And then a Meteor fell out of the sky.

[Emperor Tippy]

Cindy waits for Rayman to get out and set up the chess board and then says "You can start."

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(1d20+10)[25]
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Int checks:

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(1d20+2)[21]
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First ahead by 50 points wins.

[Solo]

I seem to have lost...

[AmberVael]

Chora wakes up and readies herself for the day, gathering all of her belongings and tidying herself up with a prestidigitation before heading out of her rope trick and to Rayman's house. She knocks on the door.

[Solo]

Rayman rises from the ruins of the chessboard and goes to answer the knocking.

Hello, Chora. Looks like you made it. Would you care for a cookie?

[Talic]

Hara straightens himself out, and approaches the door.

Ready early.... My favorite character flaw. Excellent. So, how was everyone's evening?

[Emperor Tippy]

Cindy nods to the new arrivals and says "Now that most of us are here, we can start. I suggest we head into my mansion, its more secure against eavesdropping. Breakfast should be ready in about 10 minutes and we can plan while eating."

With that comment she heads back into her mansion and releases Malakh and says to him in Celestial "Would you be so kind as to prepare breakfast Malakh?"

Malakh nods his head in ascent and says "Of course, my lady."
He then starts casting a spell and Cindy appears to be concentrating along with him.

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Malakh is casting Heroe's Feast and Cindy is using CoOp Meta to extend spell it, making it last all day. Casting time is 10 minutes.

[Solo]

That sounds delicious, Cindy. Thank you, Malakh.

Come on, let us discuss this over breakfast.

[AmberVael]

Chora heads inside and shakes her head at Rayman.
No thank you.
She seems a little strained- more than she should for a night's rest.
I spent a long time divining to try and get us a few more facts to work with...
She swiftly heads into the mansion.
If anyone has more magic to help us evade prying eyes, I would greatly appreciate its use.

[Talic]

Hara-drim


At this stage, I doubt we're being any more heavily watched than usual. Still, a few precautions seem common sense enough. The mansion seems a good idea.

[Emperor Tippy]

After a bit Cindy looks up and says "Breakfast is served" as a dining set fit for an emperor appears, with the table covered in a delicious looking array of breakfast foods of all types.

She turns to Malakh and says "Thank you Malakh, please join us for breakfast."

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Hero's feast

(1d8+8)[13] Temporary HP for everyone. And the effects last 24 hours.

[Talic]

Hara helps himself to a selection of bacon, ham, sausage, and a few other meat selections he doesn't immediately recognize, as well as some form of fruity looking juice, as he sits, glancing over at Chora.

Additional divining, then. Interesting. Anything of note that you discovered?

[Pink]

Serena

A knock at the door announces the arrival of the latecomer warmage, once again fully armored. She taps the toes of her boot against the floor, wondering if she really wanted to go along with such powerful mages, when all she really knew was how to use magic to kill others.

[AmberVael]

My divinations indicate that someone has been watching us since Rayman came in contact with the sword. I would appreciate more wards against detection.
Chora says, sitting down but not touching the food just yet. It's obvious that she considers their security top priority.

[Emperor Tippy]

Cindy continues to put food on her plate as she responds to Chora's comment and says "I keep mind blank up at all times, if someone else is able to cast it I can make that casting effect the whole group. As far as I was able to ascertain no one outside this room knows where the sword is. Oh and I would appreciate it if you didn't attempt to find out information about me with divinations in the future. I will know if you attempt it and I will be displeased. Now eat, we are safe enough here and the meal will invigorate you."

[AmberVael]

Chora smiles thinly at Cindy, her patience wearing thin.
And my divinations said someone has been watching us, so I would appreciate the protection. As for my divinations towards you, I would be a fool to simply assume that all of you could be trusted with no proof, especially in matters such as these... I make no apology, for I am only looking out for my survival.
As I am sure that all of you have been doing. If you just trusted me to tell you all the truth in this matter then I appreciate it, but honestly will have a lesser opinion of your wisdom.

[Emperor Tippy]

Cindy shrugs and says "If you want you can copy Mind Blank from my spell book, prepare it, and cast it. In which case I will be glad to make it effect everyone else in. As for using divinations against me, I did the same and found that no one has betrayed us or planned on betraying us."

Cindy notices that Chora hasn't eaten anything yet and says "And for someone who is worried about enemies you seem remarkably reluctant to accept some more protection. This feast will cure any sickness or disease you may have, immunize you against all poisons for the next day, make you fearless in the heat of battle for a like amount of time, and increase your vitality. After we are done eating, which should be in about an hour, we can worry about putting up more protections on the whole group."

[Solo]

Why is it that all the women in my life tend to get into catfights? Rayman ponders, as he gnaws on a leg of mutton. I appreciate your concern, but you don't have to make a fuss over it. Relax. We can always ward ourselves some how.

[Talic]

Hara-drim

Hara puts down his fork for a moment, with half a piece of some meat that he had identified only as "green" prior to tasting.

Please, try not to be overly concerned about the security that everyone has taken. Cindy, I'm sure that Chora is trying to learn more about the things she does not yet understand. Chora, as wise as it is to know who you are travelling with, please understand that it's hard for many people to accept that someone is suspicious of their motives.

With the knowledge that this is being so closely watcher, I feel safer, actually, with more people asking questions, than less. As I said, I find you all interesting. I find that I like all of you. But, I trust none of you. I don't expect that you trust me. All we have to go on are our actions, present and future. For now, my actions have carried me to this breakfast, which, incidentally, is quite good.

With that in mind, does anyone other than Cindy have the ability to cast this Mind Blank spell? I'm sure that such a spell will assay many of her concerns on the safety of our discussion, and it seems acceptable to Cindy as well. I'm more than happy to defer to anything that the two of you agree will protect us.

With that, he picks up his fork, and resumes his meal, with every intention of a second helping of the green meat.

[Emperor Tippy]

Cindy looks at Hara and says "I'm not particuarly concerned at all about the security that anyone in this group is or is not taking. As for my displeasure is Chora continues to use divinations to learn about me, its not because she is spying on me. It's because its a waste of time and spells. Your much better off with a "Has anyone in the group betrayed us?" question than with anything specific to another party member. If the first question comes up positive you should ask more specific questions.

Now as for trusting any of you, I trust you not to betray me. If you do betray me I will simple have to remedy the situation."

[AmberVael]

Chora doesn't seem inclined to speak any further, but it is obvious she hasn't in the least conceded the argument or agreed with Cindy at all. She also does not touch the food, perhaps because she wants to rebel in some way, if not continue the argument.
I have that spell prepared. I was going to save it for after a more general ward was used, to perhaps lengthen and take advantage of its longer duration, but if it could be used to protect all of us then maybe it would be best to expend it now.

[Solo]

You bring forth a great feast, including a magnificent table, chairs, service, and food and drink. The feast takes 1 hour to consume, and the beneficial effects do not set in until this hour is over. Every creature partaking of the feast is cured of all diseases, sickness, and nausea; becomes immune to poison for 12 hours; and gains 1d8 temporary hit points +1 point per two caster levels (maximum +10) after imbibing the nectar-like beverage that is part of the feast. The ambrosial food that is consumed grants each creature that partakes a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and Will saves and immunity to fear effects for 12 hours.

Rayman reads from a small notecard on the table.

Well, that sounds delicious. Come on, stop bickering and join us. We all need to eat, after all.

[Talic]

Hara glances back at Cindy.


Indeed? Hmm. I suppose I've always trusted each person not to betray themselves. Never thought that they wouldn't betray me. For that matter, my loyalty is greatly dependent on how I feel your goals mesh with mine. For what it's worth, you may trust me to do what I think is best for the continued survival and well being of my home on the prime material. I've grown rather attached to it, after all, nice as Sigil is, and all. As far as trusting me not to betray you? Well, for that, I suppose I'd need some form of loyalty to your cause, rather than mine. But, so long as our goals are similar enough, there shouldn't be any need for any conflict.
Hara then looks around at each other person.

On a side note, perhaps it's not a bad idea to find out what interest each person has in this. It may give us all a bit of insight into each other, which is rarely a bad thing. As I've said, I act in the interest of seeing that this extends no farther than a bickering between angels and demons. Inasmuch as it doesn't conflict with that, I'd enjoy some company in my travels, and the opportunity to teach others, and learn from them. Also, I don't mind a bit extra here and there to accomplish each of your goals, as long at they don't go against mine.

[Emperor Tippy]

Cindy glances at Hara and says "I trust you for all for my own reasons, and it would be in all of your best interests to ensure that that trust is justified. As for my loyalties, I'm loyal to myself and my father. I trust Rayman because my dad said I could and I trust his judgment. I'm going on this adventure because I think it will be fun and interesting, in addition to giving me more opportunities to get new pets."

[Talic]

At the part where "all of your best interests" is said, Hara allows the hint of an amused expression to cross his face, the sort one usually sees adults give children.

Well, then, since it touches on your loyalties, I think it's only fair to ask who your father is, and what his goals are, in relation to this; or at least, what you best surmise them to be. Since they're central to knowing what we can expect of you. If you are not allowed to reveal that, I suppose it's a fair enough answer, though, in my experience, few people hide their goals, unless it's in fear of being caught at something, or opposed. Such a position from your father would do very little to make me less suspicious of him, and thus, you. Simply knowing that you are subservient to the will of another is enough, in my opinion, to warrant being watched. Whether or not that displeases you is, to be honest, of little concern to me.

All I'm saying is, that if we intend to be travelling together for any length of time, it's easiest to come to an understanding of what we can expect from each other. From me, any who don't oppose my goals are helped, and most who do are taught, at best, and killed, at worst. To be honest, I've not killed everything I've tried to. But I never try unless I think I can succeed.

[Emperor Tippy]

Cindy shrugs and says "My fathers goals? To gain more experience in the use of magic and to learn more about magic and its uses. As for who he is, his name is Akkarin. He dropped me off here and headed off adventuring, I haven't the faintest idea about where he is or what he is currently up too. As for being subservient to my father, I'm not. Loyalty and subservience are very different things.

As for what I expect from you all. I expect you not to betray me or anyone else in the group, I expect you to take reasonable risks to help the other members of the group for the duration of our time together, I expect you to be honest with the other group members for the duration, I expect you to split any profits gained in our time together evenly, I expect you to be polite and civil to one another, I expect you to treat the other group members with courtesy and respect, and I expect you to trust one another until such a time as evidence indicating that the trust isn't justified comes to light."

[Talic]

Hara's expression seems almost a cross between annoyance and amusement, at this.

Very well. Now let me tell you what I expect. I expect to know precisely what I can expect of each of you. One cannot betray someone without deception, and one cannot deceive if they never state that they are trustworthy. In addition, I expect to know how and why you should be considered trustworthy. I expect for you to not expect anything of me, including civility and trust, unless you demonstrate that you are not someone that is opposed to my goals. I expect nobody here to either expect or offer trust blindly, least of all myself.

Though, to be honest, one cannot be loyal to any cause, person, or ideal, without being true to those ideals. Loyalty can never be established if you don't defer to those ideals when they conflict with your own. By that, one cannot be loyal without being subservient.

[Emperor Tippy]

A flicker of what appeared to be amusement crossed Cindy's face as she responded "You can expect from me exactly what I expect from you. Why you should consider me trustworthy? Because I don't have any goals which conflict with your own, or anyone else's in this group; well unless your goals include something that would lead to my death or unpleasantness for myself. I don't trust blindly, I'm not trusting you with anything important. For me this entire quest is currently nothing more than something that I think will be fun and interesting, in the future that assessment may be reevaluated and if so I may choose to disassociate myself from you. So I trust you to not do any of the things I have previously listed, but to be honest your failure to prove worthy of that trust wouldn't really inconvenience me in the least. I don't trust you to not attempt to kill me, but I do trust my abilities to protect me from such an attempt. So I don't worry about it.

One can be loyal to a person without sharing their ideas or convictions and without being subservient to them. Will I take any action that I see as harming my father? Not without a very good reason. Will I do whatever my father asks? Again, not without a very good reason. Will I run risks to help my father if he asks for my help? Yes. Do I expect him to ever ask for my help? No. My father is a non issue."

[Talic]

Hara

A glimpse of something (insight? comprehension?) passes swiftly through Hara's eyes, before being replaced by his usual bland expression.

Oh, I see the confusion. You seem to be mistaking love for loyalty. In that case, very well. I consider it no matter of import if you love your father. Only if you defer to his judgement rather than acting primarily in your own interests. If your primary interests are your own, then I shall judge you by them. As much as amusement is a dangerous reason to trust in, it is one that can be anticipated. So long as nobody acts to intentionally expand the sphere of influence that this demon sword event has, or intentionally allows or aids it in further affecting the planes beyond which the angels and devils call home, then you can expect no "death or unpleastantness" for yourself. Outside of the scope of that, I'm not really overly concerned for or against your paths, and see no problem helping you... Or at least telling you why I won't, should I be unable to. And, since you know that, it should be easy enough to not act in a way that would draw any unwanted ire from myself, just as, when I know that you are here primarily for amusement and getting new pets, I can assist in that. What sort of pets interest you?

[AmberVael]

Chora gives a cough to try and get Cindy's attention.
If you want to assist with my mind blank, I suggest you do it now before I decide to use it on myself.

[Emperor Tippy]

Cindy nods to Hara before turning to Talic and saying "You can wait until we are finished eating. As I have told you multiple times, this meal is more than just food. It provides multiple magical protections to the inbiders."

Turning back to Hara Cindy says "Pet's that interest me? Demons, devils, wizards, high priests, angels, and generally anything else that I find interesting."