Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

[TheFallenOne]

The High House of Magic

"Doesn't it get boring, to be isolated from your peers so long?" Mycion asks, cocking his head. "We all know the old cliché of the lone wizard in his tower, and often enough it is true, but I'd be bored out of my skull without all the others around too. Beliande as well, though for different reasons..." "Hush, dear", she answers in mock indignation easily recognized by her smile, slapping him on the back of his head.

Letting her gaze wander for a moment, Aya's eyes meet Wylam's on the balcony, and he makes a slight, beckoning motion with two fingers of his left hand.

Ravendark Castle

"Dunno, really", Liara answers with the slightest shrug. "It's all a blur. The portal is deep beneath the city. I stumbled through dark old corridors, chased by horrible, deformed creatures. When I couldn't escape I used my transport stone in a panic, going straight up. The fall nearly killed me, I think I smashed through a roof and crept to a bed I saw where I landed. Next I know I was here. Wasn't really in a shape to give those guys the laugh."

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she had magical blood, but is more skilled at stealth and trickery

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

"Transport stone?" Cael asks, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"You mean to say all this is for...trespassing?" he gestures to the windowless walls, the solid steel door. "It sounds like the circumstances were unusual, sure, but my visit had to be authorized by the chief constable. He told me that your cell is dimensionally locked, and he cautioned me against harming you. He mentioned Aglarond and Thay -- hells, he threatened war, Liara." He shakes his head in disbelief. "Can you imagine such a conflict, born of petty theft or vandalism? It sounds ridiculous."

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

"It might just be that the people who don't mind it are drawn to our path. It's never bothered me much, at least." Certainly, when she was on a mission, she rarely had the luxury of boredom. And... really, when wasn't she on a mission? Even when she was back home, training wasn't so different.

As she catches Wylam's summons, Aya takes advantage of the fortunate turn of the conversation to make a tactical withdrawal. "Well, I shouldn't interfere with your evening too much. Good night, Dean Starfire, Dean Moonglow." Bowing slightly with a half-smile of faint regret on her face, she backs away and drifts through the crowd, idly wondering whether any of the other Deans share the naming scheme as she makes her way along a less than direct path to the stairs.

"Good evening, sir." Aya nods as she greets her superior, electing to leave the matter of any reason for the summons to the Sage's discretion.

[TheFallenOne]

Ravendark Castle

Cael's words make her suddenly burst into laughter. "You get different standards for what's ridiculous once you leave the Prime. Why, just a week ago I saw a Quasit and an Imp playing Come Into My Castle together. Though that's in the top three of the weirdest things I've seen, so it hardly counts. Anyway, I'm sure they have their reasons. Not that it matters; we have to go." Her voice becomes pleading towards the end.

The High House of Magic

"Oh, we don't mind interference long as it's entertaining or otherwise of value", Mycion says with a smirk. They both bid Aya farewell; Beliande keeps oddly silent again. It seems she enjoys just watching the two unusually colored elfbloods interact.

Wylam raises a glass half-filled with dark wine in greeting. Next to him stands a mage in brownish red robes with thick black sidewhiskers, rugged face and massive body. He seems remarkably strong for a wizard, though he is half a dozen stone and a thick belly removed from an heroic build. "Greetings, Aya. This is Martinus McGreggor, Dean of Transmutation. Martin, Aya Llewellyn of the Order of the Shooting Star." The man gives a simple nod. "Just to be clear, as I am the senior member of our Order in this region we both understand you follow my commands unless they are contradicted by someone of superior rank or you think them to be against the tenets of our faith."

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

Aya nods back to the Dean - slightly deeper than his as a matter of habit - but most of her attention is on Wylam. She couldn't recall any orders she'd been given and hadn't followed, so the reminder probably meant he was about to issue one. And he wouldn't bother saying that in advance unless it was something... interesting. To then speak of it in a place like this... either way, he had definitely captured her curiosity.

"Understood, sir," she replies, tone full of polite patience.

[Jeff the Green]

Jorran's

"I dont know, but I doubt it," Mirielle replies. "She's not the most personable elf I've ever met—don't tell her that, please—and if she doesn't have anything else planned she might be better helping Alaister. You remember Vandroy, the Mage that brought us to the Graycloaks on our first day here? Apparently Cybrarvain has somethi g to do with him. I'm not that great at disguising myself or keeping from being seen, so Alaister's going to tail him today.

"I'm heading to the halls of mystery to pick up where I left off yesterday, and I'll look for Aya and see what she's doing. Meet you at my apartment shortly after midday?"

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Since Mirielle's going to be looking for Aya once she reaches the Hall of Mystery, I'm guessing you want to pause my stuff until Sallera's done with the previous night, TFO?

[TheFallenOne]

The High House of Magic

"Good. I notice you've made a quite useful companion in this Mirielle Greyhome. People tend to form small groups, often surprisingly diverse... Please tell me who you usually work with around here, what abilities they have and whether they can be trusted with more delicate matters."

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I think this should be the last conversation before Aya retires for the night

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

Aya nods, taking a moment to consider. It was the last criterion that made the question require a little thought; concealing any of her friends in town would bring little potential reward, and much risk. "Aside from Miri, there's Jorran Tolm, a blade artist and mercenary of sorts. Not the friendliest type, but good in a fight. Oddly enough, I think I would trust him; he seems to hold his loyalties close, few though they may be. I've seen him turn down a lot of money to keep his employers' secrets."

"And then there's Alaister. A... spy of sorts, I suppose. Seems to spend his time finding out useful information. We're temporarily working together through Miri, but the man has an almost pathological addiction to disguises - I don't know if I've yet seen him in the same face twice - and while he clearly wants to be trusted, that's almost another reason not to. I wouldn't, at least not yet."

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Agreed.

[candycorn]

Posh Paladin >> Misti Marva's (16th of Marpenoth)

Alaister awoke, slightly early, and prepared for his 'morning'. After a brief amount of time donning a quick disguise, he traveled out, to Misti Marva's pawnshop, with enough time to make the walk by noon, barring unforeseen circumstances.

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Disguise: (1d20+12)[27] -Same disguise as I used when I spoke to Misti last time.

Spells for the day: Light, Disguise Self

[Frog Dragon]

Gowntown

"Got it. We'll just have to tell her about the Greycloaks later," he says. "And Vandroy? That rat? he laughs. Surprising that someone as elusive as Cybrarvain would associate with someone like Vandroy. Anyway. As I said, I'll be there. " he says. "Now, goodbye." He starts pulling the door closed.

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

"Right, how silly of me," Cael says, rolling his eyes as he stands up. "I'll just go let Constable Sunriver know that you're ready to leave..." He feigns a motion toward the door before turning back. Look, I appreciate your sense of urgency here, but you're being held in a castle -- literally, a fortress -- belonging to the Raven Bluff city watch. Getting you out of here is going to take a bit of planning, if not a lot of luck, and don't even get me started on this portal. Are you sure you'll be able to find it again?"

Spoiler

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What about the transport stone Liara mentioned? Not sure if you missed Cael's question about it. Is it something he would knowing anything about?

[TheFallenOne]

The High House of Magic

"I see." Wylam and McGreggor exchange a short look. "There's a new person of interest in the city, currently working alone far as we know. Do you think yourself able, personally or through proxy, to gain a stranger's trust so he turns to you first if he needs help in a dangerous and possibly illegal matter?"

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawnshop

The shop is still closed when Alaister arrives, but he has to contemplate the sign only a few moments until the door opens and Misti sticks her head out. "How unexpected, a familiar face", she teases with a smirk. "Come in, I just had a late breakfast. Want some tea?"

Ravendark Castle

"Somewhere below the city... I think I have a spell that might help. Or maybe a scroll? Either way, we have to get out of here. We're so close, I thought I'd have to fetch you from Aglarond first..." Her voice slowly drifts off. "Have to get out of here first... You said dimensionally locked? Can get through the stone, though it will take more than one spell... And then we have to go Cael, far far away from here."

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she just skipped over the question

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

Aya frowns slightly, but slowly nods. "I should be able to gain his trust." The Order didn't have a lot of enemies, and she had projects and information enough to share if it was necessary. "Illegal, though? Would my objective be to prevent him from proceeding, or encourage alternative measures...?"

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

Cael nod's at Liara's suggestion. "I was thinking along similar lines, but such spells are beyond my ability. Scrolls will be expensive, so let's hope that your cell adjoins an exterior wall. I don't suppose you've hidden a cache of gold somewhere in the city?" he smirks. "Money is a little tight at the moment, but I should be able to work something out. I'll a need a day at least, maybe two, so in the meantime," he reaches into a pocket and removes one of the marked coins he had prepared the day before, "hide this somewhere in your cell so I can locate you from outside the castle."

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I'm more or less ready to wrap this up whenever you are. When it's time to go, Cael will cast detect magic. He'll check for auras affecting Liara as well as the walls of her cell before knocking on the door to her cell. Once it's open, he'll check for auras on the guard(s) stationed in the hallway (preferably one escorting him out so as not to linger awkwardly).

Spellcraft checks to identify schools of magic:

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(d20+17)[28]
(d20+17)[23]
(d20+17)[31]
(d20+17)[20]
(d20+17)[30]
(d20+17)[28]
(d20+17)[29]
(d20+17)[18]
(d20+17)[22]
(d20+17)[23]

[Jeff the Green]

Jorran's -> Halls of Mystery

Mirielle blinks as the door closes; Jorran's curtness had surprised her a bit, but on reflection she was hardly one to throw stones given her surliness with Alaister the previous night. She wipes her glasses on her cassock and sets off for the Halls of Mystery.

Once at her destination she heads straight for the nearest person who looks to be a guard or otherwise familiar with the layout of Mystra's temple. "Excuse me," she asks politely, "I'm looking for a friend of mine, Aya of the Order of the Shooting Star. She is staying here while she's in the city, but I'm not sure where here."

[TheFallenOne]

The High House of Magic

"He might try to get hold of something currently in the hands of the City Watch.For now we just want to prevent sudden and potentially harmful moves by him until we have more information, then we'll see about long-term plans", Wylam explains. "I can give you some more on the matter if you want, but not knowing is perhaps better to feign ignorance. He goes by Alhruar Elyrin, although that is a fake name, and stays at the Lucky Coin Inn." Martinus then provides a physical description of Cael.

Ravendark Castle

Liara keeps drifting off as Cael speaks, until she hugs her knees again and whispers "We have to go... We have to go...", monotonously. Cael's spell somehow gets disrupted or suppressed on casting, and a moment later the cell door opens. "That's enough for today, and you should know better than using divinations on other people's property, much less the office of the watch. Do that in a tavern where people gamble and you're lucky to get away with some broken bones, just so you know."

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

"Hm." Not knowing what he was after would mean she needed fewer lies, and while she was skilled enough in misdirection and half-truths, outright lies were not her forte. On the other hand, it might make it easier to maneuver him into a position of trust if she knew what he needed.

"Alright, we'll work without the details on the situation. Do you have any more details on him, though? If he's a magus of some sort, that would give me an starting point or two."

[TheFallenOne]

The High House of Magic

"He is indeed an arkanist of some sort, though the details elude us. And he somehow thought it prudent to fill out the Spellcaster Registration with his fake name", Wylam says with a wry smile. "A foolish and pointless act. Legally he is still unregistered, so all it does is add fraud to the count if he ever faces a court." "But even when working closely with the Watch we can't get access to the actual content of the Registration files. Inconvenient, but perhaps good in the grand scheme of things."

[candycorn]

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawn Shop

Alaister shakes his head, giving a sheepish grin, and rolling his eyes at the joke, as he walks in. "Tea sounds wonderful, thank you. How was your evening?"

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

His spell having already failed for reasons he cannot comprehend, Cael isn't quite sure what to make of Sunriver's seemingly clairvoyant comments. "Yes...yes, of course. I seem to have forgotten myself. My apologies," he offers meagerly, his voice distant, eyes lingering on his sister as he considers this latest mystery while still trying to make sense of her timely regression. "If this...condition persists, what will happen to her?" he asks as he steps out into the hall.

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Is Cael able to detect any sign that Sunriver was able to hear, or has otherwise been made aware of, what he and Liara discussed?

Sense Motive: (d20+5)[12]

If Sunriver escorts Cael back to the front desk, Cael will take 10 on his Autohypnosis check to memorize the number of steps and the directions along the way.

Also, because I'm sure you want to wrap this day up ASAP, I want to be sure to mention that before he leaves the office of the watch, Cael will earnestly thank Sunriver for the opportunity to visit his 'friend,' and on his way back to the Lucky Coin, he will stop to purchase 5 sheets of parchment, a vial of ink and an inkpen.

[TheFallenOne]

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawn Shop

"Well enough, quite the party at the High House of Magic. Bring the sign when you close the door, will you?" She prepares two glasses of steaming tea with green leaves. "What can I do for you?"

Ravendark Castle

"I'm afraid you're not eligible for this information. Without her explicit consent there is little we can tell you about what might happen to her, be the condition permanent or not."

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no sign. you do the shopping

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

"I suppose it would be. Thank you, then, I'll work with this." Bowing to Wylam and McGreggor as she leaves, Aya lingers around the party for another half-hour or so; an old habit, in case someone had been watching. Eventually, she takes her leave, and returns to the Halls. It had been a productive enough evening, she supposed, even if she'd been a bit too preoccupied to find Casheira without the latter noticing. There would probably be other opportunities to identify her, and she had other things to do.

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Alright, I guess we can probably end the revel scene there, unless you had anything else to add. I really need to catch up in the timeline anyway.

The Halls of Mystery

Aya is already finished her breakfast and dressed in her usual attire before the sun rises, wanting to get an early eye on the residence of this 'Alrhuar.' "Morning, Miri," she calls, stopping on her way out. "Getting an early start on the library-diving?"

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Hope you don't mind if I assume Aya catches Miri on her way out, since realistically Aya'd probably be gone half an hour or so before she gets there.

[candycorn]

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawn Shop

Alaister collects the sign as he walks in. "The High House had a party? And you didn't die of boredom?" Alaister chuckles as the door closes. "The reason for my visit should be as familiar as my face. I came back to take you up on the information concerning Black Sorrow's ally. I brought your asking price for the details on Ms. Lashon, and the specifics on that offered mission."

[TheFallenOne]

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawn Shop

Misti laughs heartily for some seconds at Alaister's comment. "Oh, a good way to start the day... You misjudge the guild mightily. Their monthly Revels Arcane are one of the most entertaining gatherings, perhaps because the selection of guests is more diverse than at most noble revels. And on Mystra's holy day things are all but dull."

She sits down, silent for some seconds as her smile recedes. "Anyway, on to some more serious matters. Larshon is the name. Seems you did some digging since last we talked, so you likely know she is the captain of those two prison ships. What you might not know is that she is head of a small Loviatar cult your Black Sorrow is also part of."

She takes a sip of the tea. "She has been abusing her position for a while now. I understand those ships are a death sentence and people aren't supposed to come back - but she goes beyond that. Torture, abuse, maybe even human sacrifice. Few care what happens to those already sentenced to die. But the families they leave behind would like to see her pay. So do I. I hear of many things happening in the city, and of some things I'd prefer not to hear of again. Even when the victims are rapists, highwaymen and murderers."

[rypt]

Lucky Coin Inn

Exhausted by the events of the previous day, Cael rises from his trance to find the sun already high in the sky. After dressing, and casting his usual defensive spells, he takes a piece of straw from his mattress, folding it twice in half such that the resulting creases divide its length into quarters. He then sits down with a sheet of parchment and an inkpen, and using the metered straw as a rough scale, attempts to map out the interior of the watch office leading from Liara's cell to the front desk. Once the map is complete, he sets it aside dry and heads downstairs for a late breakfast.

Mindful of Misti Marva's unconventional business hours, Cael eats slowly, and lingers for sometime afterwards, hoping that Jacinth might stop by. He waits until the midday bells before departing.

[candycorn]

Alaister considers what he's being told, fingers tracing a light circle on the rim of the teacup... "So she's the head of the Disciples of the White Rod? I must admit, it's the ideal position for one of Loviatar's devout. After all, if anyone is less missed than the destitute, it's criminals sentenced to death. Still, I can appreciate why one following Loviatar's tenets would generate enemies, and... Yes, I think she will do nicely. We can rid the city of someone who offends the sensibilities of the upright, and I can't think of a better target for gaining the undivided attention of Black Sorrow.

As I understand it, the task to be completed is removing her from her position of authority on the prison ships, by any means necessary. If Lashon were to happen to meet with a tragic accident, that wouldn't be a problem, either. Is this correct?"

With that, Alaister takes a sip of the tea, and looks over at Misti.

[Jeff the Green]

The Halls of Mystery

Mirielle smiles wryly. "Pretty much," she says. "I'm only going to be here this morning, so I thought I should at least get a start. Alaister has uncovered something on that mad monk and Jorran and I are going to follow up on it this afternoon. If you don't have anything pressing, you can come with me to meet him at midday; otherwise we can fill you in later."

[TheFallenOne]

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawn Shop

Misti looks quite puzzled for a moment. "Disciples of the White Rod? No, I very much doubt she is the leader of them. Wasn't that a monk order? I think I only once heard a passing mention of the name.

But yes, that's what I'm asking for. Remove her in what way you can. I spoke of an opportunity - Loviatar worshippers gather every 12 days, as does this cult, a bit outside the city. Well removed from interference of the authorities or whatever defenses the ships hold." She leans back, smirking. "I was preparing to offer this pitch to an eager group of adventurers at an opportune moment. Destroy an evil cult, take their stuff and get a reward on top; you know the kind of people who'd jump at a chance like that. But you might be the kind of guy who tries something less straightforward, more creative... Not that I mind, though getting both Larshon and Sorrow at once might be worth it if you can handle it."

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

"I'll have to pass on that. Work to do. But I might let you in on it a little later, so I'll leave you a note if I can't find you. And I'll help you with your monastic issues once you find an opportunity, as long as there's no conflict with this new matter." Aya waves and sets off, heading for the Lucky Coin.

'Alrhuar' proves a rather long wait, but better that than a missed opportunity. Finding a hidden place to watch the front door, she blends into the background as he appears, testing first his level of paranoia.

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Chameleon, and take 10 on Hide while following for 30 if he walks or 25 if he hurries. Will just follow for now unless spotted.

[candycorn]

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawn Shop

Alaister frowns at the missed guess on Lashon's order, but replies, "Yes, it's a monk order, but it's also a Loviatar order, if memory serves, and Sorrow happens to be a member of that order. It would be overly convenient if she was the head of that group... Wishful thinking on my part.

Sadly, I may have to take the straightforward option , due to the sensibilities of one or two of my companions. One is strongly against killing within the bounds of the city... Don't ask me why, as if crossing a line on a map makes it any more or less justified, but it's a limitation I'll have to honor, unless I can find a way to persuade otherwise.

That said, if the ship is full of prisoners who have received the death penalty, I may be able to work out something... Creative. All depends on how my colleagues take my suggestions. We'll see how it works out, I suppose. I've got a couple ideas for how to go about this.

What day, exactly, is this group meeting up, incidentally?"