What does Sim think of that plan? What about Mokiakia?
LORE BOX (INFAMOUS ALLEYS OF WATERDEEP - PART 3 of 3)
Pharra’s Alley. This alley in the Sea Ward is named after the first leader of the House of Wonder, but is more infamous for its Circle of Skulls. This infrequent and unpredictable haunting takes the form of seven floating skulls, which hover in a circle and argue with one another in whispered tones about events in the city. If they are interrupted, their reaction reportedly varies from being helpful to engaging in murderous spell-slinging.
Three Daggers Alley. This alley in the Dock Ward suffers from a magical curse that causes three daggers to appear out of thin air and attack passersby. The daggers swoop and fly about, making multiple attempts at murder before vanishing again. This magical effect, the result of a spell cast by a long-dead wizard, has resisted all attempts to dispel it. Some locals boast of how many times they’ve crossed the alley and lived to tell of it, but the appearance of the daggers is entirely a matter of chance, and unpredictable. So take my advice and don’t test Tymora’s favor.
I'm game to try shimmying up for a better view. It seems like a good idea to change forms to avoid any awkward moments if I am recognized, so I'll look for a dark corner in the alley to do a quick change into Ari once more: 15
Then I look for a pipe or other way up. Perception: 23 and acrobatics: 25
After changing into a more suitable form, Sim finds a perfectly angled drain pipe running almost vertically along the wall of a three-story building. She climbs it with the ease of a wild feline creature while Adrasteia and Mokiakia keep watch to make sure no one is looking. Once in the roof, the changeling observes the Pearcaster Estate for what it feels like hours. Unsurprisingly, she learns that their best chance to sneak undetected is during a change of guards. She only observed one such event so far, but she noticed that the guards finishing their shift lingered for a few minutes to catch up with their fresher comrades before being relieved. For those five or then minutes, all twelve guards were bunched together near the main gate. A skillful burglar could climb the wall on the far side of the gate, jump into the Estate, and cross the open front yard unnoticed with some luck.
Sim can choose to climb down if satisfied, or roll an investigation check to observe further.
It seems like the only way to know that is to stick around long enough to observe another shift change, unless I can deduce this from time of day or other knowledge. Investigation: 23
I also keep an eye out for comings and goings of any of the inhabitants of the manor.
Sim stays in her perch for another stretch of time. She does not see another change of guard occurring and begins to suspect that she would need to keep her vigil for many more hours if she truly wants to observe another one. She did notice, however, that the one change of guards she witnessed occurred approximately around meal time. It wouldn't be a bad guess to say that another might be coming during supper.
It is quite hard to see inside the manor itself. The windows are all closed and there is no lack of curtains beyond them. A few silhouettes can be seen passing here and there, but it is hard to distinguish them in any useful way from this distance.
Since this seems to be and stealth mission, I change into my lightweight clothing and over to the far side of the gate around supper. With every intent to get over this fence, once and far all, I begin to climb (Acrobatics: 7)
Once in the manor, I can use my dark vision to try to identify Henkett. However, since we don't know exactly how he looks. I suspect sneaking around and listening to conversations must be necessary; good thing I am half slithering snake. While all this physical activity is taking place, I remember when I was younger and living my pampered noble life, I knew someone by that name who did me wrong. I concentrate trying to remember any physical trait that may help me identify Henkett. History: 17
I climb down from the stakeout position and share the info with Adra and Moki.
I hesitate for only a moment, Trench's specific advice NOT to do this echoing my head as I watch my friend disappear over the fence, then decide to follow with a slight sigh.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(She did specify she was waiting until supper to do this, so...)
Sim continues to study the guard for the next hours, learning the path they follow, but not much else. Once the sun begins to come down, so does the changeling, wearing her Ari form. She notices that Mokiakia has also changed into a more suitable attire for the mission, but does not have much time to discuss the details of the plan. With a nod, Mokiakia dashes around the Pearcaster Estate, trying to find a far spot in the fence. Adrasteia improvises by providing a distraction at the gate.
The guards are starting to congregate near the gate by the time Adrasteia arrives. Their next change of guards was indeed planned for around supper time, but it is interrupted by the sermon. Adrasteia picks a popular god to base her sermon on. Surely, some of the guards would be devouts or at least supporters of Tyr's ideals. Half of he city is, if not more (it is hard not to support the god of justice, after all). Although a bit surprised at first, the guards listen for a few minutes. One of them, a tall half-elf, begins to loose his patience at the elaborately long sermon but his companions warn him about going against Tyr's words. They continue to listen throughout the slow change of guards process, or perhaps even a bit beyond that. It has certainly kept their attention away from the fence for the time being, but they will return to their positions sooner rather than later.
Sim takes her chance to runs after Mokiakia. Both of the adventurers try to climb over the fence. They succeed, but it is neither a quick or a quiet affair. Mokiakia slips a few times and Sim grunts with the efforts she is making. They both fall uncomfortably on the ground on the other side of the fence, taking 3bludgeoning damage. Once on the other side though, Sim finds a tall garden patch where she thinks they can hide for a few seconds, before making a dash for one of the nearby windows. Sim guides Mokiakia from spot to spot. They move quickly as to take advantage of Adrasteia's sermon. Mokiakia follows Sim almost instinctively, as her mind is focused elsewhere at the moment.
Mokiakia: You do remember a young boy named Henkett in your youth. It takes a bit of digging in your memories, but you can see a freckled and skinny blond boy in shorts visiting your house frequently along with his father. You seem to remember him working on your yard. Yes, that is it. The father would work on the fruit trees on your family's yard and the boy in shorts would help every now and then. It makes sense this memory would pop up while you are traversing a garden. The smells are similar too. Sweet and fresh... Henriot! That was his name... not Henkett. He was the gardener's son. A fond memory, to be sure, but certainly not the Pearcaster gent you were trying to think about at all...
My sermon completed, I look for other opportunities to distract the guards.
I would like to run a perception check for beggars or street children. I want to proselytize and preach in the hope of gathering a large crowd near the front of the gate. 20
I hope to gain enough of a following that the guards feel they need to pay a lot of attention to my activities.
Adrasteia finds a soap box from atop which to preach. It takes some time but she soon succeeds in stopping a handful of passersby. A few of the older citizens nod in unison as the armored lady speaks of the virtues of Tyr. She even finds an opportunity to deliver some of the messages of her favorite deity, Mishakal, the goddess of healing. Not many know of Mishakal in these parts but are willing to listen as Adrasteia continue to associate her with the more popular deity, Tyr.
The guards have mostly returned to their patrol routes. They are intrigued, but don't want to lose their cushy jobs. Those guarding the gate can't help but pay attention, though.
Sim quickly finds an open window and listen for any movement on the other side. Certain no one is nearby, she jumps into the manor and signals Mokiakia to follow her. Whatever Adrasteia is doing must have worked, as no guards patrolling the gardens seem to have noticed the infiltrating squad. Sim finds herself in a long hall, full of paintings and vases decorating the walls and nooks. There are three doors to choose from: south, west, north.
I continue my sermon for a few minutes longer in hopes of attracting even more people.
If I do, I want to lead a procession around the block the mansion is located on. Hopefully, the guards will break their normal patrol routines to follow my growing religious mob around.
I temper my sermon to be about the struggles between the haves and the have-nots. I hope to have at least some of the guards physically following me and my mob and have the other guards who stay close to their posts stay distracted or talking amongst themselves.
I approach each door and listen to see what I hear on the other side. (Not sure if I need to roll 3 separate perception checks, so I will just in case, or you can use the first one...) Maybe Mokiakia can help me with her own rolls, in case mine don't go well.
(You can definitely find hatters in Waterdeep. Most of them are already convinced the city is great, though, so they wouldn't necessarily buy into your slogan.)
A few more people join Adrasteia's sermon once she switches topic to inequality. There are maybe seven or eight of them listening now: not enough to start her own church but maybe a shady cult based out of her uncle's basement. Satisfied, Adrasteia turns around and begins leading a procession. One of the guards at the gate doesn't seem to like the idea of someone leading the rabble around talking about haves and have-nots, so he sends two other guards to follow Adrasteia's posse. They are down to two guards at the gate and eight others patrolling the state. The two following Adrasteia complete the dozen.
Meanwhile, Sim listens to the doors in the hallway. Only at the third one she picks up a noise. It sounds like something is repeatedly being submerged into water, gently.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
I continue to lead my mostly ruly mob around in hopes of creating a distraction for my companions while they are searching the house.
I hope my thoughts about the plight of the proletariat. I also begin to take donations for the poor and implore other passersby to change their ways. Persuasion (?): 23
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What does Sim think of that plan? What about Mokiakia?
LORE BOX (INFAMOUS ALLEYS OF WATERDEEP - PART 3 of 3)
Pharra’s Alley. This alley in the Sea Ward is named after the first leader of the House of Wonder, but is more infamous for its Circle of Skulls. This infrequent and unpredictable haunting takes the form of seven floating skulls, which hover in a circle and argue with one another in whispered tones about events in the city. If they are interrupted, their reaction reportedly varies from being helpful to engaging in murderous spell-slinging.
Three Daggers Alley. This alley in the Dock Ward suffers from a magical curse that causes three daggers to appear out of thin air and attack passersby. The daggers swoop and fly about, making multiple attempts at murder before vanishing again. This magical effect, the result of a spell cast by a long-dead wizard, has resisted all attempts to dispel it. Some locals boast of how many times they’ve crossed the alley and lived to tell of it, but the appearance of the daggers is entirely a matter of chance, and unpredictable. So take my advice and don’t test Tymora’s favor.
Hmm, maybe the alleys are not our best bet. Perhaps we could pay a citizen to get into the upper floors of their home?
I'm game to try shimmying up for a better view. It seems like a good idea to change forms to avoid any awkward moments if I am recognized, so I'll look for a dark corner in the alley to do a quick change into Ari once more: 15
Then I look for a pipe or other way up. Perception: 23 and acrobatics: 25
Two natural 20s in a row. Nice!
After changing into a more suitable form, Sim finds a perfectly angled drain pipe running almost vertically along the wall of a three-story building. She climbs it with the ease of a wild feline creature while Adrasteia and Mokiakia keep watch to make sure no one is looking. Once in the roof, the changeling observes the Pearcaster Estate for what it feels like hours. Unsurprisingly, she learns that their best chance to sneak undetected is during a change of guards. She only observed one such event so far, but she noticed that the guards finishing their shift lingered for a few minutes to catch up with their fresher comrades before being relieved. For those five or then minutes, all twelve guards were bunched together near the main gate. A skillful burglar could climb the wall on the far side of the gate, jump into the Estate, and cross the open front yard unnoticed with some luck.
Sim can choose to climb down if satisfied, or roll an investigation check to observe further.
Nice job. Do we know roughly when the next shift change should be expected?
It seems like the only way to know that is to stick around long enough to observe another shift change, unless I can deduce this from time of day or other knowledge. Investigation: 23
I also keep an eye out for comings and goings of any of the inhabitants of the manor.
Sim stays in her perch for another stretch of time. She does not see another change of guard occurring and begins to suspect that she would need to keep her vigil for many more hours if she truly wants to observe another one. She did notice, however, that the one change of guards she witnessed occurred approximately around meal time. It wouldn't be a bad guess to say that another might be coming during supper.
It is quite hard to see inside the manor itself. The windows are all closed and there is no lack of curtains beyond them. A few silhouettes can be seen passing here and there, but it is hard to distinguish them in any useful way from this distance.
Since this seems to be and stealth mission, I change into my lightweight clothing and over to the far side of the gate around supper. With every intent to get over this fence, once and far all, I begin to climb (Acrobatics: 7)
Once in the manor, I can use my dark vision to try to identify Henkett. However, since we don't know exactly how he looks. I suspect sneaking around and listening to conversations must be necessary; good thing I am half slithering snake. While all this physical activity is taking place, I remember when I was younger and living my pampered noble life, I knew someone by that name who did me wrong. I concentrate trying to remember any physical trait that may help me identify Henkett. History: 17
As bad as splitting up may be, I feel like I would stick out like a sore thumb climbing over the fence in my shiny armor.
I plan on trying to create a diversion near the main gate to allow my friends an easier time climbing over the fence.
I walk over to the front of the gate and try to give a religious sermon to the guards. I am a cleric afterall. Religion: 21
I climb down from the stakeout position and share the info with Adra and Moki.
I hesitate for only a moment, Trench's specific advice NOT to do this echoing my head as I watch my friend disappear over the fence, then decide to follow with a slight sigh.
Acrobatics: 9
Stealth: 16
(She did specify she was waiting until supper to do this, so...)
Sim continues to study the guard for the next hours, learning the path they follow, but not much else. Once the sun begins to come down, so does the changeling, wearing her Ari form. She notices that Mokiakia has also changed into a more suitable attire for the mission, but does not have much time to discuss the details of the plan. With a nod, Mokiakia dashes around the Pearcaster Estate, trying to find a far spot in the fence. Adrasteia improvises by providing a distraction at the gate.
The guards are starting to congregate near the gate by the time Adrasteia arrives. Their next change of guards was indeed planned for around supper time, but it is interrupted by the sermon. Adrasteia picks a popular god to base her sermon on. Surely, some of the guards would be devouts or at least supporters of Tyr's ideals. Half of he city is, if not more (it is hard not to support the god of justice, after all). Although a bit surprised at first, the guards listen for a few minutes. One of them, a tall half-elf, begins to loose his patience at the elaborately long sermon but his companions warn him about going against Tyr's words. They continue to listen throughout the slow change of guards process, or perhaps even a bit beyond that. It has certainly kept their attention away from the fence for the time being, but they will return to their positions sooner rather than later.
Sim takes her chance to runs after Mokiakia. Both of the adventurers try to climb over the fence. They succeed, but it is neither a quick or a quiet affair. Mokiakia slips a few times and Sim grunts with the efforts she is making. They both fall uncomfortably on the ground on the other side of the fence, taking 3 bludgeoning damage. Once on the other side though, Sim finds a tall garden patch where she thinks they can hide for a few seconds, before making a dash for one of the nearby windows. Sim guides Mokiakia from spot to spot. They move quickly as to take advantage of Adrasteia's sermon. Mokiakia follows Sim almost instinctively, as her mind is focused elsewhere at the moment.
Mokiakia: You do remember a young boy named Henkett in your youth. It takes a bit of digging in your memories, but you can see a freckled and skinny blond boy in shorts visiting your house frequently along with his father. You seem to remember him working on your yard. Yes, that is it. The father would work on the fruit trees on your family's yard and the boy in shorts would help every now and then. It makes sense this memory would pop up while you are traversing a garden. The smells are similar too. Sweet and fresh... Henriot! That was his name... not Henkett. He was the gardener's son. A fond memory, to be sure, but certainly not the Pearcaster gent you were trying to think about at all...
Ah, that's true, I didn't give Mokiakia enough credit. Since we waited until dinner, I felt better about the swift decision.
I first listen at the window, and then cautiously attempt to peek through. Stealth: 13
My sermon completed, I look for other opportunities to distract the guards.
I would like to run a perception check for beggars or street children. I want to proselytize and preach in the hope of gathering a large crowd near the front of the gate. 20
I hope to gain enough of a following that the guards feel they need to pay a lot of attention to my activities.
Adrasteia finds a soap box from atop which to preach. It takes some time but she soon succeeds in stopping a handful of passersby. A few of the older citizens nod in unison as the armored lady speaks of the virtues of Tyr. She even finds an opportunity to deliver some of the messages of her favorite deity, Mishakal, the goddess of healing. Not many know of Mishakal in these parts but are willing to listen as Adrasteia continue to associate her with the more popular deity, Tyr.
The guards have mostly returned to their patrol routes. They are intrigued, but don't want to lose their cushy jobs. Those guarding the gate can't help but pay attention, though.
Sim quickly finds an open window and listen for any movement on the other side. Certain no one is nearby, she jumps into the manor and signals Mokiakia to follow her. Whatever Adrasteia is doing must have worked, as no guards patrolling the gardens seem to have noticed the infiltrating squad. Sim finds herself in a long hall, full of paintings and vases decorating the walls and nooks. There are three doors to choose from: south, west, north.
I continue my sermon for a few minutes longer in hopes of attracting even more people.
If I do, I want to lead a procession around the block the mansion is located on. Hopefully, the guards will break their normal patrol routines to follow my growing religious mob around.
I temper my sermon to be about the struggles between the haves and the have-nots. I hope to have at least some of the guards physically following me and my mob and have the other guards who stay close to their posts stay distracted or talking amongst themselves.
Adrasteia: roll a persuasion check with advantage.
I approach each door and listen to see what I hear on the other side. (Not sure if I need to roll 3 separate perception checks, so I will just in case, or you can use the first one...) Maybe Mokiakia can help me with her own rolls, in case mine don't go well.
South: 21
West: 8
North: 12
Persuasion: 13 I hope to create enough of a ruckus that at least a few of the guards leave their posts.
I also (not seriously) want to see if there are any hat-makers around who can embroider some red hats that read "Make Waterdeep Great Again."
(You can definitely find hatters in Waterdeep. Most of them are already convinced the city is great, though, so they wouldn't necessarily buy into your slogan.)
A few more people join Adrasteia's sermon once she switches topic to inequality. There are maybe seven or eight of them listening now: not enough to start her own church but maybe a shady cult based out of her uncle's basement. Satisfied, Adrasteia turns around and begins leading a procession. One of the guards at the gate doesn't seem to like the idea of someone leading the rabble around talking about haves and have-nots, so he sends two other guards to follow Adrasteia's posse. They are down to two guards at the gate and eight others patrolling the state. The two following Adrasteia complete the dozen.
Meanwhile, Sim listens to the doors in the hallway. Only at the third one she picks up a noise. It sounds like something is repeatedly being submerged into water, gently.
I continue to lead my mostly ruly mob around in hopes of creating a distraction for my companions while they are searching the house.
I hope my thoughts about the plight of the proletariat. I also begin to take donations for the poor and implore other passersby to change their ways. Persuasion (?): 23