"Yes Ms. Luna. I am aware of what a stein is. I was referring to our 'team name' specifically. I have attended a few gladiatorial matches in my youth, and this is the first I've seen that had such strange matching attire."
The professor rises from his seat with a grunt. "Perspicacious, how did you go about traveling from your former body into this new one?"
(OOC Am I in the same room as everyone else, just tied down? Assuming for the moment I am.))
Perspicacious struggles a bit at the bindings. "I don't suppose I could get a little help here? Completely unnecessary. I'm not some kind of monster," she says absently, before responding to Gordra. "It's this coin in my pocket, had it since I was little. It's supposed to be from Mammon's own vaults, but I've never had it shine like that before. It's just been a keepsake." Then suddenly remembering the piece of paper, she calls out. "Can someone read this? I can't move my hands."She tries to brandish the paper in a way that someone notices.
Jean, you ask the obvious question: What is going on? None of the others seem prepared to address that just yet, however. (My image of Jean is of her standing at the medica's only exit, a wooden door, one hand on the latch and another on her sword. Does that track?)
Amaruve, you are sitting on your haunches in the far corner of this tight, cramped space. Cordelia and the Professor are engaged in a conversation about... something. (I imagine that your thoughts are largely occupied by your enormous body and the events of the arena just a short while ago). That's when you see that Perspicacious is struggling against her bonds opposite you. There is little you can do to help her in this form, except...
You call upon Gaia to assist the tiefling... hobgoblin... person. Like everyone else in the room, you see her body as a sort of doubling: first one form, then another, sometimes both overlain. It's quite disorienting, truth be told. When you feel Gaia's grace fall upon your companion, however, for a brief moment her body snaps into definite focus. Instead of the dual creature she has become, Perspicacious is entirely a tiefling. In that span of seconds, the manacles, snapped as they were around the thick wrists of a hobgoblin, slip off of Perspicacious' smaller hands effortlessly to clatter on the ground.
And just like that, the effects are over. You see that same doubling between tiefling and hobgoblin once again, though both now wear an expression of acute surprise. The two of you make eye contact, and you share an unspoken What the hell was that?
Before any of you can address this, everyone (except the professor, apparently) hears a thunk against the door followed by a muffled "Oof! Damn it!"
Jean eyed the area that the noise came from and positioned herself so she would be ready to strike should who or whatever was making the noise prove to be hostile.
On the other side of the door there is an audible sigh, and then a firm knock-knock against the frame.
The door opens, revealing a man of average height and build. He is wearing black and white silk, and in his right hand (held like a walking stick) is a thin, pale staff made of some sort of segmented wood; a smooth orange gemstone is set squarely at its top. The man coughs into his closed left fist (ahem) and states, "My apologies for the intrusion, Thunder Steins." He notices Perspicacious and Amaruve sitting across from the door. "Ah, excellent. Our hobgoblin and our... bear... friend are here, as well. Wonderful."
He steps into the room, and flowing in behind him is a small, slender creature whose features are entirely hidden by a dark purple cloak. "And I see that you are all patched up. That's just marvelous." He glances at the unconscious Thunder Stein on the bed near the door. "Well, mostly patched up, anyway." He turns again to the rest of the group and places both hands on the burnished gemstone. "Now then, no lies for the Pretender, my friends: what the hell just happened out there?"
"Ahh yes, you must be referring to my pyrotechnics display. That took me several weeks to put together, but the crowd really seemed to enjoy it don't you think? Welll.." and Gordra rises from his seat with some effort, "I guess we'll be on our way. This Hobgoblin fellow has offered to take us out for drinks.."
(I guess Deception is the "attack" and Insight is the "armor", so tie to the attacker)
The gentleman hesitates. "I... You what? Pyrotechnics?" He looks uncertain, and more than a little disappointed. "I thought you might be able to... But if it wasn't actual..." He shakes his head. "It's no matter. You all will be taken back to your quarters until the tournament has reached its conclusion," he turns a saddened eye toward Gordra, "As you well know, Porter"
"As for those two," he says, indicating Amaruve and Perspicacious, "I have been instructed to take all of the animals to the pits." He looks around the room, "...before the DUKE arrives in roughly fifteen minutes. Unless, of course, there is some reason we all might want to stay in here, together, for just a short a while longer..."
Amaruve sits back on his haunches and considers the situation... He's got nothing. "Grrowah." He shrugs in a somewhat 'too human' expression of acquiescence, before he notices an itch behind his left ear and starts to scratch it against a support post behind him.
A smile plays at the corner of the man's lips. He looks as if he is about to say something, and then a rasping voice from the corner says, "The Duke is early, Pretender. He is almost here"
It's the creature in the purple robe, of course, and a the man again looks perturbed. "Yes, yes. Thank you, Ritz." He locks eyes with Amaruve and says in a voice for the entire room, "Tell me, friends: when is a bear not a bear?" He shakes his head. "Trickery or no, you all toppled the ida-ke. No small feat for a band of felons." He again looks at the creature in the robe. "Our options are limited, and our time is short. The Duke will be here shortly. It is my suggestion that we are not present when he arrives. He will offer you nothing that winning the tournament would afford you already, but it will come with the added benefit of your deaths two days from this moment."
He nods to Ritz, who moves to a wall and presses a small panel, revealing a hidden tunnel. "You may come with me, now, or you can listen to the Duke's offers, and suffer his lies."
Amaruve leans and rolls forward to get his feet under him again, and moves to this suspicious fellow. He lumbers in close and sniffs the mans face critically, before he chuffs with a reluctant snort and heads down the passage.
Perspicacious takes a cue from Amaruve, and follows along behind. At some point, when no one has eyes on here, she'll look at that piece of paper the cleric handed her.
(OOC Am I in the same room as everyone else, just tied down? Assuming for the moment I am.))
Perspicacious struggles a bit at the bindings. "I don't suppose I could get a little help here? Completely unnecessary. I'm not some kind of monster," she says absently, before responding to Gordra. "It's this coin in my pocket, had it since I was little. It's supposed to be from Mammon's own vaults, but I've never had it shine like that before. It's just been a keepsake." Then suddenly remembering the piece of paper, she calls out. "Can someone read this? I can't move my hands." She tries to brandish the paper in a way that someone notices.
(you are, indeed, in the same room- sorry that it wasn't more clear.)
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Perspicacious, why don't you make a quick sleight of hand check on the manacles- try to wriggle out of them? Unless one of the others can help
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Sleight of Hand: 19
Amaruve sees Perspicacious trying to free herself and grants her Gaia's Guidance. (Gaiadance. Just in case she needed a 20.)
Extended Signature
Jean, you ask the obvious question: What is going on? None of the others seem prepared to address that just yet, however. (My image of Jean is of her standing at the medica's only exit, a wooden door, one hand on the latch and another on her sword. Does that track?)
Amaruve, you are sitting on your haunches in the far corner of this tight, cramped space. Cordelia and the Professor are engaged in a conversation about... something. (I imagine that your thoughts are largely occupied by your enormous body and the events of the arena just a short while ago). That's when you see that Perspicacious is struggling against her bonds opposite you. There is little you can do to help her in this form, except...
You call upon Gaia to assist the tiefling... hobgoblin... person. Like everyone else in the room, you see her body as a sort of doubling: first one form, then another, sometimes both overlain. It's quite disorienting, truth be told. When you feel Gaia's grace fall upon your companion, however, for a brief moment her body snaps into definite focus. Instead of the dual creature she has become, Perspicacious is entirely a tiefling. In that span of seconds, the manacles, snapped as they were around the thick wrists of a hobgoblin, slip off of Perspicacious' smaller hands effortlessly to clatter on the ground.
And just like that, the effects are over. You see that same doubling between tiefling and hobgoblin once again, though both now wear an expression of acute surprise. The two of you make eye contact, and you share an unspoken What the hell was that?
Before any of you can address this, everyone (except the professor, apparently) hears a thunk against the door followed by a muffled "Oof! Damn it!"
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Jean eyed the area that the noise came from and positioned herself so she would be ready to strike should who or whatever was making the noise prove to be hostile.
On the other side of the door there is an audible sigh, and then a firm knock-knock against the frame.
The door opens, revealing a man of average height and build. He is wearing black and white silk, and in his right hand (held like a walking stick) is a thin, pale staff made of some sort of segmented wood; a smooth orange gemstone is set squarely at its top. The man coughs into his closed left fist (ahem) and states, "My apologies for the intrusion, Thunder Steins." He notices Perspicacious and Amaruve sitting across from the door. "Ah, excellent. Our hobgoblin and our... bear... friend are here, as well. Wonderful."
He steps into the room, and flowing in behind him is a small, slender creature whose features are entirely hidden by a dark purple cloak. "And I see that you are all patched up. That's just marvelous." He glances at the unconscious Thunder Stein on the bed near the door. "Well, mostly patched up, anyway." He turns again to the rest of the group and places both hands on the burnished gemstone. "Now then, no lies for the Pretender, my friends: what the hell just happened out there?"
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Jean snorted. "As soon as we figure that out ourselves, we'll let you know." She muttered.
"Ahh yes, you must be referring to my pyrotechnics display. That took me several weeks to put together, but the crowd really seemed to enjoy it don't you think? Welll.." and Gordra rises from his seat with some effort, "I guess we'll be on our way. This Hobgoblin fellow has offered to take us out for drinks.."
Deception: 13
Insight: 13
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
(I guess Deception is the "attack" and Insight is the "armor", so tie to the attacker)
The gentleman hesitates. "I... You what? Pyrotechnics?" He looks uncertain, and more than a little disappointed. "I thought you might be able to... But if it wasn't actual..." He shakes his head. "It's no matter. You all will be taken back to your quarters until the tournament has reached its conclusion," he turns a saddened eye toward Gordra, "As you well know, Porter"
"As for those two," he says, indicating Amaruve and Perspicacious, "I have been instructed to take all of the animals to the pits." He looks around the room, "...before the DUKE arrives in roughly fifteen minutes. Unless, of course, there is some reason we all might want to stay in here, together, for just a short a while longer..."
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Amaruve sits back on his haunches and considers the situation... He's got nothing. "Grrowah." He shrugs in a somewhat 'too human' expression of acquiescence, before he notices an itch behind his left ear and starts to scratch it against a support post behind him.
Extended Signature
A smile plays at the corner of the man's lips. He looks as if he is about to say something, and then a rasping voice from the corner says, "The Duke is early, Pretender. He is almost here"
It's the creature in the purple robe, of course, and a the man again looks perturbed. "Yes, yes. Thank you, Ritz." He locks eyes with Amaruve and says in a voice for the entire room, "Tell me, friends: when is a bear not a bear?" He shakes his head. "Trickery or no, you all toppled the ida-ke. No small feat for a band of felons." He again looks at the creature in the robe. "Our options are limited, and our time is short. The Duke will be here shortly. It is my suggestion that we are not present when he arrives. He will offer you nothing that winning the tournament would afford you already, but it will come with the added benefit of your deaths two days from this moment."
He nods to Ritz, who moves to a wall and presses a small panel, revealing a hidden tunnel. "You may come with me, now, or you can listen to the Duke's offers, and suffer his lies."
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Jean frowned. "Well, I for one, would rather not die." She said
Amaruve sniffs the man out. (Insight: (1)17)
Extended Signature
(Amaruve, he seems legit. That is, you smell deception on him like cheap cologne, but he appears to be telling the truth about this)
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Amaruve leans and rolls forward to get his feet under him again, and moves to this suspicious fellow. He lumbers in close and sniffs the mans face critically, before he chuffs with a reluctant snort and heads down the passage.
Extended Signature
Perspicacious takes a cue from Amaruve, and follows along behind. At some point, when no one has eyes on here, she'll look at that piece of paper the cleric handed her.
Gordra follows as well. Pretty proud of himself for pulling one over on the man about his fire breath.