It is a busy day in Waterdeep as each of you navigate the loud and chaotic streets of the City of Splendors. The sun is shining bright, and the smells of fresh baked goods and a gentle sea breeze fills the air. A perfect day to start your new career with Acquisitions INC! The reputation for Acquisitions INC is well known, and many humble interns have died in the pursuit of becoming a fully fledged member of this prestigious organization.
In a surprising move by Omin Dran, The founder and CEO recently began advertising positions within a brand new franchise in an exotic and far off location. Applications were being handed out in the streets out front of the HQ by interns promising the chance to IMMEDIATELY become fully fledged members of Acquisitions INC… a rare chance to bypass the long and often lethal internship phase with the company.
After completing your application and returning it, each of you received a summon to arrive at the headquarters today to discuss this exciting opportunity a few days later. The letter explains that you will participate in a group interview of sorts with Omin Dran himself before disembarking for the wonderful world of Etharis.
Arriving at the famous AI Headquarters at your designated time, you make your way inside and introduce yourself to the receptionist. The old gnome woman takes your letter and investigates it thoroughly before handing it back to you. She presses a button under her desk and the seemingly ordinary wall opens up beside you. After you make your way inside, the door shuts behind you immediately and you are left standing in what appears to be an ornate waiting room. Paintings line the walls depicting many famous Acquisitions INC figures and finely carved and ornately decorated chairs with velvet cushions sit beneath them. A small coffee table sits in the middle of the room with glasses, a pitcher of water, and a bucket of ice. Each corner of the room stands a small decorative shrub, and there is one large ornate wooden door at the end of the room with a golden AI logo in the center.
You each make your way into the room one at a time, checking in at the front desk and arriving within moments of each other. There are currently no other people in the room while you wait to speak with Omin about this amazing business opportunity.
Nesyax Sanaldi walks confidently into the waiting room, trying to take in all that is there. With the door shutting, and nobody else in sight, she does a little spin, verifying nobody slipped in behind her.
'Well, how in the world did I end up here first?' she thinks to herself. Nesyax is a young woman, about 5 and a half feet tall. Probably she is most remarkable for her shoulder length, light blue hair. She's wearing a leather breastplate with a long-sleeved, dark colored tunic beneath, matching pants, and low cut leather boots. There's also a small black choker around her neck, with a little gold heart dangling from it. A close inspection of her clothing might reveal a bit of blue embroidered designs around the cuffs. She's also wearing a number of thin metal bracelets on her left wrist, and a numer of rings on her fingers, though all seem to be plain metal.
She makes her way over to the table in the middle of the room, grabbing a glass and filling it half way with water. Nesyax seems to have some sort of long narrow case slung across her back and a rapier sheathed at her side. Sipping from the glass, she slowly wanders toward the large ornate door at the end of the room.
Stasyn stands at almost 4 ft tall. He walks in as if he always belonged here and smiles appreciating the gnome receptionist attention to detail. He wears a blue patterned long coat. sensible trousers, polished leather boots, and a metallic wand at his side. Upon entering the newly revealed room he runs his hand across his practically bald head as there are only a bit of fuzzy thin hair on his head. His skin is green tinged with a bit of blue and he has ears reminiscent of elves. Stasyn is quite young at 22 winters old, but the fine wrinkle on his forehead makes he seems to make him look a lot older.
He admires the paintings with his hand clasp behind his back and thinks to himself "Someday my painting will be here among the other renowned members of Acquisitions Incorporated" He fills the cup with ice and pours himself some water as he always preferred chilled water to drink. A serpent's head pokes out from his left sleave. "Not now little one. We don't want to spook our employer"
He takes a seat in one of the comfy chairs and waits.
Kitaer opens the door and steps just inside. He's made a habit of not quickly entering new places, it tends to make people nervous. The old gnome woman looks up and blinks but then quickly, and with obvious annoyance, waves him forward. "I am Kitaer of..." but she doesn't much care and cuts him off demanding his letter. Kitaer is a bit annoyed by this and furrows his brows but doesn't otherwise allow his annoyance to show. Again, he finds it makes people nervous.
"Right. Letter. I have it right..." and Kitaer trails off as he starts digging through a large rough leather pouch he wears on his hip. "Somewhere..." he snorts.
Eventually he finds the letter and finds himself being scowled at by the gnome woman. She is not amused by the folded, wrinkled and stained state of the letter. Still, the information of it passes muster and she grunts and presses a button somewhere out of sight. It's not loud but the wall besides Kitaer is suddenly moving, opening. Kitaer looks at this, to the old gnome and then back again. The gnome women gives him no indication but there are others in there who seem to be waiting... With another snort Kitaer steps inside as well, turning around quickly as the door immediately shuts behinds him. He's tempted to open it again just to make sure he can... But the others are probably already looking at him. He tilts his head to one side, then the other to stretch out the annoyance and then turns around towards the room once more.
Kitaer gives a bit of a shake of his head as if to say hello but doesn't actually say anything. He stands about seven feet tall and the first indication is that he is just as broad of shoulders - He is a man of muscles and it is obvious at first glance. Except he's not exactly a man. Well, not a human. Kitaer is a large, exceptionally muscled bull that walks like a man. His horns grow out from the sides of his head before turning forward in menacing points. He is covered in a heavy covering of short brown hair but that atop his head and down his neck to his shoulders is a bit longer and heavier creating a bit of a wooly mane about him. He is wearing a rough kilt and sash that seems made out of a combination of rough fabric and animal hides and a heavy belt with several large pouches tied to and through it, as well as a couple of small axes. On his back, peeking over his shoulder, is an old nicked and well used great axe with has lost none of it's intimidation factor with age and use. As he looks over the room and the two already in it he seems unsure what to do with his hands as they keep wanting to ball into fists of go to his weapons but he won't let them... He moves his weight from one hoof to the other and takes a couple self conscious sniffs of the room.
"Kitaer," he says after a moment or three. "Of Escabor..." That likely means nothing to these people but at least they won't mistake him for Kitaer of west Waterdeep... He looks at the woman first and decides she is no threat. The man then gets eyed up and down... Kitaer narrows his eyes a bit at them, unsure what to make of them, but it's just a second of doubt before he decides he too is no threat.
"So... We just wait?" Kitaer asks of both of them, but neither. He then steps up to the table and picks up the bucket of ice, reaching in with the other hand to grab a cube and pop it in much mouth. "How long?" he asks as he chews on the ice as if it was a snack.
Vesna March isn’t accustomed to wandering the streets of Waterdeep. In fact, she rarely ventured beyond the church walls, always accompanied by fellow clerics. And prior to joining (or rather, being sent to) the church, she hardly set foot anywhere. It isn’t surprising then that she couldn't get a wink of sleep last night, tossing and turning in her bed, and today, each step she takes is accompanied by not-so-subtle gasps, sighs, and wide-eyed stares—thankfully mostly unnoticed by those around her.
As she approaches the Acquisitions Inc Headquarters, there's a subtle spring in her step and an excited flutter in her chest.
“Good day to you! My name is Vesna March, and I am here for the opportunity!” Vesna chirps cheerfully upon stepping inside the building. Just as the words leave her lips, she flinches, suddenly feeling nervous and self-conscious. ‘I should have been more polite and professional. Now they will think me an impatient child.’
The receptionist’s expression doesn’t really betray if that is, in fact, what she’s thinking, instead focusing on the letter Vesna carefully produces from her backpack for authentication. In the ensuing silence, it is all it takes for the cleric to restrain herself from tapping her boot nervously. That would be unprofessional, after all. Finally, the scrutiny is over, one of the reception walls opens up ('The wall opens up!!! Fascinating!!!'), and Vesna is handed back her letter, receiving or imagining a subtle nod indicating the newly appeared opening. Suddenly uncertain and less excited, she glances around in alarm, almost as if she’s changed her mind. After what appears to be ages, summoning whatever courage she could muster, she steps inside.
‘Oh, it is just a waiting room,’ she sighs in relief as if she has expected to walk into a torture chamber. Embarrassed by the thought, a soft blush colours her fair complexion, and she nervously adjusts her vestments - a blend of soft fabrics, dyed in white, adorned with subtle, intricate embroidery depicting the moon, woven along the hems with silver thread.
Vesna spent a long time contemplating what would be best to wear today. Should she show up in the heavy chain armour all clerics of her church would wear when out and about? Or perhaps opt for casual attire? Should she bring the mace? The shield?
Eventually, she settled for her vestments to keep it simple, a reminder of where she belongs. Adorning her slender neck hangs a simple silver chain, clasped with a small, unassuming amulet fashioned in the shape of a crescent moon.
Her long, wavy auburn hair cascades down her shoulders, and a mix of alertness and excitement shines in her amber eyes as she surveys her surroundings.
Noticing others already waiting, but not really finding the courage within herself to look at them properly, Vesna turns a brighter shade of red and flinches slightly, allowing her fringe to shield part of her face. In a soft voice, she mutters, "G-good day to you all," before finding a chair, hoping to blend into the background.
It is with excited steps the young white-haired noble briskly walks through the loud and chaotic streets of the City of Splendors from his family estates in Sea Ward by the sea front over to the headquarters of Acquisitions INC. His departure from home had been less unpleasant than he had feared and his father had, if somewhat reluctantly, given his blessing to his son's enterprise. Now it only remained for that son to prove himself.
As Daryos steps into the reception area it is with some reverence, but he quickly finds the confidence to approach the old gnome receptionist, producing his letter of acceptance to confirm his business here. He is only mildly surprised as the secret door opens up beside him, nodding and smiling politely to the receptionist before stepping inside the chamber beyond.
Inside the ornate waiting room was already four others waiting, the others in the fledgling team presumably. "Daryos Dezlentyr, at your service." The young noble says with a confident tone, smiling politely to the others in turn after placing his gear by a chair, a sturdy backpack and a well-made crossbow carrying his familys insignia. He wears a white long coat with an assortment of ornaments to it, suggesting he is well off, quite possibly a noble, and the name of Dezlentyr is well known in Waterdeep as a noble house with interests in trading and exploring. The young noble sports a small white beard, as white as his hair and his appearance is quite impeccable. "My apologies if I have kept you waiting, I didn't mean to be late, although that is supposed to be fashionable I've heard." He says with a small smile, hoping to remove any tension as he discreetly scrutinizes the rest of the team, wondering what they all would be like. He was genuinely curious to get to know them but he assumed the long journey overseas would give ample of time for that.
As you each make your way into the waiting room and settle in, you are left alone in the ornate waiting room. With the noise of the busy reception area gone, you each notice the faint sound of soft jazz muzak playing in the background. Those of you that get a drink from the table notice that the water and ice both magically replenish themselves within their containers as you enjoy the free refreshments.
five minutes go by and a few leaves begin to fall from the shubs in the corners of the room. Those of you that decide to pour yourselves glasses of ice water are surprised when after taking a few sips, the water begins to freeze within the glass....
ten minutes go by and the glasses of ice water crack and break due to the... force of the expanding ice within... More leaves fall from the plants and they begin to cover the marble floor beneath them. The smooth jazz continues to play....
fifteen minutes go by and nothing of note seems to take place. The smooth jazz muzak continues to play and even more small leaves fall from the shrubs and land in the large ornate pot holding the plant and on the sparkling marble floor. As the leaves fall they reveal more of the gnarled wood that is planted in the dry soil of the pot. The pictures of the founding fathers of Acquisitions inc stare down upon each of you, giving you the feeling of being watched as you continue to wait for the notoriously very busy Omin Dran.
OOC: give me a perception check while you all describe when your characters are doing during the wait and any thing else they are doing.
KItaer is surprised but amused by the fact that the ice container, from which he is snacking as if it's popcorn, replenishes itself. He wonders to himself if anyone would notice if he slipped it into his satchel... But he really wants this job and to get on a ship to this Etharis, wherever it is.
His eyebrow does raise with curiosity when the glasses shatter. "Everything alright?" he asks curiously. He's not entirely sure why they broke their glasses, or if perhaps he is suppose to break his ice container too, so he doesn't want to make a production out of it or anything.
After fifteen minutes, however, his patience is wearing thin. He's begun to pace and get annoyed. They haven't called a single one of them in yet. This is just downright rude and with a huff and a snort he starts knocking on the door with the AI logo in the center of it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
The glass in his hand shatters from the frozen water and Stasyn drops the rest of the glass fragments rubbing his hand from the sudden numbness of the ice. He has a severe frown and stands up to move to the center of the room. He takes out his metallic wand and quickly chants the words while weaving a pattern in the air for the spell detect magic as a ritual which takes 10 minutes.
Sensing his agitation, the red serpent slithers its way out of Stasyn's sleave coiling around its master's arm and flicking its tongue in the air with its fang bared.
As the minotaur begins slamming his fists against the door, the sturdy wooden structure fails to move at all as the pounding sound threatens to mask the smooth jazz being pumped into the room.
Spoiler for Kitaer:
You feel fairly certain that the eyes of the Omin portrait seemed to follow you just a tiny amount when you began beating on the door.
As Stasyn casts his spell, his vision goes blurry before quickly coming back into focus. When it does, he is able to detect a faint magical aura emanating from multiple sources in the room..
Spoiler for Stasyn:
The following items are giving off magic...
The 4 large flower pots containing the shubs are giving off necrotic energy The Ice bucket, the water pitcher, and the picture of Omin, and the large wooden door are all giving off enchantment energy
"Damn necrotic shrubs and why is there an enchantment on this picture" says Stasyn as he stays clear of the shrubs and unsheathes his dagger from his belt. He slowly lifts up the picture of Omin with his dagger to see what is behind it.
"Necrotic shrubs?" Kitaer asks, having no idea what the weird one meant. "Dunno, but I think that picture is watching us..." Kitaer then tries just opening the door. It may be impolite but this all is getting weird. "And I am tired of waiting!" The minotaur then steps back about halfway through the room and prepared to try to ram his way through the door.
((This is the only door visible, yes? The one we came through vanished behind us?))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
Stasyn sees nothing behind the picture except for bare well as he lifts it with his knife.
More leaves continue to fall from the withered plants in the corners of the room... the gnarled srubs begin to look more like old gnarled clawed hands as the leaves begin to drop faster and faster.
OOC: Yes, there is only one door out of this room from what you can tell.
"Beware that wooden door is also enchanted. Most likely an Arcane lock. It can be opened if you are really strong." says Stasyn as he pauses and looks at the eyes on the picture of Omin as he waves his hand in front of it.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
After a few minutes of silence, Vesna's curiosity gradually overcomes her anxiety, and the cleric lifts her gaze from the floor. First, she does what everybody in her position is expected to do - she steals a glance at each of the other people in the room, trying to deduce whether they are here for the same opportunity as she and how much of a competition they might be if this is supposed to be an interview.
The cleric's amber eyes naturally first land on the most imposing presence, the one of the minotaur. It doesn’t last long enough to be called a stare, that look she gave him. One glance in his general direction was enough to intimidate and terrify her, and she wasn’t sure if that was because of his giant size or the three ('Three, Selune save me!') axes he was carrying around. Nevertheless, she quickly deduced it would be wisest not to attract any unnecessary attention from there, especially since he seemed to be snacking on the bones of his enemies (in her nervousness she missed one crucial detail - that they are just ice cubes).
Determined to not be seen staring, her eyes quickly moved to another target, and Vesna realized with relief it was another woman, with pretty blue hair that immediately intrigued her. That put the poor cleric a bit more at ease, and she let out a soft sigh. The last two also appear relatively unthreatening, although Vesna realizes a bit too late as she glances first at the verdan man's metallic wand, and then at the human man's crossbow, one tiny crucial detail that gets confirmed when she looks at the blue-haired woman again. Vesna stares at the rapier’s hilt for one very long moment before panic arises in her. 'Oh no! I should have brought the mace!'
Her amber eyes fall back to her lap as her face grows very, very hot. Clearly, she missed something in the letter because the rest of the people here wouldn’t have come in ready to fight during a business meeting, right? But then she realized she didn’t exactly know what a business opportunity discussion might look like because she’s never had to witness one, let alone have one. What if they had to conduct some tests, like how heavy she can swing the mace or how good her aim with a crossbow was?
Vesna swallows hard, completely mortified, then forces herself to think rationally. 'Surely, they just need to have a conversation with me. The letter did state it was just a discussion after all.'
She tries to relax a bit, but it is too late - her mind is spiralling, her body on high alert as she panics more and more. You know, like when you leave your house early in the morning and you realize when you are too far from home that you have forgotten something crucial before leaving, like to change from your nightgown to actual clothes before going into public, or that one item that you couldn’t do your presentation without in front of your boss… And you are the only one that knows it for the time being, but you feel like everybody else must be onto it as well, so you keep looking around warily, trying to appear innocent but feeling guilty, and… and, and...
A sudden shattering sound snaps Vesna back to reality, and the cleric jumps in her seat, letting out a small squeak, just like a startled mouse. Her eyes dart towards the source of the noise - the verdan man with a broken glass around him, an expression of anger on his face. Then, she notices the red snake slithering from within his clothes, and another soft squeak escapes her lips at the sight of its fangs and flickering tongue. Vesna hadn't noticed what caused the agitation between the verdan man and the minotaur, and in her alarm, she instinctively reaches for the amulet around her neck, her lips moving silently while clutching it tightly in both hands. Praying to her goddess for guidance, she looks around, wide-eyed, and distressed, suddenly alarmed that she has no idea who all these people are, how dangerous they can be and 'Oh, I should have just bought the maceeeee'.
Perception: 8 + Guidance: 4
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
As Vesna looks around the room, she seemingly manages to block out for a moment the muzak and the loud thumps of the minotaurs fists. She scans the room with extreme focus as though the gods themselves were guiding her sight.
Vesna perception because it was stupid high!
You notice a few things around the room... A small and subtle twitch in the eye of the Omin picture as Stasyn waves his hand in front of it.... The dirt around the base of the shrubs seems to be getting drier and more loose with each passing second as more and more leaves fall to reveal was a gnarled wooden clawed hand. You notice that the drier the dirt gets the more sinister and claw-like the shrubs become...
(Nesyax Perception: 17; and to clarify - any water we took freezes in the glass, even if it's water and no ice? Unsure because of the "ice water" description)
It is a busy day in Waterdeep as each of you navigate the loud and chaotic streets of the City of Splendors. The sun is shining bright, and the smells of fresh baked goods and a gentle sea breeze fills the air. A perfect day to start your new career with Acquisitions INC! The reputation for Acquisitions INC is well known, and many humble interns have died in the pursuit of becoming a fully fledged member of this prestigious organization.
In a surprising move by Omin Dran, The founder and CEO recently began advertising positions within a brand new franchise in an exotic and far off location. Applications were being handed out in the streets out front of the HQ by interns promising the chance to IMMEDIATELY become fully fledged members of Acquisitions INC… a rare chance to bypass the long and often lethal internship phase with the company.
After completing your application and returning it, each of you received a summon to arrive at the headquarters today to discuss this exciting opportunity a few days later. The letter explains that you will participate in a group interview of sorts with Omin Dran himself before disembarking for the wonderful world of Etharis.
Arriving at the famous AI Headquarters at your designated time, you make your way inside and introduce yourself to the receptionist. The old gnome woman takes your letter and investigates it thoroughly before handing it back to you. She presses a button under her desk and the seemingly ordinary wall opens up beside you. After you make your way inside, the door shuts behind you immediately and you are left standing in what appears to be an ornate waiting room. Paintings line the walls depicting many famous Acquisitions INC figures and finely carved and ornately decorated chairs with velvet cushions sit beneath them. A small coffee table sits in the middle of the room with glasses, a pitcher of water, and a bucket of ice. Each corner of the room stands a small decorative shrub, and there is one large ornate wooden door at the end of the room with a golden AI logo in the center.
You each make your way into the room one at a time, checking in at the front desk and arriving within moments of each other. There are currently no other people in the room while you wait to speak with Omin about this amazing business opportunity.
Nesyax Sanaldi walks confidently into the waiting room, trying to take in all that is there. With the door shutting, and nobody else in sight, she does a little spin, verifying nobody slipped in behind her.
'Well, how in the world did I end up here first?' she thinks to herself. Nesyax is a young woman, about 5 and a half feet tall. Probably she is most remarkable for her shoulder length, light blue hair. She's wearing a leather breastplate with a long-sleeved, dark colored tunic beneath, matching pants, and low cut leather boots. There's also a small black choker around her neck, with a little gold heart dangling from it. A close inspection of her clothing might reveal a bit of blue embroidered designs around the cuffs. She's also wearing a number of thin metal bracelets on her left wrist, and a numer of rings on her fingers, though all seem to be plain metal.
She makes her way over to the table in the middle of the room, grabbing a glass and filling it half way with water. Nesyax seems to have some sort of long narrow case slung across her back and a rapier sheathed at her side. Sipping from the glass, she slowly wanders toward the large ornate door at the end of the room.
Rabbit Sebrica | Skarai | Katryl Brightfury | Rylia Lionrage | Roxana Raincrest | Janek Whitmor | Lokilia Vaelphin
Stasyn stands at almost 4 ft tall. He walks in as if he always belonged here and smiles appreciating the gnome receptionist attention to detail. He wears a blue patterned long coat. sensible trousers, polished leather boots, and a metallic wand at his side. Upon entering the newly revealed room he runs his hand across his practically bald head as there are only a bit of fuzzy thin hair on his head. His skin is green tinged with a bit of blue and he has ears reminiscent of elves. Stasyn is quite young at 22 winters old, but the fine wrinkle on his forehead makes he seems to make him look a lot older.
He admires the paintings with his hand clasp behind his back and thinks to himself "Someday my painting will be here among the other renowned members of Acquisitions Incorporated" He fills the cup with ice and pours himself some water as he always preferred chilled water to drink. A serpent's head pokes out from his left sleave. "Not now little one. We don't want to spook our employer"
He takes a seat in one of the comfy chairs and waits.
Kitaer opens the door and steps just inside. He's made a habit of not quickly entering new places, it tends to make people nervous. The old gnome woman looks up and blinks but then quickly, and with obvious annoyance, waves him forward. "I am Kitaer of..." but she doesn't much care and cuts him off demanding his letter. Kitaer is a bit annoyed by this and furrows his brows but doesn't otherwise allow his annoyance to show. Again, he finds it makes people nervous.
"Right. Letter. I have it right..." and Kitaer trails off as he starts digging through a large rough leather pouch he wears on his hip. "Somewhere..." he snorts.
Eventually he finds the letter and finds himself being scowled at by the gnome woman. She is not amused by the folded, wrinkled and stained state of the letter. Still, the information of it passes muster and she grunts and presses a button somewhere out of sight. It's not loud but the wall besides Kitaer is suddenly moving, opening. Kitaer looks at this, to the old gnome and then back again. The gnome women gives him no indication but there are others in there who seem to be waiting... With another snort Kitaer steps inside as well, turning around quickly as the door immediately shuts behinds him. He's tempted to open it again just to make sure he can... But the others are probably already looking at him. He tilts his head to one side, then the other to stretch out the annoyance and then turns around towards the room once more.
Kitaer gives a bit of a shake of his head as if to say hello but doesn't actually say anything. He stands about seven feet tall and the first indication is that he is just as broad of shoulders - He is a man of muscles and it is obvious at first glance. Except he's not exactly a man. Well, not a human. Kitaer is a large, exceptionally muscled bull that walks like a man. His horns grow out from the sides of his head before turning forward in menacing points. He is covered in a heavy covering of short brown hair but that atop his head and down his neck to his shoulders is a bit longer and heavier creating a bit of a wooly mane about him. He is wearing a rough kilt and sash that seems made out of a combination of rough fabric and animal hides and a heavy belt with several large pouches tied to and through it, as well as a couple of small axes. On his back, peeking over his shoulder, is an old nicked and well used great axe with has lost none of it's intimidation factor with age and use. As he looks over the room and the two already in it he seems unsure what to do with his hands as they keep wanting to ball into fists of go to his weapons but he won't let them... He moves his weight from one hoof to the other and takes a couple self conscious sniffs of the room.
"Kitaer," he says after a moment or three. "Of Escabor..." That likely means nothing to these people but at least they won't mistake him for Kitaer of west Waterdeep... He looks at the woman first and decides she is no threat. The man then gets eyed up and down... Kitaer narrows his eyes a bit at them, unsure what to make of them, but it's just a second of doubt before he decides he too is no threat.
"So... We just wait?" Kitaer asks of both of them, but neither. He then steps up to the table and picks up the bucket of ice, reaching in with the other hand to grab a cube and pop it in much mouth. "How long?" he asks as he chews on the ice as if it was a snack.
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Vesna March isn’t accustomed to wandering the streets of Waterdeep. In fact, she rarely ventured beyond the church walls, always accompanied by fellow clerics. And prior to joining (or rather, being sent to) the church, she hardly set foot anywhere. It isn’t surprising then that she couldn't get a wink of sleep last night, tossing and turning in her bed, and today, each step she takes is accompanied by not-so-subtle gasps, sighs, and wide-eyed stares—thankfully mostly unnoticed by those around her.
As she approaches the Acquisitions Inc Headquarters, there's a subtle spring in her step and an excited flutter in her chest.
“Good day to you! My name is Vesna March, and I am here for the opportunity!” Vesna chirps cheerfully upon stepping inside the building. Just as the words leave her lips, she flinches, suddenly feeling nervous and self-conscious. ‘I should have been more polite and professional. Now they will think me an impatient child.’
The receptionist’s expression doesn’t really betray if that is, in fact, what she’s thinking, instead focusing on the letter Vesna carefully produces from her backpack for authentication. In the ensuing silence, it is all it takes for the cleric to restrain herself from tapping her boot nervously. That would be unprofessional, after all. Finally, the scrutiny is over, one of the reception walls opens up ('The wall opens up!!! Fascinating!!!'), and Vesna is handed back her letter, receiving or imagining a subtle nod indicating the newly appeared opening. Suddenly uncertain and less excited, she glances around in alarm, almost as if she’s changed her mind. After what appears to be ages, summoning whatever courage she could muster, she steps inside.
‘Oh, it is just a waiting room,’ she sighs in relief as if she has expected to walk into a torture chamber. Embarrassed by the thought, a soft blush colours her fair complexion, and she nervously adjusts her vestments - a blend of soft fabrics, dyed in white, adorned with subtle, intricate embroidery depicting the moon, woven along the hems with silver thread.
Vesna spent a long time contemplating what would be best to wear today. Should she show up in the heavy chain armour all clerics of her church would wear when out and about? Or perhaps opt for casual attire? Should she bring the mace? The shield?
Eventually, she settled for her vestments to keep it simple, a reminder of where she belongs. Adorning her slender neck hangs a simple silver chain, clasped with a small, unassuming amulet fashioned in the shape of a crescent moon.
Her long, wavy auburn hair cascades down her shoulders, and a mix of alertness and excitement shines in her amber eyes as she surveys her surroundings.
Noticing others already waiting, but not really finding the courage within herself to look at them properly, Vesna turns a brighter shade of red and flinches slightly, allowing her fringe to shield part of her face. In a soft voice, she mutters, "G-good day to you all," before finding a chair, hoping to blend into the background.
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
Vesna March - L1 Cleric in Etharis
DM The Missing Farmer
It is with excited steps the young white-haired noble briskly walks through the loud and chaotic streets of the City of Splendors from his family estates in Sea Ward by the sea front over to the headquarters of Acquisitions INC. His departure from home had been less unpleasant than he had feared and his father had, if somewhat reluctantly, given his blessing to his son's enterprise. Now it only remained for that son to prove himself.
As Daryos steps into the reception area it is with some reverence, but he quickly finds the confidence to approach the old gnome receptionist, producing his letter of acceptance to confirm his business here. He is only mildly surprised as the secret door opens up beside him, nodding and smiling politely to the receptionist before stepping inside the chamber beyond.
Inside the ornate waiting room was already four others waiting, the others in the fledgling team presumably. "Daryos Dezlentyr, at your service." The young noble says with a confident tone, smiling politely to the others in turn after placing his gear by a chair, a sturdy backpack and a well-made crossbow carrying his familys insignia. He wears a white long coat with an assortment of ornaments to it, suggesting he is well off, quite possibly a noble, and the name of Dezlentyr is well known in Waterdeep as a noble house with interests in trading and exploring. The young noble sports a small white beard, as white as his hair and his appearance is quite impeccable. "My apologies if I have kept you waiting, I didn't mean to be late, although that is supposed to be fashionable I've heard." He says with a small smile, hoping to remove any tension as he discreetly scrutinizes the rest of the team, wondering what they all would be like. He was genuinely curious to get to know them but he assumed the long journey overseas would give ample of time for that.
As you each make your way into the waiting room and settle in, you are left alone in the ornate waiting room. With the noise of the busy reception area gone, you each notice the faint sound of soft jazz muzak playing in the background. Those of you that get a drink from the table notice that the water and ice both magically replenish themselves within their containers as you enjoy the free refreshments.
five minutes go by and a few leaves begin to fall from the shubs in the corners of the room. Those of you that decide to pour yourselves glasses of ice water are surprised when after taking a few sips, the water begins to freeze within the glass....
ten minutes go by and the glasses of ice water crack and break due to the... force of the expanding ice within... More leaves fall from the plants and they begin to cover the marble floor beneath them. The smooth jazz continues to play....
fifteen minutes go by and nothing of note seems to take place. The smooth jazz muzak continues to play and even more small leaves fall from the shrubs and land in the large ornate pot holding the plant and on the sparkling marble floor. As the leaves fall they reveal more of the gnarled wood that is planted in the dry soil of the pot. The pictures of the founding fathers of Acquisitions inc stare down upon each of you, giving you the feeling of being watched as you continue to wait for the notoriously very busy Omin Dran.
OOC: give me a perception check while you all describe when your characters are doing during the wait and any thing else they are doing.
Kitaer
(Perception: 17-1 = 16)
KItaer is surprised but amused by the fact that the ice container, from which he is snacking as if it's popcorn, replenishes itself. He wonders to himself if anyone would notice if he slipped it into his satchel... But he really wants this job and to get on a ship to this Etharis, wherever it is.
His eyebrow does raise with curiosity when the glasses shatter. "Everything alright?" he asks curiously. He's not entirely sure why they broke their glasses, or if perhaps he is suppose to break his ice container too, so he doesn't want to make a production out of it or anything.
After fifteen minutes, however, his patience is wearing thin. He's begun to pace and get annoyed. They haven't called a single one of them in yet. This is just downright rude and with a huff and a snort he starts knocking on the door with the AI logo in the center of it.
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Stasyn Perception
4 rolled in game log
The glass in his hand shatters from the frozen water and Stasyn drops the rest of the glass fragments rubbing his hand from the sudden numbness of the ice. He has a severe frown and stands up to move to the center of the room. He takes out his metallic wand and quickly chants the words while weaving a pattern in the air for the spell detect magic as a ritual which takes 10 minutes.
Sensing his agitation, the red serpent slithers its way out of Stasyn's sleave coiling around its master's arm and flicking its tongue in the air with its fang bared.
As the minotaur begins slamming his fists against the door, the sturdy wooden structure fails to move at all as the pounding sound threatens to mask the smooth jazz being pumped into the room.
Spoiler for Kitaer:
You feel fairly certain that the eyes of the Omin portrait seemed to follow you just a tiny amount when you began beating on the door.
As Stasyn casts his spell, his vision goes blurry before quickly coming back into focus. When it does, he is able to detect a faint magical aura emanating from multiple sources in the room..
Spoiler for Stasyn:
The following items are giving off magic...
The 4 large flower pots containing the shubs are giving off necrotic energy
The Ice bucket, the water pitcher, and the picture of Omin, and the large wooden door are all giving off enchantment energy
"Damn necrotic shrubs and why is there an enchantment on this picture" says Stasyn as he stays clear of the shrubs and unsheathes his dagger from his belt. He slowly lifts up the picture of Omin with his dagger to see what is behind it.
"Necrotic shrubs?" Kitaer asks, having no idea what the weird one meant. "Dunno, but I think that picture is watching us..." Kitaer then tries just opening the door. It may be impolite but this all is getting weird. "And I am tired of waiting!" The minotaur then steps back about halfway through the room and prepared to try to ram his way through the door.
((This is the only door visible, yes? The one we came through vanished behind us?))
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Stasyn sees nothing behind the picture except for bare well as he lifts it with his knife.
More leaves continue to fall from the withered plants in the corners of the room... the gnarled srubs begin to look more like old gnarled clawed hands as the leaves begin to drop faster and faster.
OOC: Yes, there is only one door out of this room from what you can tell.
"Beware that wooden door is also enchanted. Most likely an Arcane lock. It can be opened if you are really strong." says Stasyn as he pauses and looks at the eyes on the picture of Omin as he waves his hand in front of it.
After a few minutes of silence, Vesna's curiosity gradually overcomes her anxiety, and the cleric lifts her gaze from the floor. First, she does what everybody in her position is expected to do - she steals a glance at each of the other people in the room, trying to deduce whether they are here for the same opportunity as she and how much of a competition they might be if this is supposed to be an interview.
The cleric's amber eyes naturally first land on the most imposing presence, the one of the minotaur. It doesn’t last long enough to be called a stare, that look she gave him. One glance in his general direction was enough to intimidate and terrify her, and she wasn’t sure if that was because of his giant size or the three ('Three, Selune save me!') axes he was carrying around. Nevertheless, she quickly deduced it would be wisest not to attract any unnecessary attention from there, especially since he seemed to be snacking on the bones of his enemies (in her nervousness she missed one crucial detail - that they are just ice cubes).
Determined to not be seen staring, her eyes quickly moved to another target, and Vesna realized with relief it was another woman, with pretty blue hair that immediately intrigued her. That put the poor cleric a bit more at ease, and she let out a soft sigh. The last two also appear relatively unthreatening, although Vesna realizes a bit too late as she glances first at the verdan man's metallic wand, and then at the human man's crossbow, one tiny crucial detail that gets confirmed when she looks at the blue-haired woman again. Vesna stares at the rapier’s hilt for one very long moment before panic arises in her. 'Oh no! I should have brought the mace!'
Her amber eyes fall back to her lap as her face grows very, very hot. Clearly, she missed something in the letter because the rest of the people here wouldn’t have come in ready to fight during a business meeting, right? But then she realized she didn’t exactly know what a business opportunity discussion might look like because she’s never had to witness one, let alone have one. What if they had to conduct some tests, like how heavy she can swing the mace or how good her aim with a crossbow was?
Vesna swallows hard, completely mortified, then forces herself to think rationally. 'Surely, they just need to have a conversation with me. The letter did state it was just a discussion after all.'
She tries to relax a bit, but it is too late - her mind is spiralling, her body on high alert as she panics more and more. You know, like when you leave your house early in the morning and you realize when you are too far from home that you have forgotten something crucial before leaving, like to change from your nightgown to actual clothes before going into public, or that one item that you couldn’t do your presentation without in front of your boss… And you are the only one that knows it for the time being, but you feel like everybody else must be onto it as well, so you keep looking around warily, trying to appear innocent but feeling guilty, and… and, and...
A sudden shattering sound snaps Vesna back to reality, and the cleric jumps in her seat, letting out a small squeak, just like a startled mouse. Her eyes dart towards the source of the noise - the verdan man with a broken glass around him, an expression of anger on his face. Then, she notices the red snake slithering from within his clothes, and another soft squeak escapes her lips at the sight of its fangs and flickering tongue. Vesna hadn't noticed what caused the agitation between the verdan man and the minotaur, and in her alarm, she instinctively reaches for the amulet around her neck, her lips moving silently while clutching it tightly in both hands. Praying to her goddess for guidance, she looks around, wide-eyed, and distressed, suddenly alarmed that she has no idea who all these people are, how dangerous they can be and 'Oh, I should have just bought the maceeeee'.
Perception: 8 + Guidance: 4
Aeran Dormaris - L2 Paladin on his way to Phandelver
Vesna March - L1 Cleric in Etharis
DM The Missing Farmer
As Vesna looks around the room, she seemingly manages to block out for a moment the muzak and the loud thumps of the minotaurs fists. She scans the room with extreme focus as though the gods themselves were guiding her sight.
Vesna perception because it was stupid high!
You notice a few things around the room... A small and subtle twitch in the eye of the Omin picture as Stasyn waves his hand in front of it....
The dirt around the base of the shrubs seems to be getting drier and more loose with each passing second as more and more leaves fall to reveal was a gnarled wooden clawed hand.
You notice that the drier the dirt gets the more sinister and claw-like the shrubs become...
OOC: Weathervision roll a perception check as you wave your hand in front of the picture.
(Nesyax Perception: 17; and to clarify - any water we took freezes in the glass, even if it's water and no ice? Unsure because of the "ice water" description)
Rabbit Sebrica | Skarai | Katryl Brightfury | Rylia Lionrage | Roxana Raincrest | Janek Whitmor | Lokilia Vaelphin
Stasyn perception check
18 rolled in game log