Seeing Jhaartael, he walks over to the high elf. Gesturing to the book and the whistle, he asks, "Well, did you figure anything out about those things?"
Jhaarael looks up from his inspections and through Akyan. It takes a moment as his eyes refocus and recognize the Drow. "I am fairly certain this foul necrotic spellbook is a libram of souls and flesh. It is morbidly fascinating and revolting at the same time. Why one would make such a thing ... At any rate, I do not believe it is cursed any more than in a general sense one might be for having created such a thing. I have been taking slow precautions, and have not yet examined the whistle. It too has an aura of necromancy about it though."
He silently rejoins the group, letting them recount their adventures to the dwarves. When he has a moment, he mentions the librum and the whistle to Breezy, seeking insight into them.
Beyond that, he helps clean up after their repast and only slips away long enough to replenish his store of arrows from the armory. Otherwise, he stands brooding in a corner, mumbling to Artaquetië as he awaits the team's next move.
As Kyrsa finds Mina taking some time to herself after her meditation, Mina smiles warmly at her. "I don't know about you, but I sure feel better after that. I'm sorry I got so... so wrapped up in my own issues. I mean, I am not going to stop till I figure out what is going on, but I will try to put the needs of the Circle in front of my own, instead of the other way around."
She looks down a bit, a little ashamed of how she acted. Being alone with Kyrsa makes it a bit easier to open up, not being around the rest of the crew. As Kyrsa asks about the info Aeric gave her, she looks back up to her, "It is so confusing, you know? From Aeric's account, the man has rounded ears and bronze skin, so I would assume a human. But the same accent as I? Of the three, I would think that would be the easiest thing to change? So why if it is Thaomir, does he still have the accent? And how in the world would he have changed his skin color? Think Breezy or the others would know anything about it? How long can one disguise themselves?"
"Don't worry about it," Kyrsa says. "Its nothing to be ashamed about--worrying about your family." She pauses, eyes growing distant for a moment before she resumes, "I know we were expected to drop everything when we joined the Circle of Light, but sometimes there are things that are important enough to ignore that. Not everyone can so easily cut ties with their pasts..." She says the last part almost to herself before shaking her head and crossing her arms, "I don't know much about magic to be honest. Though I do think it could be possible for an elf to use disguise spells to hide his identity, at least if he has carefully planned out when and how he is going to don the disguise to keep others from discovering him. This...I am somewhat familiar with..." She trails off, mind going to one of her previous military missions in which her group was required to infiltrate an enemy base. "It can be done, but it is a hassle. Perhaps there is a way to bind such a spell to a piece of clothing, like Akyan's hat for example. But most such spells only last an hour at maximum if I remember correctly. But yes, I would assume Breezy or Jhaarteal would be the ones to ask about that."
Akyan nods to the high elf but says nothing. From what Jhaartael said, the book seems pretty useless, however, he doesn't know much about magic so he'll leave the wizard to his work.
When talking to the dwarves, Akyan doesn't say much about their time on the ship. He's not going to say anything about the ghosts unless someone else brings them up first.
When asked about Dannihyr's request Akyan replies, "If Tamryn is still willing to do it, then I will help him do so."
(still botting Tamryn until LTG feels well enough to post)
As the team gathers after dinner over mugs of warm cider and a fire crackling in the nearby hearth, Tamryn speaks. "As Spar has said, there are risks involved in this decision, so we should discuss it as a team. Should Annika and I continue our undercover operation? If we do, we might have access to intel that would help us take down some really bad people. On the other hand, to maintain our cover, we may have to participate in some questionable activities from time to time. Is the compromise worth it? We can always consult with Aldara tomorrow, but I wanted to see how the rest of you were feeling about this before I charge ahead.."
Jhaartael muses Tamryn's query as the others remain silent. Finally, carelessness carrying his words, he says, "One should not worry about a little dirt when pulling weeds. The trick is to make sure they don't grow back. Don't we have some earth to scorch?"
Tamryn says, "My friends, you, as always, are too kind. I must admit that I am being a little selfish in the pursuit of House Dannihyr's intel (and downfall). This business with Aeric has brought back some ill memories. The Serpents, and all slavers, must be driven out of business. I'm grateful you are willing to help me in this, in spite of the risk. I'll be honest, at present I don't have any idea how to infiltrate the headquarters. I imagine that, by now, our orcish friend will have made his way to the Serpents and told the sad tale of Liesel and Grignar (if not Aeric). I'm sure laying eyes on the building will provide some ideas, but if you have thoughts on weaseling our way inside, I would greatly like to hear them."
((DM, what is the weather like? Cold enough that most places would have a fire (or a few for a place like a warehouse)?))
Good Question. Have I specified the season? I don't recall. Let's say it is late Autumn in a southerly climate, so maybe 65 Farenheit (18 Celsius) on sunny days, and 40 Farenheit (4 Celsius) the overnight low. So yes, most places would have fireplaces or wood- or coal-burning stoves for evening warmth.
"I agree," Kyrsa adds once she and Mina join the group. "I'd like to finish what we started as long as we can do so without risking ourselves to much. ...and as long as we can accomplish it within the time limit."
Mina is quiet as they rejoin the group and finds a chair to sit in. She is still pondering over the situation with her brother, but at least the anger isn't overwhelming anymore. She finally pipes up, "I would definitely like to scope out the headquarters. I am a bit worried about the number they claim to have. but if a fire would help... and maybe cause the right distraction?"
"Perhaps we should just scope out the area first. Then decide if we are equipped to handle it?" Akyan suggests, "Like Tamryn said, they are probably a bit more on guard than usual, assuming that orc did alert them to the situation." The drow crosses his arms, "I am completely for doing this, but I do think we should be a bit more prepared than we are now before we go trying anything."
"I am reminded of an Alambrian mollusk which a teacher of mine once kept. The mollusk hides in an impenetrable shell covered in poisonous spines. It is foolish to try to attack it while in its shell. However, if one places the mollusk in a puddle of the right mixture of brine, it unfurls itself entirely from its shell and is then quite helpless.", muses Jhaartael.
The rest of the team reacts to Jhaartael's musings:
The team decides to scout the location of the Seven Serpents Cartel's Headquarters. By the time you finish your planning, and travel to the location it is close to 11 pm. The address you received is a surprisingly neat and clean building in the style of a tiered temple, with impressive architecture, and adorned with statues and carvings. The tower has seven floors, each with an octagonal outer shape. The entire structure is approximately 115 ft (35m) tall. The ground level floor has two entrances, at the North- and South-facing sides of the building. Each set of recessed double doors has an outer iron gate protecting an entryway, in which stand 4 guards. So, gate, then guards, then double doors. There are no windows on the ground floor. There is a fair amount of foot traffic in and out of the building, passing through both entrances, despite the late hour. Visitors must uncover their faces, and some are admitted on recognition, while others produce paperwork which they hand through the iron bars to be inspected. Those who are deemed authorized are admitted through the iron gate, which is closed behind them, and are then searched for weapons. The only persons allowed to keep their arms are those wearing a Serpent thumb-ring. The second floor and each floor above are surrounded by a balcony, upon each of which patrol four more armed guards on regular rounds. So, just on the exterior, you see 8 guards on the ground floor, four at the north entrance and four at the south, and another 24 guards pacing around the upper levels, for a total of 32 on the exterior of the building.
Tamryn says, "Initially, I'd suggest that we get a necklace of fireballs and throw several of them at the base of the building, letting everything sorting itself out. Sadly, we appear to be fresh out of such magical devices. I believe that if we created a distraction nearby we could draw away the attention of those guards, but anything big or sufficiently unusual would likely cause them to shut down entirely with today's events being what they are. Honestly, I think that there is nothing for it but for us to go over the wall as stealthily as possible, climb up to the second floor, and time it so that we go up once the guards have passed. Jhaartael's fine feathered friend could help on that front. Go in, pull some intel if possible, start a fire and leave. Let's take that as a base (and bad) plan and quickly see what we can do to improve it. Thoughts?"
Thankful for the lack of sunlight, the drow eyes the building, "The darkness may provide some cover, however, we are going to be pretty exposed while climbing that building." Akyan looks at Kyrsa, "Are you still able to teleport? If so, you could easily make it to the second balcony, then you can drop a rope down to the rest of us. It will be quicker and quieter than simply scaling the sides."
"Yes I was about to suggest that actually," Kyrsa says, focusing intently on the window. A trace of red appears in her hair and on her skin, but try as she might she can't shake her winter season. This bothers her as she feels that her summer season would be more useful in terms of arson, and the fact that she is usually able to shift in and out of a given season without any trouble. She shuts her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on her desire to fight rather then...her other emotions, but it just doesn't work.
"If anyone has any parchment or fabric we could use as fire starter? It could be beneficial to use small pieces to tuck away wherever we can. That way the fire takes a little while to start up, giving us time to plant more burning parchment in other places. We can just toss them into whatever window we can safely reach and then move from the location before the fires draw too much attention."
Jhaartael mumbles, "... a very spiny mollusk", as he scans the building.
((Are there any chimney's or vents on this tower - where does the smoke from all the fires heating the place exit?)) Investigation check if needed: 16 in log
His left eyebrow lifts in a shallow arch as he listens to the plan being concocted.
"Whoever goes first will still be exposed. I can grant them invisibility. It would be good if Akyan can make his connection with them so that we can coordinate as we will not be able to see them. Of course, Artaquetië will do his part"
He makes the hesitant addition, "I have some parchment and oil, if it comes to that."
Jhaarael looks up from his inspections and through Akyan. It takes a moment as his eyes refocus and recognize the Drow. "I am fairly certain this foul necrotic spellbook is a libram of souls and flesh. It is morbidly fascinating and revolting at the same time. Why one would make such a thing ... At any rate, I do not believe it is cursed any more than in a general sense one might be for having created such a thing. I have been taking slow precautions, and have not yet examined the whistle. It too has an aura of necromancy about it though."
He silently rejoins the group, letting them recount their adventures to the dwarves.
When he has a moment, he mentions the librum and the whistle to Breezy, seeking insight into them.Beyond that, he helps clean up after their repast and only slips away long enough to replenish his store of arrows from the armory. Otherwise, he stands brooding in a corner, mumbling to Artaquetië as he awaits the team's next move.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
(So Breezy the gnomish wizard is not currently in Athkatla, but you surmise you will see her at the New Farm, tomorrow.)
As Kyrsa finds Mina taking some time to herself after her meditation, Mina smiles warmly at her. "I don't know about you, but I sure feel better after that. I'm sorry I got so... so wrapped up in my own issues. I mean, I am not going to stop till I figure out what is going on, but I will try to put the needs of the Circle in front of my own, instead of the other way around."
She looks down a bit, a little ashamed of how she acted. Being alone with Kyrsa makes it a bit easier to open up, not being around the rest of the crew. As Kyrsa asks about the info Aeric gave her, she looks back up to her, "It is so confusing, you know? From Aeric's account, the man has rounded ears and bronze skin, so I would assume a human. But the same accent as I? Of the three, I would think that would be the easiest thing to change? So why if it is Thaomir, does he still have the accent? And how in the world would he have changed his skin color? Think Breezy or the others would know anything about it? How long can one disguise themselves?"
"Don't worry about it," Kyrsa says. "Its nothing to be ashamed about--worrying about your family." She pauses, eyes growing distant for a moment before she resumes, "I know we were expected to drop everything when we joined the Circle of Light, but sometimes there are things that are important enough to ignore that. Not everyone can so easily cut ties with their pasts..." She says the last part almost to herself before shaking her head and crossing her arms, "I don't know much about magic to be honest. Though I do think it could be possible for an elf to use disguise spells to hide his identity, at least if he has carefully planned out when and how he is going to don the disguise to keep others from discovering him. This...I am somewhat familiar with..." She trails off, mind going to one of her previous military missions in which her group was required to infiltrate an enemy base. "It can be done, but it is a hassle. Perhaps there is a way to bind such a spell to a piece of clothing, like Akyan's hat for example. But most such spells only last an hour at maximum if I remember correctly. But yes, I would assume Breezy or Jhaarteal would be the ones to ask about that."
Akyan nods to the high elf but says nothing. From what Jhaartael said, the book seems pretty useless, however, he doesn't know much about magic so he'll leave the wizard to his work.
When talking to the dwarves, Akyan doesn't say much about their time on the ship. He's not going to say anything about the ghosts unless someone else brings them up first.
When asked about Dannihyr's request Akyan replies, "If Tamryn is still willing to do it, then I will help him do so."
(still botting Tamryn until LTG feels well enough to post)
As the team gathers after dinner over mugs of warm cider and a fire crackling in the nearby hearth, Tamryn speaks. "As Spar has said, there are risks involved in this decision, so we should discuss it as a team. Should Annika and I continue our undercover operation? If we do, we might have access to intel that would help us take down some really bad people. On the other hand, to maintain our cover, we may have to participate in some questionable activities from time to time. Is the compromise worth it? We can always consult with Aldara tomorrow, but I wanted to see how the rest of you were feeling about this before I charge ahead.."
Jhaartael muses Tamryn's query as the others remain silent. Finally, carelessness carrying his words, he says, "One should not worry about a little dirt when pulling weeds. The trick is to make sure they don't grow back. Don't we have some earth to scorch?"
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
"As long as we keep casualties to the minimum, then I say it's worth the risk."
((DM, what is the weather like? Cold enough that most places would have a fire (or a few for a place like a warehouse)?))
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
Tamryn says, "My friends, you, as always, are too kind. I must admit that I am being a little selfish in the pursuit of House Dannihyr's intel (and downfall). This business with Aeric has brought back some ill memories. The Serpents, and all slavers, must be driven out of business. I'm grateful you are willing to help me in this, in spite of the risk. I'll be honest, at present I don't have any idea how to infiltrate the headquarters. I imagine that, by now, our orcish friend will have made his way to the Serpents and told the sad tale of Liesel and Grignar (if not Aeric). I'm sure laying eyes on the building will provide some ideas, but if you have thoughts on weaseling our way inside, I would greatly like to hear them."
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
Good Question. Have I specified the season? I don't recall. Let's say it is late Autumn in a southerly climate, so maybe 65 Farenheit (18 Celsius) on sunny days, and 40 Farenheit (4 Celsius) the overnight low. So yes, most places would have fireplaces or wood- or coal-burning stoves for evening warmth.
"I agree," Kyrsa adds once she and Mina join the group. "I'd like to finish what we started as long as we can do so without risking ourselves to much. ...and as long as we can accomplish it within the time limit."
Mina is quiet as they rejoin the group and finds a chair to sit in. She is still pondering over the situation with her brother, but at least the anger isn't overwhelming anymore. She finally pipes up, "I would definitely like to scope out the headquarters. I am a bit worried about the number they claim to have. but if a fire would help... and maybe cause the right distraction?"
"Perhaps we should just scope out the area first. Then decide if we are equipped to handle it?" Akyan suggests, "Like Tamryn said, they are probably a bit more on guard than usual, assuming that orc did alert them to the situation." The drow crosses his arms, "I am completely for doing this, but I do think we should be a bit more prepared than we are now before we go trying anything."
"I am reminded of an Alambrian mollusk which a teacher of mine once kept. The mollusk hides in an impenetrable shell covered in poisonous spines. It is foolish to try to attack it while in its shell. However, if one places the mollusk in a puddle of the right mixture of brine, it unfurls itself entirely from its shell and is then quite helpless.", muses Jhaartael.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
The rest of the team reacts to Jhaartael's musings:
The team decides to scout the location of the Seven Serpents Cartel's Headquarters. By the time you finish your planning, and travel to the location it is close to 11 pm. The address you received is a surprisingly neat and clean building in the style of a tiered temple, with impressive architecture, and adorned with statues and carvings. The tower has seven floors, each with an octagonal outer shape. The entire structure is approximately 115 ft (35m) tall. The ground level floor has two entrances, at the North- and South-facing sides of the building. Each set of recessed double doors has an outer iron gate protecting an entryway, in which stand 4 guards. So, gate, then guards, then double doors. There are no windows on the ground floor. There is a fair amount of foot traffic in and out of the building, passing through both entrances, despite the late hour. Visitors must uncover their faces, and some are admitted on recognition, while others produce paperwork which they hand through the iron bars to be inspected. Those who are deemed authorized are admitted through the iron gate, which is closed behind them, and are then searched for weapons. The only persons allowed to keep their arms are those wearing a Serpent thumb-ring. The second floor and each floor above are surrounded by a balcony, upon each of which patrol four more armed guards on regular rounds. So, just on the exterior, you see 8 guards on the ground floor, four at the north entrance and four at the south, and another 24 guards pacing around the upper levels, for a total of 32 on the exterior of the building.
Tamryn says, "Initially, I'd suggest that we get a necklace of fireballs and throw several of them at the base of the building, letting everything sorting itself out. Sadly, we appear to be fresh out of such magical devices. I believe that if we created a distraction nearby we could draw away the attention of those guards, but anything big or sufficiently unusual would likely cause them to shut down entirely with today's events being what they are. Honestly, I think that there is nothing for it but for us to go over the wall as stealthily as possible, climb up to the second floor, and time it so that we go up once the guards have passed. Jhaartael's fine feathered friend could help on that front. Go in, pull some intel if possible, start a fire and leave. Let's take that as a base (and bad) plan and quickly see what we can do to improve it. Thoughts?"
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
Thankful for the lack of sunlight, the drow eyes the building, "The darkness may provide some cover, however, we are going to be pretty exposed while climbing that building." Akyan looks at Kyrsa, "Are you still able to teleport? If so, you could easily make it to the second balcony, then you can drop a rope down to the rest of us. It will be quicker and quieter than simply scaling the sides."
"Yes I was about to suggest that actually," Kyrsa says, focusing intently on the window. A trace of red appears in her hair and on her skin, but try as she might she can't shake her winter season. This bothers her as she feels that her summer season would be more useful in terms of arson, and the fact that she is usually able to shift in and out of a given season without any trouble. She shuts her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on her desire to fight rather then...her other emotions, but it just doesn't work.
"If anyone has any parchment or fabric we could use as fire starter? It could be beneficial to use small pieces to tuck away wherever we can. That way the fire takes a little while to start up, giving us time to plant more burning parchment in other places. We can just toss them into whatever window we can safely reach and then move from the location before the fires draw too much attention."
Jhaartael mumbles, "... a very spiny mollusk", as he scans the building.
((Are there any chimney's or vents on this tower - where does the smoke from all the fires heating the place exit?)) Investigation check if needed: 16 in log
His left eyebrow lifts in a shallow arch as he listens to the plan being concocted.
"Whoever goes first will still be exposed. I can grant them invisibility. It would be good if Akyan can make his connection with them so that we can coordinate as we will not be able to see them. Of course, Artaquetië will do his part"
He makes the hesitant addition, "I have some parchment and oil, if it comes to that."
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms