DeepBlue's Vagabond - Act 1

[Deepblue706]

As Harold signals to Len to close the door, he hears something in the darkness - a child's whimper, which lasts for but a moment, and then goes silent again.

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold holds up a hand for quiet.
"Did you hear that? It sounded like a child. Which, as I understand things, shouldn't be inside. If you were wondering, I'm just going to see if this mist comes back."

[Deepblue706]

After shutting the door, the mist you previously saw does not return.

[Too_many_tamale]

Len happily re-opens the door, welcoming the flooding sunlight. To her, it Fargrim's light did nothing to the heavy gloom in the theatre.

"Huh." She eyes her giant wad of cloth smothering the door mechanism skeptically, even though it jammed pretty tight. Every ghost story she has ever heard has entrapment involved somewhere.

She rests the flat of the blade on her shoulder, nudging Flare reassuringly. Because its totaly him who needs reassurment, of course.

[Deepblue706]

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Wait, what? Fargrim didn't step forward, so the light he had didn't do anything yet. Nobody stepped forward, as a matter of fact. I was describing the looks of the theatre as if you still stood in the hall, before the opened way. The doors didn't shut again until you were back in the hall and decided to bar it...and now there's flooding sunlight? I'm confused, Tamale.

[ByeLindgren]

"A child, in there? Well, what are we waiting for? That's probably our guy, playing tricks on us as we speak! I'm going in that theater and clearing up all of this." Fargrim heads towards the door with his shining bludgeon.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare just smiles and pats Len's arm, and keeps close to her as he follows Fargrim. "A child you say? Well, I wouldn't be so quick to trust our senses. After all, these occurrences we've heard of don't seem to be exactly as they appear. They're manifestations of some other phenomenon, if they aren't simply outright deceptions."

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold draws himself up.
"All right; let's split up to cover more ground."
He looks around at his new cohorts expectantly for a moment, and then breaks into quiet laughter.
"Kidding. Sorry, I don't know what come over me just then. Yes, by all means let's stick our heads into this den of specters and illusion. After you, my stout friend."

[ByeLindgren]

Fargrim quietly grumbles, "What senses do I trust? It was Harold that said 'child,' and I thought it was the illusionist playing a trick on us," as he firmly swings the door open. Before even looking around, he yells, "All right, ya troublemaker! Show yourself, and we'll be more likely to ... understand your motivations."

[Too_many_tamale]

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I guess I'm just a real confusionmonger today. I'll take a backseat

Follwoing Fargrim inside, Len takes a brief hiatus from her unease to admire the lavishly appointed interior up close. Succesful as she had once been, she rarely ever saw this kind of opulence.

She runs a finger over one of the seat cushions as she passes by, trying to conjure up images of the building in its former days; a magnificent cultural center bathing in majestic golden light, packed with droves of distinguished patrons enjoying the finest entertainment the that arts have to offer.

No, that's corny. And distracting. Len brandishes her broadsword as she walks down the aisle alongside Flare.

[Saterus]

Ritan Drenathy

Bringing up the rear, Ritan walks cautiously. He hated the idea of illusions. How can you make decisions if you aren't sure you are really seeing something. Accurate judgment calls required sound information. Trusting his eyes and ears was one of the few things Ritan takes for granted. "How will we know we've found anything if we can't trust our senses, Flare?" Ritan walks up beside the mage, honestly expecting an answer he can use.

Until he can trust himself, he prefers to stay a step behind the Flare. If there is something illusionary to be found, he'd be the one to find it. Ritan's eye's scour everything, as if looking twice as long at something will reveal a hidden secret.

[EvilRoeSlade]

"Oh, that's easy," replies Flare readily. "Just rely on your judgment before your senses."

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold snaps his fingers.
"We should have come in from the stage door: get a better view of the auditorium. Ah, well. Lady Len, if you wouldn't mind watching our rear?" The smile he gives is one clearly meant to be charming.

[EvilRoeSlade]

"Actually, why don't you do that Harold? Len can lead us."

[Deepblue706]

After the full group finally enters the auditorium, there is dead silence. You navigate down an aisle, between rows of seats, Fargrim's spell giving you a better view of your surroundings. However, the light fails to provide much of the room with light, and there's plenty of the room that goes unseen. Fortunately, it's still enough to identify any incoming threat.

You make out, very faintly, balconies off to either side, up above, onlooking the stage, which is now at the end of your line of sight. Upon the stage, you can make out very little, but you think you see the silhouette of a person, standing tall, facing towards the door. The curtains are fully-open. Steps leading up the stage can be found both to the right and to the left.

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
"Hrm. Who thinks we should check out the balconies first? seems like that's where someone would be if they were watching."

[ByeLindgren]

"And what of that?" Fargrim quietly says as he motions towards the sillouette. "I think-- err, I think it's a fake. I think I should go see if it's magical in nature."

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold snorts.
"And I think it's a bad idea to follow the script as this madman's laid it out. If it's a ghost, it'll wait patiently. If it's not, we might force his hand."

[ByeLindgren]

"Or we could be sitting ducks right in the middle of the theater. I would hope this 'madman' doesn't have a ghost on his side. Even if we have to march up the stairs to go find empty balconies, I can see if the thing's magical from here."

Fargrim casts Detect Magic. Let's hope it lasts long enough to be useful.

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Divine Power Turning Check: (1d20+4)[17]
Ah, good, Fargrim will be able to Detect Magic for three minutes, assuming he maintains concentration.

[Deepblue706]

Fargrim only detects a faint, lingering aura, but he cannot yet determine of what nature it is. It is somewhat distorted, but this aura only appears to be felt in the direction you came from.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare beckons to Len and begins approaching the stage.

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
"Oi, Flare! I think that's a bad idea..."

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare glances back at Harold. "Well, it could be dangerous. But you're acting under the assumption that we're dealing with foul play. We'll have to investigate more before we can conclude that someone's doing this on purpose. Is anyone coming with me?"

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold
"But if it Isn't foul play, then whatever it is will be patient, and won't mind if we take our time about getting to it."
He looks around a little exasperated.
"I'm advocating checking the balconies first."

[ByeLindgren]

"Well, I don't sense anything coming from the stage, but behind us..." Fargrim turns around.

[Too_many_tamale]

But behind us...

Len glances back along with Fargrim; all she sees is Thomas' forlorn silhouette in the glaring sunlight.

"Say, admissions man!" Len calls to him. "During that performance when the actor was bitten by the snake, did you see anyone go through the building's front door?"

Her voice echoes jarringly though the cavernous hall, but she doesn't care. There's no hiding from "ghosts", anyway.

[Deepblue706]

There is no answer from Thomas. You presume he cannot hear you, because he went outside as soon as you entered the auditorium.

As Flare comes closer to the stage, he gets a clearer view of what is to be found: In the dead-center of it he spots a suit of black armor, pieced together and standing up, facing the way you came in.

Behind the suit of armor Flare notices other props: fake walls, and the like, that would be moved in and out during scene changes. Interestingly enough, scenes of all kinds are set up, here: There is what looks to be made to be a castle wall, a stable, a church, and the ocean, all merging with one another, side-by-side. At the right end, there is a tall bookcase. At the left end, a well.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare beckons the others over in a loud whisper. "Come on guys. It's not anything. Unless Len wants this suit of armor."

Still curious, he examines the various props, first carefully approaching the ocean scene.

[Too_many_tamale]

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D'oh. Okay, no forlorn silhouette after all.

(Tamale--putting the ass back in assume since 1985)

Len stares unwaveringly toward the entrance.

"Maybe I'm just trying to feel Savvy McClever but...something bothers me about that admissions manager."

Backing defensively toward the rest of the group, she tightens her grip on the sword handle with a leathery creak of her gloves.

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold sighs and trudges forward.
"Lady Len, would you humor me and knock the helmet off that suit of armor, please?"