what collateral damage do you consider acceptable, from what you've said so far it seems you want me to simulate a strike with a sword, a dagger, or a crossbow. But what if I said that I'd set up an explosive device in the neighbouring room, having timed the fuse so that it explodes when you enter? Would the chance of me having timed such a trap incorrectly, or the additional deaths it would be likely to bring disqualify me? Or my mere choice of weapon? After all, there are many ways in which I could bring about a man's death, without ever being within his spotting distance."

"These are things I need to know before I can come up with a proper plan for your demise."

Aziz tries a weak smile.

[BenjCano]

Bajazet grows less amused the more Aziz speaks. His faux joviality is gone, replaced by a stone-faced, dark-eyed brute of a man who looks more apt to kill someone for the slightest of sins, real or imagined, than clap him on the shoulder. "I know that you must be speaking, for I see your mouth move. But I cannot make out what the words might be, for instead of human speech, I hear the tiresome bleating of a sheep. You whine like a woman, Aziz. Now try to kill me or admit that you have already failed."

With that, he turns and steps away. But the two actions are accomplished with such swiftness, with such a blinding harmony of his body, that even if Aziz had wanted to try and lunge forward and touch him at once and claim victory, there was no chance of it happening. He walks away, to where Lady Theophana and Iskah are in an awkward pose, with Iskah seeming to pin the Greek woman-child against the table, and watches from a respectful distance.

[ereinion]

Aziz's quite confused by Bajazet's actions and words, but just in case he is serious about this... game of his, Aziz'll do his best to fulfill his wishes. He doesn't really believe that Bajazet will really kill him in such a public fashion, but if this rather macabre game of tag is what it takes to make him happy, it'll cost Aziz little to oblige.

Judging from the speed and alacricity al-Nasir just showed, Aziz doesn't really believe he has any chance of sneaking up on him, or to beat him in a fight if it comes to that. Still, if he only had access to his medicines he is sure that he could have killed the Lord, or at least sedate him, so that he can get in that "strike" Bajazet seems to want. It's too bad he doesn't have any such remedies with him. Oh, well, 15 minutes may have been too short a while for any such concoction to work anyway.

Pondering these questions, Aziz glances around the room, taking note of who's still there, before exiting. He then wanders the mansion for a while, trying to get a feel for the floorplan, and how many servants there are, taking especial note of those who serve wine and other refreshments to the guests. If he sees Lord Mieczyslav, he'll approach and greet him, provided that he doesn't seem too caught up with whoever he's conversing with.

Intelligence+Medicine - are there any common remedies for e.g. stomachaches or headaches, which both is likely to be in the possession of a country lord, and which can work as a strong sedative if enough is ingested? And which is reasonably tasteless? I guess you see where I am going with this? :smalltongue: [roll0]

Aziz will continue his reconnaisance for ~5 minutes before taking any new actions.

[BenjCano]

Based on the criteria you've given me, your best bet would be opium. It's expensive, but a man like Claudius Giovanni would certainly be able to afford it. He would probably keep it under lock and key; if he has a personal physician, that gentleman would almost certainly have access to it.

But if you're talking about raiding the kitchen for garden herbs...I personally don't know enough about that sort of thing to tell you authoritatively whether there are or are not common plants growing in this region that have analgesic qualities AND are relatively tasteless, so I'm just going to make one up. If there are any medical botanists in the audience, don't be too harsh on me.

The oil of the Wild Thorny Rose has mild analgesic qualities and has a taste that is very difficult to notice under strong and sour flavors, such as in much of Romanian quisine, or even wine, if you use a small enough dose.

Towards the end of the period of time he had devoted to private reflection and planning, Aziz noticed Lord Mieczyslav emerge from a doorway, through which, heavy shadows hang, but not thick enough that he cannot notice a long, twisting stairway leading into the bowels of the keep. Oddly enough, the mysterious Mieczyslav is wearing a leather apron over his robe and white surplice. His eyes meet Aziz's, and he gives the Turk a nod too deep to be merely cordial, but too slight to be mistaken for warm and inviting.

"Let me guess," says Lord Mieczyslav. "He wants you to come close enough to kill him."

[ereinion]

Ignoring the lord's strange attire, Aziz gives Lord Mieczyslav a deep and respectful bow in response to the one he receives.

"Yes, you are indeed correct Lord Mieczyslav, and if I fail at this it is then his turn to hunt me, and he threatened to kill me if I am found. Frankly I have little idea of how to achieve what he's asked, as this game he's suggested is somewhat outside of my area of expertise. I had an idea, but I am afraid that I'll struggle to implement it within the timeframe he set for me."

Having expounded on his worries to Lord Mieczyslav, carefully considers his words before continuing.

"From your guessing his actions, I take it this may not be the first time he's played this game? If I may be so bold as to ask, do you have any advice for how I can achieve this goal he's set for me? How have the people he's played with in the past managed to win?"

Aziz gives Tiberiu a sad smile.

"I am thinking that I would have been luckier to get to spend time with you instead, my lord, this game of tag is not to my tastes at all. It is too bad our preferences for company did not coincide."

While talking with Lord Mieczyslav, Aziz will keep a sharp eye out for any nearby servants of Lord Giovanni.

Hmm, time to make enemy number 2? :smalleek:

[BenjCano]

"Mmmmm" The Slavic lord makes a see-saw motion with a hand to Aziz's question about whether or not Bajazet has played this game before. "Many times we do not agree with one another, in our little company. I do not like the Turk, for reasons it would take a Bible's length to speak of here. But not liking him, that is not enough reason to spoil his game."

He appeared contemplative for a moment. A servant came with a bowl of water, and stood with head bowed while the lord washed his hands methodically. The water in the bowl was pink when he finished, and his hands glistened. "But you did not ask me for the answer, did you? You asked me for advice? Even Bajazet could not argue that if a man wanted to kill another, it breaks some rule in a book for him to ask another how if could be done...

"You will never get close to him yourself. He is quick as a cat and wary as a rabbit that eats at midday. So if a knife in the shoulders is out of the question, how else? Poison? Mmm. Yes, poison. You do not have any, do you? But you do not have a knife, either."

[ereinion]

Could that be... blood..?

Getting even more unsettled on seeing the water in the bowl turn pink, Aziz's mind turns back to Bajazet al-Nasir's threat for what will happen if the lord wins the game.

No, it is some coincidence, he has spilled a bit of wine or something similar. My past experiences makes me see horrors where there are none. Still, that apron, why is he wearing it...
[roll0]
Having been lost in these musings for a few seconds, Aziz gathers himself, before replying to Tiberiu.

"Thank you for your advice, my lord, your thoughts reflect my own, after what I've seen of Lord al-Nasir's abilities."

"Actually, I was trying to come up with a solution to that last conundrum you mentioned, and I think I may have come up with a solution. If you'll just excuse me for a second..."

Turning to the servant who just arrived with the bowl, Aziz says in his most commanding and imperious voice:

"You, there, in order to fulfill the wishes of the lord Bajazet al-Nasir, I will need you to take a tincture of opium from Lord Giovanni's supply, and mix in with whatever wine it is Lord al-Nasir drinks. One phial should probably do, but if you want to please us you could mix in two, to make sure it is enough. Now go, and let me now when you have fulfilled your duty."

Having made his demand clear and fervently hoping that the servant didn't know too much about the drug or had any other objections to his order, Aziz returns his attention to Lord Mieczyslav.

"I am sorry for all these interrupions, my lord, but I fear that even if this servant makes all possible haste in his errand," he furtively glances over to where the servant stood to see if he's still there, "there may not be enough time left to fulfill what Lord al-Nasir's asked of me. After all the concoction will need a little time to work, and I've already spent some time getting a feel of the layout of the manor, as well as talking with you."

"Time well spent, of course."

He smiles at Tiberiu, hoping that he found Aziz's small witticism at least a little amusing.

"Still, I fear that I've taken too long, even if I cannot see any other options that were available to me."

"So if you don't mind, would you let me keep you company 'till we see whether the servant fulfills his mission, or if Bajazet - sorry, Lord al-Nasir - comes to find me?"

Though attempting to appear appear calm, Aziz is practically shaking with fear, as he considers the now inevitable events he's set in motion.

Good lord, though Bajazet did ask me to kill him, what will happen to me if he actually drinks the wine? If people have been hanged for a little slander, I shudder to think what Lord Giovanni will do if he finds out I've killed one of his guests. Maybe I should try to acquire some opium or a knife for myself as well, that way I'll at least escape the torture...

Aziz's face, and other exposed skin, is starting to glisten from the cold sweat he's broken out in.

Dunno if I should make any other rolls here, to get the servant to do as I wish - sort of hoping that they have orders to fulfill whatever wishes the guests have, reinforced by the fact that Bajazet actually "wanted" me to kill him. Oh, and that he doesn't know that what I asked him to bring the Assamite (?) is a lethal dose.

If I notice anything in particular about the apron, I'd also like to make whatever roll could help me determine what it is.

If you don't mind, could you please make them for me, so I know my results before the next post? My sheet. (http://sheetgen.dalines.net/sheet/34476)

[BenjCano]

OK, the out of character stuff first. You rocked that Perception roll, so you can easily pick out that Lord Mieczyslav's apron is blood-stained. As for anything special about it, it's a leather apron. Some butchers wear them so their clothes don't get covered in blood and offal, and sometimes doctors performing the more gruesome surgeries do too, and for the same reasons. As far as anything else:

Perception+Crafts difficulty 9+1(untrained penalty): 2 Successes. (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4589014/) It's leather. But it's not cow leather, or from a sheep or goat or any other animal whose hide Aziz is familiar with.

"Just a moment," Lord Mierczslav instructs the servant who Aziz issues his command to. Obediently, the man stays still while the Lord retrieves a ring of keys from beneath his cassock, selects one of black iron, and hands it to the man. "This will save you the trouble of having to ask Lothar for access to the Jew's room."

The man scurries off, and even with the quicker access to the physician's stock allowed by Mierczlsav's generiosity, Aziz is painfully aware of the grains of sand running through Bajazet's hourglass. His companion is again stroking his face thoughtfully, as if he had a mustache or beard he is in the habit of grooming. "Of course, the odds that a house servant will be able to identify a tincture of opium at a glance makes the next few minutes interesting, don't you think? And if Ascher has labeled his stock in Hebrew, well I would say you are well and truly done, wouldn't you?"

[ereinion]

Becoming more and more flustered as the extreme bizarreness of the situation just keeps increasing, Aziz turns back and forth between the direction the servant went in and Tiberius.

"Ascher? Who on earth are you talking about? And that apron... No, no, nevermind that, I need to make what I've done right first. But is it really right, what I am planning to do?

Aziz looks imploringly at Tiberiu, not really expecting an answer.

"What has happened to me that I so casually play with Lord al-Nasir's life... Lord... Oh, please forgive me my lord, for my previous outburst, normally I wouldn't dream to address one as you so casually, it's just this dinner, and all that's led up to it is so... hariq (http://www.forvo.com/word/%D8%BA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8/)."

"Xara (http://arabic.desert-sky.net/coll_insult.html)! My lord is right, of course, I shouldn't have put so much trust in that servant. I will have to go after him - whether to stop him or to make sure he makes no mistakes, I do not know. It seems our conversation is cut short again, please have my deepest apologies."

Quickly scanning for the servant, Aziz sets out after him, walking as fast as he can without removing all sense of decorum.

Wow, I am rollling good when it comes to making Aziz even more jumpy :smallbiggrin: That was an untrained DC10 roll, wasn't it?

Hmm, I have been reading up a bit more on the rules after starting to make a character for a different game, and I am starting to wonder a bit about specialties (and if I have chosen good ones for myself). Will it be me or you who decides if I can use a given specialty for a roll? I assume you, but should I give an indication if I have a specialty which may apply to a roll? Keeping track of all the details of our character is probably a chore enough as it is :smallsmile: I also wonder if I get one specialty for each dot an attribute or ability is higher than three, or if I get one specialty for each of them, period. I think it was the former in earlier versions, but the information I find in the V20 rulebook (p. 96) doesn't really state how it works with the updated rules.

Additionally I wonder what your stance is on spending xp at this point of the story, this talk of Hebrew reminded me that there are still a couple of languages I want to know which I couldn't afford during character creation (yes, Hebrew is one of them, as well as Slavic and German at least). Alternately I wonder if I can retcon that I purchased the Natural Linguist + 4 language merits during character creation (I can't believe I missed that during character creation, it would have given me all my current languages + four others for the same cost that I paid for my 6 language merits :smalltongue:)

More or less guessing if that arab word I use is what I want to say, or if it's correctly spelled, but it was the best I could come up with from 20 minutes of googling.

As I set out after the servant, do I still see him/do I know where he is going? Otherwise I'd like to ask Tiberiu if he knows the directions to where the servant may have gone before leaving.

Sorry for the block of OOC stuff :smalltongue:

[BenjCano]

OOC stuff first: whenever I need to roll on your behalf, obviously I look at the character sheets, and if I notice a specialty recorded and it's applicable to the given situation, I use in my calculation of the results. If the time ever comes when you roll the die yourself and you think your specialty should apply, let me know in the OOC box and I'll decide if I agree with you or not. Same thing if I ever don't give you credit for a specialty you feel should have helped you; let me know about it.

I use the system where you get a free specialty if you hit 4 in an Ability.

As far as spending XP goes, I prefer to do it between chapters. I'll make a general announcement to the effect of: time to spend XP, people.

There's no trouble using your XP to buy a Merit after character creation as far as I'm concerned. After all, very shortly you'll be made into a vampire, and who's to say the blood won't affect chances on your mind, body, and personality?

After all of this, I'm going to have to disappoint you with a painfully short IC portion.

No sooner had Aziz set out after the servant that he realized that the path he would have to take would require that he cross into the dining hall again. Through the open doorway, he sees Lord al-Nasir, apparently engaged in watching the Lord Giovanni shouting at one of Aziz's companions; the mercenary Viktor, who has done something to deserve not only the shame of a public rebuke, but the presence of armed guards at his side as well.

Lord al-Nasir appears engrossed in the spectacle, and his back is to the door at which Aziz stands.

[ereinion]

One specialty at 4 and one at 5, or one free special total?

Would buying the merit "Natural Linguist" (V20, p. 485) have retroactive force, i.e. will I gain extra languages for the language merits I've already purchased? I can certainly see why not, just as I am sure that you can see that it was a mistake on my part not to purchase the abovementioned merit before investing 6 points in languages :smalltongue: As I mentioned above I would ideally change those 6 language merits into 4 language merits and the Natural Linguist merit, as that would give me 8 extra languages compared to the 6 I have now, but as I can see why you wouldn't want us to change our point expenditure after character creation, I can buy it with xp instead. In which case we return to the question of whether or not you'll allow it to work ex post facto.

Hmm, back to what my character is actually is doing at the moment... I don't suppose he says any conveniently placed blowguns or crossbows? :rolleyes: Might just attempt a sneak attack on al-Nasir in that case, I dunno if you'd allow me to strike the last paragraph?

And I don't think al-Nasir said that Aziz couldn't be seen, just that he had to manage to sneak up on him?

Gonna play things out as if the answers to the two questions above are true.

-edit- Oh wow, that last roll... :smallsigh: It's not a botch as long as there's at least one success, right..?
Seeing Lord al-Nasir again, the tension in Aziz's body rises, and even more so when he sees that one of the other guests from the in has been apprehended by Lord Giovanni's guards.

Viktor, was that his name..?

So he was in trouble too... Aziz hadn't really spoken much with the man, but he couldn't remember that he had seemed like a man who would cause any trouble, hadn't he warned that girl to be more cautious with her words? Of course, he had taunted that rich woman at the inn, innocent as it had seemed at the time, and he had been a soldier of fortune, and Aziz knew all too well that soldiers who had seen real combat didn't always behave as you might expect, the scarring didn't just occur on their skin. But right now he had no time to worry about anyone's fate but his own. Quickly deciding that he didn't want to risk sneaking up on Lord al-Nasir, he quickly glanced about him, in the vain hope that there might be a ranged weapon available to him.

[roll0]

Seeing that there's no ranged options available to him for attacking the Arab lord, and not really wanting to create another commotion while Lord Giovanni already is haranguing Viktor, Aziz hurries through the room, although he does make an effort to catch as much as possible of what is going on with what he is starting to suspect is a fellow victim.

[roll1]

[BenjCano]

Tell you what. We're coming up soon on the Embrace, so what I will do is allow everyone a one-time-only chance to adjust their character sheets after the start of game. If that means buying the Natural Linguist and recalculating your languages accordingly, then so be it.

As far as convenient ranged weapons, that would be a bit too much to hope for. There are some nice knives on the table you might be able to grab, if you like.

And yes, you failed. But you did not botch.

Aziz soon came within earshot of the scene playing out with Victor and the Italian mercenary, Lord Marchettus. It was not difficult, Giovanni was clearly doing his best not to scream at the young man.

"....as if I would better train a man to rob me and destroy my precious things," said Giovanni.

"Still," said Marchettus.

"As you like it. If he will beg now, then he will only lose a hand after the feast, and may have his life."

The hourglass is still on the table where Aziz left it. There is a distressing amount of sand left in the top of the glass. Not even five minutes remain. Perhaps not even two.

Perception+Alertness roll: failure (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4597723/). Aziz must have overestimated the amount of time he's spent walking in the corridor coming up with his plan.

[ereinion]

Remembering Lord Mieczyslav advice that he'll never get close enough to Bajazet to strike him, Aziz barely gives the notion of grabbing one of the knives and striking the Arab lord any thought at all. As he looks back up from the weapons, he notices the hourglass, left on the table by Lord al-Nasir, shivering as he sees that the top bulb is almost empty.

Panicking more than a little as he realizes that he has far less time left than he though, Aziz picks up his pace as he walks swiftly through the room, to then break into a run once he's out of the room.

Curses, I was sure that I had more time! How far away can the room of this jew be!

Speeding towards his destination, Aziz desperately searches for a way to obtain a wineglass and some wine before he gets there, not having to hunt that down afterwards will surely save him a minute or two.

Thanks!

And drat! Why don't I succeed at any of the rolls that matter!? :smallwink:

Perception + Awareness to hunt down a glass/wine. Dunno if an intelligence roll of some kind would be more appropriate? (8d10.hits(6)=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4598096/)

[BenjCano]

You find a wineglass effortlessly; if there aren't any out, then one is brought to you without delay. There's no sign of the servant, however.

[ereinion]

Scanning desperately for the servant, but failing to see him, Aziz's stress levels keep growing. In despair he attempts asking one of the servants for directions.

"There is an emergency! I have to get to where..." Aziz racks his brain, trying to remember the name Lord Mieczyslav used, "Ascher! stores his medicine, as quickly as humanly possible - quick, how do I get there?"

http://i.imgur.com/e7aPNCd.png (http://sheetgen.dalines.net/wiki/WikiDiceRoller?hash=998ef807)

Trying out different dice rollers, quite liked this one as it automatically subtracts ones (and can reroll 10s etc), but the linking leaves something to be desired.

[BenjCano]

Directions to the guest quarters are not difficult to come by, and none of the guards posted at the doorways deter Aziz as he sprints through the halls. Indeed, some of them are even all too pleased to open the door for him as soon as they see him round the corner or mount the flight of steps. Each slap of his feet on the stone floor, each beat of his heart is another grain of sand through al-Nasir's hourglass, another second closer to the time when, according to the rules of the game, he will be hunted, rather than the hunter.

The quarters of Adam Ascher, the physician, are unlocked and the door ajar. Past the threshold is a dark room cluttered with books. An ascetic monk's narrow bed is pushed into one corner, the better to make room for a massive worktable in the center of the room. A blue flame glows beneath a glass jar in which a liquid slowly boils, and from the rafters hang an apothecary's assortment of dried herbs both mundane and exotic. A dark wood cabinet stands open, in front of which the servant Aziz dispatched is holding up various glass vials with a confused look on his face. Each vial has a tiny white slip of paper pasted to it, on which are written letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

[ereinion]

Panting Aziz enters the room, relieved to finally have found it. Not wanting to even think about how little time is left, he walks up to the servant.

"I was wrong to send you here alone, when I think I can assume you have no training in either medicine or languages." *huff* "I don't suppose you've found it yet? If you'd give me some room to access the medicine I'll give you a hand in searching."

Aziz joins in searching for the opium, occassionally glancing over his shoulder to see if Lord Bajazet al-Nasir is approaching yet.

Aziz will attempt to identify which vials are opium, and then try to mix up a concoction of wine and opium strong enough to knock out a strong, fit man, but not strong enough to kill. I'm guessing on a Int+Medicine for the latter, not sure what you'd like for the former - wits + medicine? I'll leave that decision (and roll) to you. If this is post the sheet-revamp, Aziz will have Hebrew and Italian added to his languages, which I assume will help with this - if not - I guess he'll just have to build on the smell of the different vials, how it'd make sense to have them organized, general knowledge of languages (according to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic_language) Arameic is ancestral to Hebrew, so that might help) and so forth.

Kinda messed up the first roll (link (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4604470/)), not too familiar with Invisible Castle yet and its kinda early, so I did another one: Intelligence+Medicine (6d10.hits(6)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4604472/)

[BenjCano]

"I'm sorry, my lord," the servant replies. "This writing, it's all funny. I know what it looks like, but I can't find it." So grateful is the man that Aziz is not going to punish him for his failure that he points to a short line of vials on one side of the table, indicating that he has already inspected and rejected those six or seven. It will save Aziz the time, but there are still dozens more bottles to go through.

Fortunately for Aziz, Ascher is a meticulous keeper of his well-stocked apothecary, and within moments he deduces that the medicines are grouped by general type, and knowing this, he narrows his search down to a particular portion of the second shelf from the top...there! A small, green glass vial, three-quarters full and stoppered with cork and wax, bearing the label Poppy Extract.

Just as he is about to seize the 'poison,' the servant, who had remained by Aziz's side, gives a start and turns around to the spot where Aziz stands. "My lord! My lord! Where did you go?" he seems to look right through Aziz, not recognizing that he stands right before him, and then looks past, into the corners of the room, and into the hallway, perplexed and a little afraid.

Aziz feels a band of iron close around his throat, and he is jerked away from the cabinet and slammed against the wall, hard enough to drive the breath from his lungs. Bajazet al-Nasir holds the Turkish physician by the neck, and is slowly squeezing a pair of hands like the constriction of a great serpent. Meanwhile, the servant gives no indication that he sees any of this, by some black trick.

"You lose, apostate. You lose."

[ereinion]

Is it possible for me to speak?

[BenjCano]

Of course.

[ereinion]

Ah, ok, I was just a little bit unsure about how tight the stranglehold was.
Shocked from the sudden impact with the wall, and more than a little bewildered from the sudden appearance and violence of Lord al-Nasir, Aziz is barely capable of squeezing out a few words through Bajazet's stranglehold on him.

"The 15 minutes are up?" he wheezes. "It's a shame, I was almost starting to get invested in your game."

Though he is very muich puzzled and shocked at a lot of the behavior he's seen for the last few days, and maybe even more so by this bizarre game Bajazet's put him up to, he's got a strong impression from his previous interactions with the lord, that trying to snivel, grovel, or even apologize for failing right now would do more harm than good. Even though he senses that there's little point in it, he instead attempts to break free of Bajazet's grip on him.

I assume opposed Brawl+Strength for breaking a hold/clinch?

Untrained Strength+Brawl (1d10.hits(6)=0) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4607754/)

[BenjCano]

Lord al-Nasir swats away Aziz's unschooled efforts to break his grip, and adjusts his grip minutely. What was merely constrictive a moment ago becomes painful in a way almost impossible to articulate, as his powerful fingers compress the Turk's windpipe. Very quickly, his vision tunnels down in a tightening black grip, before he knows no more.

Aziz's fate shall be revealed shortly. Same question comes to you that came to the others; how is Aziz going to feel about this later? He had an excellent plan, with the poisoning and whatnot. Just time (and a rigged hourglass) were against him.

[ereinion]

Heh. I kinda doubt the poison would have worked, even if he'd ingested it, though I can't quite remember how vampires metabolize drugs :smalltongue:

Hmm, as to how Aziz'll react to this... More than anything he is puzzled by al-Nasir's behaviour. All through the last ~20 minutes he has wondered about why Bajazet acts in the manner he does, and whether or not he's been serious about his threats. As time has dwindled, he's gotten a bit more stressed, especially as Mieczyslav kinda hinted that he should make an effort in the game. Even so, I think that he right up until the end didn't really think Bajazet would attempt to kill him, and he would have relented himself, and attempted to just sedate Bajazet, instead of mixing a dose strong enough to kill him (well, kill a human).

So yeah, more puzzled by the whole thing than anything else :smalltongue: And probably very curious about al-Nasir's motivations.