A Faerie Affair - IC III: In the Court of the Faerie King

[Stan]

Opal smiles a sweet thanks to the waitress. Once she leaves, Opal searches for a listening device, whatever that might look like.


Investigation (1d20+1)[21]

[Ninja_Prawn]

Opal looks around the room and quickly discovers a can-shaped object strapped to the underside of the table, with a string leading away from it. Following the string takes you to one of the walls - you assume there is another private room on the other side.

[Stan]

Opal points it to her friends, then points to the next room. Then she makes running motions with her figners and points back to the room again. Then she stage whispers.

"Ok, I can only whisper this next bit so come close. It's about the King's true form."

[WindStruck]

Astra can't help but stare at the string she never noticed before, complete with a can attached right under their table. How did they not notice that??

After Opal began to set up some kind of fake eavesdropping trick, Astra flew up to the can and yelled, surprise motherfu "Hey, we know you're listening!"

Then she went out of their private room next door and hovered before the door with arms crossed expectantly.

[tgva8889]

Orianna looks at the can, then sighs. Given her friends have already cleared it out, she instead follows Astra outside to offer some support in dealing with who or whatever may come out to greet them.

[Ninja_Prawn]

There is a deal of clattering and banging sounds from inside the room before the door edges open a crack and an eye peers out. The door then slams shut again and a voice within says "uh, there's nothing to see here! Please move along." You then hear what sounds like the verbal component of a spell.

[Majin]

Kor rushes into the room where the string came from. "Hey, darn it, we know you were listening to us! Show yourself!"

If Kor gets into the and finds out it's empty, he'll cast Enhance Ability to Get Owl's Wisdom and try to spot where the eavesdropper might have gone.

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception: (d20+6)[11]
Advantage: (d20+6)[23]

[WindStruck]

"Great, now she's invisible..." Astra muttered.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Kor rushes into the room where the string came from. "Hey, darn it, we know you were listening to us! Show yourself!"

If Kor gets into the and finds out it's empty, he'll cast Enhance Ability to Get Owl's Wisdom and try to spot where the eavesdropper might have gone.

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception: 11
Advantage: 23

"Hah, you'll never catch me," she chirps, the words scattering around the room and making it almost impossible to tell where exactly they came from.

Stealth: (1d20+2)[22]

Kor's enhanced senses can't be outfoxed, however, and he is able to pinpoint your eavesdropper, who seems to be trying to sneak past the party on your right flank.

[Majin]

"Ah-ha! There you are!" Kor exclaims and flies to block the invisible faerie. He also uses his breath attack to try to confuse it.

Spoiler: OOC

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Use Euphoria breath on the spot where the invisible fey is.

[Ninja_Prawn]

She curses when Kor spots her. Wisdom save: (1d20+3)[16]

The faerie coughs and splutters - and you all see her briefly outlined against the multi-hued smoke - but it seems like she has resisted its psychedelic properties.

Edging away from you, she says: "er, okay, come on now. If you all agree to leave quietly, I promise I won't hurt you. I'll forget everything I heard tonight..."

[Stan]

Opal moves to stand near Kor, making escape more difficult. But she doesn't draw her weapon or make an aggressive pose.

"Now that you know us, how about you introduce yourself?"

[Ninja_Prawn]

"I'd really rather not, but... okay." She drops the Invisibility and the four of you who were at Court today realise that this is the third contender for Royal Skald - the 'prankster'. Dressed all in black with her hair tied back, she looks far too serious for such a title. "People around here know me as Rhona Rainbow. I'm... a businesswoman. And I happen to have business elsewhere right now, so if you'd just let me past..."

[tgva8889]

"Perhaps you'd like to tell us about your business. Like what business brought you here, next to us, when we sought to find a private meal." Though her face is rather calm, Orianna's tone offers a suggestion for Rhona, with a bit hidden behind it as to how she might get them to let her pass.

Spoiler: OOC

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Persuasion I think? Orianna's not really threatening, more offering "if you tell us we'll let you go without issue."

Anyways here's a roll, assuming it's a Charisma check it will be the same: (1d20+3)[9]

[Ninja_Prawn]

Rhona mutters something insulting about foreigners. "Can't you guess?" She remains tense, as if trying to decide whether or not she can fight her way out.

[WindStruck]

Astra watched as the other Faerie woman appeared, but quickly tried to weasel her way out. "Well 'Miss Rainbow', I certainly hope your business doesn't involve telling everyone about our ideas. You see, getting both of the courts to be at peace and cooperate is very important, and if you run off and tell a bunch of nobles in advance, of course they'll be super-prepared, and of course the other court will notice. Then everyone will cry foul, and the whole thing won't work."

[Stan]

Opal puts her hand to her chin and considers. "I can understand business. But this one is right, we can't have things spilled at the wrong time. Maybe we have mutual interest. If you heard enough, instead of selling our info, you could sell other info to us that would help us along. Then we'd all be better off. How does that sound? Would you like to come in and sit with us and discuss it? Just think twice about double crossing us. Because we're uncouth adventurers and our main business is bustin' heads."

Opal smiles sweetly and makes a sweeping gesture towards their private table.

[Ninja_Prawn]

There is a long pause as she considers. "...Alright. We can talk. I understand you might be going on a journey soon? Might be I need a few things... delivered."

[Majin]

"Oh yeah, you don't want to get on our bad side"

Kor eyes Rhona warily. "... well, maybe we could help with that. What sort of things are you talking about?"

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Oh, you know... documents, messages, that sort of thing," she waffles vaguely. "In exchange, I can share a few secrets about the... other Court. Would that be of interest?"

[tgva8889]

Orianna looks to the others for a moment, then offers, "Perhaps. But we've been told a bit about the court already. What information could you share that we might not have already heard?"

[Ninja_Prawn]

"Well, happens I know where some of the secret passageway are, for a start." She fishes something out of her boot that might be a map. "And the passcodes that unlock them, obviously," she adds.

[WindStruck]

Astra flies closer to Opal and says, "Psst, Opal, don't give her any of your magic rocks for that information. They're worth way more than that!"

Spoiler

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Deception: (1d20+2)[4]

[Stan]

Opal looks at Astra. "Good point. We'll have to wait and see though."

Opal looks at Rhona. "Perhaps,deliveries could be made. But you'd have to give us good instructions as we've never been there."

[Ninja_Prawn]

Your attempts at deception bring a smile to her face. "Hah, you'll have to do better than that, pixie. I know every trick in the book. But if you're happy to strike a deal, then all's well. Let's see..." she starts writing, then presents you with a statement that reads:

Spoiler: Statement

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I, Rhona Rainbow, do swear that I did not eavesdrop on anyone at The Bittersweet Buffet on the 2nd of Mirtul, 1492.

R. Rainbow 2.5.92

We, the undersigned, do testify to the truth and completeness of the above statement.

........................

"There. If you have this, I can't claim to have heard anything, or you'll be able to name me a liar. Sign it, and I'll give you the documents, instructions for where to deliver them, and this map of secret ways. Then I'm free to go, right?"

[tgva8889]

Orianna takes the parchment and presents it to the others, looking at Rhona as if to discern her intentions.

Spoiler: OOC

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Insight, because obviously I should have rolled this much earlier in this conversation: (1d20+3)[20]

[WindStruck]

Astra grins and giggles, totally giving away the ruse. Oh well, at least she found it amusing.

Now this paper was drawn up, and Astra reads it... "Wait, wha? I mean, how do we know Rhona Rainbow isn't just some random pseudonym you never used before and you'll never use again? And do you really care if you're called out as a liar in.. well.. I mean no offense, but it seems like most people are liars in this court. At least in a roundabout way."

[Majin]

Kor looks at the piece of paper. So this was politics. The pixie didn't seem entirely honest, but the deal seemed good, though Kor was afraid she might be trying to con them somehow.

"Hmm, if you really are going to keep your promise, I think this deal's okay. I'm not going to be really happy if it turns out you're trying pull a fast one on us. We're dealing with serious stuff here, you know" Kor says to Rhona.

Spoiler: OOC

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Insight: (d20+4)[14]
Advantage: (d20+4)[22]

[Ninja_Prawn]

Spoiler: OOC

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Insight, because obviously I should have rolled this much earlier in this conversation: [roll0]

Spoiler: Ori and also Kor

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Yes, you realise you should have been paying closer attention. 'Rhona' is clearly trying to pull some kind of scam here. That probably isn't even her real name.

In fact... now that you think about it, something about that name sounds... deliberate?

Astra appears to have hit the nail on the head. "Aww, you caught me. That isn't my real name... but it is what everyone here knows me as. And, I'll have you know, being caught contradicting a sworn statement would be incredibly embarrassing. Like, really poor form. I absolutely wouldn't do it."

[WindStruck]

Astra puts her hands on her hips and says, "And you know what else would be really poor form? Selling us out and not giving the two courts a chance at peace meanwhile the drow and other nasty monsters continue to ride through the forest killing innocent fey because of it."

She sighs and says, "I suppose we're not going to stop you. Or at least, I won't harm you. But mark my words, if you ruin what little chance there is for this to work, you'll have blood on your hands. Is that what you want to live with?"

Spoiler

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Of course deception wouldn't be that great anyway. Now to continue on Astra's inspiring career as an inspirational speaker of inspiration!

persuasion: (1d20+4)[16]