(Sorry no access to the pc in the last days and sitio haven’t. Also limited internet access this season can be chaotic at work still will post on my phone sorry for the editing )
At the debriefing:
”I was the hunter. Should keep in mind that I can become the prey too. It’s ok not to have all the information, probably we wouldn’t have it most of the times I want to apologize to the rest of the ten if I wasn’t too much useful. I will improve “
During the planning;
” I would gladly join the stealth team. I am no stranger to locks and subterfuge. Let’s say that I wasn’t always a ranger…”
Next day:
Lyndaran nods to Brother Cephas and ponders the question. “The heart of the conspirators could be on the right place but their actions will provoke pain and bloodshed and they seem not to have a clear leader. Aristocracy or not leaders, good ones, are needed for guidance and responsibility “ he states to offer his thoughts
”Since we succeeded, I don’t feel it went that bad, and even without the trick- though very good, I think we still would have succeeded. I do feel that the team upstairs were falling over each other trying to get to the prize, myself included. It is pretty obvious who has worked with others before and who hasn’t.” She gives a warm smile to Kyrsa, hoping she knows she is in the first category.
At the planning…
Mina sits in amusement as the others discuss the infiltration of the business. She is surprised when she is placed in the nonstealthy group as she thinks she is pretty quiet. “Am I being punished for my terrible display of Stealth in our last test? No matter, this will be different for me, but I think it’ll be fun. Jaarthel, I would be happy to be your companion on the mission. This will be interesting.”
At the inquiry..
She wonders if most of their missions will be like this? She was thinking the circle would give them the direction on what to do to try and uphold goodness, not make the decision themselves. She looks around at her new elf friends and thinks there will be a great degree of differing opinions on such things and how will a just determination be made? As some of the elves start to answer, her concern is all too real.
”I would inform the noble. Whether or not self rule would be better, blood shed and a staging a coup is not exactly a good way of doing things. I’m sure there are issues with this woman, all aristocrats have their issues. I feel I would think the same way whether I knew the woman or not. The ones bringing the raid, who’s to say how they would handle things if they did overthrow her?”
For anyone who lingered to speak with Percival after the training session:
"My, my... such attentive students... You make old Percival think he is not such a bad teacher after all. Have you all heard of the phenomenon of the 'carriage crash'? As in, when a terrible accident happens in one of those fancy wheeled contraptions, and there are blood and mangled bodies all over the place? And the common idea is that one can't look away, and that because of the great emotion involved, of disgust or horror or righteous anger or whatever, that the memory will be seared into your brain in perfect detail for all time. Yes? You have heard of this? Well, it's rubbish. Nonsense. Not a speck of truth. "Emotion, dears, is the enemy of all the higher functioning of the brain. Emotion is primal, animal, and when it is inflamed, all other mental powers bow to it like acolytes to an unexpected visitation of their demon god. If you interview all the eyewitnesses to that carriage crash a week or two later, they will all be absolutely convinced that they remember every detail perfectly, and yet their accounts will all diverge in significant ways. Heightened emotions are a two-pronged poison: they both block accurate recording of the facts, and they convince the recorder that her faulty recollection is in fact true.
"Perhaps another example is looking directly at the sun. We have all sneaked a peek once in a while, but we cannot sustain it too long... the power of the vision is too great. So we take a side glance, and then convince ourselves that we know ever after where that sun is exactly, without looking at it directly again, using only glare and reflections. Looking at Percy, you might think no one could ever forget or overlook such a glorious figure of color and fashion. But the exact opposite is true. Because Percy makes people uncomfortable, they rarely look directly at him for more than a moment, and then just are vaguely aware of him out of the corners of their eyes. Percival the master of Stealth takes advantage of others' discomfort to walk among lesser beings unnoticed.
"And to answer your question, Tamryn, yes you may browse Percy's wardrobe, but don't expect it to look as marvelous on you as it does on Percy. After all there can only be one!"
Aside from his responses, and his time listening to the instructors, Jhaartael spends most of his time quietly observing his new team-mates.
They certainly are all skilled and each could easily fit into any of the roles the team needs. He is struck, however, by how they tend to limit themselves. Could it be uncertainty? This is a very different group of Tel-quessir than those he is used to being with. Living for centuries and having the opportunity to experience many different things had tended to make the Tel-quessir he knew both over-confident and sometimes bored with the minutia. This team, and the Farm, would certainly provide many opportunities for each to expand beyond their areas of comfort. But for now, Jhaartael has to consider how to be a wealthy, but out of touch, merchant... this should be amusing.
Jhaartael will inquire with the instructors regarding appropriate attire as well as a portfolio which they can use to hold the pretended sensitive documents. He will also ask whether there is any intelligence on how the targets may be expected to perceive their group, both individually and together. Lastly, he will ask for more details about the event... whether it will be a dinner or more h'ordeuvres, how long it is expected to last, etc.
During the planning, Kyrsa says to Mina, "No, you are not being punished by any means. I can tell you know what you are doing in the way of stealth. The reason we placed you in the other team is because of your heritage, you may stand out more than Tamryn and Lyndaran, if not Akyan, thus helping Jahaartael and I provide a distraction. However, we did mention before that we may need to split into three groups. Two for stealth and one for distraction and assessing our host's defenses. If this happens, you will be on a stealth team with either Tamryn or Akyan. I'd like to separate those two if this happens because I think they are our two best lockpickers." She gives a smile before turning to Lyndaran, "Not to say you aren't any good. I just haven't seen you in action yet. I have a feeling we won't need three groups, but it is something to be prepared for in case we do."
_____________
Kyrsa stays with Tamryn to speak with Percy. She is always happy to speak with her instructors. "Thank you for giving us individualized lessons. I'm sure we all benefited greatly, I know I have."
__________________
Taking Percy's advice to heart, Kysa don's summer on the way to the inquiry. Her joyful green tones shifting to angry yellows and oranges. Her hair in particular takes on a striking shade of yellow that reflects the sun astoundingly. Her skin is a pale orange, and her eyes are a mixture of the two colors, seemingly filled with a light of their own, like two suns on a hot summer day.
She listens intently to the proposed scenario, staying quiet as the others give their answers. After a moment of conflicting she says, "If the baroness is truly a just ruler, I would not wish any harm on her. Rarely have I seen revolutions end well, as most end with far more bloodshed than necessary, and whatever new government is enacted usually crumbles upon itself. I would need to know more details about the revolutionary leaders though to really make my judgment on that. If I know nothing about them, then I would likely reveal the plot to the baroness.Though my words may or may not make a difference, I would ask her to consider why the revolution is taking place to begin with and to treat these revolutionaries with respect. Hopefully, they can come to terms with one another and work something out. If not, revealing the plot would reduce large amounts of bloodshed, and at least postpone the rebellion to a time when we might be able to step in and truly lend a hand."
Impressed by his show of stealth, Akyan says after the lesson to hear what Percival has to say. He somewhat agrees with his view of emotion, but not to the same extent. Emotion has a purpose, just like everything else in the world. He almost laughs when he mentions staring at the sun. Akyan had never dreamed of doing that. He could barely look in the suns direction let alone directly at it. This was a strange elf, Akyan had never considered standing out to be a benefit when it comes to stealth. Through most of his life he found it a nuisance. His appearance made him easy to recognize. He didn't mind that it made some people uncomfortable, that would make the avoid him however, sometimes it just made them suspicious of him, and sometimes even outright hostile towards him. However, he did see the logic in the high elf's explanation. After all, there is always more than one right way to accomplish something, usually one of them is better than the other, depending on the circumstances.
When listening to the others ideas for during the scenario, he quickly gathers that just about everyone else here has a different view than he does. He doesn't entirely disagree with them, he could see their point. He might have even sided with that viewpoint, if the teacher hadn't specified that the people would likely prosper under self rule. Shrugging to himself, he remains silent.
Tamryn says, “I would warn the ruler, but I would encourage her to listen to the complaints and reasons of the revolutionaries and, if they are sincere and not simply seeking power, invite them to participate in the government. Don’t throw away potentially useful assets.”
Brother Cephas, nods, listening patiently as each of you work through the problem in your own way.
"This is a good beginning, to know your starting point. But, you are ignoring half of the original question. If your team comes upon a moral quandary, and has not received specific instructions on how to proceed, you may have to make a decision on your own. If there is disagreement amongst yourselves, how will you resolve it? Will you take a vote? Do majorities get to decide morality? What do you do if you are the only member who feels a certain way, but you feel it passionately? Better to work these things out now, than to encounter such a situation in the field and not have considered its possibility.
"I don't know if any of you have ever studied mathematics, but as a teacher, my goal is not to teach you the specific answer to a specific equation. My quest is to teach you how to approach any problem in a systematic way.
"And I wish, again, for each of you to ponder, how you would be affected by the choice. If you choose to support the baroness, and she does execute the rebels, how will that change you? If you support the rebels, and it leads to a long, bloody insurrection, how will you deal with that? It is folly to think that our lives are not determined by the sum of our choices..."
Impressed by his show of stealth, Akyan says after the lesson to hear what Percival has to say. He somewhat agrees with his view of emotion, but not to the same extent. Emotion has a purpose, just like everything else in the world. He almost laughs when he mentions staring at the sun. Akyan had never dreamed of doing that. He could barely look in the suns direction let alone directly at it. This was a strange elf, Akyan had never considered standing out to be a benefit when it comes to stealth. Through most of his life he found it a nuisance. His appearance made him easy to recognize. He didn't mind that it made some people uncomfortable, that would make the avoid him however, sometimes it just made them suspicious of him, and sometimes even outright hostile towards him. However, he did see the logic in the high elf's explanation. After all, there is always more than one right way to accomplish something, usually one of them is better than the other, depending on the circumstances.
When listening to the others ideas for during the scenario, he quickly gathers that just about everyone else here has a different view than he does. He doesn't entirely disagree with them, he could see their point. He might have even sided with that viewpoint, if the teacher hadn't specified that the people would likely prosper under self rule. Shrugging to himself, he remains silent.
As Percival speaks to the group, watching your faces, he notices a ripple of expression cross the drow's countenance. Afterwards, he approaches Akyan and says privately:
Please don't misunderstand Percy, young one. Emotion has its place in our experience. Otherwise we would be no better that soulless golems, going about our rote tasks without any joy or sorrow in our lives. No, emotion definitely has a place... but not when making an important decision, or conducting an investigation. Emotion clouds judgment. Save the emotion for your friends and for your recreation. That's Percy's advice, anyway, to take or leave as you see fit.
(Each of you may continue the discussion as you like. When you are finished, Brother Cephas dismisses you for a four hour break before you must prepare for your evening mission. Again, feel free to RP, to explore, to meditate, etc.)
Jhaartael finds Aldara and asks about various details of the mission.
She responds, "Your cover identity is not about retrieving documents, it is a meeting to consider establishing a business partnership. And you do not need to bring the evidence back to us, simply destroy it. That poor sheriff's love life is no one's concern but his own. The only details that the businessman knows is that some foreign investors are interested in him, and this flatters his ego. From there, you may choose your personas however you wish. You don't even have to be elves if you wish otherwise, although magical disguises tend to wear off sooner than mundane ones. As for attire, Percy was not kidding when he said he had an extensive wardrobe. He really is a master of disguise, as well as of stealth."
Tamryn approaches Aldara and asks, “Does the mark know how many of us to expect? Do we have any information on the security? Do we have information about the interior of the home? Do we have maps? Do we have informants or contacts inside? Do we know anything about the staff? How many stories is the house? Are there nearby buildings? How tall are they? Will the guests be inside exclusively or will they be able to wander the grounds? What sort of support could you provide? For example, could you polymorph one of us to make it easier to sneak in or provide scrolls ofknock?”
Akyan listens when Percy approaches him. He did agree with this, to an extent. He had fallen prey to his emotions more times than he would like to admit. Logic will always yield good results for those who use it. However, it doesn't always yield the right ones. He had fallen prey to this mistake as well. However, he did not want to argue with the high elf. "I understand. Thank you for the advice."
_________________________
After Cephas speaks, Akyan responds, "If baroness will not bend when asked to consider the thoughts and ideas of those she rules over, then she is not fit to rule. However, if I know if she is willing to listen, then she should be given a chance to change her ways."
Akyan also goes with Tamryn and Jhaartael when they ask about the mission. He waits for Aldara to answer Tamryn before saying anything.
Kyrsa nods as Cephas reexplains the question. She stays quiet however, as she is well acquainted with such moral decisions. She long ago came to terms with the blood on her hands--some of which was spilled not by her own choosing, but by the direction of others--while the other amount was the result of her own decisions, some of which were mistakes. As a military leader, there were times when she was forced to make such decisions against the will of the majority of her own group, as her decisions had outweighed theirs. There were a few times when those decisions proved to be disastrous, and she was willing and able to carry the blame and the guilt for those mistakes, no matter how many of her team members had backed her on them. Other times she accepted the decision of her group, in spite of holding a different opinion. Nevertheless, if the outcome proved negative, she carried that responsibility as leader. It had still been her decision to follow through. If the decision proved correct, all credit went to her team. Other times, she had been forced to carry out decisions made by her superiors against her better judgement. Many of those times she carried out those orders knowing the inevitable consequences, unable to disobey. "The past cannot be undone. Better lay it out, learn what you can from it, then put it far out of sight until it is necessary to remind yourself. No use grieving over mistakes or lives lost when you made the decision you thought was the right one. Holding lives in the balance is something any leader must come to terms with as soon as they accept the rank. If they cannot bear the weight, it is better to hand over the mantle." Memories of time spent hidden away in her quarters, out of her teams sight flit across her mind. There was always some regret, as there always is when lives are lost, but there was no purpose for dwelling on what if's or should haves. There was only tomorrow and the next decision--you learn from the past, and try your best to do better the next time. She waits for the others to speak up, curious as to what they will say.
___________________
Afterwards, she stays with Jahaartael, and Tamryn as they speak to Aldara about the mission. When Aldara mentions the use of spells as disguises, she nods, "Yes, I would recommend more mundane disguises. Magical ones work well in a squeeze, but I've seen them fail firsthand when their use was attempted for a serious mission." Nodding to her team members, she almost smiles as she says, "I think we would all enjoy seeing what Percy has to offer us in the way of disguises."
When Tamryn lays out his long list of questions, Kyrsa's eyebrows raise. She is impressed by his thoroughness. Clearly this isn't his first infiltration.
After Tamryn receives his answers, Kyrsa asks, "I remember you saying that we will not be allowed weapons for this mission. However, we have decided that I will be playing captain of Jahaartael's guard. I was wondering if I could bring a sword just for appearances--an expendable one...that I might surrender at the door if necessary. I do not intend to use the weapon, but I would like to add to the illusion we are trying to create of a paranoid noble and his personal guard. Even if the request to come unarmed was from our host, I still feel like the guard of a paranoid noble might try to get in with some way to protect him...even if it is just to calm her lord's nerves." She pauses, "I do not know if this would offend our host though. If it would, then perhaps I could carry an ornamental wooden sword as a symbol of trust, while still showing my 'status' as captain of the guard. It could also serve as a rudimentary self defense weapon to put my lord at ease, should he feel unreasonably threatened by some other shady guest." She says the last part with a smile, "This is not something we talked about previously while brainstorming for our plan, as it just came to my mind. I have used this tactic before on previous military missions as a way to get a weapon in where they weren't supposed to be allowed. However, I just thought this would be a way to further turn attention away from our other group members, and add more authenticity to our personas. Regardless as to whether or not we try this, or anyone thinks it is necessary, I wanted to ask. I do not want to ruin the mission simply by bringing something we were explicitly told to leave behind."
Mina feels like her thoughts were being read. But as for an answer on how to pivot during the mission? Especially with these eleves that she just met? It think it's going to take time to see how they work together. Seems that most are used to working on their own. She pipes up, "I'm open to suggestions."
As they start planning for the upcoming mission and Kyrsa asks for a sword, she muses aloud, "Shall I wear a dress?" and she smiles.
"This mission shouldn't involve weapons, we were told that there shouldn't be any casualties. However, if it comes to it, I am always armed." Akyan says in response to Lyndaran. Then he answers Jhaartael, "I suppose we should..." After saying this he looks at Aldara then asks, "Do we know how accepting these people will be of a drow?"
Kyrsa nods to Jahaartael, "I was going to ask the same thing. It might be wise, so that we cannot be traced back to other missions in the future. Though, I will say that it would be best to choose names that are somewhat reminiscent of our own, that way it is easier to remember. Not to similar, but just similar enough that we can keep the names strait. So...I could be Kara or Kirsia. And Mina could be Mirah or Mara--or something more distinguished if you wish to be a noble."
She smiles at Mina, "Lets decide what role you are playing before deciding on what to wear. Are you a representative? A member of Jahaartael's court? Or are you a guard like me? If you are a representative then it may be a good decision to dress appropriately, though I would recommend, wearing something underneath it, and finding a dress you can easily pull off if you need to run." She hesitates, "I was thinking about finding at least a breastplate and tabard for myself. If I'm not partaking in the stealthy part of the mission, I might as well both look like a guard and have some protection."
To Lyndaran, Kysa says, "I wouldn't recommend bringing hidden weapons. Aldara already told us that we will not be armed." She nods to Akyan and continues, "If I bring a sword, I would do so without the intent to use it. I will also expect to give it up at the door. Me having a sword is not a necessity, I simply thought it would help add to our disguises."
Tamryn approaches Aldara and asks, “Does the mark know how many of us to expect? Do we have any information on the security? Do we have information about the interior of the home? Do we have maps? Do we have informants or contacts inside? Do we know anything about the staff? How many stories is the house? Are there nearby buildings? How tall are they? Will the guests be inside exclusively or will they be able to wander the grounds? What sort of support could you provide? For example, could you polymorph one of us to make it easier to sneak in or provide scrolls ofknock?”
Aldara patiently listens to Tamryn's litany, and at the end says, "No. No but we don't expect anything unusual. A rough sketch. Again, a rough sketch. No. They seem nice? Two. Yes, it's in the middle of a village. The surrounding buildings are all about twelve feet high, the target building about 22 feet. Unknown. Answering lots of questions. No."
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(Sorry no access to the pc in the last days and sitio haven’t. Also limited internet access this season can be chaotic at work still will post on my phone sorry for the editing )
At the debriefing:
”I was the hunter. Should keep in mind that I can become the prey too. It’s ok not to have all the information, probably we wouldn’t have it most of the times I want to apologize to the rest of the ten if I wasn’t too much useful. I will improve “
During the planning;
” I would gladly join the stealth team. I am no stranger to locks and subterfuge. Let’s say that I wasn’t always a ranger…”
Next day:
Lyndaran nods to Brother Cephas and ponders the question.
“The heart of the conspirators could be on the right place but their actions will provoke pain and bloodshed and they seem not to have a clear leader. Aristocracy or not leaders, good ones, are needed for guidance and responsibility “ he states to offer his thoughts
dex check 23
PbP Character: A few ;)
Alright, rolled DEX check on character sheet:17
During the debrief..
”Since we succeeded, I don’t feel it went that bad, and even without the trick- though very good, I think we still would have succeeded. I do feel that the team upstairs were falling over each other trying to get to the prize, myself included. It is pretty obvious who has worked with others before and who hasn’t.” She gives a warm smile to Kyrsa, hoping she knows she is in the first category.
At the planning…
Mina sits in amusement as the others discuss the infiltration of the business. She is surprised when she is placed in the nonstealthy group as she thinks she is pretty quiet. “Am I being punished for my terrible display of Stealth in our last test? No matter, this will be different for me, but I think it’ll be fun. Jaarthel, I would be happy to be your companion on the mission. This will be interesting.”
At the inquiry..
She wonders if most of their missions will be like this? She was thinking the circle would give them the direction on what to do to try and uphold goodness, not make the decision themselves. She looks around at her new elf friends and thinks there will be a great degree of differing opinions on such things and how will a just determination be made? As some of the elves start to answer, her concern is all too real.
”I would inform the noble. Whether or not self rule would be better, blood shed and a staging a coup is not exactly a good way of doing things. I’m sure there are issues with this woman, all aristocrats have their issues. I feel I would think the same way whether I knew the woman or not. The ones bringing the raid, who’s to say how they would handle things if they did overthrow her?”
For anyone who lingered to speak with Percival after the training session:
"My, my... such attentive students... You make old Percival think he is not such a bad teacher after all. Have you all heard of the phenomenon of the 'carriage crash'? As in, when a terrible accident happens in one of those fancy wheeled contraptions, and there are blood and mangled bodies all over the place? And the common idea is that one can't look away, and that because of the great emotion involved, of disgust or horror or righteous anger or whatever, that the memory will be seared into your brain in perfect detail for all time. Yes? You have heard of this? Well, it's rubbish. Nonsense. Not a speck of truth.
"Emotion, dears, is the enemy of all the higher functioning of the brain. Emotion is primal, animal, and when it is inflamed, all other mental powers bow to it like acolytes to an unexpected visitation of their demon god. If you interview all the eyewitnesses to that carriage crash a week or two later, they will all be absolutely convinced that they remember every detail perfectly, and yet their accounts will all diverge in significant ways. Heightened emotions are a two-pronged poison: they both block accurate recording of the facts, and they convince the recorder that her faulty recollection is in fact true.
"Perhaps another example is looking directly at the sun. We have all sneaked a peek once in a while, but we cannot sustain it too long... the power of the vision is too great. So we take a side glance, and then convince ourselves that we know ever after where that sun is exactly, without looking at it directly again, using only glare and reflections. Looking at Percy, you might think no one could ever forget or overlook such a glorious figure of color and fashion. But the exact opposite is true. Because Percy makes people uncomfortable, they rarely look directly at him for more than a moment, and then just are vaguely aware of him out of the corners of their eyes. Percival the master of Stealth takes advantage of others' discomfort to walk among lesser beings unnoticed.
"And to answer your question, Tamryn, yes you may browse Percy's wardrobe, but don't expect it to look as marvelous on you as it does on Percy. After all there can only be one!"
Aside from his responses, and his time listening to the instructors, Jhaartael spends most of his time quietly observing his new team-mates.
They certainly are all skilled and each could easily fit into any of the roles the team needs. He is struck, however, by how they tend to limit themselves. Could it be uncertainty? This is a very different group of Tel-quessir than those he is used to being with. Living for centuries and having the opportunity to experience many different things had tended to make the Tel-quessir he knew both over-confident and sometimes bored with the minutia. This team, and the Farm, would certainly provide many opportunities for each to expand beyond their areas of comfort. But for now, Jhaartael has to consider how to be a wealthy, but out of touch, merchant... this should be amusing.
Jhaartael will inquire with the instructors regarding appropriate attire as well as a portfolio which they can use to hold the pretended sensitive documents. He will also ask whether there is any intelligence on how the targets may be expected to perceive their group, both individually and together. Lastly, he will ask for more details about the event... whether it will be a dinner or more h'ordeuvres, how long it is expected to last, etc.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
During the planning, Kyrsa says to Mina, "No, you are not being punished by any means. I can tell you know what you are doing in the way of stealth. The reason we placed you in the other team is because of your heritage, you may stand out more than Tamryn and Lyndaran, if not Akyan, thus helping Jahaartael and I provide a distraction. However, we did mention before that we may need to split into three groups. Two for stealth and one for distraction and assessing our host's defenses. If this happens, you will be on a stealth team with either Tamryn or Akyan. I'd like to separate those two if this happens because I think they are our two best lockpickers." She gives a smile before turning to Lyndaran, "Not to say you aren't any good. I just haven't seen you in action yet. I have a feeling we won't need three groups, but it is something to be prepared for in case we do."
_____________
Kyrsa stays with Tamryn to speak with Percy. She is always happy to speak with her instructors. "Thank you for giving us individualized lessons. I'm sure we all benefited greatly, I know I have."
__________________
Taking Percy's advice to heart, Kysa don's summer on the way to the inquiry. Her joyful green tones shifting to angry yellows and oranges. Her hair in particular takes on a striking shade of yellow that reflects the sun astoundingly. Her skin is a pale orange, and her eyes are a mixture of the two colors, seemingly filled with a light of their own, like two suns on a hot summer day.
She listens intently to the proposed scenario, staying quiet as the others give their answers. After a moment of conflicting she says, "If the baroness is truly a just ruler, I would not wish any harm on her. Rarely have I seen revolutions end well, as most end with far more bloodshed than necessary, and whatever new government is enacted usually crumbles upon itself. I would need to know more details about the revolutionary leaders though to really make my judgment on that. If I know nothing about them, then I would likely reveal the plot to the baroness.Though my words may or may not make a difference, I would ask her to consider why the revolution is taking place to begin with and to treat these revolutionaries with respect. Hopefully, they can come to terms with one another and work something out. If not, revealing the plot would reduce large amounts of bloodshed, and at least postpone the rebellion to a time when we might be able to step in and truly lend a hand."
Impressed by his show of stealth, Akyan says after the lesson to hear what Percival has to say. He somewhat agrees with his view of emotion, but not to the same extent. Emotion has a purpose, just like everything else in the world. He almost laughs when he mentions staring at the sun. Akyan had never dreamed of doing that. He could barely look in the suns direction let alone directly at it. This was a strange elf, Akyan had never considered standing out to be a benefit when it comes to stealth. Through most of his life he found it a nuisance. His appearance made him easy to recognize. He didn't mind that it made some people uncomfortable, that would make the avoid him however, sometimes it just made them suspicious of him, and sometimes even outright hostile towards him. However, he did see the logic in the high elf's explanation. After all, there is always more than one right way to accomplish something, usually one of them is better than the other, depending on the circumstances.
When listening to the others ideas for during the scenario, he quickly gathers that just about everyone else here has a different view than he does. He doesn't entirely disagree with them, he could see their point. He might have even sided with that viewpoint, if the teacher hadn't specified that the people would likely prosper under self rule. Shrugging to himself, he remains silent.
Tamryn says, “I would warn the ruler, but I would encourage her to listen to the complaints and reasons of the revolutionaries and, if they are sincere and not simply seeking power, invite them to participate in the government. Don’t throw away potentially useful assets.”
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
Brother Cephas, nods, listening patiently as each of you work through the problem in your own way.
"This is a good beginning, to know your starting point. But, you are ignoring half of the original question. If your team comes upon a moral quandary, and has not received specific instructions on how to proceed, you may have to make a decision on your own. If there is disagreement amongst yourselves, how will you resolve it? Will you take a vote? Do majorities get to decide morality? What do you do if you are the only member who feels a certain way, but you feel it passionately? Better to work these things out now, than to encounter such a situation in the field and not have considered its possibility.
"I don't know if any of you have ever studied mathematics, but as a teacher, my goal is not to teach you the specific answer to a specific equation. My quest is to teach you how to approach any problem in a systematic way.
"And I wish, again, for each of you to ponder, how you would be affected by the choice. If you choose to support the baroness, and she does execute the rebels, how will that change you? If you support the rebels, and it leads to a long, bloody insurrection, how will you deal with that? It is folly to think that our lives are not determined by the sum of our choices..."
As Percival speaks to the group, watching your faces, he notices a ripple of expression cross the drow's countenance. Afterwards, he approaches Akyan and says privately:
Please don't misunderstand Percy, young one. Emotion has its place in our experience. Otherwise we would be no better that soulless golems, going about our rote tasks without any joy or sorrow in our lives. No, emotion definitely has a place... but not when making an important decision, or conducting an investigation. Emotion clouds judgment. Save the emotion for your friends and for your recreation. That's Percy's advice, anyway, to take or leave as you see fit.
(Each of you may continue the discussion as you like. When you are finished, Brother Cephas dismisses you for a four hour break before you must prepare for your evening mission. Again, feel free to RP, to explore, to meditate, etc.)
Jhaartael finds Aldara and asks about various details of the mission.
She responds, "Your cover identity is not about retrieving documents, it is a meeting to consider establishing a business partnership. And you do not need to bring the evidence back to us, simply destroy it. That poor sheriff's love life is no one's concern but his own. The only details that the businessman knows is that some foreign investors are interested in him, and this flatters his ego. From there, you may choose your personas however you wish. You don't even have to be elves if you wish otherwise, although magical disguises tend to wear off sooner than mundane ones. As for attire, Percy was not kidding when he said he had an extensive wardrobe. He really is a master of disguise, as well as of stealth."
Tamryn approaches Aldara and asks, “Does the mark know how many of us to expect? Do we have any information on the security? Do we have information about the interior of the home? Do we have maps? Do we have informants or contacts inside? Do we know anything about the staff? How many stories is the house? Are there nearby buildings? How tall are they? Will the guests be inside exclusively or will they be able to wander the grounds? What sort of support could you provide? For example, could you polymorph one of us to make it easier to sneak in or provide scrolls of knock?”
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
Akyan listens when Percy approaches him. He did agree with this, to an extent. He had fallen prey to his emotions more times than he would like to admit. Logic will always yield good results for those who use it. However, it doesn't always yield the right ones. He had fallen prey to this mistake as well. However, he did not want to argue with the high elf. "I understand. Thank you for the advice."
_________________________
After Cephas speaks, Akyan responds, "If baroness will not bend when asked to consider the thoughts and ideas of those she rules over, then she is not fit to rule. However, if I know if she is willing to listen, then she should be given a chance to change her ways."
Akyan also goes with Tamryn and Jhaartael when they ask about the mission. He waits for Aldara to answer Tamryn before saying anything.
Kyrsa nods as Cephas reexplains the question. She stays quiet however, as she is well acquainted with such moral decisions. She long ago came to terms with the blood on her hands--some of which was spilled not by her own choosing, but by the direction of others--while the other amount was the result of her own decisions, some of which were mistakes. As a military leader, there were times when she was forced to make such decisions against the will of the majority of her own group, as her decisions had outweighed theirs. There were a few times when those decisions proved to be disastrous, and she was willing and able to carry the blame and the guilt for those mistakes, no matter how many of her team members had backed her on them. Other times she accepted the decision of her group, in spite of holding a different opinion. Nevertheless, if the outcome proved negative, she carried that responsibility as leader. It had still been her decision to follow through. If the decision proved correct, all credit went to her team. Other times, she had been forced to carry out decisions made by her superiors against her better judgement. Many of those times she carried out those orders knowing the inevitable consequences, unable to disobey. "The past cannot be undone. Better lay it out, learn what you can from it, then put it far out of sight until it is necessary to remind yourself. No use grieving over mistakes or lives lost when you made the decision you thought was the right one. Holding lives in the balance is something any leader must come to terms with as soon as they accept the rank. If they cannot bear the weight, it is better to hand over the mantle." Memories of time spent hidden away in her quarters, out of her teams sight flit across her mind. There was always some regret, as there always is when lives are lost, but there was no purpose for dwelling on what if's or should haves. There was only tomorrow and the next decision--you learn from the past, and try your best to do better the next time. She waits for the others to speak up, curious as to what they will say.
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Afterwards, she stays with Jahaartael, and Tamryn as they speak to Aldara about the mission. When Aldara mentions the use of spells as disguises, she nods, "Yes, I would recommend more mundane disguises. Magical ones work well in a squeeze, but I've seen them fail firsthand when their use was attempted for a serious mission." Nodding to her team members, she almost smiles as she says, "I think we would all enjoy seeing what Percy has to offer us in the way of disguises."
When Tamryn lays out his long list of questions, Kyrsa's eyebrows raise. She is impressed by his thoroughness. Clearly this isn't his first infiltration.
After Tamryn receives his answers, Kyrsa asks, "I remember you saying that we will not be allowed weapons for this mission. However, we have decided that I will be playing captain of Jahaartael's guard. I was wondering if I could bring a sword just for appearances--an expendable one...that I might surrender at the door if necessary. I do not intend to use the weapon, but I would like to add to the illusion we are trying to create of a paranoid noble and his personal guard. Even if the request to come unarmed was from our host, I still feel like the guard of a paranoid noble might try to get in with some way to protect him...even if it is just to calm her lord's nerves." She pauses, "I do not know if this would offend our host though. If it would, then perhaps I could carry an ornamental wooden sword as a symbol of trust, while still showing my 'status' as captain of the guard. It could also serve as a rudimentary self defense weapon to put my lord at ease, should he feel unreasonably threatened by some other shady guest." She says the last part with a smile, "This is not something we talked about previously while brainstorming for our plan, as it just came to my mind. I have used this tactic before on previous military missions as a way to get a weapon in where they weren't supposed to be allowed. However, I just thought this would be a way to further turn attention away from our other group members, and add more authenticity to our personas. Regardless as to whether or not we try this, or anyone thinks it is necessary, I wanted to ask. I do not want to ruin the mission simply by bringing something we were explicitly told to leave behind."
Jhaartael eventually peruses Percy's closet and finds attire suitable for the role allotted him.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
When he rejoins the group Jhaartael will ask one more question of everyone:
"Should we agree on fake names or just use our own?"
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
Mina feels like her thoughts were being read. But as for an answer on how to pivot during the mission? Especially with these eleves that she just met? It think it's going to take time to see how they work together. Seems that most are used to working on their own. She pipes up, "I'm open to suggestions."
As they start planning for the upcoming mission and Kyrsa asks for a sword, she muses aloud, "Shall I wear a dress?" and she smiles.
"I guess we can try to introduce some hidden weapons" adds Lyrandar as they talk about it,
PbP Character: A few ;)
"This mission shouldn't involve weapons, we were told that there shouldn't be any casualties. However, if it comes to it, I am always armed." Akyan says in response to Lyndaran. Then he answers Jhaartael, "I suppose we should..." After saying this he looks at Aldara then asks, "Do we know how accepting these people will be of a drow?"
Kyrsa nods to Jahaartael, "I was going to ask the same thing. It might be wise, so that we cannot be traced back to other missions in the future. Though, I will say that it would be best to choose names that are somewhat reminiscent of our own, that way it is easier to remember. Not to similar, but just similar enough that we can keep the names strait. So...I could be Kara or Kirsia. And Mina could be Mirah or Mara--or something more distinguished if you wish to be a noble."
She smiles at Mina, "Lets decide what role you are playing before deciding on what to wear. Are you a representative? A member of Jahaartael's court? Or are you a guard like me? If you are a representative then it may be a good decision to dress appropriately, though I would recommend, wearing something underneath it, and finding a dress you can easily pull off if you need to run." She hesitates, "I was thinking about finding at least a breastplate and tabard for myself. If I'm not partaking in the stealthy part of the mission, I might as well both look like a guard and have some protection."
To Lyndaran, Kysa says, "I wouldn't recommend bringing hidden weapons. Aldara already told us that we will not be armed." She nods to Akyan and continues, "If I bring a sword, I would do so without the intent to use it. I will also expect to give it up at the door. Me having a sword is not a necessity, I simply thought it would help add to our disguises."
Aldara patiently listens to Tamryn's litany, and at the end says, "No. No but we don't expect anything unusual. A rough sketch. Again, a rough sketch. No. They seem nice? Two. Yes, it's in the middle of a village. The surrounding buildings are all about twelve feet high, the target building about 22 feet. Unknown. Answering lots of questions. No."