There are these additional details: The L-shaped courtyard features a trimmed lawn and nicely manicured shrubbery. There are flower beds with nice greenery but no blooms on the flowers. The yard is decorated with white marble benches and stone fountains, each in the form of a smiling nymph tipping a jug that spills water into a circular stone basin.
[[ OOC: @DM: You did not comment about Atlas' Perception roll of 23 - so I guess it still wasn't enough to notice any traces of the Imp ]]
Khessa is reluctant to simply enter through the secret door... However, no one has had better luck detecting the Imp's presence... and Elias hasn't performed the ritual to detect emanations of magic...
'Maybe I'm too paranoid?' the blonde arcane warrior thinks to herself. 'No one has detected any traces of the Imp... and the Imp hasn't attacked me, even when I was alone... Maybe after stinging Percy, it just went away - maybe it had a mission to complete...'
"Okay," the tall adventuress sighs "let's just try entering through the secret door. I don't like it, but it might work after all. After we eliminate one Cultist, I can still assume their appearance - and we should be able to fool the other Cultists just as well. We'll just be at more risk until we eliminate the first one. But we can try".
(By the way, the Secret Door is inside the Bathhouse. You need to enter the Bathhouse first through the double-doors in order to get to the Secret Door.)
Elias looks back at his mates, making eye contact with them all in turn. He'll pull the Tiger's Eye gem from his pouch and affix it to the top of his staff. Looking back at his mates and nods to them all, then he moves toward what appears to be the entrance of the bath house.
Khessa leads the way and enters the Bathhouse through the double-doors in order to get to the Secret Door. She remains as alert as she can and initially enters alone, so that if the Imp has taken refuge there, it may decide to attack this 'lonely prey'.
If after a while the Imp still does not show signs of its presence, she lets the others in and heads for the Secret Door.
If there is a sheet or large towel now that we are inside the Bathhouse, she puts it in her backpack for any future needs.
"You have got to be kidding me. Of all the bathhouses in the town, I have to walk in to this one," mutters Rosebud. "I said this place was cursed. Maybe the imp, or whatever else is here, is what is causing the blooms to die. This is the garden that sent her on her recent drinking spree. Better be extra careful - got to watch for the imp and whatever comes with it, as well as that obnoxious owner, Mortlock. Now she has two reasons to be stealthy, so she makes herself small and sticks to the inside of the wall to use the plants she had been carrying for to shield her from potentially prying eyes as she works her way towards the main door.
OOC: stealth 8
But try as she might, she cracks a few branches and swats a few insects along the way. Not her most impressive sneaking.
"Head on in?" Khessa muses, speaking in a low voice so that only Elias and those around him can hear. "I wouldn't like that... We'd lose the advantages we planned to have. And the fact that the Cultists have an Imp with them is, if there was any need, further proof of how dangerous they are - so we'd need advantages. I'm convinced that the Imp must still be out here. Wouldn't it make sense, that he had returned to the base to report... what? That he had killed an owl (or a familiar, if he had realized what it was)? Having eliminated the 'intruder', without knowing that there were others nearby, he had no reason to go and report immediately. I assume he is still patrolling outside".
"Since we are in no hurry..." the blonde arcane warrior suggests "do you want to perform that ritual to detect emanations of magic? That way, even just by walking around, we could get an idea of the area where the Imp is... Or be certain that he is no longer around. At least we could make an informed decision afterwards".
In the meantime, having failed to locate the tiny fiend, the tall adventuress tries to see if, somewhere near the Bath House, there is a sheet or a large towel left (something that a customer might have used to dry themselves after a bath).
((OOC I am so sorry Painted, I completely skipped over this posting. Didn't ignore you on purpose, promise.))
(OOC - I just want to make sure I have this correct. KHESSA is going into the Bathhouse. RAYNOIRwill actually stop her and look in and take a look first. ELIASis outside with a Tiger Eye on his staff. Did ELIAS cast a spell too? ROSEBUD is hiding, poorly, I might add. ATLAS?)
(I am going to guess that ELIAS cast a ritual Detect Magic. If so, he detects magic. He only knows it is somewhere within 30 feet of his present location. He can't tell whether it is in the Bathhouse or out of the Bathhouse. It could just as well be an outhouse at this point.)
(And finally, we are now on the main larger Bathhouse map. I moved KHESSA's and RAYNOIR's tokens to the double-doors, the only entrance to the Bathhouse. All the other openings are opaque stained-glass windows. Let me know if you need any assistance.)
(I will wait on confirmation, and ATLAS' actions, if any, before letting the party know what RAYNOIR detected.)
[I only meant my perception check to keep a watchful eye as we enter the bathhouse so I can hopefully avoid any surprises or traps.)
Atlas will follow in after Khessa has made her way through the door. He will post up at the door and wait for everyone else to follow suit. He intends to bring up the rear but also potentially avoid any attacks from the front. Atlas has learned throughout his time that staying behind others is a good way to stay alive.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(OK. Moving on!)
KHESSA opens the door. The walls of this twenty-foot-high pillared chamber are adorned with frescoes of bathing royalty. During the day natural light streams through stained-glass windows, creating colorful patterns on the tiles of polished blue marble that cover the floor. And at night the colorful patterns are far more muted. Three shallow, sunken pools contain scintillating perfume-scented water. White marble benches bearing stacks of dry towels are situated near the pools, each of which comes equipped with a pair of brass faucets.
RAYNOIR will detect someone hiding behind the left southernmost pool. He notices a reflection in the middle stain-glass window on the southern wall. ATLAS will not see anything from his angle. (I moved ELIAS' and ROSEBUD's tokens on the map to a point a little closer to the action.)
Since the party is aware someone is hiding, and the one hiding is aware of the party, to keep it simple and in order:
ELIAS does not perceive anything beyond what was previously described.
KHESSA does not find a sheet or any towels around the outside of the Bathhouse.
The garden around the Bathhouse within the enclosed wall will look familiar to ROSEBUD.
Atlas follows the group, arrow still racked to his bow and is remaining vigilant for any threats that may present themselves.
PERCEPTION: 23
Elias will move on into the court yard, map updated. Touching Khessa's arm as he passes, it's bath time.
Hearing this, Atlas will respond, "The bath is quite good, not sure how I would feel bathing with all of you... but maybe when this is all over."
There are these additional details: The L-shaped courtyard features a trimmed lawn and nicely manicured shrubbery. There are flower beds with nice greenery but no blooms on the flowers. The yard is decorated with white marble benches and stone fountains, each in the form of a smiling nymph tipping a jug that spills water into a circular stone basin.
[[ OOC: @DM: You did not comment about Atlas' Perception roll of 23 - so I guess it still wasn't enough to notice any traces of the Imp ]]
Khessa is reluctant to simply enter through the secret door... However, no one has had better luck detecting the Imp's presence... and Elias hasn't performed the ritual to detect emanations of magic...
'Maybe I'm too paranoid?' the blonde arcane warrior thinks to herself. 'No one has detected any traces of the Imp... and the Imp hasn't attacked me, even when I was alone... Maybe after stinging Percy, it just went away - maybe it had a mission to complete...'
"Okay," the tall adventuress sighs "let's just try entering through the secret door. I don't like it, but it might work after all. After we eliminate one Cultist, I can still assume their appearance - and we should be able to fool the other Cultists just as well. We'll just be at more risk until we eliminate the first one. But we can try".
ATLAS does not detect anything.
(By the way, the Secret Door is inside the Bathhouse. You need to enter the Bathhouse first through the double-doors in order to get to the Secret Door.)
Brother Ray, is hovering quietly in the background.
[OOC: Back from travels will devote more this evening and greetings to all x]
Elias looks back at his mates, making eye contact with them all in turn. He'll pull the Tiger's Eye gem from his pouch and affix it to the top of his staff. Looking back at his mates and nods to them all, then he moves toward what appears to be the entrance of the bath house.
((OOC welcome back Angel, missed you))
[[ OOC: Welcome back! ]]
Khessa leads the way and enters the Bathhouse through the double-doors in order to get to the Secret Door. She remains as alert as she can and initially enters alone, so that if the Imp has taken refuge there, it may decide to attack this 'lonely prey'.
If after a while the Imp still does not show signs of its presence, she lets the others in and heads for the Secret Door.
If there is a sheet or large towel now that we are inside the Bathhouse, she puts it in her backpack for any future needs.
"You have got to be kidding me. Of all the bathhouses in the town, I have to walk in to this one," mutters Rosebud. "I said this place was cursed. Maybe the imp, or whatever else is here, is what is causing the blooms to die. This is the garden that sent her on her recent drinking spree. Better be extra careful - got to watch for the imp and whatever comes with it, as well as that obnoxious owner, Mortlock. Now she has two reasons to be stealthy, so she makes herself small and sticks to the inside of the wall to use the plants she had been carrying for to shield her from potentially prying eyes as she works her way towards the main door.
OOC: stealth 8
But try as she might, she cracks a few branches and swats a few insects along the way. Not her most impressive sneaking.
((OOC I am so sorry Painted, I completely skipped over this posting. Didn't ignore you on purpose, promise.))
-Brother Ray, must off been preoccupied.... a lot has been going on. "Ahhh dear Khessa, let me have a look and think, you never know"
Ray rolls:
Perception check | 9 |
Insight check | 22 |
As Brother Ray is conducting his checks he says quietly.... "here tiny fiend, where are you? Lord Bahamut wants to talk"
(OOC - I just want to make sure I have this correct. KHESSA is going into the Bathhouse. RAYNOIR will actually stop her and look in and take a look first. ELIAS is outside with a Tiger Eye on his staff. Did ELIAS cast a spell too? ROSEBUD is hiding, poorly, I might add. ATLAS?)
(I am going to guess that ELIAS cast a ritual Detect Magic. If so, he detects magic. He only knows it is somewhere within 30 feet of his present location. He can't tell whether it is in the Bathhouse or out of the Bathhouse. It could just as well be an outhouse at this point.)
(And finally, we are now on the main larger Bathhouse map. I moved KHESSA's and RAYNOIR's tokens to the double-doors, the only entrance to the Bathhouse. All the other openings are opaque stained-glass windows. Let me know if you need any assistance.)
(I will wait on confirmation, and ATLAS' actions, if any, before letting the party know what RAYNOIR detected.)
[I only meant my perception check to keep a watchful eye as we enter the bathhouse so I can hopefully avoid any surprises or traps.)
Atlas will follow in after Khessa has made her way through the door. He will post up at the door and wait for everyone else to follow suit. He intends to bring up the rear but also potentially avoid any attacks from the front. Atlas has learned throughout his time that staying behind others is a good way to stay alive.
((OOC sounds good.))
[[ OOC: Fine by me! Now you made me curious to know what Raynoir detected... ]]
(OK. Moving on!)
KHESSA opens the door. The walls of this twenty-foot-high pillared chamber are adorned with frescoes of bathing royalty. During the day natural light streams through stained-glass windows, creating colorful patterns on the tiles of polished blue marble that cover the floor. And at night the colorful patterns are far more muted. Three shallow, sunken pools contain scintillating perfume-scented water. White marble benches bearing stacks of dry towels are situated near the pools, each of which comes equipped with a pair of brass faucets.
RAYNOIR will detect someone hiding behind the left southernmost pool. He notices a reflection in the middle stain-glass window on the southern wall. ATLAS will not see anything from his angle. (I moved ELIAS' and ROSEBUD's tokens on the map to a point a little closer to the action.)
Since the party is aware someone is hiding, and the one hiding is aware of the party, to keep it simple and in order:
ROLL FOR INITIATIVE
Hider Initiative 13
Elias initiative roll 19
(I had to edit the post. The Hider Initiative is a 10)