Day 67: Magistrates and Bandits

[Iron Dragoon]

Session Start: Thu Mar 05 11:57:40 2015
Session Ident: #dunes
* Now talking in #dunes
* Topic is 'Little(32)>Jetina(27)>Sharm(24)Veren(23)>Moore(19)>Lucy(15)>Ghost(12)>Macaron '
* Set by Kotono on Wed Mar 04 12:37:08
<Kotono> ----
<Kotono> OOC: Okay, so you headed back out. What's next on the party's to-do list?
<Veren > OOC: Track down the magistrate guy?
<Moore> OOC: Yep.
<Kotono> OOC: Okay.
<Kotono> Finding a magistrate isn't hard - just a tedious. It takes talking to a wizard on patrol, who refers you to the nearest magistrate. You meet him in a plain, severe room. The walls are smooth white. The magistrate sits in a high backed chair and wears a purple robe with eyes embroidered down the side. She is perhaps fifty, with short gray hair and a stern expression. A plaque on the wall, just
<Kotono> above the chair, reads, 'Magistrate Ulas'. "This is irregular to come to me," she announces shortly, "So what demands this sort of meeting?"
<Sharm> Doesn't he look familiar? Sharm gives the magistrate a nice grin since she's (almost) a free woman now.
<Lucy> "There is a very strange situation from a legal perspective, Magistrate," Lucy says politely, after they've been introduced.
<Moore> Moore nods in agreement with Lucy. "Yes, we seem to have uncovered a... rather well-hidden plot."
<Kotono> This particular magistrate isn't one Sharm has dealt with - she doesn't look familiar. "Go on then," she gestures with a hand, "Get to the point."
<Lucy> "We came to an arrangement with Mister DeLorian to exorcize the house he claimed his foolish relative was haunting after killing himself in a magical accident. Once there, however, the ghost in question claimed that he was murdered by our original client, and demanded justice via pleading his case to a magistrate. Hence, our visit here to find out the legal situation."
<Moore> "He -- ah, the ghost, I mean, seems assured he can prove the case." Moore adds.
<Veren > "The client was oddly insistent about the ghost being eliminated, as well. To the point of little interest in anything beyond that."
<Kotono> "Tamas DeLorian?" Magistrate Ulas interjects early in Lucy's explanation. She listens to the rest after, "Well, this isn't the first time this has happened. Undead aren't technically considered the deceased person unless the transformation was achieved under controlled circumstances with official oversight. However, there are provisions for unique cases, especially when solving a high crime like
<Kotono> murder."
<Lucy> "Mister DeLorian insisted that he would present evidence to a magistrate if one were to come to the mansion. I realize this is quite impertinent, but his current state might be restricting him to that abode."
<Veren > "The soul trap, perhaps?"
* Lucy shrugs slightly.
<Kotono> "That is highly irregular," The magistrate frowns deeply, before rising. She rises by breaking apart into shards of glass and light, reforming standing up a moment later. "But, under the circumstances, it may be needed to visit him in home."
<Sharm> Sharm blinks at that weird display.
* Veren blinks at the display and inspects her closer, trying to figure out what sort of trick it was.
<Lucy> Did she just teleport in a flashy way to avoid standing up normally? Lucy can't help but look on appreciatively.
<Lucy> "Ah, yes, let us go?" she offers a moment later.
<Moore> Moore just smiles politely despite... whatever the heck that was.
<Kotono> OOC: K:A can be made here if any of you like.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+18
<Serith> Lucy roll for Serith < 33 > 12 [d20=15]
<Moore> roll 1d20+14 why not
<Serith> Moore roll for Serith < 27 > 12 [d20=13]
<Kotono> Lucy and Moore can tell it's not teleportation. Whatever the hell it is, it's unique and unusual.
<Kotono> The trip back to the manor is unremarkable. The magistrate seems unimpressed by it all, nor phased at all when the ghost appears over the family crest in the entryway. "Magistrate." the ghost says.
<Kotono> "Spirit, why do you wish to talk to me. Out with it," The magistrate gestures, "Get to the point of this."
* Lucy stands off to the side, and ready to intercede in the case of hostilities.
<Sharm> Sharm waits just outside the door so as not to antagonize the ghost. She can hear what's being said at least.
<Kotono> The air grows chillier, but the reply is, "I am of house DeLorian and I demand justice for my murder. Tamas DeLorian caused my death and now seeks to destroy my research!"
<Kotono> The magistrate's frown grows intense, "Those are serious charges, especially the destruction of your research. But what is your name?"
<Sharm> Sharm snickers at research being more valuable than a life. Fits this town perfectly.
<Lucy> "There is also the matter of proof, which I would respectfully like you to produce at this time," Lucy decides to voice, given all the deepening frowns and how it might lead to unintended violence.
* Veren watches both parties looking for signs of anyone not telling the complete truth.
<Kotono> "Yes," The ghost says, "I am Ilas DeLorian. I will show you." The ghost heads towards the dining room door. "Come." OOC: Sense motive, Veren.
* Lucy follows at the invitation!
<Moore> Moore will follow along as well!
<Veren > roll 1d20+13+3 Sense Motive/Insp, 5 left
<Serith> Veren roll for Serith < 36 > 12 [d20=20]
<Sharm> Since everyone's heading inside Sharm follows after the group rather than waiting outside where she can't at least hear.
<Kotono> So far, Veren thinks they're both on the level. You go through the dining room and the mess, to a side passage, through what looks to be some sort of dead greenhouse and down some stairs. You end up in a rather cluttered and large laboratory, with the center full of a massive arcane pattern. In the center sits a huge emerald, pulsing with silvery-blue light every few seconds. "You can study the
<Kotono> glyphs, for what happened is burned into them. But this is quicker." There is a snap of fingers from nowhere, followed by chanting. Then before you a scene plays out. A man in thick robes is standing before the magic circle, reading from an even thicker book. He just screams mage.  Then there is chanting in a familiar voice - Tamas's voice. The wizard by the circle barely has a chance to turn
<Kotono> before a massive burst of energy explodes out, his body consumed by it. "This is an account. This is a warded laboratory, which would stop most divinations from discerning his plot and action. You can study the magic and put the proof to divinations to ascertain the accuracy of it - even if the wards must be brought down and rebuilt."
<Lucy> Since she has the ghost's apparent permission, Lucy indeed studies the magic here.
<Moore> Moore decides to do the same -- it might give him some insight into the musical score he was given, as well.
* Veren eyes the area around where Tamas was in the scene, looking for any evidence or clues that may have been left behind since the laboratory has presumably been untouched since the incident.
<Kotono> OOC: Spellcraft.
<Kotono> OOC: Perception, Veren.
<Moore> roll 1d20+14
<Serith> Moore roll for Serith < 31 > 12 [d20=17]
<Lucy> roll 1d20+18
<Serith> Lucy roll for Serith < 21 > 12 [d20=3]
<Veren > roll 1d20+14 Perception
<Kotono> Magistrate Ulas watches the scene dispassionately, "Convenient, and not impossible to fake with magic. We will be examining this closely, spirit." Meanwhile, Lucy gets lost trying to decode it. Moore does better - it would take a ton of time to really get into, though. It's not a casual study, but one of hours or days. But he thinks he could do it.
<Serith> Veren roll for Serith < 21 > 12 [d20=7]
<Kotono> Veren doesn't note anything terribly damning or interesting.
<Lucy> "Is there any way we could be of service, Magistrate?"
<Kotono> "Do it," The ghost demands, "I will demand Tamas DeLorian be held accountable, and that I be declared head of the family."
<Kotono> "Yes," The Magistrate says immediately, taking out a scroll. She chants a simple cantrip, her finger working as a pen. She writes out a quick message and chants another cantrip, drying the ink. "Teleport this over to my scribe, he should be in the office we met in. We'll muster a council to examine this and decide if the evidence is trustworthy enough for a trial."
<Lucy> Not quite what she expected, but she did offer and it will probably look good. "Certainly, Magistrate," she responds, and disappears with the scroll. Returning afterwards would be a simple affair as well.
<Moore> Moore nods to himself at his appraisal. "Hum, I could figure this out given enough time, that's good to know."
<Kotono> OOC: Good with skipping along a little bit?
<Lucy> OOC: yes
<Moore> OOC: Yar
<Veren > OOC: Yarp.
<Kotono> The next morning - as much as the concept matters in a place like the Lost Realm - brings a message in the form of Aria. She comes to visit the party as they eat, "You were busy," she remarks, "Tamas DeLorian has been arrested - it's the talk of the town right now."
<Lucy> "Just doing our civic duty, Miss Aria," Lucy tells her pleasantly. She gestures at the table, "Please, won't you have something?"
<Veren > "The Magistrate found something of significance?"
<Sharm> Sharm gives a grunt of greeting but focuses primarily on devouring her meat-laden plate.
* Veren consumes some breakfast as well.
<Moore> "I'm glad the truth was uncovered." Moore says with a nod to Aria.
<Kotono> Jetina looks up from her meal and pats her mouth clean before replying. "As long as the dead can be put to rest."
<Sharm> "Yeah," Sharm agrees with Jetina, "Don't want that ghost hanging around any. Especially if we end up moving into that place."
<Veren > "On a different note, do you have any work for me, Aria?"
<Kotono> "I just ate," she shakes her head, "But thank you. In any case, there will be a trial, though setting it all up will take time. In the meantime - yes, speaking of. An offer for you, but one everyone can take part in, as you desire."
<Veren > "Interesting. What task is it?"
<Kotono> "Out in the country side, there's some troublemakers. A gang of bandits calling themselves the Eryn 7. We'd like you to find them and eliminate them. Alive if possible and reasonable, but dead's just as good. The idea is for you to infiltrate them, but your team could treat it as a more conventional encounter if you like."
<Veren > "Infiltrate? Is there some information you need from them?"
<Sharm> "Is there actually seven of them?" Sharm asks. 'Cause that could be a good way to fool people, even if it sounds stupid.
<Lucy> Unless all seven are mages it would probably be a waste of time, Lucy muses, before blinking at Sharm's question.
<Kotono> "We've seen seven, but that's a fair point," Aria concedes with a little nod to Sharm. "We suspect there's more than seven, if nothing more than support and camp hanger-ons. Now the rub is that scrying hasn't worked. We suspect a wizard is involved, one that's taken pains to protect them from local reprisals. Hence why the infiltration angle makes the most sense to us. But merely eliminating
<Kotono> the threat is good enough for now."
> "Hmm... Infiltration to scout. Then perhaps a covert strike to take a principle location to negotiate a surrender from a position of power..."
<Kotono> "Cut out the legs and let the body hit the ground," Jetina murmurs, "Makes sense."
<Veren > "Do you have any additional information about this group? What kinds of tactics they use and who and what they normally target?"
<Kotono> Macaron looks up from his nap at this, 'Stealth is always uncertain. Ensure you have an escape plan if you try this.'
* Lucy opts to just listen for now. Certainly, she has the right skills. But does this sort of job even call for them?
<Moore> Moore wonders if they're becoming the go-to group to deal with anti-scrying measures. Or is there some other reason they can't deal with this themselves, he wonders.
<Kotono> "Very little. One member's Sil and is skilled with twin daggers. Another is Rolo and is a keen archer. There's two more unnamed swordsmen, a spellcaster and singer of some sort, a healer and a rather large brute. Like an ogre that isn't ugly but is instead beautiful. They've been operating on the edges of the light's reach and the marginal farm settlements there. Lately, they've been getting
<Kotono> more bold and attacking further into the light.'
<Veren > "That... sounds like an odd group."
<Lucy> "The singer is quite out of place, but it could have originally been a camp follower?"
<Kotono> "I was thinking ragtag," Jetina says, "It does sound like a group of irregulars."
<Sharm> "No odder'n this one," Sharm says, spearing a sausage piece and putting it into her mouth to chew for a few seconds before she swallows and adds, "Figure we can take them."
<Moore> "Kind of sounds like ours." Moore says with a small smile. "Ah... well, I'm sure it's something we can consider, but, um... Well, I suppose we should ask the question this way: What sort of assistance will the city offer us for this, or are we to undertake it on our means and be compensated later?"
<Kotono> "Probably," Jetina agrees, "I doubt their healer is as good as I am. Few have the will to make a complete study of healing."
<Kotono> "Each full bandit of the seven will be worth 500 gold dead and 1,500 alive, along with any equipment and possessions you claim that aren't registered as stolen or arcane marked by a reputable spellcaster." Aria continues on then, "This is your task - achieve it with your own means how you please. Consider this a test for Veren - or for your entire group."
<Veren > "Hmm... Well, if anyone isn't interested in going, I'll do some scouting and gather information before we decide on a final move."
<Lucy> "Ah. Miss Aria, might I ask if you've decided to delay your decision on that other matter we've discussed until this situation has been resolved to your satisfaction?"
<Kotono> "Of course," Aria agrees.
<Moore> "Well, I can just turn invisible and help you scout if you want." Moore says. "If they can see me, then that immediately tells you what you're dealing with, you know?"
* Veren nods Moore.
<Veren > "Your abilities would also help in making an escape if needed."
<Lucy> "If it's like that, then I can accompany you on this task," Lucy offers. "Unless they have Mister Lost amidst their ranks, they would not spot me."
* Veren nods to Lucy.
<Kotono> "If we're doing this, we need a solid plan. And will all of us go, or some of us stay in the city and do other things?" Jetina asks.
<Veren > "Your ability to imitate one of them would be useful. If we can both enter the camp, our chances increase drastically.
<Sharm> "Sounds like you're going for something sneaky?" Sharm asks. "I've got a rep in the area, could get me in."
<Veren > "Hmm... If Moore and Lucy come... If we can subdue our targets, we'd need someone to watch them or otherwise control them, and act as a reinforcement group if we are discovered."
<Kotono> "Sound thinking," Jetina says, "So if you, Moore and Lucy are trying this, than the rest of us can be support?"
<Veren > "If you wish. One alternate is that Sharm uses her reputation and brings you as a false captive while we infiltrate, and then simply strike from the inside. Other ideas?"
<Lucy> "They don't sound like a difficult opponent, so whichever way you prefer to deal with your test, I am quite fine with."
<Veren > "I believe the two of us infiltrating with Sharm acting as a new recruit and distraction, while Jetina guards our captives will be a solid choice. If you can gain dominion over one to assist us, even better. A night infiltration would be optimal. It'd be easier to take them while asleep."
<Moore> "We also might be able to convince them to give up if we can take out the spellcaster with them." Moore says. "So if things start to go awry that's an option."
* Veren nods.
<Veren > "With Sharm's... imposing figure... That would be a solid option as a fallback."
<Sharm> "Oh yeah, I'll keep them in line," Sharm promises.
* Veren nods.
<Veren > "Every satisfied with that?"
<Kotono> Jetina nods, while Macaron quietly voices, 'I am.' Little glances up from his food and nods, "Sounds like good oppression."
<Veren > "Then once everyone has settled anything in the city, we can leave."
<Kotono> OOC: Okay then, that begs the question. Any prep to be done? Things to get gotten?
<Veren > OOC: Um, maybe checking into the spores Moore got? Spore Bomb Poison might be useful if it's the right kind. The sap. That's... All for me, I think. Oh, those potions I snagged.
<Kotono> OOC: Okay. Anyone have relevant ranks in anything to deal with the poisonous shrooms?
<Veren > OOC: Um, Survival? Not really.
<Lucy> OOC: I'll help. Knowledge: Nature?
<Moore> OOC: Does my K:N roll from earlier of being able to identify them help at all?
<Kotono> OOC: Yes and yes. K:N, Lucy, real quick.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+16
<Serith> Lucy roll for Serith < 31 > 12 [d20=15]
<Kotono> OOC: Okay yeah, the poison could be made into a poison that deals some minor con damage and knocks them out. Really lethal in the wild since it causes the victim to pass out and the 'shrooms make more, so they die before waking up.
<Kotono> OOC: Both you and Moore would know this.
<Moore> OOC: Could it be made airborne?
<Kotono> OOC: Sure.
<Moore> OOC: Then the easiest way might to just make it airborne, blow magic wind at the camp and knock most everyone out, then go from there.
Session Close: Thu Mar 05 14:22:04 2015