Cob, for the next half an hour, you manage to be undetected. The supposed apprentices are indeed apprentices of the Verdant Mason. There are 8 of them. Three separate to get to the slot machines, while the remaining five commandeer a table for themselves. You stay close to the table and hear them hushedly boasting about their achievement in recovering stolen shipments for the Mason's greatest patron. The name of the patron is not mentioned. You also hear them planning to do another 'heist' in a couple of days and blaming it on the Barony to finally get the 'homeless orphans arrested and never polluting the air of Mantagard again'. One of them worries that they will get in trouble, but the others convince them that they are being backed by a powerful patron and that everything has been approved by the Builder.
Cob meanders back to the table and lets Drexon know about what he's overheard.
"Bunch of pompous brats that need to get the crap scared out of them," Cob says after he relays the details about their plans, their mysterious patron, and what they think of street waifs. "A little fear would do them some good."
Drexon listens to Cob detailing the plans of the apprentices, and nods in agreement at his conclusion.
"Perhaps we can arrange that", he says watching the group of 5 at their table with narrowed eyes. "Albeit once I have had a chance to rest".
"It is a shame I am so tapped out, it would be so easy to pluck the information from their small minds", he adds almost irritatedly.
As time passes, he carries on watching the apprentices discreetly, trying to identify the weakest member of the group. The one who maybe does not get on with the others so much, or doesn't join in with their boasts and tomfoolery.
Finding it difficult to concentrate, he enlists Cob to help over a telepathic link, "I am trying to figure out which one we can maybe split from the group and have a chat with. The one who will open up most easily. Maybe when Eremoz is back. What do you think?"
Perception (disadvantage due to exhaustion): (16,6)+5=11
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Cob takes a look over at the group again, but this time, instead of listening for information, he looks at the one who worried they would get into trouble and watches his body language and how the others treat them. If he was initially reluctant they might be able to use that to their advantage, and the others might be teasing or bullying them now.
Over the next hour, Drexon and Cob, both of you watch over the apprentices to look for a weak link. In your exhaustion, Drexon, you cannot glean much; the apprentices seem to be closely knit despite the arguments they often have. However, Cob, you notice that one of the five is a lot younger than the others and looks very feminine. Looking closely, you can see that this one is not a man, but a young woman in disguise as a man. From the way she hesitates to join the conversation, you can tell that she is not entirely in agreement with the group's violent discussion. She is also the one that disagrees with doing another 'heist' so close to the previous one. As the clock strikes 10, she leaves and heads downstairs.
Dvark, while Drexon and Cob watch over the apprentices, you head over to the pool tables and join a game. Over the next hour, you come to learn that some people believe there is currently a gang war happening in Mantagard. They believe that the heist at the warehouse is only the opening act of an open war, a culmination of previous smaller skirmishes between the Amber Squad and the Scarlet Barony. When you try to inquire about the Squad and the Barony, the answers you receive are spotty at best. One of the people you play with would discreetly point out some random individual in the crowd, saying that they are members of the Squad or Barony, but the other would disprove it. Some say the Barony is a criminal group that incited the conflict with the Squad. Some say the Squad and the Barony were once part of the same group. Some say the Squad is the criminal group and the Barony is the one protecting the citizens. As the clock strikes 10, one of the people you play with points out at someone heading downstairs, telling you that they have seen the person near a large group of Amber Squad during the last public skirmish.
Dvark tries to quietly get Drexons attention across the room and taps his temple trying to signal for telepathy to relay what he's learned to the group.
'that one Cob's after was involved with one of the gangs around here. Word over here is there's a turf war. he's been associated with Amber Squad in case it matters.'
When Cob motions to the apprentice heading downstairs and begins to follow, Drexon looks about for Dvark to let him know they are moving. As it happens, he spots his Orc ally trying to get his attention as well.
Making a telepathic link, he first updates Dvark on what Cob is doing, before listening to Dvark's update.
"There are some apprentices from the masons here who were involved in the raid at the warehouse. Cob is following one downstairs now, he thinks they might be a weak link that we can get more information out of. Apparently they have a mysterious patron that they are working for. What have you found?".
Cob, you manage to follow the apprentice without being seen. She goes downstairs and sits down on top of a crate. After a moment of taking a deep breath, she lights a cigar and pulls out something that you cannot quite see.
"I am here with the others," you hear her say. "They are none the wiser. I also found the grate. Are we proceeding as planned?"
The voice goes quiet for a few minutes before a reply is heard, spoken by another voice. "Not the right time. New variables are present. Julian has a new guard. I will call you again when I can be certain."
The apprentice stays sitting for quite some time, calmly smoking. When she finishes her cigar, she moves upstairs again.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Cob decides that this is a good a time as any to make an introduction.
Before the apprentice can go back upstairs, he makes his presence known.
"Hi, I'm Cob," he says good-naturedly. "Your friends upstairs are quite the group. I'm sure it's just the drink but they're talking up quite a storm about how important they are. They even seem to imply they were part of what happened at that warehouse the other night. But you seem different. Too smart for that lot for sure. Smart enough not to be keen on whatever they're planning next."
The apprentice staggers back when you suddenly appear in front of her. She regards you with suspicion for a moment before shaking her head.
"I'm sorry," she says with a smile, "they can be like that after a few cups. If you are disturbed by them, I can ask them to leave or get a private room on the second floor. They're good kids that like to talk big. Don't take everything they're saying as truth. Just last week, they boasted about wrestling bears when a wild bear came around the city's outskirts."
She looks at your wing with surprise.
"Say, I haven't seen you around before," she says curiously. "Are you new? Travellers? Haven't seen a fairy before. Is it true that you can reduce your size further than this?"
"I need to practice before I can do that," Cob says, playing along with here interest in fairies. He flutters his wings and lifts off up into the air, spinning around as he does. "I think I'd be able to even shrink you."
He focuses on the apprentice again.
"My friends and I are visiting town. We even toured your workshops earlier today and we heard a bunch of you had an altercation," Cob says then adds "Very much raised our curiosity. What really happened?"
She lets out a disgruntled sigh and shakes her head again.
"Oh, you know," she says with a shrug, "just boys being boys. One of them got jealous of the other's work and a fight happened. It happened from time to time. They wrecked our studio so all work there is halted for the moment. Shame too. The one that got jealous was slated to join the Grand Master to Timaril. His work wasn't even that bad. It was just a case of a horrible, terrible, no good, and very bad week cracking him. He's going to be transferred for disciplinary action, I think."
Drexon starts to get up to follow Cob, but instantly starts to feel light headed and has to claps the edge of the table to stop himself from tumbling to the floor. He hoped anyone watching would assume he had simply had too much to drink.
He sits back down and waits for Cob or the apprentice to return upstairs.
"I am too weak to follow our winged friend. Be mindful in case they get into trouble", he sends to Dvark telepathically.
With that he digs into his pack to find some rations, hoping a little food with help him.
Cob starts to lose interest in this conversation. He's clearly not the clever interrogator that Drexon is. Not feeling that he's getting any more information from the apprentice, and that she does at least appear friendly, he decides a little magic couldn't hurt.
Cob pulls out his fiddle and shows it to the apprentice.
"Perhaps they need some hobbies," Cob says. "I've always found playing music helps me focus and stay calm."
He runs the bow across the strings, concentrating on the apprentice as he does.
When you play a note with your fiddle, the apprentice's posture relaxes a little.
"Well, they have a hobby," she says. She speaks hushedly as if gossiping with an old friend. "Recently, they've been going to this secret place. Not all of them, only a couple. I think from the group that I came with, there are 3 or 4 people currently in that club. I don't really know what they are doing there, but they often return back to the headquarter with bruises. We don't really practice combat, but they now sometime spar with the guards during free period."
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Cob, for the next half an hour, you manage to be undetected. The supposed apprentices are indeed apprentices of the Verdant Mason. There are 8 of them. Three separate to get to the slot machines, while the remaining five commandeer a table for themselves. You stay close to the table and hear them hushedly boasting about their achievement in recovering stolen shipments for the Mason's greatest patron. The name of the patron is not mentioned. You also hear them planning to do another 'heist' in a couple of days and blaming it on the Barony to finally get the 'homeless orphans arrested and never polluting the air of Mantagard again'. One of them worries that they will get in trouble, but the others convince them that they are being backed by a powerful patron and that everything has been approved by the Builder.
Cob meanders back to the table and lets Drexon know about what he's overheard.
"Bunch of pompous brats that need to get the crap scared out of them," Cob says after he relays the details about their plans, their mysterious patron, and what they think of street waifs. "A little fear would do them some good."
Drexon listens to Cob detailing the plans of the apprentices, and nods in agreement at his conclusion.
"Perhaps we can arrange that", he says watching the group of 5 at their table with narrowed eyes. "Albeit once I have had a chance to rest".
"It is a shame I am so tapped out, it would be so easy to pluck the information from their small minds", he adds almost irritatedly.
As time passes, he carries on watching the apprentices discreetly, trying to identify the weakest member of the group. The one who maybe does not get on with the others so much, or doesn't join in with their boasts and tomfoolery.
Finding it difficult to concentrate, he enlists Cob to help over a telepathic link, "I am trying to figure out which one we can maybe split from the group and have a chat with. The one who will open up most easily. Maybe when Eremoz is back. What do you think?"
Perception (disadvantage due to exhaustion): (16,
6)+5=11Cob takes a look over at the group again, but this time, instead of listening for information, he looks at the one who worried they would get into trouble and watches his body language and how the others treat them. If he was initially reluctant they might be able to use that to their advantage, and the others might be teasing or bullying them now.
Perception / Insight (same mod): 16
Over the next hour, Drexon and Cob, both of you watch over the apprentices to look for a weak link. In your exhaustion, Drexon, you cannot glean much; the apprentices seem to be closely knit despite the arguments they often have. However, Cob, you notice that one of the five is a lot younger than the others and looks very feminine. Looking closely, you can see that this one is not a man, but a young woman in disguise as a man. From the way she hesitates to join the conversation, you can tell that she is not entirely in agreement with the group's violent discussion. She is also the one that disagrees with doing another 'heist' so close to the previous one. As the clock strikes 10, she leaves and heads downstairs.
Dvark heads over to the pool tables and finds an open game while scanning the crowd.
Perception: 12 (passive 14)
Dvark, while Drexon and Cob watch over the apprentices, you head over to the pool tables and join a game. Over the next hour, you come to learn that some people believe there is currently a gang war happening in Mantagard. They believe that the heist at the warehouse is only the opening act of an open war, a culmination of previous smaller skirmishes between the Amber Squad and the Scarlet Barony. When you try to inquire about the Squad and the Barony, the answers you receive are spotty at best. One of the people you play with would discreetly point out some random individual in the crowd, saying that they are members of the Squad or Barony, but the other would disprove it. Some say the Barony is a criminal group that incited the conflict with the Squad. Some say the Squad and the Barony were once part of the same group. Some say the Squad is the criminal group and the Barony is the one protecting the citizens. As the clock strikes 10, one of the people you play with points out at someone heading downstairs, telling you that they have seen the person near a large group of Amber Squad during the last public skirmish.
Dvark tries to quietly get Drexons attention across the room and taps his temple trying to signal for telepathy to relay what he's learned to the group.
'that one Cob's after was involved with one of the gangs around here. Word over here is there's a turf war. he's been associated with Amber Squad in case it matters.'
Cob points out the apprentice heading down the stairs.
”That one’s our best bet. She’s hiding who she really is from the others and she’s not keen on their plans” Cob says. “We should talk to her.”
Cob gets up and takes off after the apprentice, not wanting to lose sight of her.
When Cob motions to the apprentice heading downstairs and begins to follow, Drexon looks about for Dvark to let him know they are moving. As it happens, he spots his Orc ally trying to get his attention as well.
Making a telepathic link, he first updates Dvark on what Cob is doing, before listening to Dvark's update.
"There are some apprentices from the masons here who were involved in the raid at the warehouse. Cob is following one downstairs now, he thinks they might be a weak link that we can get more information out of. Apparently they have a mysterious patron that they are working for. What have you found?".
Stealth (disadvantage): 9
If I succeed Dvark taps his temple and throws a meaningful glance after the departing apprentice.
If I fail Dvark waves and calls "DREX" across the room, then very obviously and aggressively tapps his temple.
Cob, not sure if watching where the apprentice goes is more important than talking to her, decides to try and remain discrete as possible to start.
Stealth: 21
Cob, you manage to follow the apprentice without being seen. She goes downstairs and sits down on top of a crate. After a moment of taking a deep breath, she lights a cigar and pulls out something that you cannot quite see.
"I am here with the others," you hear her say. "They are none the wiser. I also found the grate. Are we proceeding as planned?"
The voice goes quiet for a few minutes before a reply is heard, spoken by another voice. "Not the right time. New variables are present. Julian has a new guard. I will call you again when I can be certain."
The apprentice stays sitting for quite some time, calmly smoking. When she finishes her cigar, she moves upstairs again.
Cob decides that this is a good a time as any to make an introduction.
Before the apprentice can go back upstairs, he makes his presence known.
"Hi, I'm Cob," he says good-naturedly. "Your friends upstairs are quite the group. I'm sure it's just the drink but they're talking up quite a storm about how important they are. They even seem to imply they were part of what happened at that warehouse the other night. But you seem different. Too smart for that lot for sure. Smart enough not to be keen on whatever they're planning next."
He gives her his best smile.
"Does that sound about right?"
Persuasion if needed: 18
The apprentice staggers back when you suddenly appear in front of her. She regards you with suspicion for a moment before shaking her head.
"I'm sorry," she says with a smile, "they can be like that after a few cups. If you are disturbed by them, I can ask them to leave or get a private room on the second floor. They're good kids that like to talk big. Don't take everything they're saying as truth. Just last week, they boasted about wrestling bears when a wild bear came around the city's outskirts."
She looks at your wing with surprise.
"Say, I haven't seen you around before," she says curiously. "Are you new? Travellers? Haven't seen a fairy before. Is it true that you can reduce your size further than this?"
"I need to practice before I can do that," Cob says, playing along with here interest in fairies. He flutters his wings and lifts off up into the air, spinning around as he does. "I think I'd be able to even shrink you."
He focuses on the apprentice again.
"My friends and I are visiting town. We even toured your workshops earlier today and we heard a bunch of you had an altercation," Cob says then adds "Very much raised our curiosity. What really happened?"
She lets out a disgruntled sigh and shakes her head again.
"Oh, you know," she says with a shrug, "just boys being boys. One of them got jealous of the other's work and a fight happened. It happened from time to time. They wrecked our studio so all work there is halted for the moment. Shame too. The one that got jealous was slated to join the Grand Master to Timaril. His work wasn't even that bad. It was just a case of a horrible, terrible, no good, and very bad week cracking him. He's going to be transferred for disciplinary action, I think."
Drexon starts to get up to follow Cob, but instantly starts to feel light headed and has to claps the edge of the table to stop himself from tumbling to the floor. He hoped anyone watching would assume he had simply had too much to drink.
He sits back down and waits for Cob or the apprentice to return upstairs.
"I am too weak to follow our winged friend. Be mindful in case they get into trouble", he sends to Dvark telepathically.
With that he digs into his pack to find some rations, hoping a little food with help him.
Cob starts to lose interest in this conversation. He's clearly not the clever interrogator that Drexon is. Not feeling that he's getting any more information from the apprentice, and that she does at least appear friendly, he decides a little magic couldn't hurt.
Cob pulls out his fiddle and shows it to the apprentice.
"Perhaps they need some hobbies," Cob says. "I've always found playing music helps me focus and stay calm."
He runs the bow across the strings, concentrating on the apprentice as he does.
Casts: Charm Person DC14 Wis save or Charmed
When you play a note with your fiddle, the apprentice's posture relaxes a little.
"Well, they have a hobby," she says. She speaks hushedly as if gossiping with an old friend. "Recently, they've been going to this secret place. Not all of them, only a couple. I think from the group that I came with, there are 3 or 4 people currently in that club. I don't really know what they are doing there, but they often return back to the headquarter with bruises. We don't really practice combat, but they now sometime spar with the guards during free period."