3.5 Political Adventure [IC]

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Phaedrus:

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You are definitely certain that there is a humanoid on next roof but one to the left. The roof is slightly lower than the terrace you are on, but there is a large house in between that obscures your view. Even when you look at the figure you can't make it out distinctly.

[Starbin]

As Caladeran took in the vista that the rooftop bar offered, he noticed someone or something on a roof nearby. Leaning towards the others, he nodded towards the house and what he saw. "Is Mal coming this way? It's either her, or someone else with dubious intentions ..."

[sdream]

"Mal's still with Crystalena... I'm going to see who my new rooftop buddy is."

Selena seems to focus for a second, then starts running.

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Selena loves roof running (she's actually more familiar with the roofs than with the alleys in some areas of the city, and prefers to hang around areas with nice sturdy, non-slippery roofs.

She's going to spend 3 pp to give herself 15 temporary hp in case she does something stupid like fall on a fence, then take the fastest route to that roof. (Not doing the 5x running, just moving her full move action speed).

She'll try to minimize the mess and mental disturbance around her, as a good patron should (concentration DC15 to suppress casting material and olfactory displays)
Display suppression (1d20+11)[31]

If she can run along or up a wall or make a short (6' jump) to get closer without running down to the street and running back up again she will do so. As long as she can find a flat spot 30' closer to the mystery to regain her balance, she should not need any climb rolls, but here's a bunch of rolls in case they are needed, feel free to roll any extra for me:

Initiative +0 (1d20)[13]
Climb +3 (1d20+3)[23]
Balance +2 (1d20+2)[13]
Jump +1 (1d20+1)[3]

Remember that she invested in boots of landing that allow her to always land on her feet, and subtract 20' from all fall damage, so she's not afraid to take a chance with that and her Vigor insurance.

Edit - gosh I hope there's not a gap of about 6 feet, because she surely would trip in the dark and plummet to her fairly cushy not-really-doom with that roll.

Edit 2 - On the other hand, woot for Nat20s on concentration and climbing.

[Suddo]

Glanror was glad to find good company in town and even more glad that he had found level headed ones. He had almost wished for a fight, hopefully a challenge, but was glad that no blood had to be spilled. The Rising Sun was always a busy he recognized very few people but still found his way through the varied place to he finds himself a corner to sit in the bar thinking that the stress of the day needed a quick drink.

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Sorry for delay, its still day in game right.
Spot: (1d20-1)[14]

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Glanror:

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Yep, about noon. You don't see anything, except Selena wandering off.

Selena:
No one really takes notice of you, and you easily slide by the other patrons causing no disturbance. You quickly scale the first roof and traverse it, but coming down the other side is more difficult; you don't quite make the gap and only save yourself by catching the wall and climbing it.
As you make it up onto the second roof, the figure spots you and quickly starts to head off along the roof. The figure is dressed in tight fitting clothes, of good quality, but it is difficult to make it out as it seems somewhat blurred.

All: You hear the crash of many feet, indicating the imminent arrival of the procession.

[sdream]

Selena pursues the mysterious visitor to her rooftop neighborhood, calling out to him/her in friendly greeting.

"Hey buddy, no need to clear off, we can both watch the procession together!"

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Despite her recent experiences, her excitement at soon seeing the procession and the prospect of meeting another person who loves roof running has caused her to fumble her wis check for suspicious behavior.

"On the roof? I love roofs!"
"Great roof, Clark. Let’s jump around on it a bit."
-The Tick


EDIT - Oh, and I used the wrong color again - fixed.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Selena:

The figure spins and before you can react, you feel your limbs being bound by invisible restraints.

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Will save

[sdream]

"Gla-ar!"

Selena momentarily halted by some strange spell effect, but her agile mind quickly slips free.

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I'm assuming a 22 will do me, as it would work against a pretty high level spell from a really clever caster. Feel free to update the others on what they observe and post who has the next action, as it is no longer a double post.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Selena: With an effort of will you shatter the hold on you before it can effectively freeze you. As you exclaim, the figure seems surprised, and muttering something vanishes from sight.

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Your go.

Everyone: You see the figure stop running and then vanish, as well as hear a faintly audible yelp. The procession (as described earlier) is now turning through the main square and is visible to the main group.

[Starbin]

Caladeran moved forward, hand on the spiked chain at this waist. Eyes furrowed, he searched the roof-tops for the figure, while checking to see if Selena was okay. "Curiouser and curiouser ...

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Caladeran: You don't see the other figure anywhere.

[sdream]

Selena is stays put and listens for the sound of motion around her.

Hmm, that's an oddly shy visitor... did she 'port out or just go invisible...

Selena squints her eyes as she summons the mental receptivity to analyze lingering traces of magical or psionic energy.

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Listen (no action to needed to detect new sounds, like someone approaching me, or jumping around on the nearby roofs) DC = Move Silently
(1d20+4)[6]

Concentration to cast detect psionics without a chime and glows - DC = 15
(1d20+11)[31]

And then the part you will need to judge, detect psionics/magic detects the presence auras the first round, and it is also capable of detect the faint traces where auras have been within the last while.

Does the initial round return yes for these very faint traces of past spells, or only for an active spell or item? I would IC know the answer based upon past experience, but I don't OOC know your rules on such.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Selena:

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You hear nothing.
As your 'spell' starts you pick up a faint aura around yourself and a muddle of auras along the roof, leading all over the roofs' of the two nearest houses. After about 20 seconds you can detect a cluster of strong auras coming from the roof two houses on, nearest to the edge.
At this point you can also see the head of the procession behind you.

[sdream]

Selena spends about 30 seconds still, as she finds the auras and then watches a few seconds to see if they are still moving.

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So since Selena's excalamation to now, you guys should have several actions, I should be able to converse with you, although I will be concentrating on tracking the magic.

PS - with 2 attracts, 3 points to vigor (2.2 minutes left by my count), and Detect Magic (2.5 minutes left by my count), I have used 6 of my 17 daily PP.

[Jodah]

Seeing that Selena is okay, Phaedrus goes to where the where she will be getting back on this roof. He begins to think about what he saw and tries to recall what he has read to see what magic is at work. What did they want...and why were they frightened by Sel?

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Spell craft on restraints: (1d20+6)[26]
Spell craft on vanishing: (1d20+9)[21] - using my cunning knowledge for spellcraft on this roll

Unless this is psionics, in which case I can't do anything. So I suppose now is the time to ask - is psionics a type of magic (so spellcraft and knowledge arcana works on it) or is it different and needs its own skills.

[Starbin]

Not seeing the figure reappear, Caladeran focused on watching Selena. He knew of magics that could render someone invisible to the world at large; however, the flaw in their weave was that they usually disappated when the cloaked creature attacked. At least at lower power levels.

As he continued to watch, the sounds of the procession grew closer and closer. The question came, almost unbidden, to his lips. "So who would be using magic to hide themselves on the Archa's route? And for what purpose?"

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Phraedrus:

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You heard no verbal parts to either spell, but you manage to identify the somatic components to the first spell; it seemed to be a Hold Person spell. The other spell was performed too far away and you couldn't identify it.

Edit:

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Skills and spells which deal with Magic/psionics will work on each other, though you can tell they are different.

[Sgt. Cookie]

((Here I am. Sorry, IRL stuff))

Aquarius looked up from the book he was reading at the open door.
"If you're looking for a librarian, you are probably out of luck. I don't know if one is around."

((Only use the bluff roll if you feel it is needed: (1d20+6)[10]))

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Aquarius: The woman looks around, slightly confused. "No..." She began, "I was asked to meet someone here." She still did not seem quite certain, and she glanced around the shelves as if looking for someone.

[sdream]

Meanwhile, as the procession came ever further towards her position and her friends made no moves to come help investigate, Selena was becoming very worried about the mysterious blurred and now invisible stranger.

He or she seemed to be parked (based on active magical effects and gear) just a couple rooftops over, waiting for the procession.

"I don't want to blow them away... they COULD just be a very shy innocent bystander. On the other hand, they seem very well equipped and very secretive for an innocent bystander. I need a hand."

Selena waves in the direction of her comrades, beckoning them to join her, as she remains crouched down by the roofline, focused on the magic auras of the stranger.

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DM rulings:
- From my readings of Invis+Detect Magic I can pinpoint their location, but not actually see them, so they have full concealment. Does that mean spells with attack rolls are 50% miss chance? (Thinking of my stone of entangling ectoplasm)
- What about using my elemental missile? It is a direct cast spell with a save, I think that means it cannot be used on a concealed target usually (it requires line of sight). What about using the 5 missiles to pepper the area where I see the magic auras... I have line of sight to those locations, would that have a chance to land?
- Are the auras on a flat roof, or sloped? If I targetted the roof itself with Sonic Missile, could I get it to collapse as opposed to throwing the target off into the street? (Wood 1 inch think should have 10 hitpoints)

Obviously, Selena would prefer to spot for a friend, but if the procession gets closer than 100 feet from that roof, she's going to act to prevent the chance of a REAL attack.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

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Since they are auras it's showing you the 5ft area where the person is, not the exact outline (in my way of thinking), so:
-Full concealment, so yes.
-Correct, you wouldn't be able to use direct cast, but the missiles makes sense so it would have the same 50% miss chance I think, for each missile.
-Slightly sloped, yes if you dealt enough damage you could break the roof.

The auras start to move up the roof, away from the street, and stop at the summit, with a good view of the surrounding area.

[sdream]

When the auras move:

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Selena has potentially essential information, but no good way to use it without her friends, and she's not keen on opening fire blindly (in a literal and figurative sense).

She's going to put this problem back where it belongs: in the hands of the Archa's security team.

With a use of Control Sound she's going to magnify the sound of whatever conveyances (feet? Wagons?) the Archa's party is using (should be audible at ground zero over the roar of the crowd, but not disturbing to the crowd). She's going to replace it with her voice:

"This is the friendly psion on the roof 80 feet ahead on your right. Just a warning, there is a suspicious and aggressive invisible person lurking on the roofline 30 feet further along from me."

Daily PP - 17-2attract-3vigor-1detect-3sound = 8pp left

[Jodah]

Phaedrus, seeing Selena'a gesture, and watching her stare at a single spot, figures Mr. Mystery is still up to something and Selena is watching him. Muttering under his breath, "Just. One. Quiet. Day," he takes a few steps back, runs toward the edge and jumps.

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Jump: (1d20+5)[13] - Just to clarify, he is jumping to the roof Selena is on, not off the balcony to the street - my placement is kind of vague right now.

[Sgt. Cookie]

"You look like you expect a crossbow bolt to appear out of the shelves. You should calm down. Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lucian, wielder of blemished steel, arcane might and divine favour, at your service. And what might your name be?"

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Aquarius:
She continues to stare at you looking confused: "Maria... Wait, have you ever been to the Savant's Repose?"

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Aquarius:
She continues to stare at you looking confused: "Maria... Wait, have you ever been to the Savant's Repose?"

Selena:
You feel a sudden surge in conjuration auras, and then you feel them weaken significantly.

Phaedrus:
You manage to jump onto the roof and approach Selena, and mid way there here her voicing booming across the street.

All:
The procession is now fully in the street below. The Dias that the Archa is on has halted and she now an older man stands next to her, wearing blue robes and a long golden chain around his neck with a heavy looking orb on it.

Many of the soldiers are looking around, and on spotting the two people on the roof, start sending men in through the houses' front doors.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Aquarius shrugs in an off hand manner, and returns to looking at one of the books.

"I've been to a lot of places. I don't really bother with place names, since I'm never anywhere for more than a couple of days. So I couldn't really say. Why? Is it any good?"

[sdream]

Oops, that was a bit louder than I intended. What a time for Fade to jump over. Oh well. I've got nothing to hide right now.

Selena looks over at Phaedrus, who has just arrived from the Beer Garden Balcony, and points towards the last position she sensed the auras at, before her awareness retracted to produce the warning for the Archa.

"That guy who went invisible was over there last, something happened right when I warned the Archa though. We're probably going to have guards up here in a second. You cool to wait for them?"

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Aquarius:

She looks you up and down, before shaking her head and turning away "I'm sorry, I'm looking for someone else."

[Sgt. Cookie]

Looking up from his books, Aquarius carries a look of amusement and curiosity.

"A secret pass code? Really? My, my. Have you been reading bad epics, by any chance? Heh."

Aquarius leans back in his chair.

"You're no trained operative. That's for sure. You are a little paranoid, two cohorts to escort you to the library, you are more paranoid than a Necromancer in a graveyard and there has been an attempt on the life of the local lord. Doesn't take a genius, you know..."

Aquarius leaves it hanging, but prepares his defenses.

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If the three of them become obviously hostile, Aquarius will cast Summon Monster 1 and grab his sword.