"Lady Anet was of the idea that you could help us gain an audience with King Lidae in Isonrence. Though with a week to think about it, I'm not sure it will be so straightforward. So far, we've rarely had such luck." Kal says. "It might also help to reflect on your interactions with other nobility or political figures in the past few years, if any have done anything you might have found strange or suspicious."
Silthras listens as Velyra runs through her performance, nodding solemnly to emphasize the key points while keeping a close eye on Lord Jalen, trying to see if any of her tale might be known to him. As she finises, he waits expectantly as Jalen enters the circle and makes his pronouncements. Uttering a small prayer of thanks, he nods, and waits for Kal to finish before adding, "And...though it pains me to say this...any of your household may have been replaced, or simply be under the kind of duress that Lady Anet suffered through".
He pauses and his eyes narrow and, while Jalen is still in the circle, he asks, "Are you aware of any kind of duress being placed on yourself or any of your household, that might have similar, sinister, character? It is a thing that should perhaps be investigated."
"A tall task indeed. As otherwise carefree as he may be, one doesn't simply demand an audience with a king. And that's without considering who may be watching..." Jalen scratches his chin thoughtfully, considering your next words and questions. "I'm not under any duress. Neither is Corra. I don't think anyone else in the household is either. We are not a mighty keep like young Eraine is used to. We have aides, but not very many. And I don't see what purpose would be served by infiltrating our house."
"We take part in the city politics yes, but there are certainly other houses that wield more influence. On that subject, there is some digging I could do into that matter."
Mindful of the fact that he's still in the circle, he asks, "any other questions, or have I satisfied your well-earned paranoia?"
Silthras smiles and laughs, "I'll take the question on notice!"
He glances at his companions before continuing, "For my part, you have been more than tolerant of our -- or my -- paranoid fantasies. I am sure that our enemies have far more than blackmail and body-snatching in their toolbox. Worse, it seemed that Calmaius was a devoted believer in the cause. Such people are dangerous and will go to any lengths to achieve their ends."
He lets that hang for a moment before continuing. "We also have many more sites we need to investigate, and Lady Anet herself was dubious about us approaching the King immediately, I think, but it is something we will have to do eventually, once we have learned a little more. For now I suggest great caution on your part -- protect your own above all. And when your wife returns, we are happy to help assuring that she is who she says she is -- but as you say, you might not be targets and Lady Anet's value is now greatly diminished as a result of recent events, so too Eraine. In the mean time, any support you can offer would be appreciated."
Again, he pauses in thought before continuing, "In fact, over time, and open association with us may be a greater danger to you than anything else. We should perhaps keep any future meetings secret, or at least less open." He glances at his companions again, then back to Jalen.
With a nod, Jalen steps out of the circle and moves to refill his glass once more. "Every movement will have its fanatics, they're useful tools to the manipulative ones. Let's just hope they aren't all that way."
"I would suggest letting me talk to her about that first when she gets back...Corra is...Well she might stab you for suggesting she's could be a traitor without hearing out what you have to say. It's fortunate you found me here first." He says with a slight grin. "As for what to do while we wait - you are all welcome to remain here, unless there are lodgings elsewhere in the city you had in mind. There are some things - or people rather - I'd like to look into."
He raises an eyebrow at your suggestion of secrecy, "were you followed? Or do you think you might have been?"
Silthras smiles at the description of Corra. He liked Lady Anet and he was beginning to like her friends as well. He nods slowly at Jalen's question, "Followed? No, not that I saw, nor would have expected. My fear is that Calmaius may have been in contact with his masters earlier, or that we may attract attention to ourselves -- and indirectly you -- in the future." He looks out the window, considering. A safe base for a short time, at least, was very appealing. "I must admit that by the time Calmaius knew we were a threat we gave him little opportunity to communicate" he says with grim satisfaction.
"So for a time at least our presence should be of little note...perhaps we should accept your generous offer after all." He says the last with a slight bow, and looks to his companions, eyebrows raised, waiting to see if they agree.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"We'd be happy to stay here. Though do need to see some people in town first since this was the longest we'd been away." Usul says, wandering around the room and peering out a window to see if anyone followed them (though obviously he doesn't expect to see anything) (perception 17)
Would Syl generally know about Scrying and how to counteract it?
"On the subject of being follow, I don't think we need to worry about physical tails...But they were using magic to spy on Lady Anet. It stands to reason they could use the same thing against us."Sylnora says, speaking up for the first time. "If we're worried about endangering others, we need to find a way to safeguard against such techniques." She turns her attention to Usul next, "you grew up here right? Do you know of any places that deal in magic?"
“We know of a place! Though we only waited outside once while Mr. Kwiz did his shopping... Either way, we can show you a shortcut to get there!”Usul says proudly. “It’s really not all that far.”
"If we invoke the ire of these traitors, House Belerac would consider it an honor." Jalen grunts, at last putting his glass back down on the table. "As for your problem of being magically divined, we know very little of the arcane...But perhaps you can find something in the Whitecliff Ward. The Spire contains many books filled with the kind of knowledge you seek. Some have even setup shop to sell supplies to other magi. I can show you." Then, he gestures to the little gnome, "or perhaps your native friend here knows the way."
"I'll tell the aides to prepare the guest rooms for you, as well as you give you free passage through the gate."
Sensing it is time to move on, he gestures for the door. "Feel free to go see the sights for the time being. There are some hunches I would like to investigate in the meantime. I will see you later tonight if you return to stay."
"Speaking of..."At the mention of spying, Kal's ring begins to glow as he speaks a few arcane words, casting See Invisibility. He looks around the room for any objects similar to the one he saw when they met with the Baroness.
"I think Syl is right, hiding ourselves from their damn magic should be our first priority. Usul, lead the way?"
(I think wherever Usul deems appropriate for magic stuff is our first stop.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Knowing that he has passage through the gate further increases Usul's wonder. Access to this area of town is something he'd never really dreamed of before, though he had peered over the gates a number of times in the past. Smiling he says, "Well then! Follow us! And after getting some information there are some nice places to eat and get a drink too. We've never been to most of them..."He then is happy to lead the group through town, pointing out interesting (to him) sights along the way, and ducking between buildings to save time, making it almost hard to follow him, though he always stops to wait for the group to catch up. As he leaves the manor though he carefully looks around the outside of it ((perception 18)) for any thieves' cant marks, just to see if anyone has made notice of this house.
With a destination decided, the young gnome leads the party out into the city. A quick inspection of the exterior of the mansion reveals no thieves' cant marks, which to Usul makes sense. Very few were brave - or stupid - enough to try and steal from the extremely wealthy denizens of the Council Ward. To his knowledge, no one has successfully gotten away with such a feat. They might have made off with the goods sometimes, but they were run down eventually, and tried by the city's court.
One your way through the Council Ward, you pass by another set of walls, with stone stairs leading up to a large courtyard. As you pass by, you can see the Hall of Governance, the seat of power for Sonatide, the grand temple containing the entire pantheon, the courthouse, and other administrative buildings for the city.
Next you pass through the city's entertainment district, the Silver Ward. There are no manors here, only large apartment-style residences and an overwhelming variety of shops. Very shortly into this ward you're hit a mixture of fragrances that make your mouth water - the scents of smoked meats, seared vegetables, and seasoned seafoods saturate the air. Whatever else this ward has, you can be damn sure it has great food choices.
When you're not ducking through an alleyway to keep up with Usul, he points out a few of his favorite places. One of the first things he shows you is this sort of open-air style restaurant tucked into a little hole in between buildings. There are some tables are chairs sitting out just off the street, while a large gray-skinned humanoid stands behind a wooden kiosk in an apron. There's a sign that reads Boiling Bites above his head, and you can see these large steaming pots built into kiosk. While you're watching, the goliath dumps a ladle of dumplings into a wicker basket for a customer, waving them towards a counter off the side with a variety of seasonings and sauces.
Next he points out a small brick building on a corner with a wooden sign hanging from the door, marking it as Fan's Trinkets. In the window you can see the shop is filled with what amounts to children's toys, as well as a few odds and ends that might decorate a desk or bookshelf.
Before you even make it through the gate into the Whitecliff Ward, you're able to see the towering structure reaching towards the sky. A tower of white marble looms above even the city's incredibly high walls, sharpening towards the top like a spike sticking out of the ground. After you pass through the gate, Usul once again takes you through a few shortcuts, leading you in a loop around the eastern side of the tower. He stops at a building on the north side of the Spire, though still far enough away that you can't see the base of the tower. There's no sign above the door, and it in fact might be mistaken for just a regular residence. Nevertheless, Usul opens the door, confident this is the same place Mr.Kwiz used to go.
Inside you find a small shop space with old wooden shelves, and a musky old book smell permeates the air. You can see various spell components on the shelves, and the supplies you might need for creating spell scrolls or inscribing spells in a book. An elderly man sits behind a counter, with large spectacles on, hunched over a disassembled watch with tools in hand. As you enter, he looks up and squints, then removes the glasses and squints again. "Ahh...I've never seen you all before." He starts to say. "Come in, come in!" He then continues, ushering you in. "I presume someone must have sent you here, so apprentices maybe? What is it your instructor is looking for?"
"Apprentices?!" Sylnora blurts out. Normally shy and quiet, the audacity of being labeled a mere student ignites a fire in Syl's heart. Her cheeks redden as she realizes her outburst, and she says stiffly. "We are not apprentices. And no one sent us, our friend here knew of this place." As her eyes wander towards the shelves, she explains what they're looking for. "We've been having problems with unwanted eyes spying on us as of late. Malevolent eyes. We were hoping you might have something to help with that."
"Actually Syl, there's been something I've wanted to ask you about. Or Silthras." Kal says quietly, going a bit wide-eyed. "I've recently discovered some...talents...I didn't realize I had before." He continues slowly, not wanting to say too much in front of this stranger. "Could either of you help me figure out what is I need for this kind of spell casting? I know you use all kinds of different things for your spells," he says to Sylnora. "But Silthras I've seen you with a stick or something in your hand before."
The old man smiles and throws up his hands in mock surrender, "my apologies young mage, I'm simply not used to new customers finding me on their own." He takes a curious glance at Usul, and shrugs. "I can't say I've seen you before either...Did you come here with someone?" A curious eyebrow goes up as you describe what you need to him, and he nods thoughtfully. "Such enchantments are certainly possible, though I can't say I have any at the moment." He rubs his chin, "but...I can make some if you have the time and money."
Hearing Kal's comments, he smiles again, "ah, a new student to the arts, always a wonderful thing to behold." He waits to see what the other recommend to the knight, but seems ready to step in with his own sales pitch.
"Anyways. To make such an item would require about 500 gold on your part, and you'd need to give me about a day and a half to procure the necessary resources and create the enchantment."
Velyra winces at the price tag, regretting that she blew most of her earnings on those diamonds. Still, it's an important component for a spell I feel we'll need on our current path. Stepping further into the shop, she thinks towards the other magic items in her bag. "Perhaps we could organize a trade to handle some of that expense. I assume the cost is 500 gold pieces for each one?"
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"Lady Anet was of the idea that you could help us gain an audience with King Lidae in Isonrence. Though with a week to think about it, I'm not sure it will be so straightforward. So far, we've rarely had such luck." Kal says. "It might also help to reflect on your interactions with other nobility or political figures in the past few years, if any have done anything you might have found strange or suspicious."
Silthras listens as Velyra runs through her performance, nodding solemnly to emphasize the key points while keeping a close eye on Lord Jalen, trying to see if any of her tale might be known to him. As she finises, he waits expectantly as Jalen enters the circle and makes his pronouncements. Uttering a small prayer of thanks, he nods, and waits for Kal to finish before adding, "And...though it pains me to say this...any of your household may have been replaced, or simply be under the kind of duress that Lady Anet suffered through".
He pauses and his eyes narrow and, while Jalen is still in the circle, he asks, "Are you aware of any kind of duress being placed on yourself or any of your household, that might have similar, sinister, character? It is a thing that should perhaps be investigated."
"A tall task indeed. As otherwise carefree as he may be, one doesn't simply demand an audience with a king. And that's without considering who may be watching..." Jalen scratches his chin thoughtfully, considering your next words and questions. "I'm not under any duress. Neither is Corra. I don't think anyone else in the household is either. We are not a mighty keep like young Eraine is used to. We have aides, but not very many. And I don't see what purpose would be served by infiltrating our house."
"We take part in the city politics yes, but there are certainly other houses that wield more influence. On that subject, there is some digging I could do into that matter."
Mindful of the fact that he's still in the circle, he asks, "any other questions, or have I satisfied your well-earned paranoia?"
Silthras smiles and laughs, "I'll take the question on notice!"
He glances at his companions before continuing, "For my part, you have been more than tolerant of our -- or my -- paranoid fantasies. I am sure that our enemies have far more than blackmail and body-snatching in their toolbox. Worse, it seemed that Calmaius was a devoted believer in the cause. Such people are dangerous and will go to any lengths to achieve their ends."
He lets that hang for a moment before continuing. "We also have many more sites we need to investigate, and Lady Anet herself was dubious about us approaching the King immediately, I think, but it is something we will have to do eventually, once we have learned a little more. For now I suggest great caution on your part -- protect your own above all. And when your wife returns, we are happy to help assuring that she is who she says she is -- but as you say, you might not be targets and Lady Anet's value is now greatly diminished as a result of recent events, so too Eraine. In the mean time, any support you can offer would be appreciated."
Again, he pauses in thought before continuing, "In fact, over time, and open association with us may be a greater danger to you than anything else. We should perhaps keep any future meetings secret, or at least less open." He glances at his companions again, then back to Jalen.
With a nod, Jalen steps out of the circle and moves to refill his glass once more. "Every movement will have its fanatics, they're useful tools to the manipulative ones. Let's just hope they aren't all that way."
"I would suggest letting me talk to her about that first when she gets back...Corra is...Well she might stab you for suggesting she's could be a traitor without hearing out what you have to say. It's fortunate you found me here first." He says with a slight grin. "As for what to do while we wait - you are all welcome to remain here, unless there are lodgings elsewhere in the city you had in mind. There are some things - or people rather - I'd like to look into."
He raises an eyebrow at your suggestion of secrecy, "were you followed? Or do you think you might have been?"
Silthras smiles at the description of Corra. He liked Lady Anet and he was beginning to like her friends as well. He nods slowly at Jalen's question, "Followed? No, not that I saw, nor would have expected. My fear is that Calmaius may have been in contact with his masters earlier, or that we may attract attention to ourselves -- and indirectly you -- in the future." He looks out the window, considering. A safe base for a short time, at least, was very appealing. "I must admit that by the time Calmaius knew we were a threat we gave him little opportunity to communicate" he says with grim satisfaction.
"So for a time at least our presence should be of little note...perhaps we should accept your generous offer after all." He says the last with a slight bow, and looks to his companions, eyebrows raised, waiting to see if they agree.
"We'd be happy to stay here. Though do need to see some people in town first since this was the longest we'd been away." Usul says, wandering around the room and peering out a window to see if anyone followed them (though obviously he doesn't expect to see anything) (perception 17)
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Would Syl generally know about Scrying and how to counteract it?
"On the subject of being follow, I don't think we need to worry about physical tails...But they were using magic to spy on Lady Anet. It stands to reason they could use the same thing against us." Sylnora says, speaking up for the first time. "If we're worried about endangering others, we need to find a way to safeguard against such techniques." She turns her attention to Usul next, "you grew up here right? Do you know of any places that deal in magic?"
“We know of a place! Though we only waited outside once while Mr. Kwiz did his shopping... Either way, we can show you a shortcut to get there!” Usul says proudly. “It’s really not all that far.”
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Silthras nods, "Perhaps we should go there sooner rather than later. And...it would be nice to see a little more of the town."
(( Happy to move on, if all else are ))
"If we invoke the ire of these traitors, House Belerac would consider it an honor." Jalen grunts, at last putting his glass back down on the table. "As for your problem of being magically divined, we know very little of the arcane...But perhaps you can find something in the Whitecliff Ward. The Spire contains many books filled with the kind of knowledge you seek. Some have even setup shop to sell supplies to other magi. I can show you." Then, he gestures to the little gnome, "or perhaps your native friend here knows the way."
"I'll tell the aides to prepare the guest rooms for you, as well as you give you free passage through the gate."
Sensing it is time to move on, he gestures for the door. "Feel free to go see the sights for the time being. There are some hunches I would like to investigate in the meantime. I will see you later tonight if you return to stay."
Where to first? :)
"Speaking of..." At the mention of spying, Kal's ring begins to glow as he speaks a few arcane words, casting See Invisibility. He looks around the room for any objects similar to the one he saw when they met with the Baroness.
"I think Syl is right, hiding ourselves from their damn magic should be our first priority. Usul, lead the way?"
(I think wherever Usul deems appropriate for magic stuff is our first stop.)
Kal Perception: 17
Taking a quick glance around the room, Kal wouldn't see anything out of place with his magically enhanced sight.
Silthras nods at Kal's remark, "Aye -- local knowledge before exploration."
Turning to Jalen he inclines his head, "Thank you once more for your patience and hospitality. I daresay we shall return this evening."
With that he hefts his pack and, as his muscles protest slightly, sighs inwardly at the continued absence of dwarven whiskey.
Knowing that he has passage through the gate further increases Usul's wonder. Access to this area of town is something he'd never really dreamed of before, though he had peered over the gates a number of times in the past. Smiling he says, "Well then! Follow us! And after getting some information there are some nice places to eat and get a drink too. We've never been to most of them..." He then is happy to lead the group through town, pointing out interesting (to him) sights along the way, and ducking between buildings to save time, making it almost hard to follow him, though he always stops to wait for the group to catch up. As he leaves the manor though he carefully looks around the outside of it ((perception 18)) for any thieves' cant marks, just to see if anyone has made notice of this house.
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
With a destination decided, the young gnome leads the party out into the city. A quick inspection of the exterior of the mansion reveals no thieves' cant marks, which to Usul makes sense. Very few were brave - or stupid - enough to try and steal from the extremely wealthy denizens of the Council Ward. To his knowledge, no one has successfully gotten away with such a feat. They might have made off with the goods sometimes, but they were run down eventually, and tried by the city's court.
One your way through the Council Ward, you pass by another set of walls, with stone stairs leading up to a large courtyard. As you pass by, you can see the Hall of Governance, the seat of power for Sonatide, the grand temple containing the entire pantheon, the courthouse, and other administrative buildings for the city.
Next you pass through the city's entertainment district, the Silver Ward. There are no manors here, only large apartment-style residences and an overwhelming variety of shops. Very shortly into this ward you're hit a mixture of fragrances that make your mouth water - the scents of smoked meats, seared vegetables, and seasoned seafoods saturate the air. Whatever else this ward has, you can be damn sure it has great food choices.
When you're not ducking through an alleyway to keep up with Usul, he points out a few of his favorite places. One of the first things he shows you is this sort of open-air style restaurant tucked into a little hole in between buildings. There are some tables are chairs sitting out just off the street, while a large gray-skinned humanoid stands behind a wooden kiosk in an apron. There's a sign that reads Boiling Bites above his head, and you can see these large steaming pots built into kiosk. While you're watching, the goliath dumps a ladle of dumplings into a wicker basket for a customer, waving them towards a counter off the side with a variety of seasonings and sauces.
Next he points out a small brick building on a corner with a wooden sign hanging from the door, marking it as Fan's Trinkets. In the window you can see the shop is filled with what amounts to children's toys, as well as a few odds and ends that might decorate a desk or bookshelf.
Before you even make it through the gate into the Whitecliff Ward, you're able to see the towering structure reaching towards the sky. A tower of white marble looms above even the city's incredibly high walls, sharpening towards the top like a spike sticking out of the ground. After you pass through the gate, Usul once again takes you through a few shortcuts, leading you in a loop around the eastern side of the tower. He stops at a building on the north side of the Spire, though still far enough away that you can't see the base of the tower. There's no sign above the door, and it in fact might be mistaken for just a regular residence. Nevertheless, Usul opens the door, confident this is the same place Mr.Kwiz used to go.
Inside you find a small shop space with old wooden shelves, and a musky old book smell permeates the air. You can see various spell components on the shelves, and the supplies you might need for creating spell scrolls or inscribing spells in a book. An elderly man sits behind a counter, with large spectacles on, hunched over a disassembled watch with tools in hand. As you enter, he looks up and squints, then removes the glasses and squints again. "Ahh...I've never seen you all before." He starts to say. "Come in, come in!" He then continues, ushering you in. "I presume someone must have sent you here, so apprentices maybe? What is it your instructor is looking for?"
"Apprentices?!" Sylnora blurts out. Normally shy and quiet, the audacity of being labeled a mere student ignites a fire in Syl's heart. Her cheeks redden as she realizes her outburst, and she says stiffly. "We are not apprentices. And no one sent us, our friend here knew of this place." As her eyes wander towards the shelves, she explains what they're looking for. "We've been having problems with unwanted eyes spying on us as of late. Malevolent eyes. We were hoping you might have something to help with that."
"Actually Syl, there's been something I've wanted to ask you about. Or Silthras." Kal says quietly, going a bit wide-eyed. "I've recently discovered some...talents...I didn't realize I had before." He continues slowly, not wanting to say too much in front of this stranger. "Could either of you help me figure out what is I need for this kind of spell casting? I know you use all kinds of different things for your spells," he says to Sylnora. "But Silthras I've seen you with a stick or something in your hand before."
The old man smiles and throws up his hands in mock surrender, "my apologies young mage, I'm simply not used to new customers finding me on their own." He takes a curious glance at Usul, and shrugs. "I can't say I've seen you before either...Did you come here with someone?" A curious eyebrow goes up as you describe what you need to him, and he nods thoughtfully. "Such enchantments are certainly possible, though I can't say I have any at the moment." He rubs his chin, "but...I can make some if you have the time and money."
Hearing Kal's comments, he smiles again, "ah, a new student to the arts, always a wonderful thing to behold." He waits to see what the other recommend to the knight, but seems ready to step in with his own sales pitch.
"Anyways. To make such an item would require about 500 gold on your part, and you'd need to give me about a day and a half to procure the necessary resources and create the enchantment."
Velyra winces at the price tag, regretting that she blew most of her earnings on those diamonds. Still, it's an important component for a spell I feel we'll need on our current path. Stepping further into the shop, she thinks towards the other magic items in her bag. "Perhaps we could organize a trade to handle some of that expense. I assume the cost is 500 gold pieces for each one?"