Yes, of course Tabitha nods to Penny's question about translation. It speaks of where the treasures of Solomon are kept. Naturally I don't actually have that part she sighs. Magda must not understand the significance of what she has, or she'd have done something about it. She probably only has a general location or something, without understanding why. I've kept it secret from her, I don't like her knowing more than she already does. I've expressed interest in the scroll in the past but she guards her knowledge jealously. She's even worse than me. she makes a face.

So, how do you want to do this then? Ian pipes up. You brainy types just tell me where to go and who to shoot. In the meantime I'm gonna go see if there's a drink to be had in this place, he laughs.

Alice nodded, ”Yea I’m with Ian. My vote, we just kill the witch and take her shit, but I know some people are squimish so...yea.” Alice followed Ian to get a drink. She hoped she could talk to him about Penny and what happened to him when he was under the djinn’s power.

Alice: You follow Ian to the kitchen, which is fairly barren but you do manage to find a dusty bottle of whiskey that is half full. He finds a couple glasses and slides you a half full one. Nice shooting back at the light house. Where'd you learn to do that? He takes a swallow and smiles. Good stuff.

'I'd much rather avoid another fight, if we can help it.' Penny said in response to both Ian and Alice as they departed. Mostly, she did not wish to be a brigand about this. There was a great gulf between buying or stealing what they needed, and deliberately murdering for it. If they were to fight evil, they must hold themselves to a higher standard, else evil had already scored its first victory.

'Emma, you said Magda is a scholar more than a witch, a stubborn sort, but she can be bought... How amenable would she be to supporting our cause, or to trading the scroll for something of greater apparent value?'

Alice sat across the table from Ian, making sure that she was not too close so that Ian would get the wrong idea. She was here as a friend only. She took the glass and sipped from it. She chuckled, ”I’ve been shooting like that since I met you, and you just now ask? Men...” She made a motion with the glass, ”Europe, actually, more specifically Austria.”

She wondered if there would be more small talk. ”Listen, I’ve tried to reach Penny about this, but she is...well Penny.” She raised an eyebrow, ”You two belong together. She knows it, at least some part of her does. I know that you feel that as well. I think Penny is too prim and proper to know how to...well throw herself at a man. She is going to need you take the bull by the horns and just ... well ask her on a proper outing. British women are, you know, British. She wil want a chaperone. A picnic in a nice park with sunshine and flowers that is probably what she has in mind. I saw a painting once. Anyway, I will volunteer to chaperone this outing, and I will keep a proper distance.” She looked hard at him, ”I know what you had to give up to come with us. You did that for her. She knows that but she is just...well Penny. Don’t let her go. I know about this, I was married once...years ago. He died. Soon after that a friend of mine, a dear friend wanted me to consider an outing with him and I knew I should have. I did not and he never asked again. It did not matter that I regretted this or that I was still mourning the loss of my husband. I should have. I did not. Do not make my mistake.”

Penny:
Tabitha frowns at the question. She's loyal to her cause unfortunately, Belial she shakes her head. She sees Belial as the victor so she will stay on his side. Especially since he has made her many promises of knowledge and power, but then the man is full of such things. It is possible, however, that she would trade. But only if she had no idea why we wanted her half of the scroll. I'm fairly certain it is mostly a map or location but she of course has no idea what to. If she had any idea it was regarding the seal...she'd never give it up. If you can come up with a convincing enough reason I would conceivably want such a thing, we may be able to trade for it. I do have a few things she's longed for.

Alice:

He looks stunned at your words, and then finishes his drink in a long swallow. This again he mutters, halfway through your words, but he listens, albeit with clear discomfort. At the end he sighs, scrubbing a hand through his hair. Look, Alice, he sighs. It's been only a few weeks. I know everything happened quickly for you both, but for me...Eight years Alice. I was there for eight years. I had a family, a life. Every night I dream of them. Every child we pass reminds me of my own. The ones that never existed. Do you have any idea how hard that is? And Penny. Penny is special. I have always...felt for her. I'd be lying if I said I didn't now, even after everything, which of course just makes me feel guilty, he chuckles bitterly. How can a man who had a wife only three weeks ago care for another woman? That brings me a whole new set of problems. What you say makes sense, and I'm sorry for your loss. I had no idea you were married. You must have pain of your own. But surely...surely you understand why I'm not ready? I just need a little more time. Time not to see my family's face every time I close my eyes. But Alice, you should at least be comforted, that I very much mean to pursue Penny. She's special. I've been with enough women to know. I'll get off my ass soon enough. Just...when I'm ready. And if she'll even have me. It's hard to tell with her.

ooc:  Holy mackeral! I was looking back on old posts and the stuff with Ian happened a year and a half ago! It's only been a few weeks since then in the game, but holy crap! I suppose that's the problem with play by posts!

Alice looked distant or a moment or three and answered Ian. She is exposed now and very very vulnerable. ”I was pregnant. Once. The baby...died before she was born. I had to carry her to term. I had to ... give birth ... to something that wasn’t even alive. Believe me I understand where you are coming from. Why do you think I hate witches so much? Anything that would willingly sacrifice it’s own offspring...” There are tears on her face now. ”...I’m sorry. Very few people know that about me, I’d like to keep it that way. My point is this. We could die tomorrow. She could die tomorrow or tonight. If she dies you will lose forever any opportunity. That is far worse than having for any small time and losing someone. Think about that, Ian.” She stood to leave but kissed him on the cheek. ”You and Penny are both my friends. I want what is best for you. That is why I am being a buttinsky. Thanks for the whiskey.”

Ian looks shocked at your revelation and he gives you such a sympathetic look, one you didn't expect a man to be capable of. But in his own way he's lost children. It's not the same, but somehow it's close enough. I'm so sorry Alice. So very sorry, he says quietly. Your secret is safe with me. And you're right. We could die. We probably WILL die, it is our lot. I will think over what you've said. I will. But, please don't tell Penny any of this. I think it would make her uncomfortable. And when I am ready, I want to be the one to tell her.

Entirely unaware that Ian and Alice spoke about her, Penny turned the matter of the map over in her mind, relationships and personal feelings far from her mind when the fate of the world was at stake. She considered some scheme involving forgery, and still might, but if the copy was noticed it would risk tipping their hand to Belial. Besides, they had no reason to trade a copy of Tabitha's document, and time enough to study and copy Magda's would mean they'd have no need to do so at all. Ultimately, all they needed was to just look at the scroll, didn't they? 'I see.' Penny said; she'd learned from Holmes little tricks like this that made her sound like she was already planning something, when in fact she was still trying to work it all out. 'Let's go back. How do you know Magda has this half of the scroll? Have you seen it or do you know where it is kept?'

Penny: I've not seen its contents, but I was there when she got the shipment from Egypt. It was her pride and joy. She held up half of a scroll, looking at it in fury. She cannot stand when history is abused. The markings on the back, matched mine. I was hoping she would get upset and deem it unworthy to keep but she treasures every speck of knowledge she can get her hands on. I do have theories as to where it might be kept. She has a library, a very impressive one, and she keeps it well in order. If you had time you could probably find it, but that's the problem isn't it? Time. Also, we witches tend to ward that which is important to us. You'd need at least one of us to help you with that, she gestures to Emma. A distraction may prove useful, if you can keep her attention long enough. It would give us time to search anyway, but she has no love for society. You'd have to find something properly fascinating to tempt her with.

Penny reflected she'd like to take a good long look through Magda's library herself, purely for its own merits, if it was as good they said. But alas, she had too little opportunity for study and reading these days. It was as Tabitha said: the problem was one of time. 'Perhaps we might keep her distracted with scintillating discussion while others search. Some intriguing source of knowledge...' she mused, wheels starting to turn in her mind, but, to mix her metaphors, also playing her cards close to her chest, largely because she had little of value in her hand.

She turned her attention back to the matter of the scroll, studying Tabitha's portion  through a magnifying class, especially where it had parted from must be Magda's half. Had it been torn deliberately or fallen apart with age, had it separated in the distant past or relatively recently. 'Please tell me all you know about this scroll. Where did you obtain it? What is its provenance? How did it come to split?' With her tweezers and gloves, she carefully turned it over so she could examine the markings on the back that Tabitha had referred to.


OOC:
20:48, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 32 using 1d20+18. Investigate.
20:49, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 14 using 1d20+10. Knowledge (religion).
20:51, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 22 using 1d20+10. Decipher script.

Tabitha listens to your questions thoughtfully. It came that way. Torn I mean. I obtained my half after sending a representative of mine to Egypt to collect some artifacts for me. You'd be amazed at the prices you can get for some things! The more desperate locals find whatever ancient odds and ends they can, useless junk to them most of the time, but they know how we scholars leap on them. Apparently my agent was able to get a handsome price for the scroll, pointing out all the damage and the like. You can get some priceless things through haggling. Poor simpletons usually have no idea the true value of their artifacts. Most of them don't read current egyptian let alone ancient! But yes, I imagine Magda did something similar, though she actually goes abroad herself most of the time. It seems luck or fate had a hand in both of us finding the matches. Hm. Indeed as you study the scroll you see it looks deliberately torn. Perhaps someone in the past wanted to keep the two components separate for a reason. The quality is very good, the papyrus is fine, expensive even, and the inking of the hieroglyphs immaculate. Someone important or wealthy or both commissioned this work.

As for distracting her...I unfortunately have an idea. Tabitha sighs. I have some pieces she doesn't know I have. Pieces she would probably drool over! You could take them to her under the pretense of wanting to sell them. But if this happens I want them back you hear me! I'm not a charity!

Alice joined the conversation. ”I say we just pop her. One less witch.” As she says this she licks the paper she is using to roll a cigarette and lights it with a match. She also makes 100% sure she is locking eyes with Tabitha. She is trying to intimidate the witch into just giving them the things.

I rolled an 11 to intimidate
This message was last edited by the player at 17:40, Thu 09 May 2019.

Penny gazed coolly at Alice, replying frostily 'We are not bandits, Alice. There is a difference between buying or even stealing what we need, and purposefully going out and murdering for it, between defending ourselves from Rebecca's wrath and killing her in cold blood.' It was clear she was speaking not just about future events, but those that took place earlier that day. 'Such a sin taints the soul and gives the demons their foothold. If we are to fight evil, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard, else evil has already scored its first victory.'

Ian gives a nod at Penny's speech, though he looks a bit edgy and uncomfortable for some reason. Well spoken. I'm afraid some of us old hands get a bit jaded over the years. It's hard to keep one's soul in this line of work. We're lucky to have the likes of you to keep what's left of our humanity intact. He says it with a grin but you feel like he's only half joking and the smile doesn't quite touch his eyes. We do it Penny's way. No killing unless we need to. Never liked killing women anyway, witches or not. he shakes his head.

Meanwhile Tabitha is still warily looking at Alice, as though one would stare down a dog you thought was going to bite you. She is a little comforted by Penny's words though, and gets back to business. Alright. Miss Dreadful here will be the one to address Magda. You seem to know enough about archeology and history to satisfy the charade, and naturally Emma and I must not be seen. I suggest you take one of your two hunters with you for trouble, but we'll need someone to help us look in the library. Make your choice and ready your story. The item in question will be a gold and jade wrought knife that is reputed to have been used in ancient Mayan sacrifice. She's lately been obsessing over Mayan artifacts and isn't coming up with much. I have a book on the subject if you want to brush up before you address her.

ooc: Ok, winding down here and getting ready to actually make the move on Magda. Let me know any preparations you wish to make etc and what the final plan is.

Just FYI I suck at research

As they seemed to accept this, Penny breathed out slowly and shallowly, releasing much held tension. Standing between two hunters and two witches, themselves feuding with each other, she seemed to need a steely nerve and a firm hand to keep them working together, and keep them from each other's throats. Oh, for this matter to be done and to return to dear Devonshire.

'A capital plan, Tabitha! I shall have that knife and the book, and commence my research at once.' she agreed, with more Holmseian ebullience than she really felt.

*

When she had the book, Penny settled in for a good long while of research and examining the curious Mayan knife and its wickedly sharp obsidian blade. How many sacrifices had it made to those blood-thirsty gods? She shuddered to wonder. Decapitations, disembowelings, carving out hearts, and even more bizarre and shocking rites were hinted at in the pages and the disturbing glyphs. Penny quickly put together a story of being an amateur enthusiast of the central American cultures, who'd purchased the knife and wished to identify and value it, and thus wished to consult a local expert recommended to her, Magda Petrovich.

And, during this, she thought carefully over Tabitha's proposal, comparing their options and arrangements. She'd rather have Emma or Tabitha with her to make the introduction – it was just good manners – but Emma's sudden return to Portland would raise suspicion and only Tabitha had glimpsed the scroll and knew her way around Magda's collection. She'd preferred to have one person as back-up in case the meeting with Magda went poorly. She'd rather split Emma and Tabitha up to prevent bickering. She needed to guard against either of them getting the idea to take the scroll for her own and potentially betraying them. And she'd rather not leave Alice alone with either of them. She was reminded of the old puzzle of the wolf, the goat, and the cabbage.

'Alice, do you wish to accompany me when I speak with Magda? Or would you rather aid in the search?'


OOC: Sorry, I was busy and kept missing a chance to respond here. I hope I wasn't holding things up.

Alice nodded, ”Sure, sounds like fun. I am pretty good with people so ... yea. I won’t even kill her, unless it is necessary.”

'Splendid!' Penny agreed, relieved. Now, she could have Emma, Tabitha, and Ian search for the scroll, Emma could watch Tabitha, Tabitha could watch Emma, and Ian could watch the pair of them. 'Only if it is absolutely necessary.' she stressed.

ooc: Ok! I'm going to assume everyone is ready to move on. Feel free to let me know if you had any particular preparations you wanted to throw in.

I'm skipping ahead slightly so we can skip formalities etc and just get right into it. If that's not great for you let me know and we'll backtrack. Please make bluff checks and diplomacy too if you wish and feel free to look around, all that jazz.


IC: It is roughly 7:40pm when you arrive at Magda's home, a splendid little estate on the edge of town that shows she clearly has money, but then how else could she afford her expensive little hobby? Ian wishes you both luck with a wink before heading around to the back with the witches. Hopefully he'll be able to handle himself, but he always did have a way with women, no matter their age. Your bigger concern is if Magda will take the bait. As you introduce yourselves though, the maid who answers raises a brow and invites you in. She informs you she can't promise anything but she's certain her mistress will be interested and off she goes to find her, leaving you both in the parlor. It is beautifully furnished with several cases displaying various artifacts. Some are African, some Egyptian, one even looks Scandinavian, but there are clearly Mayan pieces here and there as well. These must be the things she's especially proud of, to display them in the parlor like this.

After about eight minutes alone, the door opens to reveal a woman in her fifties with greying blond hair tucked up into a loose bun. She is pretty for her age, but her face is lined with deep wrinkles and you see why as she squints at you curiously, an expression she no doubt makes often. Forgive me, but once I heard the word Mayan, I completely stopped paying attention to what Greta was saying. Please, I am Mrs. Petrovich. I hear you have an artifact to show me? Would you like tea? Her accent is thickly Russian and slightly hard to understand at first. She's offered you tea but you have a feeling it's only to be polite as she's already looking at you intently, no doubt trying to catch a glimpse of the knife.

OOC: I apologise if this arrangement leaves the most exciting part to the NPCs.
I rolled a pair of checks in case you need them, and got double 1s! D:
21:48, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 4 using 1d20+3. Diplomacy.
21:47, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 7 using 1d20+6. Bluff.

In case there's a useful clue to stumble across, Search 20.
21:51, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 20 using 1d20+14. Find Clues: Search.

Because we have a plan, I'll use my Plan talent for the first time. Starting with a +2 bonus.
22:06, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 18 using 1d20+9. Plan: Smart level + Int bonus.

*

Penny used the wait to look around the parlour, using the opportunity to examine the intriguing artefacts put proudly on display and discreetly determine what this house revealed about Magda and her secrets.

She turned around from the Mayan display case as Magda Petrovich entered behind her. 'Good evening, madam. Thank you for agreeing to see me. And yes, I should love some tea.' She read Magda's eagerness to see the Mayan knife, but knew that as soon as she showed it, there would be a time limit on the conversation. She needed to keep her talking as long as possible to give Ian, Emma, and Tabitha a chance to find the Egyptian scroll. She pointed back to the cabinet, remarking 'I must say, this is quite a beautiful jade pendant. Quality jadeite, skilfully carved. From the early classic period, is it not?' She was wrong, on purpose, figuring it was closer to the mid- or even late classic periods, but it would give Magda an opportunity to correct her and expound on her current favourite subject.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_use_in_Mesoamerica

Hearing the Russian accent, Alice easily slipped into speaking that langauge,  [Russian] ”Perhaps my friend is being presumptuous? We are here to see if you would like to buy, or perhaps trade for, the Mayan Dagger. It isn’t Olmec, but Olmec items are so rarely found.”

11:27, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 18 using 1d20+8.  Bluff (Same question).
11:27, Today: Mary-Alice Reussoe Conner rolled 30 using 1d20+11.  Diplomacy (Do I get a bonus for speaking her language?).
Maybe I should always do the talking? =-P
This message was last edited by the player at 15:28, Thu 23 May 2019.

ooc: Nicely done Alice! And Yes Penny, the plan roll does help. Nice to know after 5+ years you finally get to use it!

Magda listens to Penny with a look of amusement and the slightest trace of derision. She clearly thinks you beneath her and is trying to be polite about it. Late classic period actually. She corrects bluntly. She then proceeds to gesture to her maid who scuttles off no doubt to bring the tea in. As Alice proceeds to speak to the woman in her native tongue, she shows the slightest hint of surprise. I don't run into many in these parts that know Russian. Where did you learn it? And as for the dagger, I would need to see it to verify its authenticity. And I do not trade. What good is a priceless artifact to me if I have to lose another to acquire it? I will consider purchasing it, if it is everything you say it is. In the meantime perhaps we'd best return to English for your friend's sake. she finishes with a smile that indicates she's a bit sad to do so. In English, she nods to Penny, trying to include her in the conversation. She's polite it seems, though her tone lacks warmth to it that she had a moment before with Alice. Tell me, how did you procure the dagger? I like to know the history of items I consider purchasing. Just then the door opens and the maid enters with a silver tray of tea and cakes.

Alice smiled as well. “Extensive travel.” She said in Russian. Then returning to English, “Penny here is a Noblewoman from England. I am her travel companion, body guard, and translator.” She nodded to Penny, “My companion is less interested in monetary value as historical. Perhaps you have something you see little value in, but might be of historical significance?”

As Magda corrected her and she and Alice spoke in what must be Russian, Penny pursed her lips, realising she'd lost all control over the course of the conversation. Thankfully, Alice seemed to have impressed her, proving as effective at this as in gunslinging, more than Penny had estimated in her planning. She regretted not learning more modern languages in her European tour.

At least the interlude gave her some time to consider the witch herself in context of the surroundings. A Mrs but no housewife, likely widowed at a young age. No family at all to speak of, it seemed, judging by the lack of portraits. Estranged, scorned, or had they all died early on? Yet the library, of English and Russian tomes, predated Magda significantly. A father collection, remembered through his collection?

'I purchased the knife from a trader in California.' Well, she'd recently been in California, and had the tan to show for it. It was best to keep a lie close to the truth. 'Obviously, it was brought up from Mexico, or while California was still Mexico. I was told it was found in the northern Yucatán, by tomb raiders, I shouldn't doubt. Naturally, with such uncertain provenance, I was hoping an expert of your calibre could say more about it.'