AvB - Little Green

[planswalker]

"If you will apply the draconic grafts I want when you feel I've earned them, that's all the payment I need. I'm willing to do anything you need, from negotiations to espionage to combat to research to... well, anything. I've yet to find a task too big for me. I don't have any status in the city at all. I've just wandered in here from out of town, and have spent most my time invisible. Oh, just thought of another use I could be to you: I can watch for cheaters on your tests invisibly."

[Monodominant]

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As I am unaware of the costs of the Grafts in general and more so draconic ones you will have to PM me with the costs of those so we can set up a reward system ;).

The man seems to be considering what he can ask of you for a minute or so.

" The spying on students thing could be interesting. I dont have any exams coming up in the next few days though..." he says in deep concentration.

" Oh I know! There is off course the issue of Lady's Patricias daughter." he exclaims.

" So my little friend... I have a certain Lady I want on my side... both from influence perspective and from a... special perspective. Said woman has a child though... Elisa. Elisa has gone missing for the past couple of days and either finding her or at least finding what happened to her could prove enough to win me her support and her bed... I dont know much about the kid, I dont have a clue how she got lost or what has happened to her but I heard that she was last seen playing in Belelen Plaza in the Mage's Quarter so you could start from there!"

He looks at you expectantly waiting for your answer.

[planswalker]

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the draconic grafts I'm looking for range in price from 8,000 to 100,000.

• Dragonbone legs 8,000 gp - legs
• Gleaming scales 9,000 gp - skin
• Glaring eye 10,000 gp - head
• Dragonheart presence 12,000 gp - flesh
• Frightful crest 28,000 gp - head
• Smashing tail 30,000 gp - legs
• Taloned arm 34,000 gp - arm
• Metabolic fire 56,000 gp - flesh
• Resilient scales 70,000 gp - skin
• Buffeting wings 100,000 gp - arms

for grafting purposes, there are five regions of your body: head, arms, legs, skin, and flesh.

An individual can have a total of fi ve grafts on his body, and all grafts must be of the same kind. You can have one graft of each slot type. For Mr Grafty, I've npc-only homebrewed a feat allowing you to exceed these limits if you can apply at least three kinds of grafts, but only for yourself.

Multiple draconic grafts bestow a cumulative benefit upon their host. A character with at least two draconic grafts gains damage reduction x/magic, where x equals the number of draconic grafts he has minus one.In addition, if the character has at least two draconic grafts,his natural attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A graft is not a magic item. It does not radiate a magical aura once completed, and it does not take up space on the body as a magic item would. A graft can’t be suppressed with dispel magic, nor is it affected by an antimagic field or similar effect.

A graft requires a sacrifice from the host. The draconic grafts presented here take a toll on a creature’s body. In most cases, a graft simply applies a permanent reduction to the character’s hit point total. This is not damage and
can’t be healed. In others, a graft might cause a permanent reduction in an ability score or a permanent penalty on certain checks or saves. A creature with a graft cannot get rid of the penalties or other costs of a graft unless the graft is removed.

at least, all this applies to draconic grafts.

the graft flesh (X) feats actually operate differently, but the Xgrafter feats operate this way.

I'm looking to get dragonbone legs, dragonheart presence, frightful crest, resilient scales, and buffeting wings if I can. ideally, the wings, scales, and crest are from green dragons. I'm more than willing to hunt down a wyrmling green dragon or three if I have to.

"That sounds simple enough. I'll check it out right away. Mind telling me where the poor distraught mother is as well? She may know something that could help."

After receiving his answers, if Brutred has nothing more to say, Little Green goes invisible and walks over to Belelen Plaza and scouts the place out, getting a feel for it.

[Monodominant]

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I know where he can find alot of dragon grafts... Temple of Tiamat is rumored to have 5 diffrent baby dragons hanging around :D :D :D

But overall thanks for the info, we can work to it.

The professor shakes his head.

"I do know where the woman lives but lets say interaction with her as well as the -person- who will bring her the info is going to be me... I have an interest in her as we said and having her be grateful to someone else is not the purpose here..." he considers how he can facilitate your need for information.

"There is a servant though, Karmen, she is the one that actually was taking care of the child most of the time... she may know something more though I doubt it..." he says giving you the details of where you may find her.

Finding the plaza itself is nor easy nor difficult. It is not one of the most famous ones but its not unknown either.

It is a quiet, beautifull small square with a large green garden in the center which has a large fountain in the center with water coming out of what seems to the the statue of a beautiful womans lips.

There are two small cofee places, a tavern and a few more stores around the square and all of them seem fairly expensive. There are a few cheaper stores that dont seem to fit in as much a couple of blocks away from the plaza including a butchers, a bakers and two convenient stores.

[planswalker]

"I getcha boss. Not a problem. I love a good deceit for higher purposes."

After checking out the plaza, Little Green next goes to the servant Karmen. Still invisible, he whispers to her, saying, "Be not afraid, Karmen! I am Talehos, spirit of lost children, and I have come to find Elisa and return her safely home. Please tell me when and where exactly you last saw her, as well as what happened."

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bluff - (d20+16)[21]

[Monodominant]

The woman startles but she stiffles a cry.

She turns around and swings in the air in a spin trying to see if someone invisible is playing a trick on her before you finish your first sentence.

Your height saves you as her fingers pass a few inches above your head.

Convinced that something strange is happening the woman looks around to see if anyone is watching her and then drops to her knees and prostrates herself towards the direction of the voice she heard.

"Forgive me Talehos! I am a bad keeper! I lost her! I lost poor Elisa because my fiance had come to see me!" she wails.

"She is a young girl and not a child as she used to... as she used to say" she says and tears well up.

"... she is 10 and so she was spending a few hours every day in the Plaza enjoying herself, running around playing with the occasional kid but not as much lately... she never complained to me, she never caused issues. She even cleaned and cut her nails and fingers for they were seen as signs of good upbringing." she continues starting to to rant on and on...

[planswalker]

"Please calm down. Start at the beginning. Tell me about the day she went missing. When did you first see her."

[planswalker]

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diplomancy - (d20+18)[34]

filler...

[Monodominant]

The steady voice of the spiritual entity around her seems to indeed manage to calm her down.

"Yes, yes you are right! I apologise for my manners and for my outburst" she says calming down slightly.

"It was 2 days ago, oh Spirit, I had been sent for the usual grocery shopping in the market around here. Her Ladyship finds the quality of the goods here are far superior and during the time I ran my errands the little lady gets the opportunity to play on her own or with other children." she says and a sob escapes her.

"That day I dont think there were any more children around. It was late afternoon as she had school in the morning and I had to prepare the house for a dinner party the Lady was giving for her friends. We arrived just after six, some of the stores had already started closing so I left her as usual by the garden in the Plaza and proceeded to go to each of the stores I needed, a new satin and a new silk table cloth, some fresh stakes and game sausages, delightful pastries from the good baker, some groceries and off course a new perfume for the house. I guess all in all it took me about an hour and a half to gather the items and I was on my way to return and pick her up since even the caffee would have closed... I looked around for her but I could not find her. I started panicking!" she says and pauses and you see anguish clearly playing in her face as she is remembering everything.

"I started calling out and knocking on the doors of the stores thinking perhaps one of the owners had seen her and taken her in but that was not the case..."she says and bursts into tears again.

"I told the watch and I told her Ladyship. Its all my fault! We came too late cause I had to make sure the china was doubly clean though the girl insisted we leave earlier..."she wails.

"Now I am jobless, people suspect that I did it and I dont even know where the poor girl is....

[planswalker]

"You have been of great help. When next I come to you, it will be with an opportunity to rescue the girl and redeem yourself."

Little Green will then sneak off, taking 10 for a 24.

He next goes to the garden mentioned and starts looking around to see if there is anyone who regularly frequents it at the time the girl disappeared.

[Monodominant]

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Would you like to roll a few gather info checks perhaps to get the answer on what you asked for and also any other juicy infos.

He arrives at the plaza once again and starts looking around at the goings on trying to figure out a pattern to it all. He realises that the answer to the universe, life and everything else is 42!

[planswalker]

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(5d20)[10][1][17][5][18](51)

+1 on each of those.

not sure how many you wanted me to make.

[Monodominant]

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The first one is good enough for what I am about to tell you.

It takes (1d4+1)[2] hours.

If he needs more he needs to get to the third one... getting there will take (if he chooses to do so) (2d4+2)[6] extra hours.

He finds out that there is a couple of old men that meet regularly early afternnon to play a game of chess in one of the stone chess sets found near the benches of the plaza. Though they meet earlier perhaps they might have seen something.

There is also the owner of one of the caffees that stays till later due to the fact that he gets a few wizards as clientele and doesnt have the courage to tell them to go when he is normally about to close.

Very vaguely he hears the phrase "its not as if its the first time it happened" when a younger couple discuss the matter of the disappearance of the child.

[planswalker]

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that's cool.

... is this the skulk abductions for their ritual sacrifices?

If by the time he finishes the initial investigation the old men are going to be meeting to play chess, he goes to meet them. If not, he'll talk with the cafe owner. If neither one is available when he finishes his initial investigation, he'll be taking the extra 6 hours to learn more.

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btw, cafe as in the eating establishment doesn't have any double letters in it. Caffee is a family name though, so if you meant that there's a family who owns a chain of restaurants in the city by that name, I apologize for my hubris.

[Monodominant]

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Heh, no its not the skulk thing... fun as it would be to throw you in your own plotline this is diffrent.

About the... coffee shop I guess its me feeling that the more letters a place has the better... it is indeed... a coffee shop. Or a café ;) .

Not to say this: http://www.houseofnames.com/caffee-family-crest

would not be possible.

As he has heard indeed at around 6 a fairly old though not frail looking man dressed in fine clothes approaches and sits on the bench from the side of the black pawns.

Not five minutes later an even older half-elf male dressed in fine quality robes arrives and sits accross him.

"Good eve Menel" says the half elf
"And to you Devon. Are you ready to lose?" replies the human
"You and whose army Menel?" retorts the half elf
"Well there is the army of the Black King off course" says the human with a toothy grin.

They start playing.

[planswalker]

Little green moves off a bit and drops his invisibility as he approaches them, trying to get their attention by saying, "Pardon me, sirs, but I have been hired to investigate the disappearance of a young girl who disappeared recently and wondered if you two knew anything about it."

[planswalker]

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diplomancy - (d20+18)[37]

forgot to roll...

[Monodominant]

"Pawn takes bishop" says the half elf turning to regard you with some interest.

"Ha! I knew you would fall for that! Queen takes rook and threatens" replies the human and also turns around.

"I did hear a girl was missing young man. I even heard it happened a few more times. As far as I am concerned though that is a matter for the Guard... or for the parents. Parents losing their children should be sent to the Needle Mines for negligence as far as I am concerned" he says.

"Dont be so hard on him Menel! He is obviously trying to help by taking matters into his own hands! We used to be go getters like him when we were young! What happened to your adventurous spirit" asks the half-elf.

"It grew old, smart and serious and perhaps rigid... just like the rest of me" says the human and laughs at his own joke.

The half-elf laughs as well and then shakes his head.

"Well, if you ask me all these kids are just running away. Most of the parents in this quarter are oppresive members of the establishment and do not allow kids and young people to go their own way! If it helps I have heard that old Sergius's son went missing a few weeks ago and there was also Anna's daughter last week... its like an epidemic of kids running away if you ask me..."

[planswalker]

"Please indulge me the follies of youth while I am young. Now is the time for me to test myself to the limits so that I too may one day enjoy myself in leisurely games of chess as I advance in age.

As it happens, I am here on behalf of the mother, or at least a dear friend of hers. I am seeking no monetary rewards from this, only the chance to spread friendship and trust. There is also the chance I can exonerate a poor girl who was accused of being a party to the abduction when in fact I know she was innocent.

Would you mind telling me where I can find them? perhaps I can ease their spirits too if it turns out all these children are running away to the same place."

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possible bluff check if you think getting a graft counts as a monetary reward. In his head, he's doing this to build up trust with his boss, but the altruism he's implying is of course patently false.

bluff - (d20+16)[28]

[Monodominant]

"Whatever the reason behind your actions young man it has a good purpose..." says the half elf.

"Yes Devon but rules must be followed. The Watch requires our trust and haphazardly trying to beat them to their job is not the best way to go about building trust between the authorities and the citizenry..." says the human uncertainly.

"Oh pipe down Menel. By the way, I see a check mate in 4 moves. So my dear lad. I can off course give you the addresses. I am glad to see today's younger generations taking an interest in good deeds for their own shake." he says and gives you all 3 addresses.

Two of them are in the Mage's quarter, the one belong to Elisa's mother and the one of the man named Sergius, and the other,Anna's at the borders of the Mage's Quarter and Midtown.

"I hope this helps you my friend. If you find out come tell us what happened... it would make for a good story" says the human returning his focus on the game.

[planswalker]

"Thank you most kindly sirs."

Little Green will walk off and poof once out of sight.

He next heads over to the cafe owner who might have seen something. For this one, he remains invisible but approaches the man with a different tactic than he did for the babysitter.

"Hello there! No, you're not going crazy. There is an invisible halfling standing in front of you who'd like to talk to you about something privately real fast if you don't mind."

[Monodominant]

The man looks towards the ground where the voice came from and frowns.

"Go away, you are going to scare the customers" he says in a very low voice.

[planswalker]

"Terror is not my intent. I am actually hoping to save a little girl's life and do not wish to be easily followed by those who might not want me to succeed. If you don't care though, I understand. I'll leave now. Your business is more important to you than the lives of the children who have gone missing."

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diplomancy - (d20+18)[25]

[Monodominant]

The man pauses and seems thoughtful.

"Yes and how do you think looking at an empty space and talking to thin air looks like? I will tell you how it looks. Like poor old Lirev lost his mind thats how! I already told the Guard everything I knew... that is I know nothing... I saw the kid roaming the plaza, I saw the servant going about her business then I went back to my customers. I didnt see any suspicious activity, I didnt see anyone take her and I didnt see what happened to her. One hour later the servant girl started running around knocking on doors asking about the child and I told her that in my opinion it was her fault... you cant leave kids on their own like that! Its a disgrace!" he says and stares a step or two next to you not sure where exactly you are.

[planswalker]

"Mind pointing out for me where in the plaza specifically? I'll definitely be sure to visit your place any time I want a coffee."

[Monodominant]

With an annoyed look the man points towards the center of the plaza in the garden.

"She was playing with the water in the fountain. I didnt pay more attention than that and if you will be a customer you better not come invisible!" he says before turning away.

[planswalker]

Little Green next investigates the home of Sergius.

He does so by walking up invisibly and knocking on the door.

[Monodominant]

A few moments later a man in disheveled clothing opens the door. He smells of alcohol and is unshaven and dirty.

"YES?" he yells seeing noone outside and looks left and right down the street.

[planswalker]

Little Green sneaks inside, taking 10 for a 24 on his move silently. He takes a look around and if he finds a comfortable chair to sit in, he does so and dispels the invisibility, waiting for the man to turn around.

[Monodominant]

The drank man does not hear you as you sneak past him.

He stays at the door for a few more moments swaying gently and then murmurs something to himself. He turns back in closing the door and takes a few steps inside before seeing you. He pause uncertain if indeed he sees what he think he sees and the confusion in his face starts turning into anger. His hand drops towards his belt seeking a weapon that is not actually there and he frowns.

"WHO ARE YOU? What are you doing in my house?"