Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[ERYFKRAD]

"Perhaps if we spread around, cause a few drunken fights to break out, the disruption that causes would be far more useful to get the Thieving One out."

 

[Siveon]

"Perhaps, though that might just get us individually surrounded and detained. We can't guarantee a few fights would rouse the crowd enough, but scary green magic? I would run from that. Hm, maybe both? We set up a few fights, have Ker in the corner somewhere preparing for the spell, then when the guards tries to keep the peace, we rush 'em. It's not like we could sneak her out, those "Seekers" are probably ordered to hold onto her 'till the day they die."

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Borric's brows furrow in deep thought. "Look around us, Bard, do any of us have aught that can catch fire quick. Perhaps if the quickest of us scales up high enough, we may throw something at the Seekers to distract them, and a few fights that we start but don't get involved in would make enough of a mess to get the Thieving One out. I wonder if any of her friends are here for the same purpose as well."

Spoiler

By starting fights I don't mean getting into fights, just start them, like knock one guy on the head, blame it on the other guy, that sorta thing.

 

[Siveon]

"Then we'll set one of the Seekers on fire. If they have an inkling of humanity to them, they'll attempt to put out their friend whilst the guards corral the townsfolk, and there - is where we make our move. Three of us makes for the Seekers, while one absconds with the thief and carries her off to the temple. When they notice she's gone, we'll flee the scene, meeting up at the temple. ...Hopefully Father Inniros will be okay with harboring criminals."

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"Yeah, maybe we should toss a few coins on the ground for good measure."

 

[Grimgravy]

"I could certainly try to pincushion the one scanning the crowd. Though a milling, running, panicky crowd is not the best place for archery. Does anyone see a vantage point that would be less chaotic?" Rhenmyr scans the area.

 

[Helly]

"I could definitely conjure some green flames on her or one of those guys, but maybe it would be better if they just get asleep, right?"
Ker looks at the surrounding buildings' roofs and windows, checking for bowmen or any strange figure

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Ah dammit. I'm not getting any notifications for this thread. Sorry for the delay.

Marcán and Borric whisper back and forth at the edge of the square discussing options, while Rhenmyr and Ker try to nonchalantly scan the area for a better vantage point. Sokarates stands mute and stoic as ever, but looks very determined.

What you see: The square is about 30 yards wide, with a dry, broken fountain at its center. There are two large warehouses, with flat roofs and stone construction on the opposite side of the square at each corner about 15 to 20 feet tall. How one would get on to the roof is not apparent from your current location. To your immediate right is a low series of low-roofed timber and stone buildings with the same style of flat roof, some have the wash hung out to dry on cords, others appear to have olive trees and the like, so they are clearly used for daily life and accessible somehow.

Aside from the 4 watchmen at the edge of the square, there don't appear to be any other obvious allies of the three seekers . . . which maybe isn't all that surprising; their reputation for a thousand years of cruelty and ruthlessness precedes them and is probably more than enough to keep the crowd cowed and fearful (mostly). Although none of you have ever seen a Seeker in the flesh before, these three all seem to have the same arrogant, fearless bearing so stereotypical of the ones described in the tales most of you have heard. Those of you who have grown up under the shadow of the Commorium empire (like Marcán and Ker for instance) have some particularly poignant perspectives acquired through the oral history of your people about the depravity of these enforcers of the Holy Autarch's church.

The edge of the square seems to be filling in quite a lot behind you and an almost palpable energy and a sense of expectancy hangs in the air, but for what no one is entirely certain yet.

Is anybody doing anything now or do you all wait?

 

[nikolokolus]

Housekeeping

I almost forgot. I haven't doled out any experience points for your flight from the guards and how you all handled all of the adversity that came your way. Everybody gets 150 XP for some pretty clever play and finding a solution to the problem of getting to Father Inniros.

Everybody's updated XP totals
(calculated in excel and fractions from XP bonuses are rounded down (but retained), so blame microsoft not me if it doesn't look quite right )
Borric - 484
Ker - 425
Marcán - 407
Rhenmyr - 464
Sokrates - 425

 

[ERYFKRAD]

OOC

Hang on, clever play? Also I think my exp ought to be 486-> 321 +(150*1.1)

 

[Grimgravy]

Request

A map would be nice!

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

Hang on, clever play? Also I think my exp ought to be 486-> 321 +(150*1.1)

Answer 1

Let's just put it this way. "Discretion is the better part of valor." Plus I really liked the tripline across the alley and then Borric playing dumb with the buccaneer in the tavern. The chance for a lethality was pretty high at a few points, but nobody took the bait As for the XP. Sorry about that, typo on my part. I've got the correct amount on my sheet.

Request

A map would be nice!

Answer 2

I'll put something together tomorrow. I'm at the end of a long week and about to hit the pillow.

 

[Grimgravy]

OOC

I can wait until tomorrow. Can't exactly demand a detailed map in the dead of the night!

 

[nikolokolus]

UPDATE

Still dicking around with Campaign Cartographer's City Designer extension trying to come up with a decent street map . . . I'm rusty. Hopefully I'll have something worth uploading by the end of the day.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Ask and ye shall all receive . . . Jesus this is going to be so much easier to handle in Fantasy Grounds

The layout of the South edge of the square. To north lays the pier, to your south is the Mitraic Shrine, West several hundred yards away are the sheer bluffs of Hightown, east is the city wall (and the ruins of The Sink on the other side).

 

[nikolokolus]

One guard is just out of the scene to the north. The west edge of the square is the end of the Street of Red Lanterns, a good deal of working girls are gathered there gawking at the goings on.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Tactical discuss!

Guys, anyone thinks we can try using the working girls to distract the guards? I'm assuming the guards are human, we might as well spend a wee bit of gold into having them get busy. That out of the way, maybe some of us can take the roofs to the right, and climb for higher vantage points and FINALLY get rid of the rope I have. In the midst of this, maybe Siveon can do a Hail the Autarch rally that could prevent the Seekers from looking at the roofs?

 

[Grimgravy]

Tactical Discuss!

This will be tricky! The way I see it, we need to get this done as quickly as possible. We need a distraction. Or several. We're not terribly outnumbered at the moment, but reinforcements arrived awful fast last night. The prostitutes might be best used to delay reinforcements. Perhaps we could get the crowd to stampede TOWARD Nightingale? That would be overwhelm the Man immediately on the scene and provide us some cover to get her out. Most of us are a bit too recognizable and I don't like the idea of wanted posters with my mug all over the Imperium! Fairy fire behind us plus some some "cries of distress" could be of use there.

Question

What stories of these seekers has Rhenmyr heard? I'm wondering if they are likely to bullies used to getting what they want without a ton of skill, or elite bastards we shouldn't be messing with at all.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Even in far off Stygia their dire reputation precedes them. Supposedly they are groomed from infancy, plucked as they are from orphanages; the byblows of the many assassinations and house wars so common in Commorium's court. They are then sent throughout the empire hunting for heretics and dissidents. Some say they possess sorcerous powers and bind daemons to their service, but that's just hearsay as far as you know.

Is their reputation earned or blown out of proportion? Maybe you'll find out.

 

[Helly]

Tactical Discuss!

We could very well start a real fire in one of the building, then Ker fire flies one of us like Borric (or somebody we pay like right now) to rush through guards shouting something like "I'm burninggg waaarrrgh!". In the panic we kick the seekers in the nuts and get away with the waifu through the crowds.

 

[Grimgravy]

Tactical Discuss!

The more I think about it, we need a riot or stampede toward the square to maintain our anonymity. Any thoughts on how to accomplish that beyond fire! I'd like to save the waifu, but I don't want to paint a target on our backs.

Question

What is the crowd's mood? Are they just here for a spectacle or is there some anger/fear we might be able to turn to our advantage?

 

[Siveon]

Tactical Discuss!

Why don't we just cover our faces? Our armor isn't unique by any means, and the only thing easy to spot is a mentally damaged man and my sword. Perhaps the beggar as well.

 

[nikolokolus]

Tactical Discuss!

The more I think about it, we need a riot or stampede toward the square to maintain our anonymity. Any thoughts on how to accomplish that beyond fire! I'd like to save the waifu, but I don't want to paint a target on our backs.

Question

What is the crowd's mood? Are they just here for a spectacle or is there some anger/fear we might be able to turn to our advantage?

Give me a wisdom check (3d6 less than or equal to wisdom) to see how well you read the crowd.

Tactical Discuss!

Why don't we just cover our faces? Our armor isn't unique by any means, and the only thing easy to spot is a mentally damaged man and my sword. Perhaps the beggar as well.

I suppose I overlooked this since it didn't seem important, but Hyginos isn't with you. He's a working beggar, not some shiftless. lay-about adventurer like you lot

 

[Grimgravy]

Reading the crowd

Wisdom Check [3d6] = 13
Sucess - Barely

Tactical Discuss

Masks would be good. Any easy way to procure some?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Tactical Discuss!

I have chalk, we could break it and powder our faces with it? Easiest way to cause a riot? Throw money at it. I'm not averse to running around going- I'm burning, but these Seekers might as well deign to put me out of their misery. I'm convinced we need theim distracted, not hostile. To that end, a Hail Autarch Messiah would be handy. We could probably just find some drunk schmuck to do it too.