"Uhhhhm, I don't think she's evil but I don't think she's good either. She only cares that people don't try and cheat death via unnatural means. She doesn't really care about our cause or the cult or anything. We just made a trade basically, I did something for her and got a reward," Perry replies.
Regarding the weapon, he says, "Well I think it does a lot of things and can change forms into whatever I want and stuff but honestly other than that I haven't fully figured it out yet. Like look watch this."
Perry places his hand on the sword and closes his eyes. Suddenly, the weapon begins to melt into shadow and then twist and mold itself into a new shape, eventually turning into a deep black harmonica with raven feather iconography embroidering it. "See?" Perry asks. "It can change into other things too that have different abilities, but like I said I'm still figuring it out. It's weird, but I've never felt something like this. It feels like it's powered by a deep part of me or something. I don't know how it works fully."
The bard shakes his head and continues, "About the adventurers, I don't think we could find them even if we wanted to. I tried. Some weird mist appeared and they were gone. I dunno, maybe Lawrance could with some fancy wizard stuff but I doubt it. The Raven Queen doesn't seem to want me to go there even."
Velon looks to Lia and Mari with concern in his eyes.
"Ah, Perry, by the way, about this Queen Raven, she doesn't get too upset if someone is just undead for a few seconds, right? She wouldn't make you, ah, take care of them?" Velon tugs on his collar a bit and looks uncomfortable.
Lia frowns at Perry. " Oh Perry...The Raven Queen is not your friend. How do you serve the wishes of Sune and the Queen both? You had good intentions but harm was done. You tricked people into going where she wanted. That.... thing.." She gestures at his sword. " You darken your soul making sacrifices like this Perry. i need to go. " She strides off angrily without a backward glance.
Mari watches her friend leave abruptly. " I am sorry Perry. I'm sure you didn't mean any harm. Gods know the things i have done. Be careful with that weapon though. Make sure that you don't lose yourself to it. "
Perry smiles a little at Velon and just shakes his head, "No, no, you weren't the right kind of undead."
But when he turns to face Lia, his smile immediately fades as she scolds him. He winces a bit and puts his head down in shame as he slumps in his chair, but doesn't say a word as she leaves.
"I know..." he whispers softly after she has left.
When Mari tries to console him, Perry doesn't seem to cheer up very much as he still feels immense guilt for his actions, now even more so after Lia's words. He still seems very conflicted. "I'll try not to lose myself, Mari. I just...I just really hope it was worth it. I hope they're okay wherever they are."
"Anyway, did you guys figure out where we are headed to next?" Perry asks. "What's the next mission?"
Upon Velon's comment, Lawrance adds "From what I know of the mystical Raven Queen, she's only concerned with intelligent undead, Velon. You'll always be safe, I'm sure." Turning away with a grin growing on his face, he addresses Perry seriously after hearing the story unfold "As little information as we have, it sounds to me like she's taken disciples somewhere they are needed, someplace under a threat from those she would see back in the graves they should be in. There are many planes of reality she might have sent or taken them to. I doubt they were unwilling, either way. If it concerns you greatly, I can help you find out. It's a bit risky, but with your help I can seek the answers for you. It might be necessary if your focus isn't on our task at hand."
After Lia departs Lawrance confides to the remaining people "This could be harder on her than anyone else. Sune's light and alliance puts her at odds with the Raven Queen on many levels. While not directly enemies, they each rule opposite sides of the natural cycles of life. I've always felt the necessity of natural death as part of our mortal existence, avoid it as we may try. That being said, I intend to try for at least a few centuries, once my knowledge allows me to do so. This could get tricky."
"We are headed to the island of Moray, home of a wildling group of werewolves, and some human villages, and where the Zhentarium have agreed to sell the White Mask to Silas and the group. We are arriving early to set up our own protections and such against betrayal, although it seems a lot of precautions are in the deal. We are making a slightly roundabout route of it, to throw off any suspicions of our purpose." He then overviews the general plans for the platform, and the meeting place.
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Velon gives Lawrance the side eye at his comment briefly but then raises an eyebrow and starts to bob his head back and forth a bit. "Well played, Wizard." He seems amused, or at least to have some respect the wizard's play on this one.
After Lawrance gives a brief synopsis of their next mission, Velon walks over and pats Perry on the shoulder. He says quietly "if you can use that thing to help me win this war and keep Lia safe, I'll help you fix what has been done in any way that I can." He looks at Perry and pats him on a back twice more quickly. "Come on, let's go get some pastries, it's part of the deal. We'll give you more details on the mission."
After Lia had left, Poljen could see how distraught Perry was. He pursed his lips as he considered what to say. He finally spoke. "Perry, I know next to nothing of gods and goddesses, save that they are powerful. This Raven Queen needed you to get these adventurers to a specific place at a specific time, yes? But if she meant them no harm, why did she not simply address them herself? Or tell you to tell them the where and the why? She resorted to, uh, sub-ter-few-juh, rather than being open about things. And you went along with it. You are too clever not to have seen this. Even after the first one disappeared. Only you can answer the question: Did you do this to help others, or to help yourself?" The large man then was quiet.
Perry responds to Poljen's questions, still feeling rather guilty, "I don't know much about her other than what I've told you. She chose me long ago to do things for her and in exchange I get some of the powers that I have. It seems to me that most of these gods and stuff don't really do much themselves and expect their little minions, like me and to a certain extent Lia, to do things in their name instead. Even Bahamut, no offense Velon, hasn't done a lot himself, but instead gives Velon all those flashy explosion powers and turned him into a part dragon, part man. To be honest Poljen, the gods and godesses confuse you, me, and probably everyone. All I know is that they are definitely out there and they all have their own mysterious agendas."
Perry sighs, then continues, "As for why I did it, I just felt really guilty when Velon died. He was the hero of this story...but he still died. If I had been faster maybe, or was better at magic, or was stronger in some way, then perhaps he wouldn't have. Look, I'm not as good at magic as Lawrance, I'm not as strong as you or Morgaine or Cratol or Velon, and I don't have the immense healing powers of Lia. I don't really excel at any one thing in particular, well except for maybe talking, deceiving people, partying, music, and fashion, so I looked for a shortcut. I looked for an easy way out. I wanted a way to help win this war and to do my part. I was very conflicted about this for a long time, and this is the first time I ever asked for anything like this from her. This time it turns out that maybe the price was too high. I don't know...."
---
Eventually Perry follows Velon to the kitchen and is cheered up at least a little bit by Poppo's excellent baking. He nods along as he tries to comprehend this plan while stuffing his face.
"There are many heroes to this story, Perry, including many that do not call Castle Skyreach home. You are a very important one of those, and we all have a lot more to do. No one is to be blamed for my fall but myself. I tried to take a shortcut too, going straight for the crystal, and separated myself from my greatest weapon, the team."
"The Gods give us the strength to fight our own battles, so I do not ask why they do not intervene more directly. Poljen and Morgaine are not as, ah, ... flashy... as you and I, but they were made by the Gods and given strength all the same."
Once everyone is up to speed and rested, Velon encourages them all to gather their gear and prepare to depart on the illusion-disguised platform as they near the isles. He takes stock of the usual platform landing crew which should include the men who were given his old armor and weapons and encourages everyone to bring at least six days of camping gear, food provisions, cooking supplies, etc. He instructs the castle to keep moving at high speed, making a large circle over non-hostile portions of the region in the coming days and pass over just in time for the meeting, stopping for the first time in case they are needed. He hopes their high speed and cloud disguise will keep them safe from dragon attacks in the meantime.
Soon enough the group has arrived at what is to be the meeting site. Its a simple cove, flanked by a steep hill on one side. The waters here are calm, though the cove is not deep enough to allow vessels of any significant size. The thick forest is a little under a mile off, dark and foreboding. One of the local villages is about two miles up the coast. It looks like maybe a dozen people live there.
Velon surveys the area and, on one hand, is glad it is fairly open. Setting up camp and a watch may be more difficult, however. "Well, at least we can scout from up on that hill where those few bushes are. I'm not sure about a camp nearby though. What do you think, Lawrance?"
"I suppose we need to keep our footprints down on this beach. Let's either walk below the waterline or use our invisibility anywhere near the meeting site."
Lia scans the area calmly. " Lawrance, can't you scry this area from a distance? Maybe from the safety of those woods? This hill looks like a good spot for Geode if need be....." She looks at Mari and holds out her broom. " Take this to help scout Ms Chandler. When you need to respond you will need great speed. I will be down here with Velon when the action starts. "
Mari takes her flying broom. " Thanks Lia. I will take good care of this for you. " She studies it admiringly.
Looking over the area with the others, Lawrance takes some time to study the terrain, trying to find possibilities of defense. Turning to Velon, he replies "I think I have something to help that. What about a campsite that is hidden in the hill, big enough for all of us? I'm thinking of asking Geode to join us for a bit, and dig out a cavern in the other side of the hill, big enough for all of us to camp inside, and line it with stone. I can then hide the entrance from prying eyes with a detailed illusion, yet we can exit at any time if needed. From within, Lia, we will have the options to hear and see through our links or through other methods to help Velon and any others that may be in trouble. What do you all think of that?"
OOC- barring refinements from other people or interruptions, Lawrance will Conjure Elemental to dig out a big enough underground 10'x10'x20' long cavern, with well supported walls (packed dirt?), then cast a wall of stone to line all sides, roof and floor, and a sloped 10x10x10 ramp outside. Programmed illusion to mimic the surrounding terrain, with slight wind motions on the plants, etc, whatever it takes to emulated the area properly. As we spend time, ritual case Teleport Bond regularly to keep everyone in touch.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Mari frowns and shakes her head. " This sounds to be a good plan. I don't like the idea of possibly being trapped or buried alive though. There might possibly be an ancient red prowling around. Not to mention I don't trust the Zhents in general. If possible i would prefer to hide in the forest. I can scout from there with the flying broom from time to time. " She looks to Velon to see his reaction.
Lia's brows rise as she hears this. She opens her mouth to speak but remains silent and waits for Velon to respond.
Velon looks concerned regarding Mari. "I'm not sure we should be a mile apart from one another, speaking of dealing with an ancient red. I believe the idea here is stealth as well, so you'll need Lawrance or someone to make you invisible if you're going to fly around on a broom. Otherwise we might as well just go throw a party on the beach for all to see."
Mari grins at him. " I am very aware of the stealth requirements for this scouting. I have been a part of a lot of stealth missions for the Zhents.....I am not foolish enough to fly around in the daylight. I can see well in total darkness. It isn't any riskier than having a pegasus fly around. Too be honest... I have been in enough underground caverns for a long time. That death cavern..." She frowns thinking on this. " It is one thing to pass through underground passages. It is another thing to dwell in a small hole for almost a week. I do not seek to cause dissension amongst the team though. If you feel that it is a bad idea then I will shelter in that hill with the rest of you. "
Lia frowns at Mari. " I understand where you are coming from. I really do The thought of being in here for several days doesn't appeal to me either. I think it is the best move though. We can't take take a chance and risk discovery. Not to mention that we need to all stay together. "
Mari looks at her and the others thoughtfully. She shrugs and shakesher head. " Ok. That is fine. If this wizard made cavern collapses on us well......" She looks around and studies the sky for signs of anyone or anything else.
"Perry, why is everyone arguing, Perry?" Shadowsnacks asks the bard telepathically.
"I'm not sure, pal. Listen you think you could scout around the area for us while invisible and keep an eye out for Zhents or Cultists or dragons?"Perry responds while inserting his own request.
"Sure thing, Perry. I'll let you know if I see anything. Ain't no dragon catching me, see,"the steed replies.
With that, Perry strums the mandolin once as his hands glow. He touches Shadowsnacks on the neck and the pegasus disappears from sight. "Alright bud, the rest is on you okay? Stay within a mile so we can talk. I'll go talk to a bird real quick too to see if they've seen any suspicious types."
Perry reaches in his bag and produces what appears to be a scroll. It smells of lavender perfume. He unfurls it, attempts to read it, but realizes it's upside down a bit later than he probably should have. He plays a short tune on the obsidian flute and the scroll disappears into thin air.
The bard approaches a bird, "Kakraw to you my feathered friend. I hope you are having a good day. Say, have you perhaps seen or heard of any suspicious people, apart from us of course, who haven't been around before but are here now? If you tell me any info I have good food with me I can give you. Kakraw."
Invisibility from mandolin on SS. He will fly around within 1 mile radius and scout for us.
The Plover approached by Perry describes all sorts of suspicious things before Perry manages to impress upon the avian that he wasn't interested in crabs. It mentions a couple people who roam through from time to time, but they just sound like fishermen from the nearby village.
---
The group settles in to watch over the area. The place seems quiet, and free of anything suspicious. But the next day, a ship arrives, anchoring near the village and sending a few boats ashore. It looks like a large fishing vessel, but it seems odd that it would come here.
"Uhhhhm, I don't think she's evil but I don't think she's good either. She only cares that people don't try and cheat death via unnatural means. She doesn't really care about our cause or the cult or anything. We just made a trade basically, I did something for her and got a reward," Perry replies.
Regarding the weapon, he says, "Well I think it does a lot of things and can change forms into whatever I want and stuff but honestly other than that I haven't fully figured it out yet. Like look watch this."
Perry places his hand on the sword and closes his eyes. Suddenly, the weapon begins to melt into shadow and then twist and mold itself into a new shape, eventually turning into a deep black harmonica with raven feather iconography embroidering it. "See?" Perry asks. "It can change into other things too that have different abilities, but like I said I'm still figuring it out. It's weird, but I've never felt something like this. It feels like it's powered by a deep part of me or something. I don't know how it works fully."
The bard shakes his head and continues, "About the adventurers, I don't think we could find them even if we wanted to. I tried. Some weird mist appeared and they were gone. I dunno, maybe Lawrance could with some fancy wizard stuff but I doubt it. The Raven Queen doesn't seem to want me to go there even."
"Im sure they're fine..."
Velon looks to Lia and Mari with concern in his eyes.
"Ah, Perry, by the way, about this Queen Raven, she doesn't get too upset if someone is just undead for a few seconds, right? She wouldn't make you, ah, take care of them?" Velon tugs on his collar a bit and looks uncomfortable.
Lia frowns at Perry. " Oh Perry...The Raven Queen is not your friend. How do you serve the wishes of Sune and the Queen both? You had good intentions but harm was done. You tricked people into going where she wanted. That.... thing.." She gestures at his sword. " You darken your soul making sacrifices like this Perry. i need to go. " She strides off angrily without a backward glance.
Mari watches her friend leave abruptly. " I am sorry Perry. I'm sure you didn't mean any harm. Gods know the things i have done. Be careful with that weapon though. Make sure that you don't lose yourself to it. "
Perry smiles a little at Velon and just shakes his head, "No, no, you weren't the right kind of undead."
But when he turns to face Lia, his smile immediately fades as she scolds him. He winces a bit and puts his head down in shame as he slumps in his chair, but doesn't say a word as she leaves.
"I know..." he whispers softly after she has left.
When Mari tries to console him, Perry doesn't seem to cheer up very much as he still feels immense guilt for his actions, now even more so after Lia's words. He still seems very conflicted. "I'll try not to lose myself, Mari. I just...I just really hope it was worth it. I hope they're okay wherever they are."
"Anyway, did you guys figure out where we are headed to next?" Perry asks. "What's the next mission?"
Upon Velon's comment, Lawrance adds "From what I know of the mystical Raven Queen, she's only concerned with intelligent undead, Velon. You'll always be safe, I'm sure." Turning away with a grin growing on his face, he addresses Perry seriously after hearing the story unfold "As little information as we have, it sounds to me like she's taken disciples somewhere they are needed, someplace under a threat from those she would see back in the graves they should be in. There are many planes of reality she might have sent or taken them to. I doubt they were unwilling, either way. If it concerns you greatly, I can help you find out. It's a bit risky, but with your help I can seek the answers for you. It might be necessary if your focus isn't on our task at hand."
After Lia departs Lawrance confides to the remaining people "This could be harder on her than anyone else. Sune's light and alliance puts her at odds with the Raven Queen on many levels. While not directly enemies, they each rule opposite sides of the natural cycles of life. I've always felt the necessity of natural death as part of our mortal existence, avoid it as we may try. That being said, I intend to try for at least a few centuries, once my knowledge allows me to do so. This could get tricky."
"We are headed to the island of Moray, home of a wildling group of werewolves, and some human villages, and where the Zhentarium have agreed to sell the White Mask to Silas and the group. We are arriving early to set up our own protections and such against betrayal, although it seems a lot of precautions are in the deal. We are making a slightly roundabout route of it, to throw off any suspicions of our purpose." He then overviews the general plans for the platform, and the meeting place.
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Velon gives Lawrance the side eye at his comment briefly but then raises an eyebrow and starts to bob his head back and forth a bit. "Well played, Wizard." He seems amused, or at least to have some respect the wizard's play on this one.
After Lawrance gives a brief synopsis of their next mission, Velon walks over and pats Perry on the shoulder. He says quietly "if you can use that thing to help me win this war and keep Lia safe, I'll help you fix what has been done in any way that I can." He looks at Perry and pats him on a back twice more quickly. "Come on, let's go get some pastries, it's part of the deal. We'll give you more details on the mission."
After Lia had left, Poljen could see how distraught Perry was. He pursed his lips as he considered what to say. He finally spoke. "Perry, I know next to nothing of gods and goddesses, save that they are powerful. This Raven Queen needed you to get these adventurers to a specific place at a specific time, yes? But if she meant them no harm, why did she not simply address them herself? Or tell you to tell them the where and the why? She resorted to, uh, sub-ter-few-juh, rather than being open about things. And you went along with it. You are too clever not to have seen this. Even after the first one disappeared. Only you can answer the question: Did you do this to help others, or to help yourself?" The large man then was quiet.
Perry responds to Poljen's questions, still feeling rather guilty, "I don't know much about her other than what I've told you. She chose me long ago to do things for her and in exchange I get some of the powers that I have. It seems to me that most of these gods and stuff don't really do much themselves and expect their little minions, like me and to a certain extent Lia, to do things in their name instead. Even Bahamut, no offense Velon, hasn't done a lot himself, but instead gives Velon all those flashy explosion powers and turned him into a part dragon, part man. To be honest Poljen, the gods and godesses confuse you, me, and probably everyone. All I know is that they are definitely out there and they all have their own mysterious agendas."
Perry sighs, then continues, "As for why I did it, I just felt really guilty when Velon died. He was the hero of this story...but he still died. If I had been faster maybe, or was better at magic, or was stronger in some way, then perhaps he wouldn't have. Look, I'm not as good at magic as Lawrance, I'm not as strong as you or Morgaine or Cratol or Velon, and I don't have the immense healing powers of Lia. I don't really excel at any one thing in particular, well except for maybe talking, deceiving people, partying, music, and fashion, so I looked for a shortcut. I looked for an easy way out. I wanted a way to help win this war and to do my part. I was very conflicted about this for a long time, and this is the first time I ever asked for anything like this from her. This time it turns out that maybe the price was too high. I don't know...."
---
Eventually Perry follows Velon to the kitchen and is cheered up at least a little bit by Poppo's excellent baking. He nods along as he tries to comprehend this plan while stuffing his face.
"There are many heroes to this story, Perry, including many that do not call Castle Skyreach home. You are a very important one of those, and we all have a lot more to do. No one is to be blamed for my fall but myself. I tried to take a shortcut too, going straight for the crystal, and separated myself from my greatest weapon, the team."
"The Gods give us the strength to fight our own battles, so I do not ask why they do not intervene more directly. Poljen and Morgaine are not as, ah, ... flashy... as you and I, but they were made by the Gods and given strength all the same."
"Now let's go eat a snack."
Once everyone is up to speed and rested, Velon encourages them all to gather their gear and prepare to depart on the illusion-disguised platform as they near the isles. He takes stock of the usual platform landing crew which should include the men who were given his old armor and weapons and encourages everyone to bring at least six days of camping gear, food provisions, cooking supplies, etc. He instructs the castle to keep moving at high speed, making a large circle over non-hostile portions of the region in the coming days and pass over just in time for the meeting, stopping for the first time in case they are needed. He hopes their high speed and cloud disguise will keep them safe from dragon attacks in the meantime.
Soon enough the group has arrived at what is to be the meeting site. Its a simple cove, flanked by a steep hill on one side. The waters here are calm, though the cove is not deep enough to allow vessels of any significant size. The thick forest is a little under a mile off, dark and foreboding. One of the local villages is about two miles up the coast. It looks like maybe a dozen people live there.
Velon surveys the area and, on one hand, is glad it is fairly open. Setting up camp and a watch may be more difficult, however. "Well, at least we can scout from up on that hill where those few bushes are. I'm not sure about a camp nearby though. What do you think, Lawrance?"
"I suppose we need to keep our footprints down on this beach. Let's either walk below the waterline or use our invisibility anywhere near the meeting site."
Lia scans the area calmly. " Lawrance, can't you scry this area from a distance? Maybe from the safety of those woods? This hill looks like a good spot for Geode if need be....." She looks at Mari and holds out her broom. " Take this to help scout Ms Chandler. When you need to respond you will need great speed. I will be down here with Velon when the action starts. "
Mari takes her flying broom. " Thanks Lia. I will take good care of this for you. " She studies it admiringly.
Looking over the area with the others, Lawrance takes some time to study the terrain, trying to find possibilities of defense. Turning to Velon, he replies "I think I have something to help that. What about a campsite that is hidden in the hill, big enough for all of us? I'm thinking of asking Geode to join us for a bit, and dig out a cavern in the other side of the hill, big enough for all of us to camp inside, and line it with stone. I can then hide the entrance from prying eyes with a detailed illusion, yet we can exit at any time if needed. From within, Lia, we will have the options to hear and see through our links or through other methods to help Velon and any others that may be in trouble. What do you all think of that?"
OOC- barring refinements from other people or interruptions, Lawrance will Conjure Elemental to dig out a big enough underground 10'x10'x20' long cavern, with well supported walls (packed dirt?), then cast a wall of stone to line all sides, roof and floor, and a sloped 10x10x10 ramp outside. Programmed illusion to mimic the surrounding terrain, with slight wind motions on the plants, etc, whatever it takes to emulated the area properly. As we spend time, ritual case Teleport Bond regularly to keep everyone in touch.
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Mari frowns and shakes her head. " This sounds to be a good plan. I don't like the idea of possibly being trapped or buried alive though. There might possibly be an ancient red prowling around. Not to mention I don't trust the Zhents in general. If possible i would prefer to hide in the forest. I can scout from there with the flying broom from time to time. " She looks to Velon to see his reaction.
Lia's brows rise as she hears this. She opens her mouth to speak but remains silent and waits for Velon to respond.
Velon looks concerned regarding Mari. "I'm not sure we should be a mile apart from one another, speaking of dealing with an ancient red. I believe the idea here is stealth as well, so you'll need Lawrance or someone to make you invisible if you're going to fly around on a broom. Otherwise we might as well just go throw a party on the beach for all to see."
Mari grins at him. " I am very aware of the stealth requirements for this scouting. I have been a part of a lot of stealth missions for the Zhents.....I am not foolish enough to fly around in the daylight. I can see well in total darkness. It isn't any riskier than having a pegasus fly around. Too be honest... I have been in enough underground caverns for a long time. That death cavern..." She frowns thinking on this. " It is one thing to pass through underground passages. It is another thing to dwell in a small hole for almost a week. I do not seek to cause dissension amongst the team though. If you feel that it is a bad idea then I will shelter in that hill with the rest of you. "
Lia frowns at Mari. " I understand where you are coming from. I really do The thought of being in here for several days doesn't appeal to me either. I think it is the best move though. We can't take take a chance and risk discovery. Not to mention that we need to all stay together. "
Mari looks at her and the others thoughtfully. She shrugs and shakesher head. " Ok. That is fine. If this wizard made cavern collapses on us well......" She looks around and studies the sky for signs of anyone or anything else.
"Perry, why is everyone arguing, Perry?" Shadowsnacks asks the bard telepathically.
"I'm not sure, pal. Listen you think you could scout around the area for us while invisible and keep an eye out for Zhents or Cultists or dragons?" Perry responds while inserting his own request.
"Sure thing, Perry. I'll let you know if I see anything. Ain't no dragon catching me, see," the steed replies.
With that, Perry strums the mandolin once as his hands glow. He touches Shadowsnacks on the neck and the pegasus disappears from sight. "Alright bud, the rest is on you okay? Stay within a mile so we can talk. I'll go talk to a bird real quick too to see if they've seen any suspicious types."
Perry reaches in his bag and produces what appears to be a scroll. It smells of lavender perfume. He unfurls it, attempts to read it, but realizes it's upside down a bit later than he probably should have. He plays a short tune on the obsidian flute and the scroll disappears into thin air.
The bard approaches a bird, "Kakraw to you my feathered friend. I hope you are having a good day. Say, have you perhaps seen or heard of any suspicious people, apart from us of course, who haven't been around before but are here now? If you tell me any info I have good food with me I can give you. Kakraw."
Invisibility from mandolin on SS. He will fly around within 1 mile radius and scout for us.
@Seath game_die
Shadowsnacks Perception: 1d20 (18) + 6
Total: 24
@Seath game_die
Perry Birdsuasion: 1d20 (14) + 13
Total: 27
The Plover approached by Perry describes all sorts of suspicious things before Perry manages to impress upon the avian that he wasn't interested in crabs. It mentions a couple people who roam through from time to time, but they just sound like fishermen from the nearby village.
---
The group settles in to watch over the area. The place seems quiet, and free of anything suspicious. But the next day, a ship arrives, anchoring near the village and sending a few boats ashore. It looks like a large fishing vessel, but it seems odd that it would come here.