In the aftermath of a terrible, difficult battle, succor came in the form of your allies. Sir Anitoch brought a cleric and then emergency reinforcements, mending the grevious wounds of Seryf and Darius. While he cannot do anything for the half elf's lost finger, his body is otherwise put back on a path to recovery. However, between the exhaustion and wounds suffered by both Darius and Serith, the two are shunted back to the Broken Bow to recuperate. Sir Anitoch is unmovably firm on this point - he looks quietly guilty but resolved on the matter. Seryf is spirited away as well - to the Broken Bow or an elven location is up for debate, but Fiera goes with her.
Meanwhile, the other PCs deal with the threat below. It is not difficult to restain the few that are left - like rats into the sewers, many seem to have simply faded away at the first sign of trouble. This includes Jeras Ironmelt, his rat like face and gray cloaked body unseen. Before the knights remove the six captives, Saul, Gavin, Elaine and the others interrogate them. The treasure room is 'Off limits!', or so the thieves say. He tells a lurid tale, of 'Greedy Esteban the new cripple', cut down by fell magery when he attempted to steal from the guild.
If Saul or the others wish, they can further pump him for information in this topic and I'll reply in kind.
A search of the complex shows it to be disturbingly well established. Rooms full fo stolen good and trade materials are found, cells with bodies left to rot in there, and a connection to a natural sea cave. This loops around to the stairway path Darius and Serith chased Jeras down, through several nasty fortification and misdirection points. There is even a small natural harbor, enhanced by good wood and vanish. However, the mooring is empty.
Yet there is much treasure here as the search goes on, much information to be gleamed?
OOC - Seryf and Darius are off resting, as is Serith. Elaine, Gavin or Saul are free to interrogate the prisoner or do other matters in this topic. More information will come as you explore, interrogate or whatever.
Saul takes his time wandering around the guild, using his magical detection skills to check for signs of all magical equipment or spells in place, as well as checking the whole guild out for traps. Likewise, he carefully looks out for secret doors as well.
OOC: i.e. I want to know where magic is, where traps are, how they get set off, and if there are any secret doors.
OOC - Describe how through you're going to be and also roll a d20 for me.
OOC: [00:59] * Serith bats the dice around, getting a roll for Carthrat : [ 1d20=18 ]{18}
Pretty through. I'd likely do it in stages- I'd check for traps and secret doors at the same time, carefully scanning each room.
I'd detect for magic last, scanning everywhere I can. Obviously, this sort of thing would probably take all afternoon and evening. I'd try to get the layout of the joint down straight away.
Okay.
The central, large door leads to the docks, past fortifications (Pit traps, porticulluses, arrow closets, and so on. Nasty stuff.), and to the harbor, and eventually to a path that leads along back to the original descending stair. Such a path straight ahead would be overwhelmingly lethal - in fact, it is still dangerous. Only Saul's magic keeps him fully safe - for there is one very nasty trick. A seemingly innocent bit of hallway has an illusion, fake floor created over a sharp pit of rusty metal pikes. Such a fall would be certainly fatal, but it's simple enough to avoid once you know what it is.
This segment, at least, is very straightforward.
Go ahead and react to this and do anything you want to do, Saul, then we'll cover the other two directions.
Saul makes sure to let Gavin, Elaine, and any knights know of the trap, getting one of them to clearly mark it so nobody falls in by accident regardless. He frowns at the propensity of illusions in this area- and as he explores, he keeps a hand on all the walls, always shoving slightly to see if one is a mere illusionary wall, rather than solid stone.
Quick question - are you going to go west, in the direction where Darius was, or strike out east for nwe ranges altogether?
Both, eventually, but let's say 'where Darius was' for now.
Continuing on, you find the two treasure rooms. One sparkles with what must be thousands of coins, the other laden with stolen merchandise. Stolen trade goods, taken brazenly from traders only living to much of Waukeen's word?
Past this are cells - 10 in total. A few decaying bodies are found in a couple, but most are far enough along to where the stench isn't that bad. Past this are a few cubbyhole closets, and a discovery! The room which Jeras went into is an empty little recess, but the wall is fake! A sliding secret door is found in the rock, leading to a long, curving hallway. It eventually empties into what appears to be more sea caves, the soft trickling of water heard. There are several directions one could go from here, and too many to be easily searched. There is also no trace of Jeras Ironmelt, only the eternal flow of water.
Back in the hall the closets have a few little things - a couple of well kept leather whips, chains, and a heavy blackjack. Beyond here is a small kitchen, then an armory. The former has foodstuffs, enough capacity here to serve ten or so people easily enough, and up to fifteen if one squeezed it out. The actual armory has mostly passable equipment - an assortment of daggers, small swords, a single heavy polearm, and a couple of whips and lassos. There isn't any armor to be had, but the gears looks salable.
There is little else in this direction of note. It comes to a dead end eventually, coastal rock reasserting itself.
Saul frowns at these discoveries, writing a tally of all the equipment and weapons he locates. He takes careful note of the treasure rooms that he knows to be trapped, using his magic to figure out how they would be triggered before heading to the other corridor (hand still on the wall).
I'll post a full tally in a bit, Rat.
---
As far as Saul can divine, taking the goods from the room would trigger it. It is magical, however.
Saul frowns, and stares at the gold, activating his magical senses to see what kind of trap it is, as well as if the gold itself is an illusion or not.
Assuming the gold actually is gold, he runs back to grab the polearm he saw earlier. Using it as a sort of scoop, he stands side-on to the doorframe, and tries to pull out the gold that way, assuming that the trap will only cover people inside the room, rather than not. He's not interested in getting a huge portion of gold- just enough to set off the trap.
OOC: Can it be done? You try! Grab a broom, stick something a broom's-length in from the door, stand side on to the door, and try dragging it out with the broom- slowly backing away from the frame of the door as you go.
After I've done this, I'm not going to stay with the gold- I'm going to check the other hallway for stuff. Then I'll inventory everything I've found, take some stuff (at least 200 gold for me to pay for identify and for a pearl, along with (obviously) any magical gear/books/etc, and we'll divide it all up later.
It does appear to be real cash and coin. Standing at the edge of the doorway, Saul wiggles and shimmers! Leaning in with his polearm, he brushes a few stray coins on the floor! A silver, a gold and a copper, each lured closer! It's when the coins reach the door that something happens - a red flash in the room, magical detection flaring up strongly! When it is gone nothing visible has happened, however. The coins are retreieved from there.
OOC - Go ahead and react to this, then we'll get to part two of your post.
Saul frowns, making a mental note of the proceedings. Done with this room, he turns to inspect the room full of goods, magical sensors on alert.
Quote from: "Carthrat"Saul frowns, making a mental note of the proceedings. Done with this room, he turns to inspect the room full of goods, magical sensors on alert.
This room is less intense - while there is magicc, you aren't getting a trap vibe now. There's a very faint magic to be had - one of the boxes has an aura around it.
Like a moth drawn to flame, Saul goes to inspect the magic box, taking note of the magical school involved.
The box itself has a heavy lock - but it's been broken and shattered. Inside you find ten scroll cases - each sealed in a smooth silver and ivory container. Each container has a crest of a five pointed white star, waves underneath it. One of the insignias of the Mage Guild, no less.
Saul frowns, quickly checking the contents of the containers, reading and replacing any scrolls kept within.
Each scroll is made of high quality vellum paper, ink bright and unfaded. There are two spells on five scrolls each - in other words, five copies of two spells.
Azaram's Malicious Unweaving - Far too advanced for Saul. It makes his head hurt just looking at it.
Pandemonium's Beckoning - Also too advanced, but not quite so bad.
Saul replaces the scrolls in the box, and notes in the inventory that 'Saul will take care of these potentially dangerous scrolls, and return them to the mage guild personally.'
Meanwhile, while Saul was raiding the base... Gavin made with the questioning and such.
"So, what can you tell me about your guild? You've seemed to pick up a lot of magic in here, but you don't strike me as a bunch of dabblers."
Dracos
Quote from: "Dracos"Meanwhile, while Saul was raiding the base... Gavin made with the questioning and such.
"So, what can you tell me about your guild? You've seemed to pick up a lot of magic in here, but you don't strike me as a bunch of dabblers."
Dracos
Whimpering in a servile, beaten sort of way as knight Gavin looms over him. "Ya killed Jeras and ya a knight...I'll tell ya! Just have mercy!" So he sits on the floor, looking between Gavin and friends. "Jeras has mage come here 'ccasionally! Calls him brother! Does whatever he asks him to do, too!"
"Mmm, I see." He mentally noted that. "And what other hideouts do you guys have here? If you remain honest with us, I promise, it shall be taken into account."
Dracos
"B-but..." Shaking his head, "i won't 'ive if I tell you that!" He looks shaken and scared, thuggish and all too defeated.
"Don't worry. They won't know. Your comrades here are unconscious. Any of them could of told them. And besides, they will be joining you very shortly. The question is whether you'd like things to go slightly easier and have less of them out there thinking they should eliminate those of you in our jails."
Dracos
Elaine remains quiet mostly through these whole proceedings, but at the mention of a 'brother' mage, does ask one question. It's a bit of a stretch, but really, considering his earlier connection to Volte...
"The mage's name...wouldn't happen to be named Demetrius by any chance, would it?"
"..Aye..." Considering these words for a long time, "The Silver Tassel, the Red Falcon, the Driver's Remorse, and the Goblin's Fest! It's where Jeras was settin' up more of our new gig!"
Quote from: "MercForHire"Elaine remains quiet mostly through these whole proceedings, but at the mention of a 'brother' mage, does ask one question. It's a bit of a stretch, but really, considering his earlier connection to Volte...
"The mage's name...wouldn't happen to be named Demetrius by any chance, would it?"
Looking up to Elaine in hope, "No! Never 'eard a name besides brother, to be honest."
"Mmm, basically nearby inns?" Gavin didn't quite recognize all of those names.
Dracos
"Oh, well did you take a good look at him?" Elaine asks. "The Demetrius I'm thinking of has short beached wood brown hair, slate grey eyes and a well trimmed beard. About five foot nine or so."
She doesn't comment on his clothing, figuring his facial features might be enough to spark some recognition that might exist.
Quote from: "Dracos""Mmm, basically nearby inns?" Gavin didn't quite recognize all of those names.
Dracos
Nodding quickly to Gavin, "Aye. Jeras said itw as a good little scheme - who's gonna suspect a towns guardsman, eh?"
Quote from: "MercForHire""Oh, well did you take a good look at him?" Elaine asks. "The Demetrius I'm thinking of has short beached wood brown hair, slate grey eyes and a well trimmed beard. About five foot nine or so."
She doesn't comment on his clothing, figuring his facial features might be enough to spark some recognition that might exist.
"No! He's short and kinda dingy - smelled like old cabbage and plants! Kinda scary - big old dirty black hair! Looks like a real creep!" Nodding as well to Elaine swiftly, "Did whatever Jeras said, though!"
"Where was he getting the uniforms? Have you guys steal them outright? Or bought?"
Dracos
"Dunno! 'aybe he made 'em himself, guv?" Your captured thief shrugs a little, "Jeras just had 'em."
A nod of acknowledgement is given as she commits to memory the description of the thieves' mage (as well as the named inns), while letting Gavin go back to questioning, not really having much else to do. Saul didn't seem to need help at the moment though, so she'd stick around in case the thief said anything else she might want to ask about.
"I see, I see. So what kinds of folks did you guys use outside the guild?"
Dracos
Quote from: "Dracos""I see, I see. So what kinds of folks did you guys use outside the guild?"
Dracos
This gets a fierce shake of his head, "Well, there's the barkeep 'own on Peckingham Street and...old Pinot. But Jeras takes care of stuff like that. I'm just gettin' a good ride helpin' out!"
"Who is Pinot?" Gavin asked curiously.
Dracos
Elaine tries to recall any information she might have overheard in the past regarding this 'Pinot' character.
Quote from: "Dracos""Who is Pinot?" Gavin asked curiously.
Dracos
"He's old man Pinot! He runs the Crooked Catspaw...aye, you know him? Best ale in the Giant's Underfoot!" Nodding fervently, "Great ol' guy, too! BE a nice man and take any goods ye got and sell 'em for you!"
Quote from: "MercForHire"Elaine tries to recall any information she might have overheard in the past regarding this 'Pinot' character.
Local History check, Elaine. -2 bonus with what was just said.
Quote[22:01] <Merc> roll d20-2
[22:01] <Ami_no_Yuki> Ami smiles politely and rolls for Merc who gets: d20-2 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{16}
OOC: Fail by 1
Elaine can't remember anything useful on this subject.
'Oh well,' Elaine thinks with a mental shrug. She does make a note in her head to try and stop by before the man possibly gets shut down by knights, and seeing if she can buy some of that ale for Darius if it is indeed 'the best ale in Giant's Underfoot'. It'll probably cheer him up, and more importantly, keep the idiot drunk enough to not get out of bed while he recovers.
"Mmm, how do you folks get your goods out of town? Ship?"
Dracos
His eyes narrow sharply at that, only nodding. "..yeah, aye." He doesn't say anything else, instead squirming a little.
"Got a ship of your own down in the caves?"
Dracos
"Me? Guv, I'm lucky to own the ale goin' down my throat, ya hear?" Laughing mockingly at Gavin's question, "Maaaybe if I got really lucky I'd find a ship someone...'orgot about, but I ain't owning any ship!"
"Meant the guild. The guild does have to have some regular arrangement, does it not?"
Dracos
Saul heads over to the other wing of the guild, magical sensors on renewed alert!
Quote from: "Dracos""Meant the guild. The guild does have to have some regular arrangement, does it not?"
Dracos
"Hah! Yar, there be a ship that goes! Dunno more than that! Ain't healthy to ask too many questions sometimes, you know?" So nodding, "Jeras ain't like questions about the goods goin' out."
Quote from: "Carthrat"Saul heads over to the other wing of the guild, magical sensors on renewed alert!
This wing has a more mundane feel. A few mundane storage closets and some bunk rooms. These are utterly uneventful except for a left behind pouch with 4 pence in it. Saul can take this if he wishes - the pouch is old and torn, however, on it's last legs. There is nothing of note until the end - there is one very nice bedroom.
Silks and satins highlight a room fit for a nobleman. A pleasant bed and a warm fireplace are of note here. However, even beyond the nicieties, there are two things - something on the bed is radiating magic, and a part of the wall is as well.
Saul inspects the bed, then taps on the wall- ripping the bed apart to get to the source of the magic, if necessary.
The bed is easy to find. It's wedged in between two pillows. It's a small piece of white quartzs, speckled with faint dots of red. These dots are slowly dissipating, overlaid with a faint blue magical aura. It would be a simple matter to pick it up and take it.
Saul carefully wraps up the piece of quartz in some linen, inventoring it an tucking it in his pack before moving over to the wall, checking to see if it's a false door or illusion or whatnot.
On taking the quartz, a voice echos in Saul's mind! "Danger...danger...danger...danger..." So this keen goes on four times, a woman's voice prodding Saul of worries unknown. However, it grows fainter as the red spots vanish, turning back to white.
There's no way to know what that voice is actually talking about- presumably something only Jeras would know, presuming that this is his room.
So thinking, he pokes the magical wall with his quarterstaff.
With a clue in already, the illusion is easy enough to pierce. A drafty hallway carved out from the shoreline stone is here, dark and foreboding. Where it leads is anyone's guess, plunging away.
Saul uses his elven vision to easily make his way through the dark corridor- moving down slowly, and keeping track of how far he's going.
Quote from: "Carthrat"Saul uses his elven vision to easily make his way through the dark corridor- moving down slowly, and keeping track of how far he's going.
A few minutes leads Saul down to an end - a little connection to an underground riverway. A rough stair is carved to descent down to it's bank, a good twenty feet of leeway with it. It flows on, perhaps another path to freedom and escape.
There's no point following the riverway- it could go anywhere, and Saul doesn't really want to travel this path alone.
Thus, he heads back, going to the gold room and resuming his shovelling, continuing until the magic inside the room runs out!
As Saul goes, something begins to happen. He feels a warmth in his pocket, a soft blue-white glow as he gets close to the room. Is it from the quartz?
Saul takes out and inspects the quartz, wondering if he'll get another message.
It's starting to turn blue as you stand by the treasure room. You also note the magic in the room is shifting, lessening.
Saul pauses, waiting a moment to see what happens before taking any further action.
Saul stands outside the treasure room, holding a small bit of quartz! The magic stays low as the crystal clouds a sky blue. It seems lesser now - detect traps is starting to fail.
Saul frowns- testing the room out again, pulling out some of the gold with his makeshift polearm!
Nothing happens - no effect at all. The little quasi gemstone stays light blue, the room peaceful.
Saul gets together some sacks, and spends most likely the rest of the evening filling them up, particular coins going into the same kind of stack.
This goes without incident - as long as the quartz is there, the collection goes without incident.
OOC - This is a good cut point for Saul.