# On a Spider's Advice...



## Kelleris (Nov 16, 2004)

It is a bright Astrulayr day in Dromus, and the clouds look entirely innocent of any intentions they may have of maybe, possibly drizzling something nasty on the city below.

In Khorvaire's Square*, it's business as usual.  All around you you can hear the sounds of an exceedingly active bazaar.  The voices blend into the sweet hubbub of unmitigated commerce, and there's no better day than today to see if it's really true that anything anyone could possibly want can be found in Dromus.

As you make your way through the winding rows of booths and more permanent buildings, for whatever reasons drew you here, you come out onto a great plaza, strangely lacking in people.  At the center of the plaza stands one of Dromus's most well-known landmarks, the Grand Orrery.  This titanic sphere represents the ebb and flow of planar energies in and around Dromus, and stands some forty feet tall.  Of those studying it, there seem to be a preponderence of scholarly types.

You involuntarily gaze up at it for a moment; even those of you familiar with the ways and places of Dromus have probably never seen it in person, so to speak.  As you do so, you see a small, scorpion-talled and bat-winged figure crouched on one of the Orrery's many intersecting bars and icons.  He passes his gaze from one of you to the other, slowly and deliberately, but nobody seems to notice him.  Even the guards whose duty it is to guard the Orrery remain placidly standing in place, despite the obviously malevolent appearance of the being.

Once it is sure it has your attention, it reaches across from the bar it is perched on to one that is slowly swinging by it, representing who-knows-what minute fluctuation of energy.  With a tiny, clawed hand it very deliberately reaches out and bends a specific pin, pulling it out of alignment just a bit with its fellows.  It then turns back to you, it's impassive gaze apparently waiting for your reaction.

{Yes, I know Eberron already called Khorvaire.  They're no relation.  And remember when you write your "this is how I got here" post that this is the center of Dromus and possibly very, very far from your suburban home.}


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## Uwohali (Nov 16, 2004)

Tyndra strolls happily through the bazaar, pocketing her latest reward for transporting a nobleman's daughter through the perilous countryside.  Before returning to her cottage, she decides to stop for a well-earned drink.

As she passes the Orrery, she can't help but gaze up at its wonder.  A small figure catches her eye, and Tyndra gasps as the creature deliberately realigns a small pin.  Running up to the nearest guard, she desperately tries to get his attention.

"Sir!  That creature up there!  Look at him!"  Unfortunately, her 3 foot stature, though well-suited for her adventuring life, does not usually gain the attention of the towering giants above her.  Still, she feels compelled to direct their attention to the mischief-maker atop the monument.


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## Kelleris (Nov 17, 2004)

The guard gazes down at Tyndra with bored eyes.  You can tell he is trying to decide if this is some kind of prank or not.

"Sorry, ma'am, but I don't see anything.  The Orrery is magically warded anyway, so there couldn't possibly be anything up there.  Anything climbing around on it would set off all kinds of alarms.  The Sorceire and the Guild'd both be here, lickety-split."

{Roll a Sense Motive check, Tyndra.}


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## Uwohali (Nov 17, 2004)

Tyndra frowns derisively at not having been taken seriously.  She gazes at the guard, taking in his words carefully.

DM: 



Spoiler



28 on Sense Motive.  I also noticed that he didn't even turn around to look, so any bonuses??  Pretty please?


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## Kelleris (Nov 17, 2004)

{How about a laughable DC instead?     Though giving circumstance bonuses for noticing things in my description is a great idea!  Consider it stolen and waiting to be implemented.}

Everything about the guard says "yeah, right, kid" to you.  It's very frustrating.  In fact, from the way he talks, it's obvious that the nonsense about the magical wards is just that, nonsense.  You do notice that nobody else in the area, including several mages studying the Orrery like their lives depended on it, have noticed anything out of the ordinary.

The imp also seems to be on the move.  He hops from one slowly-aligning bar to another, and repeats his nonsensical bending of pins.  It is incomprehensible that nobody would notice this activity, unless something very strange indeed is going on.


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## Ferrix (Nov 19, 2004)

Keys mingles into the crowd, her veil pulled tight about her face.  This little stroll of hers was obviously not intended to carry her this far, she had no interest in the Orrery, but now as she gazed at the crowd a thought sparked into her her, _not a bad place to bob a few saps too intent on watching the convulsions of a piece of a metal._  Her gaze carried itself up to the moving wonderment and would have just slipped on past if the impish creature didn't snap her attention.  _Now that's odd..._  She pauses in her motion, people pass by her, and her hands are uncommonly still where they normally would have been fleecing the ignorant sods.


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## Kelleris (Nov 19, 2004)

The imp stares down at Keys, without blinking, as though expecting her to be impressed by something.  After almost a minute, it shifts its gaze to a young gnome standing near a guard, getting her attention before looking back to Keys.

Once it is sure you two have noticed each other, it darts through the maze of gear-driven pylons and makes one more "adjustment" to the Orrery, moving with obvious purpose.  After doing so, the imp, with a flutter of wings, alights on the immobile central rod of the device, continuing its silent observation of the two gnomes.  It might almost be waiting for something specific to happen, or someone to arrive.

{OOC: Both of you roll Perception and Knowledge (local) checks, please.}

{EDIT: Ferrix, could you post a link to the professional thief PrC?  And remind me what "resourceful troubleshooter" does?}


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## Ashy (Nov 19, 2004)

Skaith stepped out onto the second-story balcony, letting the moth-eaten tarp fall impotently back over the doorway.  Vainly, it attempted to serve its purpose and block out the sound and light from the tawdry alehouse behind him, but it merely managed to muffle the sounds within.  Skaith's bloodless, ice-blue eyes scanned the city.  He had held out as long as he could but the relentless drum beat behind his eyes, in his ears and in his veins would be denied no longer.

He knew that he had to slate his thirst, if only a little, or else he would go insane.

He needed prey...

His corpse-like eyes fell upon a strange little imp-like figure sitting upon the Orrey, which Skaith could plainly see only a block away.  His smooth, alabaster brow furrowed. He knew that the wards and magicks upon that device would vaporize any foolish enough to attempt such a stunt!

For the moment, his hunger was suppressed a little; his curosity, however, was perked...  Inwardly, deep within the recesses of his black soul, he was happy.  This was the reason why he traveled the known planes day after day, never resting long in one spot.

The only effective weapon he had against his abominiative hunger was, ironically, adventure.  Pricking his mind and soul with new experiences was the only way to keep him from pricking someone's artery and gorging himself on their warm, liquid life.

Skaith cocked his head a little, trying to watch the imp-thing closer... What would happen next?


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## Kelleris (Nov 20, 2004)

The imp does the same trick with you as with the others, making sure that everyone sees everyone else before going back to calm staring and an occasional languid flutter of its wings.

{OOC: Going to have to do something before anything else of interest happens.  The ball's in your court!}


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## Ashy (Nov 21, 2004)

Skaith catches a glimpse of the veiled gnome out of the corner of his eye; he notices that the gnome's line of sight leads her eyes towards the imp, while the vast majority of the populace seems unaware (or uncaring) about the creature.  The pale-skinned human cocks a cleanly shaved brow.

_'My, my, my - if this isn't terribly odd'_, he thinks to himself.

In mere moments, Skaith has navigated the stairs and the bawdy patrons of the inn and finds himself on the street level.  The thunderous drumming in his ears and behind his eyes returns as he presses into the sweaty, hot-blooded throng atop the smooth cobbles.  He nearly swoons with hunger, but he focuses on the mystery at hand; quickly following the mental map in his head.

He approaches the masked gnome.

_'If it were not for her mask, I likely could not have found her again'_, he thinks to himself as he extends his hand.

"I am Skaith, and I, too, can see the creature up there." the odd-looking human points with his chin towards the Orrery.  "I can only assume that you can, as well.  Have I deduced correctly?"  He smiles, his lips parting to reveal a mouth full of teeth meticiously filed to glittering points.  This, in conjunction with his dead-man's pallor, eyes so ice blue that they seem colorless, and the total lack of body hair, gives him a jarring, almost demonic look.


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## Uwohali (Nov 21, 2004)

Tyndra notices the pale man approach the other, and decides to move in for a closer look.  Gnomes, after all, should stick together.

As she gets closer, Tyndra overhears the man's confession, and sighs inwardly.  _Well, at least I'm not going totally insane_, she thinks to herself.  Coming up behind them, she clears her throat.

"What _was_ that thing?" she asks the duo sharply, not at all concerned at startling them from behind.


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## Kelleris (Nov 22, 2004)

{Mmmm...  Giving Ferrix a bit to respond, and then time marches on.  Does anyone feel the need to make checks of some sort, prossibly along the Knowledge lines?  Planar Geometry is the skill to "read" the Orrery, so I don't think anyone can tell exactly what effect the imp's meddling has had just yet.  Also, if there are any general-information questions you need to plot whatever course of action you have in mind, now's the time.}

{How would Dromans normally react to an imp standing on a monument?  What kinds of wards are supposedly on the Orrery?  That kind of thing.  And any Knowledge (local) checks about your fellow party member you might be inclined to make, of course...}


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## Ashy (Nov 22, 2004)

Uwohali said:
			
		

> Tyndra notices the pale man approach the other, and decides to move in for a closer look.  Gnomes, after all, should stick together.
> 
> As she gets closer, Tyndra overhears the man's confession, and sighs inwardly.  _Well, at least I'm not going totally insane_, she thinks to herself.  Coming up behind them, she clears her throat.
> 
> "What _was_ that thing?" she asks the duo sharply, not at all concerned at startling them from behind.




Skaith turns his head and shoulders, but leaves his feet planted.  He looks at the newcomer gnome and arches a shaved brow.  You notice, in this light, that the man's pale skin is covered with tiny ritualistic scarrings.  They are barely noticable, but your keen eyes picked up on the small symbols.  "I do not know, but are you saying that you can see it as well?"

Skaith's words are like oil on silk and to have his dead man's eyes focused upon you is unnerving, to say the least...

OOC: Knowledge (arcana) +13 check as well as a Spellcraft +15 check to see if I can figure out what is intended by the creature's actions...  Also, in general, what does Skaith know about this Orrery?  What is its purpose?  How does it function?  (If at all).  Does he know any of its history or the intent for which it was built?


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## Ferrix (Nov 22, 2004)

Keys doesn't even take her eyes from the imp when Skaith speaks to her, "guess you aren't as blind as all these other saps then."  Her head turns to glance at the other two, a shard of disdain streaking her eyes.









*OOC:*


Perception 25 total, Knowledge (local) 26


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## Ashy (Nov 22, 2004)

"I guess not", Skaith replies with a slight sneer.  "So, what do you make of it?"


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## Kelleris (Nov 23, 2004)

The imp continues to stare down at you, a slight sneer curling what passes for its lips.

Skaith: 



Spoiler



Go ahead and roll your checks here.  Also, the Dromus rogue's gallery has my guidelines and rules.  They need to be updated, but still good to check out.

As for your questions, it really depends on how you roll (the checks) and how much time you've spent in Dromus.  You have the Caeldwyste touchstone, so you were either born there or spent a lot of time there in the recent past.  The basics you would know, though, are that the Orrery measures the flow of planar energies.  Among other things, it allows you to predict the weather here in Dromus, since the relative waxing and waning of planar forces determines the weather.  Astrulayr, the current season, is air-dominant, for instance.

I need a bit more background before I can fill you in on anything other than that very basic knowledge, though.



Keys: 



Spoiler



What exactly are you going for?  Regarding the Orrery, the basics you would know are that the Orrery measures the flow of planar energies.  Among other things, it allows you to predict the weather here in Dromus, since the relative waxing and waning of planar forces determines the weather.  Astrulayr, the current season, is air-dominant, for instance.  You also recognize Tyndra as essentially your polar opposite, the "nice" rogue.  This Skaith guy is not someone you're familiar with, however, though he obviously has some issues he needs to work out.

Looking up at the imp, waiting for him to make another move, doesn't seem to be a very fruitful thing to do.  You do notice one odd thing, however: when he flutters his wings, they seem slightly out of synch, as though the rapid motion was somehow making the imp appear disjointed or something.  It's a slight effect only, and you have no idea what could be causing it.


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## Ashy (Nov 23, 2004)

Dm: 



Spoiler



Spellcraft check
Knowledge (arcana)
Also, Skaith  has been *updated and completed*, corrections as per Isida included!


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## Kelleris (Nov 29, 2004)

{Something you should know.}


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## Ashy (Nov 29, 2004)

OOC: Kelleris - Let me know if you want more folks in this game, and I will spread the word a bit.


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## Kelleris (Dec 8, 2004)

Update on my situation. 

Ashy - Did you have anyone in particular in mind, or just a general getting-the-word-out?


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## Ashy (Dec 9, 2004)

Thinking about some of the folks in my Oathbound game...  Ferrix is one of 'em.


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## Kelleris (Dec 10, 2004)

{And we're back!  Well, _I'm_ back, anyway...}

Skaith - 



Spoiler



As you look the Orrery over, you notice that the bent pins are in a very specific pattern.  The Orrery tracks the weather in and around Dromus, and is currently showing nothing out of the ordinary.  However, if you correct for the damage, there's a spot somewhere around the city that has something brewing.  You don't have the expertise to tell what exactly, but it looks like the next week or so will see an unusual conjunction of planes in that area.  You don't know what's there now, though, since the Orrery only gives the direction relative to itself.  There's no map included.  What could possibly have possessed the imp to cover up a tiny weather anomaly is beyond you, however...



{OOC - Hmm...  That might be a good idea.  I don't really want more than 1-2 people, though, since I have a few friends from around here that I'm holding a possible spot for.}


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## Ashy (Dec 10, 2004)

Skaith offhandedly refers this information (OOC: you can read the spoiler above) to those standing next to him as his eyes remain locked on the Orrery, studying it.  He pauses for a momen and licks his thin lips and then asks, more to himself than to anyone in particular, "I wonder who maintains and repairs the Orrery.  Surely they would want to know about this.  Even if they cannot see the imp, surely they can see the damage it has done."

He walks over to the guard and asks, "Excuse me, but do you notice anything unusual about the Orrery - any pins that seem bent or perhaps out of place?"

OOC: Ok - let me know when you get ready and I can spread the word to a couple of folks...


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## Kelleris (Dec 13, 2004)

After surveying the Orrery briefly, the guard turns to face Skaith with a look in his eyes that hovers somewhere between "stupid tourists" and "whoa there!"

"I'm sorry... sir, but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong here.  Furthermore, I assure you that we are capable of spotting anything capable of damaging the Orrery, given the wards and the fact that the thing is practically indestructible.  I haven't seen any city-stompers around, not lately anyways, so I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong up there.  Please continue about your business, _sir_, and leave the guarding to the guards."

By now he's worked himself into a state of mild annoyance, and is looking at Skaith intently, unsure as to his motivations or intent.


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## Ashy (Dec 13, 2004)

Frustrated, Skaith looks up to the Orrery and locks eyes with the imp.  He makes several obscene gestures and shouts, "Your mother was a celestial harp player and your father smelled of ELDERBERRIES!"


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## Uwohali (Dec 15, 2004)

Hiding her amusement, Tyndra tugs on Skaith's trousers.  "Perhaps we should focus on finding out what exactly that misalignment of pins means.  Obviously whatever it is cannot be spotted by these guards."  As she says this last part loud enough for the nearby guard to hear, she turns to include the veiled gnome in their conversation.

"Do either of you know of anyone who could educate us on this Orrery?"

_DM: Knowledge Local check_


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## Ashy (Dec 15, 2004)

Uwohali said:
			
		

> Hiding her amusement, Tyndra tugs on Skaith's trousers.  "Perhaps we should focus on finding out what exactly that misalignment of pins means.  Obviously whatever it is cannot be spotted by these guards."  As she says this last part loud enough for the nearby guard to hear, she turns to include the veiled gnome in their conversation.
> 
> "Do either of you know of anyone who could educate us on this Orrery?"
> 
> _DM: Knowledge Local check_




Skaith nods, "I agree, but who to ask?", he queries with frustration...


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## Kelleris (Dec 15, 2004)

OOC: Two things here - either designate a contact, or find Ferrix, kick him in the head, and get him to post.    

Ashy - Go ahead and get in touch with one or two people.  I'll wait for an approved character sheet, and then I'll work them in as soon as is feasible.  Thanks for the help!


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## Ferrix (Dec 15, 2004)

Keys listens to all of this...nonsense, eyes staring vacantly up at the imp, she thumbs a dagger under her coat.  _Whatever this city is doing with its money would better serve it by clearing the ignorant in one swift purge._

Her eyes drift slowly down to look at this _other_ gnome, "why bother?  Is it ours?  If it does fall apart, all I'm going to do is smile.  Our friend here," she flicks a partially obscene thumb gesture towards the guard, "obviously doesn't care, why should we?"  Her eyes trail back upwards to the imp, _all high in your ivory eh?  It's YOUR fault for ruining my concentration, all these berks could have been decent marks, but NO! You had to pop up and only me and these two clueless can see you._

"Even better, why don't we just scribe that little kobold king into the dead book?"  Her hand reaches for the light crossbow slung over her shoulder.









*OOC:*


Sorry for the Planar cant, but Keys just begs for that kind of planar cynicism. Knowledge: Local +10 to see if I know of anyone; sorry I've been crazy busy with end of semester stuff.


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## Ashy (Dec 15, 2004)

Skaith stares down at Keys and replies with an imperious tone.  "First of all, if that Orrery falls apart, there'll be no more *here* wherein you can piking ramble about, you sodding leatherhead.  Second, as soon as you start shooting at that our little infernal friend up there, he-" Skaith jerks his thumb in the direction of the guard, "-is gonna take a likin' to bashin' your brain-box in."

The pale man pauses for a moment, thinking hard.  Finally, he recalls something.  "You know, my family used to work with some of the mage's guilds here a few years back.  There was this barmy ol' basher, a githzerai sage and wizard by the name of Rr'tashk who took a real shine to me - or maybe it was my mother - when I would come along with...  If he's still about and we can find his kip, perhaps he could spill a few darks for us about this Orrery and the possible ramifications of these 'adjustments'."

Skaith looks to the *GNOMES*, "What say you?"

OOC: I think I'll start using it as well - lord knows I've been wanting to...    Using one of my contacts here, trying to get things moving along...


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## Ferrix (Dec 15, 2004)

Ashy said:
			
		

> Skaith looks to the halflings, "What say you?"
> 
> OOC: I think I'll start using it as well - lord knows I've been wanting to...    Using one of my contacts here, trying to get things moving along...












*OOC:*


Neither of us are halflings, we're gnomes, ya bloodless git  And what's with the comment about marks? I haven't mentioned it in the least beyond internal monologue (italics) so that's quite the assumption on Skaith's part.


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## Ashy (Dec 16, 2004)

OOC: Edited the above post - sorry.


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## Kelleris (Dec 17, 2004)

So are you guys headed off to meet Skaith's contact?


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## Uwohali (Dec 19, 2004)

Tyndra sighs.  _So much for a nice, quiet evening at home..._

"Alright then.  Let's go see this friend of yours."  She waits, obviously intending for him to lead the way.


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## Kelleris (Dec 20, 2004)

Skaith, you don't really know your way around the city well enough to find Rr'tashk.  Both of your gnomish friends could tell you how to find the Mage's Order tower from here, and that may be where the githzerai is.


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## Ashy (Dec 20, 2004)

Uwohali said:
			
		

> Tyndra sighs.  _So much for a nice, quiet evening at home..._
> 
> "Alright then.  Let's go see this friend of yours."  She waits, obviously intending for him to lead the way.




"Many thanks", Skaith says, smiling a pointed-toothed smile.  He extends his pale, veined hand.  "I am known as Skaith".  After the gnome has replied, he then asks, "Can you direct me to the tower of the Mage's Order?  I do not remember much from my childhood here, I am afraid..."


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## Uwohali (Dec 21, 2004)

Tyndra thinks for a minute, trying to recall the layout of the city.

"Well, I know the general direction.  I've only arrived here some time ago myself."  She turns to their other companion.  "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been introduced.  I'm Tyndra.  Would you by chance know how to reach the Mage's Order?"


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## Ashy (Dec 21, 2004)

Skaith nods and looks, with Tyndra, to the other gnome...


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## Kelleris (Dec 22, 2004)

Keys - 



Spoiler



You do know how to find the Order's tower - it's only about an hour's walk from here.  You also know, however, that the Order is extremely touchy about anything having to do with planar magic, and the Orrery in particular.  If there's really something going on here, there's no telling what kind of firestorm you might set off by being too talkative.


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## Ferrix (Dec 22, 2004)

Grinning beneath her veil, Keys' gaze passes between Tyndra and Skaith, she then begins to walk in the needed direction, "I'd stitch your lips and hope your friend does the same; else we won't want to be banging around much longer."  _Clueless are more trouble than they're worth._









*OOC:*


Sorry for the delays, being at home really cuts into my ability to keep up with things


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## Ashy (Dec 23, 2004)

Skaith looks to the veiled gnome and then to Tyndra, shrugs and follows Keys...


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## Kelleris (Dec 24, 2004)

{OOC:  I'll be offline for a few days, as I'll be dropping off the face of the earth (and into Abilene, Texas).  Merry Christmas to everyone, and sorry for the hiatus.  It was probably inevitable, though...}


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## Ferrix (Jan 5, 2005)

Om... *the universal sound of bump*


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## Kelleris (Jan 10, 2005)

Your small group heads off through the city, taking in the sights as you go.  Fortunately, it's only a short walk through Dromus from the Orrery, and you soon approach the Order's tower, a fantastic structure fronted entirely in tinted windows of various shapes and colors.  Around the base of the Tower unlicensed gutter wizards hawk their wares - shouts extolling the efficacy of strenth potions and carefully-scribed genuine handwritten _fireball _scrolls.

By contrast, the tower itself seems to preside over a pool of relative silence, enforced by the warning gazes of the two guards stationed at the wide double doors.  They are dressed in heavy red-enameled armor covered with an intricate tracery of runes (which may or may not actually do anything).  At your approach, they level their gazes at you simultaneously, expecting some sort of greeting before you come any closer.

{OOC: Please check out the OOC thread.  I'm trolling for suggestions.    }


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## Ferrix (Jan 12, 2005)

Keys flashes a sharp look to Skaith meaning, your friend, you talk.


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## Ashy (Jan 13, 2005)

Skaith looks to the gnomes as if he had expected on of _them_ to do the talking - now that he sees that this is not the case, he sighs slightly...

He then looks to the guards and bows to them.  "Greetings, honored protectors of the Order's Tower.  I come seeking an audience with Rr'tashk, wizened sage and wizard of Dromus."


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## Kelleris (Jan 13, 2005)

The guard looks you over and grunts.  "I'm going to have to see two forms of picture ID and an application for an registration form for an appointment, sir."  He sighs with boredom.

Just at that moment, a short humanoid figure bustles up, surrounded by a dancing cloud of dust, hacking and coughing.  "Let me by, let me by," comes a (relatively) stentorian voice from inside the cloud.  The guards shy away from the diminuitive figure, waving the dust away from themselves.  He turns toward your group and peers out of the dust cloud; evidently it obscures his vision as much as yours.  "Eh?  Is that you guys?  You with me?  Well?"

Skaith:
[sblock]Darting around the dust cloud like an attentive humming bird there appears to be...  A scrying sensor?  It appears distinctly, a light-yellow disk vaguely reminding you of a jaundiced and segmented eye.[/sblock]


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## Ashy (Jan 14, 2005)

Skaith replies quickly, "O...o, yes, Master!  I am sorry - we had hoped to arrive here before you..."  The pale man bows as if in apology and then falls in line with the speaking cloud, subtly motioning with his eyes for the others to do the same.  "Please forgive me Master, that we were not able to complete our assigned task for you before your arrival.  I am sure that Master Rr'tashk will still be most interested to see you..."

OOC: Bluff Check


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## Kelleris (Jan 16, 2005)

That's gonna be a Bluff check, cap'n!  I'd roll it for you, but I can't find your character sheet in my Rogue's Gallery.  Please post it, and then I'll finish this up.  Of course, Keys or Tyndra can also cut in...


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## Ashy (Jan 16, 2005)

OOC: Erp!  Sorry!  Bluff check posted and character placed in the RG!!!


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## Uwohali (Jan 16, 2005)

Tyndra bows slightly as she falls in line behind Skaith.  She does her best to go along with his facade, quickly directing Keys with her hands to do the same.

_Bluff check to aid Skaith, Sleight of Hand to motion to Keys_


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## Kelleris (Jan 16, 2005)

{OOC: I just realized that every blasted one of my players has a high Bluff check.  I'm mortified.  Really.}

The guards' eyes show a flicker of suspicion, but they have evidently decided it isn't enough to worry about, as they let you bustle through the yawning gate into the Order's tower without comment.  The walking dust cloud follows close behind, leaving chalk-white footprints on the immaculate marble floor.  It speaks:

"Wha?  Artask?  That hack!  His astral shadow project will never come through, and I should know, I'm the best diviner around here.  Why in the city would we want to talk to that bumbler?  Oh, just a moment..."  The cloud waves it's hands, the swirling fluff preventing your from seeing exactly what magic it is weaving.  Suddenly, with a subdued *whompf* the dust stops moving, and settles to the ground in gales, revealing a robed dwarf, somewhat portly, and white as a sheet from the aftereffects of his bizarre spell.  He looks up at you, and his eyes widen with surprise.

A coughing fit ensues, and the dwarf speaks in between hacks.  "I *cough* have never *hack, cough* seen you *hrmph* before, what's *ah-choo!* going on *cough* here, I should *kaff* call the *hork, hrmph* guards!"  The dwarf looks a bit panicked, unsure what to do.  The placid secretary behind the desk at the far end of the hall looks up sharply from her work, a first bite of the more threatening kinds of attention.


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## Ashy (Jan 17, 2005)

Skaith bends down and looks at the dwarf in the eyes, trying to get his full attention, if that is even possible.  The pale man whispers quickly and harshly to the dwarf, so that only he can hear.  "Listen, diviner.  Do you know that big Orrery in the center of Dromus?  Some creature is trying to sabatoge it and only we-" Skaith waves his hands towards Keys and Tyndra, "-can see it.  We need to let *somebody* who runs the thing know and we'll be gone.  We don't want any trouble, see?"


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## Ferrix (Jan 17, 2005)

Keys grins inwardly at the potential for ensuing calamity, _berks can't keep their bone-boxes from rattling and we're going to catch one alright._  She gives the dwarf a quick one-over with her keenly trained eyes.









*OOC:*


Appraise check 17, Perception 25, Search 29


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## Kelleris (Jan 19, 2005)

The dusty dwarf looks up at Skaith in astonishment, but doesn't appear to be cowed in the slightest.    The thought that he might be threatened in this, of all places, doesn't seem to register at all.  Gruffly, he wags his finger in your face and says, "listen up, sonny, you shouldn't be spreading wild rumors like that.  You have any idea of the kind of alarm bells that would go off if someone so much as approached the Orrery?  Impossible!  Now, you'd best get out of here before someone decides they don' take a liking to ya!"  By the end of his minor tirade, the dwarf's voice has raised to an alrming pitch, drawing the attention of the secretary, who is now approaching you with a grim look on her face.  Seeing this, the dwarf gives Skaith a patronizing look and announces that he'll be "allowing the authorities to handle the situation" before starting to stomp off down the foyer, leaving chalky white footprints on the floor as he goes.  The strange segmented, golden-yellow scrying sensor continues to follow him, humming in a manner that draws the attention of Keys and Tyndra, who had previously not noticed it.  With a shock you realize that the disk also brought a friend, who is now hovering a slight distance away from your group.  Neither the dwarf nor the approaching secretary seem to have noticed the unusual phenomenon.

Anybody with Knowledge (local) or (arcane) might take a shot at it now.

And Keys:
[sblock]You look the dwarf over, but see nothing more unusual than a stout dwarf covered in white dust.  He's obviously a wizard, judging from the bookbag he carries.  Oh, and he has a ring on his right hand that looks to be worth 200-500 gold, depending on the gemstones.[/sblock]

{OOC: Thanks for throwing out whatever skill checks you thought might be applicable, Ferrix.  Saves me some time.    }


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## Ferrix (Jan 19, 2005)

Keys glances at the secretary for a moment, contempt masked by her veil, she clicks her tongue irritated, and starts taking in the dimensions and features of the room more deeply, taking a good moment to look over this new friend.









*OOC:*


Knowledge (local) 18, Perception 25, Search 29


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## Kelleris (Jan 19, 2005)

Keys:
[sblock]You don't recognize the secretary, but you know why she's here - the Order has a reputation for being run like a large business concern crossed with an eccentric pack of oddballs.  It's a chaotic environment with all the trappings of law and order.  The approaching woman is not someone you are familiar with, but your sharp eyes pick out an inconspicuous pouch as she approaches that may be a spell component pouch - in any case, it does not seem to match closely the rest of her neat and businesslike attire.[/sblock]

The room you stand in is approximately 60 feet in diameter, and is the ground floor of a single enormous cylinder.  Above you, a confusing network of wooden, stone, and metal staircases crosses and crisscrosses, connecting an indefinite number of offices, rooms, and unexplained doors.  The whole arrangement vaguely reminds you of a precise filing system organized scrupulously by some very strange principle of the filer's own devising.  Men and women of all manner of races stride along the stairways, seemingly oblivious to the action below.

The ground floor itself is unremarkable, a lobby and foyer area decorated with various kinds of plants magically altered to grow well inside, with stone statues of prominent Guildmasters and Guildmistresses at even intervals - there are a dozen in total.  A long, royal blue carpet is the central focus for a fractal arrangement of tables, sofas, and chairs that takes up much of the center of the room, like a strange indoor garden.  This in turn leads to a mahogany desk at the far end, where the secretary was sitting before getting up to deal with your party.  A wooden partition prevents you from getting a clear look at what she was working on before she arose.  The escaping dwarf seems to be headed for one of two great spiral staircases that flank the secretarial desk and lead upwards for a fair bit before splitting off into the main stairs-and-rooms system.


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## Ashy (Jan 19, 2005)

Skaith hisses between his pointed teeth and turns on a heel, "These fools can bedamned so far as I care..." he says bitterly.  "I am done with this idiocy!"  He walks from the building without another word.


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## Uwohali (Jan 24, 2005)

"We should follow," Tyndra whispers to her sole remaining companion.  "She does not look pleased..."  She indicates the approaching secretary.  Quickly, Tyndra makes for the door as quickly as she can go without drawing too much attention.  Once outside, she looks for the tall, pale man and bustles over to him.

"You can't tell me you'll just walk away from this!  Do you realize that if something messes with the wrong piece of the Orrery, this entire plane could collapse?!"

[Bluff check vs Skaith's Sense Motive: 14 (Damn my 1's *crosses fingers* Please fail the Sense Motive...)  DM, any chance I could get a circumstantial modifier for the truth?]


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## Ferrix (Jan 24, 2005)

"Utter barmy," she snaps at her companions, _this far and all they do is turn around, useless._  She turns back to the secretary, rolls her eyes and waits.


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## Kelleris (Jan 24, 2005)

Tyndra - The plane wouldn't be destroyed without the Orrery.  It's just a model.  On the other hand, this is a plane where you could conceivably have a hailstorm of ice paraelementals.  Meteorology is an important thing...

The secratary approaches and raises her eyebrow archy at Keys.  "Papers?  No, I doubt it.  What's your excuse, then?"

The segmented golden scrying disk splits again, one disk following after Skaith, and the other remaining inside.  Whoever it's attached to has apparently taken an interest in your party, though why the sensor should be so obviously visible (how could you not have noticed it right away?) is a complete mystery.


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## Ashy (Jan 24, 2005)

Uwohali said:
			
		

> "You can't tell me you'll just walk away from this!  Do you realize that if something messes with the wrong piece of the Orrery, this entire plane could collapse?!"




Skaith whirls on Tyndra, "What would you have me do??  These folk think we're barmy!  Hells, half of the time, *I* think that we may be barmy!?!  What would you have me do, Tyndra?"


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## Ferrix (Jan 25, 2005)

Kelleris said:
			
		

> The secratary approaches and raises her eyebrow archy at Keys. "Papers? No, I doubt it. What's your excuse, then?"
> 
> The segmented golden scrying disk splits again, one disk following after Skaith, and the other remaining inside. Whoever it's attached to has apparently taken an interest in your party, though why the sensor should be so obviously visible (how could you not have noticed it right away?) is a complete mystery.




"Do you care what happens to the Orrery?" she asks, although with barely a pause she continues, "yes, good.  Some impish biter was twistin' bits around earlier and in the deep kindness of their hearts those two sods, who just skittered out, dragged me here to let some living book named Rr'Tashk know."  Looking to the golden scrying disk, she points up at it and asks, "and do you have any idea what exactly that thing might be?  And lastly, if you don't believe me, I could care less if it rained ice paramentals tonight and it wiped all these leatherheads out."


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## Kelleris (Jan 25, 2005)

The secretary goes into an oddly pert snarling fury at Keys' ingracious remarks.  "Rr'Tashk is upstairs, you impudent twit.  Feel free to visit him if you like, but you" <there comes a presence behind you> "had best not make trouble.  And that's the ceiling you're pointing at.  I can see Rr'Tashk is going to have his hands full dealing with a ninny like you!"  She stomps off back toward her desk, apparently so peeved that she can't even see straight, before taking her seat and regarding you with a baleful glare.  It's clear that she wants you gone immediately, and provoking her would give her an excuse to do something the prospect of which she clearly regards with pleasure.

The disk bobs merrily at your shoulder, as though enjoying some private joke.


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## Ferrix (Jan 25, 2005)

Shooting a glare at the sensor, Keys gives a faux happy eyebrow rise to the secretary, and heads on up the stairs.  Laughing internally to herself, _that priss sure has got something wedged deep._


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## Ashy (Jan 25, 2005)

OOC: Is Skaith outside or inside when this happens?


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## Kelleris (Jan 25, 2005)

Hmm...  Hard to say.  Your call - I don't know how you picture it.  Oh, also, the sensor with you is also bobbing merrily, in synch with Keys' new companion.


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## Ferrix (Jan 25, 2005)

Kelleris said:
			
		

> Hmm... Hard to say. Your call - I don't know how you picture it. Oh, also, the sensor with you is also bobbing merrily, in synch with Keys' new companion.




I had pictured that the two others were already outside.


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## Ashy (Jan 26, 2005)

Ferrix said:
			
		

> I had pictured that the two others were already outside.




OOC: Honestly, I had as well.  We need a ruling here, DM!


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## Kelleris (Jan 26, 2005)

Bah!  Making me do my job!    

We'll say they're outside, but they can probably hear the secretary's low-volume, high-intensity shouting if they're paying attention.  Okay, I doubt that's the case, but hey...


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## Ashy (Jan 26, 2005)

Hearing the secretary admit Keys, Skaith leaves Tyndra standing slackjawed (no doubt at his vehement reaction) and follows the veiled gnome up the stairs...  As he goes, he shoots a venemous look at the secretary.


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## Uwohali (Jan 26, 2005)

_Acting rationally would be a start..._ Tyndra thinks to herself, answering Skaith's rant.  Following him, she takes this time to really get a good look at her companions, silently wondering what the hell she was thinking in the first place.  _Balto's not going to like this at all..._


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## Kelleris (Jan 27, 2005)

You head as a group up the maze of interlocking stairs and quasi-stairs, the strange presence hovering behind you the whole time, along with the two scrying disks.  You and the entourage eventually come to a blocky room hanging from a nearby stone protrusion from a chain, after passing a half-dozen bemused mages and getting up high enough that you start wishing these stairs had railings.  The room is made of opaque crystal, and swings lightly in the air.

Whoever's in the lead pushes the door open - it moves easily enough - and reveals a wizened githzerai hard at work behind a battered metal desk.  He seems to be drawing some kind of diagram on the parchment before him using a complex compass/sextant device.  The walls are covered in three-deep layers of similar parchments, and you can see from this angle that they all feature the exactingly-drawn diagrams overlaid on maps of various parts of the city.

One of the golden disks zips over to the walls and begins scrutinizing them.  Rr'Tashk is deep in his work, and a pile of books strewn about his desk prevents him from noticing you right away.


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## Ashy (Jan 28, 2005)

Skaith knocks gently on the door - trying to announce thier presence, but not startle the old cogger to badly.  He seems to remember that the fellow was a bit skittish...

OOC: Updated my character sheet to include Rr'Tashk as well as Skaith's mother's name, Lyshha.


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## Kelleris (Jan 29, 2005)

OOC: Thanks for that, Ashy.

Rr'Tashk looks up from his desk, but doesn't appear to recognize you.  The wizened githzerai idly rubs his bulbous nose with a free hand.  "Yes, what is it?  These Astral maps of the city aren't going to get done by themselves, and I have a staff meeting in a half-hour."

Tyndra and Skaith: [sblock]You each know enough about magic to know that the Astral Plane is generally considered to not be coexistent with Dromus.  Rr'Tashk is either crazy, quite the dissenter from established arcanomagical theory, or speaking loosely.  Possibly some combination of all three.[/sblock]


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## Ashy (Jan 29, 2005)

Skaith raises an eyebrow, but says nothing about the githzerai's strange talk.  He steps forward and speaks up.  "Honored Rr'Tashk, I have little doubt that you remember me, but you are well known to me.  As a child, I often visited Dromus with my mother, Lyshha.  Do you, by chance, recall her?"


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## Kelleris (Jan 31, 2005)

"Erm...  Oh, yes, of course I remember her!  What can I do to help?"

Tyndra: [sblock]There's an edge of nervousness to his words and gestures.  Looking him over, you begin to wonder if he really knows Skaith at all.[/sblock]


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## Ashy (Jan 31, 2005)

Skaith smiles, "Ah. Yes, well, as you recall, Lyshha was not given to exageration or fancy.  Neither is her son-", the pale man points to himself and continues without pause, "I came to you, for you were the only mage in Dromus that I know, and I think that you should alert your fellows to something.  Something that was just a few moments ago, sitting upon the Orrey itself!"

Skaith goes through the entire ordeal, quickly and efficiently, leaving out none of the details.  He corroborates his story by noting that not only did he see this thing, but so too, did Keys and Tyndra.  Once he is finished, a look of distant hopefullness comes over his features and he looks to the gith.


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## Kelleris (Jan 31, 2005)

Rr'tashk studies you carefully for a moment, squinting through the monocle he has over one eye, and replies.  "You say it was just a few small pins?  All that would do is make it hard to read one specific area, the whole model's much to complex to be thrown off that easily."

Tyndra: [sblock]He still doesn't seem to be sure who he's dealing with, but at least his curiosity is piqued now.[/sblock]

The golden disk, which Rr'tashk has not noticed, has finished its rapid survey of the room and is now hovering over his right shoulder, inspecting the papers on his desk.  The "mysterious ominous presence" (hereafter MOP) moves closer to the mage, perhaps sensing some lingering tension in the air.


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## Ashy (Feb 1, 2005)

"I believe that it was several pins in several different locations..."  Skaith looks to Keys and Tyndra for verification...


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## Uwohali (Feb 1, 2005)

Tyndra continues her study of the wizened man in front of her.   The creepy feeling she got from him is faded a little, but still there nonetheless.  Absently, she nods as Skaith looks at her.  Quickly, she takes a look around the room, wondering what the disc could be interested in.

DM:


Spoiler



(Sense Motive against Rr'tashk [hereafter Bob]  Does he really know Skaith and his family, or is he merely "feeling us out" to see what we know.  Also Knowledge (local) to see if he's telling the truth about the Orrery.

Oh, and I hate the die roller by the way.  I have not gotten 2 rolls above 10 out of eight.  That's gotta be bad odds or something...


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## Kelleris (Feb 2, 2005)

Tyndra: [sblock]  Bob's not "feeling you out" with malice aforethought, but he doesn't really seem to recognize Skaith.  You do seem to have piqued your interest.  You don't think he's lying either, but that's really heading into Knowledge (arcana) anyway.  [/sblock]

Rr'tashk stands up from his desk, pushing his eyepiece back from his face as he does so.  "Yes, yes.  Really, the only way you'll be able to check it out is by figuring out where the blank spot is and looking into matters there."  He plucks a book off his desk and tosses it to Skaith.  Looking at the cover (if you catch it), you can read the title: _Planar Geometry: A Junior Mage's Handbook_.


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## Ashy (Feb 2, 2005)

Skaith catches the book - barely - and then looks to the githzerai.  "W-What do you mean?  Isn't there someone you need to notify?  Or alert?  Or something?  Surely we can do nothing!"


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## Ferrix (Feb 2, 2005)

Ashy said:
			
		

> "W-What do you mean? Isn't there someone you need to notify? Or alert? Or something? Surely we can do nothing!"




Keys smirks with an audible exhale from her nostrils causing the veil covering her face to waver for a moment.  _"Surely we can do nothing!"_ she mimes internally, _my thoughts exactly.  No reason to get ourselves caught up in this rant._


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## Kelleris (Feb 3, 2005)

"Uhm, well, since it's pretty much impossible to get past the wards on the Orrery, nobody's going to listen to you without more proof.  I mean, really, it would take a week just to untangle those things and get a look.  And you guys are probably crazy anyway.  Uhm, I mean...  mean... erm..."  He stammers to a stop and tries to regain his composure, eventually settling on a level stare as the best way to cover his gaffe.


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## Uwohali (Feb 4, 2005)

"Sir, I can assure we are not crazy," Tyndra adds.  "We would need more than just this book to uncover the mysteries here.  Perhaps the use of your library?"  _We're going to need all the help we can get,_ she thinks to herself before smiling politely.

"I do believe you said you had a staff meeting to attend.  So if you could just give us each permission to the library, we'll be out of your way.  We will give our regards to Leeta the next time we see her."  

She eyes Skaith carefully, making sure he doesn't jump in to correct her. 

DM:


Spoiler



Diplomacy check.  Also, a quick Bluff check and probably some sort of Sleight of Hand/Head check to keep Bob from noticing my oh-so-subtle look at Skaith.

Seriously dude.  This die roller hates me.  I cannot catch a break on this thing.


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## Kelleris (Feb 5, 2005)

Tyndra: [sblock]You willing to put a little edge on that with an Intimidate check if the Diplomacy falls through?  He's fairly jittery already and vague intimations of bad stuff might be the nudge he needs.  If you wanna try it, just select the appropriate box from the spoiler that follow.  No cheating!  I'm only doing this choose-your-own-adventure nonsense because this here game needs to get a-movin'.  I haven't even tried to kill you yet!    

By the way, you can use the other die roller here if you like: Nadaka's Dicebox.  Also, you're supposed to post the results of the diplomacy check when you make it, so I don't have to look it up myself if I don't want to.  I usually just take your word for it, you know.    [/sblock]

Diplomacy: [sblock] The wizard you've mentally dubbed "Bob" looks you up and down and drums his fingers on his desk before replying.  "Weeell," he says, stretching the word out like a piece of candy, "I suppose I could maybe loan you a few more books, but I need to get them back and I can't just send the hounds after you...  Erm, not that I would do that!"  He flushes a reddish purple for a moment.  "Look, I'll let you take, er, a couple more books.  Three more!  That's enough for all the _arcane marks_ I have prepared at the moment.  Okay?"  He smiles hopefully.  "And, Leeta, of course!  I'd love to see her again!"[/sblock]

Diplomacy plus Intimidate: [sblock] The wizard you've mentally dubbed "Bob" stares at you for a moment before really getting your drift.  Then his eyes widen a little.  "Erm, well, yes, yes, you can take as many as you like, just make sure to register them downstairs before you leave. Please?"  He looks hopeful; he really does want you to talk with the secretary downstairs, but doesn't seem to have anything in mind to do if you don't.  The M.O.P seems agitated, like an area of thickened air palpably teetering on the edge of violence.  A little shaken, Rr'trask rubs his nose for a moment and, breaking the silence, says, "And be sure to bring Leeta with you next time you come by.  I'd love to meet her... again."[/sblock]

{OOC: Tyndra, tell me which one you'd prefer, and then read the spoiler appropriately.  Everyone else wait until Tyndra responds, and then read the appropriate spoiler to get Rr'trask's response.}


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## Uwohali (Feb 5, 2005)

[OOC:  I picked the second one.  Go ahead and read that one.]

"Thank you sir," she bows out and directs the other two out quickly before Skaith had time to correct him.  Once they were beyond his earshot, she turned to them.

"Skaith, he has no idea who your mother is.  I don't know if he even met her, or if he did and forgot.  Either way, he didn't seem to bothered by any of this.  I say we take what we know to the library and find out what we can."  She began descending the stairs.

"Or, we could split up, find out what we can, and meet back.  I need to talk to Roo and see if he knows anything."


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## Ashy (Feb 6, 2005)

Skaith blinks numbly and follows in open-mouthed silence...


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## Kelleris (Feb 6, 2005)

Tyndra turns back into the room and begins to pull books off the shelf, grabbing anything that looks useful, while Rr'trask looks on dumbfounded.  {OOC - Basically, I'll ask for a check of some sort later if you go pile-diving and hope you grabbed the right book.)  The githzerai arcanist's library is well-stocked with books on planar geometrics and related topics.  Before long you have a bulging sackful, and decide to make your way out before the M.O.P. can get too much more upset.  Taking the bag of semi-pilfered books, you start back down the stairs.

What does everyone want to do now?  You probably have what you need to do the calculations and figure out what part of the city or surrounding terrain is being hidden by the damage to the Orrery.  Also, be sure to say if you're going to talk to the secretary downstairs about the books you're taking as Rr'trask suggested.


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## Ashy (Feb 7, 2005)

Seeing that Tyndra has some sort of plan, Skaith follows along behind the gnome.  He does ask, however, "Roo Who?"


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## Uwohali (Feb 8, 2005)

"Roo is my friend.  He has a vast store of knowledge about many things.  I'm going to see if he knows anything about this Orrery.  We can use my house for now, depending on how much space we'll need.  I'm sure Roo can help us, or at least find someone who can.  For now, we need to find out which pins have been moved and what that means.

"Kaz, who is Roo's sister before you ask, can sketch what the Orrery looks like now.  Keys, can you go to the library and find a detailed picture of what the Orrery looked like before?  Skaith, Roo and I are probably going to be busy.  You're going to have to fly solo for a while and look through these books.  We need to know what was affected by the moved pins.  I'm sure whatever has been affected is not completely visible right now, but I'm sure if the pins keep getting moved, we'll find out."

After her long schpiel, she began descending the stairs with all the books.  "Wait, why was he so adamant we register with the secretary?  Keys, what was your first impression of her?"


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## Ashy (Feb 8, 2005)

"I would be more than happy to look through them", Skaith replies.


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## Ferrix (Feb 8, 2005)

Keys grins, "I'll go do some box cuttin' in the library, and avoid the secretary if you can.  She'll knock your bone-box I'm pretty sure."  Heading off to the library to find an accurate set of schematics of the Orrery, she'll definately take a few moments to appraise anything she comes across that looks a little interesting, also checking out open doors and the like.


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## Kelleris (Feb 10, 2005)

Okay, in the interest of getting a move on - because this hook was a long time in coming, unfortunately - I'm going to make a fairly long post sometime tomorrow, early afternoon or early evening, depending on when I have the time.  Post if I'm wrong, but:

Skaith is checking over the books you've already looted,
Keys is checking out the Library for more information, and
Tyndra is asking Roo for advice?

Assuming I don't get any corrections on that agenda, the post tomorrow will get all the way through each little side mission, as per my side quest rules in the Rogue's Gallery thread.  Sorry it's taking so long to get off the ground, but you should be well-endowed with information when we get to the meat of all this.


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## Uwohali (Feb 10, 2005)

Kelleris, that's pretty much it.  I want to check with Roo (my first or second contact) to see if he knows anything at all about the Orrery that could help us.  His sister (since they're twins, are they considered one contact or two?  They both live with me anyway.) can go and sketch what the Orrery looks like now.  We'll cross-reference that with whatever Keys comes up with at the library.  After I talk with Roo, I'll help Skaith sort through the books.


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## Kelleris (Feb 11, 2005)

Okay, as per my side-quest house rules, here's everyone's set o' d20s:

Tyndra: 2, 5, 7, 15, 3, 15
Skaith: 8, 6, 4, 17, 16, 7 (10)
Keys: 20, 8, 3, 9, 12, 17

Hmm, no extraordinary successes, and Tyndra's is going to be painful...  Anyway, one paragraph per roll, so you'll know how these line up with events.  All told, everyone's going to be schmucking about in various ways for 5 days.

Tyndra: [sblock] After sending the others on their merry way, you set about the long trip back to you home, a couple of days' walk away at the border of the city.  As you leave the Tower Sorceire, however, you meet with some unexpected resistance in the form of the mysterious ominous presence, which turns out to be quite a bit more solid than you would have hoped - as soon as you reach the threshold of the Tower, you feel a sharp crack on your spine that sends you sprawling to the ground, almost downed with that one blow.  

Keeping your wits about you, you retaliate with a crushing despair spell, recognizing the invisible stalker for what it is.  Luckily, your magic distracts it long enough for you to limp away from the tower before it can really get a bead on you.  You seem to have left an enemy behind at Sorceire, however.

With your injury, it's hard to make it back to Roo's place with any speed, but a pressing sense of urgency drive you on regardless.  You make it there by evening of the second day, taking all the shortcuts you know.  You try to hide the wound, but Balto's experienced eyes can't help but pick out the limp and stoop your injured spine gives you.  Goaded on by some unknown drive, you talk him down and head into Roo's room.

After an hour of speaking with Roo, the two of you manage to piece a few possible answers to the puzzles together.  The imp is hard to place, but after hearing about it's mysterious selective invisibility, Roo thinks it might be just slightly offplane - sometimes some people are more sensitive than others in these matters.  Or, he adds with a smile, you could just be going crazy.  In any case, the only thing the minor damage you described would do is hide the "weather" in an area, making it invisible to anyone using the Orrery to check out the planar confluxes of that area.  Before you leave, Balto gets Roo to apply what healing he can, easing the pain by diminishing the extent of the injury only a little.

Afterwards, you head back to the inn Skaith is staying at with all haste, but are waylaid on the way by a pair of common street thugs.  They flee after a few cuts from your razors, but you sustain a knife wound to your arm in the process.  This is shaping up to be a downright horrible week.

It takes so long for you to get back to the inn that you haven't got much time to help Skaith before the three of you are reunited, and you actually spend much of the remaining time convalescing and wishing that the healing spells you had a chance to learn hadn't been so darn _boring_.  End result: You're 13 hit points down when we start up normal play again, and you grant +3 to Skaith's last d20 roll.  Plus the info you got, of course. [/sblock]

Skaith: [sblock] You head back to the inn, unsure what to do with yourself, though Tyndra seems to expect a boundless knowledge of matters arcane to be waiting for her when she returns from her trip.  Trying to avoid the attention of the glowering secretary, you leave in a staggered progression.  You familiarize yourself with the books you've quasi-stolen, reflecting ruefully that you seem to have traded a contact for a small library.  Unfortunately, a growing hunger prevents you from giving your full attention to the tomes.

Eventually, it grows too great to bear, and you begin prowling for a snack that you could take without sullying yourself overmuch - a prowler or mugger or rapist, preferably.  Despite the bustling urban terrain, you have no luck the first night, and your hunger builds rapidly until it is almost unbearable - two nights pass dreadfully uneventfully, and random passers-by start to look more and more appetizing.

Finally, you come across a group of street urchins taunting a foppish-looking young man.  His clothes are just a bit dingy and out of style, though, so he doesn't have the customary bodyguard; as a result, the gaggle of urchins grows more and more bold, eventually throwing stones and calling for the young man's purse.  Watching dry lips, this looks good enough for your purposes, and you wade in.  A brief scuffle ensues, leaving you in a deserted alley with an unfortunate street urchin, eyes wide with fear.  You take what you need reluctantly, driven by a need to slake your thirst, and return to the inn with the brat just on the edge of consciousness.

Buoyed by the taste of blood, you work quickly and skillfully on the books, books with titles like _Ibn Kurzod's Concordat_ and _The Mechanics of Quasi-Elemental Convergence_.  After working for the whole day without need for rest, you feel sure that you can read the Orrery, given enough time to study the device, as long as you have the annotations from your books on hand.

Another day's dedicated work results in an increasingly large sheaf of parchment, with notes in a carefully spidery hand from edge to edge.  By the time Tyndra returns and is able to assist you with your work, you have the books cross-references well enough to use them to read the Orrery with a fair degree of skill.  So focused are you on your work that the guilt of your recent hunt and Tyndra's acute limp almost escape your attention.

They do finally come back to you, though, now that your research has plateaued somewhat.  You split the last day before Keys returns between adding the finishing touches to your carefully-collated notes and trying to keep Tyndra from exacerbating her injury in her enthusiasm.  You don't get a lot of work done that day, really, but no matter.  You are confident that you can do what needs to be done next to investigate this mystery.  End result: You are now in possession of a few masterwork items.  Your notes are a user-friendly guide to the Planar Geometry skill, allowing you to make checks with that skill untrained, and the books are high-quality for that skill for you, granting a +2 circumstance bonus to Planar Geometry skill checks.  If you finish your cross-referenced notes and keep the books, you will have a dedicated to a purpose masterwork item that grants a +4 circumstance bonus on Planar Geometry checks to read the Grand Orrery.  This bonus wouldn't stack with just the books, though.  Oh, and you haven't made any friends around here. [/sblock]

Keys: [sblock] You leave the Tower quietly, hoping to avoid the tight-ace secretary on your way out, and get out of the building without further incident.  Once you're standing in the sunshine of the street outside, you start to wonder why you've fallen in with this lot.  Boredom?  Then, just out of the corner of your eye, you see the imp again.  Hissing with frustration at the little bugger's antics, you turn and stalk after it.  It's gone by the time you get there, though.  It's left something behind, though, a note written in a flowing archaic-looking script.  It starts off with words of abuse, making clear just how frustrating your attitude is, and then gets to the point - "I did not go to the trouble of contacting you without the intention to provide a reward, blighter!  Just get to where they want you to go and I'm sure you can handle the rest..."  The note is not signed, but it comes with a bag containing 50 platinum pieces.  Looking up, you see the imp smirking down at you, clearly pleased with himself.

With at least little more fodder to appease your boredom, you head to the Library for the next few days.  You find some maps of the area that show recurring weather patterns, but nothing about the Orrery itself, which is apparently considered sensitive information.  What little you can dig up corroborates what you've already been told about the device, however.

By the third day in the Library, you've antagonized all of the librarians and book-fairy assistants, and your research has come to a complete standstill.  What's worse, somebody's found some trivial crap to charge you for and your recent windfall is diminishing slowly but surely.  You're already had to shell out 171 gold pieces for various fees and "services."  After a bit more of this, you decide to hell with this nonsense and that you'd better put your real talents to good use...

That night, you arrive at the Library with a plan to break into the restricted-access wing.  The guards here are pretty lax, and the alarm and glyph of warding spells pose an almost disappointing lack of challenge.  Unfortunately, the area is organized differently than the main library, and it takes you several hours to find the relevant documents, by which time the early risers have already started to arrive.  You spend the next day playing hide-and-seek with the dignitaries and mages that haunt the restricted-access rooms during the day.

Despite this setback, you take the time to pilfer a few basic works on planar geometry, just in case the vampire wannabe can't hold up his end of the bargain.  Most importantly, nobody finds you lurking in the area - but then, how could a bunch of magelings and politicos manage that feat anyway?

After night falls - again - You find what you cam here for: schematic plans of the Orrery, down to the last pin and needle.  With these, you can tell exactly how the imp altered the construct, and see what area of Dromus he cloaked by so doing.  You take your time studying them, because you might not want to share this information with the others, and you certainly don't want to be whipping classified documents out in public.  Final results: You have a user-friendly guide to the Planar Geometry skill, allowing you to make the check untrained.  You also have a net of 329 more gold pieces, mostly in platinum, and the odd note.  The schematics for the Orrery are also in your possession. [/sblock]

If there's anything out of character in what I put up there, feel free to alter the details when we get back to the main course of events.


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## Kelleris (Feb 11, 2005)

Okay, that's all three of them.  Remind me not to do this too often.  Anyway, don't forget that you can change the details of the little account I wrote up however you see fit.  I don't want to overextend my reach into your characters here, even if it is offscreen.


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## Kelleris (Feb 15, 2005)

Erm, just in case it wasn't clear, you should all be together in Skaith's room at this point, so feel free to make any plans you like.  I'll alter the goings-on in the spoilered part if it seems egregiousl out-of-character to you, or if you want to handle something differently.


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## Ferrix (Feb 16, 2005)

Keys grins at her fortune and the amusement she derives from her 'work'.  Back with the others she waits for them to broach subject, looking on with a "come on, out with it" kind of expression.


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## Ashy (Feb 17, 2005)

Skaith smiles in his predatory kind of way and replies, "Well, with a bit more work - if I can hang on to these books for a bit longer and finish my notes, then I think I will be able to read the Orrery and figure out what is wrong."  He then looks to Tyndra, and remarks offhandedly, "What's with the limp?"

OOC: How much longer would I need before my notes are complete?


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## Kelleris (Feb 17, 2005)

Depends on the result of a few knowledge rolls, but probably a couple of days.  No telling how long it'll be before Rr'trask decides he wants his books back, though, and you've been in the same place for a while.  You have immunity to major plot events in the side-quest stuff, but I'll roll a few dice and see if you don't get some kind of trouble on your hands the longer you stay.

Also note that the finished research requires you to keep the books for as long as you want to use the better item, while the notes are all you need for a straight Planar Geometry roll.


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## Uwohali (Feb 17, 2005)

Tyndra scowls at them, only half-heartedly.  "Ever have one of those weeks where fate just seems to hate you?  I wish my week had been that great."  She takes a seat and sighs in relief.  _I really need to brush up on my healing spells,_ she thinks before returning her thoughts to the group.

"Well, Roo seems to think the damage to the Orrery is indicative of a change in the planar 'confluxes' of a particular place.  Anyone studying the Orrery, or monitoring it, would not know the conditions of that area are changing.  Oh, and he also thinks the imp-like creature is just slightly off plane, and we're the lucky chaps who can still see it.  Apparently we're 'sensitive' to it.  Or crazy.  Either way, my general curiosity has been piqued.  What did you dig up?" she asked, turning to Keys.


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## Ferrix (Feb 20, 2005)

Keys' veil shifts slightly, probably concealing a grin, and she reaches into the small haversack she wears and draws out a number of works on the orrery and planar geometry and dumps them amongst the others procured from Rr'trask.  "Libraries never seem to have what you need out in front, librarians are never of any help and you always have to do things your own way.  Other than this trap," gesturing at the books, "I found an exactingly detailed schematic of the Orrery in the _private_ section."


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## Ashy (Feb 21, 2005)

Skaith's hairless eyebrows shoot up at both the books and this new information.  "Could you get me in there, Keys?", he asks excitedly...


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## Ferrix (Feb 21, 2005)

Seeing Skaith's anticipation over the mention of the _private_ section of the library, Keys says "what for?"


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## Kelleris (Feb 21, 2005)

Keys: [sblock] Given that the Library was annoying enough to give you some trouble, while not being annoying enough to be a real threat, you judge it possible but difficult to get the pasty, salivating specimen before you in there.

You didn't really check out much other than what you went in to retrieve, though, but your overall impression is that there are quite a few of the more dangerous or high-level works on magic and the planes stored back there.  There are probably even a good number of spellbooks.[/sblock]


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## Ashy (Feb 22, 2005)

"Those books you speak of - they could very likely unlock the secrets of the Orrey for us!" Skaith says, not hiding his excitement in the least...


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## Ferrix (Feb 24, 2005)

"You haven't done that yet? I thought that's why we kept you along," she says with sharp amusement.  "I can get your bloodless self in, but it really would just be easier if I went by myself.  Do you know exactly what you need? We already have quite the library here."


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## Ashy (Feb 24, 2005)

Skaith frowns at Key's words, but does not retort, "I need that schematic..."


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## Ferrix (Feb 25, 2005)

"Ah, the schematic, well it will cost you to get the schematic.  It's no easy enterprise," she says leaning against a close chair.


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## Ashy (Feb 25, 2005)

Skaith raises a bald eyebrow, "Cost *me*?  I thought we were in this together..."


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## Ferrix (Feb 25, 2005)

"In this together yes, but I don't think you've been sticking your neck out since your nose has been buried in these books," she says tritely.


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## Ashy (Feb 25, 2005)

"Well, I'm willing to stick my neck out now - I'll do whatever you say to get in and get a look at that schematic, but payment is out of the question.  I barely have enough coppers to rub together as it is..."


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## Kelleris (Mar 4, 2005)

Kinda slow around here...  Sorry, I haven't been encouraging advancement nearly as much as I ought.

*sigh*

Hmph. Sorry about this. As mentioned, I've been working on my thesis, which my amazing procrastinating ability forces me to do practically all at once over the last month or so. Looking at the posts, it looks like about 2 weeks since I last posted a turn. Sorry for the long quasi-hiatus guys. I'm taking tonight off to relax before writing my last thesis chapter tomorrow. I'll still have work to do through about the 20th, but not so much that I won't want to devote the energy to DMing.

I would've posted earlier, but even when I had the time and energy to do so, I just didn't want to have to get back into the swing of things again here when I had other things on my mind. But no more excuses.

Check this space Saturday afternoon. There shall be a post, I swear it!   

In the meantime, if you want to raid the Library (a careful bunch, aren't you?), post some questions, plans, or what-have-you for me to work with, and I'll try to get this show on the road.


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## Ferrix (Mar 4, 2005)

Ashy said:
			
		

> "Well, I'm willing to stick my neck out now - I'll do whatever you say to get in and get a look at that schematic, but payment is out of the question. I barely have enough coppers to rub together as it is..."




"Well, I can get you a look at the schematic.  But getting you into the library I don't really feel like doing at the moment."  Keys reaches back into her backpack and draws out the schematics (are they in a scroll or a book?), placing them on the table.  "There, so that wasn't that hard, now don't be glaring at me like that.  Glad to know you are willing to put that bloodless neck on the line."


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## Ashy (Mar 4, 2005)

Skaith frowns and snatches up the schematics, "Why didn't you just *say* you had them with you?!?"  With that said, he sits down in a huff and begins looking over them...

OOC: Knowledge checks galore!


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## Kelleris (Mar 6, 2005)

*roll, roll, roll*

Skaith: [sblock] You sit down with the pilfered documents and set to work.  The schematics are extremely detailed, so you don't think you'll even need to visit the Orrery itself to check you results.  Confirming the locations of the bent pins with your partners (well, close enough, anyway), you try to trace where the mysterious blank spot would be.

After an hour or so of work, you think you could find it.  It's several miles away, though, and you have no real idea whether or not the location is within the city or in the dangerous outlands.  Judging from the extent of the damage, though, it doesn't look like anything much larger than a simple portal could manifest in the area and still be hidden.  Well, maybe something a little bigger.  It's hard to tell since you haven't studied the ways of the planes except incidentally while learning the various nuances of arcane theory.

As you start to pack up the papers, you notice something else: a notation at the bottom of the primary design schematic.  You ponder it for a while until it comes to; this is a specification for a very precise alchemical alloy of copper, adamantine, and mithral.  Two things nag at you about this:

One is that, besides being worth a fortune, you suspect the alloy would be magically active somehow.  You've been told that the Orrery isn't magical though; everyone in the city knows that.  Strange that they would use such a material, then.  And it's no wonder that nobody would notice any latent magic, what with the very active wards on the Orrery.

The second thing is that the alloy seems to retain all the strength of the base adamantine.  Bending it, even a very thin part of it, would be...  hard.  Very hard.  The thought that a coterminous imp could manage it while surrounded by some of the deadliest wards in the city just doesn't add up.  [/sblock]

Hrm.  First post-hiatus post and it's all for Skaith.      Hopefully he'll have something interesting to say to the rest of you, though.  (Note also that Skaith can just tell the others everything, in which case Ashy can just direct everyone to read this spoiler.)


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## Ashy (Mar 7, 2005)

OOC: Read da spoiler...

Skaith looks to the others after finishing his lecture on his findings.  "So, what do you two think?  Some sort of invasion, perhaps?"


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## Ferrix (Mar 9, 2005)

"That seems a bit ambitious, with it not being such a massive obscurance and being relatively far out, an all out invasion seems less likely.  It's probably something more covert," Keys says, letting the rest of the information mull over a bit longer.


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## Ashy (Mar 9, 2005)

"Spies?", Skaith asks...


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## Kelleris (Mar 16, 2005)

EDIT: (Just occurred to me that Ashy might've been asking me a question there.)  Skaith can't think of any factions in Dromus who would have the means and motive to do something like this, at least as far as what little information you have indicates.  Or, well...  The real problem is that there are at least a dozen factions with the means and motive.  In any case, without further investigation, there's really no telling.

OOC - I feel like this game is moving too slowly - I've certainly underestimated your dedication to preparedness.      Not that I blame you or even am upset about that, but it does seem to have made the game somewhat more lethargic than would be optimal.  So, suggestions:

If you feel like moving to the action stage, feel free to pop over to the OOC thread to discuss IC but off-stage the potential goings-on of the campaign.  Just ignore those other ruffians.  If that suits you (you as a group), then by all means tell me what you do next.  I'll try to get things moving faster.

I think I'm spoiled by years of recklessness from my own players!


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## Ashy (Mar 16, 2005)

OOC: Skaith was asking the other characters a question, actually, but that is good info to know.  I think my main problem with this game is that I have no idea what to do.  Other than general interest, none of these characters seem to have any genuine reason to even be bothering to wonder about the Orrery and no one else certainly seems to care!  Maybe that is just my perception, however.  Right now, Skaith is just along for the ride and is happy to be gaining some new knowledge, other than that, he's just as inclined to leave Dromus in search of something else to do as he is to give a flip about the imp on the Orrery....


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## Uwohali (Mar 21, 2005)

OOC:  Recklessness?!?  Kell, I refuse to be included in that generalization.  That's all MadHatter (who has actually suggested we burn down an entire forest), and possibly DWZ.    


Tyndra watches as her two companions converse back and forth.  As she soaks up this information, she realizes this might be a little out of their league.  _Come on, Tyndra.  Where's your sense of adventure?_ that little voice nagged.  _Adventure...hmpf, right.  More like reckless endangerment_  Sighing, she interjects when Skaith and Keys pause.

"Well, the way I see it, we have two options.  We can either go investigate ourselves, get out of Dromus for a while and go exploring.  Or we can try to convince someone to investigate the Orrery and subsequently the rest.  Of course, we've already tried that second one, haven't we?  I say we stow all this," she gestures at the assortment of books, "somewhere safe, take what we need with us, and get going.  I've been feeling a little cramped here anyway.  A trek is just the thing I need.  Whattya say?"


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## Ashy (Mar 22, 2005)

Skaith nods, "Sounds fine by me..."


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## Kelleris (Mar 23, 2005)

So what's the plan?


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## Kelleris (Mar 31, 2005)

BUMP-*sigh*


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## Ashy (Mar 31, 2005)

Skaith, waiting for Keys or Tyndra to reply, accidentally *BUMPS* his elbow on a door frame, drawing a hiss of pain through his pointed teeth.


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## Ferrix (Apr 6, 2005)

"A trip with you two?" Keys sighs, reluctantly.

"Fine, let's get going then." She snags the schematics and they disappear back into the small backpack, "these are staying with me."


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## Ashy (Apr 6, 2005)

"Lead on", says Skaith...


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## Kelleris (Apr 7, 2005)

The shielded area is a fair distance away, so you all (presumably) take care to gear up properly before leaving.  Stepping out of Skaith's tavern room, the noise of the city hits you, especially noticeable after having waited so long quietly indoors.

You set off, making your way through Dromus's back-alleys, guided by Key's and Tyndra's knowledge of the city and what maps you can scavenge.  After spending the better part of the morning walking, you arrive at your destination in the early afternoon.

Said destination turns out to be a ramshackle cluster of buildings, roughly one city block.  Judging from the architectural style this area is fairly old, and judging from the silence of the streets not as active as it once was.  Many of the smaller residences appear to be boarded up and disused, though there are still signs of life in four larger buildings.

One of these buildings, a sprawling structure that takes up an entire street corner, features a gaudily-painted sign that catches your eye immediately.  The sign reads simply "Madame Elsanna: Services Rendered."  There are no customers entering or exiting at the moment.

There also appears to be a small stone chapel wedged into the usual wooden buildings, further down the street.  It is not dedicated to any immediately recognizable Proxy, though there is an emblem inlaid into the sturdy wooden door - a half-closed blue eye encircled by iron bars woven into a kind of wreath.  (Knowledge (religion) if you've got it.)

You next spot the only person on this quiet Droman street; an old woman sitting in a rocking chair in front of her dilapidated home.  She is taking up a position across the street from the chapel and a few doors closer to you.  Despite the shabbiness of her surroundings, she is whistling a jaunty air through dry lips.  She pays you no attention.

The final immediately-obvious landmark is actually something you've seen before, but on a closer look it has some strange features.  Somewhere just beyond the row of houses on your right is an enormous iron spike that juts at least a hundred feet in the air.  Having spent some time in the city, you all recognize this for what it is - a landmark designed to be visible above the houses.  With the portals and ever-changing streets of Dromus such spikes were erected to help guide travelers.  This particular specimen glows with a faint red-orange light at its peak, as though the signaling spells on the tower have worn down over time.  Looking more carefully at it, you also realize that what first appeared to be simple graffiti actually forms a vague pattern of sorts.  You cannot read what is written from here, however.

Somewhere in this area someone is hiding something.  It may be in one of the obvious places, or it may be in one of the anonymous abandoned homes that take up almost half of the street.  What do you do?


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## Ashy (Apr 7, 2005)

OOC: I thought we were trying to leave town...


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## Kelleris (Apr 7, 2005)

OOC : I assume you mean the spoilered information in this post?  To quote myself, "you have no real idea whether or not the location is within the city or in the dangerous outlands."  I wasn't sure which to go with at the time, frankly, but after looking over everyone's character sheets, you guys seem to be more urban than wilderness.  Especially Keys and Tyndra.  *Especially* Keys.  It just wouldn't be fair to Ferrix not to give him an opportunity to cat-burgle something.      (Not guaranteeing that he will or will want to, of course, that sort of thing just happens more out here.)

I also can't figure out what kinds of motivations would interest your characters.  Tyndra seems to be overly curious, Keys greedy, and Skaith perpetually hungry, but that's about all that I could glean from your character backgrounds.  What kinds of things would get your characters' dander up?


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## Ferrix (Apr 8, 2005)

*OOC:*


Cat-burgle, who would have thought that character with the Prof. Thief PrC would want to do such a thing.  On the motivation side of things, Keys isn't generally willing to stick her neck out except either if she has to just to survive, it's worth the calculated risk (generally wealth wise) or if she sees a case of degradation, particularly against someone who was similar to her when she was young.


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## Kelleris (Apr 8, 2005)

Ah, that helps then.  Give me a bit longer and I'll see what I can rustle up.



			
				Ferrix said:
			
		

> Cat-burgle, who would have thought that character with the Prof. Thief PrC would want to do such a thing.




See, I expect a "heh, just kidding" smiley here.  Don't see one.  Paranoia sets in...     I mean, are you trying to say I'm having an attack of obviousness?      You callin' me stupid!?    

p)


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## Ashy (Apr 8, 2005)

OOC: As far as Skaith is concerned, anything new is the driving force - anything unexpereinced or exciting, as that keeps his mind off the eternally gnawing hunger in his gut.  Basically, any adventure you can toss as him, so long as it does not bog down or stagnate.  Perfect setup for a DM, wouldn't you say?


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## Kelleris (Apr 8, 2005)

Speaking of adventures, I hear there's one on.      What do you guys do now?


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## Ferrix (Apr 12, 2005)

Keys eyes the area with the surety of her profession, gleaning what she can from the surroundings in a swift perceptual scan.  The scrawling establishment Elsanna's, the small temple, the old lady, the abandoned buildings, everything, gets a pass over or three from her dark brown eyes.

"So wasted, let's see what's in these skiffs."

Rolls: [sblock]Anything I know about the area? -> Knowledge (local) 15
Anything more precise? -> Perception 25 *take 10[/sblock]


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## Kelleris (Apr 12, 2005)

> "So wasted, let's see what's in these skiffs."




Going to have to translate that for me.      Working on the skill checks.


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## Ferrix (Apr 12, 2005)

Kelleris said:
			
		

> Going to have to translate that for me.      Working on the skill checks.




Planar Cant: wasted = bored, skiffs = run down/really crappy houses or establishments


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## Kelleris (Apr 12, 2005)

I ought to get you to write down all these, for possible pilfering.  All my knowledge of cant comes from _Planescape: Torment_.

Keys: [sblock] You rack your brains for anything that might help make sense of the situation - or prepare you for whatever dangers this place offers.  Unfortunately, you don't come up with much.  You do recall seeing little chapels like the one before you in other run-down areas of town, but you don't know what the significance is.  You also recognize the old woman's song, badly whistled though it is.  The "Services Rendered" sign could mean anything, though the business is likely the kind that relies on established customers.  Possibly something black market, with a front shop.  Or maybe a brothel or an unlicensed fortune-teller.

Your sweep of the street doesn't reveal much else, other than that the place is unsually clean for such a ramshackle street - no rats, no squatters, no refuse-piles.  Focusing on the landmark spike, you can read a few of the larger graffiti, though.  Most are the usual rubbish, proclaiming the love of two people you're fairly sure you don't care a bit about, or cursing the local boss.  Others are seemingly nonsensical, jumbles of overlapping letters written by someone with dubious skills at the writing of Common: "OGV(something like a crude lightning bolt or jagged bit of material)BYIR" or "nahwod?nyt"  Some of the very largest ones are carefully-drawn and slightly luminescent sigils of some kind - you have no recollection of anything similar, but you're not really a mage, are you? [/sblock]


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## Ferrix (Apr 12, 2005)

Kelleris said:
			
		

> I ought to get you to write down all these, for possible pilfering.  All my knowledge of cant comes from _Planescape: Torment_.




Here's a good place to brush up.


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## Uwohali (Apr 15, 2005)

Tyndra looks at the old lady in her chair, then turns to her companions.  "Perhaps we should inquire as to our whereabouts.  Keys, do you know where we're going?"

Tyndra looks around her cautiously, then pulls her cloak about her more tightly.  _I may enjoy spooky things, but this place gives me the willies._

"Keys, I'm going to talk to her.  Why don't you and Skaith look around here; see what you can find?"


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## Kelleris (Apr 15, 2005)

As you approach, the old woman glances up, her eyes narrowing, but in a moment she returns to her former attitude, leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed, waiting for you to say the first word.


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## Ashy (Apr 15, 2005)

Skaith, intrigued by the spike, wanders over to examine it fully...


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## Kelleris (Apr 16, 2005)

Skaith - Moving toward the obelisk, you cut through Madame Elsanna's bracken-filled yard, moving beyond the street's line of house to access your goal.  As you pick your way through the weeds, the pillar comes more clearly into vision, and you notice a few things that you didn't notice before:

[sblock] Focusing on the landmark spike, you can read a few of the larger graffiti, though. Most are the usual rubbish, proclaiming the love of two people you're fairly sure you don't care a bit about, or cursing the local boss. Others are seemingly nonsensical, jumbles of overlapping letters written by someone with dubious skills at the writing of Common: "OGV(something like a crude lightning bolt or jagged bit of material)BYIR" or "nahwod?nyt". Some of the very largest ones are carefully-drawn and slightly luminescent sigils of some kind.  Moving up to the wrought-iron fence surrounding the base of the structure, you study them more carefully.  There seem to be a variety of spells tied to this structure - there's a minor enchantment designed to make it easier to locate via scrying, the light enchantment (some damaged sigils here), another spell to dampen the magical emanations of the pillar, and a variety of _arcane marks_ left by sorcerously-inclined passers-by.

Studying the _arcane marks_, you recognize most of them as variations on well-known Guildmember glyphs, probably belonging to some apprentice or other.  Nobody of any particular significance has left a mark here, though.

As you continue to trace the patterns of the spell-sigils, you notice that there is also a pattern of shallow scratches cut into the metal.  It's not doing anything _now_, of course, but you think you could activate this myserious pattern with a sufficient charge of magical energy, were you so inclined.  From your current vantage point, you can't tell what they do exactly, but they appear to circumscribe the othr enchantments on the iron landmark-spike, channeling them for some purpose.  You've never seen anything like it before, and you've had the opportunity to study similar patterns in great depth in the past.

Your Spellcraft check - 35.

Your Knowledge (arcana) check - 30. [/sblock]


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## Ashy (Apr 17, 2005)

Intrigued, Skaith summons the magical energy from deep within himself and places his hand upon the shallow cut marks.  He re-focuses the flow of magical energy outward, into his hand, and into the cuts beyond...


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## Kelleris (Apr 19, 2005)

I'm going to go ahead and tell Skaith what happens on his end, but his magic-making will take several minutes, so the other two should go ahead and post some actions.

Skaith: [sblock] Placing your hand on the pocked metal of the landmark obleisk, you channel a fair amount of your personal energy into the carefully-drawn maze of lines, just to see what happens.  As you do so, you notice something that hadn't been obvious before - the scratches in the metal contain some kind of clear, dried substance, slick like snakeskin.  You aren't familiar with this stuff right offhand, however.

Whatever it is, the effects are dramatic.  Several of the _arcane marks_ wink out and the light fluctuates wildly as their energy is drawn deep into the spire, along with your own.  The ground under you starts to rumble threateningly, and you are thrown roughly to the ground when the earth under you suddenly buckles and falls away.  As your hand leaves the iron surface of the landmark, the rumbling ceases and the flow of energy is broken. 

Skaith has to spend a total of 7 spell levels to trigger the effect - how do you want to divvy that up?[/sblock]


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## Ashy (Apr 19, 2005)

DM: [sblock]I guess start with lowest (0) and work my way up.   Let me know what I have left, please.[/sblock]


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## Kelleris (Apr 19, 2005)

Skaith: [sblock]  Well, as I said, it costs 7 spell levels; so working from the bottom and assuming you haven't cast any spells today leaves you with 0/1/5/4/2. [/sblock]


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## Kelleris (Apr 23, 2005)

Okay, since nobody else is doing anything, Skaith has time to complete his experiment:

Placing his hand on the pocked metal of the landmark obelisk, Skaith channels a fair amount of his personal energy into the carefully-drawn maze of lines, just to see what happens.

The effects are dramatic.  The light at the top fluctuates wildly and several of the _arcane marks_ at the base of the tower wink out as their energy is drawn deep into the spire, along with Skaith's. The ground under you starts to rumble threateningly, and Skaith is thrown roughly to the ground when the earth under him suddenly buckles and falls away, revealing a black tunnel underground. As Skaith's hand leaves the iron surface of the landmark, the rumbling ceases and the flow of energy is broken.


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## Ashy (Apr 23, 2005)

Skaith looks up to his companions with a sheepish grin. "Er...I...uh...think I've discovered something here."  He picks himself up and dusts himself off; peering down the newly opened tunnel.


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## Kelleris (Apr 23, 2005)

Skaith: You peer into the hole, but the angle is poor and the area tight, so you can't see much without more light or some serious wriggling.  You do, unless your eyes deceive you, think there's a slight (saffron? mustard yellow?) glow somewhere in the darkness.


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## Ashy (Apr 25, 2005)

Skaith looks from the tunnel, squinting, to the others.  "Well?", he asks impatiently...


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## Kelleris (Apr 25, 2005)

(OOC: That's what I'm wondering...)

The old woman sitting in the deserted street has been craning her neck around after the brief tremor, and finally lays eyes on Skaith crouched at the entrance to the impromptu tunnel.  She cackles wildly for a few moments, and then quiets down except for a few choking giggles.  Because what run-down part of the city would be complete without a crazy old lady?


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## Ashy (Apr 25, 2005)

Skaith walks over to her, "Do you know what just happened?" he asks politely...


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## Ferrix (Apr 25, 2005)

After the mild tremor, Keys' eyes drop on Skaith with a contemptful look, "you couldn't keep your hands to yourself.  Least you didn't draw a great deal of attention to us."  She moves over quietly and examines the entrance to the tunnel.









*OOC:*


Low-light vision, darkvision 60', Perception 25, Search 29.


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## Ashy (Apr 25, 2005)

Skaith looks from the old woman to the gnome, "It's not like I *meant* to rip a hole in the street", he snaps in return...


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## Ferrix (Apr 25, 2005)

"Right, and you didn't mean to touch anything either," she quips back.


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## Ashy (Apr 25, 2005)

Skaith hisses a silent curse, but otherwise does not reply, he instead looks back to the old woman, waiting on an answer.


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## Kelleris (Apr 25, 2005)

Skaith walks over to the old woman, and starts to ask his question.  But, before he can finish, the crone jabs a finger at Tyndra.  "Seems like yer fren's got er tongs tied."  The old lady peers suspiciously at Skaith and Tyndra, as though suspecting them of some foul play beyond the obvious minor earthquakes.

"I kent tellya.  Heerd diggins nights 'round ere, though.  Prob'ly dat..."

She breaks off as Keys and Skaith start yelling at each other from across the street, and begins to chortle at the exchange.

Tyndra and Skaith: [sblock] She seems amused, but not particularly malevolent.  Definitely a bit batty, though, and you're starting to wish she had more teeth so you could understand what she's saying better. [/sblock]

Keys: You peer into the hole.  It's not very large - you can get in easily, Tyndra with a little twisting, and Skaith with some digging or some grease.  You also notive, with your sharper eyes, the dull red glow.  It doesn't seem to be coming from anywhere in particular, though, and you aren't familiar with any phenomena that could cause the glow, magical or otherwise.

[sblock] Looking deeper into the hole, you make out a circular earthen tunnel, supported by beams made of a chitinous golden material.  It's large enough for a man-sized creature, or a larger one that's used to creeping along such tunnels.  The tunnel takes a turn about 10 feet in, though, and you can't see how far it goes underneath you without getting further into the hole. [/sblock]


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## Ashy (Apr 26, 2005)

"Digging, you say, eh?  Hmmm..." Skaith cups his pointy chin in his hand, "How long have you been hearing these things?"


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## Kelleris (Apr 26, 2005)

"Oh, nigh own two-three month.  Jes' diggins.  Sumptimes the tower goes out..."


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## Ashy (Apr 26, 2005)

"Goes out?", Skaith asks and nods.  "Anything else strange been happening?"


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## Kelleris (Apr 26, 2005)

"Heh.  Nuthin' srange happens 'round here.  Long slow leavin' is all.  People leavin', guards leavin', worthless sons leavin'..."


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## Ashy (Apr 27, 2005)

"I see, I see..." Skaith mumbles.  He presses a silver into her palm and smiles a pointed-tooth smile, "Thanks be to ya..."  He then moves over and joins Keys.


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## Kelleris (Apr 28, 2005)

The old woman cracks a slight grin and closes her fist around the silver piece, without actually pocketing it.  She looks on with interest as Keys investigates the hole in the ground.

(Oh, and *bump*.)


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## Ferrix (May 3, 2005)

Keys glances back toward Skaith and then slips down into the hole nimbly, moving quietly and stealthily as she disappears.









*OOC:*


Hide 39, Move Silently 35, Perception 25, Search 29, Climb 35


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## Kelleris (May 4, 2005)

Keys - Which direction are you headed in?  Around the bend or toward Skaith and Tyndra?

Keys moves quietly into the crawlspace, keeping to the shadows and hoping that nothing with eyes keen in darkness comes along.  Her eyes are sharp, but there's barely enough light in the tunnel to see by, even for one with low-light vision.  The thought that another stealthy intruder could easily sneak up on you here strikes you.

OOC - I need to take some time off DMing this thread. It's finals week, y'know. Sorry, but I'll try to post sometimes still. And over the summer I'll be hanging out with Uwohali more, and thereby _ensuring her increased cooperation_....    

Of course, this thread's so slow I'll still be able to keep up, I think.   :\


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## Ashy (May 4, 2005)

OOC: Sounds good.

Skaith stands at the top of the hole, peering down.  He squints his pale colored eyes, trying to see what lies beneath the street as well as trying to keep an eye on Keys.  _'I wish she would tell me what is going on down there...'_, Skaith thinks to himself.


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## Ferrix (May 4, 2005)

Kelleris said:
			
		

> Keys - Which direction are you headed in?  Around the bend or toward Skaith and Tyndra?
> 
> Keys moves quietly into the crawlspace, keeping to the shadows and hoping that nothing with eyes keen in darkness comes along. Her eyes are sharp, but there's barely enough light in the tunnel to see by, even for one with low-light vision. The thought that another stealthy intruder could easily sneak up on you here strikes you.




Keys has darkvision, so even without light she's fine.  Didn't realize there were two directions to the tunnel, once I get down there though and take a look I'll make a decision.


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## Kelleris (May 6, 2005)

OOC - You don't say.  Hrm.  Whisper gnomes get darkvision?  Lotta oomph on those buggers...  Okay then.

Peering around, your eyes adjust to the colorless world of darkvision.  Behind you, the tunnel takes a 90-degree bend, heading away from Skaith and under the giant iron spike.  Ahead of you, to the distance of your darkvision, you see only more tunnel, with supports made out of that strange chitinous material spaced evenly every 10 feet.  No motion disturbs the scene, and the smell of earth fills your nostrils.

Still isn't anything to hide behind, though.


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## Ashy (May 10, 2005)

"What's down there?", Skaith hisses down the hole to Keys...


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## Ferrix (May 17, 2005)

"A tunnel you blighter, light a torch and come see for yourself, that is if you can squeeze that pasty white corpse through the hole."  _What's down there, a tunnel, a bloody f'ing tunnel.  Wow, amazing!_  Keys turns and quietly pads towards the 90 degree turn, to peek inconspicuously around the bend.









*OOC:*










*OOC:*


Hide 39, Move Silently 35, Perception 25, Search 29


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## Ashy (May 17, 2005)

Skaith sighs a hissing sigh, lights a torch and heads down into the tunnel...


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## Kelleris (May 17, 2005)

Keys: [sblock] The tunnel takes a sharp downward turn about 10 feet past the turn.  You can hear skittering sounds coming from the lower level. [/sblock]


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