[IC] The Unexpecteds

[Egneil]

Looking down at Frandol Naveris nods, "Yes, we're here," She said in confirmation, "I know we'll need to shift watch, but I'd like you to keep an eye out for trouble now. If nothing else I'll take the night watch."

Continuing into the forest beams of light illuminate patches of snow fallen from nearby trees. Following Elestil's route you head down a narrower trail a few miles down the main road. As the drivers compensate for the looser soil, you keep a look out for any trouble between the trees.

Bonus; Elestil

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Approaching a bend in the trail you happen to spot a shine off in the distance. Slowing down you focus your eyes to look between the trees. After a moment you see the glint again, recognizing it as worked metal. Your not close enough to get any more details than that, not even which direction their traveling. Knowing how the trail bends you figure that they'll be much closer after a few minutes travel.

[Newcomer]

Elestil slows to a stop, squinting ahead through the trees. He holds out a hand and prolongs his gaze, before breaking his silence. "I'm seeing the glint of light reflecting on metal," he says, pointing through the trees. "I believe it is worked metal, but I can't make it out more clearly from this distance."

He looks at his companions, then glances ahead down the trail they are following. After a moment's thought, he adds, "Considering the route of this trail, though, we should be considerably closer in a matter of minutes. Stay alert; someone or something lies ahead."

[ScrambledBrains]

Thurod nods at his Elf in a Goblin's body friend, "Good to know your eyes are as sharp as ever." Thurod compliments him, before pressing his hand to his eyes and looking in the same direction.

Casting:

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Casting Detect Magic

[Egneil]

You can't see what Elestil pointed out and your magic reveals no auras in that direction. Sweeping your surroundings you detect only the magics in and around the caravan.

The only oddities that you can note are that Naveris and a few of the caravan drivers have lingering auras from the universal school.

[Prince Zahn]

"Aye, aye, onto the job." Frandol climbs down to the ground, before shading his eyes with the hand on his forehead he yawns and stretches for a moment, then advances to Thurod and asks:
"Shall I move on to gathering the firewood? it's nice to see a little green, eh? With enough luck the - what were they called..."
Thinking a bit and trying to remember that one word relevant in common that sounds a wee bit like the old dwarven word for "vampire gnat"; a moment later he recalls. He snaps his gloved fingers as he shouts.
-twigs! and treehides, they may be dry."

[Egneil]

"We have enough firewood in the cart for the entire trip," Naveris told Frandol from her cart, "I'd like to keep moving ahead though. I don't like to have potential threats behind us, but we don't know what it is or if it has friends. Your call, but say Elestil," She turned to the goblin abruptly, "Would you be able to guess how far it is away?"

[Newcomer]

"It seems to be approximately three, maybe four hundred yards away," replies the goblin bard. "I cannot determine whether or not it is moving this way."

OOC

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I had assumed from your explanation that it was ahead of us, or off to the side a little. Is this correct?

[ScrambledBrains]

"My friends, if I may ask for your attention?" Thurod murmured, his attention still on the object in the distance. "It seems to me that leaving something so obviously suspicious to chance and not, at the very least investigating it, would be a mistake. Elestil, would you consent to scouting it out?"

[Newcomer]

The goblin Elestil looks to his halfling-hearted half-orc friend. "Certainly, I can perform a quick reconnoiter." He glances toward the cart expectantly, asking, "Naveris, can you afford a few minutes' delay, or shall I catch up to you when I'm done?"

[Prince Zahn]

"wait, Is this about the trees again? I know magic, Thurod, if anything the thawed-out Snowtrees are merely a symptom of the greater magic at work, or perhaps a pixie shed her dust as she danced on all the branches? Either way we are bound to find things of interest."
Having been Gathered by Thurod, Frandol obliviously strays to what he thinks is the topic followed by a little irony.

[ScrambledBrains]

Thurod clears his throat, "N-no, Frandol...this is not about the trees, but what is hidden beyond them." He explains patiently, before turning to Elestil, "When you go, please allow Grad to accompany you. No one should travel alone, particularly not in an area such as this, where we know not what may await us."

[Newcomer]

"Ah, but you forget my arcane talents," counters Elestil. "I can make myself both invisible and silent. If you insist, we can go together, but we will need to rely on mundane stealth."

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I don't want to demand the spotlight, but I could Invisibility/Silence myself without using up all of my spell slots. Though if something can see invisibility, then I could be in trouble...

[Dr.Robotnik]

"Whatever you this is best, Elestil" Grad says plainly as he idly passes his sword from hand to hand. "If you want, I could wait here and get ready to come over there if something goes wrong."

[Prince Zahn]

"I am not sure what ye require me for that," Frandol lowers his tone, only to be raised again to adress Naveris, a bit with a strict, if not serious tone. "Permission to set up my canvus and tools while the light is still out, madam Naveris?"

[Egneil]

Looking at Elestil Naveris comments, "I'd prefer it if you did go as a group, but that doesn't mean that you can't use your spells for a closer look. Just try to keep Grad close enough to intervene."

"Okay everyone we're going to have a small break here. Don't leave the caravan and don't setup any fires. I want us able to leave at a moments notice," She yells addressing the caravan. Looking at Frandol she says, "You may, but you'll need to be able to pack it up in under a minute and keep an eye out for trouble."

[Prince Zahn]

"I assure you, madam, That I am renowned for my senses of observation among my truest of friends." Frandol walks to the wagon to fetch his equipment, content with having a bit of time for himself.

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um...half-truth, much? I'm putting a bluff check in a spoiler, but in essence how the others react may be a bigger backup or giveaway than any result.

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Bluff:(1d20+6)[23]

With a wooden holder erected, he retrieves a rectangular canvas half-way done, and mounts it on the easel. it's height is about a foot-and-half tall and a two-feet-and-quarter wide, the style has many loose brush stroke of varying vigor, it is quite colorful and abstract, most noteworthy are the varying shades of yellow and blue in the background.
With a brush in his hand he looks about him for some sort of thought trigger.

[Newcomer]

Elestil courteously bows his head towards Naveris, then gestures to Grad. "Let us scout ahead, friend. And if we feel the need, one of us can sneak in closer with a spell or two." The goblin grins at the orc. Then he turns to hear Frandol and again smiles, nodding his head at the painter.

"Shall we?" He begins to quietly make his way toward the glint he saw, his bow readied, carefully trying to get a better view without appraching too close. He darts from tree to tree to maintain cover.

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Hide: (1d20+7)[22]
Move Silently: (1d20+7)[25]
Spot: (1d20)[16]
Listen: (1d20+4)[22]

[Dr.Robotnik]

Grad, before moving forwards with Elestil, focuses silently and emits a shower of purple sparks and the scent of burnt rubber and cherries.

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Vigor, 1PP, from the cognizance crystal

He then crouches and slowly and quietly walks behind the goblin with his sword drawn, hoping he manages to stay quiet.

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Take 10 on Move Silently and Hide, Listen and Spot are below.
(1d20+3)[14]
(1d20+3)[18]

[Egneil]

After leaving the caravan Grad follows the goblin as he moves silently between the trees. You try your best to make as little noise as you can despite the clanking links of your armor.

After about a minute and a half of travel, you stop as you hear the sounds of cracking leaves and twigs off to the northeast. Moving closer you listen to it for a bit. The sound is maybe sixty to eighty feet away and becoming more distant. Looking toward it's location the trees block you line of sight.

[Newcomer]

Elestil beckons for Grad to position himself directly behind a large tree with the goblin. Holding his bow at his side, the bard draws an arrow with a string tied around the shaft, bends low, and gestures with his free hand, quietly casting an enchantment on the sting. He speaks the incantation as softly as he can, turning to face away from the nearby sounds and directing his voice into the ground. As the magic takes effect, the two of them are plunged into complete silence.

A few seconds later, the goblin aims for a soft patch of leaves about 30 feet ahead of them, in the direction of the sounds they are trailing. He gently shoots the arrow into the leaves, where it lands without a sound.

Elestil quietly whispers to Grad, "Should I scout ahead invisible? With the arrow, I'll also be silent."

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Elestil casts Silence on the string around the arrow's shaft, then shoots the arrow as gently as possible into a soft landing spot 30 ft. away. He is hoping the arrow will not break, but since the spell is on the string, the spell will remain in effect either way.
Sound cannot travel through the 20 ft. radius area around the string, which means their whispers should not be heard from the direction of the disturbance. He intends to pick up the arrow as he moves ahead. The spell lasts for 7 minutes.

[Dr.Robotnik]

Grad nods his head at Elestil before adjusting his grip on his sword.

[Prince Zahn]

With a stern appearance Frandol stands by the partly finished art piece, twirling the wrong side of the paint brush on a loose lock of facial hair. Though concentrating solely on his next move, in essence time is passing and he has yet to lay a drop on paint on the canvas before he can dub it "progress".

Finally, with the most delicate precision a dwarf can aspire to he makes his move, his hand steady as a tree upon the earth, soon turning wobbly as a leaf in a rainstorm before dropping is brush in the nearby grass as the wind roars in his ear to break the serenity.

now terrified over the ruined piece, he imagines the buyer who requested for it in advance, outraged to find a hideous streak of yellow smearing across the canvas not through freedom and creativity, but through inner disturbance; Frandol most certainly cannot hand it to her like this.

"this cannot be; How doth I restore this? what CAN restore it?! THOOROD!"
Frandol panics, hustling to the wagon to find his spellbook, maybe a scroll he owns, anything that might help mend this situation.

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forgoing craft check result, something's gotta move around here.
painting over it is not a good option, as it'll turn crude and, more importantly, poorly executed method to a perfectionist client, and Frandol cannot do that to a paying customer(at least not about art, anyhow).
so how about a little game, shall we?
I, Zahn, have a clue what Frandol can do to fix this, but the dwarf is panicking right now, and cannot think of it, won't you do a kind deed and help him mend his mistake before the paint dries?

[Egneil]

Grabbing your arrow you note that the shaft is split down the middle. You may be able to mend it but you doubt that it can penetrate anything harder than mud.

Moving closer to where you heard the footsteps, you don't notice anyone when you arrive where they were. Looking around you notice a footprint on the forest floor. Examining it you find that it's only slightly larger than yours, and seems to be pointing towards the north. Looking through the trees in that direction, you see a lone figure between them about fifty feet away. You only see it for a moment before it moves out of view. From what you saw, it was about your stature and moving north and slightly to the west.

[ScrambledBrains]

Thurod's head jolts up at the scream, having been watching Elestil's progress as best he could. With a chuckle, he moves over to Frandol, "With all due respect, my Dwarven compatriot, our allies are trying to be stealthy. Now, what has your beard in such a knot?" He asks, before seeing the canvas, "Well, it's certainly different, but I hardly see how a smudge of yellow on your canvas warrents you shouting so."

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Thurod has no spells to fix it, but he does have the benefit of being smart for a Half-Orc. He could improvise.

[Newcomer]

Elestil reaches into his pouch for the proper component, waving it in a subtle pattern while he intones a short phrase. Suddenly, he disappears from Grad's sight.

The invisible goblin proceeds to recover his silent arrow. Unfortunately, it did not survive its impact intact, but he carries it anyway. He is almost undetectable as he silently and invisibly glides through the woods.

After spotting a figure in the distance, Elestil is torn, but decides to continue following the creature for a short distance. He is careful where he steps, not wanting to kick up leaves, but given his magical protections he can move quickly with confidence. He keeps his eyes about in other directions as well, hoping to glean some useful information to bring back to the caravan.

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Once again, sorry for the delay.

Elestil casts Invisibility before scouting, as you surely assumed. That also lasts for 7 minutes, starting a bit later than the Silence. He will move forward at a double move pace, hoping to catch up a little closer to the figure.

If you require a Hide check, assume Elestil is taking 10, for a 17 before any bonuses for invisibility. Move Silently shouldn't matter at all unless something breaks the spell. Similarly, Listen is useless.

Spot: (1d20)[5]

[Prince Zahn]

"don't you understand? The stroke is clumsy, the shade is wrong, and if it dries, painting over it will be a heinous act - my buyer would see right through it!" Frandol spreads his parchments and accessories on the ground, and tosses a leather-bound book in Thurod's direction, it's pages flap as the book rotates.
"there must be something here that could save me, help me look: I'll examine the scrolls and pack - you skim through my repertoire, Aaurgh! lords I cannot think straight! I must fix this but how..?!"

Spellbook description:

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The book that Frandol handed you is in decent condition with a sleight rip on one of it's binding corners, in the center of it's coal-black cover is a glossy kite-shaped symbol piercing through through a dynamically angled four-pointed star surrounded by a an elipse, moving it in light appears as if the star expands inside the circular barrier.

opening it you find a variety of pages written in various inks, sizes and thickness, but little orderly format is visible through such atrocious and messy handwriting, it may seem hard to believe the "infant" who scribbled upon these writings is making such a fuss right now over a streak of paint out of place.

[Egneil]

You catch up to the figure quickly enough, reaching them before they could move very far. When you get a clear view you see that there are three people wearing scale mail armor with a sheathed short sword at their waist. Their size and build suggest that they're gnomes. You can't see any identifying markings on their armor.

As you try getting a closer look, you notice one of them stop and look around a moment before the others follow suit. Watching them you can't tell what they're saying to each other, but you can tell their search is around your general area. They appear alert but they have yet to draw their swords.

Spot, Search DC:13

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Looking around yourself you notice the source of their alarm. A snow-laden branch snapped from a nearby tree fell into your field of silence.

[ScrambledBrains]

Thurod sighs as he pops open the spellbook, "If it will ease your worries and keep you quiet, I'll search through your spell book, Frandol. For now though, keep yourself calm." Thurod murmurs before looking into the book.

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Spellcraft Check: (1d20+6)[14]

If the above check is less than 24, Thurod will pop a Read Magic cantrip.

[Prince Zahn]

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do pardon me, Egneil, if I describe my own spellbook?

Spellbook:

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since casting Read Magic, the scribbles and symbols on the pictures become more clear and readable to you as your trail of thought enlightens to follow that which is written down.
Skimming through the book, It seems Frandol has kept quite the order inside, there's a chapter for apprentice magic and fundamentals, a chapter for early independent research,and of multiple other stages of advancement, none of them quite complete, however.

You find a large amount of cantrips, among are Dancing lights, Ray of Frost, Prestidigitation, Acid Splash, ghost sounds..., and few spells of varying levels of intricacy, which among words of chant include the many delicate requirements of these spells to function.

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for more information on my repertoire, you can look at my character sheet. It's on page 1 of the OOC thread, though keep in mind there is no mention IC of what is memorized and what not.

[Newcomer]

Alarm...

Elestil looks around carefully, figuring that he probably triggered an alarm spell, but mindful of other possibilities. If he doesn't notice anything amiss, he scans the area once more and slowly creeps back from them.

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I suppose I didn't mention it, but Elestil knows the radius of his Silence spell, and he's careful enough not to silence his quarry with it.
Spot: (1d20)[18]
Search: (1d20+2)[16]
I'm also guessing I've still got several minutes left on the spells' durations?