Silthras listens to Velyra's tale and his heart sinks. He was hoping for allies at the temple, though he had expected incursions there based on Clayus' tail. He takes a slow mouthful of his ale and is still pondering their situation when Kal's words sink in, giving him a little hope. "There is undoubtedly a puzzle here."
"For my part, I would say Our New Friend was worried about the missing man, and worried about something else as well. Anxious even. The rest was an act, and they are quite hard to read."
After another sip of ale, he continues. "Let's consider what we know: Our Man spoke of abandonment. He was worried about something that a person like Our New Friend had said in confidence. He was returning to..to his rooms...that night. Less than two days ago. I think that more or less covers one part of the story...correct me if I missed something?"
He waits a moment for any corrections or additions before continuing, eyeing the ale, but not drinking for the moment.
"Then we have Our New Friend. Our Man's been missing for several days already and Our New Friend wants to wait more days before engaging our help. In such a grand...place...as this, surely scraping together funds for such a thing should not be hard?”
He stares at his hands for a moment, then looks up, "One thing seems certain to me: If Our Man is not dead -- foul play, or even just flight, two nights ago seems likely -- then we should try to find him as quickly as possible. He may be a key to at least part of this puzzle. Though his role is still unclear, his reactions spoke well of him. For all we know, he may still be somewhere in his 'home' right now."
Finally, he turns to Kal. "As to the Other Place: Yes. We should seek out the centre. And I would like some quiet time to do some calculations, so I can work out where it is relative to..." he shrugs, looking around.
At the end of his speech, he takes another slow mouthful of ale, and waits for his friends reactions.
Mechanical Stuff: Recover used spell slot using SP, then use both Warlock spell slots to recover 2 SP. If necessary, tie up Usul to avoid bar fights.
Velyra starts to drain her own mug of ale as Silthras speaks, nodding in agreement with much of what he says. Glancing over the rim of her cup as he finishes, "I'm not sure where we would even start in trying to find him. The people who would have information are in that temple."
Silthras looks up at Velyra, "I was hoping you or Syl might be able to do it with magic, and take a walk. Perhaps from a room here or, if Usul and I can hide you with Illusion, from nearer by." His gaze shifs from Velyra to Syl and back. "But failing that, could you do something like you did before but ask about the consequences of revealing all to Our New Friend?" He looks uncomfortable. "These things are not well-known to me and, as we all grow in our abilities, the possibilities move even further beyond my past experience."
He scans the room again out of habit, then smiles and adds "I suppose there's also our Old New Friend. He may know more."
"It's possible, but not today. I could attempt another divination today but the more I do such things in a short time frame, the more muddled the results become." Velyra says. "There was an implication that he has eyes around the city. It's possible he could give us a lead on our man."
With a quick scan of the room, nothing really pings Silthras as concerning. There's a bartender on the opposite side of the room chatting with a few other patrons at the bar top, and a few other scattered groups having their own conversations. No one seems to be paying any attention to you and your companions.
Silthras nods, "A job for tomorrow then. I see no other way forward until we meet..." he smiles and shakes his head at his own clumsy language, "...Our Old New Friend."
"So, once we have finished our rest, shall we rent a room here then investigate the 'hub'?"
"I can bring him here right now actually. Honestly I'm not in the mood for playing whatever game he's up to." Velyra says, pulling the stone out of her pocket. "This has become infinitely more serious since our last meeting with him. If he's sincerely going to be our "friend", we need him to make that clear immediately."
Usul looks back and forth between his companions seeing them clearly calculating a plan, though having to do some mental math to remember who all these Friends are. Seeing Sil keeping an eye on him Usul casts his mage and looks very clearly at another table, hoping Sil will follow his gaze. As he does so he instead commands his mage hand to slowly move Silthras' beer ((25)) to the other side of the table just to confuse the old man. He then adds to the group, "Though it'll definitely be tougher than the house last night... we could try to find a basement in the Temple. Maybe there is a direct connection to the tunnels." He then holds up his hand and flexes his fingers as they start to fade away but quickly come back, adding with a big grin, "We also think we know how to do that invisible thing!"
"I think going to the temple directly is a dangerous move. Not all of us are as skilled at being unseen as you. And if you go in alone...Getting caught could end up very badly." Kal says. As much as he believed that Usul could turn that entire place upside down without being noticed, the risk seemed too great to him.
"We can get rooms first, then call for Kaz and see if he'll meet us here."
Usul looks back and forth between his companions seeing them clearly calculating a plan, though having to do some mental math to remember who all these Friends are. Seeing Sil keeping an eye on him Usul casts his mage and looks very clearly at another table, hoping Sil will follow his gaze. As he does so he instead commands his mage hand to slowly move Silthras' beer ((25)) to the other side of the table just to confuse the old man .... "We also think we know how to do that invisible thing!"
When he next reaches for his beer, Silthras' hand stops where the tankard should be. He looks around the table, spots it, then shakes his head. With a glance at Usul he retrieves it. Kids these days, no respect. He almost spits his beer out at the final revelation. Gods help us all. "Good to know!" he says enthusiastically.
"I think going to the temple directly is a dangerous move. Not all of us are as skilled at being unseen as you. And if you go in alone...Getting caught could end up very badly." Kal says. As much as he believed that Usul could turn that entire place upside down without being noticed, the risk seemed too great to him.
Silthras nods, "I agree. At least for now. We have two more avenues to pursue before we try a frontal approach." He stands, "I'll see what I can do about a room."
Try to get a suite, if such a thing exists, or a large room. If it's more than a few gold, "How about a small discount; we are from out of town and happy to recommend you to friends." Persuasion: 22
Velyra nods, and after finishing her drink, she heads to one of the purchased rooms and pulls out the Sending Stone. 'Things have changed. There's more going on here than we first realized. We need to meet now. We have rooms at the Wooden Jester.'
Edit: posted at the same time lol. Letting Silthras handle the rooms.
The innkeeper raises an eyebrow at Silthras, gesturing around the place when he asks for something like a suite. "We ain' that fancy lad. I've got a few rooms with two beds if that's what you're looking for." Again, he looks kind of incredulously at him when asking for a discount. "For all of you? It's 5 silver pieces a night. Regardless of what room you go for. We charge per person here. Not per room."
((It's not like a squalid inn. But they're simple. Not dirty or run down...Just cheap.))
So you purchase your rooms however you wish (5 individual or 2 two-person and 1 individual. Or 2 two-person and you can make someone sleep on the floor). You head up to the rooms and gather in one while Velyra sends a message through the stone. The reply from Kaz, back to his laissez-faire attitude, comes quickly. 'Sheesh. Don't crack the whip too hard mistress. Give me a couple hours, I need to collect someone first.'
As the reply comes in, Velyra's head cocks to one side. "If this man ever turns on us, I will be the one to break him." She says, fuming from his ridiculous comment. "He's on his way though. Bringing a friend it seems."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Silthras will, time permitting, settle down in his room with his notes, his pens, his protractor, some paper and calipers. Once he is relaxed, he will try to redo the calculation he failed so dismally at that morning. He resists the temptation to enhance his mental faculties magically, but will draw upon his other talents as needed, hoping to have a chance to recover before Kaz arrives.
Spend at most one hour, so he can try to recover all of his strength before meeting Kaz.
Investigation: 8
probably more to follow...or not...let me know if that's enough!
He'd like to work out roughly where the hub is under the town, and roughly the diameter of the circle. He's also like to know which measurements are critical, so next time down there he can try to measure angles and distances more accurately!
As the reply comes in, Velyra's head cocks to one side. "If this man ever turns on us, I will be the one to break him." She says, fuming from his ridiculous comment. "He's on his way though. Bringing a friend it seems."
Silthras bursts into laughter. Oh to be a fly on that wall.
((You will be able to complete a short rest before Kaz arrives))
While Velyra fumes and the rest wait, Silthras goes to work on trying to sketch out what is known of the tunnel system at this point. If the system is truly circular, he supposes the circumference to be around 12 miles, give or take a mile, and the diameter around 3 miles. If all of the straight tunnels head towards the center, it should put them dead center in the Vault Ward.
True to his word, about an hour and a half later there is a knock on your door. You open it to find Kaz, grinning like an idiot as he wiggles his fingers in a wave. "Nice to see you all still in one piece." There is another with him, though as you opened the door they turned away, throwing up their hood. While Kaz goes in, they remain outside, leaning up against the wall right outside the door as it shuts. After a quick wink at Velyra, he sits down on a bed, crossing one leg over the one. "Now. What was so important?"
Velyra takes a breath, and closes her eyes for a moment, forcing down the frustration she feels for this man's behavior. "This city's problems run much deeper than simple thieves. I received an omen which seemed to implicate the Crystal Sanctum as connected to the Tel'n'avae you mentioned yesterday. I have a sense that..." She pauses for a moment, recalling the vision, the onrushing storm overtaking her. "...Something very catastrophic is going to happen soon. There was a priest that caught our interest, a man by the name of Clayus. He knew of things he shouldn't have, and has since disappeared. We were hoping you might be able to help us find him."
((You will be able to complete a short rest before Kaz arrives ))
After doing his calculations, Silthras feels quite smug and allows himself to relax. He puts his feet up and does what he finds Warlocks do best: Resting. He does not let it interfere with his other pass-time: Scheming. So he closes his eyes and tries to imagine other possible permutations for the available facts.
It does not seem long before there is a knock at the door and he quickly stands and assumes a position in the corner of the room.
As Velyra asks her question, he watches Kaz's reactions, then adds -- trusting Kal's instincts -- "Priest of Amah. Tall fellow. Shaken belief set. Knew about...things that might be returning."
"Oh." The information seems to knock the wind of Kaz's sails so to speak. "Well that is a problem. You're certain of this, the temple's leadership being involved?" He grows quiet, thinking for a moment. "I have some eyes and ears. We know of the night you met this man, but have not taken care for him since. We can try to track him down again." He becomes distant again, staring off at the wall. "Tel'n'avae is quite the fiend. Sonatide would not be the first city to face a catastrophe of his making..." With a sniff, he refocuses, looking to Silthras as he speaks. He considers the words for what seems an eternity, then nods. "I have the sense that you all mean well. I would like for us to lay our cards on the table so to speak...But talking in a place like this is unsafe, and you have already expressed your reserves with meeting someplace more secure. So perhaps a middle ground of sorts?"
"I have a man outside. Suffice to say he has quite a severe distaste for homelands being destroyed, and a talent for hunting fiends such as this one. Perhaps he could join you in your investigations? You need not let him in on your secrets - only what you feel necessary to aid in the prevention of this...catastrophe. Think of it as a trust building exercise." A bit of his levity returns, and he grins. "We trust you not to use your superior numbers to torture him for information and then murder him, and you trust us not use him as a spy."
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Silthras listens to Velyra's tale and his heart sinks. He was hoping for allies at the temple, though he had expected incursions there based on Clayus' tail. He takes a slow mouthful of his ale and is still pondering their situation when Kal's words sink in, giving him a little hope. "There is undoubtedly a puzzle here."
"For my part, I would say Our New Friend was worried about the missing man, and worried about something else as well. Anxious even. The rest was an act, and they are quite hard to read."
After another sip of ale, he continues. "Let's consider what we know: Our Man spoke of abandonment. He was worried about something that a person like Our New Friend had said in confidence. He was returning to..to his rooms...that night. Less than two days ago. I think that more or less covers one part of the story...correct me if I missed something?"
He waits a moment for any corrections or additions before continuing, eyeing the ale, but not drinking for the moment.
"Then we have Our New Friend. Our Man's been missing for several days already and Our New Friend wants to wait more days before engaging our help. In such a grand...place...as this, surely scraping together funds for such a thing should not be hard?”
He stares at his hands for a moment, then looks up, "One thing seems certain to me: If Our Man is not dead -- foul play, or even just flight, two nights ago seems likely -- then we should try to find him as quickly as possible. He may be a key to at least part of this puzzle. Though his role is still unclear, his reactions spoke well of him. For all we know, he may still be somewhere in his 'home' right now."
Finally, he turns to Kal. "As to the Other Place: Yes. We should seek out the centre. And I would like some quiet time to do some calculations, so I can work out where it is relative to..." he shrugs, looking around.
At the end of his speech, he takes another slow mouthful of ale, and waits for his friends reactions.
Mechanical Stuff: Recover used spell slot using SP, then use both Warlock spell slots to recover 2 SP. If necessary, tie up Usul to avoid bar fights.
Velyra starts to drain her own mug of ale as Silthras speaks, nodding in agreement with much of what he says. Glancing over the rim of her cup as he finishes, "I'm not sure where we would even start in trying to find him. The people who would have information are in that temple."
Silthras looks up at Velyra, "I was hoping you or Syl might be able to do it with magic, and take a walk. Perhaps from a room here or, if Usul and I can hide you with Illusion, from nearer by." His gaze shifs from Velyra to Syl and back. "But failing that, could you do something like you did before but ask about the consequences of revealing all to Our New Friend?" He looks uncomfortable. "These things are not well-known to me and, as we all grow in our abilities, the possibilities move even further beyond my past experience."
He scans the room again out of habit, then smiles and adds "I suppose there's also our Old New Friend. He may know more."
"It's possible, but not today. I could attempt another divination today but the more I do such things in a short time frame, the more muddled the results become." Velyra says. "There was an implication that he has eyes around the city. It's possible he could give us a lead on our man."
Silthras Perception: 16
With a quick scan of the room, nothing really pings Silthras as concerning. There's a bartender on the opposite side of the room chatting with a few other patrons at the bar top, and a few other scattered groups having their own conversations. No one seems to be paying any attention to you and your companions.
Silthras nods, "A job for tomorrow then. I see no other way forward until we meet..." he smiles and shakes his head at his own clumsy language, "...Our Old New Friend."
"So, once we have finished our rest, shall we rent a room here then investigate the 'hub'?"
"I can bring him here right now actually. Honestly I'm not in the mood for playing whatever game he's up to." Velyra says, pulling the stone out of her pocket. "This has become infinitely more serious since our last meeting with him. If he's sincerely going to be our "friend", we need him to make that clear immediately."
Usul looks back and forth between his companions seeing them clearly calculating a plan, though having to do some mental math to remember who all these Friends are. Seeing Sil keeping an eye on him Usul casts his mage and looks very clearly at another table, hoping Sil will follow his gaze. As he does so he instead commands his mage hand to slowly move Silthras' beer ((25)) to the other side of the table just to confuse the old man. He then adds to the group, "Though it'll definitely be tougher than the house last night... we could try to find a basement in the Temple. Maybe there is a direct connection to the tunnels." He then holds up his hand and flexes his fingers as they start to fade away but quickly come back, adding with a big grin, "We also think we know how to do that invisible thing!"
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
"I think going to the temple directly is a dangerous move. Not all of us are as skilled at being unseen as you. And if you go in alone...Getting caught could end up very badly." Kal says. As much as he believed that Usul could turn that entire place upside down without being noticed, the risk seemed too great to him.
"We can get rooms first, then call for Kaz and see if he'll meet us here."
Silthras laughs and nods at the suggestion. Since first they met Velyra had shown a prickly side, and for a moment he pities Kaz.
When he next reaches for his beer, Silthras' hand stops where the tankard should be. He looks around the table, spots it, then shakes his head. With a glance at Usul he retrieves it. Kids these days, no respect. He almost spits his beer out at the final revelation. Gods help us all. "Good to know!" he says enthusiastically.
RP Deception roll: 14
Silthras nods, "I agree. At least for now. We have two more avenues to pursue before we try a frontal approach." He stands, "I'll see what I can do about a room."
Try to get a suite, if such a thing exists, or a large room. If it's more than a few gold, "How about a small discount; we are from out of town and happy to recommend you to friends."
Persuasion: 22
Velyra nods, and after finishing her drink, she heads to one of the purchased rooms and pulls out the Sending Stone. 'Things have changed. There's more going on here than we first realized. We need to meet now. We have rooms at the Wooden Jester.'
Edit: posted at the same time lol. Letting Silthras handle the rooms.
(( OK-- crossed posts -- Silthras will go with Velyra to get the rooms; he would argue for fewer rooms for safety ))
((Ya'll are funny lol. 4 copper for each drink.))
The innkeeper raises an eyebrow at Silthras, gesturing around the place when he asks for something like a suite. "We ain' that fancy lad. I've got a few rooms with two beds if that's what you're looking for." Again, he looks kind of incredulously at him when asking for a discount. "For all of you? It's 5 silver pieces a night. Regardless of what room you go for. We charge per person here. Not per room."
((It's not like a squalid inn. But they're simple. Not dirty or run down...Just cheap.))
So you purchase your rooms however you wish (5 individual or 2 two-person and 1 individual. Or 2 two-person and you can make someone sleep on the floor). You head up to the rooms and gather in one while Velyra sends a message through the stone. The reply from Kaz, back to his laissez-faire attitude, comes quickly. 'Sheesh. Don't crack the whip too hard mistress. Give me a couple hours, I need to collect someone first.'
As the reply comes in, Velyra's head cocks to one side. "If this man ever turns on us, I will be the one to break him." She says, fuming from his ridiculous comment. "He's on his way though. Bringing a friend it seems."
Silthras will, time permitting, settle down in his room with his notes, his pens, his protractor, some paper and calipers. Once he is relaxed, he will try to redo the calculation he failed so dismally at that morning. He resists the temptation to enhance his mental faculties magically, but will draw upon his other talents as needed, hoping to have a chance to recover before Kaz arrives.
Spend at most one hour, so he can try to recover all of his strength before meeting Kaz.
Investigation: 8
probably more to follow...or not...let me know if that's enough!
He'd like to work out roughly where the hub is under the town, and roughly the diameter of the circle. He's also like to know which measurements are critical, so next time down there he can try to measure angles and distances more accurately!
Silthras bursts into laughter. Oh to be a fly on that wall.
((You will be able to complete a short rest before Kaz arrives))
While Velyra fumes and the rest wait, Silthras goes to work on trying to sketch out what is known of the tunnel system at this point. If the system is truly circular, he supposes the circumference to be around 12 miles, give or take a mile, and the diameter around 3 miles. If all of the straight tunnels head towards the center, it should put them dead center in the Vault Ward.
True to his word, about an hour and a half later there is a knock on your door. You open it to find Kaz, grinning like an idiot as he wiggles his fingers in a wave. "Nice to see you all still in one piece." There is another with him, though as you opened the door they turned away, throwing up their hood. While Kaz goes in, they remain outside, leaning up against the wall right outside the door as it shuts. After a quick wink at Velyra, he sits down on a bed, crossing one leg over the one. "Now. What was so important?"
Velyra takes a breath, and closes her eyes for a moment, forcing down the frustration she feels for this man's behavior. "This city's problems run much deeper than simple thieves. I received an omen which seemed to implicate the Crystal Sanctum as connected to the Tel'n'avae you mentioned yesterday. I have a sense that..." She pauses for a moment, recalling the vision, the onrushing storm overtaking her. "...Something very catastrophic is going to happen soon. There was a priest that caught our interest, a man by the name of Clayus. He knew of things he shouldn't have, and has since disappeared. We were hoping you might be able to help us find him."
((You will be able to complete a short rest before Kaz arrives ))
After doing his calculations, Silthras feels quite smug and allows himself to relax. He puts his feet up and does what he finds Warlocks do best: Resting. He does not let it interfere with his other pass-time: Scheming. So he closes his eyes and tries to imagine other possible permutations for the available facts.
It does not seem long before there is a knock at the door and he quickly stands and assumes a position in the corner of the room.
As Velyra asks her question, he watches Kaz's reactions, then adds -- trusting Kal's instincts -- "Priest of Amah. Tall fellow. Shaken belief set. Knew about...things that might be returning."
He smiles and waits for Kaz's response.
(( Mechanics: he recovers remaining SP ))
"Oh." The information seems to knock the wind of Kaz's sails so to speak. "Well that is a problem. You're certain of this, the temple's leadership being involved?" He grows quiet, thinking for a moment. "I have some eyes and ears. We know of the night you met this man, but have not taken care for him since. We can try to track him down again." He becomes distant again, staring off at the wall. "Tel'n'avae is quite the fiend. Sonatide would not be the first city to face a catastrophe of his making..." With a sniff, he refocuses, looking to Silthras as he speaks. He considers the words for what seems an eternity, then nods. "I have the sense that you all mean well. I would like for us to lay our cards on the table so to speak...But talking in a place like this is unsafe, and you have already expressed your reserves with meeting someplace more secure. So perhaps a middle ground of sorts?"
"I have a man outside. Suffice to say he has quite a severe distaste for homelands being destroyed, and a talent for hunting fiends such as this one. Perhaps he could join you in your investigations? You need not let him in on your secrets - only what you feel necessary to aid in the prevention of this...catastrophe. Think of it as a trust building exercise." A bit of his levity returns, and he grins. "We trust you not to use your superior numbers to torture him for information and then murder him, and you trust us not use him as a spy."