The Wrong Guys IC II

[Strawberries]

Audric stands still for a moment, looking at the Sailor's Gate. He has a look on his face like he is steeling himself for the task at hand "Very well" he whispers to himself, like he has reached the end of some internal debate. Then, raising his voice a bit "I can't think of any place outside here where we won't meet people. Does any of you have any suggestion?"

[Savannah]

Rana shrugs, "I only came here recently so I have no idea. But I think scouting for a clear area would be better than going into the sewers."

[Strawberries]

The paladin looks down to meet her eyes, then nods slowly "I agree" he answers "Would you lead the way, then? I'd guess you are better outdoors than I could ever hope to be."

((Uhm...survival check?))

[Savannah]

Survival (1d20+13)[20]. I'm assuming Survival would be the appropriate check. Let me know if you want anything else.

[Ajadea]

Survival's actually the check for getting places, Knowledge(local), Knowledge(geography) and Gather Information are more appropriate.

[Jallorn]

Spoiler

Show

Ooh, I can do Knowledge (Local): (1d20+6)[16]

[Strawberries]

Spoiler

Show

And I can do a gather information (or aid another on a gather information) (1d20+5)[13]

[Ajadea]

Antal

Spoiler

Show

Well, as a paladin, Audric could probably get a couple farmers to step well away from their fields for a while. So that might work. If you don't mind standing in dirt and pig poo while you kick the spirit out of Paral, anyways.

[Jallorn]

Hey paladin, if you use the 'official church business' excuse, you could probably get some farmers to give us a whole lot a room for a while.

[Strawberries]

"Except I don't want this to be an official church business" Audric says, but without much heat. He can see the halfling's point. "Fine. I'll say it's a urgent matter. Which is true enough." And the farmers will probably take one look to his holy symbol and conclude on their own that it is official Order business; Audric sees no reason why they shouldn't. He sighs. "Let's go harrass some law-abiding citizens of Tavetiir, then.". He looks around toughtfully to assess the best place to choose.

Spoiler

Show

((Ajadea: is there a suitable farm nearby? For suitable I mean: kinda isolated from the others and with reasonable room to perform an exorcism (and maybe also to hide a druid and a factotum). Please tell me if I have to roll spot or such. ))

[Ajadea]

After a little walking around, you notice there are fields that have already been plowed about twenty minutes down the north road. Some are likely being left fallow for the year, so perhaps the farmers would let you borrow one of those. If all else goes wrong, the ground still has a year to recover, so they won't need to worry about the proper techniques to weed away demonic thistles. Right?

[Strawberries]

"That farm over there looks promising." Audric says, pointing. He gives a quick assessing look to Rana, trying to ignore for a moment what he knows to see if she can pass as human. He supposes so, but better safe than sorry. "I'll try to let us be granted the use of onne of those field for a while. When we arrive nearby you'd probably better stand back a bit, please." After a couple of seconds to see if there are objections he starts walking in the direction of the farm, waiting if the others don't follow

Spoiler

Show

((My plan is to stop a bit before we meet people, putting Paral down, and go to talk to the farmers, alone or together with Antal or Llaars))

[Ajadea]

A few minutes away from the farm, you set Paral down, and Rana and Antal stay behind. Presumably to guard him. Audric and Llaars continue on to harass some farmers. Over by the road, one of them seems to be finishing up with a field. He takes note of Audric's holy symbol and Llaars' muscle with one squinty glare. "Y'want summat, sirs?" he asks in a fairly respectful tone.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Slightly raising his shoulders and letting his arms hang away from his sides to make himself seem more threatening, Llaars approaches the man first, clearing his throat. "The church of Alderan requires the use of a portion of your land for the remainder of the day." Hopefully the don't ask, don't tell strategy will take effect here...

Spoiler

Show

Intimidate:(1d20+10)[27]

[Strawberries]

Audric grimaces That isn't exactly the truth... but keeps his mouth shut on the matter. "I... The matter is of a certain gravity and urgency" he adds "If you could grant us use of one of your fields, you would do us a great service."

Spoiler

Show

((Hey, we're playing good cop-bad cop! ))

[Ajadea]

Whatever Llaars did, it seems to have worked a little too well-the farmer looks more than a little bit unnerved. "Um, ah, o' course, sirs, there's a good ol' bit o' empty field right next t'me here," he says, pointing to the next field over. He swallows nervously and continues. "I'll, uh, jus' be goin' now..." He quickly goes away, bringing his ox with him. The plow drags a long, uneven, line through the previously neat furrows of dirt, but the farmer doesn't seem to care.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

The big man exhales and grins as the man walks away. "Thank you sir." Once he is out of earshot, Llaars turns back to Audric. "Well now we got our privacy... What do we do now?'

[Strawberries]

I will probably have to make amends for this. But, on the other hand, we scared him enough that he isn't likely to come back until we're finished, and won't put himself at risk. which is a good thing, in Audric's book. Still, he can't help but feeling a little bad for the farmer.
"Thank you" he calls out after the man, then he turns to Llaars. "If you are still willing to, I have to ask you to go fetch Kalan. Make my name, and give him this.". He takes paper and inkpen from his backpack, quickly scribbling down something and passing the note to Llaars "You will find him at the temple - he is in charge of teaching children now. He is around fifty, a bit shorter than me. You can recognize him from his red hair." He pauses "I'm sorry to send you alone, but I can't see other options. You are probably the only one among us that can show up to the Temple and not draw unwanted attention."

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Taking the note with a nod, he heads off to the temple they had visited previously in search of the older paladin. It briefly crossed his mind to stop by the tavern to see everyone once more if something were to go wrong with the ritual, but that would just worry them. Instead he picks up his pace, determined to get this done as quickly as possible. Once at the entrance to the temple, he walks around briefly hoping to spot someone with the description Audric gave him, obviating the need to raise any suspicion.

[Ajadea]

Llaars

Spoiler

Show

You head off to the temple. It's not exactly easy-the quickest way into Tavetiir is nominally the Sailor's Gate, but it takes you so long to get through it that you probably could have walked around anyways. Few people seem to pay you mind-apparently message runners dressed like they just crawled out of the sewers isn't all that unusual here.

You find Kalan giving a lecture in one of the smaller classrooms. Almost immediately, you can draw several parallels to Audric. Kalan seems to be standing in a similar way, and he is also extremely non-fanatical, despite the touchy subject of religion and philosophy he is lecturing on. Especially odd, at least for a stereotypical paladin, is that he seems to be saying that the church can be wrong sometimes.

While you're fairly sure that he's noticed you, he does not draw attention to your presence. This doesn't stop a few of the kids-and they really are kids, probably no more than thirteen or so-from turning in their seats to stare at you.

[Strawberries]

Audric watches the big man walk away for a fair bit before turning and walking back to the others. His shoulders are a bit slumped, and he looks between troubled and exhausted. "We have leave to use that field over there" he sums up, picking up the stretcher with Paral to carry him to the designed spot "And Llaars is going to fetch Kalan for us. We...I guess we just need to wait now." Nonetheless, as he puts Paral back down, he looks around to assess his surrondings. It's more force of habit than anything else, but if this place has to become a setting for a fight, then it would be wise for him to study it in advance.

((Uhm...just if needed spot - (1d20+3)[8] and listen - (1d20+3)[7]. Also, detect magic. Just because. ))

[Ajadea]

Audric

Spoiler

Show

While scanning the rest of your surroundings shows nothing except perfectly mundane fields, as soon as you glimpse Paral, the thing's voice returns You were very rude last night, it whispers. Ghostly fingers tighten around your neck, cold and clammy against your skin. It was only a split second of pressure, yet you're almost sure that if you looked, you would see bruises there. What do you think you are, to bind me?

[Strawberries]

Everyone but Llaars

Spoiler

Show

Audric brings a hand to his neck, dazed for just one second, then anger snaps him out of it. It probably isn't very wise, and he would do better to follow his first instict and ignore the thing inside Paral completely, but by Aldaran, it feels good to leash out all the stress and uncertainty on... something, and anger feels like the perfect antidote for his doubts and fears. He narrows his eyes as he hisses out menacingly "What do I think I am? I am a member of the Order. I am a paladin of Aldaran. My duty is to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and punish those who seek to harm them." he says, eyes flashing. He is breathing hard, and he isn't slumping anymore "I have every right to bind you, and I'll do whatever is in my power to stop you. What do you think you are, you abomination?"

[Savannah]

Everybody but Llaars

Spoiler

Show

Rana raises one eyebrow, "Now are you starting to see the merits of my proposal? See its power and danger, even bound like this?"

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

DM only

Spoiler

Show

Without a word, Llaars simply raises the folded paper and gestures toward the door as an invitation to step outside.

[Ajadea]

Audric

Spoiler

Show

You're sure it's grinning, though Paral's expression remains rather unfocused. A king.

Llaars

Spoiler

Show

Kalan takes the time to finish up what he is saying before heeding your gestures. "Class is dismissed," he says calmly. The kids seem to be attempting (badly) to hide their glee as they push past you on the way out. Finally, he looks at you. "Has something happened?" There is an edge of anxiety in his voice.

[Strawberries]

Everyone but Llaars

Spoiler

Show

Audric snorts, dismissing the spirit's statement without dwelling on it too much, still propelled by the adrenaline derived from sheer anger. "You are no king. You're just a monster stuck inside the body of that boy. But not for long, if I have any say on the matter.". It is Rana that diverts his attention from the boy, and that's probably a good thing "I know he is dangerous, but what I said stands." he hisses, then he realizes he is lashing out at his allies without a good reason. His expression softens a fair bit as he looks at her and then the halfling beside her and he adds in a more subdued, almost apologetic tone "Besides, I did made Antal a promise, and I take my word very seriously."

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Spoiler

Show

Not knowing how to properly answer that question, he stumbles a bit before finally looking Kalan in the eyes. "Not yet, but we're gonna need your help if you wanna keep it that way... got a note for ya. Not that it'll help much." As he passes off the piece of paper, he begins to walk toward the entrance, hoping to make this trip as quick as possible.

[Ajadea]

Llaars

Spoiler

Show

Kalan takes your note, reading swiftly before crumpling it up in one hand and sticking it in a pocket. "I assume you are Llaars," he says with a sigh, raking a hand through his gray-streaked hair. "Lead the way." For an old guy, he walks pretty fast, easily keeping pace with you.

[Jallorn]

Not Llaars

Spoiler

Show

Antal eyes Rana carefully at her comment, but says nothing.