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  1. - Top - End - #241
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    Safe House

    Having finished cleaning the scene of the skirmish and said goodbye to your final opponent, you depart for Gryphon's safe house. For the second time tonight, Raz' twilit spell envelops your bodies, shrouding your movements and protecting you from curious eyes. Within seconds, you all but disappear from each others' sight lines, leaving only the faintest of outlines to follow as you strike out across Throneport once more.

    Thankfully, the half-elf was not lying when he spoke of distance: with Maugrim now on board and making minimal disruption along your journey, you close in on the city's market, or at least this section of it. The buildings and streets here are notably cleaner and busier than Scuttle. Those of you intimately familiar with this city know that most of the shops and storefronts exist around the central intersection of Darroon Way and Barteros Street, but that the permanent curtain wall separating the zones means that the market coexists in the Port District, the Thrane Zone, and the Aundairan Zone under the names of East Market, West Market, and Lower Market respectively. It is the third of these fragments that you count as your destination this evening, and so your journey is a simple one.

    You arrive in a residential square, a well-trodden green dominated by the statue of a smiling saint with glittering alms in its outstretched hand. A few stalls remain open here despite the increasingly late hour, most of them serving up food and drink but you've passed a few more exotic transactions. Eventually, Gryphon reaches the landing of a stone and wood building at the end of a row of attached similar looking structures, inserting a key and escorting you in. The dining room and entryway are very and devoid of clutter, though there are crimson spider silk curtains hung up on the walls and a map of Khorvaire spread out across an entry table. The chairs are comfortable and the entire room appears like it was designed to put humanoids at ease but designed by someone who doesn't totally understand what puts humanoids at ease.

    The kitchen is packed with hanging bundles of drying herbs and jugs of different liquids used in alchemy. It looks like an overcrowded apothecary and if there's a method to the madness then only Gryphon seems to be able to understand it. Last but not least, the bedroom has a large bed with a very luxurious mattress - an evident indulgence allowed by the current tenant - and a cage one could keep small animals in, but is otherwise kept in meticulous order with no clothes lying about and the blanket folded and the bed made.
    Last edited by 3SecondCultist; 2020-07-07 at 09:06 AM.
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    Small Justice


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    "Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in the face of certain defeat."

  2. - Top - End - #242
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    Welcome. Gryphon steps inside the apartment, holds the door open with his right hand and extends his left arm pointing towards the interior of the domicile in a gesture of greeting. As they step into the apartment he mentally adds them one by one to the alarm spell he left up in the house as targets that can pass freely without setting off the abjuration magic.

    When the party steps filling into the apartment he rolls the map up off of the table. Please, sit. He says as he indicates the chairs around the table.

    He steps into the kitchen and after examining the jugs for a few moments nods at one, uncorks it, and pours the entirety of its contents into the cauldron squatting in the corner of the room. From the smell that wafts from the kitchen it appears to be a jug of fermented juice from some sort of drupe fruit.

    Gryphon waves his hand in a circular motion over the cauldron, casting Shape Water on the contents of the vessel. He freezes a great portion of the water in the fermented juice, instantly sending it through a process of freeze distillation. He plucks the large chunk of ice out of the cauldron now filled with hard liquor and tosses it into the wash bin.

    He squeezes a number of yellow citrus fruits imported from Xendrik into the cauldron and follows in off by pouring several large measures of a dark orange liqueur into the pot.

    He returns the ice to the new mixture and stirs it till the entire mixture is cold and then ladles 6 coupes full of his batch made Sidecar out and passes one to each of his guests (keeping the 6th for himself).

    During this whole procedure he cast Unseen Servant. Prepare and serve whatever foods my guests want from the kitchen and clean any dishes they finish with.

    Please, Gentlemen and Madam, if there’s anything you need simply ask.
    Last edited by (Un)Inspired; 2020-07-06 at 10:19 PM.
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  3. - Top - End - #243
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    Raz

    Whereas the luxury of the safehouse is mostly wasted on Raz, Gryphon's hospitality is certainly not. The shifter thankfully accepts the invitation into the house, and the universal gestures that follow it, with food and drinks being offered, and the host stepping into the role of a servant. The shifter responds to the generosity by reaching into his own pack, and retrieving two small pouches which he subsequently sets on the table. He carefully opens them to reveal and offer their respective contents to the group. While one contains an assortment of dried, seemingly ordinary forest fruit, strips of smoked and dried meat can be found in the other. If bringing your own food to the table when you are invited to someone else's house seems strange to some, those who have wandered the wilds might recognize the sharing as a traditional response of being allowed to sit at someone else's campfire.

    While he sits and waits for Gryphon to finish his duties as a host and join the group again, his eyes wander over the small crowd that has met here under seemingly random circumstances. He only met them a handful of hours ago, and yet he feels a certain comradery towards them. He is however fully aware of him barely knowing them, and does not indulge in the illusion that they keep him around for anything but his skills... and yet, he feels a bond forming.

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  4. - Top - End - #244
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    Kett takes the drink with a casual, non-committal 'thank you', but doesn't put it to her lips. While the likelihood of being poisoned or drugged was slim, there was no real reason to give Gryphon the benefit of the doubt given his background. Certainly wouldn't past him to spend an evening playing nice to pick off one or all of them, antidote already swimming in his system. She instead nurses it gently in one hand, staying on her feet and leaning against a wall with the whole room in front of her. Safer like that.

    "Shall we divvy up the coin? By my count if we're going even-steven then we're up about 40 gold apiece, give or take a few silver. That pretty little accessory would fetch some in with the right buyer, if we are selling." Her ignoring ('sidelining', if you wished to be kinder) of Maugrim continues unabated and she talks as if his presence can be safely ignored.
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  5. - Top - End - #245
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    As they enter Gryphon's home and are gently introduced by their guest, Arimart accomodates himself on one of the seats, looking at the others and considering what to do. After all, he completed part of his mission, but still has to bring him to Thronehold Castle, and that means passing the Karrnathi zone.

    "One problem at a time"" ha says to himself when Gryphon serves drinks. He looks at Raz gestures, finding it a bit out of context, but giving him some idea on where he may have spent the previous parts of his life.
    For a moment, Arimart feels like he is still living in Sharn, playing cards with his friends from the Sharn City Watch. All in all, the situation looks comforting, and the paladin listens to Kett consideration with a more... relaxed mind. Whether it's due to the drinks or to the satisfaction of having found Maugrim, he is not sure.

    "Well, I'd still have to pay you as we agreed, but if you are willing to split what we found as those group of traveling adventurers I heard of, I'm fine with taking your pay off of my part. Anyway, I think we have more things to discuss. At least some of us have business to take care of, considering what happened at the Speckled Hen and with the Midnighters" He says, looking at Kleris, then he raises his glass emptying it. "We may need some planning for tomorrow, don't you think?"
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  6. - Top - End - #246
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    Kleris looks around happily as they walk into the posh safehouse, taking the drink and periodically chilling the glass over the next while as it warms with prestidigitation. He periodically calls on the servant for refills but other then that satisfies himself with a bit of bread and dried meat. "This isn't too shabby, nice drinks, nice decor, and lots of protection. My thanks for opening your home to weary travelers."

    'A proper guest wouldn't keep secrets like you are. He deserves the guest rights...'

    He waves away the thought of Kleros with slight mental exertion.

    He nods to Kett "Well like I said I'm pretty gold hungry right now so that works for me. I would also be in favor of selling that little trinket for the same reason."

    He sighs and slugs back the drink, waving for the servant after, and runs his hand through his hair which has come loose again to his irritation. He pulls it out and starts to tidy it up again as he talks "Don't remind me. there is a lot to do to get all these plans on track into one. I still want to help the Speckled Hen, help provide a place for the workers there and honor Jhory. After meeting with the Midnighters and learning more throughout the night though... especially with that plan we pulled out of our asses with Clervec...

    The more I thought about it after that kind of worked, the more I realized that it is doable. It would be something that could do some good for those I wanted to help but also us. However with the short deadline that's a lot to do. I need to meet my contact with the Daughters, meet the owner of the inn to make the pitch, actually get back to the inn to organize it, and then meet with the Midnighters again to off load the gear from the Warforged and get your helm which can hopefully lead to them joining this... web of contacts or whatever. Not to mention the longterm plans involved with something like this."


    He sighs again, looking older then ever. He slouches down in his seat "I'm going to need a real long rest honestly."
    "Facilis Descensus Averni." - Virgil, The Aeneid

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  7. - Top - End - #247
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    Maugrim, who has stayed quiet as you've entered the 'safe house', frowns openly at Gryphon curating cocktails, an expression that is only exacerbated by the informal nature of your meeting. "What is this, enlisted men and women drinking on the job? I thought better of you! Get rid of that poison, and let us make our final preparations for the defense." He reaches to swat away the nearest drink - which happens to be Kleris' - when Raz steps in.

    A few quiet words about 'needing the morale' and that the commander 'should rest while his subordinates takes care of his equipment' later, and a mollified looking Maugrim trudges over to the nearby couch to start taking off what passes as his armor. As the shifter helps to collect the time-worn pieces of metal, the dragonmarked senior eventually nods off back into a semblance of sleep.
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  8. - Top - End - #248
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    Gryphon breathes an inner sigh of relief as Raz cajoles the old man into relaxing. The last thing I need is a delusional human with a sharp stick trying to order people around in my apartment.

    You invited that old human here! Whatever happens to our den because of him is all your fault!

    Ignoring his familiar, Gryphon turns to Kleris. Thank you For your compliments Mr. Kleris. As long as we are all working towards shared ends then you are all welcome to as much of my hospitality as you desire. I shall keep the fou- Gryphons eyes flick to Maugrim, five of you included in the Abjuration magic I have surrounded this house with so that you may come and goes safely. You’re all, of course, welcome to spend the night here but before we start relaxing too much I believe we should lay out something of our concerns for tomorrow. Saying that he picks up a piece of the dried fruit on the table, takes a bite of it and twists the normally somewhat sinister expression on his face into a friendly smile towards the shifter.

    Now it seems we have several time sensitive matters to attend to. Without a particular regard for order of importance we must bring Nameless to the tribunal, sell and divide our treasure, retrieve Prosecutor Kaessel’s Helmet, and begin making both inquires and pitches regarding ownership of The Speckled Hen.

    Unless there’s anything I’m forgetting then I believe that covers our shared concerns. While I have things I’d love to spend my treasure on and I’d hate to see The Midnighters sell the helmet before we retrieve it; The tribunal and the tavern appear to be the more pressing matters.

    The Warforged who butchered The Speckled Hen didn’t seem to be hunting for us directly and while I do have a lead in uncovering more information about the attack, mercenaries will be coming for us as long as we are with the “Commander”,
    gryphon gestures towards the sleeping human, therefore prudence orders our actions thusly:

    First, we deal with the tribunal
    Second, we deal with the tavern
    Third, we rescue the helmet
    Fourth, we split the treasure.

    What do you think about that organization, Prosecutor?
    Last edited by (Un)Inspired; 2020-07-08 at 01:23 PM.
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  9. - Top - End - #249
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    "Well, first of all, we have to understand if we are all going to keep our... Alliance going. It seems like fate brought us together, and I, for one, believe we have some loose ends to take care of.

    The paladin stops for a moment, looks at sleeping Maugrim and considers Gryphon analysis.

    "I concur with your assessment. Bringing Maugrim to the tribunal is of the utmost importance, even more considering what we discovered.
    I believe that our fellow Kleris concerns about the Speckled Hen are dependant on the willingness of everyone here to split this... 'treasure', as you called it, and keep on staying in touch. To be honest, I'm quite worried by those warforged, and would have liked to investigate more on that matter if not for my more pressing concerns.


    The half-elf looks at his glass again, then eats a fruit before speaking again.

    "To be honest, I'd prefer if we bring Maugrim together to the Tribunal, since you all showed how capable you are. But I won't ask you to risk your lives again just to escort us."
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  10. - Top - End - #250
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    She listens casually to the plans, still not taking a drink. "Told you I don't leave jobs half-done, and I will take that chunk of your share for payment. Shedding the deadweight -" she points to the now snoozing old man "should be the first priority, I agree. Given how tonight has gone I expect we'll find two invading armies and an infestation of lycans on our way there, but I'm sure our luck's got to turn around at some point. " A wry joke, perhaps.

    The stuff about Warforged and the inn didn't interest her at all, though she kept that to herself. No sense in injecting that contrarian point where it wasn't needed. She'd be lost to the shadows as soon as she's used them up for all they're worth to her and Arano.

    "I'm guessing a place like this isn't exactly flush with beds," She glances towards what looks to be the one bedroom, then eyes the group with pretend skepticism for a moment, "or privacy. Once our talks are concluded tonight I'd certainly feel more comfortable heading back to my own residence for the night. No offense boys."
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  11. - Top - End - #251
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    I understand your bedding concerns Madam Kett. If you do decide to stay till morning then you’re welcome to the privacy of the bedroom while the rest of us sleep out here in the living room. Of course, I doubt anyone would begrudge you the comfort of your own bed if you do decide to return to your residence before the end of the night.

    Gryphon drains his third drink and breathes out slowly.

    As far as arriving at the Tribunal tomorrow without any sort of unpleasant interference, I have come up with a plan.

    First, you should all know that I possess a magical container that I can fit a person into with a bit of contorting. If we put Nameless into the vessel he will be able to survive in it for 10 minutes and he can be carried unobtrusively on my back without it looking as though I was carrying any more than my shoulder bag here.
    Gryphon displays the bag he has slung from his left shoulder.

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    Now you may notice, Gryphon points out as he spreads a map of Throneport across the table, that this apartment is 2 miles to the Throneport Gate past the Karnathi District. It would be almost impossible to run from here to there in under 10 minutes. Even a faster runner than I would encounter the risk of being stopped by guards along the way and our Dear Maugrim might suffocate while the runner was being forced to share their papers.

    At this point Gryphon has made it about halfway through another cocktail. He runs his forked tongue, somewhat unnervingly, across his lower lip as he collects his thoughts and continues with his plan.

    What I propose instead is this. Tomorrow at 11:10am we will gather outside of this residence. We’ll get Nameless into my bag but not seal it closed so he can still breathe. I will Conjure 2 magical Steeds for the four of you. You’ll ride two abreast, Prosecutor Kaessel and Mr. Raz atop one; Mr Kleris and Madam Kett astride the other. With this division each beast will have a rider that can handle animals well; each pair with have a deadly ranged combatant and a deadly melee combatant; and each pair will have someone Charismatic enough to talk their way out of trouble.

    You’ll all set off together and ride to the Throneport Zone past the Karnathi. With the addition of the horses you should be able to out talk, out fight or outrun anyone trying to hinder you from getting to the Tribunal.

    Thirty minutes after the four of you set out I will close my bag and take off into the air. I mentioned that I can fly didn’t I? When the situation calls for it, I can fly fast enough to arrive at the Throneport gate in 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

    I’ll spend 30 seconds flying straight up, achieving an altitude of 600 feet. It will be exactly noon when I’m flying so even if someone tries to look up into the sky to spot me they’ll be staring straight up into the sun. I’ll spend the 7 minutes and 30 seconds flying to the district with the Tribunal and then spend a final 30 seconds to descend for a total flight time of 8 and a half minutes.

    I just need you to make sure that by the time I arrive the tribunal is expecting me so that I’m not arrested on landing. Beyond that, I only need you to pick an appropriate drop-off meeting point, Prosecutor.
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  12. - Top - End - #252
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    Kett would like to say she was surprised by the plan, but it was the exact sort of precisely calculated sequence of events that she'd have expected from someone sheltered like Gryphon. A stark mirror of a young Kett in that regard. There was a distinct expectation that it would collapse at the first or second hurdle and by going it alone there was no way for the rest of the party to accommodate or assist. Brave, bold, naive. If it failed there'd be no blowback on her and hers, and removing him from the board could work out nicely.

    She keeps any comments, positive or negative, to herself, instead adopting an encouraging smile.
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  13. - Top - End - #253
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    Raz

    The shifter raises an eyebrow as Gryphon presents his elaborate plan. Chewing on a somewhat stringy piece of elk meat jerky, he thinks about the nuances of the suggested way of handling things. In a way, Raz envies Gryphon for his creativity, as he himself would have never come up with such an intricate plan. Yet, he feels hesitating about a few parts here and there. Insecurities that bring him back to the reasoning behind it all, and what greater schemes would be going on in the background. He swallows down the meat and takes a sip of the fruity but strong cocktail to let it wash the salty taste away, noting that he should not drink too much. After all, he does not know these people that well. Or at all.

    "Yes, that sounds like a great Plan A," he acknowledges the plan. "And I would suggest that we answer a few questions before diving deeper into it. Does anyone know who this person is who send the elves after us?" When he says anyone, his glance briefly seeks Arimart's, just as if to note 'I know that you know'. After all, Raz had noticed how Arimart had stumbled slightly upon hearing the name earlier.
    Last edited by Niobaran; 2020-07-10 at 05:27 AM.

  14. - Top - End - #254
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    Kleris looks at Gryphon as he lists out the plan and he pauses as the others weigh in, "Well... why should we split up? Wouldn't it be better to all stay together then have the single person with the precious cargo strike out away from any possible help? If we get delayed then you would be in a lot of danger and if we get caught out and our magic steeds get destroyed or something we couldn't meet you. If you get waylaid by others looking for Maughin, or the law disagreeing with random flyers, then the prosecutor and the rest of us wouldn't be able to smooth things over or apply... slight use of force. Could you conjure a third steed instead so we can all go together rather then fly? The bag to store him seems like a great idea and I think should be the lynchpin of whatever we do tomorrow.

    I am with Kett though about possibly stopping at home. No offense to staying here but there is some stuff at my place I wouldn't mind grabbing, this night has been a big lesson on choosing function over form."
    "Facilis Descensus Averni." - Virgil, The Aeneid

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  15. - Top - End - #255
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    Listening to Gryphon's plan and the first considerations on it, Arimart reflects on the situation.

    "I believe that the plan could be good, but flying is not always a good choice when in the city limits. After the accident of the Sharn tower of Crusaders four years ago, the regulations against in-city flying became harsher, and using the sunlight as a cover can only get you so far. Besides, I'm not sure I like the idea of stuffing an old man into a bag. Even if I can recognize the usefulness of it."

    The paladin raises, and starts walking around, with his hands on his back.

    "There are a couple of places at Thronehold where we can safely meet, if we want to split up. But staying together does have its advantages. The bag trick could be used just before passing the Karrnathi district, to ensure we can reach our destination as fast as possible..."

    Arimart, while thinking at the various possibilities, decide to answer Raz question, looking at him directly.

    "I know a woman who goes by that name. She's a colleague and I wouldn't want to express accusations before knowing the truth behind the situation. For now, let's just consider the Karrnathi zone a place to travel as fast as possible. Does any of you, apart from our illustrious prisoner, have contacts in house Deneith?"
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  16. - Top - End - #256
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    Flying in a restricted area with only a meager budget of time without any support certainly leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth. Gryphon tries to recalculate his plans. This wasn’t the time to let ego further complicate this. They may feel like getting the old man to the tribunal was the operation but for the young half-elf it was merely a means to an end. The old man arriving successfully is only tangentially related to my mission. How do I help do this their way?

    I can Conjure as many beasts as we need but they each take 10 minutes to shape and they only last for an hour.

    Prosecutor, whether or not your colleague is related to this matter; do you think you can get us through the Karnathi Zone without getting stopped?
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  17. - Top - End - #257
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    "It's... possible, but we can be sure. House Deneith has no love lost for me and the other prosecutors of the Tribunal, since some of them believe we are more competitors than colleagues. But the Deneith Wardens are tasked with keeping the law in the city, and they would not provoke an incident by being directly hostile to a member of the Tribunal. But..."

    Arimart turns to look at Maugrim, then looks at Gryphon again.

    "His presence may complicate things. Apart from putting him in your bag, which cannot be a long term solution, do we have some way to disguise his appearance?"
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  18. - Top - End - #258
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    "If you want to skip out on, or add to, some magic, I'm halfway decent with a makeup brush." Kett volunteers. "Cake on a layer or two, I could probably make him look like any of us. Well, except me or Raz, perhaps. I'm not a miracle worker." She twiddles the fingers of one hand, making fun of the spellcasters with a casual tease. "May need to borrow some different clothes, and someone probably needs to convince him to get rid of the armour." It certainly wasn't going to be her.
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  19. - Top - End - #259
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    As a response to both Arimart and Kett Gryphon replies At the risk of seeming Braggadocios I can turn Nameless invisible for up to an hour at a time. I could conjure us three steeds and we could have the old man hogtied and invisible, slung across the back of the third with one of us riding it.
    Last edited by (Un)Inspired; 2020-07-12 at 01:58 PM.
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  20. - Top - End - #260
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    Kleris nods to Gryphon as he lays out a couple addendums to the plan "That works a lot better. I like that. If we need disguises I can use some illusions if we stop. It is a lot harder to maintain them on the horses. However I have an unlimited amount of illusions."

    He stands up after a bit more discussion and bows to Gryphon "Thank you for your hospitality Gryphon. I hope we can break bread again. I will be back in the morning to see all of you."

    He nods to the rest and starts to head out back home. After a few blocks he finds an out of the way place to block off with illusions and quickly change forms before slipping out back into the street.
    Last edited by GameOfChampions; 2020-07-12 at 02:58 PM.
    "Facilis Descensus Averni." - Virgil, The Aeneid

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  21. - Top - End - #261
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    The Handoff

    The shockwave cuts through the grey early air of Throneport, a deep-bass rumble that heralds disaster. It wakes each of you, shaking stone and rattling glass. The noise spares neither the modest apartment in the East Market nor the ships or other slums of the Port District as it ripples out across the city. Out in the streets, bricks quake and statues quiver as the force passes by. At the docks, a small wave flows outward, growing in size before finally dissipating against the incoming morning tide. Those already out and about their business -the clerks and shop-owners, who ready themselves for the day's customers - stop what they are doing and stare in utter bewilderment. The entire event is over within a few seconds, sound and fury gone as quickly as it came.

    The distant screams, on the other hand, go on for several minutes before fading into a final silence.

    From the roofs at the heart of the Karrnathi zone come spilling out keening wails and a thick black pillar of smoke. They cannot be ignored, and within a matter of fifteen minutes near every person on the street or in their homes has opened their doors or windows to watch blankly as the horror unfurls. Although those of you still in Gryphon's house remain ignorant to the immediate cause of the events, as the hour passes and the word comes inexorably down the line, a changeling apostate of the Dark Six and a human agent of an elven dragonmarked house pick up the rumors: a man matching the description of Maugrim Nameless was positively identified leading a group of soldiers in some sort of explosive guerilla attack against the Hammer and Sword, a club for Karrnathi veterans of the Last War in a moderately upscale neighborhood. And as both of them make their way back to Gryphon's place, they see the first of the morning's leaflets, printed by Sivis scribes and distributed in every public place. Nothing, as they say, travels faster than bad news.

    Maugrim Nameless is now wanted for acts of domestic terrorism and over forty counts of murder. He is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous, and anyone approaching him should be prepared to kill him on sight, no questions asked. There is a reward of 1500 gold galifars for anyone who can bring his verifiable dead body in to the Karrnathi consulate in Kor'Isken. The warrant also mentions 'at least five' subordinates with him, who the warrant says can be brought in 'dead or alive' for 300 galifars apiece. Their description is decidedly more scant, but several of the papers that Kett and Kleris spot make note that all suspects are human-like, four men and a woman. Finally, there is an unfortunately accurate portrait of Maugrim, though it seems to be somewhat dated and looks to have been made at least a few years ago.

    At Gryphon's abode, shouts and noises can already be heard outside. Though nobody seems to have figured out exactly what's going on, the chaos of the manhunt is already underway. Arimart is momentarily distracted by a familiar voice in his ear - the result of a long range messaging spell used by the Tribunal before - meanwhile both Gryphon and Raz notice Maugrim himself, who is awake and in the middle of the room now, curled up at the base of the chair, eyes wide open in dread.

    "The red wolves are coming," he whispers, "the red wolves are coming..."

    Spoiler: Arimart
    Show
    The very rushed words of the Sending spell come from Nyctessa Orolain, an Aundairian and your counterpart as the defense attorney working for the Tribunal (who incidentally would have been made privy to your existing assignment here, as Lann likes to play fair): "Nyctessa here! ExplosioninWolf'sRest, fortytwodead. Namelesssuspected - divinersscryingforhim - Karrnathiblockingoffcastleaccess - bringhiminquickly."

    Arimart has the chance to reply to Nyctessa, though the reply must be kept within 25 words.

    Spoiler: OOC
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    So now we begin the last segment of the Nameless chapter, our 'pilot episode' if you will. I wrote the post with a few narrative contrivances in mind: first, that Kleris and Kett heard enough of what was going on as they made their way through the Throneport streets, and second that they would have made it to Gryphon's place within an hour or so of the explosion and the warrants starting to be distributed. Thanks to Amnestic and GameofChampions, and my apologies for temporarily god-modding your characters to service the overall story.

    Now, your goal is to get Maugrim Nameless to Thronehold Castle. You've come up with some really excellent plans... but I rather think that I've gone and poured some burning oil over them a bit, really heated things up. To make things interesting, I am going to run this section of the game as a Skill Challenge. If you don't know what a skill challenge is (because like me, you might not have ever played 4E D&D), I invite you to read this link and/or watch this excellent video. Basically, a skill challenge is a way of resolving a long and complex task by using player skills creatively. I as the DM give you a goal and provide obstacles on the way to that goal, and you as players have to use your characters' skills to get out of them. I think the video explains it best.

    The gist of this challenge is this: you will need to take Nameless alive to Thronehold Castle as quickly and quietly as possible, with the knowledge that I will throw obstacles and threats at you. I won't tell you exactly how many or what kind they are in advance, but there will be problems that occur during your run. There will be enough challenges that each of you should get to try at least once. Now, normally in a skill challenge there are a set number of successes and failures. However, in this one it's sort of a race against time - the Karrnathi are building a blockade and are intent on fighting both Maugrim and you, and the longer you take, the more entrenched their defenses will be. In layman's terms, there will be a combat encounter at the end of this road, and how hard it is depends on how many obstacles you fail to overcome in the skill challenge. Failing 0 means that the fight will be a breeze. Fail 1, and it gets a bit harder. Fail 2 or 3, and well... good luck.

    There are a few other details and I'm sure you'll have questions, but I can answer those in the Discord.
    Last edited by 3SecondCultist; 2021-04-11 at 05:46 PM.
    Spoiler: Stuff I'm Working On
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    Small Justice


    An ongoing web serial about politics, vengeance, and miniature lizards. Go check it out!

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    You divine bastard.

    "Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in the face of certain defeat."

  22. - Top - End - #262
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    As the ruckus of the morning wakes him up, the Khoravar needs a moment to understand if the noise is coming from the inside or from the outside, and if the culprit is Gryphon's good stock of alcohol, or something else.
    After things starts slowly to clarify, especially with Kleris and Kett return, Arimart feels a dreadful sensation on the back of his mind. This is definitely something far greater than he expected, even worse then the operation to arrest Lord ir'Verran.

    As he hangs in fron of a window, trying to reason on what to do next, Nyctessa words reach his mind, leaving open place for an answer. The paladin leaves the window and walks at the center of the room, to reach his other companions, while answering to Nyctessa message with one of his own. "Nameless indubitably innocent, package ready to deliver. Will need help. Dispatch a team at the Karrnathian border, not to engage but to wait for us."

    As he reaches the rest of the group, he speaks to Gryphon, his voice betraying the need for quick action: "Looks like we need to change our plans. What protection do you have against scrying?" As he waits for the fellow Khoravar to answer, Arimart notices the scared Maugrim for the first time. "Because we need them now," he says, pointing at the old veteran, "people is already looking for him!"
    Last edited by CozJa; 2020-07-14 at 06:49 PM.
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  23. - Top - End - #263
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    Evening Retirement

    With a nod and a pleasant goodbye she bids the group farewell, leaving her still untouched drink for the magical servants to clean up. Outside she quietly watches Kleris vanish into the dark of night before heading down her own path. She takes a casual approach, strolling with no haste or cares. Those who might be watching would have already seen her go in and out again, and she didn't want to give any excuse to those who weren't watching to pay attention. She was in her natural element here, and the quiet sounds of a city after dark soothed her. The night hadn't gone quite how she'd intended of course, but such was life. She'd ingratiated herself well with Arimart and chances are she'd find a use for the others soon enough. They were getting use out of her, after all. It was only fair.

    Mercifully she didn't have any more distractions on the way back to her cabin - the few sailors still awake greeting her merrily as she did the same. She retires to her cabin for a scrub of both herself and her clothes, before collapsing into bed. When she dreams, she dreams of Arano and Lia and her. They're at a place that's not home now but will be home. Pleasant images, warm feelings. All as it should be. It's a peaceful sleep. One far too peaceful, perhaps, for someone with scores if not hundreds of kills to her name, but if the bones of the dead were needed to pave a path for her family's safety then she'd keep stepping over them to get there. For as long as it took.

    Early Morning

    Being below decks there's no dawn to wake her, but the sailors shifting about the ship do a decent enough job of it. They at least had work to do first thing. Quietly she curses the morning come and the loss of the dream, but she did have things to do today. The explosive shockwave of noise rolls over the ship just as she's preparing to wash again. She holds for a moment as she hears a rush of movement outside the cabin but as it passes she returns to her morning activities. It was probably important, of course. Possibly related to her in some way, though given Throneport it could be some other entirely unrelated explosion from some other act of duplicity and espionage gone out of hand, and if she wasn't under immediate threat there didn't seem to be much of a rush.

    While the ship is temporarily abuzz with activity she taps her temple with two glowing fingers, and immediately watches the dark slip into greyscale. Her vision now accustomed to the black of the cabin, she quietly grabs a few bites of food and dresses herself. One advantage of an all-black ensemble was that everything always matched, even if you get dressed in the dark. Washed, fed and clothed she gently sits on the floor of her bed cross-legged. Meditation had been the hardest part of her skill learning - emptying her mind had never worked, and it was only after weeks of failure that she discovered the empty mind wasn't what she needed, it was the focused mind. While those who trained her had drilled into her about letting go of attachments and letting her spirit expand, she instead found the best method was to drill on something repetitive - punches, kicks, combination attacks. She ran through all of the standard moves one after another, playing out scenario after scenario in her head as she felt the energy she'd just spent return to her, flowing down her arms and legs, gleaming around her eyes. They gained a touch of grey when she had her darkvision active, she was told, but it was barely noticeable against their natural colour. Perhaps only Arano had ever noticed it. Few others spent much time staring into her eyes. Few that lived to tell about it anyway.

    Once she's back in full fighting form the stroll on her deck and a quick interrogation of the crew give her all the information she needs. It's funny, she thinks, though she keeps her expression neutral and thoughts to herself. She doesn't hurry back to Gryphon's - they weren't going anywhere, and she didn't really want to attract attention, though most people weren't paying attention to her. She casually inserts herself into a few conversations as she goes by to see if the information changes, but there's five stories for every three people, and it's only when she obtains the news pamphlet that she gets a clear picture as to the turn of events that has now fallen into her lap.

    She buys a light fried pastry to chew on as she enters the square where Gryphon's home sits. Probably wouldn't get to eat much for a while. It's delicious, and she spends a moment chatting to the seller about the recipe in case she wanted to try making it at home. The warm chocolate filling oozes sweet taste and puts her in the mind of when she and Arano's extended family were all holed up in the blizzard to end all blizzards, quietly trading jokes around the fire as they huddled together for warmth and comfort. With half the pastry in one hand and the pamphlet in the other, she finally knocks on Gryphon's door - great resounding bangs of knuckles that demand attention, then calling into the building "Rise and shine lazybums! Newslady here with all the fresh info to make you cry into your porridge!"


    Spoiler: Kett's Early Morning
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    Kett casts Darkvision on herself and then spends a quiet 30 minutes meditating along with some other casual activities to get her ki back. Yes, she has absolutely zero haste about this.
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  24. - Top - End - #264
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    As Kett and Kleris leave his home office, Gryphon addresses his Unseen Servant as he puts back another drink.

    Bring blankets and spare pillows out from the bedroom closet for my guests.

    He turns to Arimart and Raz, Gentlemen I’ve got a bit of business I’ve got to take care of in private before we conclude the evening so I hope you won’t think me an inconsiderate host if I take the bedroom now that the lone madam has decided to lodge elsewhere.

    Mr. Raz I’d love to speak with you for a moment in the kitchen, regarding the offer I made you earlier in the night, before we retire for the our rest. Sleep well Prosecutor Kaessel.


    Spoiler: Gryphon talking to Raz
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    Mr. Raz, I hope you don’t mind me calling you that I don’t know your family or clan name if you go by one, I mentioned that I’d like to offer you a job. While pursuing other ends I run a business out of this office selling my services as a magician and a potion maker. Most of the work has ended up being functioning as something of an investigator using my divination magic... and some non-magical skulking about.

    After seeing the sharpness of your senses, your expertise in subterfuge, the unique magical skills you possess and your lethality when fights break out; I’d like to offer you a position as my partner in this enterprise. The money has, thus far, been very lucrative and with the skills you bring to the table the amount of jobs we could take on only increases.

    In addition to the magic I can cast I’m no slouch in the subterfuge department and I have a strong customer base in this district along with this office as an established workspace.


    After speaking with the Shifter, Gryphon captures a final bottle of green mint and fennel infused alcohol from his kitchen; makes sure his guests have all the bedding they need; walks into his bedroom and closes his door.

    What a night. Gryphon thinks to himself between gulps of the liqueur directly from the bottle while whistling under his breath the tune the minstrels were playing in the Speckled Hen hours ago. At least I’m finally going to meet the tribunal tomorrow. Ugh that means I need to dress for the part.

    If you want to be an ambassador you have to look the part. Do you really want all the humans to think you’re just an evil magician from a land of monsters?

    Gryphon ignores his serpentine partner and takes his hand mirror out from his bag. He strips down to his hose and pours some water out into a basin next to his bedside table. He runs his hands through his dyed-black hair a few time before he Shapes Water the liquid in the basin into a cloud of steam and directs it up into his hair. Using a combination of the steam and the cleaning function of the Prestidigitation spell he meticulously strips all the black dye from his hair.

    Looking in the mirror he observes his hair’s natural honey color with a frown of disappointment.

    You look like a little orphan I used to know from Stormhome. He directs the steam back into the basin and picks out a fresh outfit of clothes from his closet for the next day. White formal wear with gold embroidery; a drastic contrast from the somber colors he typically wears.

    By the time he drifts off to sleep he’s cradling the half empty bottle, quite drunk.

    The cacophony outside wakes Gryphon so dramatically that he nearly falls out of bed. He rubs his temples trying to battle the hangover he’s feeling. He starts his day by casting Shape Water several times over his basin of water; First, coloring it deeply dark grey, shaping it into a solid pair of sunglasses and freezing it into place. He puts on the sunglasses letting the cold arms of the ice cool the sides of his head while the dark lenses keep out the bright morning light. He puts on the outfit he layed out last night, cast Mage Armor on himself and renews the Alarm spell around his apartment.

    He steps out into the main area of his apartment tugging at his outfit and looking sheepishly uncomfortable showing his guests his current look.

    Spoiler: Gryphon’s Current Look
    Show


    Gryphon’s sunglasses almost fall off his face when he hears Arimart.

    Theres nothing I can do to stop Scrying without a good deal of diamond dust that I don’t have here. Keep the windows closed and if we need to open the door only open it for an instant. If they could pull off a Scry-and-Die on us we’d be wiped out. Anything solid, even windows will stop quite a few other divination sensors so keep them closed and draw the curtains. If they’re looking for our number of people and they know what Maugrim looks like I can turn him and one other person invisible so that we don’t appear to be what they’re looking for.
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  25. - Top - End - #265
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    Morning Routine

    Sask yawns and stretches happily, he had returned to the inn as Mary the Barmaid who did part time work there and had an on again, off again thing with Kleris. He liked to pick up a few shifts every now and then to listen in on the other staff, regulars, and innkeeper. Make sure they weren't gossiping about the half elf who kept odd hours constantly.

    She gets up and pulls on her shiftweave which was in her working clothes; a loose white blouse to show off her toned shoulders, a brown leather corset belt under the chest, a thick dark red woolen skirt, and calf length leather boots. After everything is on she frowns, she didn't have time to leave and throw off the innkeeper. Kleris needed to meet up with the group shortly.

    She quickly starts to change her form from the young human women to a slightly older half elf male. The shiftweave starts to change as well, turning to comfortable leathers and wools. After a second Kleris is pinning back his hair. When the hair is up he starts pulling out the armor, he sighs happily as he pulls it out. The mithral armor is light and protective. Pulling it on feels so much better then wearing that butchered breastplate the day before.

    With the armor all on he attaches his longsword to one hip, his shield to the other, and the halberd on his back. He was ready for everything, if they were riding the halberd and on the ground a sword and shield. He strides out of the room in full gear, heading down the stairs. He nods to the dwarven innkeeper and leans over the bar "Hey Tholgaen, Mary wanted me to tell you she can take those shifts later in the week but is busy the next few days, she rushed out before the crack of dawn to go meet her family for something."

    As he starts to head back to Gryphons he starts to hear more about the explosion that happened that morning. Flyers being handed around, people looking for Nameless and the rest of them. It was... not great news.

    With the Group

    Kleris arrives to the sound of slightly panicked debate on scryign and covering the spells searching for Nameless. He quickly closes the door to make sure no one overhears or sees in to the scene inside. He looks at the others and makes a snap decision, he pulls of a relatively nondescript necklace from under his armor and quickly moves over to Nameless to place it around his neck. "Sir, the mage division has enchanted this to properly hide from those hunting you. This will keep you safe. Please examine it.

    He salutes the old man and then turns away to the others, whispering "The necklace will block any spells attempting to scry him or detect in various ways. I will need it back but for right now this is the best to keep us under the radar. Still though lets get the move on with this mission, steeds? Invisibility?"
    "Facilis Descensus Averni." - Virgil, The Aeneid

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  26. - Top - End - #266
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    Kett's lazy stroll had allowed her to arrive last, though she still tosses the news pamphlet to Gryphon. "Glad to see you're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the new day. It's rather hectic outside, so we should probably agree on a plan - quickly - so we can all maintain head and neck connections." She draws a line over her throat for comedic effect, though no one seemed to be that amused. With half-finished pastry still gently held, she gently pads over to the central table and places two fingers upon it. After a moment, what looks to be black and white ink oozes out from them, stretching over the table and criss-crossing with itself. It takes barely a moment before there's a black and white illusory map of Throneport laid out for all to see. It's not fully precise - no doubt there's missing sidestreets and alleyways but it covers off the major and minor roads. Its two dimensionality also restricts it somewhat. No sewers either. Not many people had maps of those. Certainly she'd not seen any. A quick beckon gathers the assembled group, sans Maugrim.

    "There's multiple routes to get where we - or rather, he -" She gestures vaguely at their 'prisoner', "needs to go. Chances are every one of them will have some sort of checkpoint. Probably one that can crack illusions if they've got half a brain to them...so maybe we don't have to worry about that?" She gives a gentle laugh and takes another bite, chewing over the food just as she lets everyone chew over the task in front of them. "Time's against us, but the fact they don't know who we are helps. Disguise is our best option for him at least, whether we go invisible or otherwise. Arimart and Gryphon as leads - they certainly look the part well enough." Her tone is sincere, there's no teasing there, but she does side eye Gryphon's ensemble, wondering just how dirty it would be by the end of this. Must be nice having magic cleaners.

    "Ideally we'd have some sort of additional distraction elsewhere in the city to pull attention away but we don't have the time or manpower to plan something safe and the city's probably been blown up enough for one morning, so we'll have to go without. I'd suggest starting a riot at a checkpoint but..." She wiggles here eyebrows at Arimart with a smirk. "Well, maybe next time." She shoves the remainder of the pastry in an utterly inelegant fashion into her mouth, letting flakes drop down onto the table, and brings her now spare hand to draw a few extra additions on the map, showing likely checkpoints or blockades, along with a few proposed routes and estimated time taken between leaving the apartment and reaching the keep, nicely colour coded for easy reading. Despite her devil-may-care attitude, there was a professionalism in the presentation of the map and its goals.

    With a grand swallow of the food in her mouth, she continues, "If he's being tracked with magic we're already too late to stop it so we should expect conflict at some point regardless of our plan or preparations. If that happens we'll need a clear directive to fight or run, no hesitation or ambiguity. We'll need to follow one voice at that point. A split directive will get us all killed. A roundabout route might offer us a chance to take out any trackers away from a checkpoint. A direct route might get us through before they even reach us. Might being the operative word. Or we'll meet them at a checkpoint and then you'll wish I'd had my riot."

    She doesn't mention the Phiarlans at all. Her connections were a double edged sword the moment she accepted the mission, they'd only be relied on if absolutely necessary and this...wasn't necessary.


    Spoiler
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    Minor Illusion to create the map image.
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  27. - Top - End - #267
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    Raz

    The Evening Before

    As Gryphon orders his invisible servant to bring blankets and pillows, Raz feels an unexpected thankfulness. While it feels strange to stay over night with this strangers, the idea of dragging his broken body back into the little home he is currently staying seems too exhausting. In addition, he carries most of his equipment with him all the time anyway, and also, who knows whether the old man would try to sneak out at night, and cause more trouble, like blowing up the whole Karrnath district or anything. He follows Gryphon into the kitchen, and listens carefully to his propositions.

    Spoiler: Gryphon only
    Show
    Upon the mage ending his short monologue, Raz nods and smiles a toothy smile.

    "If you will, I'm kind of used to just being called Raz, and I'm afraid it's the only real name I can offer." He shrugs, the topic being finished for him, apparently. "Now, regarding the ..." he looks for the right word, and decides for "... business opportunity. The way you put it, I really seem to have what it takes to work as an investigator. So... When you say partner, what would that mean exactly? Would that include an investment into your business? I won't lie, I don't have a lot of money now, and I also don't want to get into debt." (a short thinking pause) "I guess I'm more the guy for freelancer gigs than founding my own business." He apparently needs to understand whether this was more of a buy-in to Gryphon's company or more of an employer/employee situation.


    (...)

    After the conversation with Gryphon has concluded, Raz returns to the living room. He seems to think for a moment whether he should start another one, this time with Arimart, but then he apparently decides against it, as if coming to the conclusion that there would always be time for this tomorrow. He sets up his own little camp near the wall next to the door leading outside the room, wishes Arimart a good night, and goes to sleep. Well, goes to trying to sleep, as so often. But the exertion of the day grants him the mercy of falling into slumber sooner than usual. If Arimart is a light sleeper (or is up at night for whatever reason), he can perceive that Raz' sleep is interspersed with dreams that let him mumble, wince and growl here and there, and while the sounds are incomprehensible, Raz is most likely not running happily over meadows in sunshine.

    The Morning Thereafter

    The noise lets the ever so fearless-appearing shifter wince and duck. Very clearly, something is wrong -- with the world outside and the thoughts behind his widened eyes. But he manages to shake it off quite quickly, and runs to the window to see whether he can make out any details. While he does not make a scene about it, he is obviously quite startled by what has happened, whatever it exactly was, walking around the room in patterns that could appear as such for him (if for anyone). When Kleris and Kett return with the news, the shifter growls deeply. He is set on spitting on the floor when he remembers that he is in fact inside a house and gives Gryphon an apologetic side glance. He listens to what the others have to say, and brings bread, cheese and water to the similarly shocked Maugrim, trying to motivate him to eat, by putting food and a mug into the old man's hands, holding them for a moment while they shake. Whatever exactly lay in front of them, the last thing they could use would be a hypoglycaemic old man.

    Referring to Kett's point of a single voice to follow, he states: "A commanding officer, yes, I agree. As the mission and the ... package are one and the same, who has responsibility for one should also have it for the other." He shortly pauses. "Which leaves us with pretty much one choice, doesn't it? Arimart, until the night comes or we reach the castle, whatever comes first, I put myself under your command." He proclaims somewhat solemnly, and the seriousness in his words implies that this commitment is important to him -- and also expects a certain commitment from the other side.

    Leaving room for others to state their commitment, he thereafter addresses another point. "So, how do we explain all this to our other commanding officer?" He asks with a nod towards Nameless. Looking at Gryphon, he asks, "Maybe how you ... persuaded the elf?", as his asking glance moves over to Kleris as well, who had also shown arcane skills earlier.
    Last edited by Niobaran; 2020-07-17 at 07:20 PM.

  28. - Top - End - #268
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    As the group finally comes together, Arimart listens to the various suggestions, while Kett shows her 'map', a trick he saw times ago during the war. The half-elf is both relieved that they all came back, and feels confident enough after the show of resourcefulness of each of his companion; as Raz commits himself to his command, Arimart, recognizing the words of a true soldier, salutes him back: "And you have my word that I'll do everything I can to bring us all to Thronehold, safe and sound."

    Looking at the map, he starts tracing various routes, making some calculations in his mind.
    "If we travel this straight line, We're going to traverse only the Thranish zone, and I can take care of them, We should encounter only two checkpoints, then we'll have to travel into the Karrnathian zone up to the entrance to Thronehold.
    If we zig zag around the city enough, maybe passing here, and here,"
    as he speaks he signs a different, longer, route "We will have to traverse both the Brelish and Thranish zone before reaching the Karrnathian one, but with a bit of luck we may be able to pass by any patrol.
    As you said, Kett, I'd say that the shortest way is the quickest one, and considering we will have to spend some time here to prepare, may be the better choice, even if it looks like the most dangerous one. Master Raz, I know this city, but I can see that you have the heart of a tracker: what would you do to evade others like you?"


    The paladin looks around, observing Maugrim and reading the pamphlet.

    "I'm fine with using disguises, that will help us go around unnoticed, but somewhat nullifies the advantage of traveling in the Thranish zone with a paladin of the Silver Flame." He glances at his holy symbol, muttering "Though I may keep it out anyway.. however, we need Maugrim disguised, and maybe suggesting him to follow our lead could be advantageous but not needed, let's see how he reacts to our disguise before forcing means of magical persuasion on him."

    As they finish their discussion, Arimart speaks to Gryphon about using horses.
    "I can call for a steed, it will need some time, but it will be more resilient and durable than those you can summon with your abilities. In that way you can save some of your arcane might for other... 'surprises'."
    Does this poster have a sign?

  29. - Top - End - #269
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Amnestic's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Castle Sparrowcellar
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    Default Re: Tales of Neutral Ground IC

    With the plan coming together and the route determined, Kett pulls her fingers back from the table. The map would last for another minute or so but it had served its purpose, they weren't plotting any extravagant maneuvers. Not for now at least. She quietly unhooks her bag and digs around for her kit. Cosmetics, some fake hair and tools to style existing hair, a few accessories and clothes. At least it was paying for its weight on her shoulders now. She snaps her fingers in front of Maugrim's face to grab his attention. "Hey, 'Commander'. Sit still while I work. We're going to give you a disguise to protect you. Priority target and all that."

    She's already got a disguise in her mind's eye - mostly based off of Raz, since they were searching for a human. She'd considered an orc, modeled after a self-proclaimed prince she'd put down three years back, but chances were the layers to properly fill out his jaw and lack of decent fake tusks would ruin the illusion. She hums a soft shanty tune she'd picked up as a child as she works, trimming hair, glueing hair, painting skin and reshading here and there. It wouldn't be perfect, but it only needed to be passable.

    Spoiler: Disguise Check
    Show

    (1d20+7)[15]
    Potential advantage: (1d20+7)[25]
    DMing:
    Iron Crisis IC | OOC
    Cyre Red IC | OOC

    Playing:
    OotA IC | OOC

    Master Homebrew Index (5e)

  30. - Top - End - #270
    Troll in the Playground
     
    (Un)Inspired's Avatar

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    Nov 2012
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    Cambridge, MA
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    Default Re: Tales of Neutral Ground IC

    Spoiler: For Raz
    Show
    I appreciate your candor Raz. As far as business is concerned, I wouldn’t ask you to be part of my enterprise if I didn’t intend proper compensation.
    When I say partner I mean whatever jobs we were to work on together we would share profits equally.

    I’m not interested in making you sign a contract but I believe that there’s money to be had that we could make together.


    Gryphon can’t help himself but demure at the older woman’s comment and gesture. It was true that his current outfit was better suited to court rather than spy craft and beyond that, it was a getup he wasn’t exactly comfortable in.

    Prosecutor, if you can sally up another ride for us then all the better. I’ll do my part to saddle up another two. I’ve got... a “surprise” or two yet to spring.

    When the team is ready to move Gryphon steps outside the apartment to begin conjuring. He casts out his left hand and grips his left wrist tightly with his right hand. Holding his left hand if a tight claw he focuses and shadowstuff begins to pull from the plan of shadow to the material plane. As it fizzes into reality Gryphon focuses for 20 minutes as it shapes its way into to phantasmal steeds ready for the next step of the plan.
    amazing avatar of my favorite character, Gheera, by Pesimismrocks

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