217.3 Alicia in Kesse

[Corwin]

[22:20] <Kotono> OOC: Refresh me on what your cunning plan was?
[22:21] <Alicia> OOC: First teleport to Kelara. Then teleport 1,400 miles north-west-west of Kelara. See where I end up and figure stuff out from there.
[22:26] <Kotono> OOC: Can you actually do that? I was under the impression you needed to have at least seen an area once for regular TP.
[22:30] <Alicia> OOC: Hmmm. You may have a point. Clear idea of location is fine (distance and direction relative to starting point), but it also says I need a clear idea of the layout, so perhaps that does nix that. New plan. Does Cel know plane shift?
[22:31] <Alicia> OOC: Actually, no that doesn't work for future travel since the point was for me to determine a path
[22:31] <Kotono> OOC: He can cast seventh and has a good selection of magic, so he could, yes.
[22:32] <Kotono> OOC: Demedais also offered to describe that temple in the jungle if that helps.
[22:32] <Alicia> OOC: Okay, I'll rely on Deme's dubious description of that temple and hope for the best by TPing there from Kelara, then see if we can fly high enough to see the edge of the jungle.
[22:34] <Kotono> OOC: CElebrimbor has Greater TP for it, remember. He can get you there easily enough.
[22:36] <Alicia> OOC: Okay, lets see if the description's good enough for Cel to manage that, first off. If not we can take our chances with regular TP since at worst we'll take a little scramble damage then wind up in the closest similar area.
[22:36] <Kotono> ---
[22:38] <Kotono> Demedais and Celebrimbor spend some time chatting, then Celebrimbor briefly vists Eudard. By the time the two meet at the garrison again, it's about noon. Celebrimbor stands out here, common soldiers giving the elderly elf a wide berth of respect. "I believe I have enough to make an attempt. This temple rather stands out, so it makes my job far easier."
06[22:40] * Alicia is dressed in a simple ash coloured tunic and pants right now, her hair tied back in a ponytail and a quarterstaff in one hand. "From there we'll see if we can see the edge of the jungle - if not I can just shoot blindly for it, although we may get slightly scrambled in the process." She doesn't sound overly thrilled at the prospect, but nonetheless resigned to it.
[22:40] <Alicia> Marie sits on Alicia's shoulder for now, still wearing her lovely plainswalker robes.
[22:45] <Kotono> "An unhappy prospect. Teleport is notorious for failing at the wrong time," Celebrimbor agrees, "Give me your hands and I'll begin the magic."
06[22:45] * Alicia takes Celebrimbor's hand easily enough while Marie flies down and clasps both of her tiny limbs around his other hand.
[22:48] <Kotono> "Distances of the world, compress to my will! In the name of Shaundakul part the winds and reveal the true path!" The world momentarily twists around you, transforming as you are carried on the wings of mighty magic! (More)
[22:49] <Kotono> It is a sea of green. Not the watery-green of the Bay of Sparkling Stars, but a verdant green. A green of trees, leaves and life. You stand at the top of a great path atop a mammonth hill, looking ahead. Oh...! Your vision is transfixed with the view! Before you is an endless green sea, infinite tree-tops below you. The top of a great jungle canopy, warm sunshine and air flowing around you in the morning light. (More)
[22:49] <Kotono> warm sunshine and air flowing around you in the morning light. (More)
[22:50] <Kotono> As birdsong fills your ears, you glance a path with statues ascending up to this point. It plunges back into the jungle, dark and hidden by the canopy. Behind you is a gigantic temple, cast of weathered gray rock.
[22:51] <Kotono> The scents of this place are overwhelming - of plant life, of pollen, of exotic scents. It's like a dozen perfumes mixed together, fresh as can be. It's intoxicating and too much and not enough at once, flowing upward from the jungles all below.
[22:52] <Alicia> "This must be it..." Alicia spends a moment looking around, smelling the verdant aroma of the jungle and basking in the warm sunshine before she addresses her familiar. "Marie, fly up as high as you can until you can see the edge of the jungle to the West?"
[22:52] <Alicia> "Got it!" Marie grins. "At least there's no clouds here," she cheers before zipping up up and away.
[22:53] <Kotono> As Marie soars up, Celebrimbor turns and studies the temple. "It's enormous.  I had not though the means to construct such a building would exist in these lands. Had it not been Demedais telling me it in such a serious situation, I would not have believed it."
[22:55] <Alicia> "It's probably very old," Alicia muses as she rests her hand on the stonework. "There's no telling what this place was like when it was built."
[22:56] <Kotono> "If I had leisure and time..." Celebrimbor murmurs, "But Demedais also said that it's still used by the natives for religious purposes. Talos, no less," A snort there, "This world continues to deal me surprises. I had thought that I had uncovered most of what there was to see in this existance."
[22:58] <Alicia> "A lot of preconceptions have been challenged this past year," Alicia agrees, sitting down and rolling up her sleeves before she leans back to soak up the sunshine while waiting on Marie. "The part of the world we know - from Kelara to Pallanth or Malmuth - just how small is it?"
[23:00] <Kotono> Celebrimbor follows suit, carefully placing his weathered body down. "I've heard of lands beyond this on occasion. Little things, old fragments or fourth hand stories of questionable veracity. But to the south-southwest are the wastes, to the west-northwest are the jungles, and to the east is Chillander's domain and unexplored mountains. There's surely more world beyond. But, for all practical p urposes, it's irrelevant to all but a rare few."
[23:00] <Kotono> But, for all practical p urposes, it's irrelevant to all but a rare few."
[23:01] <Kotono> Meanwhile, Marie rises up! She's ascending, but so far all she sees is more jungle! Lots more jungle in every direction. There's a small break near the hill with a raging river, the canopy coming apart ever so slightly to show it.
[23:03] <Alicia> Marie doesn't have a reason to stop just yet, she can fly a lot higher.
[23:03] <Alicia> Meanwhile Alicia nods to Celebrimbor, "Even this thing with Kesse is beyond the limits of reasonable travel. War or trade or diplomacy are meaningless between two kingdoms so far apart."
[23:07] <Kotono> "Yet here we go." Looking upward at the sun, "Seira has the sort of spirit to challenge that. Her father had it to a lesser degree, a burning desire to see what's beyond the next hill and horizon. No matter how pointless and dangerous it is, they'll keep going as long as it keeps their fancy. Sometimes, the rest of us have to try and keep up."
06[23:10] * Alicia shakes her head. "I don't really see it that way. Kesse struck at us first by massacring the inhabitants of Erenholm. We had to respond... I just wish she hadn't done so by herself."
[23:12] <Kotono> "Of course. Still...They never would have, if not for whomever prompted this. Be it their dark Goddess Shar or another, we would have otherwise never have gone to deal with Kesse. But being headstrong, that's also Seira." After a thoughtful pause, "I hope she lives to regret this mistake. I've never heard her so shaken up."
[23:13] <Kotono> Meanwhile, Marie goes higher! Below her the temple is growing smaller, Alicia and Celebrimbor dots on the ground! The jungle expands in all directions! Far to the east, Marie can catch a glimpse of blue ocean.
[23:15] <Alicia> "You heard Demedais, it sounds like she's fine," Alicia shrugs. "Probably stroll into Balmuria in a day or two as if nothing happened, knowing her."
[23:17] <Kotono> "I wonder." After another moment, "You don't sound so worried now."
[23:18] <Alicia> "I'm more worried about reprisals against Balmuria. Seira can handle almost anything, but not everyone's so lucky," Alicia reasons, briefly craning her neck up to see if she can spot Marie at all before she resumes studying their surroundings.
[23:25] <Kotono> Nope, Marie's pretty high up now. As she goes even higher, she can see that there's way more jungle on the horizon. Things are starting to get dicey from here, she's so high up.
[23:26] <Kotono> "Mmm. Curiously, do you know what drew this attack in the first place?"
[23:26] <Alicia> Marie decides that there's not much point in continuing and so starts to descend. Very fast. Whee!
06[23:28] * Alicia scowls. "My name was mentioned, although I think it was more of a side bonus that they thought they might kill me. Albert trained a man living in Erenholm who then talked a woman living there into helping him murder everyone as part of some sick ceremony to Shar." (more)
[23:28] <Alicia> "At the time I wondered if perhaps he was acting so far afield so as to avoid any suspicion back home, but clearly with the whole royal family being in on it that theory holds no water."
[23:29] <Kotono> "Have you done anything to particularly irritate Shar?" Celebrimbor considers, "With the Gods waking up, you could be a prominent target now."
[23:32] <Alicia> "Not really," Alicia shrugs weakly. "When I was a teenager not long after joining the church I helped apprehend some followers of Shar in Kelara but they were just deluded fools - there wasn't a legitimate cleric or anything among them."
[23:32] <Kotono> "Curious." Celebrimbor considers, "There's usually a cause and effect leading to things. There are no coincidences, just events endlessly spinning and colliding with each other. What's the event that provoked Erenholm?"
[23:37] <Alicia> "Perhaps we'll have opportunity to ask," Alicia replies. "The massacre itself seemed to be prompted by a woman's descent into madness after her husband and son died in an accident, egged on by Albert's disciple. But why Albert chose to train that particular man living so far away? I have no idea."
[23:39] <Kotono> Celebrimbor glances up as he speaks, soaking in the sun. "Oh, your familiar's coming down," he says, and then, "I hate saying 'Because Shar told him so', even if it may be valid. I'd prefer if there's a solid reason I can put my hands on, some meaning to that meaningless slaughter."
[23:41] <Alicia> "There likely is, but guessing doesn't really do us much good," Alicia gets up to greet Marie.
[23:41] <Alicia> "I saw the sea to the East so we're probably not very far in the jungle. It was getting too high to really see, but I didn't see an edge of the jungle to the West," Marie explains as she slows down to flutter beside the pair.
[23:42] <Alicia> "Hmm, we're going to have to risk an unguided teleport then," Alicia winces in anticipation of the discomfort to come. "Are you going to be alright with this, Lord Drake?"
[23:43] <Kotono> "I can survive, I believe. I'll take a preparation first." Closing his eyes and murmuring words, vitality and life fill Celebrimbor!
[23:43] <Kotono> roll 1d10+10
03[23:44] * Rei-chan (Rei-chan@user-5442156d.l5.c1.dsl.pol.co.uk) has joined #dunes
03[23:44] * Alicia sets mode: +v Rei-chan
[23:44] <Kotono> roll 1d10+10
[23:44] <Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d10+10 --> [ 1d10=2 ]{12}
[23:45] <Kotono> After a pair of spells are cast, Celebrimbor stands next o Alicia. "I'm prepared.
[23:45] <Kotono> "
[23:48] <Alicia> "Alright," Alicia takes the elf's hand while Marie lands on her head and squeezes her eyes shut. "Let the Weave supplant earth and air to speed us on our way!" the paladin intones, visualising the Western edge of the jungle with clear open terrain on the other side.
[23:48] <Alicia> roll 1d20+80
[23:48] <Rei-chan> Alicia rolled : 1d20+80 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{89}
[23:51] <Kotono> Wink! The two of you and Marie vanish! A moment later you stand at the bank of a vast river. It runs with water, hundreds of feet from bank to bank. Behind you is endless jungle, ahead of you - less dense jungle, starting to segue into sparse forest. Ont eh opposite bank, near where the s parse forest starts, is a stone monument of some sort. Six feet tall and well kept. There look to be wildflowers growing around it.
[23:52] <Alicia> "This looks more promising," Alicia looks around to get her bearings. "Marie, want to take a look at that monument there, see if it says anything?"
[23:52] <Alicia> "Aye aye!" Marie gives a zippy salute before she flies over to examine it.
Session Time: Mon Jan 05 00:00:00 2009
[00:01] <Kotono> On the other side, Marie can read an inscription on the sturdy stone. 'Dedicated to all who ventured into the jungle, in honor of my father. May there be a happy end to your path.'
[00:01] <Alicia> Marie flies back to report her findings and then Alicia asks her to fly up until she can see any sign of civilisation in the distance.
[00:01] <Alicia> Which she dutifully does.
[00:03] <Kotono> Going up a ways, Marie can see a village in the distance. It connects to a road going north - the road seems to end at that village.
[00:06] <Alicia> Marie flies back down to report her findings. "Alright," Alicia nods, "We'll go there - we don't know if the village is part of Kesse or not so we should probably go in disguise. Marie, you'll have to hide in my backpack."
[00:06] <Alicia> Her familiar grumbles but nonetheless climbs in and makes herself comfortable while Alicia casts alter self to transform into a slightly overweight middle-aged woman with thoroughly grey-streaked hair and warm, matronly features.
[00:07] <Kotono> "You'll fit in well," Alicia hears from Celebrimbor. "Shall we?"
[00:08] <Alicia> Has Celebrimbor disguised himself?
[00:09] <Kotono> Celebrimbor takes a few moment, looking like an elderly, very slender human male now.
[00:10] <Alicia> "We'll see if anyone there has a map or failing that we'll ask for directions?" Alicia suggests, casting voice of the archon before she takes Celebrimbor's hand and teleports them all onto the road about half a mile from the village.
[00:10] <Alicia> roll 1d100 seen once
[00:10] <Rei-chan> Alicia rolled : 1d100 seen once --> [ 1d100=98 ]{98}
[00:10] <Kotono> OOC: Moment.
[00:10] <Kotono> OOC: Lemme open up the SRD for that hilarity.
[00:10] <Alicia> roll 1d20+80 mishap
[00:10] <Rei-chan> Alicia rolled : 1d20+80 mishap --> [ 1d20=4 ]{84}
[00:11] <Kotono> roll 1d10
[00:11] <Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d10 --> [ 1d10=2 ]{2}
[00:11] <Alicia> OOC: similar area to the road leading to the village... well that's fine
[00:14] <Kotono> Guuuuuh! The teleportation leaves you feeling scrambled and out of sorts. Your body feels jostled, bruised and faintly misused! As you look around, dazed, you find yourselves on a road. A road leading to a quiet, dull looking village. The road leads right into the center, where a scaffolding has been assembled. You can see dozens of people around it, though no one's atop the scaffolding.
[00:14] <Kotono> "Ugh...your advice was apt," Celebrimbor's grimace is faint and passing, "The effect seems not to have been too deletrious."
[00:15] <Alicia> "Owww!" Marie yelps from inside Alicia's backpack. "Careful!"
06[00:16] * Alicia rubs her forehead briefly. "Yes... at least we still seem to have arrived where we wanted to? Come on, lets head in." Using her quarterstaff as an impromptu walking stick, she offers Celebrimbor her arm as they start walking.
[00:18] <Kotono> Celebrimbor takes it as the two advance in. The buildings are sturdy, stone with a relative minimum of wood. As you get closer, you can see someone working through the crowd. "Make way! Make way for the condemned!" A loud man's voice declares. "Make way!"
[00:20] <Alicia> "Ugh... has to be an execution day..." Alicia grimaces, heading into the village and looking over the crowd.
[00:22] <Kotono> "Distasteful if neccisary," As Celebrimbor comments quietly, you see the crowd is dressed mostly in black. From young children to the elderly are here. As you look, a man comes out of the crowd, dragging a woman with him. She is wearing a filthy dress, her hair a dirt color and greasy, showing no hygeine at all. Her head is bowed, face apprehensive. The crowd looks at her with complete disdain and disfavor, hatred flowing like an ungerground sp
[00:22] <Kotono> hatred flowing like an ungerground spring tapped. "Make way for the condemned!" As they go aronund the back and climb up, another man comes from behind with them. A big man with muscles, wearing a black hood and carrying a heavy sword.
[00:23] <Alicia> "What did she do?" Alicia quietly asks someone in the crowd as she checks over the people present for evil.
[00:24] <Kotono> A wife with baby in hands looks back at Alicia at the question. "Stole a horse," she answers, tsk-tsking. "She should have known better."
[00:25] <Alicia> "That's it?" Alicia sounds appalled. Stealing is wrong, certainly, but a capital offence?
[00:27] <Kotono> "That's it? It's against the law," The woman turns back, as the dirty prisoner is taken to the center of the scaffolding. She's put on her hands and knees, the man guilding her going to tie her down. Meanwhile, the masked man speaks. "Elenia of Whitestone has been duly convinced of greater theft and sentences to death. Her sentence will be carried out to benefit the community and to purge this criminality from our midsts!"
[00:28] <Alicia> "It's a horse!" Alicia blurts out, perhaps a bit too loudly. "Can't she pay a fine or work it off?"
[00:29] <Kotono> Gently taking her shoulder, "This may not be your place..." Celebrimbor murmurs. Meanwhile, a few people turn. An older man just looks at Alicia, "Stranger, the law is the law."
06[00:33] * Alicia doesn't want a fight here, but she can't let such a grossly disproportionate sentence pass unjudged. "What sort of law puts an animal above a human? It's monstrous! Surely she can pay for her crime without paying her life?"
[00:35] <Kotono> There's a stirring at that, slowing the process as people turn. Amid the murmuring, the masked man steps forward to the edge of the platform. "I dont know you, stranger," he calls back, "But interfering with a lawful execution is a crime against the Crown. This woman has been justly sentences to death by a legitimate authority."
[00:36] <Kotono> The prisoner looks up a moment, her eyes catching Alicia's. They are full of fear.
[00:39] <Alicia> "Are you telling me then that this woman will die for having stolen a horse, and that no argument, compensation, or punishment short of death will suffice?" Alicia asks as she locks eyes with the masked man.
[00:41] <Kotono> The man's eyes are strong ones, strong as the steely-gray color they are. "Her judgment has been passed on. The time for compensation is over - her compensation will be her life." OOC - Make a diplo check?
[00:41] <Alicia> roll 1d20+38
[00:41] <Rei-chan> Alicia rolled : 1d20+38 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{45}
[00:43] <Kotono> "Still..." He does consider, "What stake do you have in this woman? Why are you interfering?"
[00:45] <Alicia> "Because the punishment does not fit the crime," Alicia replies firmly. "I am a stranger here, true, but I am still a strong believer in justice and law - seeing such a disproportionate sentence shakes that belief."
[00:47] <Kotono> "But the judgment is passed," The man calls, "There isn't anything more to discuss. The law and the judge passed the sentence, so it is just by definition."
[00:49] <Alicia> "There must be some right of appeal, something that can be done?" Alicia asks. "Are all crimes here punished by death, no matter how minor?"

[Corwin]

[20:08] <Kotono> > The man's eyes are strong ones, strong as the steely-gray color they are. "Her judgment has been passed on. The time for compensation is over - her compensation will be her life." OOC - Make a diplo check?
[20:08] <Kotono> <Alicia> roll 1d20+38
[20:08] <Kotono> <Rei-chan> Alicia rolled : 1d20+38 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{45}
[20:08] <Kotono> > "Still..." He does consider, "What stake do you have in this woman? Why are you interfering?"
[20:08] <Kotono> <Alicia> "Because the punishment does not fit the crime," Alicia replies firmly. "I am a stranger here, true, but I am still a strong believer in justice and law - seeing such a disproportionate sentence shakes that belief."
[20:08] <Kotono> > "But the judgment is passed," The man calls, "There isn't anything more to discuss. The law and the judge passed the sentence, so it is just by definition."
[20:08] <Kotono> <Alicia> "There must be some right of appeal, something that can be done?" Alicia asks. "Are all crimes here punished by death, no matter how minor?"
[20:09] <Kotono> "Justice was already passed. Only the King or a High Judge has legal right to overturn a judgment." The masked man answers, and then, with a faint hint of sheepiness at Alicia's tones, "There's really no other legal way."
[20:12] <Alicia> "What about the judge who passed the sentence, can't he or she reconsider? If not who's the closest High Judge?" Alicia presses. She'll be damned if she lets a woman be killed over a horse on her watch.
[20:13] <Kotono> "Three days away at the prefecture capital," The masked man replies, as the crowd watches Alicia and the man, back and forth, back and forth. Elenia watches, eyes transfixed on Alicia, filled with fear and hints of desperate hope.
[20:18] <Alicia> "You'll have to forgive me because I'm not long out of the jungle and I only really came here for directions," Alicia admits, "But where is the prefecture capital? And can the execution be postponed until a High Judge has reviewed this sentence?" She spreads her arms in a beseeching gesture, "I simply cannot stand by and see a woman condemmned to death over such a petty crime - it's inhuman and makes an absolute mockery of justice."
[20:21] <Kotono> That touches off a storm of murmuring and staring at Alicia! Rippling through the crowd like electricity, "From the jungle?" "But she looks like a housewife!"  The masked man lowers his heavy sword, "To appeal before a high judge requires an Advocate. Are you one?"
06[20:27] * Alicia sighs and rubs her right temple. Why must Mystra test her so? "No. I'm just an interfering old woman who got a bit lost and walked right into this horrid situation," she admits. "I have no station or influence here, only my sharp tongue and sense of right and wrong. And to any outside observer, this whole situation screams out its wrongness - you don't kill someone over a horse!"
[20:28] <Kotono> OOC - Make another diplo check +3 bonus?
[20:28] <Alicia> roll 1d20+41
06[20:28] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+41 and gets 45." [1d20=4]
[20:31] <Kotono> "But..." The masked man's voice shows hesitation, slowing, "It's the law!" As the crowd buzzes with chatter and growing excitement, "If we ignore the law, then we'll become savages, no better than wildmen." (More)
[20:31] <Kotono> The other man, keeping Elenia tied down, looks up to the masked man. What he said can't be heard over the crowd, but it makes the masked man look to him sharply.
[20:36] <Alicia> "Savages have their laws," Alicia retorts. "I've seen plenty of them in my time - cross the chief, look at someone the wrong way, steal someone's pet - they'll kill you for it and tell you it's their law." She takes a deep breath and continues in a more composed tone, "The measure of a law comes in how just it is. Some people deserve to die, it's true - the ones who're so wicked and have done deeds so foul that they're a danger to eve
[20:36] <Alicia> "Then there's those who've made a mistake, given in to temptation in a moment of weakness, maybe just been down on their luck and desperate. That could be any one of us - but such mistakes can be learned from, people can better themselves and make themselves into valued members of the community. But a corpse can't learn a damn thing."
[20:36] <Alicia> *done deeds so foul that they're a danger to everyone around them."
[20:39] <Kotono> As the buzz of the crowd goes larger, more defiant, "Maybe we shouldn't..." One woman can be overheard saying, while another says, "She talks like the voice of the Crown...!" The masked man bows his head here, "Very well. I will postphone the execution of her sentence until a High Judge of the Crown has a chance to hear an Advocate for her matters."
[20:41] <Alicia> "It would be for the best," Alicia agrees, starting to smile in relief. "I worry about the sort of judge that would impose such a sentence - was there any relationship between the judge and the accused?"
[20:42] <Kotono> "Of course not! The law must be impartial," One of the men near Alicia blurts out. Elenia looks at Alicia as the man holding her gets her up, and mouths, 'Thank you!' as she's lead off the scaffolding.
[20:48] <Alicia> "You're right it should," Alicia nods to the man after giving Elenia a brief smile. "No one answered my earlier question, though - do all crimes get punished with death here no matter how minor they are?" If so then getting the High Judge will just be a big fat waste of time.
[20:50] <Kotono> "The Law states that greater theft, treason, murder, rape, arson, sedition, imitating the Crown are all capital offenses," The same man says, as the scaffolding is cleared. Celebrimbor murmurs after that, "Alicia...time may still be of the essence. We should not dally here."
06[20:54] * Alicia nods briefly to Celebrimbor before resuming her conversation. "That's mostly sensible, although I'd argue whether livestock rustling constitutes greater theft, especially if it's just one animal. Anyway, hopefully the High Judge will see reason and now I can see to my original purpose for entering this village." She has a knowing lopsided smile as she realises how foolish this sounds after making such a scene, "Where are we?"
[20:56] <Kotono> "This is Dolo, prefecture Gany, in the nation of Evrai." The same man again just stares at Alicia, much of the crowd transfixed.
[20:57] <Alicia> "Must've really gotten lost in that jungle..." Alicia shakes her head in a self deprecating manner before looking up, "I don't suppose anyone around here knows the way to Kesse? Or better yet does anyone have a map I could look at?"
[20:58] <Kotono> That changes the mood of the entire lingering crowd. Their expressions become far less enjoyable, far less kind. "You're from KEsse, stranger?" The man asks.
06[20:59] * Alicia shakes her head. "No but one of my friends went there and never came back, so I'm trying to find her."
[21:01] <Alicia> "Sounds like you folks might know a thing or two about some bad business there, I'd wager," she adds more calculatingly.
[21:11] <Kotono> OOC: Diplo one more time, -2?
[21:12] <Alicia> roll 1d20+36
06[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+36 and gets 54." [1d20=18]
[21:14] <Kotono> The crowd calms, as most are starting to depart. A few hover around Alicia and Celebrimbor. "Kesse is our kingdom's enemy. They've tried to conquer us many times, but our superior army holds them at bay."
[21:15] <Alicia> "That's good to know," Alicia smiles. "I've heard a thing or two about the people running the show over there, and none of it good. That's why I'm worried about my missing friend."
[21:16] <Kotono> "Good luck," Another says, while a third man, a wiry man with a limp, approaches. "Good day, traveler. Were you interested in a map of Kesse?"
06[21:18] * Alicia turns to the limping man. "Yes," she nods. "The directions I had were rather poor, which is probably why I ended up here. A map would make things go far more easily, though."
[21:19] <Kotono> "I run a general shop here. I can sell you any maps you'd need. Why don't you come with me," With a warm, comforting smile, "Right this way."
[21:21] <Alicia> "Excellent!" Alicia smiles. "I don't have any coins on me but I have a few gems I can trade - we'll probably want to stock up on a few supplies, anyway, so lead on good man."
[21:22] <Kotono> OOC: What else do you want besides a map?
[21:23] <Alicia> OOC: a couple of changes of clothes. Nothing fancy or anything, basically just stuff in local style so that any Balmurian tailored garments won't stand out
[21:25] <Kotono> OOC: Comes up to 10 GP. Subtract that from your sheet. It's mostly wool and sturdy clothes. I'll PM you some relevant info from the map.
[21:29] <Alicia> OOC: once suitably equipped we'll leave town and TP for just outside the closest village to Kesse itself. If Cel can make us invis that'd be swell but if not we'll manage.
[21:45] <Kotono> The city of Kesse has several villages within a day'st ravel. One of them is Starla, Alicia gathering details and ready to teleport after about an hour of buying, selling and preparing! OOC - d100?
[21:45] <Alicia> roll 1d100
06[21:45] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d100 and gets 55." [1d100=55]
[21:53] <Kotono> Woosh! Uner the cover of invisibility, the two vanish and reappear next to a small but bustling village! It's well built and populated, the rugged, hilly ground home to small field shere and there.
06[21:55] * Alicia looks around the inhabitants of the nearby village and selects a random older woman, committing her build and features to memory. "Pick someone here to disguise yourself as when we go into Kesse proper," she whispers to Celebrimbor. "If we can claim to be from here rather than foreigners we'll attract far less notice."
[21:56] <Kotono> Celebrimbor nods as an older man passes by, using a cane to help him walk. "That man," he says, voice coming from nowhere Alicia can see. "The one with the cane."
[21:59] <Alicia> "I can cast alter self on you if you don't have any appropriate disguise spells prepared," Alicia confirms after examining the man. "Come on, lets get moving towards Kesse - because of how far we've travelled West it's only mid-morning, so we should reach the city well before dusk."
[22:02] <Kotono> roll 1d100
06[22:02] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 64." [1d100=64]
[22:24] <Kotono> It's a fairly long trip mostly due to bad luck. There's a few minor delays - there are guard outposts you have to walk through and two of them happen to have unrelated incidents with other travelers that slow you down. But come near duskfall...(More)
[22:26] <Kotono> As you approach, you see that it is a walled city. Walled and circular, quite large. It stands in a slight valley, tall walls giving ample cover to everything inside. To the north-south on the far side, a river flows, further defensibility addded. A few river barges and ships can be glimpsed as you approach. Most of the city is built well on itself, favoring multiple floors within it's walled boundaries.
[22:26] <Kotono> A few river barges and ships can be glimpsed as you approach. Most of the city is built well on itself, favoring multiple floors within it's walled boundaries.
[22:28] <Alicia> About a mile from the city Alicia finds a quiet spot where she can transform herself into a thin and slightly wrinkled tall woman with chestnut brown hair just starting to show its first grey streaks. "Can you change yourself or want me to?" she asks Celebrimbor.
[22:28] <Kotono> "Can you extend it onto me?" Celebrimbor asks, "Alteration spells are usually limited to the caster."
[22:30] <Alicia> "I've got a few tricks," Alicia smiles, channeling an alter self spell into her quarterstaff and very gently tapping the elderly elf to turn him into a copy of the old man he indicated earlier.
[22:30] <Kotono> "...aaah. Superb. How do you do it," Celebrimbor glances at himself a few times.
[22:34] <Alicia> "Effectively I cast the spell into my weapon - it's a bit like how you'd make a potion or a wand, except temporary. Unless I discharge it it'll dissipate on its own within eight hours, but it lets me bypass certain restrictions on common spells, and I can do it without verbal or somatic components." She smiles proudly, "As far as I know, I'm the only person who can do it."
[22:35] <Kotono> "You should write a treatise on it after all this. Such knowledge needs to be preserved," Celebrimbor says thoughtfully, "Modifying a spell like that isn't easy, either."
[22:37] <Alicia> "I have one back home, I've been working on it off and on for a while," Alicia nods. "I hope I can teach it to someone myself some day, but at worst I've taken steps to ensure the knowledge won't die with me."
[22:38] <Kotono> "Another time, though, we must hurry," Celebrimbor picks up his pace. "Especially if they close the gates at night."
[22:39] <Alicia> "We can sneak in if we have to, but hopefully it won't come to that," Alicia agrees, casting voice of the archon before pressing on towards the city.
[22:43] <Kotono> Thus the duo head into the city! The guards at the gate nod to them, but don't overly inhibit them besides a few brief questions.  The way into the city looks open...OOC - Are you going to do anything but go in and see what's up
[22:43] <Kotono> ?
02[22:44] * Hatbot (~Hatbot@cpe-66-25-141-28.austin.res.rr.com) Quit (Ping timeout)
[22:45] <Alicia> OOC: we're heading in, the first thing to do is secure accomodation, but before that we need cash - I'll look for any shops where I can sell my gems for local currency first of all
03[22:45] * Rei-chan (Rei-chan@user-5446f085.lns6-c13.telh.dsl.pol.co.uk) has joined #dunes
[22:46] <Kotono> There's an money and gold exchange inside the gates. It looks to be just closing, though - there's a man doing something to the front door as the sun begins it's red crimson creep into night.
[22:48] <Alicia> "Oh, excuse me!" Alicia calls to the man as she approaches. "I know you're closing, but could you re-open for just one quick transaction?" she asks hopefully.
[22:49] <Kotono> The man, a tired faced, plump man with hanging skin, rubs his forehead, "How much is it?" he asks.
06[22:51] * Alicia looks around briefly, as if suspicious of any ruffians or the like before she steps closer and lowers her voice. "I think about one thousand gold coin's worth."
[22:51] <Kotono> Raising both eyebrows, he opens the door. "Well, why didn't you say so? Come in, come in."
[22:51] <Kotono> Celebrimbor chuckles at that, doing just so and walking in.
[22:53] <Alicia> "You don't really want to advertise that you're carrying that much money around," Alicia mutters worriedly as she follows him inside. "I couldn't get a decent exchange back in the village so I thought the city might be better."
[22:54] <Kotono> "Naturally. What exactly do you have? Gold bullion? Gems? Trade goods? Script?" Lead inside to a small room with comfortable chairs, gesturing for the two to sit, "We accept all of those, though only Kessian script issued by an accepted noble, wealthy or royal source."
[22:57] <Alicia> "Gems," Alicia confirms, reaching into her backpack for the bag (and being careful not to tickle her remarkably patient and good-natured familiar in the process) and setting it on the table or counter as appropriate. "My friend here is certain they're worth about a thousand gold coins, all told," she briefly gestures to the wise looking old Celebrimbor, as if his word were utterly unimpeachable.
[22:59] <Kotono> Celebrimbor nods gravely. "I believe so."
[23:00] <Kotono> The man takes out a little magnifying glass, looking over each gem carefully. "Mmm...a sapphire, an opal...some sun-stone....yes, these all seem to be in order. The standard size is off, but they're undoubtably valid gemstones." I takes him about ten minutes to reach this conclusion. "A thousand gold is acceptable. Would you like gold coins of small or larger denomination?"
[23:01] <Alicia> "Lets say eight hundred in large coins and two hundred in smaller? That should be managable," Alicia nods agreeably.
[23:03] <Kotono> "Excuse me." Stepping out, the man returns with two cloth bags. One is bulging with many small shapes, and the other has smooth, large circles pressing out of it. "The Gold Discs are worth 50 gold each. Any trader will accept them at face value. The rest are loose gold coins of 1, 2 and 5 gold value, as well as a few large silver coins mixed in."
[23:05] <Alicia> "Oh, so many!" Alicia spends a moment giving them a cursory count to make sure she's not being short-changed. Assuming she's not, "Thank you, I should be able to spend this a lot easier than those funny crystals."
[23:06] <Kotono> The small coins look to be about in roder. Can't be sure without counting. You do have 16 gold discs, which are flat, thin circle-discs of hardened gold. They are stamped with '50 golden mountains' on each side, along with a portrait of what looks to be a royal man wearing a crown.
[23:07] <Kotono> "If you have any other business while you're in town, we're open all day," The fat man smiles expansively.
[23:07] <Kotono> Celebrimbor stands up, "Thank you. It's late, we do need to find rest and a hot meal soon."
06[23:07] * Alicia doesn't want to spend all day counting and this should probably be enough for her purposes. "Thank you," she smiles. "But my friend here is right, it's been a long trip so we should find lodgings first of all."

[Corwin]

[20:08] <Kotono> > The man's eyes are strong ones, strong as the steely-gray color they are. "Her judgment has been passed on. The time for compensation is over - her compensation will be her life." OOC - Make a diplo check?
[20:08] <Kotono> <Alicia> roll 1d20+38
[20:08] <Kotono> <Rei-chan> Alicia rolled : 1d20+38 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{45}
[20:08] <Kotono> > "Still..." He does consider, "What stake do you have in this woman? Why are you interfering?"
[20:08] <Kotono> <Alicia> "Because the punishment does not fit the crime," Alicia replies firmly. "I am a stranger here, true, but I am still a strong believer in justice and law - seeing such a disproportionate sentence shakes that belief."
[20:08] <Kotono> > "But the judgment is passed," The man calls, "There isn't anything more to discuss. The law and the judge passed the sentence, so it is just by definition."
[20:08] <Kotono> <Alicia> "There must be some right of appeal, something that can be done?" Alicia asks. "Are all crimes here punished by death, no matter how minor?"
[20:09] <Kotono> "Justice was already passed. Only the King or a High Judge has legal right to overturn a judgment." The masked man answers, and then, with a faint hint of sheepiness at Alicia's tones, "There's really no other legal way."
[20:12] <Alicia> "What about the judge who passed the sentence, can't he or she reconsider? If not who's the closest High Judge?" Alicia presses. She'll be damned if she lets a woman be killed over a horse on her watch.
[20:13] <Kotono> "Three days away at the prefecture capital," The masked man replies, as the crowd watches Alicia and the man, back and forth, back and forth. Elenia watches, eyes transfixed on Alicia, filled with fear and hints of desperate hope.
[20:18] <Alicia> "You'll have to forgive me because I'm not long out of the jungle and I only really came here for directions," Alicia admits, "But where is the prefecture capital? And can the execution be postponed until a High Judge has reviewed this sentence?" She spreads her arms in a beseeching gesture, "I simply cannot stand by and see a woman condemmned to death over such a petty crime - it's inhuman and makes an absolute mockery of justice."
[20:21] <Kotono> That touches off a storm of murmuring and staring at Alicia! Rippling through the crowd like electricity, "From the jungle?" "But she looks like a housewife!"  The masked man lowers his heavy sword, "To appeal before a high judge requires an Advocate. Are you one?"
06[20:27] * Alicia sighs and rubs her right temple. Why must Mystra test her so? "No. I'm just an interfering old woman who got a bit lost and walked right into this horrid situation," she admits. "I have no station or influence here, only my sharp tongue and sense of right and wrong. And to any outside observer, this whole situation screams out its wrongness - you don't kill someone over a horse!"
[20:28] <Kotono> OOC - Make another diplo check +3 bonus?
[20:28] <Alicia> roll 1d20+41
06[20:28] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+41 and gets 45." [1d20=4]
[20:31] <Kotono> "But..." The masked man's voice shows hesitation, slowing, "It's the law!" As the crowd buzzes with chatter and growing excitement, "If we ignore the law, then we'll become savages, no better than wildmen." (More)
[20:31] <Kotono> The other man, keeping Elenia tied down, looks up to the masked man. What he said can't be heard over the crowd, but it makes the masked man look to him sharply.
[20:36] <Alicia> "Savages have their laws," Alicia retorts. "I've seen plenty of them in my time - cross the chief, look at someone the wrong way, steal someone's pet - they'll kill you for it and tell you it's their law." She takes a deep breath and continues in a more composed tone, "The measure of a law comes in how just it is. Some people deserve to die, it's true - the ones who're so wicked and have done deeds so foul that they're a danger to eve
[20:36] <Alicia> "Then there's those who've made a mistake, given in to temptation in a moment of weakness, maybe just been down on their luck and desperate. That could be any one of us - but such mistakes can be learned from, people can better themselves and make themselves into valued members of the community. But a corpse can't learn a damn thing."
[20:36] <Alicia> *done deeds so foul that they're a danger to everyone around them."
[20:39] <Kotono> As the buzz of the crowd goes larger, more defiant, "Maybe we shouldn't..." One woman can be overheard saying, while another says, "She talks like the voice of the Crown...!" The masked man bows his head here, "Very well. I will postphone the execution of her sentence until a High Judge of the Crown has a chance to hear an Advocate for her matters."
[20:41] <Alicia> "It would be for the best," Alicia agrees, starting to smile in relief. "I worry about the sort of judge that would impose such a sentence - was there any relationship between the judge and the accused?"
[20:42] <Kotono> "Of course not! The law must be impartial," One of the men near Alicia blurts out. Elenia looks at Alicia as the man holding her gets her up, and mouths, 'Thank you!' as she's lead off the scaffolding.
[20:48] <Alicia> "You're right it should," Alicia nods to the man after giving Elenia a brief smile. "No one answered my earlier question, though - do all crimes get punished with death here no matter how minor they are?" If so then getting the High Judge will just be a big fat waste of time.
[20:50] <Kotono> "The Law states that greater theft, treason, murder, rape, arson, sedition, imitating the Crown are all capital offenses," The same man says, as the scaffolding is cleared. Celebrimbor murmurs after that, "Alicia...time may still be of the essence. We should not dally here."
06[20:54] * Alicia nods briefly to Celebrimbor before resuming her conversation. "That's mostly sensible, although I'd argue whether livestock rustling constitutes greater theft, especially if it's just one animal. Anyway, hopefully the High Judge will see reason and now I can see to my original purpose for entering this village." She has a knowing lopsided smile as she realises how foolish this sounds after making such a scene, "Where are we?"
[20:56] <Kotono> "This is Dolo, prefecture Gany, in the nation of Evrai." The same man again just stares at Alicia, much of the crowd transfixed.
[20:57] <Alicia> "Must've really gotten lost in that jungle..." Alicia shakes her head in a self deprecating manner before looking up, "I don't suppose anyone around here knows the way to Kesse? Or better yet does anyone have a map I could look at?"
[20:58] <Kotono> That changes the mood of the entire lingering crowd. Their expressions become far less enjoyable, far less kind. "You're from KEsse, stranger?" The man asks.
06[20:59] * Alicia shakes her head. "No but one of my friends went there and never came back, so I'm trying to find her."
[21:01] <Alicia> "Sounds like you folks might know a thing or two about some bad business there, I'd wager," she adds more calculatingly.
[21:11] <Kotono> OOC: Diplo one more time, -2?
[21:12] <Alicia> roll 1d20+36
06[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+36 and gets 54." [1d20=18]
[21:14] <Kotono> The crowd calms, as most are starting to depart. A few hover around Alicia and Celebrimbor. "Kesse is our kingdom's enemy. They've tried to conquer us many times, but our superior army holds them at bay."
[21:15] <Alicia> "That's good to know," Alicia smiles. "I've heard a thing or two about the people running the show over there, and none of it good. That's why I'm worried about my missing friend."
[21:16] <Kotono> "Good luck," Another says, while a third man, a wiry man with a limp, approaches. "Good day, traveler. Were you interested in a map of Kesse?"
06[21:18] * Alicia turns to the limping man. "Yes," she nods. "The directions I had were rather poor, which is probably why I ended up here. A map would make things go far more easily, though."
[21:19] <Kotono> "I run a general shop here. I can sell you any maps you'd need. Why don't you come with me," With a warm, comforting smile, "Right this way."
[21:21] <Alicia> "Excellent!" Alicia smiles. "I don't have any coins on me but I have a few gems I can trade - we'll probably want to stock up on a few supplies, anyway, so lead on good man."
[21:22] <Kotono> OOC: What else do you want besides a map?
[21:23] <Alicia> OOC: a couple of changes of clothes. Nothing fancy or anything, basically just stuff in local style so that any Balmurian tailored garments won't stand out
[21:25] <Kotono> OOC: Comes up to 10 GP. Subtract that from your sheet. It's mostly wool and sturdy clothes. I'll PM you some relevant info from the map.
[21:29] <Alicia> OOC: once suitably equipped we'll leave town and TP for just outside the closest village to Kesse itself. If Cel can make us invis that'd be swell but if not we'll manage.
[21:45] <Kotono> The city of Kesse has several villages within a day'st ravel. One of them is Starla, Alicia gathering details and ready to teleport after about an hour of buying, selling and preparing! OOC - d100?
[21:45] <Alicia> roll 1d100
06[21:45] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d100 and gets 55." [1d100=55]
[21:53] <Kotono> Woosh! Uner the cover of invisibility, the two vanish and reappear next to a small but bustling village! It's well built and populated, the rugged, hilly ground home to small field shere and there.
06[21:55] * Alicia looks around the inhabitants of the nearby village and selects a random older woman, committing her build and features to memory. "Pick someone here to disguise yourself as when we go into Kesse proper," she whispers to Celebrimbor. "If we can claim to be from here rather than foreigners we'll attract far less notice."
[21:56] <Kotono> Celebrimbor nods as an older man passes by, using a cane to help him walk. "That man," he says, voice coming from nowhere Alicia can see. "The one with the cane."
[21:59] <Alicia> "I can cast alter self on you if you don't have any appropriate disguise spells prepared," Alicia confirms after examining the man. "Come on, lets get moving towards Kesse - because of how far we've travelled West it's only mid-morning, so we should reach the city well before dusk."
[22:02] <Kotono> roll 1d100
06[22:02] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 64." [1d100=64]
[22:24] <Kotono> It's a fairly long trip mostly due to bad luck. There's a few minor delays - there are guard outposts you have to walk through and two of them happen to have unrelated incidents with other travelers that slow you down. But come near duskfall...(More)
[22:26] <Kotono> As you approach, you see that it is a walled city. Walled and circular, quite large. It stands in a slight valley, tall walls giving ample cover to everything inside. To the north-south on the far side, a river flows, further defensibility addded. A few river barges and ships can be glimpsed as you approach. Most of the city is built well on itself, favoring multiple floors within it's walled boundaries.
[22:26] <Kotono> A few river barges and ships can be glimpsed as you approach. Most of the city is built well on itself, favoring multiple floors within it's walled boundaries.
[22:28] <Alicia> About a mile from the city Alicia finds a quiet spot where she can transform herself into a thin and slightly wrinkled tall woman with chestnut brown hair just starting to show its first grey streaks. "Can you change yourself or want me to?" she asks Celebrimbor.
[22:28] <Kotono> "Can you extend it onto me?" Celebrimbor asks, "Alteration spells are usually limited to the caster."
[22:30] <Alicia> "I've got a few tricks," Alicia smiles, channeling an alter self spell into her quarterstaff and very gently tapping the elderly elf to turn him into a copy of the old man he indicated earlier.
[22:30] <Kotono> "...aaah. Superb. How do you do it," Celebrimbor glances at himself a few times.
[22:34] <Alicia> "Effectively I cast the spell into my weapon - it's a bit like how you'd make a potion or a wand, except temporary. Unless I discharge it it'll dissipate on its own within eight hours, but it lets me bypass certain restrictions on common spells, and I can do it without verbal or somatic components." She smiles proudly, "As far as I know, I'm the only person who can do it."
[22:35] <Kotono> "You should write a treatise on it after all this. Such knowledge needs to be preserved," Celebrimbor says thoughtfully, "Modifying a spell like that isn't easy, either."
[22:37] <Alicia> "I have one back home, I've been working on it off and on for a while," Alicia nods. "I hope I can teach it to someone myself some day, but at worst I've taken steps to ensure the knowledge won't die with me."
[22:38] <Kotono> "Another time, though, we must hurry," Celebrimbor picks up his pace. "Especially if they close the gates at night."
[22:39] <Alicia> "We can sneak in if we have to, but hopefully it won't come to that," Alicia agrees, casting voice of the archon before pressing on towards the city.
[22:43] <Kotono> Thus the duo head into the city! The guards at the gate nod to them, but don't overly inhibit them besides a few brief questions.  The way into the city looks open...OOC - Are you going to do anything but go in and see what's up
[22:43] <Kotono> ?
02[22:44] * Hatbot (~Hatbot@cpe-66-25-141-28.austin.res.rr.com) Quit (Ping timeout)
[22:45] <Alicia> OOC: we're heading in, the first thing to do is secure accomodation, but before that we need cash - I'll look for any shops where I can sell my gems for local currency first of all
03[22:45] * Rei-chan (Rei-chan@user-5446f085.lns6-c13.telh.dsl.pol.co.uk) has joined #dunes
[22:46] <Kotono> There's an money and gold exchange inside the gates. It looks to be just closing, though - there's a man doing something to the front door as the sun begins it's red crimson creep into night.
[22:48] <Alicia> "Oh, excuse me!" Alicia calls to the man as she approaches. "I know you're closing, but could you re-open for just one quick transaction?" she asks hopefully.
[22:49] <Kotono> The man, a tired faced, plump man with hanging skin, rubs his forehead, "How much is it?" he asks.
06[22:51] * Alicia looks around briefly, as if suspicious of any ruffians or the like before she steps closer and lowers her voice. "I think about one thousand gold coin's worth."
[22:51] <Kotono> Raising both eyebrows, he opens the door. "Well, why didn't you say so? Come in, come in."
[22:51] <Kotono> Celebrimbor chuckles at that, doing just so and walking in.
[22:53] <Alicia> "You don't really want to advertise that you're carrying that much money around," Alicia mutters worriedly as she follows him inside. "I couldn't get a decent exchange back in the village so I thought the city might be better."
[22:54] <Kotono> "Naturally. What exactly do you have? Gold bullion? Gems? Trade goods? Script?" Lead inside to a small room with comfortable chairs, gesturing for the two to sit, "We accept all of those, though only Kessian script issued by an accepted noble, wealthy or royal source."
[22:57] <Alicia> "Gems," Alicia confirms, reaching into her backpack for the bag (and being careful not to tickle her remarkably patient and good-natured familiar in the process) and setting it on the table or counter as appropriate. "My friend here is certain they're worth about a thousand gold coins, all told," she briefly gestures to the wise looking old Celebrimbor, as if his word were utterly unimpeachable.
[22:59] <Kotono> Celebrimbor nods gravely. "I believe so."
[23:00] <Kotono> The man takes out a little magnifying glass, looking over each gem carefully. "Mmm...a sapphire, an opal...some sun-stone....yes, these all seem to be in order. The standard size is off, but they're undoubtably valid gemstones." I takes him about ten minutes to reach this conclusion. "A thousand gold is acceptable. Would you like gold coins of small or larger denomination?"
[23:01] <Alicia> "Lets say eight hundred in large coins and two hundred in smaller? That should be managable," Alicia nods agreeably.
[23:03] <Kotono> "Excuse me." Stepping out, the man returns with two cloth bags. One is bulging with many small shapes, and the other has smooth, large circles pressing out of it. "The Gold Discs are worth 50 gold each. Any trader will accept them at face value. The rest are loose gold coins of 1, 2 and 5 gold value, as well as a few large silver coins mixed in."
[23:05] <Alicia> "Oh, so many!" Alicia spends a moment giving them a cursory count to make sure she's not being short-changed. Assuming she's not, "Thank you, I should be able to spend this a lot easier than those funny crystals."
[23:06] <Kotono> The small coins look to be about in roder. Can't be sure without counting. You do have 16 gold discs, which are flat, thin circle-discs of hardened gold. They are stamped with '50 golden mountains' on each side, along with a portrait of what looks to be a royal man wearing a crown.
[23:07] <Kotono> "If you have any other business while you're in town, we're open all day," The fat man smiles expansively.
[23:07] <Kotono> Celebrimbor stands up, "Thank you. It's late, we do need to find rest and a hot meal soon."
06[23:07] * Alicia doesn't want to spend all day counting and this should probably be enough for her purposes. "Thank you," she smiles. "But my friend here is right, it's been a long trip so we should find lodgings first of all."

[Corwin]

[20:38] <Kotono> ----
03[20:38] * ChanServ sets mode: +ao Ebiris Ebiris
03[20:38] * Ebiris is now known as Alicia
[20:38] <Kotono> OOC: Okay Alicia. First of all use a gather info for the tavern tripping and then we'll resolve Marie's flying adventures?
[20:41] <Alicia> OOC: For this I'll be wearing the form of a pretty young blonde and doing my best to seem innocently curious - basically I'll chat to people normally and when the 'where do you work' question comes up I'll steer it towards info gathering if they work at the castle and move on shortly if they don't
[20:41] <Alicia> roll 1d20+15
[20:41] <Alicia> OOC: taking 10 for 25
05[20:41] -atarians.dejatoons.net:@#dunes- Kotono invited Hatbot into the channel.
03[20:41] * Hatbot (~Hatbot@cpe-66-25-141-28.austin.res.rr.com) has joined #dunes
[20:43] <Kotono> Alicia spends the evening talking to drunks here and there, as well as barkeeps and patrons. She gets a handle on the local news simply by exposure and small talk: King Denegren's looking even worse than usual, a local mercenary group came back from being presumed dead, there was a border skirmish with Sanaxt according to rumors. All of this is interesting but not really germaine. (More)
[20:46] <Kotono> It takes some time to find castle workers. You find one, a young stablehand. He mentions that most servants stay in the castle at night because the drawbridge closes and it's impossible to get and out unless you're a mage. He doesn't know too much - mostly who comes and goes. Prince Kort has been in and out a few times in the past few days, as has Princess Armanda.  One thing he notes - the Prince has a new sword he seems to like, a jewelled sw
[20:47] <Kotono>  One thing he notes - the Prince has a new sword he seems to like, a jewelled sword. Wistfully he notes that he could buy an entire county with it and retire rich if he had it. (More)
[20:48] <Kotono> Meanwhile...Marie goes to look at the castle! It's walled in, a closed up drawbridge. There are a set of two towers one can see, most of the castle three stories. There's a courtyard inside past the drawbridge, then the massive castle proper. It's mostly made of shapes connected to each other, squares and triangles and curves. One large rectangle dominates the center.
[20:49] <Alicia> OOC: not meanwhile, Marie won't go castle exploring until really late, like 2am or so
[20:49] <Kotono> OOC: Oh, okay. Fair enough.
[20:49] <Kotono> OOC: Will that change anything? If not, carry on.
[20:51] <Alicia> Having voice of the archon thoughtfully precast on her by Alicia, Marie flits through the darkened sky above the castle, firstly getting an overview of the castle's plan before she carefully descends towards the tallest tower, whichever it may be, keeping alert for both evil and magic below.
[20:51] <Alicia> OOC: assume she takes 10 for 34 on hide throughout this excursion
[20:53] <Kotono> There are two towers, both five stories tall. One is more easternly and one is more westernly. Preference?
[20:53] <Alicia> Lets start East and work our way West!
[20:55] <Kotono> Inside of the top floor is a single large room. The windows inside are reasonably large, contrasting the more slit like windows on the lower floors of the castle. Here a pair of men sit. One has a horn on a table next to some papers, and the other keeps a slow circuit of the windows, glancing out of them.
[20:56] <Alicia> Using her incorporeal form, Marie phases in easily enough and finds a secluded position from which she can take a look at the papers without being seen by either of the two guards.
[20:58] <Kotono> Most of the papers are maps of the city. They're fairly detailed along with a key and notes of what each building or block of buildings is.
[20:59] <Alicia> Potentially interesting but they're focused on the castle itself and not the city, so Marie sees no need to dally further here. Assuming this room takes up all of the top floor of the tower, the eladrin descends to the next.
[21:01] <Kotono> The next floor is mostly a winding stairway leading upward. There's a few closets here - supplies, tables, old maps, that sort of thing. Nothing too fascinating. The floor below it and the second are used for bow and arrow storage. Many of the slitted windows are fitted from the inside for easy bow firing access.
[21:02] <Alicia> Marie continues dilligently exploring this tower until she reaches the ground (unless it has a basement) until she chances upon any signs of activity, magical or evil auras, or a laundry room.
[21:03] <Kotono> There is a basement(The first floor is just entry access and barricadable stations before the stairway.). It looks to be addtional bow storage, nothing fascinating. There's no magic amid it, though the bows do look well maintained.
[21:04] <Alicia> Slipping out through a wall on the fourth floor, Marie flies over to the West tower that mirrors this one so she can give it a cursory inspection in the same manner, just to make sure there's no differences.
[21:05] <Kotono> It's about the same. Not much interesting in them at all. Just a few nighttime guards and lots of mundane bows and arrows.
[21:06] <Alicia> Tallest towers check. Now for the perimeter - Marie stealthily makes her way to the gatehouse where the drawbridge is so she can check over it before making a circuit of the outer walls.
[21:07] <Kotono> There's a pair of guards on watch inside the gatehouse. A complicated looking stone and metal mechanism mans the gates, good solid chains able to lower them if desired.  The outer walls are quite sturdy and solid, nothing of note about them.
[21:08] <Alicia> From the gatehouse if one were to head straight into the courtyard, what would be the next part of the castle they'd encounter?
[21:09] <Kotono> They'd go right through a set of main gates inside of the castle. Like going in the main entrance, past the courtyard and a few detached buildings/stables.
[21:10] <Alicia> Since they seem small and easy to quickly search, Marie decides to go and check out the stables next.
[21:11] <Kotono> There are several horses in here as well as a single bored guard. He has a clothespin over his nose, noisily mouthbreathing.  Unless you like horse offal there's very little of note here.
[21:12] <Alicia> Okay! Now for the smaller extraneous buildings before she delves into the castle proper!
[21:14] <Kotono> The other detached buildings are living quarters fo the stablehands and a few guards. Most of them are asleep, save for a few drinking and jesting in one of the rooms. Unless Marie wants to take some time to be nosy and search, most of it is entirely mundane. One the stablehands is faintly evil, though.
[21:15] <Alicia> Alicia said she'd prefer a maid uniform, so nothing worthwhile for Marie to investigate here. Any other structures besides the keep itself?
[21:16] <Kotono> There are lots of extensions and the like attached to th ekeep, so it's rather rambling off the center. But that's the main game left.
[21:17] <Alicia> There's probably a way to do this in an orderly fashion, but Marie isn't the one to ask. She heads in through whatever looks to be the main door first of all.
[21:17] <Kotono> THe main door leads into a grand front hall. Here tapestries and paintings hang, the main path leading dead ahead. Several doors and other paths branch off in other directions.
[21:18] <Alicia> Hmm... what do they say to do when you're in a maze? Marie takes the first door/corridor to the left.
[21:19] <Kotono> This leads to a winding side path to the kitchens. The kitchens are empty and quiet at this hour. It connects to a grand dining room, a few less formal ones, and to several hidden or secondary paths that snake about the castle.
[21:22] <Alicia> Marie continues in this vein, spiralling through the first floor of the castle as she explores every nook and cranny. Magical or evil auras, laundry rooms, activity/conversation, or the chambers of nobility/royalty should get her attention for more indepth investigation.
[21:22] <Kotono> The first thing Marie happens on is the throne room. The throne, a mammonth wood and gold thing of beauty, radiates moderate magic.
[21:23] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 spellcraft
03[21:23] * Kotono sets mode: +v Hatbot
[21:23] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 spellcraft
06[21:23] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+7 spellcraft and gets 12." [1d20=5]
[21:24] <Alicia> Marie doesn't get too close. It's magic but not one of Seira's stolen items, nor is there anyone on the throne barking out orders to capture her attention, so she moves on.
[21:25] <Kotono> Most of the first floor is mundane things. Kitchens, barracks, rooms, storages, all the things a castle needs. On the far eastern part Marie finds a laundry room.
[21:29] <Alicia> Briefly reverting to her corporeal form, Marie purloins a clean maid uniform and folds it up as neatly as she can before picking it up and turning incorporeal once more! Now she goes up to the second floor to resume her routine.
[21:31] <Kotono> OOC: There's still ab it more first floor if you want to finish that first. Sorry, really wasn't clear.)
[21:31] <Alicia> OOC: finish off first floor first, then
[21:35] <Kotono> Doing her loops back around, Marie doesn't find much too interesting until the end. Near the center, missed by happenstance as Marie meandered about in no real order, she happens on a beautiful royal room. It is a woman's room, with soft things and a large mirror. It is quite clean, a woman sitting on the bed. She stares at the wall, chestnut brown hair falling down her shoulders. She wears a plain white nightgown. Her expression has a faint, e
[21:35] <Kotono> She wears a plain white nightgown. Her expression has a faint, empty melancholy. She's in her twenties, perpahs.
[21:36] <Alicia> Is she evil? Any magic around?
[21:36] <Kotono> She's not evil. A ring on her finger radiates strong magic.
[21:36] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 spellcraft
06[21:36] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+7 spellcraft and gets 23." [1d20=16]
[21:38] <Alicia> Didn't Seira have a ring of protection? Marie inches a bit closer and tries to tell if the ring looks like any Seira occassionally wore.
[21:39] <Kotono> If the woman sees Marie, she doesn't react. The ring is a golden one with a sigil on it - two mountains parted by a river. As Marie studies it, the woman stands up. "It's time..." she says aloud.
[21:40] <Kotono> It oesn't look like any of Seira's rings.
[21:41] <Alicia> Doesn't look like Seira's, she thinks... she never looked too closely, sadly. Keeping well hidden, Marie elects to spy on this woman a little bit longer in case she talks to herself some more or perhaps goes off to partake in some vile Sharran mass.
[21:41] <Kotono> She walks towards one of the walls. She taps a stone on the wall twice, which makes a small segment slide open! She steps into the dark passage with a sure step.
[21:42] <Alicia> Wow, she'd never have spotted that! Marie waits for her to either close the wall or keep walking before she follows.
[21:46] <Kotono> The wall closes behind her a few seconds later. Following, Marie finds herself in a pitch black, narrow, dusty passage. It goes straight ahead and then turns a few times. The woman feels the wall on occasion, but has no problem navigating it. Twists and turns, twists and turns! It eventually leads into a a ten foot wide room. A few pillows and blankets are about here as well as a pair of candles. A young man, ruggedly handsome and with a warm s
[21:46] <Kotono> A young man, ruggedly handsome and with a warm smile, awaits. "Pri-Giselle," he stands up to take her hand. He wears a soldier's garb, well kept.
[21:47] <Kotono> "Thank you..." she murmurs in a quiet, whisper-like voice, going to sit down next to him. "You came."
[21:47] <Alicia> Is he evil? Are there any other exits from this room? Any magic?
[21:47] <Kotono> "You asked," With a bit of as mile to her, "What do you need at this late hour?"
[21:48] <Kotono> There's no magic in the room besides the ring. There's another secret door o the other side, ajar. He's not evil. "I need to ask you a special favor." Giselle says, voice hard to hear, even for Marie.
[21:48] <Kotono> "Ask it," he says nobly, "The castle guard lives to serve the royal family."
[21:49] <Alicia> Marie hides nearby and eavesdrops, hoping this will be useful information for Alicia.
[21:49] <Kotono> "...bed me," she says, raising her eyes to look into his. "Take me as a woman."
[21:49] <Alicia> Or... not?
[21:49] <Kotono> The man's eyes widen a moment, before he stops and shakes his head. "Princess...your father's orders...."
[21:49] <Kotono> He takes a long moment to gather himself, "I've heard thes tories about the other two. I don't want to be exiled..." He look saway, "You're a beautiful woman..."
[21:50] <Kotono> "And I could have pick of a noble husband..." she whispers as soft as falling snow. "That's...not possible. Rannan, I...I command you to take me."
[21:51] <Alicia> Maybe Alicia can find some way of using this... but personally Marie doubts her mistress has quite the imagination required to fully take advantage. Well, she'll stick around long enough to see how it resolves one way or another but if they get intimate she'll give them their privacy.
[21:51] <Kotono> "Princess?!" That gets Rannan to simply -stare- at her. "You're commanding me to..." He backs away, standing up. "I can't. I am your servant, Princess, but...not this."
[21:52] <Kotono> "No," Still whispering, she reaches up to take and hold his wrist. "I command you. I COMMAND you." The last utterance of command is slightly louder and as sharp as a knife-blade.
[21:52] <Kotono> "W..what in the name of Kossuth..." He jerks his hand away. "Princess Giselle, have you no honor? What would your father think of another scandal? Youll break his heart and send him to the grave!"
[21:53] <Alicia> Maybe that's what she intends? Who can tell with these crazy Shar worshipping royals? For her part, Marie is engrossed in the enfolding drama.
[21:53] <Kotono> "I command you. Fill me with your life." She says, looking up into his eyes. Tears fall down her cheeks, silent near sobs. "Do it. I want to feel alive again. I need to..."
[21:53] <Kotono> With a look of stark shock, "P-Princess, I should go," he says, backing away to the ajar secret door.
[21:55] <Kotono> "Please..." Falling to her knees, "Rannan, I need to feel alive inside of me again..." Cradling her stomach with both hands, "I can't be empty inside of my belly much longer! If you're a man, do it! I swear I won't tell who the father is! You won't get banished!"
[21:56] <Kotono> "The help you need...it's not help that I can give you in good faith. Goodbye, Princess." Turning away, the soldier leaves out the secret door.
[21:57] <Alicia> Marie sticks around briefly, wondering what the spurned princess will do.
[21:59] <Kotono> Giselle stares after him, "Empty...still empty..." Holding her stomach, "Gods, why? Why? Why can he even deny me this? But..." Whisper soft again, "I'll give you a sister for the next time I see you..and I'll feel alive again."
[22:00] <Kotono> Stroking her stomach, "I can still have life inside of me. I can still have life inside of me," she chants to herself. "I'm not empty. I'm not empty. I'm not empty."
[22:01] <Alicia> Marie thinks this royal family is really messed up. She almost wants to comfort the strange girl, but Alicia's firm orders that they must never know she was there, and the worry that the princess might gleefully sacrifice her to Shar both temper her judgement. For now she heads through the secret door that the guard fled down, wanting to see where it leads before she moves on to the second floor.
[22:01] <Kotono> It winds about, leading eventually to a small, dusty closet full of napkins and tablecloths. Only a few faint footsteps betray anyone having been in here in a long time.
[22:02] <Alicia> Emerging to find out where the closet was, Marie memorises the location before heading upstairs.
[22:03] <Kotono> It's near the barracks. Heading upstairs, Maire finds more storages. Nothing too interesting here in general until an isolated wing on the second floor. A door there has a ward written over it, faintly pulsing with sky-blue light.
[22:04] <Alicia> Is the ward in text she can read? If not she'll rely on her talent for magical detection!
[22:04] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 spellcraft
06[22:04] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+7 spellcraft and gets 12." [1d20=5]
[22:04] <Kotono> It's magical, but Marie can only glean the general meaning with her magic. It means 'Warding the outside'.
[22:05] <Alicia> Might be worth checking but it's a potential risk so Marie leaves this for the moment and moves on to search the rest of the second floor.
[22:06] <Kotono> Rest of the second floor is mostly rooms, though w ing to the north is set aside. Guards stand watch at it's front door, a door of engraven gold, ivory and a pair of ruby red gemstones with a line of blue gemstones through the center. It's like the sigil that was on Giselle's ring.
[22:07] <Alicia> This looks juicy! Ensuring there's no magical wards or anything, Marie flits through the wall to sneak into this section.
[22:09] <Kotono> The front room is large, more guards at the far doors. It's a vast sitting room with a large fireplace. SHelves of books are about, all tidily put away. The other side wings is a room full of hunting trophies and heads, a small library and study room, and a room full of paintings of what look to be kings and queens. The main room is a bedroom, a covered bed  with an old man sleeping on it. HIs color is terrible, his breath coming in snoring sno
[22:09] <Kotono> HIs color is terrible, his breath coming in snoring snorts.
[22:10] <Alicia> Must be the king. Is he evil? And any magic around here?
[22:11] <Kotono> The king is not magical. Two things radiate magic: A crown that rsts on a pillow, on a table near the bed, and the canopy around the bed.
[22:11] <Kotono> No evil.
[22:12] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 crown
06[22:12] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+7 crown and gets 25." [1d20=18]
[22:12] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 canopy
06[22:12] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+7 canopy and gets 22." [1d20=15]
[22:13] <Alicia> Probably a charisma booster and an alarm/protection spell, Marie figures. Well, time to move on - up to the third floor!
[22:15] <Kotono> The third floor is mostly bedrooms for servants and soldiers. A few suits are isolated to the west, noble quality and quite pleasant. Despite that, Marie doesn't find much too interesting on the third floor.
[22:16] <Alicia> Was the castle three storeys or is there anything above this floor?
[22:16] <Kotono> The castle was three stories.
[22:17] <Alicia> Any towers or outbuildings she's missed?
[22:17] <Kotono> Nope, this is about it.
[22:18] <Alicia> Did she see any stairs leading down on her circuit of the ground floor?
[22:19] <Kotono> There arew a few, yes.
[22:20] <Alicia> Time to check out the basement, then!
03[22:22] * Demedais is now known as taifk
[22:23] <Kotono> There are a few unconnected basements. One holds enough supplies and food to feed the castle for several weeks. Another has several gravestones and bare earth. The gravestones are rather old. A third has a few deep wells.
[22:24] <Alicia> Okay, now for that warded room - Marie circles all around it to see if there's any other entrances or windows or anything, first of all.
[22:25] <Kotono> No windows, though Marie could presumably go through the wall ifs he wished. It borders the edge of the building there, so she could go from inside or outside.
[22:25] <Alicia> Is the magic just on the door or does it encompass the walls as well?
[22:26] <Kotono> Just the door is magical.
[22:28] <Alicia> Okay! Marie phases in through the floor of the room from below, though she does so slowly and takes care to sense for any magic/evil on the other side before she emerges entirely.
[22:30] <Kotono> As she peeks above, she can notice the floor is very thick here, reinforced. Further, on peeking out, Marie is bombarded with various magical auras! She comes in in a narrow room here, a small walk in closet backed with books, beakers, vials, detached eyeballs, a stuffed lizard, and far far more.
[22:31] <Alicia> Do the dimensions of this room fit with what she determined of its perimeter from the outside, taking the increased wall/floor thickness into account?
[22:32] <Kotono> Not even close. There's a door leading out as well. Really, it's just a closet.
[22:33] <Alicia> Okay then. Marie gives the books a cursory look over their titles for anything exciting as well as looking for any of Seira's belongings or containers that could hold the same.
[22:34] <Kotono> IT's mostly in draconic and elven. 'Applied theory of abjuration' 'Summoning arcana' 'Weave and magic', that sort of thing. Nothing here looks like Seira's goods.
[22:35] <Alicia> Therefore Marie comes out of the closet!
[22:37] <Kotono> It's a bright new world out here. Actually it really is. She comes out into a room full of magical diagrams. The walls, floors and roof are covered with various arcane extractions and equations. They focus towards the center, where a pasty man in noble's clothes sits on a stool. He reads a book, a rod sitting in his lap. Notably, it's familiar. It's Seira's wand of lesser empower.
[22:38] <Alicia> He's certainly up late! Marie sneaks around the room looking for any of Seira's other belongings.
[22:41] <Kotono> Marie doesn't see anything like that around. The room is mostly empty besides the designs, though there are several doors connecting to other rooms. Oen is open, leading to a small library.
[22:41] <Alicia> Time to check those out, then. Marie takes one of the closed doors first.
[22:43] <Kotono> The closed door leads to a room. There are bookshelves, a table and a dresser as tall as Rods. The books radiate magic, as does the dresser.
[22:44] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 books
06[22:44] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+7 books and gets 23." [1d20=16]
[22:44] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 dresser
06[22:44] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+7 dresser and gets 15." [1d20=8]
[22:45] <Alicia> First of all Marie skims over the titles on the books for anything interesting.
[22:46] <Kotono> They are non titled. Each book is bound in a scarlet red or a deep, deep, deep green.
[22:47] <Alicia> Since they're not directly relevant at the moment, Marie dismisses them and looks to see if there's anything on the table.
[22:47] <Kotono> The table is bare.
[22:48] <Alicia> Alright, now to take a look inside the dresser! By phasing through the door.
[22:49] <Kotono> Marie phases in! Inside there are several things - vials fo diamond dust, a set of black oynx, gold coins with strange runes on them, carefully gathered sand and rose petals, grasshopper legs, a minature trumpet and more. However, as Marie phases through, she can hear a gentle bell tingling outside.
[22:51] <Kotono> OOC - SCratch the part about the bell.
[22:51] <Alicia> Just spell components. Alright, done with this room so she goes back into the main one - how many doors left unexplored?
[22:51] <Kotono> Two. The m an there is flipping a page in his book, continuing along.
[22:52] <Alicia> Is the man evil, by the way?
[22:53] <Kotono> The man is not evil.
[22:53] <Alicia> Or does he have any magic auras on him?
[22:58] <Kotono> The man has several.
[22:59] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 spellcraft lets just say one roll for the lot
06[22:59] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+7 spellcraft lets just say one roll for the lot and gets 25." [1d20=18]
[23:04] <Alicia> Marie pauses and stares at the man for a moment. Several of those spells have durations measured in minutes, not hours... so why would someone cast them while reading a book at 2am in the morning?
[23:04] <Alicia> roll 1d20+9 sense motive, is something up with his demeanour?
06[23:04] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+9 sense motive, is something up with his demeanour? and gets 24." [1d20=15]
[23:05] <Kotono> He is tense, reaidng the book. It's like he's poisd for something to happen.
[23:06] <Alicia> Marie goes to check out the other unopened door, keeping an ear open for anything happening back here while she does so.
[23:06] <Kotono> The other door leads to a laboratory. It looks like an alchemy and wizard's lab. Lots of fizzy beakers, strange things, complex symbols and so on.
[23:07] <Alicia> A quick inspection is made for any of Seira's gear in this room.
[23:07] <Kotono> Marie doesn't see naything like that.
[23:08] <Alicia> Alright, now for the last door - Marie goes to search the library.
[23:09] <Kotono> As Marie enters in, she hears a book close abruptly from the previous room. THen, "Aaaah..."
[23:10] <Alicia> Making sure to stay well hidden using the doorframe as cover, Marie looks to see what's happening back there.
[23:12] <Kotono> The pasty  man has stood up, the book under his arm. He walks towards the room with the untitled books and table and dresser.
[23:12] <Alicia> Peeking out a bit to keep her eye on him, Marie watches to see what he does.
[23:13] <Kotono> He goes into that room and closes the door behin dhim.
[23:14] <Alicia> Rather than following through the door, Marie circles around and emerges through the wall above the dresser, using it for cover as she spies on the strange man who stole Seira's rod.
[23:15] <Kotono> He's put the book back in the shelf, then goes to sit at the table. He yawns once, covering his mouth. "Aaah...I should sleep soon..." he mutters. He strokes the rod he has in his hand, getting and opening the dresser with a few murmured words. He puts the rod in there, closing it back and murmuring another set of words.
[23:17] <Alicia> Marie memorises the words in case they prove important later on and continues her sneaky spying.
[23:17] <Kotono> Going back to the library, she finds i'ts full of books. Lots of books. Booooks.
[23:19] <Alicia> OOC: I meant continuing to spy on the paranoid dude by following him around
[23:20] <Kotono> OOC: Oh.
[23:20] <Kotono> OOC: Strike. Pick up her etomorrow.

[Corwin]

[20:06] <Kobrb> <Alicia> Peeking out a bit to keep her eye on him, Marie watches to see what he does.
[20:06] <Kobrb> > He goes into that room and closes the door behin dhim.
[20:06] <Kobrb> <Alicia> Rather than following through the door, Marie circles around and emerges through the wall above the dresser, using it for cover as she spies on the strange man who stole Seira's rod.
[20:06] <Kobrb> > He's put the book back in the shelf, then goes to sit at the table. He yawns once, covering his mouth. "Aaah...I should sleep soon..." he mutters. He strokes the rod he has in his hand, getting and opening the dresser with a few murmured words. He puts the rod in there, closing it back and murmuring another set of words.
[20:06] <Kobrb> <Alicia> Marie memorises the words in case they prove important later on and continues her sneaky spying.
[20:06] <Kobrb> > Going back to the library, she finds i'ts full of books. Lots of books. Booooks.
[20:06] <Kobrb> <Alicia> OOC: I meant continuing to spy on the paranoid dude by following him around
[20:06] <Kobrb> > OOC: Oh.
[20:06] <Kobrb> > OOC: Strike. Pick up her etomorrow.
[20:07] <Kobrb> The paranoid man wanders back into the room he was in before. He stretches out, before heading out. He goes to the warded door, opening without incident from this side, and steps into the mundane hallways outside.
[20:08] <Alicia> Marie phases through an adjacent wall to follow him to wherever he goes.
[20:11] <Kobrb> He goes to the third floor, ndoding to a few guards as he goes to one of the nice suites there. He heads in, starting to undress as he heads for a comfortable looking bed. He yawns a few more times, rubbing his eyes.
[20:12] <Alicia> This is just bizarre. Alicia spends most of her time waiting for inevitable surprise baatezu attacks, but even she doesn't cast short-duration defensive spells while sitting around the house and reading. Something's up here and Marie intends to find out what!
[20:15] <Kobrb> Stripping down to his bare skin(Not exactly an attractive man, either), the magician slips under the covers. Yawning once more, he puts his head down and looks to go to sleep.
[20:16] <Alicia> He's not fooling her! Marie continues to watch and wait for the other shoe to drop.
[20:19] <Kobrb> Ten minutes pass. Many of his spells peter out, durations ending. The magician begins to snore.
[20:20] <Alicia> Too damn weird. Marie decides to give his chambers a thorough search for anything incriminating.
[20:20] <Alicia> OOC: taking 10 for... 11
[20:24] <Kobrb> This chamber is pretty normal. There's some dirty clothes, a few books, some spare wood for the fireplace, that sort of thing. Nothing incredibly fascinating.
[20:25] <Alicia> How utterly vexing. She's almost tempted to interrogate him, but doesn't want to upset Alicia by betraying her presence, so she goes back to the warded room to have a look in the library.
03[20:27] * taicls is now known as tai-clsprep
[20:27] <Kobrb> The time is passing by. Marie's spend well over an hour at this and night is wearing on. As she reaches the library, she finds it full of books as expected. OOC - Doing anything in particular for it?
[20:28] <Alicia> OOC: looking in particular for any books about the castle itself, or maps of same - she wants to try and find something that'll point to more secret passages
[20:32] <Kobrb> Most of the books here are about arcane study and matters. Things like 'Planar Arcana', 'Sword of the Arcane Order' 'Practical Metamagic', 'Maximize versus Empowering: the endless choice', 'Demonlogy' 'Eye Tyrants and myth', and so forth. There's a few non magical books here about a variety of subjects. Two are about the castle or close to it. One looks to b ea royal genelogy and family tree for Kesse, the other is a study of defensive magic tri
[20:32] <Kobrb> b ea royal genelogy and family tree for Kesse, the other is a study of defensive magic triggers in the castle.
03[20:32] * Kobrb is now known as Kotono
[20:34] <Alicia> Well the defensive magic triggers might be something Alicia will care about so Marie grabs that one - Celebrimbor can read it over tonight and she can return it before anyone wakes up. Now she goes to check out the library in the King's chambers.
[20:37] <Kotono> The royal library has lots of books on kingly matters. Heraldry, etiquette, diplomatic relations, geography, ecetera. There's also a smattering of books in dwarven, talking about dwarven-human trade and craft. That sort of thing.
[20:38] <Alicia> Well, she's done all she can here, so Marie heads back to the inn. Celebrimbor's hopefully finished his trance so he can peruse this book while Alicia sleeps and Marie takes a well earned break after working so late.
[20:41] <Kotono> The next morning has the three getting back together. Over breakfast in the inn room, Marie recounts her findings. "That was Seira's rod? Ugh." Shaking his head, "I tried a Sending this morning, but I got no reply." Steepling his hands together, "That Princess sounds quite disturbed as well."
[20:45] <Alicia> "Hmm... tempted to interrogate this wizard but I don't want to tip our hand too early," Alicia considers after Marie's returned from putting the book on magic castle defences back where she found it. "I'm concerned that none of the people Seira mentioned in her first reply were there, nor for that matter anyone Marie could sense as being particularly reprehensible."
[20:45] <Alicia> "That cathedral must be elsewhere... If you can get a sending through to her you should perhaps ask where it is?" she suggests to Celebrimbor.
[20:46] <Kotono> "I plan to, yes," Leaning back in his chair as he thinks, "If she's still alive."
[20:47] <Alicia> "Demedais said she got away safely, I'm sure she's fine," Alicia declares confidently. "It's still pretty early, so it could be that she's just asleep, or else her being on another plane is interfering somehow."
[20:49] <Kotono> "I'll try again later, then," Concluding that, "What are you going to do this day, Alicia?"
[20:52] <Alicia> "Couple of things," Alicia begins. "Firstly, we need to find out where this cathedral is - I can try asking around discreetly for that and Marie can look around town for any strong auras that could belong to say a priest or priestess of Shar."
[20:52] <Alicia> "Secondly, we need to find a building to rent where our people can stay while we're operating here and be assured a degree of privacy and security that an inn won't provide. Do you have any suggestions yourself, Lord Drake?"
[20:53] <Kotono> "If we have a secure stronghold, I can attmept meant sto make it safer. I can deal with that while you attempt to find the cathedral?" Celebrimbor says.
[20:55] <Alicia> "Okay," Alicia takes out her coin-bag and divides it up, giving Celebrimbor 500gp worth of the large coins and 50gp worth of the smaller ones. "If you want to see about finding a place for us that amount should easily pay for a few weeks and ensure no one asks any questions - meet up outside this inn around lunchtime, say?"
[20:56] <Kotono> "So be it." OOC - Skip along now? What were you going to try and gather info on, Alicia? I'll resolve you first then Marie's searching.
[21:00] <Alicia> OOC: for this I'll be looking kinda like the crazy woman who participated in the Erenholm massacre, not identical but a fairly strong resemblance. I'll appear fairly depressed about a family tragedy and indicate I'm looking for some sort of spiritual guidance to make sense of it all because none of the conventional answers seem to work for me. I'll be detecting evil throughout as well, just in case I chance on any likely suspects.
[21:01] <Kotono> roll 1d100
06[21:01] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 24." [1d100=24]
[21:01] <Kotono> OOC - Roll GI?
[21:02] <Alicia> roll 1d20+15
06[21:02] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+15 and gets 18." [1d20=3]
[21:14] <Kotono> Alicia mucks around for the morning in this guise. She tests the waters, finding several people listening to her tale. She gets fragmented advice: Go to the church of Kelemvor is the most common one. No sign of Sharrans trying to lure her in for that time, as far as she can find.  Meanwhile...
[21:14] <Kotono> roll 1d100
06[21:14] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 61." [1d100=61]
[21:18] <Kotono> Marie flies around the city, looking about and searching! About a half hour before the lunchtime meet up, Marie happens down an alley near the river. Between tall buildings, she sees something interesting. A man with a moderate evil aura leans against a wall, chatting with a woman. This woman happens to be J. They're talking in low pitched whispers.
[21:19] <Alicia> J! This is too damn juicy to pass up, that's for sure! Marie sneaks nearby so she can eavesdrop on them.
[21:19] <Alicia> OOC: continuing to take 10 for 34 on hide
[21:20] <Kotono> roll 1d20+16
06[21:20] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+16 and gets 23." [1d20=7]
[21:21] <Kotono> "...500." The man says in a flat voice. He's short and muscled, wiry framed and clean shaven. He wears normal clothes of decent make ,nothing interesting about him on a look.
[21:21] <Kotono> "350." J crosses her arms, "You owe Rods back from the incident with the hill giant."
[21:22] <Alicia> Excellent, she's caught them in the bargaining phase, that means the best is yet to come.
[21:22] <Kotono> "Tsch." Clicking his tongue loudly, "Fine, 350." Spitting into his palm, he offers his hand out to J. J does the same, the two shaking hands. "Remember, total discretion. Maximum discretion. You screw this up, we both end up in a merc's grave."
[21:23] <Kotono> "I'll find her if she's still alive," Smirking now at J, "I ain't never failed to turn up quarry."
[21:24] <Alicia> Oh, looks like they've already talked about what the deal was. Still, she can infer that J is hiring the suspicious man to find a woman on the sly. Perhaps Seira?
[21:24] <Kotono> "Keep it that way," J says tersely, turning away and walking out of the alley.
[21:24] <Kotono> The man watches her go for a few moments, before turning away and going out the opposite alley.
[21:26] <Alicia> It's a tough choice to decide who to follow, but after a moment Marie elects to pursue J. She was one of the last people they know were with Seira, so hopefully they've got info that can be used.
[21:28] <Kotono> J keeps up a fast, smooth pace. She weaves into another alley, down a side street, through a tavern's kitchen, calling the cook by name(Anthony) in passing as she goes out the front. She heads into a quieter part of town - Marie's etherealness and flying at the only things that let her easily keep up.
[21:29] <Alicia> She is a fast flier! And she has a knack for finding cover to suit her tiny form so she's quite capable of following her quarry without anyone catching sight of her.
[21:29] <Kotono> She leads Marie to a non descript building amid many. It looks like a plain house, J slipping inside.
[21:30] <Alicia> Marie sneaks in by phasing through the wall, as is her habit.
[21:31] <Kotono> Inside is a dirty one room house. THere's some beds, a cooking area, all of it rather unkept. Sitting on one of the beds is Rods, using a cloth and a gauntlet covered hand to shine his gnomish axe. "How'd it go," Rods asks J, not looking up.
[21:32] <Kotono> "He's on it, ran for 50 below what we guessed," With a momentary smile that fades quickly, "Rods, I'm really worried. I sure as shit don't like Seira vanishing after she went to check out the castle."
[21:32] <Alicia> That just leaves Serge. Now to hopefully get some exposition! It sounds like they didn't have anything to do with Seira's disappearance, at least...
[21:33] <Kotono> Grunting, Rods works, "Yeah, she's probably dead. If she was alive she'd have contacted us or we'd be dead too. Not much to be done about it but avenge her." Working away at his axe all the while, focused, "She took good care of us and those fucking rich assholes made her dissapear."
[21:34] <Kotono> Sighing, J slumps down onto the same bed next to Rods. "Ah dammit, you idiot," Hitting hsi shoulder, "You didn't have to say it like that. I liked Seira and she really was good to us, yeah."
[21:35] <Kotono> "YEah, yeah, I'll whisper sweet lies into your ears tonight then," Looking up to muss J's hair with his free hand, "That's the way the world is. You hear the stories about what Seira was into back in the Baronies. Anyone who lives this life is gonna die early. You know that."
[21:36] <Kotono> "Asshole," Repeating that as she looks down, "Yeah, figures. We'll take it out on who's responsible and get rich while we're doing it."
[21:37] <Alicia> Marie considers exposing herself to reassure them of Seira's escape, but decides it probably best to leave the matter to Alicia. It sounds like they're clear of suspicion as far as she knows, though, so she leaves and resumes her search for notably evil souls, intending to meet with Alicia and Celebrimbor at the appointed time.
[21:38] <Kotono> MEeting together in the inn room again, this time over lunch, conversation starts. "I have a good lead on a property we can rent. It'll take some more time to line up, but I like it. Thick stone walls and a deep basement. Stopping detection, especially in the basements, is key."
06[21:40] * Alicia nods, keeping her voice low. "We may need to hold prisoners there, yes," she agrees. "No luck on my end so far, but Marie says she found the mercenaries who brought Seira here, and they're as worried about her as we are. I'm thinking of contacting them this afternoon. How long do you think before we'll be clear on the property?"
[21:41] <Kotono> "A few days. There's talking and people to deal with." Waving his hand, "To break the pattern they expect would only bring suspicion on us, as much as I'd rather not waste more time."
[21:43] <Alicia> "We'll stick with more passive information gathering until then, then," Alicia decides. "A few more nights at the inn won't break the bank, at least. I'll get Marie to stick with you for the rest of the day so you'll know if I run into unexpected trouble with the mercenaries - meet here again at dinner-time?"
[21:43] <Kotono> "Right." Celebrimbor agrees. OOC - SKip along?
[21:44] <Alicia> OOC: sure
[21:45] <Kotono> Going to the nothern part of town, Alicia finds that it's quiet. Not too many people in the streets, though a keen eye can see more in alleys or just glimpsed as they hurry along in the shadows. The building Marie saw is utterly unremarkable, a single door shut.
[21:47] <Alicia> Right now Alicia is reprising the role of a slightly overweight middle-aged woman with steadily greying hair, seeming altogether nonthreatening and unassuming. Counting along the buildings till she reaches the one Marie told her about, she stops in front of the door and knocks three times.
[21:48] <Kotono> There's several seconds of silence, and then, "Yeah?" Rods calls, voice distant. "Who is it?"
[21:51] <Alicia> Not wanting to yell out her name, Alicia settles for replying with, "A recent friend."
[21:52] <Kotono> There's several more seconds of quiet, then the sound of a deadbolt being drawn. The door opens, Rods looming through the narrow entrance. "Yeah?" he asks, left arm out of sight.
[21:53] <Alicia> "My you're in a fine mood today, Rods," Alicia replies with a smile. "Then again, a person can be forgiven for suspicions when their friends go missing, am I right?"
[21:54] <Kotono> Without a particular hestiation at all, "Really now? Try telling me who the hell you are."
[21:55] <Alicia> "I'd rather not say out here," Alicia briefly looks to her left and right. "Suffice to say that I'm sure Serge would be far happier to see me again than you are."
[21:57] <Kotono> Narrowing his eyes, "Really? I wonder. What's the name of your best friend, then?"
06[22:01] * Alicia blinks. The thought of a 'best friend' briefly takes her back to childhood, she hasn't really quantified people in that sense much ever since. The answer's obvious but also a bit strange all things considered. "Antenora's what she goes by these days. Now are you going to let me in or shall I be on my way?"
[22:03] <Kotono> There's a pause, before Rods grins. "Sonuvabitch, what are you doing here," Grabbing Alicia's arm, the middle aged woman is yanked into the house, door closed behind her!
[22:04] <Kotono> Inside, she can see a messy, one room holding it all. Shimmering, J appears nexst to one of the beds, magic fading around her. "Alicia?" she asks.
06[22:05] * Alicia endures the manhandling with good grace. "That's better," she smiles before turning to J. "In the flesh and bigger than ever," she confirms before her demeanour turns more serious. "As if it wasn't obvious I'm here about Seira. Someone contacted her with a Sending spell the day before yesterday and got a very alarming reply back."
[22:06] <Kotono> "Yeah, shit got messed up, "Going to sit down on one of the cots, taking his axe from besides the door, "Last we heard of her, she was going to try and infiltrate the royal castle and the roayl family, trying to find a reliable agent in there."
[22:08] <Alicia> "Well something went wrong," Alicia confirms. "She was being held in a Sharran cathedral and named Kort and Armanda as being in on it just as much as Albert. Thankfully we know she escaped, but haven't been able to make contact with her since."
[22:09] <Kotono> "Fuck," J says softly, "We went over the KEssian royal house with her and Armanda got her interest."
06[22:12] * Alicia sighs and rubs her head. "She seems to have a weakness for pretty noble girls..." she mutters. "Well, I had the castle scouted last night and identified Giselle and Denegren as being resident but couldn't be sure of finding Armanda or either of the two princes."
[22:15] <Kotono> "Really?" Rods raises an eyebrow, and them mutters himself, "Figures...projecting..." After that moment, "Figures. Oh dammit, this went all wrong."
[22:15] <Kotono> "I have someone looking for Seira. He's very good. If he can't find her, she's not to be found," J speaks up.
[22:17] <Alicia> "We believe she's currently on another plane - she was definitely safe yesterday morning, although hopefully we'll get a Sending through soon enough to confirm exactly what her situation is," Alicia replies. "Now, I understand you were planning on going after those responsible - now that you know how deep this runs, are you still planning on that?" she asks seriously, looking between the two to gauge their reactions.
[22:19] <Kotono> "Yeah," J says quickly, biting down on her bottom lip, "If we pull this off we'll be made for life...and hell, Seira was good to us. Is good to us. Whatever. I'm not going to let that go without somoene doing something about it."
[22:21] <Kotono> "Yeah, besides...if Seira talked or will talk, we're dead anyway. At worst, might as well go down fighting," Rods grins.
06[22:21] * Alicia nods. "I don't know about profit - if nothing else we need to recover Seira's belongings. One of them was actually a loan from the Kingdom of Pallanth who are understandably going to be distraught if we don't return it soon. But we're going to be taking down those Sharrans hard, and that'll probably put us at odds with the whole damn kingdom."
[22:25] <Kotono> "Yeah, I'm not thrilled about it...but hell. Doubt J's gonna let it go now, and Serge....hell, he'll probably follow you." Rubbing his forehead for just a scant moment, "What I'm saying is that I guess I'm in too then. Though knowing how this is going, we are gonna get the entire damn kingdomon us."
[22:29] <Alicia> "Chances are if we knock over the heirs, given Denegren's health, then Evrai will make a push on Kesse - I had a brief stopover there yesterday and they really don't like you guys," Alicia admits. "But that doesn't concern the United Baronies. What matters to us is punishing those responsible for Erenholm and recovering Seira's belongings - borrowed or otherwise."
03[22:30] * Yukino is now known as CC
[22:30] <Kotono> "Well yeah. Evrai and Kesse haven't gotten along for a good long while," J rubs her arm as she listens. "But yeah, I agree. War's gonna happen no matter what. Plust there's a few other royals as well."
[22:33] <Alicia> "Giselle seems to have severe intimacy issues, although she might not be involved in the cult. Same for Deregren - the latter part, I mean, but we won't know for sure until we find someone who is involved, which I've had no luck on yet. From checking the castle last night, none of them seemed like die-hard followers of the Lady of Loss..."

[Corwin]

[20:05] <Kokokokokoko> -----
[20:08] <Kokokokokoko> In the morning Celebrimbor stays bed first thing, sitting cross legged as he murmurs words of arcane power for ten minues. At the end, as Alicia is going through her morning prayers, "Got her!" he says aloud.
[20:08] <Alicia> "You have? Great!" Alicia smiles in relief. "Where is she? How is she?"
[20:09] <Kokokokokoko> roll 1d20+24
06[20:09] * Hatbot --> "Kokokokokoko rolls 1d20+24 and gets 32." [1d20=8]
[20:11] <Kokokokokoko> "She's near the Gulnan basin in Malmuth, heading towards Atva. As I recall, it's a small town that has a local garrison." Standing up, slowly stretching his old bones, "I'm going to send word to her and then Balmuria. There's stillt he matter of retrieving her, but with teleportation magic it should be a trivial affair."
[20:14] <Alicia> "That's good," Alicia nods. "Are you going to go and pick her up? It'd probably be better to take her to Balmuria rather than back here, at least until we have that building set up. She's too distinctive to be seen walking around Kesse, right now."
[20:15] <Kokokokokoko> "Simplest would be for me to teleport home, use a scroll of scrying with a sending to SEira doesn't resist, and then teleport to her." Celebrimbor strokes his chin. "Take her back to Balmuria so we can debrief her. Considering the importance of it, it may be best if you come with us for this."
03[20:16] * Sierra_OHGODTHELIGHTTHELIGHT is now known as Bookworm_Sierra
[20:18] <Alicia> "I can probably get us back to here afterwards with my own teleports," Alicia agrees after a moment. "Alright, lets pack up our things and go?"