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Post by Ginger on Apr 13, 2010 9:36:11 GMT -5
Zinc and Morvan will try to subtly cast Know Alignment on Korus. It last a turn, so it shouldn't be too hard.
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Post by venger on Apr 13, 2010 11:12:41 GMT -5
Nice work. Aren't you glad I saved you from the embarrassment of being carried around in a barrel? Nobody would have known I was actually in the barrel except you guys.... but yes. Kazan will look over the camp of the three wizards. He will use detect magic. He will borrow the gem or have Rensslaer join him. He will also look for the signs of the glass footprints in the sand to the east. He will inquire around (Baz? guards?) to see whether the location of the footprints are close to the place that trail from Shadalah's tent ended. Rensslaer is cooperative.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 13, 2010 12:06:51 GMT -5
Zinc and Morvan will try to subtly cast Know Alignment on Korus. It last a turn, so it shouldn't be too hard. You can also check the alignment of his servant Kerina. Morvan should try to get information out of her. In elvish or some other language that Korus is unlikely to speak, Morvan can ask her to talk some time away from Korus's tent. You could ask her what her story is. See if she is willing to tell him anything about Korus, Hassan or any of the other humans at the oasis. You could subtly ask if she was looking to leave the oasis and join a band of adventures.
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Post by venger on Apr 13, 2010 12:32:37 GMT -5
What's the elvish word for "hench" anyway?
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Post by Ginger on Apr 13, 2010 13:36:02 GMT -5
What's the elvish word for "hench" anyway? Zinc will keep asking anyone and everyone if they're "lookin' to hench."
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 14, 2010 7:12:07 GMT -5
Kazan will inquire at the Sandvoyagers' Guild regarding: 1. the exchange of gold/platinum for gems/jewels 2. possibility of hiring transport/guides to the ruins to the east 3. any information regarding the Skysea During business hours you go over to the Sandvoyagers' guild and request to speak with whomever is in charge. The language barrier is a problem, and two large dervishes block your entry into the building. You can see beyond them that a large warehouse full of crates and stuff extends the depth of the building. Various individuals carry boxes back and forth across your vision. Eventually, an older man, well-tanned and relatively fit, comes and speaks with you in the language of the city states. He is Thurnas Netmaster, and he introduces himself as the deputy guildmaster. He escorts you into the building and to the left from the large double doors. The dervish guards sneer at you as you enter. The vast warehouse opens before you, its crates blocking your vision beyond a few feet. In one corner is a large sled with ski runners used for carrying cargo over the desert. Sweating tribesmen are loading the sled with crates and barrels and securing them to the sled with intricate rope ties. The ties are tied very tightly, as if the crates are easily thrown from the sled. Thurnas escorts you the depth of the building, about 50 feet, before turning down a corridor to the left. Two doors lead off this twenty foot long corridor, one at the end and one to the left. He escorts you into the one at the end. Based on Rensslaer's description, the hidden door might actually enter into this room! The 20-foot square room is littered with papers and ledger books. One large book sits open on the desk in the center of the room. Thurnas sits at the desk and gestures you to a stool with an embroidered cushion atop it. Thurnas and you have a very fine conversation about the difficulties of running caravans over the desert. Thurnas is an effusive man with an easy wit and a quick smile, though a hard core clearly lies behind his eyes. He explains that he does have a cache of gems and jewelry hidden in a very safe location that he would be able to use to exchange your coin. Because this would deplete his stores greatly, he would require an exchange rate of 75%. He can currently exchange 8000 of your gold for 6000 in gems. He does offer that if you wished to put down a 25% deposit, he could in a fortnight, when the sleds being loaded now return, provide an exchange rate of 85%. Thurnas summons a serving girl to bring tea and cakes. A comfortable pause over cakes laden with honey develops. Thurnas is unwilling or unable to provide you a guide to the crypt. He knows where it is though. It is well known that the Crypt of Badr Al-Mosak is haunted with evil and terrible beings. He will provide you with directions based on a certain number of days travel and measurements made at sunrise and sunset that should bring you first to water and then to the crypt. He will charge a mere 50 GP for the information and the necessary measurement tools. Thurnas explains that the Skysea is a massive sheet of glass laid over the land. All things that are exposed on it burn in the light of day. The ancients traveled it on boats similar to the sandsleds, where the runners protected the occupants from the blazing sun. It is, for all practical purposes, the edge of the world in the east. If you wish to travel it, he can sell you the knowledge of where several derelict Skyskates are, again for a mere 50 GP. Thurnas tells you that the Wizards Three made similar request regarding the crypt and asked him about traveling the Skysea. He was equally unable to provide them with a guide, but he does tell you that they took him up on his offer of directions. Kazan will look over the camp of the three wizards. He will use detect magic. He will borrow the gem or have Rensslaer join him. He will also look for the signs of the glass footprints in the sand to the east. He will inquire around (Baz? guards?) to see whether the location of the footprints are close to the place that trail from Shadalah's tent ended. You and Rensslaer hike over to the wizards' camp. The camp of the three wizards is a massive glassy slag. Parts of it are now shattered by traffic and the wind is quickly eroding it. In several years, it will merely be a dark spot of sand. Nothing in it seems out of the ordinary. To your eyes, it seems like several different types of fires of different intensities burned here. Odd shapes punctuate the glass and spherical areas of thinness are crossed by lines and spheres of thick and thin glass. Neither you nor Rensslaer find anything magical or hidden at the camp. Returning to the Desert Igloo, you make a substantial bribe to Baz, who gives you directions to where the glassy hoofprints were. You find nothing near the oasis, but by making ever wider and deeper arcs away from the oasis you do find six more of the prints. They appear to be the same as that described by Baz. They are large, forked, and hoofed. The prints are bigger in diameter than the length of your foot. They seem to be heading out into the desert. It is not possible to extrapolate from the small number of prints you have found back to a unique point in the camp.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 14, 2010 7:20:17 GMT -5
Zinc and Morvan will try to subtly cast Know Alignment on Korus. It last a turn, so it shouldn't be too hard. You can also check the alignment of his servant Kerina. Morvan should try to get information out of her. In elvish or some other language that Korus is unlikely to speak, Morvan can ask her to talk some time away from Korus's tent. You could ask her what her story is. See if she is willing to tell him anything about Korus, Hassan or any of the other humans at the oasis. You could subtly ask if she was looking to leave the oasis and join a band of adventures. Zinc, Morvan, and Kazan make a trip over to the tents to speak with Korus. He meets with you eager to hear about your attempts to search the sandvoyagers' guild. While Kazan explains about his meeting with Thurnas, Zinc and Morvan leave the tent in series, trying to get an opportunity to cast know alignment. They probably raise some suspicions, but are successful. Kerina is chaotic good. Korus is lawful evil. The surrounding dervishes are in general lawful evil, lawful neutral, neutral, or neutral evil. It appears the desert does not reward altruism. Korus is generally unhappy that you have made little progress (in his eyes). He suspects that you are not motivated enough, so he offers that the quicker you find his brother's fiance, the more likely it is that he will reward you with magical weapons in addition to the sheik's reward! "Bring the girl straight to me and I will provide you this reward before the sheik does," he says. "I will wait for you after dark by the monolith in the oasis." Attempts to speak with Kerina in the presence of Korus are unsuccessful. Kerina avoids eye contact and speaking in the presence of Korus. Korus also reacts poorly to Morvan trying to speak to her directly. Korus raises his voice, accuses Morvan of trying to sleep with his servant, and summons his personal guard to pitch you all out of the tent and into the sands! Given that this is the sheik's second son, it seems wiser to retreat than to have a pitched battle with him over what may be a cultural misunderstanding. Morvan thinks that maybe it will be necessary to sneak in to talk with her absent Korus if the Champions want her opinion.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 14, 2010 8:29:40 GMT -5
Anyone have a problem with the 75% exchange rate? If not, I will offer him the gold hunks (~5000 gp) and the rest in platinum coins. I will bring Basil to assay the value of the gems and jewels Thurnas provides. We will still have the bulk of the platinum left to carry on the camels.
I will definitely purchase the information about the ruins and the Skysea.
I will purchase additional large and small sacks and a new rope in the bazaar - are these at a 10x?
Did I happen to notice if either of doors down the corridor in the warehouse had locks? I'll double check when I go back. Also I will look for any other exits from the large warehouse space. I'll attempt to compare the size and shape of interior of the warehouse to the exterior in an attempt to determine where other interior rooms might be. I'll show interest in the sand sled asking for a closer look at it and asking how it is propelled across the sands. I'll use this as an opportunity to further study the interior of the warehouse.
If we think it is a good idea I could ask Thurnas to join some of us for a meal at the Igloo. While he is there a couple people could try the secret door into the warehouse. I think Basil and Kazan would be the best at doing this with shape changing (Kazan could turn into a gray ooze and slide under doors) but at least Kazan should be at the meal.
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Post by venger on Apr 14, 2010 9:02:44 GMT -5
Anyone have a problem with the 75% exchange rate? If not, I will offer him the gold hunks (~5000 gp) and the rest in platinum coins. Works for me. If we think it is a good idea I could ask Thurnas to join some of us for a meal at the Igloo. While he is there a couple people could try the secret door into the warehouse. I think Basil and Kazan would be the best at doing this with shape changing (Kazan could turn into a gray ooze and slide under doors) but at least Kazan should be at the meal. Basil (shapechanged) and Flim (invisible) should go search the Sandvoyager's Guild for clues if Kazan can draw Thurnas away for a dinner date. Also we should invite Korus and have Morvan (invisible) go interrogate the elf Kerina. Make it so. ** and Alfred can go talk to the White Palm, maybe it has a riddle. *** Basil should start Charm Person/Mammal'ing important people. Korus, Thurnas, the other brother.
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Post by Ginger on Apr 14, 2010 9:38:55 GMT -5
Zinc strongly opposes charming anyone who isn't a clear enemy.
Basil should go with Morvan to talk with Kerina, since he's so charismatic.
I'm fine with making the trade with the sandvoyager's guild. After all, we plan to sneak in there, so we might even be able to get back the gold we trade to them!
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 14, 2010 10:10:05 GMT -5
I don't think inviting Korus is a good idea. If we want to talk to Kerina (of which I am not certain) then Morvan can hang out invisible outside Korus' tent and wait for him to leave. I think we are pretty sure Korus is not to be trusted. If Kerina wants to talk to us she knows where to find us.
I agree that Basil and Flam are good candidates to investigate the warehouse. There should be other representatives of the party joining us for dinner so that his suspicions are not raised.
I am also against charming people as well as stealing from them that which we legally traded.
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Post by Ginger on Apr 14, 2010 10:15:30 GMT -5
I am also against charming people as well as stealing from them that which we legally traded. I wouldn't sneak in to steal anything. But if they're bad guys and we find proof that they're responsible for kidnapping (or worse) and end up fighting them, then we'd loot their place just like we'd loot any other camp of brigands.
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Post by venger on Apr 14, 2010 10:44:37 GMT -5
I don't see the big deal with charming people to get information about the missing bride-to-be, especially people we think are up to no good. But whatever, it was only a thought.
So regardless of how we accomplish it, we want Morvan (and Basil) to get in to talk to Kerina, and then Basil and Flim to sneak around the Sandvoyager's Guild, all this when neither Korus or Thurnas are around.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 14, 2010 13:18:03 GMT -5
I don't think we should try to accomplish both of these tasks at the same time. Basil should concentrate on the warehouse while I am having dinner with Thurnas. There is no telling how long the dinner will last. Regardless, I will not invite Korus to join us for a meal. The meal is in appreciation for the business dealings. Having Korus there would not be appropriate.
The Sandvoyagers' Guild controls shipping throughout the desert. Thurnas may or may not be in a conspiracy with Korus but that does not mean the whole organization is corrupt. Anything in the warehouse not directly owned by Thurnas would be property of the Guild. I wouldn't want to set a precedence by robbing from lawful owners. We may need their help at some point.
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Apr 14, 2010 15:44:57 GMT -5
Go Team Venture!
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 14, 2010 21:28:45 GMT -5
Anyone have a problem with the 75% exchange rate? If not, I will offer him the gold hunks (~5000 gp) and the rest in platinum coins. I will bring Basil to assay the value of the gems and jewels Thurnas provides. We will still have the bulk of the platinum left to carry on the camels. You return later that day with Basil carrying a large collection of gold and platinum. Two different guards are at the entryway to the Sandvoyagers' guild. Basil speaks with them in the language of the Land of Sand, and you encounter much less attitude than with the previous two. Still, you wait in the doorway until Thurnas comes and collects you. He greets you both in the common tongue of the city states and escorts you again to his office. He weighs and assays the gold, commenting that you must have survived an attack by the sandmen. "Usually those slept by the sandmen do not awaken," he mentions to you. After you agree on an exchange, he makes a note in the ledger on the desk, closes it, and takes it with him, leaving you two alone in the room. You quickly eye the surroundings but find little of interest. Basil noted that the ledger had much information in it, but he only got a passing glimpse before Thurnas closed it and took it. After almost twenty minutes, Thurnas returns with the ledger and a large pouch. In exchange for the gold and platinum up to 8,000 GP in value, he provides 10 50 GP pieces of quartz, five 100 GP opals, and one 5,000 GP ruby. I will definitely purchase the information about the ruins and the Skysea. Thurnas accepts the 100 GP in coins and provides you with a device like a sextant. He recites two songs as mnemonic devices that relate measurements of the sun at certain times and distances traveled that will allow you to find water hidden under the sands as you travel to the Crypt of Badr al-Mosak and to the Skysea. The Crypt is a three day travel from the oasis. The Skysea is a seven day travel from the oasis. You invite Thurnas to dinner at the Desert Igloo, but he declines. He says he has too much to do with preparing for the departing sandsled. He suggests dinner two nights from now. Upon leaving the warehouse, you note that the boxes removed from the sandsled, which looks like it has a sail and ski runners, seem very heavy, but the boxes being put on it are tall and narrow and light. I will purchase additional large and small sacks and a new rope in the bazaar - are these at a 10x? Yup. Did I happen to notice if either of doors down the corridor in the warehouse had locks? I'll double check when I go back. Also I will look for any other exits from the large warehouse space. I'll attempt to compare the size and shape of interior of the warehouse to the exterior in an attempt to determine where other interior rooms might be. I'll show interest in the sand sled asking for a closer look at it and asking how it is propelled across the sands. I'll use this as an opportunity to further study the interior of the warehouse. Thurnas sort of hurries you out after you ask about the caravan he's putting together on the sandsled. You still get a decent idea about what the inside of the warehouse looks like. See attached map. The door you passed by didn't have an obvious lock on it. Since you all still disagree about what to do about searching the Sandvoyagers' Guild, Morvan becomes invisible and then heads out to spy on Korus and try to talk to Kerina. He comes back about an hour later and is very frustrated. He explains that the soft sand makes it very difficult to succeed at hiding invisibly. The body and legs generally sinks in the sand creating odd looking depressions, even when trying to spread weight. He was able to eavesdrop briefly on Korus, but since he doesn't understand the eastern language, all he was able to get was that Korus seems constantly annoyed and takes it out on Kerina. Morvan thinks that a polymorphed or shape-shifted caster will be much more successful at spying on Korus than an invisible one. He also wonders if clairvoyance or clairaudience is in any of the spellbooks.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 14, 2010 21:30:01 GMT -5
Updated Map Attachments:
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Post by Ginger on Apr 14, 2010 22:15:03 GMT -5
Morvan thinks that a polymorphed or shape-shifted caster will be much more successful at spying on Korus than an invisible one. He also wonders if clairvoyance or clairaudience is in any of the spellbooks. Definitely sounds like a project for Basil.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 15, 2010 5:27:54 GMT -5
Time elapsed: 4 days
Expenses Day 1 Kazan 10 GP (bath, clothes, incidentals) Zinc 300 GP (carousing, bribe of Blackblade, bribe of Baz) Rensslaer 210 GP (bath, clothes, carousing, bribe of Blackblade, incidentals)
Day 2 Kazan 500 GP (20 books) Rensslaer 40 GP and a scrimshaw pipe (barrel, bribe of Rose, bribe of Jalal, carousing)
Day 3 Kazan 10 GP (carousing, bribe of Hogan) Rensslaer 20 GP (rug, carousing)
Day 4 Kazan 2200 GP (gold and platinum exchange, water locations from Thurnas, bribe of Baz)
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Post by venger on Apr 15, 2010 7:01:58 GMT -5
Kazan or Basil or both need to get in there ASAP and look for clues. At night, (TONIGHT) when everyone is sleeping. If they don't, Rensslaer will be forced to kick down the door and forcibly search the place.
It's not all that big, for all we know they have the missing bride tied up and ready to ship out on the caravan.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 15, 2010 14:26:10 GMT -5
I don't know if we can do the following over the board since there are a lot of contingencies. If so then Kazan will use Polymorph Self to transform into a gray ooze and infiltrate the Guild. He will borrow the star gem and the wand of paralyzation. He will take a Find Traps and PfE 10'. Morvan can cast Invisibilty on Kazan once he has transformed. Then he will slip under either the secret door or the front door or through a window in there are any. He will explore behind the door to the left in the passage. He will stick to the ceiling on first pass to get a layout of the area. Once he knows where there are no guards or Guild members he will transform back into human shape and use the star gem to look for secret door and trap doors. He will move quickly to uncover any carpets on the floor and then replace them. If he hears anyone coming then he will transform into something small (tarantula/bat/lizard) and hide behind/under furniture until they leave. If he finds anyone imprisoned then he will use Dimension Door to bring them out. He transport up to 250 lbs of animate matter which may account for multiple small people. (There are currently missing one woman, a gnome, guild master, his bodyguard and 3 wizards.) If he finds a lot of people then he will use Knock to open their cells/manacles. Then he will Dimension Door out with someone. Then Basil can Stone Shape a portal along the back of the building. He has 14 turns for Polymorph Self which should be plenty to time to explore. If he finds the ledger unguarded he will take a quick look at it starting from the most recent entries backwards.
Like I said lots of contingencies.
Suggestions welcome.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 15, 2010 14:27:03 GMT -5
Morvan thinks that a polymorphed or shape-shifted caster will be much more successful at spying on Korus than an invisible one. He also wonders if clairvoyance or clairaudience is in any of the spellbooks. Nope.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 16, 2010 21:36:43 GMT -5
I don't know if we can do the following over the board since there are a lot of contingencies. If so then Kazan will use Polymorph Self to transform into a gray ooze and infiltrate the Guild. He will borrow the star gem and the wand of paralyzation. He will take a Find Traps and PfE 10'. Morvan can cast Invisibilty on Kazan once he has transformed. Then he will slip under either the secret door or the front door or through a window in there are any. He will explore behind the door to the left in the passage. He will stick to the ceiling on first pass to get a layout of the area. Once he knows where there are no guards or Guild members he will transform back into human shape and use the star gem to look for secret door and trap doors. He will move quickly to uncover any carpets on the floor and then replace them. If he hears anyone coming then he will transform into something small (tarantula/bat/lizard) and hide behind/under furniture until they leave. If he finds anyone imprisoned then he will use Dimension Door to bring them out. He transport up to 250 lbs of animate matter which may account for multiple small people. (There are currently missing one woman, a gnome, guild master, his bodyguard and 3 wizards.) If he finds a lot of people then he will use Knock to open their cells/manacles. Then he will Dimension Door out with someone. Then Basil can Stone Shape a portal along the back of the building. He has 14 turns for Polymorph Self which should be plenty to time to explore. If he finds the ledger unguarded he will take a quick look at it starting from the most recent entries backwards. The night comes. Zinc places Jascar's protections on Kazan while Kazan prepares himself with shape-changing magic. Taking on the form of the grey ooze will be his greatest challenge so far. Morvan places Bralm's multi-faceted vision upon him while Zinc calls upon Jascar to aid Kazan. Rensslaer imbues Kazan with endurance against both cold and fire while Morvan blesses Kazan and Zinc prays for Kazan 's soul. As protected as Kazan feels he possibly can be, he picks up the satchel with the star gem and the wand of paralyzation and strides through the door Basil holds open. A quick pace brings Kazan around the side of the Sandvoyagers' Guild to where the secret door should be. Kazan contorts his figure and squeezes into a broad shape, flat, grey, and oozing. His sight disappears, as does his hearing, though his sense of touch and taste become intense. The small crevices of the wall are greatly magnified, and he easily squeezes through the narrow space between the door and its jamb. Distressingly, Kazan's original plan of clinging to the ceiling to look about will not work. Instead, Kazan tastes the air around him, finds nothing alarming, and takes the chance to shift shape into a rat. Vision restored, Kazan finds the room is dark and empty, though light streams from under the closed door. The light flickers and occasionally darkens. It is likely torchlight, and people pass before it. Even at this late hour after midnight, work is taking place inside the warehouse. Kazan changes shape into close to his native form and peer about. He takes out a small glowing stone, clenched tightly in his hand and uses the resulting pinkish light to look about. The room looks as it did before. The 20-foot square room is littered with papers and ledger books. One large book sits closed on the desk in the center of the room. The light is barely enough to make out the title of the book, Ledger of the Sandvoyagers' Guild. His arduous hours of reading the eastern books comes in handy in deciphering the title. Kazan's holy vision does not reveal any danger, so he carefully opens the ledger. The pinkish light reveals a mass of columns of numbers. Keeping an ear cocked toward the door, Kazan starts flipping back through the book. His careful inspection of the book shows two types of handwriting. Entries in the first hand, further back in the ledger, indicate good profits and a healthy business. This handwriting then ends. Entries made in the second hand show that profits have dropped off sharply. Oddly, the number of entries over time seem to be constant. Either the Sandvoyagers' Guild is making a much lower profit on shipping the same volume of products, or the writer of the second handwriting is rigging the newer entries. Kazan closes the book and looks about. The floor is covered in a large area rug. Rather than pick the rug up, Kazan converts back into his oozing form and slides under the edge of the rug. He slides about blindly for a couple of minutes, tasting the rug above him and cold stone beneath. At no point does Kazan taste wood beneath him, and he concludes that the rug does not hide a trap door. After sliding back out, Kazan becomes almost himself once more. Another cursory glance through the surrounding paperwork reveals nothing of interest, mainly old receipts. Kazan finds himself at a quandary. The space under the door to the corridor is certainly enough for Kazan to ooze through and might be enough for Kazan to travel through as a scorpion, snake, or spider. On the other hand, people are definitely in the warehouse and potentially in the corridor. They might see him in a dangerous shape that provokes an attack. Kazan moves to the door and leans against it, pressing his ear to the door. He hears voices through the door. They are definitely male and speaking the language of the Land of Sand. The voices vary in intensity and are accompanied by banging and scuffling sounds. He suspects that they are mainly, if not completely, in the warehouse, down the passageway. The variation might be them passing between and behind stacked crates, the banging and scuffling the movement of said crates. Kazan frets momentarily, paralyzed by indecision.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 17, 2010 9:16:18 GMT -5
Kazan will attempt to get under (or over) the door in the shape of a spider or centipede. Before fully exposing his shape to the passageway beyond he will check the surroundings. If the passage is clear he will scuttle through the shadows to the other door and move under (or over) it. Again he will view the room from the crack under the door before entering.
If either space is not clear he will need to rethink his plan.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 17, 2010 20:04:20 GMT -5
Kazan will attempt to get under (or over) the door in the shape of a spider or centipede. Before fully exposing his shape to the passageway beyond he will check the surroundings. If the passage is clear he will scuttle through the shadows to the other door and move under (or over) it. Again he will view the room from the crack under the door before entering. If either space is not clear he will need to rethink his plan. Kazan shrinks himself down into the shape of spider and scuttles under the door. The multi-faceted vision from his compound eyes is disorienting and it seems that small spiders don't have much distance vision. Nothing seems to occlude the light so he creeps out from under the door into the nearest corner. There, he becomes a small bird. The scene resolves much more clearly. Workers seem to be hammering iron rings and chains into the insides of the large crates Kazan saw being loaded onto the sandsleds earlier. Others are repacking the contents of smaller crates, labeled "rods", into sacks. The men reach into the crates, pull out sheathed scimitars, swaddle them in loose hide, and then place them in a small sack. Eight men, two of them guards from earlier today, are at work, and they jest and curse at each other as if they have long familiarity. None of the workers that you saw earlier loading and unloading are in sight now. The doorway to the right is open. It reveals a twenty foot square room with two exits: one directly opposite the door and the other on the left side of the right wall. Cushions and bedrolls are on the floor and two men sit with bowls of lentil stew, eating and dicing. All of the men, those in the warehouse and those in the room to the right, are clad in leather armor covered with metal plates. It appears as if they have armed and armored themselves for their activities tonight. As you ponder what to do next, Thurnas comes into vision, walking up to one of the workers and speaking with him. The two converse briefly and then Thurnas exits the building. The main doors appear to be barred, and it takes several of the remaining men working together to lift and replace the stout bar that blocks the double doors. With people in both rooms, Kazan becomes a vole and squeezes under the door back into the room with the ledger to think about what to do next. About 20 minutes have passed.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 18, 2010 19:48:37 GMT -5
Questions: How are the rooms lit? With torches in sconces? How tall is the ceiling in the warehouse? Could the stacks of crates be used to anchor a Web without contacting torches on the walls? Do the men stay in a close area around the sled or are they spread throughout the warehouse? By "exits" in the twenty foot square room do you mean doors or doorways? What Kazan would like to do is try to cast Sleep on the two men in the room to the right? Here is one way he could accomplish it. - Move to a location where he will be unobserved in the warehouse or passageway.
- Transform into a Nisse.
- Cast Invisibility on himself. Attempting to keep the volume of his voice low compared to the hammering.
- Move quietly into the room with the two men dicing. Attempting to get behind them or partially conceal himself behind furnishings or the door.
- Cast Sleep. Hoping to surprise them before they can raise an alarm.
- Hope they both fall asleep.
If he could get into the room as a spider, get behind the open door, transform into a Nisse and then cast sleep that would be fine as well. Or do the transformation in the passage, move to the edge of the door and then cast Sleep into the area to catch them. All without being seen from the warehouse. He will err on the side of caution.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 18, 2010 20:58:49 GMT -5
Questions: 1. How are the rooms lit? With torches in sconces? 2. How tall is the ceiling in the warehouse? 3. Could the stacks of crates be used to anchor a Web without contacting torches on the walls? 4. Do the men stay in a close area around the sled or are they spread throughout the warehouse? 5. By "exits" in the twenty foot square room do you mean doors or doorways? 1. The warehouse and is lit both by lanterns and by reed torches. In general, the lanterns hang from the support beams, but several hang from struts jutting from the wall. The torches are both carried by the men, who use them to look into open crates, and stuck into holders on the sides of crates and walls. The reeds don't burn well (they appear more dried and less oil-soaked) but they shed more light than a candle. It looks like the men use them to further illuminate things caught in the shadow cast from a lantern. In the room where the two men eat and dice, a lantern hangs from the ceiling. 2. The warehouse ceiling is about 15 feet tall. The double doors coming into the warehouse seem to be bifurcated into upper and lower doors. The lower doors are what you came through before. The upper doors seem to only be opened when a sandsled needs to enter or leave. 3. Possibly, but most likely not. Worse, because of the irregular piles of crates, boards, and other materials, men carrying reed torches might be shielded from the web. They could then actually light the web on fire independently of the wall torches. 4. They wander about. Two men seem to be mainly focused on the sled. Two men are unloading the crates of "rods" and moving the sacks across the warehouse. One man is carrying chains from a number of crates to the sled. Two men are engaged (separately) with carrying the lids of crates to a stack of empty crates. The last man, who Thurnas spoke with, stands near the door, looking at a piece of parchment and comparing the writing on it with something he can see in the warehouse. 5. The two exits are doorways with closed doors in them. You can't see through the doors into the room or corridor they lead into. What Kazan would like to do is try to cast Sleep on the two men in the room to the right? Here is one way he could accomplish it. - Move to a location where he will be unobserved in the warehouse or passageway.
- Transform into a Nisse.
- Cast Invisibility on himself. Attempting to keep the volume of his voice low compared to the hammering.
- Move quietly into the room with the two men dicing. Attempting to get behind them or partially conceal himself behind furnishings or the door.
- Cast Sleep. Hoping to surprise them before they can raise an alarm.
- Hope they both fall asleep.
If he could get into the room as a spider, get behind the open door, transform into a Nisse and then cast sleep that would be fine as well. Or do the transformation in the passage, move to the edge of the door and then cast Sleep into the area to catch them. All without being seen from the warehouse. He will err on the side of caution. To achieve the first part of your plan (transforming into a nisse and sneaking to the door to the room), I'll need your move silently percentage. (If you don't have it handy, I can use the standard set for a monk of Kazan's level from the PHB). You are fairly confident that you can fly over to behind a crate that shields you from most of the room and transform into a nisse. It is the subsequent sneaking to the door of the lit room that is a challenge. The other challenge is the casting of spells. You know from your magician training that any spell with a verbal component must be cast with voice at least as loud as speaking. While you can yell your spell, you can't whisper it. Casting invisibility within the warehouse has a decent chance of being heard, you think, since you'll be in the same room as the others. Of course, if you pick your transformation spot well, you'll be invisible by the time they come to investigate the noise. (I'll need your hide in shadows percentage. If you don't have it handy, I can use the standard set for a monk of Kazan's level.) The same thing is true for the sleep spell. With a certain amount of luck, it seems likely that Kazan can fly into the warehouse, hide behind a crate, transform into a nisse, cast invisibility, sneak to the corridor, sneak into the doorway, cast sleep, and transform into a small creature again to get under a door. Tell me what you decide.
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 18, 2010 22:08:13 GMT -5
Kazan wasn't built for sneaking around. Move silent - 20%, Hide in Shadows - 30% (these include the bonuses for not wearing armor). I knew he should have chosen Vocalize when he had the chance.
How well lit is the passageway? Are there torches along it?
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Post by Wolfgar on Apr 19, 2010 7:35:31 GMT -5
With a certain amount of luck, it seems likely that Kazan can fly into the warehouse, hide behind a crate, transform into a nisse, cast invisibility, sneak to the corridor, sneak into the doorway, cast sleep, and transform into a small creature again to get under a door. Before leaving the room he will cast Fly. He will listen at the door to make sure no one overheard him. Then he will proceed with this plan using flying to move about slowly and quietly in nisse form. I assume there will be a bonus for his diminutive size when trying to hide in shadows.
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Apr 20, 2010 6:33:36 GMT -5
How well lit is the passageway? Are there torches along it? Well lit. A lantern hangs overhead. I assume there will be a bonus for his diminutive size when trying to hide in shadows. I'll give you half the bonuses a halfling gets. Some of that has to be "halflingness" and some probably is size.
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