1-6-13 Post Session

This was the session wherein the Skyclaw returned, re-dubbed the Sperca, announcing the Olthoi's new mission.   Fierneceal and Rekarg rejoined the party, and they headed back towards Holtburg.  Then they fought off assassins trying to attack the party, Tia's daughter, and Rory's mother... for some reason.

Edit: The next step appears to be dealing with the assassination attack by heading towards Kinshoy in the Hebian-To province of the Sho Empire.

It seems that the convergence of a lot of the party interests are in Sho: Gaerlan, the assassins, and The Exchange mission. Bonebreaker has chartered a boat to reach Kinshoy in 2 days time. We also have the options of, while we're there, following up on the augments in Hebian-To and visiting the Earth Temple. What happens with those two items will probably largely depend on how it goes in Kinshoy, but this is the chance to knock out several items in one swoop and have a quick way to get back to Holtburg as well.

We'll know a lot more about the location we're going to once we get to Kinshoy and actually see what we're up against, but in the meantime, everyone should be brainstorming about infiltrating a heavily-armed, two-story area to obtain the key (whereabouts unknown). If the key is actually carried on a person, then it may be easier to obtain it outside of the fortified building. We'll see when we get there and our gather information people can help.

And Erin of [Random-Elf-Clan] was killed, much to Rory's satisfaciton; doubly so, as Rory was the one who did the deed, and managed to get away from the guards.

So, Rekarg actually had a bit more to say but it got a little overshadowed and the session ran a bit long, so I figure I will put it here instead.  *puts on IC monocles*


Rekarg folded his scaled hands, debating his next words.  "I have been... reprimanded by my House for my more lenient and direct aid in political and criminal activities with your group.  Until further ordered, I shall not be directly assisting in such matters... however," he pauses, "I have been urged to remain at your disposal for the one thing I am best at; information.  I have many contacts, and I know many things, so from henceforth I am considered fully your resource regarding such things."  A pause.  "I will also be continuing my role as the lady Fierneceal's bodyguard, so wherever she goes, so too do I."

Rekarg folded his scaled hands, debating his next words.  "I have been... reprimanded by my House for my more lenient and direct aid in political and criminal activities with your group.  Until further ordered, I shall not be directly assisting in such matters... however," he pauses, "I have been urged to remain at your disposal for the one thing I am best at; information.  I have many contacts, and I know many things, so from henceforth I am considered fully your resource regarding such things."  A pause.  "I will also be continuing my role as the lady Fierneceal's bodyguard, so wherever she goes, so too do I."

Snarg bites half of his lip and frowns a bit as Rekarg delivers the news. "Yeah, guess I don't blame them," he sighs, scratching his ear, "there's a bit of 'unpleasentness' to all of this and I'm not blaming anyone for not wanting to get their hands in it." He crosses his arms and gives Rekarg a serious look. "But ... if the chips are down, we can't let all of this political..." he stops a moment, seemingly searching for words, "...sh-stuff..., get in the way of our main goal. A little bit of a hit on the nose isn't worth having another altered ley line, yep?"

Letting his arms drop, he relaxes his demeanor and respectfully pats Rekarg on the arm. "Do appreciate you going to bat for us though. Even if you can't get directly in to it, I'll be expecting all the info you can get on what we're facing - especially on our main goal. Don't hold back on anything if we don't ask, just let us know. If you see anything odd, even the slightest bit, let us know right away."

Snarg sniffs roughly and addresses everyone. "Watch out for neon blue elemental energy. I found them close to you, Fierneceal, near the epicenter of the Janwall incident. There were also some trails of it nearby at the southern edge of the town and ..." he points quickly at Javan, "on you. I don't know much about it yet, but I'm thinking that's a pretty telling mark of Scion-like augments. That's the best guess I've got with the info I have. If anyone else has any ideas about it, let me know. It's something we may be able to use as a trail and a warning, so be on the lookout."

*obviously not doing this all out in the open*

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Also something I was meaning to do before the stealth goes away: study the stealth and sneak attack tactics that these guys use while I still have the knowledge; try and gain some advantage when we are attempting to spot and possibly fight these people again. Getting some antidotes for the poisons they were using would also be good. I'm not sure what you'd need to roll to identify the poisons, but I bet between all of us we could figure it out.

I'm going to give you Advantage on rolls to attempt to spot the members of the [REDACTED] for your efforts.

[REDACTED]! I hate these guys.

While we travel to Sho on the boat, Zeiss is going to talk to Fierneceal and ask her to alter the mind of the rest of the party so that we can communicate telepathically. And even if he is clearly reluctant to do so, he is also going to ask her to start with him because 1) Zeiss counts as two people since he is a green mage, which would also (probably) allow the party to communicate directly with the Aspect and 2) Zeiss is the one who will use stealth the most in the future (like during the Heist) and it would be useful to talk without revealing ourselves to our enemies.

I will use my persuasion ability to do so (diplomacy +12 if necessary) and if she refuses to give Zeiss the scionic "language", he will look somewhat relieved.

I will only nod to Rekarg's announcement.

A bit of a refresher of what's awaiting you in Kinshoy: Bonebreaker has already placed two agents there, whom will be wearing black scarfs so you can identify them.  They are expecting you on March 3rd at the Mayor's Office and will find reasons to be in that area from then, but if you take too long they will unquestionably bail due to not wanting to rouse too much suspicion.  They have info on the Manors, if you wanted to follow up on that whole Exchange business thing, but they're also the only agents you have access to in the entirety of the Sho and as such your only real leads on your assassin friends. 

Your 'ride' down there is a Magitice cargo trawler, which has already been hired and paid for in anticipation for the deal, but you are not restricted to that of course; there's always Hub travel to Hebian-To, or any other method you feel like taking.

Any other questions you have I can answer in character before you guys leave.

So a question about the Orator class.

From the prestige classes file wrote:Abilities: Speech Abilities are unique abilities that the Orator can use a number of times per day equal to their current CHA modifier. 

Since my CHA modifier is +3, does that mean I can use the persuasion ability thrice a day AND the stall ability thrice a day? Or do I have only three uses a day no matter what speech ability I choose?

Now, I have a suggestion for Kolson. I think I am safe to assume that we will use the ship to get to Sho since it would be faster than using the Hub then walk all the way to Kinshoy. It's the perfect time for you to weave!!!

Maybe something that would allow all party members to detect where we are individually?

@Zeiss: Total number of uses per day, not per ability. 

The way that detect thinger works would be debatable difficulty but certainly feasible.

Okay, thank you for the answer. And I will assume you are either debating what Fierneceal will say to Zeiss or just planning something else.

Now, do we start planning the Heist? Because we can't really do it until we meet these agents. I can certainly watch some heist movies and give some ideas...

You know it's a two story manor, which is situated right on the shore which has its own docks.  There are two known entrances, and it is guarded regularly by Sclavi servants who are actually part of the Sho military, which can mean many different things.  I have a bit more info in mind but I'd prefer you ask questions rather than just info dump.

Okay. So we're taking the trolley? I assume we're taking Kolson's niece and my mother with us.

Well, I'm pretty sure Kolson would not want his niece to come with us. Now, time for questions! I realize it is improbable that I get all the answers, but here it is!

Who exactly is this food magnate? Does he have strange habits? Is the manor his principal residence? Do many people visit him?

How tight is the security? How many guards? servants? residents? What races are they? What languages do they speak? How well are these guards armed? Do they have any kind of combat experience?

How about the manor? Does it have any kind of magical protection? Has anyone tried to break in before? What goes in an out of the building? I suppose there would be some kind of routine too since the Sho are so traditional.

I think that's all for now.

Oh, and I spoke to Kolson. He still wants to take it easy for now and is not checking out the forums for that purpose. But he said I could make the decision regarding the Detection stuff. So here's my idea...

A piece of silver (or bronze or whatever, we can use one of our pieces of gold if it makes it easier) with the Exchange emblem on both sides. The way it works is that each piece is soul binded and the wearer can detect the other wearers in let's say... 100 miles, and know who they are. We can also send a distress signal through it, like some sort of bip that means : "problem here!".

How difficult would that be to weave?

Thank you again for your answers. I know I asked a LOT of questions. Take your time.

Taking Kolson's niece and your mother with us I'm going to say no to unless someone has a really good reason to do so. They will be in even greater danger since we'll be marching them directly into the assassin's stronghold and they will probably just get in the way when we're carrying out our plans. Unless someone has a really good reason why they should come, they need to stay here under guard.

Questions:

1. What is the armaments and training of these guards? If they're military would they have some standard equipment and training we would know about?

2. Are there commonly magical protections against what we're about to do? aka are there Alarm-type and that sort of spells/magical items commonly placed around places like this of influential Burun?

3. What are some of the local traditions we might be able to take advantage of to gain access? Anything we could do that would require him to open his mansion to us?

4. What type of services and groups commonly run around this area and through that type of household? I know it's cliché, but are there any good opportunity to pose as any one of these groups? Preferably multi-national so we don't stick out more than we already will due to our race. I imagine we're already going to be like outsiders in Japan.

5. Are there any types of customs we should be obeying while we're there so we don't stick out as much? Introductions, manners, etc?

6. What is the general Sho mentality about assassins and their organizations?

I'm sure there will be more, but that's about all I can type out right now. I've got some plans for some things for people to find out/plan once we get there. I'll tell you now: the idea is, if everything runs smoothly, to actually send the boat back as a decoy and go down to the capitol, follow up on the augments thing, and then finally to the earth temple since those are convenient routing points. Takes care of several things. I'll get Rekarg to take care of some things while we're pulling off the heist since he won't get directly involved in it. I highly expect we'll learn/do something that will divert that, but we'll see.

Some thoughts I was jotting down about the heist that I'll share with you guys:

Route Planning
Anyone involved in this will be planning the optimal route to reach our objective and get out with the least amount of resistance. We'll need people proficient in engineering, scouting, defenses, and interactions with anyone we may encounter to collaborate and come up with the best way to go in. Everyone will be involved in this to some extend, but I've listed people who will be leading this.

Casing
The initial grab of information on the place and people. Stealthy-type characters will be best here, although if you'ee able to gather information elsewhere this will also be useful.

Defenses
People who are experts in mundane and magical traps will take care of planning and disarming any automatic defenses we might encounter.

Interaction
If/when we must interact with the residents here, then these people are the ones who will engage them. Note: if you are listed here and you do not speak serpent, please let me know.

Disguises
Pretty self-explanatory. We will need false identities and possibly extensive disguises to pull this off.

Plan B
If things go wrong, this is the crew that busts in and out. Only really comes in to play if our quiet attempt doesn't go right. These are the people that cover for the others who may need to escape and then get out themselves.

Diversion
We'll want a diversion to misdirect the attention away from what's actually going on. This could also go hand-in-hand with plan B, but let's not use that as the first option.

Zeiss: Route planning, casing, interactions, and defenses.
Gwydo: Route planning, plan B, diversion, and defenses.
Z: Disguises, casing, and interactions.
Kolson: Defenses, casing, and interactions.
Javan: Casing, diversion, and plan B.
Snarg: Casing, diversion, and plan B.
Rory: Casing, diversion, and plan B.
Higaide: Casing, diversion, and plan B.

On a side note, can Fairy vision work through objects or does it have to be completely unobstructed just like normal sight?

Maybe i missed it, but what of the assassins that we captured?

They "left". You can find out exactly what happened in the summary K.

And I will remind everyone that I am fully trained in the disguise skill (yeah, I put skill points in that even if I haven't used it before ) and I possess a bracelet of concealment that allows me to change my skin color, eyes, hair, ears, facial structure and voice.

I also have the disable traps skill and I can speak serpent. This language will finally come into play!

Good plan, but now they know we're coming. They'll either relocate or fortify, probably both.

It also begs the question; if they could Translate, why bother walking up to their targets at all, instead of just Translating right next to them and do the job? Also, unless i'm missing something, i can't be the only one it strikes as odd that they would go after Rory and Kolson's families after so little as a run in with Rory, some insinuations and a threat. And if they wanted to bend us over and not destroy us, why bother trying to kill Gwydo? No way they thought he was some random guard, with the information they seem to have on the party.

And unless i'm missing something way major, what would the "Exchange proper" have to do with the Sho?

Normally teleportation of any sort requires you to have been or be able to very accurately visualize where you want to go. Even then, unless you have prepared an area that you know no one is going to mess with, it's still risky. You could end up inside a table someone has moved, come out with your back turned to your enemy, etc. It's very risky business and you can't do it often, so if you are able to gain access to it more mundanely, then all the better.

Who exactly is this food magnate?

Hozjk, a wealthy Burun who has not yet earned his last name. 

Does he have strange habits?

You don't know.

Is the manor his principal residence?


His manor is his only residence (real estate is a highly valued thing amongst the Burun, it is exceedingly rare to encounter someone who actually owns more than one place of living). 

Do many people visit him?

He gets a smattering of visitors regularly.

How tight is the security?

You don't know. 

How many guards?

You don't know. 

servants?

You don't know. 

residents?

You do know he lives alone, has no wife or significant other. 

What races are they?

Any races in the area are 99% likely to be Sclavi or Moarsman filling in the usual roles, and I already mentioned he has Sclavi military defending him.

What languages do they speak?

The common tongue of the area is Serpent, as (ironically) Common is somewhat uncommon to be used even as a trade language.

How well are these guards armed?

The guards are armed per usual Sho military, so Magma weaponry is likely.

Do they have any kind of combat experience?

Combat experience is likely to be high due to the high amount of action Sho military regularly sees against beasts and bandits in their area, but you don't know specifically.

How about the manor?

This isn't really a question but it's a nice manor.  Mostly cosmetic in design, but well engineered.

Does it have any kind of magical protection?

Probably.

Has anyone tried to break in before?

Also probably.

What goes in an out of the building?

People, supplies, air, time, space...

I suppose there would be some kind of routine too since the Sho are so traditional.

Also not really a question but you don't know regardless.

[in response to the Weaving question]
A 100 mile anything is going to be Hard difficulty right off the bat.  Each additional type of signal they can send adds a level of difficulty to that.  Each additional emblem will also increase the difficulty.


1. What is the armaments and training of these guards? If they're military would they have some standard equipment and training we would know about?

Kinda already answered this but Magma weaponry is common, and most Sho military is rigidly but well trained and sees lots of action normally.

2. Are there commonly magical protections against what we're about to do? aka are there Alarm-type and that sort of spells/magical items commonly placed around places like this of influential Burun?

Depends on how clever and wealthy the Burun is, but paralysis, tracking, alerting, and poison traps are all extremely common as the point is to incapacitate to show how much better you are than them as opposed to killing. (also a good way to figure out who sent whom)

3. What are some of the local traditions we might be able to take advantage of to gain access? Anything we could do that would require him to open his mansion to us?

If you're trying to get in in the open and whatnot that's not particularly hard, as it'd just require gaining an audience with Hozjk for whatever reason.  Something flattering would suffice, as well as offering him gifts for favor, that sort of thing.  Your agents have NOT contacted him yet as they were waiting to tip your hand on the decision of which plan to follow, which they still don't know what the decision is (you will be the ones informing them). 

4. What type of services and groups commonly run around this area and through that type of household? I know it's cliché, but are there any good opportunity to pose as any one of these groups? Preferably multi-national so we don't stick out more than we already will due to our race. I imagine we're already going to be like outsiders in Japan.

The odds of him employing non-servants in his Manor are very low but the real answer is you don't know.  You can guess that he probably has regular supplies brought in and, since he has his own docks, it's probably via the sea primarily.

5. Are there any types of customs we should be obeying while we're there so we don't stick out as much? Introductions, manners, etc?

Politeness is absolutely critical to maintaining relations with virtually any Sho individual, regardless of race.  Introductions are always formal, as (for example) to say "I'm Snarg" would be considered a social screw up by presuming informality, which is insulting.  The proper method would be "I'm Snarg of Wildpaw" or whatnot.  This goes the other way too.  It is also considered impolite to 'bother' others, aka randomly asking questions.

6. What is the general Sho mentality about assassins and their organizations?

*rolls a dice*  You don't know.

And in answer to the Fairy vision question, I liken it to seeing a bright light normally.  You can see that light through some things, but after a point the density of the object will obstruct it.

Hmm. About the weaving request...

Let's reduce that to let's say 25 miles. No signals can be transmitted between them but we can still identify who possess it. And let's forget about the emblem. We just take a piece of silver we have and weave this effect on it.  One for each member of the party, including Rekarg, that would make it... huh... 10 pieces of woven silver? Yeah, that's it. How difficult would that be?

About the Heist, here's an idea. Some of us pretend we want to visit Hozjk with a gift and we take Z with us. She takes a look around so that she can Translate in the manor later. Then we can plan from there.

Just an idea. Going to ask Z in private first if she would be willing to do that. If not, well, we'll have to think of another possibility.

Z's response to Zeiss: "I would be willing to check it out (in disguise of course)  I may or may not be willing to Translate later based on the circumstances inside the manor.

And reducing the distance to 25 miles would lower the difficulty significantly, but with 10 people it's still pretty hard.

I am going to wait for other people to respond to my idea before I suggest something else. Also going to thank Z for considering this.

Now, weaving. Again. Let's say we don't soul bind the 10 pieces of silver but activate them with a password. We would still give each piece a magical signature unique to each person though, allowing us to identify who is "supposed" to be wearing it. Would that lower the difficult at all? Because if it doesn't, I'll just ask Kolson if he wants to try a Hard weaving check.