Psionic Anti-Crime Squad II: Mind Games [IC]

[Tsunamiatunzen1]

Briefing
It's a good thing Lucky has a good head on his shoulders. Never could stand these debriefings.
At the mention of 'cuts and bruises' Ian snorts in derision but makes no comments as he is assigned another project.
Ian sighed a bit, not wanting to speak with Lucky as it was Ian's curiosity that had roused Immortal and nearly gotten everyone killed.
"Come by the study later, I should be able to answer most of your questions. I can also write a letter back to the Academy if I absolutely have to."
This last part is grated out, brow wrinkled in what could be most closely described as disgust.

As the newcomers are introduced, his reaction is mixed.
"Ah! Mr. Theophilus! Perfect timing that you should join us, I would like you and Ms. Leolin to test a new procedure I have thought up of. However..."
He pauses in scrutiny of the three.
"I don't suppose any of you kept up with keeping control of your abilities while under extreme duress have you? If not, I have little to offer you and I'll be continuing my research on my own."
He gives a suspicious glance at Mouserat, not entirely aware of it himself.
Why do I have the feeling we've met somewhere?

After
Ian spends much of his time looking for more ways to expand the possibilities of enhancing Talents, he looks for other possible materials that are purported to enhance Talents or the lodestones' unique properties. Precious metals perhaps?
He even goes so far as to crush some lodestones and puts trace amounts into a concoction for drinking, looking for Leolin and Theophilus to help test his theories that the minerals found in lodestones could be absorbed by the body much like other minerals were, even if only temporarily.
Lastly, he looks into how to further refine or obtain purer lodestones, convinced that there were exceptionally powerful lodestones in existence.
He even goes so far as to go to Samir's to see if such a thing could be obtained.

Spoiler: OOC

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Yeah, I know that lodestones are pretty much natural magnets but might as well try to use what an 18th century fellow would know in order to try to figure this out.
If any of these matter:
Know. (Psionics): 16 + 7 Take 20
Psicraft: 16 + 7 Take 20
Know. (Nature): 6 + 7 Take 20

He makes sure to buy a set of daggers and another greatsword to complement his array of weapons.

[Hackulator]

Theophilus looks at Ian somewhat sideways.

"Well then, I guess I will be happy....not to help you?" he says quizzically.

"As for the rest, it's a pleasure to meet you all and I look forward to working with you. If there's anything you think I should know about how you do things please let me know so I can smoothly integrate into your team. I'm sure you'll find my skill set quite useful in the field."

With that, Theophilus leans against the wall and waits to hear from the rest of the team.

[BelGareth]

Ghost enters and nods at his introduction, a slight smile upturning the corner of his mouth at the suggestion that he needed an alibi.

Wearing a modest suit, and a cane, he looked the part of a business man, as common as could be in a tailor store uptown, a timepiece hid in his breast pocket, the chain fashionably dangling down in a loop of golden metal, attached to his vest button. He wore a bolo hat, cocked ever so slightly to the side, and he was well groomed underneath it, his face was clean shave, and teeth were impeccable.

You got the impression, he was showing what he wanted, and hiding what he didn't, as if he could slip into a crowd, and become someone else entirely.

But he did look good in that Bolo hat.

He smiles and greets everyone "It is nice to meet you all." he says quietly, and calmly "Glad that I'll be working with you all, what is the next step of this investigation? locate this Whisperer?"

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Huh! Hey everyone!" Leolin beams as the other academy newbies show up. She offers high fives to whoever happens to be next to her, but she's so much taller than Minnie that she has to make it a chest-high five just to meet her halfway.

"So, Immortal is still under the influence, after all that? I guess we know Iwar's memories were toast, but I thought hypnotic commands were supposed to wear off eventually." ...of course, she's far from the expert on the matter. She looks to Ghost, figuring that this is kind of in his wheelhouse. With Ian proccupied with crystal study, having someone else familiar with this stuff around is going to be a godsend.

"So, we don't think Renlon's doing it, just that someone recruited Iwar from under him, and the only one we know can do this minds stuff is Whisper, who no one's actually caught yet. Who benefits from pitting Renlon and the church against each other? I can't think of anyone."

[Lynam III]

Lucky welcomes the new members of the group. He nods at Theophilus. "That Talent sounds very impressive. I am looking forward to see how it works. Uh... Do we need to carry some extra clothing around?" He grins.

Lucky shakes Archibald's hand and whistles. "Your outfit is impeccable, Archibald. I wish you were with us earlier in our investigation missions. They would be a cakewalk. The abilities you mentioned... sound scarily useful. Welcome to the team."

The name Mouserat makes Lucky pause. He doesn't recall her face, but after a moment or two, he connects the dots and his jaw drops. "Mouserat, from Blacklight's gang?" Lucky looks at Commander Maela again in incredulity. "Uhh.. Nice to meet you Minnie. You gave us quite the slip at the auction. You must have already briefed the Commander on the details, but it would be wonderful if you could also clarify a few details of your mission back then. Like who you sold the jewels to, and who this Marshal fella is."

Lucky is a bit surprised that everyone took his theory regarding the mind-controller's identity as a fact. "Well, the mind-controller can be Whisperer, but my idea was just based on me not knowing any other people with a mind-controlling Talent. But as our new friend Archibald proves, we have no idea how many people with such Talents are wandering around in Steadwick." He looks at Ian. "Ian, why don't you send a letter to the Academy asking them to share everything they know about Whisperer? Doesn't have to be long. Let's hear what they know."

[Cespenar]

Debriefing

Sergeant Anton steps to join in the conversation, nudging Theophilus after his talk with Ian.

"Don't worry, he is usually like that to everyone."

Then he tries to answer Archibald's question. "The focus is on the Broken Arrow mercenary company right now. We have no knowledge about this Whisperer, if he or she is really called that, but we feel that as soon as Immortal wakes up from his haze, we'll be able to shed some light on that."

If anyone wants to continue with the theorycrafting, they are still free to do that.

After the Briefing

If one or more of the senior members care to give the new members a tour of the HQ, their path will inevitably go to the Quartermaster's offices, where the newcomers will be given their first weekly pay in advance as well. Namely, a small pouch of 20 crowns (gp). They are also free to requisition any mundane items or weapons that they might need from here, within a sensible limit.

Afterwards, Lucky, Ian or Leo can accompany them further into the city and to the so-called Samir's Emporium, the premier shop in Steadwick on cutting edge arms and armor. There, Samir, the moustachio'd and richly clad shopkeeper greets the group with unparalleled vigor, even going as far to give Lucky a hearty, double-handed handshake.

"Ah my friends! Bringing in new people as well, oh, what a surprise! Very well met, to you all." Then, to Lucky, he continues.

"I've looked into the matter you spoke of, but sadly, there isn't yet something that can help you reload faster than you already do. But at least be content, my friend, that your fiveshooters are still the fastest way to pour some lead into a problem on the battlefield. That said, I've acquired some neat new items that might interest you all."

"Here's a new something called a 'Breechloader', from Stahlberg. Notice how it breaks at the breach, allowing for quicker than normal reload. A bargain at 70 crowns, if you also consider that it's of exceptional quality.

"Also here is a truly collector's item, a sister piece to your sword, my lucky friend. Called 'Baron's Left Hand', supposedly this parrying dagger saved Lord Steiger in many of his fencing bouts. Just 75 crowns."

"And last but not least, this one comes from a captain of a northern pirate ship. He supposedly called this 'The Sneaky', and used it to end many a knifefight... with a bang. Again, a masterwork item, and quite affordable at just 60 crowns."

"Not to mention my usual stock as well, of course."

To the side of the shop, the squad can easily find a sign listing Samir's other items that he had shown them in their earlier visits.

Spoiler: Samir's Items

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Bulletproof Cuirass (increased DR against firearms): 70 crowns.
Pocket Pistol (concealable): 20 crowns.
Wyrmling (shorter, heavier musket): 40 crowns.
Volleybox (inaccurate, multiple bore pistol): 40 crowns.
Fiveshooter (repeating pistol of shoddy quality): 90 crowns.
Lead-lined shield (supposedly protects against psionics): 60 crowns.
Mancatcher (polearm which can grapple): 5 crowns
Axegun (greataxe and musket combined): 50 crowns
Swordcane (concealable masterwork rapier): 70 crowns
Blunt arrows (nonlethal damage): 15 bits (silvers) a quiver
"Wound" (special, Talent-crafted dagger): 250 crowns

Spoiler: OOC

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A good appraise check can give you the full stats of the item, along with a bonus on a price negotiation, if possible.

Ian's Experiments

Ian finally manages to put another day into his research, and though it isn't much to go with, he does end up testing some of his thoughts.

-Lodestones are only to be used on the person's forehead. Ingesting them does nothing other than what ingesting bits of metal would otherwise do.
-It feels like from his tests that purer lodestones could help in easing the process, but is unlikely to increase the effect. He can order some from Samir, if he'd want.
-About other materials: Ian finds references of precious metals like gold and silver having some kind of relation with Talents, but can't be certain how. Similarly, lead is mentioned in a few places as well, but its mentions seem to differ from lodestones, gold and silver.

[Hackulator]

Theophilus gives a small smile. "I appreciate the thought but no. My clothes go...somewhere else when I change into something that couldn't wear them. Or perhaps they become part of me, honestly I can't say for sure. As for the rest, unfortunately most of my time recently has been spent training so I'm not particularly up on the current politics and I can't really say who might benefit from any sort of conflict. Who is this Whisperer you speak of?"

At the shop

Theophilus looks around with some interest. "Sadly, I'm not skilled in the use of firearms, however some of these seem quite interesting."

[BelGareth]

Ghost nods to Lucky's compliments with a smile and listens to Sergeant Anton's response.

He is quiet as he is taken about, and shown the HQ and then the quatermasters, where he simply pockets the advance pay. His eyes light up when taken to Samir's Emporium, the sword cane was an obvious choice for him, but he lacked the funds, another time then.

Afterwards, he moves over to Ian "I might be interested in what you were talking about earlier? Controlling our talents under duress?"

[Lynam III]

Lucky looks puzzled after hearing Theo's explanation regarding the clothes. "That sounds rather strange, but I am not an academagician like Gramps here. I'll take your word for it."

"Who might benefit from a conflict between de Renlon and friends and the Duke? Probably too many to count. Since de Renlon seems to be associated with the Church of the Family, it could be some Talented vigilantes. Then again, if the rumors regarding the Duchy of Stahlberg arming against King Terric are correct, it could also be their plan to sow conflict here in Steadwick. Or someone in the Free Cities. Or the North. Or it could be local nobles feuding. I am sure an outsider could even include the Academy in the list, given that the Church is a natural opponent."

Samir's Emporium

Lucky is quite impressed by 'Baron's Left Hand.' He holds it in his hand and gives it a few tries to assess how well it would perform in battle. "Samir, my dear friend, you won't find any solace until you own every crown I make, won't you? But you know me too well..." Lucky gives the dagger another swing. "I am feeling sorry for this Baron Steiger fella, though. He is still not done paying his debts? I fear you will sell me his pantaloons the next time I visit, friend." He winks. "Anyway, I do quite like the piece, but 75 crowns sounds rather steep. I had his sword for 70 crowns if you remember. So how about a little discount?"

Spoiler

Show

Take 10 on Appraise: 15
Take 10 on Diplomacy: 26

[OMG PONIES]

"And... Minnie Ratjakowski, also known as 'Mouserat'. I believe some of our men already know of you. Before anyone says anything, though, let me underline that Private Mouserat is here on probation. Her 'deeds' aren't forgotten, but she supplied (and continues to supply) the Watch with enough information that Duke Aldhard has issued a pardon for her past crimes. It will probably be in her interest, though, to not fall back to her old habits. Anyway, welcome."[/COLOR]

Probation, eh? Typical Watch types--you give them a gift and they just keep on taking. The words rattled around in her mind, reminding her. Once you were a criminal, you were always a criminal. It didn't matter what they said about you being Talented when everyone else had just called you a litany of names. It didn't matter who they could protect you from. Hells, as a poor girl from the streets of Steadwick she couldn't even believe she was thinking this, but it didn't matter what they paid you...they would always do it with that look of derision in their eyes. Mouserat was determined to prove them wrong.

"Uhh.. Nice to meet you Minnie. You gave us quite the slip at the auction. You must have already briefed the Commander on the details, but it would be wonderful if you could also clarify a few details of your mission back then. Like who you sold the jewels to, and who this Marshal fella is."

Mouserat lets a wry smirk cross her face, the first and only emotion she's shown so far. "Now now, darling," she chides. "A lady doesn't kiss and tell."

Turning the conversation back to more current events, she chimes in: "No offense, boys, but I think I see why I got away. You always spend this much time pondering? Boss Lady gave an order to put the pinch on Broken Arrow, so what are we waiting for? Let's shake the bushes and see what scampers out."

@Samir's

Inside the shop, the young woman's head barely reaches the display cases. At eye level with so many weapons, at first her eyes light up...until she starts to see the collection of firearms. At that, her face grows a little paler and she seems visibly uncomfortable.

[Cespenar]

Samir's

Samir grins at Lucky and opens up his hands. "You hurt me with your words, friend. I track these items only because I try to guess what my potential buyers would like the most."

He turns to the others. "That counts for you as well, my new friends. I see that not all of your tastes lie with firearms like my quickdrawing friend here. No worries, I can try to procure anything that you might think of, if you give me a couple of days. Armor? Exotic equipments? Books? Medicine? Please, ask away!"

He then turns back to Lucky.

"About the price... I know you paid a good, yet reasonable sum for the sword, but this dagger has so much going for it. This trident design is simply unseen in the Arknian sword schools, you know. Our dear Baron must have seen it in the north, and had it custom forged here, just for himself. 75 crowns is frankly a bit cheap for such an item, if anything."

Spoiler: OOC

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Some appraise rolls: [hidden]
Samir's counter diplomacy: (1d20+14)[28]

Lucky feels like the item could probably be worth somewhere up to 110 crowns, if having it custom made.

[OMG PONIES]

Mouserat politely demurs. "It's all quite nice, but I don't need much," she explains. The part she leaves unsaid is how much more fun there is in the taking than the having...

[Hackulator]

"While I appreciate the offer Master Samir, I tend to be fairly....self-sufficient. If I think of anything I need I will be sure come to you first." Theophilus leans against the wall, waiting for the others to finish with their purchases.

[Lynam III]

Samir's

Lucky sighs. "What am I doing challenging the master in his own game? It's a deal, my friend. Send my regards to Baron Steiger."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"I'm with Minnie on that. Broken Arrow it is! Where do we start on finding them?"

Oh, right. As much as she likes disguises and socializing, detective work was never really Leolin's strong suit. She'll just go along with whatever the spies of the group suggest to her.

Leolin goes over the gun inventory with everyone else, but as far as she's concerned her gauntlets are already the best weapons around and her armor was a gift. As they leave, she tries to think of some other ways to possibly spend her bonus. "Hey, I'm going to pick up some costume supplies on the way back. Theo, you're going to need a uniform that you can shapeshift around, right? I can make you one like mine, and I've had some success with unitards. Oh, and everyone who hasn't before - we can go to Madame Mumford's if anyone wants to go gathering information at parties. She's fun to work with and having the right fashion for the situation really helps."

[Tsunamiatunzen1]

Ian raises an eyebrow at the unexpected volunteer.
"Hm, I was looking for someone who could use their powers while under such conditions. However, my methods could prove... problematic if you are not prepared. Considering the last batch of youngsters we received, forgive me if I am less than enthusiastic."
With that, he set out to write the various letters that had been requested of him... albeit with some reluctance.

Samir's Emporium
Ian took another look at the Talented-crafted dagger Samir had on display from so long ago.
"Has no one really taken an interest in this for that long?"
Perhaps now I can finally discover how this was made... if I can procure it that is.
"I also have a question as to your ability to procure a certain object. A lodestone, but one far purer than what one can obtain at the market. I might be willing to purchase such an item later but I am more interested in a payment plan for the dagger, as I am short some of the coin."
His stomach chose that time to growl in protest and pain.
"Excuse me," he winced, "I was a blasted fool and tried something I should have known was a terrible idea."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

If needed:
Appraise (to see if the dagger is still real/in good condition): Take 10 +7 +7 = 24
diplomacy (To pull off the payment plan for 200 crowns down payment): Take 10 +9 +7 = 26

Afterwards
Ian's research eventually took him back to the quartermaster in an attempt to requisition the necessary materials he would need to experiment.
However, he was just as ready to buy it himself if they weren't willing to get it.
At the very least he could requisition a bundle of daggers without them batting an eye.

Spoiler: OOC

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If Ian gets the dagger at the aforementioned price, he will have 10 gold left to spend on the necessary research materials.
Maybe we can make that focus Leolin wants so badly eh?

[Cespenar]

Ian and Samir

Samir is quick to note down Ian's lodestone order, but the dagger issue seems to be a bit more complex. Ian manages to find out that the Talent-crafted dagger (which looks something like this, without the modern grips), aptly named 'Wound', is at perfect condition, and would definitely qualify as a collector's item if not anything else. Regardless, Ian manages to persuade him to accept a down payment of 20 thrones for the dagger, and practically loaning out the rest. Samir offers to loan out the remaining 50 crowns to Ian with an interest of 20% each week.

Evening

With the group's foray to the exotics shop concluding, the members can continue their day however they want, but eventually the sun starts to set and evening arrives. Which is right when the squad is hurriedly summoned back to HQ and into Commander Maela's room. The commander is looking pretty irritated as usual, and Lieutenant Rhon looks pretty serious as the squad enters the room.

"Watchmen, Sergeant Anton and his investigators are busy with Broken Arrow, but something more urgent came up. Lieutenant, care to explain it one more time?"

"Sure, Commander. Ahem, as you know*, we have been making use of your more... dissatisfied squadmates to help other squads in various ways. Argus was helping Anton for a long while now, Jacob and Bart were doing good work in patrols, and so on. But, ah, they seem to have... run away. Gone rogu-"

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there, Lieutenant. You were saying?"

"Well, yes, some of them have been voicing their dissent for a while now, but they all seem to have organized and started up an escape, just in these last hours. A couple of our watchmen claim to have overheard Jacob and Thraskias talking about somewhere in Silverside. That's the area on the north edge of the outer city, just before leaving Steadwick. We assume they'll only be there for regrouping, stocking up and getting horses -- so only a few hours at most."

"Folks, asking this of you is not the easiest thing, but as you know, your contract through the Academy obligates you to serve the City Watch for two years. The reason I'm sending you to retrieve them and not just Mich's enforcers, is because you know them. If anyone can do it peacefully and without an incident, I believe it's you. Lieutenant, any information about the district, or any leads?"

"Right. Their organization apparently didn't go as smooth as they've planned, which is how we got wind of this. This may also suggest that some of them have second opinions about this whole thing. That might be something to think about. Other than that, they don't seem to have secured supplies or horses before they got away. Or so we hope, because otherwise they will be gone by now already. Which means taverns, and stables. There are at least five taverns and three stables in Silverside, which I've marked on this rough sketch. You can take this with you. For the rest, I'm afraid you'll need to put on some old fashioned street work, and ask around. Or make some guesses to cut time. But be quick about it, since we don't know how long they will be there, or if they have already left by now."

"There are supposed to be eight of them. Argus, Echo, Bart, Jacob, Thraskias, Nathanial, Andrei and Moira. Your more senior teammates can give the rest a quick rundown on their abilities on the way."

"Also, fellas, I don't need to underline this, but, no bloodshed, and be as smooth and inconspicuous as possible. 'Talented City Watch deserters' doesn't really roll off the tongue that well, so let's try to keep it on the hush-hush if we can."

"If you have any questions, be quick about it. Time is of the essence."

[Hackulator]

"Well, I don't know these gentlemen so I'm fine with doing what's necessary. You might be being optimistic if you think we can apprehend rogue talents without bloodshed, but as I said I don't know these people so maybe they're the type that comes quietly."

Theophilus turns to the others. "So what sort of things can these guys do?"

[Lynam III]

Lucky frowns. "Bring back eight Talented comrades who want out. Without bloodshed as well. Riight..." Lucky starts playing with a coin in his pocket. A very particular coin. "I cannot imagine any reason why they would want out. I mean, it isn't like they are being sent out on missions with high chance of a brutal death, with pay that is one tenth of the market rate." He raises an eyebrow. "I am sure conscription works great when you want grunt service, but you cannot force someone to do delicate work without keeping them happy. I don't know what you really expect from us if we are to avoid confrontation. Are we to talk up our jobs? What's the big plan?"

He turns to Theophilus: "Let me see... Argus can see all and convey his thoughts to his friends at distance. Echo plays around with sounds. Bart just doesn't die. Jacob turns invisible. Thras turns invisible, but in your mind. Nathanial cancels powers. Andrei is strong as hell. Moira zaps you hard."

[Cespenar]

Maela retorts to Lucky over clasped hands, but it seems like she's not really in the mood.

"And I thought City Watch was the perfect place for you, Lucky. You get to shoot a lot of people with your fancy weapons, and still stay on the right side of the law."

Rhon clears her throat and interjects, replying to both Theophilus and Lucky.

"We understand that this must be hard for you, so just try to salvage whatever you can manage out of the situation. Since they all surely must have differing reasons for this, splitting them up might be a good way."

With that, the commander returns to professionalism as well.

"She is right. Ultimately we want them to stay, after all, so even persuading a few of them would be a pretty good outcome."

[BelGareth]

Ghost listens intently, and nods at Lucky's wisecracks. Smiling slightly, "Ah, dontcha worry mate, ah'll wipe any o'ever sees us fah'ten!" he says with an elaborate wink to the commander.

"Right, thats a lot of talent, and lot of it is physical, and...invisible, we'll need to get the drop, might as well be off then, what what."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"An escape? Seriously?" Leolin looks confused, then angry, then just kind of let down. Why didn't they come to me with this? Why wasn't I invited? And they're not even saying goodbye?

...

Well, there's really one best way to find out, huh? Leolin turns to head out the door straight away. "I'll talk to them, see what this is about. They may all have their own reasons, but something's going on if they're going all at once."

She leaves it to Lucky to catch up with her and resumes talking primarily to him once they're out of the station. "It's not like we're prisoners here, right? I mean, I've thought about leaving a few times, but I wouldn't just... slink off without telling anyone! That's not just me, right? It's not considered a big production to say, 'Hey, turns out I'm not cut out for this, see you around?'"

Okay, maybe that's as much talking to herself as to Lucky, but she really does need his support right now. Part of her is thinking hard of the real reasons they're leaving, and one of them begins with J.

[Tsunamiatunzen1]

Ian was getting a bit worried about the situation.
Just the news of deserters is throwing the others into confusion. Not that I blame them.
Truth be told, Ian would have loved to have left the Academy and the Watch much earlier. He had been quite comfortable watching out for his beloved daughter and shouting down rowdy students.
If anything, this news would cause Ian to revisit the idea of desertion...
Except, the Professor's rogue pupil was still out there. The massacre at the bar had been proof enough that this man couldn't be allowed to be walking free, lest the next time tragedy struck, his daughter might be among the mangled bodies.

Argus was going to be the real problem. The ability to pass along information almost instantaneously was tantamount to magical. Ian thought it best to appear as non-threatening as possible, taking only a set of 6 requisitioned daggers and Wound along with him.
Inspecting this work of art will have to come later. Hopefully, I won't have to find out if Samir wasn't upselling this dagger.
As he began hiding the daggers on his person, he took a dun-colored cloak along, draping it over the multitude of blades and his armor.
If this is to be indiscreet, it's best to not announce that I am ready for the worst.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ian is ready to go.
If a Sleight of Hand check is needed in the upcoming post, he's taking 10 for a total of:
10 +9 +2 (dagger) +2 (cloak) = 23

[OMG PONIES]

Mouserat arches an eyebrow at the new assignment; not only was it odd that deserters were taking precedence over this ongoing investigation, but it was also odd that there were eight folks deserting at once. Either they were in on this together or each of them knew something Mouserat did not. Hell, she knew she was essentially a prisoner of the Academy when she had struck her deal but she didn't know the same held true for others. It felt strangely comforting, the knowledge that she was not the only one backed into a corner.

"Let me see... Argus can see all and convey his thoughts to his friends at distance. Echo plays around with sounds. Bart just doesn't die. Jacob turns invisible. Thras turns invisible, but in your mind. Nathanial cancels powers. Andrei is strong as hell. Moira zaps you hard."

"Hmm, any of them seem like a leader? Might be easiest to turn one of them and then get their help turning others back." The thief continues to muse, "If not, might be good to start or end with Argus. Sounds like he can communicate with the others if we turn him back...of course, he can also use that power to warn the others if we can't convince him. Any of you still have contact with them, or are we approaching all eight out of the blue?"

[Cespenar]

Briefing

The lieutenant takes it unto herself to answer Mouserat's question when it begins to hang in the air for a while.

"They have all disappeared during this afternoon, from different patrols and locations. It should take some time for them to regroup, but it will probably be safest to assume that you may be approaching them wholesale."

She then turns to Ghost, unsure if his accent is an act or the genuine article.

"I'm guessing it would be a chore even for you to 'influence' a whole tavern full of people, so it's best to not create that situation in the first place."

The commander gazes after Leolin ponderingly as she leaves, but refrains from commenting.

The District of Silverside

Whether by following Leolin or not, the group eventually makes its way from the City Watch Headquarters right in the middle of Steadwick, all the way to the Silverside district outside the city walls -- the very last neighborhood before one leaves the city for good. It's not all dilapidated slums here, however. As a historical first stop to traders coming from the northern City-States, the district boasts numerous taverns, inns, caravanserais, and even a few trading offices to some of the companies not quick enough to score an office in the city center. Sure enough, the lieutenant's sketch map starts off with fourteen listed locations at first, but then (possibly through some assumptions and knowledge of the city) some of them are crossed off, resulting in eight final possible locations for the squad to check: the five taverns and three stables someone would need to visit for supplies and horses:

-The Silver Lining (inn)
-Rooster and Orbs (tavern)
-The North Star (caravanserai)
-Wall in the Hole (tavern)
-Silken Cloud (inn)
-North Star Stables (stable)
-Brothers Flint Barnhouse (stable/barnhouse)
-Greener Grass Stables (stables/pasture)

Though the whole reasoning feels like a long shot, this seems like the only plan in your hands at the moment. Before even deciding how to tackle your old colleagues, though, comes another problem: how best to find them in the first place with not one but four critical factors to plan around: time, place, stealth, and familiarity.

Spoiler: Ian's Know Local check

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Ian is the only one to score a Knowledge: Local success, and thus manages to recall some tidbits about the listed places:
Silver Lining Inn: A more high-class inn, used by merchants, nobles and businessmen.
Rooster and Orbs: A down to earth place which is seldom empty.
North Star: Part of a chain. There are supposed to be a few North Star Inns in the northern city-states as well.
Wall in the Hole: A cheaper tavern that often has a fight or two going on.
Silken Cloud: An inn/pleasure-palace combo deal.

Spoiler: Now for the complicated part

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So, there is a bit of a logistics puzzle here, though it's not as difficult as it can seem at first read:

It's 8:00 PM now in Steadwick. There's no knowledge when the deserters would manage to finish packing up and leaving, but it's obviously urgent. Could be one hour from now, could be four hours, could be right now.

-Going to check one place takes 10 minutes. Going carefully takes x2 time but gives a +5 to your Spot and Hide checks to a potential encounter with your quarries. Rushing takes 1/2 time but gives a -5 to your Spot and Hide checks.

-Asking a few questions at a place takes little to no time if you want to do that, but for a more reliable lead, a Gather info check in a tavern/inn/whatever is necessary, which takes 1 hour at no penalty (not recommended), or 30 minutes at a -5 penalty. A Diplomacy check can also be substituted here, though at an even harsher penalty, since Gather info is the skill for this situation.

-Ian, Lucky and Leolin get a +4 to any check (like Spot) to recognize their colleagues, but a -4 to Hide and similar checks against them. Theo, Ghost and Mouse, on the other hand, get a -4 to their Spot checks since they only go from hearsay, but also a +4 to Hide etc. against them.

-Similarly, the deserters would most assuredly be more willing to listen to their old colleagues, rather than some newcomers.

-Thus, splitting the party can be efficient, but without some forethought it can also muck things up.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Barring unsolicited advice from Ian or anyone else with an ounce of sense, Leolin takes charge by splitting into two groups, one to take each side of the street, balancing the newbies and veterans in each group as well as she can. "Alright, Ian, Theo, Ghost, you three take the places on the right. Lucky, Minnie, you're with me. Good?"

The right side of the map happens to be Silken Cloud, North Star, Brothers' Flint, and Greener Grass. Leolin makes for the Wall in the Whole for no other reason than because it's closest. She then proceeds to ask whoever works nearest the door whether they've seen anyone matching a few of her comrades' descriptions, starting with Argus (because she knew him the longest) and Andrei (because he's really easy to identify). (Also, Argus had a dog, which actually makes him pretty easy to identify too.)

Spoiler

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"Uh, no ma'am. Sorry."

"*huffs disappointedly*"

"Uh, should I be worried?"

"No, just... if you do see any of them, tell them... tell them Felicia's looking for them. And to meet her at the Rooster and Orbs before they leave."

(Gather Information, I guess?)

[Hackulator]

Theo looks around and sighs. "Very well, though I'll be honest I'm not too enthusiastic about hunting down other Talented, what I may have said to the commander notwithstanding."

The rubs his hands over his face and when he removes them he looks very different, lank brown hair, muddy brown eyes and bad skin. "On the off chance they know who I am" he says by way of explanation. He then heads off to the Silken Cloud.

Spoiler: Action/Roll

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Theo will go into the Silken Cloud, order a drink and look around for a moment before starting to make small talk with the locals to see if he can coax out any useful information.

Gather Information at a -5 penalty (1d20+3)[19]

[OMG PONIES]

The Silverside District was familiar to Mouserat, who had grown up calling it the Silver Coin District. Between the distracted travelers and merchants more focused on the next deal than their current inventory, pickings had always been easy for a street urchin like herself. A coin purse here, an apple there...nothing fancy, mind you. Just enough to get by. Her muscle memory is so attuned to the place that she even recalls the best intersections for a quick bump & lift and she needs to stop herself from "accidentally" brushing against any passersby as they go.

Mind you, she was more familiar with the streets and alleys than the inns & taverns, so she leaves it to the rest of the party on where to start. The larger woman seems to have a plan already in mind...

"Alright, Ian, Theo, Ghost, you three take the places on the right. Lucky, Minnie, you're with me. Good?"

"Actually," the smaller girl chimes in sheepishly, "if I may? Splitting into three groups may be more efficient. In each group, a new agent to be the advance scout and a tenured agent to do the talking if the group is found. Maybe Ian & Theo, Lucky & Ghost, me & Leolin?

If we take our time getting to each place but hurry up once we're there, worst case we've checked everywhere by half past 9. Best case, we prioritize based on the best guess of our tenured agents where their friends might be and find them even sooner. What does the group th--"

At this point, Mouserat realizes that Leolin is an "act now, ask questions later" kind of woman. She tells the others, "Decide for yourselves. I'd better stick with her either way," before calling after Leolin, "psst, wait up...and slow down." The two women eventually catch up, though it takes a few of Mouse's smaller strides to match each one of the larger woman's. "Let me go first and be your eyes, just in case your pals are spooked. They don't know me. Can you give me one defining visual thing about each of them?"

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Three groups of two does seem efficient, and Leolin is glad she stopped for the 1.2 seconds it took to ask. While they're planning, she also suggests shuffling the groups at the end, so everyone can get information from everyone else. Before the group breaks up, the map ends up looking like this:

Theo, Lucky, Minnie meetup -> Silver Lining
Rooster <- Leo, Ian, Ghost meetup

Cloud<¬
Wall <- - - - - - -Leo & Minnie . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . Ian & Theo - - - - - --> North Star

Greener Grass <- Lucky&Ghost -> Brothers Flint

Of course, she's still the first person to turn around at the whiff of a plan that's agreed upon. She winces when Minnie catches up to her and continues being the voice of reason that she desperately needs right now.

"Why would they be spooked?! I'm looking for my friends, not busting a drug deal!" Leolin sighs. "Sorry. I just feel I've been taking crazy pills. Which I know I haven't because Ian wouldn't let me try them earlier."

She starts describing her old colleagues to Minnie, more collectedly than she was originally going to. The two most distinguished ones are still going to be the easiest to spot; she doesn't have much to say about Moira beyond her power and hair color.

[Tsunamiatunzen1]

Before Leolin goes haring off, Ian gives what advice he can about the likely spots the deserters were likely to head to.
"Be still for a moment Ms. Leolin! You as well Ms. Ratjakowski," only slightly mangling the name, "We must realize where we would best have our talents placed."

He then goes through the areas' demographics before giving his suggestion on Mouserat's 3-way split.
"While I am not happy with splitting in such a manner, our goal, in order of priority, would be (if we were to follow this plan of yours): persuade, subdue (if they are alone and hostile), retreat and report whereabouts (if grouped and unanimously hostile)."
He shakes his head at Leolin's map and makes a minor adjustment.
"I can't fault the logic behind Ghost heading to the stables. Fewer people he will need to influence to keep this secret. Lucky... well, he'll be fine wherever he goes so he can go wherever you feel best. Ms. Ratjakowski would do well in rather crowded areas so I suggest the North Star and possibly the Silver Lining Inn. Ms. Leolin, you and Theo have the unique ability to appear harmless so I cannot fault your reasoning. I have some skill in dealing with others but I feel that I would cause less of a stir with fewer people should it come to blows... unless you want more blood to be spilt? I should likely explore the stables too."
He then harrumphs as a thought comes to him.
"There is a danger. If they are leaving immediately, the stables should be our first choice. If not, they should be our last. The safest choice would be to camp out the stables since it is likely they MUST go there to set out on their journey. However, the North Star is a caravanserai so it fulfills both short and long term travel conditions. Your call Ms. Leolin. You are the ranking officer here."
Frankly, Ian was hoping he'd get stuck with the stables. He wasn't keen on killing anyone again... intentionally or not. Especially with no Saint to clean up his mistakes.