Quote from AlaricBrand >>

"And thank you again for letting me rescue Tomas."

[[ Did I get it completely the wrong way round? I thought Bacchi was the one who claimed the right of vengeance for Rima...if it was Jon, can we replace 'Bacchi' with 'Jon' in all my dialog? Does it make a difference?

Edit: I just checked...can we replace Bacchi with Jon in all my dialog. Were you confused? ]]

[[Bacchi was being replaced by Jon in my mind anyway, so no worries.]]

[[ Did the more detailed search of Rawl's body reveal anything? ]]

[[Nothing more than I have already told you here. Make an Insight check.]]

[[ If Rawl is to die, and the dagger is still in his neck, Brand reclaims it. ]]

[[LOL. I'd forgotten all about that. Make a Medicine check.]]

[[ If he has finished the search in time, Brand will follow Jon out of the boat, levitating a little if it makes the climb easier. Otherwise, he will probably do a spectacular leap to the wall and lift himself over cautiously and probably invisibly to start. ]]

[[I need the results of the above rolls first before the above can happen.]]

[[ If Rawl is to die, and the dagger is still in his neck, Brand reclaims it. ]]

[[LOL. I'd forgotten all about that. Make a Medicine check.]]

[[If this check is about the chance of Rawl dying (or not) when Brand removes the dagger then: ]]

Brand considers for a moment before removing the dagger, then looks at his father. "So this monster is to die then?"

[[ If "yes" then: ]]

Brand nods, "At least I can save you both that particular task. This is my responsibility.", and he plunges the dagger further into Rawl's neck before slowly removing it, wiping it thoroughly on Rawl's cloak and replacing it in his bandoleer.

"This one won't be missed" he says, as he begins to search the body.

[[ If "no"...then I need to ask more questions about what they plan.... ]]

[[ End if ]]

[[ Edit: Let me know if you still need the medicine check? ]]

[[No need to make the Medicine check as no one is going to object to Brand killing Rawl.]]

Brand pushes his dagger further into Rawl and then withdraws it. Blood spurts strongly making it rather messy to search the body.

[[Brand now has his dagger back and you still need to make an Insight check.]]

Insight: 5 (EditL HOLY CRAP! Give me a break on the fun stuff! I've made good rolls mostly, so not complaining...but I have this feeling I'm missing INTERESTING things.)

When he finishes his search, Brand looks at his father. "We need to make sure this one does not rise."

[[ He then moves off as discussed before]] 

[[LOL. Roll for experience.]]

Leaving his father and Bacchi to deal with the body of Rawl, Brand levitates up to the roadway. 

Looking away from the river, he can see people at the guard station off to his left being lit from the streetlight above (the temporary map might be useful at this point). In front of him is the dark wall of one of the residences that line the other side of this long stretch of road, while to the right, several hundred feet away, he can see the lantern lights of a group of people coming in this direction.

There is no sign of Jon. 

[[ I think there's two XP rolls now:

Arcana XP: 17

Insight XP: 3 ]] (Edit: I think I did say this guy was not the wisest. At least the rolls agree. 18 Wisdom, he'd still be screwing up)

Brand heads quickly and invisibly [[Meaning triple movement, ideally on rooftops until he gets there]] toward the scene of the fight with Rawl, scanning for Jon, auras and signs of magical items hidden in the bushes.

Edit: As he gets close to where Rawl fought, he will be more cautious; if no-one with auras are there he will drop down to the road and check the route from the fight to where Rawl jumped into the river, and look carefully, sneaking.

Edit 2: Dagger Tally updated; total -1. The SOE List is probably easiest to maintain.]]

Edit 3: He would also swap back to left = unseeing (Glove), Right = uplifting (back in glove), far reaching back in Bandolier ]]

[[Brand can gain 5 experience points for the failed Insight check.]]

Turning invisible again, Brand crosses the road and levitates up to the top of the wall and then to the level of the rooftops of the residences. 

[[There are now walls between him and the road and the special vision given to him by the Stone of Unseeing is limited to 30', and he is more than 30' from the road when he's on the rooftops, so the chances of his seeing anything on the roadway are absolutely zero.]]

[[Do you want Brand to continue on this way? Also, it's after midnight, so that's it for me tonight.]]

[[Brand can gain 5 experience points for the failed Insight check.]]

[[ Guessing you mean Arcana; XP. XP updated: Was 1065, now 1070 ]]

[[ I'm not sure I understand why there are walls in Brand's way: I imagine 1-2 storey buildings along the road, with minimal front fences, and thought Brand would just perch on their rooves. It might help to get an idea of the architecture and how my imagination is inaccurate; this will be useful for Brand avoiding detection when he heads home, especially if he can't be seen easily from the roads. ]]

Brand continues on rooftops until he gets within 60' of the scene of the fight with Rawl. At this point he scans the scene then drops down and makes his way along the road, or the river side of the road, depending on where people are standing (if any). He will sneak. He will also look to see if Tinkerbell is following. If she is, he will say "Glad you are still here! If you happen to see that dagger anywhere nearby, bounce up and down at me, and I will follow. And I will owe you a (semi-legal) favour." Then he smiles, "Or a drink when you are old enough."

Stealth Roll: 26

If they are still collecting or guarding valuables, then he looks for a glow in the valuables, and if not found he then retraces Rawl's steps from the fight to where he jumped in the river. If he finds nothing after searching along that route, he rechecks the loot again (potentially multiple piles, if present) and heads to the guard house: Does it have windows (barred or otherwise) though which he can look? If the door is open, can he look inside?

He is primarily looking for the golden glow of the dagger, so I am hoping passive perception is enough. I am also hoping that the guards will not have taken much notice of it, or thought it was loot from the robbery.

Re the river: my impression now is of steep sided (rock/brick?) walls leading to deep and murky water. He's not going to bother swimming to look for the dagger, unless that description in invalid.

[[ The old map seems to have gone; but IIRC there was a lot of open space on either side of the road. ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[Brand can gain 5 experience points for the failed Insight check.]]

[[ Guessing you mean Arcana; XP. XP updated: Was 1065, now 1070 ]]

[[Correct. That should have been Arcana.]]

[[ I'm not sure I understand why there are walls in Brand's way: I imagine 1-2 storey buildings along the road, with minimal front fences, and thought Brand would just perch on their rooves. It might help to get an idea of the architecture and how my imagination is inaccurate; this will be useful for Brand avoiding detection when he heads home, especially if he can't be seen easily from the roads. ]]

[[I have put the map that was used for the fight back on the home page. At the bottom of the map it clearly says 'Walled Houses'. These residences belong to the rich. They are multiple storey and have a view out over the river from the upper floors, but they don't want travellers looking into their property and so have erected walls around their properties. The garden beds are poorly maintained public gardens to try to soften the effect of the walls along the riverbank. This is why moving along the rooftops prevents searching. It is also why the tallest of Rawl's group died. He couldn't get away because there was nowhere to run.]] 

Brand continues on rooftops until he gets within 60' of the scene of the fight with Rawl. At this point he scans the scene then drops down and makes his way along the road, or the river side of the road, depending on where people are standing (if any). He will sneak. He will also look to see if Tinkerbell is following. If she is, he will say "Glad you are still here! If you happen to see that dagger anywhere nearby, bounce up and down at me, and I will follow. And I will owe you a (semi-legal) favour." Then he smiles, "Or a drink when you are old enough."

[[The magical glowing orb is no longer with Brand.]]

Stealth Roll: 17

If they are still collecting or guarding valuables, then he looks for a glow in the valuables, and if not found he then retraces Rawl's steps from the fight to where he jumped in the river. If he finds nothing after searching along that route, he rechecks the loot again (potentially multiple piles, if present) and heads to the guard house: Does it have windows (barred or otherwise) though which he can look? If the door is open, can he look inside?

He is primarily looking for the golden glow of the dagger, so I am hoping passive perception is enough. I am also hoping that the guards will not have taken much notice of it, or thought it was loot from the robbery.

Re the river: my impression now is of steep sided (rock/brick?) walls leading to deep and murky water. He's not going to bother swimming to look for the dagger, unless that description in invalid.

[[ The old map seems to have gone; but IIRC there was a lot of open space on either side of the road. ]]

After searching unsuccessfully along the roadway for the dagger Brand is now stealthily approaching the guard station (FYI, all signs of the spilt loot have been removed). The station is a mostly open wooden structure (15' x 20') with a roof and a small closed cabin at one end. The guards, which seem to have increased in number (there are now 6 in total) are clustered around a table talking. Brand sees that some of them are occasionally looking up and down the road and that these looks are furtive.

[[How close does Brand want to get?]]

[[ Less than 30' from the pile would be the obvious answer. NOT blocking the door is also a good plan.

Does the building have windows, barred or otherwise? Looking through a window would seem optimal.

Are all types guards in the one room?

Edit: if it's mostly open, like a Pavilion, then floating up to get a clear view away from the door, seems good. He is also mindful of the people hundreds of years back down the road. 

Can he hear any conversation?]]

[[ Did Brand also search the path Rawl took from road to water? That was priority#2 ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ Did Brand also search the path Rawl took from road to water? That was priority#2 ]]

[[Yes. No sign of the dagger.]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ Less than 30' from the pile would be the obvious answer. NOT blocking the door is also a good plan.

Does the building have windows, barred or otherwise? Looking through a window would seem optimal.

[[Except for the small cabin at the end, the structure has no walls and all the guards are around the table.]]

Are all types guards in the one room?

[[The guards are all Constantine city guards; a handleader and his hand of five. Wherever the missing two guards were during the fight, they are back now.]]

Edit: if it's mostly open, like a Pavilion, then floating up to get a clear view away from the door, seems good. He is also mindful of the people hundreds of years back down the road. 

Can he hear any conversation?]]

From Brand's elevated position (he can't go too high because the roof will block his vision), he gets glimpses of the loot spread out on the table, and with his special sight he can see Rawl's dagger on the table as well, it is faintly glowing.

"Don't be an idiot," says the handleader. "The trade bars will be too hard to sell on the quiet, and if too much gold goes missing they will suspect something. So, we take five engles each for our trouble and, if we're lucky, we get commendations and maybe a reward... Is everyone in agreement?"

"I don't want the coin," says the man Rawl referred to as Eisdom. "But I'll take that dagger and keep my mouth shut all the same."

As before, Brand can see that Eisdom has a weak sorcerer's aura. 

Brand thinks "fair enough" and heads quickly home.

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

Brand thinks "fair enough" and heads quickly home.

[[While Brand is heading home, he can add 150 XP for the recent encounter; that's for Brand's part in the deaths of Rawl and his confederate, plus some for starting the encounter in the first place; it wouldn't have happened otherwise.]]

[[Also, just to give me some time to prep, what are Brand's immediate plans?]]

[[ Immediate plans: head home, move discreetly through the house to Koric's office where he assumes Koric and Madame Damass may be; if he encounters Mikkel, ask him to find a change of clothes. If he hears of or finds Rima, ask if he has been taken care of. If not, offer first aid kit (if that's useful).

If he finds himself alone with Madame D or one of her companions, ask about where he might find her of contact her in the next day or two.

Ask about Rima if he was not found in the house.

If Brand's alone with his father, ask about woman in room -- is she Tarrantine's daughter? -- tell him about the apparition at the school and the kidnapping, ask if he knows anything.]]

[[ In the slightly less immediate term: sleep, dream, keep notebook handy to sketch the eyes if he sees them. ]]

[[ Next day: Bookshop; clothes shop: buy a long coat as you suggested, preferably oiled/waxed and water resistant; (somewhere) replenish Stink of Life; buy a new dagger; get a second set of armour ordered(?)l visit SoOS again. ]]

ToDo lists: [[ SoOS and Bookshop To Do ]] -:- [[ Family Matters To Do ]] -:- [[ Personal To Do ]]

Moving via the rooftops, Brand makes his way quickly back to his family's residence. Entering through the attic window once more, not finding Mikkel, Brand descends to his father's office. At the door, he hears the sounds of people below, and his father's voice calling for brandy; it seems Koric has only just arrived home.

[[Does Brand want to see if Madame Damass is still in the office, or look into the state of Rima?]]

[[ Both, but Damass first if he's near her ]]

 [[

While Brand is heading home, he can add 150 XP for the recent encounter

XP Updated: was 1070, now 1220. ]]

Brand opens the door and is immediately confronted by Madame Damass's body guard. The man recognises him and after checking over Brand's shoulder allows him to enter the room.

Madame Damass is still staring intently into her crystal ball while her chaperone is sitting by her side knitting something with a dark red wool.

"Can I be of some assistance, Master Alaric?" says Madame Damass without looking up from the crystal ball.

Brand moves cautiously around to peer into the sphere, and says "I came to see if there was anything you needed. It's been a long night for everyone...and it seems yours is not over yet?"

Brand looks into the crystal orb but, apart from a few faint suggestions of movement, sees nothing.

"I am following the path of the last of them," says Madame Damass, her youthful face marred by a frown. "There is something strange about this Zachariah Brax. He was hard to connect with... And he must have the eyes of a cat."