Beyond the City of Thieves IC

[Kaptin Keen]

Borgrim does his level best - waiting literally minutes, before he grows bored, and starts to ponder ways to assist in a more active way than sitting around on his hindside.

I won't go far. I'll be like, right here, in case anyone even comes close to Rosa. Like, she'll never even know I was gone, and if that's true, what's the point of being here in the first place.

Being a natural lateral thinker, Borgrim looks up for a way to climb onto the roof, and see if that will let him into the house.

Spoiler: OOC

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Oh right. There's a thread for rolls somewhere. But isn't it convenient to have the rolls right here?!
Here are some rolls:
Athletics: (1d20+4)[8] - well, either it has to be an easy climb, or Borgrim will just have to be bored =)
Stealth: (1d20+4)[17]
And, what the heck, Perception to watch over Rosa while being orky: (1d20+0)[19]

[WalkingTheShade]

Rosa wakes up from her trance, and licks the back of her hand, using the spit to clean her nose. She stop mid-grooming and straightens. Looking around, she's happy to see no one is there to witness the cat's infectious behavior. "Where's that big oaf..."

She slips inside the backalley and nearly bumps into the half-orc. "The cat found an open window on this side. I can go through, then open the backdoor for you from inside. Just wait here in the alley. The cat will come fetch you once the way's clear. Alright?"

Wisdom would be to wait and hear whatever that borrower of power manages to learn from the guards. Yet, you fear him getting to Niccodemus' knowledge and power before you.

Spoiler: OOC

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EDIT: Keen ninja'd my post, had to rewrite it so it makes sense. I'll re-edit my post if my rolls I so bad Rosa can't even get into the alley...

If I understood correctly, the backside of the building, along an alley, is neither guarded, nor visible to the guards standing in the street, on the front side, right? Neither the backdoor, nor the window Mao went through, nor the alley's entrance are visible to the guards, right?

If so, and unless Borgrim disagrees, Rosa is going to get into the alley, climb up to that window, search Niccodemus' study for scrolls or a spell-book or any clue, then go downstairs and open the door to Borgrim.

If the climb seems too hard, she'll ask Borgrim to go in her stead.

Stealth - (1d20+8)[9], to get to the house's back side. (Gods... Let's hope Bencésar distracting the guards will give Rosa some kind of advantage...)
Climb - (1d20+1)[14], to reach that window. (At least that one should be enough.)
Investigation - (1d20+5)[7], looking for clues and spells. (I'm crying.)

Perception - (1d20+5)[7], just in case it's needed. (Tears of blood.)

[Woggle]

Borgrim glances back at Rosa, then upward at the roof of Nicodemus' house. Examining potential routes, he sees what should be a fairly easy, if perhaps slightly tedious climb. He hops up onto the back fence, then hoists up to the second-story overhang. At which point, Rosa speaks up behind Borgrim, surprising him slightly.

EDIT:

Spoiler: NINJA'D

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I'll edit my post to make sense. I'll wait for Keen's reply.

If I understood correctly, the backside of the building, along an alley, is neither guarded, nor visible to the guards standing in the street, on the front side, right? Neither the backdoor, nor the window Mao went through, nor the alley's entrance are visible to the guards, right?

Yes, that's right. The houses are built either very close together or share outer walls, which means the alley is more or less not visible from Garden Street. Garden Street is on the opposite side of the house. The alley runs past the back.

[Kaptin Keen]

Borgrim looks critically at Rosa.

Look, I really can't have it said about me that I waited in an alley while women and cat's fought my battles for me. But if you insist, have it your way.

I'll be over here ..... sleeping!

Borgrim tosses his sack of food down, lies down in the alley, and closes his eyes. Within seconds, he snores contentedly.

[WalkingTheShade]

Rosa climbs up. Once crouching on the window sill, Rosa's mouth hangs open in surprise as Borgrim starts snoring. "At least you could have given me a lift. What happened to gallantry," she grumbles to herself.

Spoiler: OOC

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I guess a 14 (see previous post) was enough to get to the window. I'll wait for the GM to resolve the rest of Rosa's investigation, but we may want to wait a bit for Nick to catch up, may we not?

[Woggle]

It's a quick climb up with a boost from Borgrim, following the route Mao took a few minutes earlier. Rosa carefully slides over the window sill, avoiding the spot of blood, and walks quietly through the study to the landing. She glances quickly at the books and papers, but can't make out anything that seems important in the mess. She steps over the bit of blood on the landing. Down the stairs, she turns and makes her way through a cluttered, disused kitchen to the back door. The guards out front are engaged with César, and don't think to keep watch behind them. She raises the latch slowly, and steps out into the alley.

Spoiler: OOC

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When you re-enter the house, if Borgrim wants to lend Rosa a hand, Rosa can make another Investigation check with advantage.

[WalkingTheShade]

As his mistress goes inside the building, Mao curls into a ball and falls asleep on top of Borgrim, whose warm body and rhythmic snoring the cat finds strangely relaxing.

After a few minutes, Mao senses his mistress calling, stretches and then starts kneading Borgrim's belly with his front paws. If it isn't enough, the cat starts kneading Borgrim's face. Of course, it'll run away in terror as soon as Borgrim stirs.

[Kaptin Keen]

Gallantry ... 's .... for weaklin's mumbles Borgrim, barely awake. Then, as Mao pads him in the face, his eyes flicker open, and he leaps to his feet - Gah! Devilry! He exclaims, being stared at point blank by green cat's eyes.

With much reluctance, he rejoins the others inside the house, to look at papers.

[iTookUrNick]

The small man-orc notices César, and greets him. "Af-ter-noon, Lieutenant. You've business 'ere?" The half-ogre behind him gives a rough salut, then turns back to watch the street.

Cesar greets the two colleagues "Afternoon, gents. Looks like the talents of our fine corps are being put to good use by the higher ups, as usual." he says knowingly.
"As for me, well: yes, I have business here, or I though I did. I'm working another case, and i was supposed to follow up with a guy named Nicodemus. Lives here, I was told. Did someone got to him first?" he asks, making a face.

[Woggle]

Cesar greets the two colleagues "Afternoon, gents. Looks like the talents of our fine corps are being put to good use by the higher ups, as usual." he says knowingly.
"As for me, well: yes, I have business here, or I though I did. I'm working another case, and i was supposed to follow up with a guy named Nicodemus. Lives here, I was told. Did someone got to him first?" he asks, making a face.

The small man-orc nods and introduces himself as corporal Rendal. "An this 'ere's corporal Hurt. That does sound like the fel-la's name what owns the place. Can't say wheth-er anyone got to 'im. Had a quick look inside when we got 'ere, an didn't look like 'e was living 'ere for some time. Kit-chen ain't been touched in a year or two, I'd say. An I got an eye for that sorta thing."

Hurt, the half-ogre, nods sagely in agreement. "Gots a real talent, he does." Hurt turns back to looking blankly into the street.

Corporal Rendal continues: "Didn't look like much was ta-ken. Just broke the windows and door. Maybe they were spooked." Rendal shrugs. "Ni-co-de-mus, hmm, neighbours say 'e wasn't round much." Rendal shifts his weight and leans onto his spear.

Meanwhile, Borgrim follows Rosa inside the house. He steps over the small bits of blood on the second-floor landing, and enters the study. Rosa takes her time leafing and rummaging through the papers and books. The easiest finds are a journal, presumably Nicodemus', and a nocked over pile of tobacco ash. The ash is old, but the spill is fresh; a faint boot print can be seen heading toward the back window. Most of the papers are indecipherable: various magical formulae and the like written in some inscrutable shorthand or cipher.

Spoiler: Journal

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The journal contains mostly mundane ramblings about meals and the difficulties of finding good tobacco in the city. There are occasional rants about neighbours or certain merchants. Most relevant is the last entry, dated two years ago, almost to the day:

'I've had enough. I'm too old, and these blasted people keep seeking me out for help. It wouldn't be so bad if their problems weren't so bloody boring. Well, enough's enough. I'll have to leave much of my things behind, but most of it is sentimental rubbish anyway, and I've worked out the kinks in the ritual, so I'll be comfortable enough. Off to under the wood that whistles. I've got plenty of tobacco to cover the smell. Best still keep an eye on the place. Plenty of grubby mitts around, Getting bolder

Spoiler: Investigation

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Spoiler: DC 8

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A false-bottomed desk drawer reveals: Twenty gold pieces, a plain silver ring, a bundle of silver thread.

Spoiler: DC 13

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Back behind a stack of books, in an old leather binding is a worn grimoire. The majority of it is illegible. Rosa may be able to decipher one or two entries.

A finely made and decorated moon-chart, with a list scrawled in one corner: 'Silver'; 'Hair of ---', 'Pearls (black)', 'Lotus'.

Spoiler: DC 17

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A false panel on a bookshelf reveals a scrap of paper 'Journal cipher', and a substantial ruby. Using the cipher in conjunction with the last journal entry reveals:
'Singing Bridge'

A small, feathered handprint set in the dust of the landing, obscured by the balustrade. Beside it lies a small iron feather on a snapped necklace.

Rosa straightens. In order to find anything else would require days of work.

Spoiler: OOC

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If you wish to check out the third story, then I'll ask for a separate Investigation check for it.

[Kaptin Keen]

Borgrim isn't much of an investigative genius. He plods about, occasionally sniffing something, or poking at something with his dagger. He's far more likely to nick something that looks valuable, than he is to turn up a new clue or lead.

[iTookUrNick]

"Umm, go figure." says Cesar, pensive."So, if the guy hasn't been here for a year or more, why are we securing the premises?" He listens attentively to the answer before continuing.

"Say, do you mind if I take a look inside? It might give me a clue to where the guy went. Otherwise I am stuck without a lead."

Spoiler: Ooc

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If a persuasion roll is needed, Cesar will do it with advantage (chaos surge). And of course he will have the Raven warn Rosa that he is coming in using mimicry: "Cawt! Cawt! Cawmning in!"
Cesar will then investigate. With advantage, if still available. If not, he might consider using his racial reroll.

[Woggle]

Corp. Rendal shrugs. "We've got orders to keep watch, so we, uh, keep watch." He looks thoughtful as he considers César's request. "Well, I dunno 'bout that..."

At this point, Hurt pipes up in a grumbling voice. "Sergeant didn't say nuffin 'bout keeping out watchmen. An he's a lieutenant, he is. That's higher than sergeant, ain't it?" Hurt leans back, looking satisfied with themselves.

Rendal can't raise an argument. Begrudingly, he says, "Go on in. Just don't mess the place up, eh? Investigator won't be round 'till this evening, so, uh, be gone by then." He waves you on then turns back to the street and the rain.

The front door is a little stiff opening, but there's enough space to pass through comfortably. César heads up the stairs to the second floor landing to rejoin his companions. He peers about and begins sifting through the papers, books, and odds and ends.

Spoiler: OOC

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You've got lots of time, and help, so feel free to roll Investigation with advantage, and then check the appropriate spoiler in my last post.

[iTookUrNick]

"Thanks, boys. I'll be extra careful on the scene." he says. He does not specify what he's going to be careful about. Before entering, he asks: "Who's the lead investigator on this, by the way? It might be good for me to speak to them later on."

Spoiler: OOC

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Investigation1 - (1d20+1)[9], Investigation2 - (1d20+1)[13]. For a watchman, he is a little lacking in the investigation department.

[WalkingTheShade]

While Borgrim is searching the place for shiny things that aren't nailed down, Rosa shifts through the arcane writings, schematics and drawings. "That's crazy, these look like spell research but make no sense at all. I know they should make sense, but I've been looking at these forever and..." Rosa sighs and puts her paper stack down. She rubs her eyes and massages her temples.

As Borgrim tries to examine a golden ashtray left on a desk, he unceremoniously shoves her paper stack aside. "Oh, come on!" The papers fly over and litter the floor. "Wait..." Beholding the new configuration of papers, Rosa rubs her eyes again, in disbelief. "Grim, you're a genius. It makes so much more sense organized this way!"

"These are not spell research, but drafts to come up with a cypher. Means some part of the journal is encoded. Let me have a look around, the cypher key must be hidden somewhere near. He'd need to have it near at hand to use it for encoding and decoding text." Rosa goes around the office, looking and finding various caches. She finally comes up with a worn out grimoire and tries deciphering entries. "Song, wait, Singing Badge? Oh stupid me! It's Singing Bridge."

Spoiler: OOC

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We said Rosa, with Borgrim's help, could re-roll with advantage, right? Yeah, well, that's the only way I thought could make that work.

Investigation - (1d20+5)[22]Advantage - (1d20+5)[19] (don't fail me don't fail me don't fail me don't fail me...)

I didn't write all the clues this roll reveals... We can keep it for later or have someone else find them out.

[Kaptin Keen]

Borgrim essentially equates spell, research, cypher and encoded with sorcery - which he frowns mightily upon. Genius too.

Pondering what little evidence fits into his own frame of reference, he scratches his neck, and mutters ... so, what, he turned into a bird and flew off?

[WalkingTheShade]

Rosa looks at Borgrim. "Impossible. You're far smarter than you look. That entirely explains why the window was open! A real genius!"

Rosa runs to the window, giving it a second look. "Here, there's a weird hand-print. And there, what's that? Some kind of necklace? With an iron feather on it? Let's see if it's been invested with sorcery."

Rosa makes some room on the desk, takes out a piece of chalk and starts drawing a closed eye in the middle of a pentagram right on the desktop. With her tongue sticking out, she diligently continues drawing smaller arcane symbols all around the pentagram. "Just give me a few minutes, alright?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Ritual casting Detect magic. Looking first at the objects found, then scanning the whole room.

[Kaptin Keen]

Rosa looks at Borgrim. "Impossible. You're far smarter than you look. That entirely explains why the window was open! A real genius!"

Borgrim says not a word, but simply taps the side of his nose twice, in the traditional way, accompanied by a stony yet amused gaze.

[Woggle]

As soon as Rosa finishes her ritual the entire study lights up. A general magical residue coats nearly every object and surface, creating a background blanket of faint magical auras. Singular auras pop out:

• The old grimoire. (faint Abjuration)
• The found ruby. (faint Transmutation)
• The moon/star chart. (Divination)
• The iron feather. (Transmutation)
• Beneath a stack of papers, two spell scrolls. (Divination)
• Underneath a desk, a smoking pipe with a long stem. (faint Conjuration)

Looking upward, Rosa can make out a general aura of magic, through the floor, in the laboratory above the study. She also sees what is likely a ward (Abjuration) of some sort on the stairs leading to the third floor.

[iTookUrNick]

"What...? How...?" asks César, still trying to pice together the evidence. "So, are we looking for a bird living under the singing bridge?" he asks the two companions. He clearly still has some way to go before making detective.
He waits for Rose to take stocks of the surroundings. Looking at the stairs, he asks: "did we even check upstairs?" He waits for Rosa full report before moving, though.

[WalkingTheShade]

Once her drawings are over, Rosa pronounces words of power. "جادوکشف". The eye drawn inside the pentacle opens, emitting a faint iridescent light. Rosa's eyes reflect the light. The drawings disappear, leaving only a weak sulfurous odor.

She scans the room around her, and describes her findings. "We have yet to inspect the upper floor, but stairs leading above appear somehow warded. I'm uncertain about the precise nature of said warding."

Rosa takes the pipe and stuffs looted tobacco into it. "What do you two think? Should we try to trigger and discharge the ward? Or would you rather we try circumventing it? Mmmm... I wonder what lighting this pipe will do? Don't believe it to be baleful."

Rosa fetches flint and tinder from her pockets. "I know, smoking's not considered a gracious habit in a lady. Fortunately, my mother will never learn about this." Rosa tries to light the tobacco and, putting stem to her mouth, to drag smoke from the pipe.

[Kaptin Keen]

Well - no need to make a habit out of it. And I doubt someone as happy with smoking as our .. hm, host? .. would curse his favourite pipe.

Borgrim looks from the stairs to the window, makes up his mind, and goes on:

I'll just ...

With that, he exits the window, and looks for a way to climb up and enter the top storey.

Spoiler: OOC

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Athletics: (1d20+4)[18]

Borgrim will look for dangerous markings on any window or similar point of entry - but has no real clue what to look for:
Perception: (1d20)[17]

[iTookUrNick]

César lets his two companions lead the efforts toward accessing the lab. They seem to be both eager and resourceful, no need to fret just yet.

[Woggle]

Borgim clambers up onto the second-story window sill and swings out into the rainy afternoon. It's one, two, three, four easy handholds and he arrives perched at the base of the three-foot circular window to the third floor. Assuming any sorcerer worth their salt would have spells hexes lying about, he examines the window carefully. In this case, the rain is fortuitous: beads of water dripping down the pane of glass avoid some sort of marking in a most unnatural way, as though drawn in wax. Definitely sorcery. There doesn't appear to be a way to open or force the window without triggering the magic.

Rosa for her part fills the bowl of the pipe and strikes tinder. Soon she's got it lit, and takes an inhale of the smoke.

Spoiler: Rosa

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The effects are immediate. Rosa gets the usual lightheadedness from the tobacco, but the colours of the room begin to blend together, and then drain away, leaving the study grey. César fades somewhat from view, taking on an insubstantial appearance. The patter of the rain is muffled. The smells of the room, however, become almost overpowering. Years of dust and mold and parchment, and the stronger, much more recent iron-laced smell of blood.

The blood on the sill and on the landing pop out vividly at Rosa as she turns to look at them. A moment later, smoky forms begin to coalesce from the blood. They take on the forms of two humanoids: One more or less human, another slightly smaller, with bird-like features. They struggle briefly on the landing, then break away. The bird-like humanoid rushes, clutching its side, straight through Rosa toward the window. A small part of it tears away and drops to the floor as the figure leaps from the sill. The second form appears to weigh its options, then retreats down the stairs to the first floor and dissipates.

César watches as Rosa holds her breath for several moments, as if she's in a trance. Then Rosa exhales. She blinks a few times, and the room spins back into regular, every-day focus.

Spoiler: EDIT OOC

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I used Borgrim's perception roll for his investigation check, since I figure that's what you wanted it for. (And it was good enough to see the ward )

Oh and feel free to read the PC specific spoilered text if you'd like to. It's just handy to keep that sort of IC knowledge separate in the post.

[Kaptin Keen]

Borgrim - ever the lateral thinker - toys briefly with the idea of wrestling the entire window from it's frame. Surely that would work? Without opening the window or breaking either pane or frame, the ward wouldn't trigger, right? Not, at least, until the entire thing hit the flagstones below.

However, getting the kind of leverage needed for such a feat would likely preclude any way of holding on - sending Borgrim himself, along with the window, to crash into the flags below. Sort of defeating the purpose.

Still. Shame to ruin a solid plan with matters of boring logistics.

OI! Hollered Borgrim, down to Rosa and César, ANY CHANCE ONE OF YOU HAS A ROPE?

[iTookUrNick]

"As a matter of fact, I do, together with pitons for your convenience". answers Cesar. "What do you need it for, anyway?" he asks, mildly curious.

[Kaptin Keen]

...

Oh. I mean to tear this window straight out of the wall - which will, at the least, require bracing my feet against the wall while I pull. So to avoid falling to my death on the cobbles below - then being exploded by the wards - I plan to tie the rope around my waist. Ingenius, no? Hand'er up.

[iTookUrNick]

"If you think it's the wisest course of action, by all means please proceed. I am no expert on the matter. he says, handing out the materials. "We could also have the cat, say, walk up the stairs and see what happens"

[Kaptin Keen]

Wisest, mutters Borgrim, tasting the unfamiliar word and seeming to find it unappealing, I don't know about wisest. Do you have a spare cat, if it dies horribly in flame and smoke? Go ahead, I'll tie the rope up if it fails.

Borgrim grabs the rope, ties it to a handy chimney - as is traditional - and uses a few pitons to loosen the frame in preparation to tearing the whole damned thing out.

Spoiler: OOC

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I say it's a 50/50 chance that Borgrim won't actually have the patience to wait until the Cat-tempt succeds or fails explosively, so I'll just roll,
Athletics: (1d20+4)[23] ... is it +4? I can never remember.

Anyways, if it fails, I can Rage, gaining +2 and advantage.

[WalkingTheShade]

Rosa shakes the the effects of the tobacco. "Wow, that thing is," she coughs a few times, "stronger than expected." She clears her throat, noticing Benedict hollering out the window. "Where's Borgrim gone to?" Before Benedict can do so, she answers her own question. "Up the facade, obviously."

She approaches Benedict, so that Borgrim can hear her voice. "The pipe gave me a vision. And yes, it was only mundane tobacco, not some of those shamanistic herbs. Anyways, I saw a crow-man fighting a, huh, human-man. The crow man went out the window, but lost that amulet with the metal feather in his escape."

"From what we found, I gather the crow-man is indeed Niccodemus, who might need the hereby amulet to semble back into human shape. He's most likely wounded too, as was his more human aggressor."

"We could also have the cat, say, walk up the stairs and see what happens"

I don't know about wisest. Do you have a spare cat, if it dies horribly in flame and smoke? Go ahead, I'll tie the rope up if it fails.

Rosa punches Benedict in the shoulder. "What the hell, Faust! That's my baby you're talking about! Send your mangy toothless idiotic raven! Who summons a bird anyway? Cats are so much cutter! And they're clean! Birds look like stupid gross lizards with feathers!"

She leans out the window. "Tearing the window out, whole-piece, might very well work as you intend, Borgrim, in regards to any arcane ward. Although I'd like to attract your intention on the impractala— eerr, impractalili— on the issues involved. First among whom, the resulting commotion, which might well end up attracting attention from our proud constabulary force, how inefficient they may otherwise act."

"Second issue: Even though our entry, without break or authorization, was made with noble intents, destroying half the building's facade might well be construed as going far beyond any explicitly or implicitly imparted mandate. I will also point out that our misanthropic and yet unaware host is indeed, as you are wont to say, a foul sorcerer. His journals seems to indicate that he has means of observation and surveillance upon his abode."

"Three: If we open ourselves such an obvious entry point, others, of less honourable motives, will certainly notice. They will make use of said entry to ransack that laboratory, which use we may require at a later point, if indeed our host is trapped in avian form."

Satisfied with her long speech outside the window, Rosa nods to herself. She leans back inside, looks around for a comfortable chair, and sits down, pipe in one hand, scrolls and papers in the other, waiting for Borgrim to make up his mind. She lights the pipe again, intent on finishing it. "Unexpected, but I already see this turning into a habit. Faust? I'm sure you're a faster reader than Borgrim. If you'd be so kind, please have a look at that other stack of paper. It may hold some indication regarding the nature of the warding apposed on those stairs."

Spoiler: OOC

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Identifying scrolls is supposed to be automatic, as long as they're on one's class list.

First, try to figure out the two divination scrolls. If needed, Arcana - (1d20+5)[23].
Second, shifting through other papers to see if there's a clue as to the nature of the stairwell ward. If needed, Investigation - (1d20+5)[19]. I guess Benedict helping would give that roll advantage? In which case, I'll let Nick make the second d20 roll, in case Ben agrees to help.